Summary
The BisonCOE supports an annual grants competition to fund research and outreach projects. In its first year (2021), over $300,000 in funding was generously provided by the National Buffalo Foundation and awarded to support eight projects. The competitive grant program has enabled the BisonCOE to expand its research network, folding in well over 20 researchers and scientists into the bison community. This growth is expected to continue, with the selection of the next round of competitive grants currently underway.
The selected projects are diverse in their focus to substantially contribute to a growing knowledge base of bison ecology, marketing, production, management, herd health and cultural relevance needed by the bison industry. Projects are expected to be completed within one to three years. We look forward to continuing to share more about these projects as they progress and also anticipate that members of these research teams will participate in bison industry conferences and meetings for years to come.