** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF FOOD INSECURITY IN RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN THE UNITED STATES, PARTICULARLY IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WIDESPREAD ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS, JOB LOSSES, AND RISING FOOD PRICES, LEADING TO INCREASED LEVELS OF FOOD INSECURITY AMONG RURAL COMMUNITIES. THE TERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT STIMULUS PACKAGES, WHICH PROVIDED CRUCIAL FINANCIAL AID DURING THE PANDEMIC, HAS FURTHER EXACERBATED THE FOOD INSECURITY CHALLENGES FACED BY THESE HOUSEHOLDS WHO ALREADY FACE DIFFICULTIES SUCH AS LIMITED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POST-PANDEMIC RURAL HOUSEHOLD RESILIENCE AND FOOD SECURITY, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF ENDING GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. THIS WILL HELP INFORM POLICY AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND BUILD RESILIENCE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. BY CONDUCTING THIS RESEARCH, WE SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RURAL HOUSEHOLD RESILIENCE AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE POST-PANDEMIC PERIOD. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TOPIC EXTENDS BEYOND THE PRIMARY END-USERS OF THE RESEARCH, BY IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCE IN RURAL AREAS, WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL PROSPERITY AND WELL-BEING OF THESE COMMUNITIES, AND REDUCE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISPARITIES.THE RESEARCH PROJECT WILL EMPLOY A TWO-PHASE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY. IN THE FIRST PHASE, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS, SUCH AS FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND AN EXTENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW, WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY THE KEY FACTORS INFLUENCING THE RESILIENCE CAPACITY OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES IN THE FACE OF FOOD INSECURITY. THIS PHASE WILL HELP DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE SECOND PHASE.THE SECOND PHASE WILL FOCUS ON QUANTIFYING THE IMPACTS OF RESILIENCE CAPACITY ON FOOD SECURITY THROUGH DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS. FIVE RURAL COUNTIES IN TENNESSEE WILL BE SELECTED FOR THE STUDY, AND FACTORS SUCH AS SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED. THE RESEARCH TEAM COMPRISES EXPERTS WHO WILL COLLABORATE TO ENSURE A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUE. THE DATA WILL BE ANALYZED USING ADVANCED STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING AND ORDINAL LOGISTIC REGRESSION, TO QUANTIFY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESILIENCE CAPACITY AND FOOD SECURITY LEVELS AMONG THESE HOUSEHOLDS.BY ANALYZING THE FACTORS AFFECTING RESILIENCE CAPACITY AND QUANTIFYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESILIENCE AND FOOD SECURITY, WE AIM TO INFORM POLICY-MAKING AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES. THE RESEARCH FINDINGS CAN GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TARGETED ECONOMIC POLICIES, AGRICULTURAL INTERVENTIONS, AND FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY AND UPLIFT RURAL ECONOMIES. THE SOCIETAL BENEFITS INCLUDE A MORE RESILIENT AND SELF-SUFFICIENT AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEM, REDUCED SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISPARITIES, AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY WELL-BEING. BY ADDRESSING THE RESEARCH GAPS AND PROVIDING ACTION,ABLE INSIGHTS, THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE A POSITIVE AND LASTING IMPACT ON RURAL COMMUNITIES ANDTHE ECONOMY.