USDA NIFA - Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program - Funding Opportunity Annoucement

Dear Colleagues,

USDA NIFA is soliciting pre-proposals for the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program (ECDRE) for projects that support the fight against Huanglongbing (HLB) and its disease complex.

The proposals must address one or more of the following priority needs.

1. Development of commercial citrus varieties with genetic resistance or tolerance to HLB using traditional breeding techniques and/or gene editing.
2. Regional management or eradication of ACP on commercial citrus groves and residential plantings.
3. Optimized detection and surveillance programs for ACP and/or HLB.
4. A cure for HLB-infected trees and strategies for maintaining their productivity.
5. A delivery system for therapeutics, nutrition and other HLB solutions.
6. Consolidation of screening efforts for intervention targets and reduction of candidate lists to include only those most worthy of advanced testing and commercialization
7. A reliable technique for culturing CLas bacteria.
8. A better understanding of the HLB/vector/citrus pathosystem, including phloem biology, the movement of CLas and therapy into and through phloem, and the interaction of host, pathogen, and vector.
9. Greater understanding of the ecology and interactions of the citrus production system and the citrus greening disease complex (HLB and ACP).

The ECDRE program supports two types of projects: Standard Projects (SPs) and Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs). SPs supports projects that are narrower in scope while CAPs supports national-scale projects that require multi-state/ multi-institutional teams.

Standard Projects (SPs)
Period: Up to 3 years
Budget: Maximum $1,500,000
Aims:

1. farm-level implementation or commercialization of proven solutions
2. examination of innovative ideas that will address one of the goals identified by the Citrus Disease Subcommittee.

Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs)
Period: Up to 5 years
Budget: Maximum $15,000,000
Aims:

1. Consolidation of screening efforts for intervention targets and reduction of candidate lists to include only those most worthy of advanced testing and commercialization.
2. A cure for infected trees and strategies for maintaining their productivity.
3. Regional management or eradication of ACP on commercial citrus groves and residential plantings
4. Optimized detection and surveillance programs for ACP and/or HLB
5. Development of commercial citrus varieties (rootstocks and scions) with genetic resistance to HLB using traditional breeding techniques and/or gene editing.

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications package including a Stakeholder Relevance Statement (SRS) via the grants.gov portal by the due date. Shortlisted applications will be invited to submit full applications at a later date. For more information, please visit the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program website at https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/emergency-citrus-disease-research-extension-program-pre-applications?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=.

Pre-Applications Due: March 28, 2024 at 2PM

Required Match: matching funds are not required.

Thank you.

Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)