(FOA)-USDA/NIFA - Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants (BRAG) Program (USDA-NIFA-BRAP-006674); December 12, 2018

 

Agency

US Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture

 

Description

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the “Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants (BRAG) Program”, opportunity USDA-NIFA-BRAP-006674.  The purpose of the BRAG Program is to support the generation of new information that will assist Federal regulatory agencies in making science-based decisions about the environmental effects of introducing genetically engineered (GE) organisms by recombinant nucleic acid techniques. Such organisms can include plants, microorganisms (including fungi, bacteria, and viruses), arthropods, fish, birds, mammals, and other animals excluding humans. Investigations of effects on both managed and natural environments are relevant. The BRAG program accomplishes its purpose by providing Federal regulatory agencies with relevant scientific information.   The BRAG Program supports applied and/or fundamental research relevant to environmental risk assessment, including biological risk, and the Federal regulatory process.  The BRAG Program will also support risk management research, which is defined to include either:

  1. research aimed primarily at reducing negative effects of specific biotechnology derived agents; or
  2. a policy and decision-making process that uses risk assessment data in deciding how to avoid or mitigate the negative consequences identified in a risk assessment.

 

Research proposals can be applied and/or fundamental and must address one (1) of the following five (5) program areas:

 

  1. Management Practices to Minimize Environmental Risk of GE Organisms
  2. Methods to Monitor and Understand the Dispersal of GE Organisms
  3. Gene Transfer between Genetically Engineered Animals, Plants, and Microorganisms and Related Wild and Agricultural Organisms
  4. Environmental Impacts of GE relative to Non-GE Organisms in the Context of Production Systems
  5. Other Research Topics Designed to Further the Purposes of this Program

 

Announcement Number

USDA-NIFA-BRAP-006674

 

Letter of Intent Due Date

December 12, 2018

 

Full Applications Due Date

February 20, 2019

 

Link to Full Announcement

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=310536

 

Contact Information

Shing F. Kwok

(202) 401-6060

skwok@nifa.usda.gov