PLAN OF WORK

The Swine Health Information Center, launched in July 2015 with Pork Checkoff funding, maintains a mission to protect and enhance the health of the US swine herd. The 2024 Progress Report provides pork producers, swine veterinarians, and industry stakeholders with a review of SHIC’s activities and accomplishments to carry out its mission over the past year. SHIC’s scope of work focuses on five strategic pillars encompassing projects that cover domestic and global emerging disease monitoring, targeted swine disease research, swine health data analysis and coordinated communications. The Center’s progress can be found in the recently released 2024 Progress Report, including details on the 32 research projects SHIC funded to achieve their objectives on behalf of US pork producers, for a record total of $3,990,689 contracted.

“SHIC received the greatest number of proposals and awarded the highest dollar amount for research projects in a single year in 2024,” said SHIC Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder. “Matching funds and external grants allowed SHIC to leverage Pork Checkoff investment and at the same time, expand both research breadth as well as funding capacity to increase return on investment.”

SHIC’s Board of Directors consists of nine members who work with Dr. Niederwerder, Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton, and recently hired Grant and Contract Administrator Jessica Stice. Two Working Groups are active in providing program oversight and assisting in decision making to fulfill SHIC’s mission. The Monitoring and Analysis Working Group is responsible for assessing domestic and foreign swine production disease risk. The Preparedness and Response Working Group is responsible for oversight of research to assist in US prevention, preparedness, mitigation and response to priority swine diseases.

SHIC formed the Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program in collaboration with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff. The total dollar allocation of $2.3 million was comprised of $1 million contribution from SHIC, $150,000 contribution from NPB, and $1.15 million contribution from FFAR. This program was ongoing through 2023 and 2024 with a rolling deadline for proposal submission. In 2024, seven Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research projects were funded with results being delivered and shared with stakeholders.

“When it comes to the Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, it has yielded actionable outcomes that SHIC has shared with producers to strengthen biosecurity on the farm,” Dr. Becton said. “Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program results are practical and usable. They provide objective scientific data to identify and validate biosecurity practices to prevent emerging diseases from entering and impacting herd health.”

In January 2024, SHIC announced the Plan of Work Research Program request for proposals to address the research priorities and topics that had been identified through stakeholder engagement and published as the SHIC BOD approved 2024 Plan of Work. As a result, 19 projects were funded and are now underway.

Then in February 2024, SHIC announced the Japanese Encephalitis Virus Research Program in partnership with FFAR. The total budget allocation for the research program was $1.3 million with $650,000 from SHIC and $650,000 from FFAR. As a result, six projects were funded that address the stakeholder-developed research priorities for JEV.

In November 2024, SHIC announced the H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Program in partnership with FFAR and the Pork Checkoff. The Request for Proposals has a total budget allocation of $4 million, with $1.8 million being contributed by SHIC, $200,000 being contributed by NPB, and $2 million being contributed by FFAR. Proposals were due December 31, 2024, with a record 51 proposals received. Those proposals are now undergoing a competitive review process for value to US pork producers.

SHIC uses a variety of communication tools and processes to broadly share swine health information with stakeholders, including the SHIC website, monthly e-newsletter, timely e-blasts, article development and distribution, news releases, media interviews, social media, SHIC Talk podcast, coordinating SHIC sessions at industry meetings, and SHIC/AASV webinar series. Find more information on these resources on the SHIC website.