About

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence
A new innovation lab supported by USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS)
A collaborative effort among consortium partners that seeks to enhance the ability of local policy research organizations to conduct high-quality food security policy research and influence food security policy more effectively while becoming increasingly self-reliant.

Lab lead: Michigan State University Food Security Group (part of the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics)
Consortium partners
- ReNAPRI (Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes)
- ISSER (Institute for Statistical, Social, and Economic Research - Ghana)
- IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute)
- Cornell University
Funding
- USD11 million in core funding
- Up to USD27 million in funding from mission and bureau buy-ins and associate awards
- Total funding of up to USD38 million
Funding period: June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2024 (5 years)

Competitive selection of Centers for Policy Leadership
- The Lab will competitively select three African and one Asian agricultural policy research center as Centers for Policy Leadership (CPLs). These CPLs will be integrated into the work of the Lab
- The Lab will assist these centers with a rigorous self-assessment of their strengths and weaknesses for achieving success in the policy ecosystems in which they operate
- This assessment will provide the basis for a self-designed capacity development plan for each CPL; the Lab will then provide each CPL with direct financial grants to pursue this plan
Active mentoring of researchers
- A mentoring approach to all research, pairing researchers from CPLs with high level researchers from the Lab’s partner institutions
- Expansion of Cornell University’s STAARS program (Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces) into STAAARS+, which adds Asia and expands the pool of fellows and mentors
Annual research conferences
- Lab research will be presented and special capacity building activities carried out at the ReNAPRI annual research conference, held during November each year in a host country from the network
An emphasis on partnerships
- PRCI will actively partner with regional and continental bodies such as AGRA, AfDB, and others to maximize the impact of its work