DuPont Helping Purdue University with Plant Breeding

West Lafayette, Indiana - DuPont has announced a USD 150,000 pledge to Purdue University to help graduate students with an interest in plant breeding and genetics research.

“The potential for solutions from crop genetics research to meet global demands for food, feed, fuel and materials continues to grow,” said Bill Niebur, vice president, DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development. “This presents a tremendous opportunity for highly trained, well-educated plant breeders and scientists to be on the cutting edge of significant research.”

Beginning this year, DuPont will provide two USD 25,000 fellowships to support graduate students in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue. The fellowships, which will be administered by DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, are renewable each year through 2009. Purdue also will provide matching funds for a total of USD 300,000 over three years.

“The world has come to recognize the incredible potential for plant genetics to help solve global challenges,” Bill said. “We need to make sure we have the best and brightest working to develop these solutions.”