The Brewers Association—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers—is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2018 Research and Service Grants Program, designed to further the development of a healthy and sustainable raw materials supply chain. This year, 17 grants totaling $432,658 were awarded to researchers and organizations across the country.
Since the inception of the grant program in 2015, the BA has provided more than $1.2 million in funding for 60 projects—addressing public barley and hop variety development, hop disease and hop aroma—as well as supported affiliated national and state-level grower organizations.
“The Brewers Association is proud to fund beer research and service grants in support of BA member breweries,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO, Brewers Association. “Supporting research that aligns with member priorities ensures a sustainable and profitable future for small and independent U.S. breweries.”
“This funding cycle represents a continued focus on ensuring a healthy and accessible supply chain that satisfies the unique requirements of independent craft brewers,” said Chuck Skypeck, technical brewing projects manager, Brewers Association. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with a diverse group of world-class researchers and institutions.”
“The Research and Service Grant funds are an important and valuable benefit to the industry. They connect the craft brewing community with world-class research capabilities at Oregon State University to solve technical problems facing the entire brewing industry,” said Thomas H. Shellhammer, Ph.D., Nor’Wester professor of fermentation science, Oregon State University. “I am honored that the BA has chosen to fund work in my lab since it allows me to work on industry-relevant scientific and technical issues that not only advance science, but answer important and practical questions faced by craft brewers.”
2018 Grant Recipients located in the High Plains Journal readership area include the following:
Stable and Sustainable Dryland Production of High Quality Malt Barley, Partner: Montana State University; Principal: Jamie Sherman;
Building a Winter Malting Barley Market for the Great Plains, Partner: University of Nebraska; Principal: Stephen Baenziger;
Utilizing a Multi-State Dataset to Support Coordinated Breeding of Local Malting Barley, Partner: University of Minnesota; Principal: Kevin Smith;
Enhancement of Winter Hardiness in Two-Rowed Barley Varieties for the Craft Brewing Industry, Partner: University of Minnesota; Principal: Brian Steffenson;
Metabolomics of Hot Steep Malt Extracts and Integration with Sensory Data, Partner: Colorado State University; Principal: Adam Heuberger; and
Mapping Novel Loci for Powdery Mildew Resistance in Hops, Partner: University of Minnesota; Principal: Gary Muehlbauer.
Proposals for 2019 funding will be accepted from March 1 to May 31. More information about the grant program can be found at brewersassociation.org.
