- The National Science Foundation has awarded Delaware Statue University with a three-year grant worth $592,000.
- The grant was awarded to Delaware State to aid undergraduates on their research to develop new applications for hemp.
- Delaware State has long been known for its hemp research, serving as the state’s leading research agency before hemp’s legalization in 2018.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a three-year, $592,000 grant to Delaware State University to develop new applications for hemp.
The NSF will work together with undergraduates from the school to develop these new applications, with some of their research topics focusing on:
- CBD’s effect on cancer cells
- Chemical extraction techniques
- The effects that hemp extract has on parasitic larvae (due to the recent discovery of increased drug resistance in larvae)
Delaware State, which is located in Dover, was Delaware’s leading agency for hemp research before its recreational legalization a couple of years ago in the 2018 Farm Bill. Once this bill was passed, Delaware State University created a new, hemp-focused curriculum for its College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology.
Along with this new grant, Delaware State will continue its cultivation research partnership with Kentucky State University.
Research Could Begin Next Month
According to Kimberly Milligan, an assistant professor at Delaware State University, students could begin their research as early as next month. Milligan is extremely excited and grateful about the grant because it will allow students to conduct hands-on research rather than exclusively working in a lab with a professor.
Milligan also feels that it could greatly benefit younger students coming into the school because it presents an opportunity that did not exist prior.
“What we’re going to do is we’re introducing real research experiences to freshman and sophomores, so students who normally wouldn’t get or have access to research until later on in their matriculation,” Milligan stated.
About the NSF
The National Science Foundation works as an independent agency of the government. They help support vital education and research in non-medical fields of science and engineering. Their website displays different areas of research they are willing to fund.
The NSF was created by Congress in 1950 to “promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure national defense…”
