North Central Regional Center for Rural Development

North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) is one of four Regional Rural Development Centers in the United States. NCRCRD’s work links the research and educational outreach capacity of our region’s 34 land-grant universities with our region’s communities, local decision-makers, entrepreneurs, families, farmers, and ranchers to help address a wide range of development issues unique to our region. The North Central Region (NCR) depends on three interconnected systems: communities, businesses, and households. A robust North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) enables the achievement of each system’s goals by creating resilient communities and economies, developing leadership and civic engagement, and promoting community health and wellness. The United State Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) provides core budget and logistical support for coordination across the four regional centers. The North Central Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors is composed of key Land Grant University research administrators from the twelve-state region, and provides operating support for the NCRCRD. The North Central Cooperative Extension Association (NCCEA) is composed of Extension Directors from the twelve-state region, and provides operating support for the NCRCRD. In 2020, NCRCRD moved to West Lafayette, Indiana as Purdue University became the new host of the center. Prior to this move, the Center was hosted by Michigan State University from 2009 – 2019 and Iowa State University from 1972 – 2009. Purdue University prohibits discrimination against any member of the University community on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or status as a veteran.