Oregon State University (OSU) is a major source of the world’s research on hazelnut breeding, agronomy, and food science. For many years the Oregon Hazelnut Industry has partnered with OSU by providing direct annual financial support from the Oregon Hazelnut Commission and the Hazelnut Marketing Board, and through contributions from many individuals and companies.

However, as a public entity, large portions of OSU’s funding are dependent on appropriations from the Oregon State Legislature, which can be unpredictable and incompatible with long-term research. Several years ago, the industry worked with OSU to permanently fund a breeding researcher position through an endowment at the OSU Foundation.