The Brewers Association (BA) has awarded more than a half a million dollars in research grants to groups focused on barley and hops development.
In a press release, the BA, a not-for-profit trade group representing the interests of small and independent U.S. beer companies, said the 17 grants given through its Research and Service Grants Program totaled $509,058 and would “further the development of a healthy and sustainable raw materials supply chain.”
Bob Pease, CEO and president of the BA, added in the release that a healthy supply chain is “critical” for the trade group’s members.
“As the agricultural landscape weathers a number of challenges, the Brewers Association is proud to fund grants that will enhance beer production and enable a more sustainable future,” he said, via the release.
Since the BA instituted the Research and Service Grants Program in 2015, the organization has provided more than $1.7 million in funding to 77 projects, which include barley and hop variety development and the study of hop disease and hop aroma. Grants have also supported national and state grower organizations.
This year, the BA has increased its award amount by more than $76,400 over 2018 levels. The list of 2019 recipients include colleges, federal agencies, hop manufacturers and labs with four projects focused on hops and 13 devoted to barley.
Among 2019’s funding recipients are:
- The University of Nebraska for its “Building a Winter Malting Barley Market for the Great Plains,”
- Montana State University’s “Interaction Between Barley Genetics and Malt Process Impact on Flavor,”
- North Dakota State University’s “Identifying Spring Malting Barley Varieties for the Craft Brewing Industries,”
- And the University of Minnesota’s “Mapping Novel Loci for Powdery Mildew Resistance in Hops.”
Montana State University also received a grant for its study of “Stable and Sustainable Dryland Production of High-Quality Malt Barley.”
“The support of the Brewers Association will enable the creation of barley lines with high malt quality under dryland conditions,” Dr. Jamie Sherman, Montana State University assistant professor, Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, said, via the release. “Ultimately, the grant will increase sustainable production of barley by reducing water use. Dryland production is important to the long-term security of the barley supply chain particularly for Montana where 80 percent of available acres are dryland.”
The BA also announced that it will accept proposals for 2020 grants between March 1, and the end of May 2019.
Additional details this year’s grant recipients can be found here. A press release is also included below with the full list of recipients.
Brewers Association Awards 2019 Research Grants
More than half a million dollars given to support 17 hop and barley projects
Boulder, Colo. • January 3, 2019—The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers—today announced the recipients of its 2019 Research and Service Grants Program, designed to further the development of a healthy and sustainable raw materials supply chain. This year, 17 grants totaling $509,058 were awarded to researchers and organizations across the country.
“Ensuring a healthy supply chain is critical for our members,” said Bob Pease, president & CEO, Brewers Association. “As the agricultural landscape weathers a number of challenges, the Brewers Association is proud to fund grants that will enhance beer production and enable a more sustainable future.”
The BA has provided more than $1.7 million in funding for 77 projects since the inception of the grant program in 2015. Funding has supported research and service grants addressing public barley and hop variety development, hop disease and hop aroma, as well as supporting affiliated national and state-level grower organizations.
“We are grateful to the Brewers Association for the grant ‘Stable and Sustainable Dryland Production of High Quality Malt Barley’ to Montana State University,” said Dr. Jamie Sherman, assistant professor, Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University. “The support of the Brewers Association will enable the creation of barley lines with high malt quality under dryland conditions. Ultimately, the grant will increase sustainable production of barley by reducing water use. Dryland production is important to the long-term security of the barley supply chain particularly for Montana where 80 percent of available acres are dryland.”
2019 Grant Recipients
Barley
Building a Winter Malting Barley Market for the Great Plains
Partner(s): University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Principal: Stephen Baenziger
Characterization of Genotype by Environment Interaction for Malting Quality in New York State
Partner(s): Cornell University Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics
Principal: Mark Sorrells
Stable and Sustainable Dryland Production of High-Quality Malt Barley
Partner(s): Montana State University
Principal: Jamie Sherman
Interaction Between Barley Genetics and Malt Process Impact on Flavor
Partner(s): Montana State University
Principal: Hannah Turner
Winter and Spring 2-Row Malt for Conventional and Organic Systems
Partner(s): Montana State University
Principal: Jed Eberly
Improving Malting Quality in Two-Rowed Barley by Reducing Grain Protein and β-Glucan Content Through Marker Assisted Backcrossing
Partner(s): University of California, Davis
Principal: Alicia del Blanco
Development of Two and Six-Rowed Winter Malt Barley Varieties for the Eastern U.S.
Partner(s): Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Principal: Carl Griffey
Evaluating a Multi-State Breeding Project to Produce Local Malting Barley for the Craft Brewing Industry
Partner(s): University of Minnesota
Principal: Kevin Smith
The Continuing Quest for Flavor: From the Oregon Promise to the Romp of Otters
Partner(s): Oregon State University
Principal: Pat Hayes
Enhancement of Winter Hardiness in Two-Rowed Barley Germplasm for the Craft Brewing Industry
Partner(s): University of Minnesota
Principal: Brian Steffenson
Identifying Spring Malting Barley Varieties for the Craft Brewing Industries
Partner(s): North Dakota State University
Principal: Richard Horsley
Effects of Variety by Malting Interactions on the Malt and Beer Metabolome
Partner(s): Colorado State University
Principal: Adam Heuberger
Metabolomics and Genomics Analysis of the ‘Romp of Otters’ Barley Flavor Project
Partner(s): Colorado State University
Principal: Adam Heuberger
Hops
Multifaceted Impacts of Nitrogen and Sulfur Fertility on Hop Productivity, Quality, and Brewing Characteristics
Partner(s): US Department of Agriculture; Oregon State University
Researcher: David Gent
Mapping Novel Loci for Powdery Mildew Resistance in Hops
Partner(s): University of Minnesota
Principal: Gary Muehlbauer
Development and Application of Cost-Effective DNA-Based Markers for Hops
Partner(s): USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository
Principal: Nahla V. Bassil
Development of Thiols and Thiol Precursors in Different Hop Varieties During Hop Harvest and their Impact on Beer Flavour
Partner(s): Nyseos, Barth-Haas Group
Researcher: Laurent Dagan, Christina Schoenberger
Proposals for 2020 calendar year funding will be accepted from March 1, 2019 until May 31, 2019 and can be submitted on the Brewers Association website.
About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents more than 4,800 U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, SAVORTM: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew ConTM, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® magazine, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association® and the free Brew Guru® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 11246 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.