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NSF-funded partnership creates pathways for workforce development, student engagement and rural community impact
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn University Outreach is celebrating new opportunities to connect research, education and community engagement through the BRIDGES Engine, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative designed to strengthen rural economies across Alabama and Tennessee through biobased innovation. The initiative was selected as one of NSF's Regional Innovation Engines and will receive up to $160 million over 10 years to support agricultural innovation, workforce development and economic growth.
Co-led by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Auburn University, the University of Tennessee, Volkswagen Group of America and AGgrow Tech LLC, BRIDGES brings together more than 90 partners from industry, government and higher education to create new markets for farmers, expand manufacturing opportunities and prepare the future workforce.
The project focuses on growing perennial fiber crops, including switchgrass and miscanthus, on underutilized farmland and transforming those crops into materials used in products ranging from automotive components to packaging and construction materials. Researchers estimate the initiative could establish 50,000 acres of fiber crops, generate $30 million in annual farm income and create more than 4,000 manufacturing and supply chain jobs across the region.
For Auburn University Outreach, the initiative offers new opportunities to advance the university's land-grant mission by connecting communities with educational pathways, workforce development and engaged scholarship.
Royrickers Cook, vice president for University Outreach, said the initiative demonstrates the power of Auburn's land-grant mission to connect research, education and community engagement in ways that create meaningful impact for communities across the state.
"The BRIDGES Engine demonstrates how Auburn University can bring together research, education and community engagement to address real challenges facing rural communities," Cook said. "We are excited about the opportunities this initiative creates for students, faculty and community partners, and we look forward to helping ensure that the benefits of this work reach communities across Alabama.”
One of the first Outreach-related components of the project will be led through the Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement's GEAR UP Achieve program in partnership with the College of Education. Through the workforce development portion of the BRIDGES initiative, CEOE will receive $50,000 over the next two years to provide students with research and industry experiences, including visits to college campuses, research facilities and industry partners.
Anna-Margaret Goldman, director of the Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement, said the funding will help students explore emerging career opportunities while gaining firsthand exposure to research, innovation and industry environments.
"This funding gives GEAR UP Achieve students a unique opportunity to experience research and industry environments firsthand," Goldman said. "By exposing students to emerging careers and the innovation happening at Auburn and across the region, we can help them see new possibilities for their future while building a stronger workforce for Alabama."
The funding will help introduce students to emerging career opportunities while providing firsthand exposure to the research and innovation taking place across the region.
The Auburn team includes researchers and leaders from the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, and Architecture, Design and Construction, as well as the National Center for Asphalt Technology. Among those involved are Oladiran Fasina, Benjamin Marshall, Chen Chen, David Shanks, Anna-Margaret Goldman, Kelli Russell, Leanne Dillard, Michelle Cole, Paul Holley, Randy West, Xinyu Zhang, Yucheng Peng and Zhihua Jiang.
Also contributing to the initiative is Leanne Dillard, Alabama Extension forage specialist, associate professor and recipient of Auburn University Outreach's 2025 Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach. Dillard is responsible for connecting Alabama farmers to the project by recruiting producers to grow perennial fiber grasses, guiding them through crop management, and ensuring long-term success. Dillard highlighted the potential impact for agricultural communities across the state.
"Anything that we can do to diversify our farms helps give a steadier income for our farmers," Dillard said. "They go into it because they want this lifestyle for their family, for their children and for their grandchildren."
As BRIDGES moves into implementation, Auburn University Outreach looks forward to exploring additional opportunities for faculty engagement, community partnerships, professional development and workforce preparation that help ensure the benefits of research reach communities across Alabama.
