FOA-Limited Submission – USDA/NIFA – Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants (BRAG) Program (USDA-NIFA-BRAP-008032); LIT January 12, 2021

Purpose:  The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research (BRAG) Program supports research designed to identify and develop appropriate management practices to minimize physical and biological risks associated with genetically engineered (GE) animals, plants, and microorganisms. The organisms include plants, microorganisms (including fungi, bacteria, and viruses), arthropods, fish, birds, livestock, and other animals including related wild and agricultural organisms. 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 as 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.

 

Application Types: NIFA is soliciting applications for the BRAG program under the following program areas: 1. Standard Research Proposals, or 2. Conference Proposals. 

 

Research Proposals: Research proposals can be applied and/or fundamental and must address one of the following five 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 effects 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.

 

Conference Proposals: Applicants to the BRAG program may request partial funding to organize a conference or workshop that brings together scientists, regulators, and other stakeholders to review science-based data relevant to gene flow and co-existence, emerging technologies related to biotechnology (such as genome editing and gene drives), risk assessment, or risk management of GE organisms released into the environment. To be eligible for funding, the steering committee for the proposed conference should include representatives from a variety of relevant and appropriate scientific disciplines.

 

Funding Amounts: Research Proposals: up to $500,000 for up to 4 years; Conference Proposals:  $25,000 direct costs only

 

Link to Funding Opportunity Announcement

 

Institutional Limit: 1

 

Internal Competition: To participate in the university’s selection process,please upload the following materials,assembled into a single PDF file, to the Office of the Vice President for Research via this portal  with a copy of the PDF file to your Associate Dean for Research by January 12, 2021:

 

·        Names and departments or affiliations of the Project Director and other key personnel or partners

·        Title of program and/or funding opportunity announcement number

·        Type of project (Research or Conference Grant)

·        Brief project description (2 pages maximum);

·        Brief biographical sketch

 

A committee will be convened to review the material and make a recommendation.

 

For questions or issues with submission through the portal, email the limited submission mailbox (limitedsubmissions@uky.edu) or call 257-2861.

 

Agency Deadline: Letter of Intent encouraged but not required, January 21, 2021; Applications: February 24, 2021