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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 the
following 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 of biotechnology. 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, visit www.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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