# Maryland Research Center Closure Could Bring USDA Scientists to Nebraska  
**Published:** 2026-05-06T10:30:39.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/06/a-research-facility-closure-could-bring-more-usda-scientists-to-nebraska/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/maryland-research-center-closure-could-bring-usda-scientists-to-nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — Some U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers could be relocated to Nebraska under a plan to close a Washington D.C.-area research facility, but with few details shared about the project or staff movement, how much help the state will get remains unclear, according to a [report from the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/06/a-research-facility-closure-could-bring-more-usda-scientists-to-nebraska/).

In July 2025, the USDA announced it would close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, a historic 116-year-old facility with more than 400 buildings. [In April, the USDA said it would relocate employees to at least 27 USDA facilities across the country](https://www.thebaynet.com/maryland-lawmakers-push-back-as-usda-moves-to-shut-down-beltsville-facility/), with one location being the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center.

The Trump administration argues it would be too costly to repair and modernize the aging campus. Instead, relocating research efforts would lower overhead costs and bring research efforts closer to where communities can use them, according to USDA officials. The administration has said no jobs would be lost in the reorganization, but [during the first year of the second Trump administration, the Agricultural Research Service lost about 30 percent of its staff across the country](https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/usda-staffing-crisis-a-year-of-losses-and-the-road-ahead/).

Derek McLean, dean and director of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources' Agricultural Research Division, said he welcomes any ARS scientists offered relocation to Nebraska. "When we can leverage the strength of the ARS scientists and the strength of the University of Nebraska scientists, I mean, it's just a win for Nebraska producers, and actually nationwide for all the research in the ag industry," McLean said.

University of Nebraska researchers who collaborate regularly with USDA scientists said the partnership has been valuable. Matt Spangler, a UNL professor specializing in beef cattle genetics, has worked with USMARC researchers for nearly two decades on tools that help cattle ranchers understand how genetic traits economically affect their operations. "This web-based decision support software, which is in heavy use in the U.S. beef industry, combines all those partial research solutions to help people actually make decisions," Spangler said.

However, Nebraska's research community has already felt the effects of staff cuts. [Currently, 131 ARS employees are working in Nebraska—47 fewer positions than in 2024](https://marylandmatters.org/2026/04/25/usda-reasserts-plans-to-shutter-beltsville-taking-thousands-of-federal-jobs-with-it/), according to U.S. Office of Personnel Management data. Katherine Frels, a UNL agronomy and horticulture professor who works on wheat and small grains varieties, said the data she receives from USDA scientists has been significantly reduced. "Instead of getting disease ratings on 300 lines, I'm only getting disease ratings on about 30 to 40 lines," she said.

A USDA spokesperson told Nebraska Public Media News that the department "will maintain open communication and close coordination as the new organizational structure is implemented over the coming year(s)." But [Congress inserted new oversight requirements that could limit USDA's ability to move forward with large-scale reorganizations](https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/usda-staffing-crisis-a-year-of-losses-and-the-road-ahead/) through the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/06/a-research-facility-closure-could-bring-more-usda-scientists-to-nebraska/)
- [The BayNet reporting on Maryland lawmakers' response to BARC closure](https://www.thebaynet.com/maryland-lawmakers-push-back-as-usda-moves-to-shut-down-beltsville-facility/)
- [National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition analysis of USDA staffing crisis](https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/usda-staffing-crisis-a-year-of-losses-and-the-road-ahead/)
- [Maryland Matters coverage of BARC reorganization impacts](https://marylandmatters.org/2026/04/25/usda-reasserts-plans-to-shutter-beltsville-taking-thousands-of-federal-jobs-with-it/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/06/a-research-facility-closure-could-bring-more-usda-scientists-to-nebraska/.