- Author: Kathleen P Nolan
Dear Colleagues,
The US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) is accepting cooperative research proposals for the 2022 funding cycle.
BARD supports mission-oriented cooperative agricultural research projects of mutual interest to the United States and Israel.
BARD projects, conducted cooperatively by American and Israeli scientists, cover all phases of agricultural research and development, including integrated projects and strategic or applied research. Cooperative research entails active collaboration between Israeli and American scientists. Proposals are expected to deal with an agricultural issue or problem and yield tangible results that could be implemented within a reasonable time after completion of the project. Projects cover all phases of agricultural research and development. The outcomes of BARD funded Research must be accessible to the public.
While BARD will continue to fund agriculturally relevant and scientifically meritorious work in all disciplines of agriculture, the TAC and Board of Directors in their annual meetings (June 2021) have re-assessed and determined the following areas as priority areas for the coming years:
- Improved efficiency of agricultural production, including sustainable development and engineering, enhancing nutritional value, efficient use of resources & agricultural waste, economic evaluation of policies, regulation, and labor; use of functional genomics & proteomics to protect and produce traits supporting increased crop yield and genetic optimization in animals, focus on heterosis opportunities & consequences.
- Plant, animal, and agricultural environment defense, including pest and host genetics, invasive species & emerging diseases, early stress detection and rapid point of care methods, development of safe and bio-secure biological, physical, & chemical control measures.
- Agricultural production challenges in increased marginal conditions, including climate change & abiotic stress factors such as drought, salinity, high temperatures, nutrient, and soil stress.
- Food quality, safety, and security, including improved assessment and detection methods, nutritive value and post-harvest treatment, reduction of food loss & waste, enhanced supply chain quality and technologies, functional foods, development of alternative quality protein sources including plants, fungi, algae, insects, & tissue.
- Soil & water, quality, and quantity, including efficient use of low-quality water (grey, black, saline), improved economic return for water in agriculture, crop response to soil & water quality & their constituents, impact of nutrients and agricultural chemicals on water quality.
- Agricultural Engineering/Precision Agriculture - Sensors, instrumentation, & control systems; robotics and artificial intelligence; mechanization for improving labor efficiency; biological engineering, biotechnology, nanotechnology.
- Sustainable Agri-environmental management, including sustainable ag-based energy systems for reduced energy costs, bioconversion technologies, agricultural feedstock, controlled environment and urban agriculture, renewable resources and ecosystem services, circular bioeconomy, reducing agricultural waste.
Award funding will be limited to $310,000 for a three-year project. BARD will also consider funding a one-year proposal when the request is for an opportunity to establish a basis for further research or to provide preliminary results for a particularly innovative idea or concept. Feasibility study applications must follow the same guidelines as all other proposals and adhere to the same submission dates. Continuation of a one-year feasibility study originally submitted as such requires the submission and approval of a final scientific report before a new proposal can be submitted. The maximum amount that can be requested for a one-year feasibility study is $100,000.
Applicants are invited to join the "Application Webinar", an introduction session on BARD (the U.S Israel Bi-national Agricultural Research and Development fund) which will take place online July 7th 9 AM EDT; 4 PM Israel time. This session will cover: the fund's mission, the different funding opportunities, the research priorities, who can apply, the proposal evaluation process and timeline, and useful tips for writing a successful proposal.
To register for the webinar: https://teams.microsoft.com/registration/YChkUUq79EqLjfkJQH8V2g,cXI_UudyjkWHKowtK1X_hg,OT6KOjkW30qvipdka9_DoQ,lzohEnbxY0W7CWfiIC6rpg,uuEOSCviUUKFL_M9C3ElmQ,SsEVUsbXIUuunzae70SMZw?mode=read&tenantId=51642860-bb4a-4af4-8b8d-f909407f15da&skipauthstrap=1
For more information about this funding opportunity: https://www.bard-isus.com/fundingTypes/Details/1
Applications are due September 13, 2021.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)