Hoeven: NSF Awards $45 Million to North Dakota AgTech Engine at NDSU

Hoeven: NSF Awards $45 Million to North Dakota AgTech Engine at NDSU

Senator Worked to Advance Latest Round of Federal Funding, Supporting Ag Technology and Workforce Development

FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today announced the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $45 million over three years to the North Dakota AgTech Engine housed at North Dakota State University (NDSU).

• The engine is a partnership of NDSU, the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo (FMWF) Chamber of Commerce, the Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation and the North Dakota Tribal College System focused on advancing:
  • Agricultural technology innovation.
  • Agricultural workforce development.
• The initiative has now received a total of $60 million for its first five years of operations, with the potential to receive up to $160 million over ten years from the NSF.
  • Hoeven worked to secure the initial $15 million to establish the AgTech Engine and has continued working to support the initiative to ensure future funding.
• The first two years of operations focused on building a network of investors, farmers, industry partners and entrepreneurs.
• The latest round of funding will be used to expand startup growth and technology commercialization, as well as expand education opportunities to train the next generation of agriculture and engineering professionals.
  • The engine assists partnered companies with technology research and validation to bring new products to market that help meet farmer and rancher needs.
  • To date, the engine has leveraged more than $73 million in investment and research and development from private sector partners.

"The North Dakota Agtech Engine has proven its potential in the first two years of its operations, leveraging more than $73 million from private sector partners using $15 million in initial federal support. That's why we were able to secure this $45 million award, which will support three more years of technology and workforce development," said Senator Hoeven. "Our farmers and ranchers provide the highest-quality, lowest-cost food supply in the world. By bringing new innovations to market, we can help them reduce their input costs, increase their yields and retain their competitive edge in the global economy. That's what the AgTech Engine is all about."

Today's announcement comes as part of Hoeven's work to bolster agriculture research at NDSU and in North Dakota. As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, Hoeven secured more than $50 million in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding legislation to strengthen North Dakota's role as a driving force in the development of future agriculture technology and policy. Among other priorities, this funding includes:

• Approximately $25 million for ag research in North Dakota with NDSU and its partners, funded through the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
• $18.5 million for NDSU-led research initiatives, ranging from autonomous technologies to machine learning and data security in agriculture.
• Nearly $2.5 million for the NDSU Agricultural Risk Policy Center, which provides timely economic analysis on high-impact issues in farm country.
• $5 million for the AgTech Cooperative Agreement between Grand Farm, NDSU and ARS.
• $3 million for continued renovations at the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, bringing total funding for the project to $18 million since FY2022.

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