Two Michigan State University graduate students recently won the inaugural awards from the NEOGEN Land Grant Prize in a competitive selection process. Each student was awarded $30,000 to advance their research projects: one focusing on drug discovery and the other on the economics of climate change.

This award — administered through MSU’s Office of Research and Innovation —is funded by a gift from former Provost and Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. John E. Cantlon, and his wife, Irene Cantlon. The endowed award program seeks to advance the work of MSU graduate students whose research has potential to contribute to economic and scientific improvements in society, with a promise of practical applications that benefit U.S. economic interests. With this gift, the Cantlons sought to highlight NEOGEN and MSU’s mutual goals of scientific research excellence.

As part of the award application process, both students shared foundational work already accomplished related to their research as well as presented evidence that validates its potential economic impact.

MSU graduate student Allison Vanecek’s work focuses on the exploration of a novel therapeutic strategy for Lou Gehrig’s disease, also called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS. There is no cure for ALS, nor effective treatments to slow or halt the progression of the disease. Vanecek’s research and proposal exposes a new treatment that could help those affected by ALS.

MSU graduate student Sarah Manski’s project assesses the risk climate change may have on farmers in the U.S. With the ever-changing climate and increasing temperatures, overall farm health and income are at risk. Manski’s proposal focuses on building a predictive model to quantify the risk value of soil health practices, such as conservation tillage, diverse crop rotations, and cover cropping, and the savings that would be accrued by adopting these regenerative practices.

Learn more about these students and their projects by reading the full release.