FUNDING-Early
Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGERs) to Develop Breakthrough Ideas
and Enabling Technologies to Advance Crop Breeding and Functional Genomics;
March 14, 2018
Agency
National
Science Foundation (NSF)
U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
UK’s
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC)
Description
This
NSF-BIO, USDA-NIFA and BBSRC Joint Activity is soliciting Early Concept Grants
for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposals to support development of
breakthrough ideas and technologies to speed the development for new crop
varieties. There remain significant bottlenecks to improving crop varieties even
if new traits or natural variants are identified, such as producing hybrids,
understanding recombination, and epigenetic inheritance as examples. Translation
of basic knowledge to practical outcomes can be accelerated by key emerging
technologies that exploit genomics rapidly and effectively. This EAGER
opportunity invites proposals to overcome these barriers to crop breeding in
highly innovative and transformative ways. Investigators considering this
opportunity should articulate how the enabling technologies would be used to
improve crop breeding.
Areas
of research that await breakthrough advances and are appropriate for this EAGER
opportunity include, but are not limited to, the
following:
·
Advancing
genome editing technology to generate new phenotypes for greater genetic
gain
·
Achieving
reliable and high throughput production of doubled haploids from genotypes that
are currently recalcitrant to chromosome doubling to accelerate the breeding
process in cereals and other crops
·
Controlling
and understanding meiotic recombination to tap into inaccessible genetic
resources in areas of low recombination and enabling whole genome
manipulation
·
Modifying
epigenetic inheritance to facilitate phenotypic changes related to environmental
responses
·
Understanding
mechanisms of heterosis, thereby generating and
exploiting hybrid vigor for crop improvement
For
this EAGER opportunity, emphasis should be on developing enabling technologies
that will impact crops or model crop systems. Projects that focus solely on
sequencing will not be considered.
Announcement
Number:
NSF19-039
Closing
Date:
Summary
Letter: Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Link
to Full Announcement
Contact
Information
Ed
Kaleikau
202-401-1931