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Media Contact: Sally
Gifford, 202-720-2047
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12,
2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of
Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of up to
$4 million for research to help federal regulatory agencies make
science-based evaluations about the environmental effects of
genetically engineered (GE) organisms including plants, animals,
insects and microorganisms. This funding is made available through
NIFA’s Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants (BRAG) Program.
“Policymakers need
sound science to inform their decisions on the rapidly growing field of
genetic engineering,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy.
“In addition to helping enlighten regulatory decision makers, this
funding also supports the conferences that bring together scientists,
regulators and other stakeholders to examine critical topics on
biotechnology and risk assessment.”
The BRAG program supports applied and fundamental research to help federal regulators
evaluate questions on
hazard potential, severity and extent of potential hazards, and other
effects of GE organisms.
BRAG proposals may support standard research or conference proposals
that bring together stakeholders to review science-based data relevant to risk assessment or risk management related to genetic
engineering.
Research proposals can be applied or fundamental and must address one of thefollowing five program areas: management practices to
minimize environmental risk of GE organisms; methods to monitor and
understand the dispersal of GE
organisms; gene transfer to domesticated and wild relatives;
environmental impacts of GE
in the context of production systems; and other research topics that
will further the purposes of this
program.
Eligible applicants
include a broad range of public or private research or educational institutions
including land grant universities, Hispanic-Serving Agricultural
Colleges and Universities, eligible Insular Area Schools, and Alaska
Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions of higher
education.
Letters of intent
are due by January 26, 2017 and proposals are due by March 30, 2017.
See the BRAG request for applications for details.
Among previous BRAG
projects, a team led by State University of New York (SUNY) scientist William
Powell created the American
Chestnut Research and Restoration Project to revive the beleaguered American
chestnut with the aid ofbiotechnology. Another
project was awarded to the USDA-Agricultural Research Service worksite in Prosser, Wash., which
examined ways to minimize the unintended presence of GE alfalfa in the
Northwest and to bolster practices for co-existence between GE and
non-GE alfalfa growers.
Since 2009, USDA has
invested $19 billion in research both intramural and extramural. During
that time, research conducted by USDA scientists has resulted in 883
patent applications filed, 405 patents issued and 1,151 new inventions
disclosures covering a wide range of topics and discoveries. To learn
more about how USDA supports cutting edge science and innovation, visit
the USDA Medium chapter Food and Ag Science Will Shape Our Future.
NIFA invests in and
advances innovative and transformative research, education and
extension to solve societal challenges and ensure the long-term
viability of agriculture. NIFA support for the best and brightest
scientists and extension personnel have resulted in user-inspired,
groundbreaking discoveries that are combating childhood obesity,
improving and sustaining rural economic growth, addressing water
availability issues, increasing food production, finding new sources of
energy, mitigating climate variability and ensuring food safety.
To learn more about
NIFA’s impact on agricultural science, visitwww.nifa.usda.gov/impacts, sign up for email updates or follow us on Twitter @usda_NIFA,#NIFAimpacts.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research,
education, and extension, and seeks to make transformative discoveries
that solve societal challenges.
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