The Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center (MDFRC) held its annual meeting July 30–31 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, bringing together Operational Advisory Committee (OAC) members, faculty, students, and Midwest Dairy staff to review new research proposals for future funding. Projects selected through this process will help advance dairy research and build trust in dairy among both farmers and consumers.
The two-day meeting began with a social gathering and a poster session highlighting ongoing research projects. The second day focused on formal research proposal presentations. Throughout the day, 17 proposals were shared with each researcher or principal investigator, who gave a 20-minute presentation outlining their project goals, methods, and potential impact.
After each presentation, the OAC offered feedback on critical needs, objectives, research design, budget, and project duration. This interactive review process fosters dialogue between researchers and committee members, ensuring that proposals are strengthened and aligned with industry priorities before final funding decisions are made.
After careful discussion and evaluation, the OAC selected specific projects to receive funding in the upcoming cycle. The results will be announced soon, with the newly funded research set to begin in 2026. Midwest Dairy staff members Corey Scott, Beth Bruck-Upton, Mitch Schulte, and Sidney Herr attended the meeting to hear proposals and engage in discussions, helping ensure the research supported by MDFRC continues to reflect the needs of both farmers and consumers.