AMES, Iowa – The Egg Industry Center, which provides research and education to benefit all U.S. egg farmers, will be the beneficiary of an Iowa Egg Council 2025 GivingTuesday gift.
The Iowa Egg Council provided the original gift that created the Egg Industry Center’s research endowment fund, which has now supported researchers at 16 universities across North America. The fund, also supported by other egg industry stakeholders through the years, has allowed the Egg Industry Center grant program to ensure professors can work toward finding egg farmers the on-farm answers to fight disease, transition to cage-free housing, improve animal welfare and gut health, talk to stakeholders about sustainability, and much more.
“Supporting the Egg Industry Center aligns perfectly with our mission of creating opportunities to increase the value and consumption of eggs and egg products and advancing the egg industry to ensure its long-term success,” said Breck Hunt, executive director, Iowa Egg Council. “This GivingTuesday, we’re proud to invest $100,000 in research and innovation that will help producers meet the challenges of tomorrow while continuing to provide safe, nutritious eggs to consumers.”
Since the Egg Industry Center’s first grant in 2013, the cost of everything has increased, and research costs are no different. Therefore, over the past several years, the Egg Industry Center (EIC) has encouraged the industry to consider donations to help close the funding gap and ensure that researchers can continue to seek solutions for the industry.
“In 2024, researchers submitted research proposals to EIC totaling over $1.6 million,” said Dr. Brett Ramirez, interim director of the Egg Industry Center. The Center funded four projects for over $350,000 in that grant cycle.
“The Iowa Egg Council recognizes the critical role the Egg Industry Center plays in driving progress for our industry,” said Bruce Dooeyma, chair, Iowa Egg Council Board of Directors. “This contribution reflects our commitment to collaboration and to strengthening the future of egg production through science-based solutions and education.”
For more information on how your organization can support researchers across North America in advancing the needs of the egg industry, please email eic@iastate.edu.
The Egg Industry Center was established in 2008 and is headquartered at Iowa State University. Its grant program started in 2013 and has awarded over $3M to egg researchers to date. The Center connects the egg industry to the scientific solutions that can help achieve its goals.
The Iowa Egg Council is a statewide producer-supported organization founded in 1973. It works to understand and meet evolving consumer needs while focusing on increasing the value and consumption of eggs and egg products.
