Funding Opportunities

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Irrigation & Mechanism Systems (ILIMS), led by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska and sponsored by USAID, operates from 2023-2028. ILIMS aims to generate research-based evidence to support vibrant irrigation and mechanization markets, develop strong institutions and local capacity for sustainability, and foster equitable access, especially for poor and women smallholder farmers. Contributing to the U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy, ILIMS addresses the needs of smallholder farmers amid climate change and complex agricultural, market, food, water, energy, and social systems, with a focus on Feed the Future countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Nepal, Honduras, and Guatemala. By promoting a systems approach to mechanization and irrigation, particularly in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, ILIMS enhances agricultural productivity, profitability, household income, land productivity, food and nutritional security, and resilience to climate change, while supporting applied research and evidence-based policies, investments, and practices.