Published in Probe Volume 1(1-2): Srping-Summer 1991
Anne Datko, Program Director
National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP)
CSRS, USDA
National Research Initiative
USDA has announced a National Research Initiative on agriculture, food, and the environment. The need for an increased investment in competitively awarded research was identified by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences and broadly endorsed by the agricultural, scientific, and users communities. In the 1990 Farm Bill, the Initiative was authorized at a full funding level of $500 million per year. The Office of Management and Budget endorsed the full funding level and is committed to reaching this level by phased growth over the next few years. For FY 1991, Congress funded the Initiative at $73 million; the President's FY 1992 budget recommends funding at the level of $125 million.
NRICGP's Role in Supporting Plant Genome Research
In 1991, the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP) subsumed the previously existing USDA Competitive Research Grants Program. Further, it was announced that while the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) would be the lead agency for the USDA Plant Genome Research Project, the competitively awarded research grant component would be administered by NRICGP and funded within the Program's Plant Systems Division at a level of $11 million.
These research grants support research projects judged to further USDA programs. A solicitation announcing guidelines for each program of NRICGP, is published in the Federal Register at the beginning of each fiscal year. Proposals for such awards may be submitted by any public or private institution, or individual.
Peer Review
In general terms, peer review is used to provide the best possible scientific advice before expenditure of Federal funds. Peer review is arranged by a Program Director, a USDA scientist responsible for overseeing the review process, upholding the highest standards of conduct, and providing assistance and advice to the panel manager. A panel manager, an active researcher in the appropriate scientific community chosen each year, is responsible, in consultation with the Chief Scientist of NRICGP, for selecting panel members with appropriate scientific expertise, review experience, and breadth of knowledge.
Written reviews are also solicited from the scientific community on an ad hoc basis. The peer review panel, chaired by the panel manager, takes into account the judgement of the panel members and the ad hoc reviews to provide advice to the NRICGP as to the scientific merit of each proposal. The program recommendation for funding, based on the panel ranking, is presented to the chief scientist who recommends the awards.
Plant Genome Proposals
More specifically, the 1991 NRICGP solicitation identified research in the broad area of plant genome studies as having the potential for significant impact for improving agricultural and forest productivity, and described the areas in which proposals would be accepted. In response to the solicitation, a large number of proposals were submitted by the postmark deadline of January 28, 1991. Dr. Maureen Hanson, director of the NSF/DOE/USDA Plant Science Center at Cornell University, was named Panel Manager for the Plant Genome Program for 1991 while Dr. Anne Datko, of the NRICGP staff, served as program director.
The peer panel has already met to review proposals submitted; award recommendations have been made to Dr. Paul Stumpf, Chief Scientist of NRICGP. Because of joint responsibility of NRICGP and ARS, Dr. Jerome Miksche, director of the Plant Genome Research Project, was not only consulted as to panel member selection but also received the award recommendations. The grants funded are to be published in January 1992 in "Food and Agriculture Competitively Awarded Research and Education Grants" by USDA's CSRS.
1992 Solicitation
NRICGP anticipates publishing the 1992 solicitation in the Federal Register early in October 1991 with postmark deadlines for proposals being earlier than in 1991. All institutions that received the 1991 Solicitation and all applicants to the program in 1991 will automatically receive a copy of the 1992 solicitation. Other interested individuals may request the Solicitation (in September 1991, see the address below).
A vacancy announcement is expected to be issued within the next few months by NRICGP's Plant Systems Division for the position of Plant Genome Program Director. Persons interested in applying for this full-time, permanent USDA position may contact the address below for additional information.
For solicitation information, contact the following:
Attn: 1992 Solicitation
NRICGP/CSRS/USDA
Room 323, Aerospace Building
Washington, DC 20250-2200
Phone (202) 401-5022 or FAX (202) 401-6480
For Genome Program Director Vacancy Information, write to:
Attn: Dr. Sally Rockey
Plant Systems Director
NRICGP/CSRS/USDA
Room 323, Aerospace Building
Washington, DC 20250-2200
Phone (202) 401-5114 or FAX (202) 401-6488