The United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture is seeking applications for its Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program (BRAG).
Donor Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Country: U.S.
State: All States
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 02/15/2022
Size of the Grant: $5,000,000
Grant Duration: 24-48 months
Details:
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 effects of introducing into the environment genetically engineered organisms (GE), including plants, microorganisms — such as 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 scientific information relevant to regulatory issues.
The statutory program goals and objectives are to authorize and support environmental assessment research to help identify and analyze environmental effects of biotechnology; and to authorize research to help regulators develop long-term policies concerning the introduction of such technology.
The BRAG program supports applied and/or fundamental research relevant to environmental risk assessment, including biological risk, and the Federal regulatory process. When evaluating GE organisms, Federal regulators must answer the following four general questions:
- Is there a hazard? (Potential hazard identification.)
- How likely is the hazard to occur? (Quantifying the probability of occurrence; identifying likely exposure scenarios.)
- What is the severity and extent of the hazard if it occurs? (Quantifying the effects); and
- Is there an effect beyond what might occur with an unmodified organism or an organism that has similar traits, but was developed using other technologies?
The BRAG program will also support risk management research, which is defined as either:
- Research aimed primarily at reducing negative effects of specific biotechnology derived agents; or
- 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.
Funding Information
- Standard Research Proposals must not exceed $500,000 total (including indirect costs) for project periods up to four years.
- Conference Proposals must not exceed $50,000 total and the conference must occur after August 1, 2022. Indirect costs are not allowed on conference grants.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants for the BRAG are limited to public or private research or educational institutions or organizations.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.