Williamsburg Sun

VIMS researchers dominate national aquaculture grant competition

Researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science received five of the 44 grants awarded in 2022 by NOAA Fisheries’ Saltonstall-Kennedy Program. This annual nationwide grant competition — established by Congress in 1954 — is designed to enhance fisheries and marine aquaculture industries throughout the U.S.

Of the 37 institutes or agencies that submitted successful proposals in the latest award cycle, VIMS was the only one to garner more than two winning proposals. Thirty-three entities earned a single award, while three other entities earned two apiece: the University of Hawaii, the University of Maine, and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group. VIMS won a full third of the 15 grants awarded in the competition’s aquaculture category, for a total of $1.5 M in research funding.

Overall, NOAA considered 270 pre-proposals and received 137 full proposals during the 2022 Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) award competition. The 44 successful awards amount to $11.8 M in research funding and will be disbursed to institutes or agencies in 14 states and one U.S. territory: Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. VIMS was the only Virginia institute or agency to earn an award.

Derek Aday, VIMS dean & director, says, “We’re delighted with our success during this year’s S-K competition. It reflects the national prominence of our shellfish aquaculture program; the vitality of our partnerships with shellfish growers; and the continuing excellence of our faculty, staff and students.”

Bill Walton, Acuff Professor of Marine Science and coordinator of the Shellfish Aquaculture Program at VIMS, says, “With these awards, VIMS researchers will be able to respond to questions asked by the aquaculture industry here in Virginia and elsewhere: how to improve hatchery performance, increase yields, advance product safety, and diversify production. This is collaborative science for solutions in support of sustainable shellfish aquaculture.”

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