The NIFA Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) play a unique role in USDA's service to rural America. They link the research and educational outreach capacity of the nation's public universities with communities, local decision-makers, entrepreneurs, families, and farmers and ranchers to help address a wide range of development issues.
They collaborate on national issues that span regions and tailor programs to address needs in their respective regions.
The RRDCs bring together the most innovative minds, from inside and outside universities, to address cutting-edge issues without regard to state boundaries. They respond to emerging issues, generate credible science-based information to clarify these issues, and create public-private partnerships to address them.
The RRDCs were established by the Rural Development Act of 1972. The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development is based at Penn State, the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development is based at Purdue University, the Southern Rural Development Center is based at Mississippi State University, and the Western Rural Development Center is based at University of Idaho. The RRDCs are regionally focused centers funded by NIFA to link research with Extension/outreach in the areas of rural economic development, forming a connection to the nationwide network of Land-grant College and University researchers, educators, and practitioners. Click here to view funded awards.
For more information, see the USDA Regional Rural Development Centers Website.