Today the Good Food Institute (GFI) announced a $3 million grant program to support plant- and cell-based meat research.
GFI is a nonprofit working to shift the food system away from industrial animal agriculture and towards both cell- and plant-based meat alternatives. According to their press release, less than 0.3 percent of the world’s universities are currently working on research in the meat alternatives sphere. With this grant, GFI is hoping to change that and jumpstart more projects in the field.
They even called out 24 universities, from Cornell to the University of Tokyo, which they identified as having the greatest potential for advancement due to their “relevant technical expertise, research capabilities, and private-sector partnerships.”
GFI’s strategy of targeting universities is a smart move. There are already quite a few startups popping up in the plant- and cell-based meat fields, and Big Food has been making investments in the space as well. Universities are an under-tapped resource of young, eager scientists looking to make a positive change in the world, and GFI is hoping its $3 million in grants can help tempt them to focus their work on meat alternatives.
This announcement comes on the heels of the inaugural Good Food Conference, a two-day event put on by the GFI meant to unite leaders in the meat alternative space. If you want to apply for a research grant from GFI, submit a proposal by November 21st, 2018.
