CDFA
Accepting Concept Proposals For 2014 Fertilizer Research And Education Grants
The
California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and
Education Program (FREP) announced TODAY
it is currently accepting concept proposals for the 2014 grant cycle. FREP’s
competitive grant program funds research that advances the environmentally safe
and agronomically sound use of fertilizing materials.
The
2014 Request for Proposals (RFP) is consistent with several new initiatives put
forth by the department to help effectively manage nitrogen fertilizers in
agriculture. New this year is a call for research projects to fill gaps in
nitrogen management information for specific crops grown in the San Joaquin
Valley, including corn, pima cotton, processing tomatoes, walnuts, and citrus.
In
addition, FREP is encouraging the development and submission of concepts that
demonstrate experimental research trial data (e.g., prior FREP research
findings) at the field scale in organic and conventional fertilizers. Other
priority research areas are to evaluate strategies and potential technologies
to increase crop nitrogen fertilizer uptake; reduce nitrogen movement off
irrigated agricultural lands, including nitrate movement below the root zone;
and minimize nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizers.
Additionally,
as in previous years, FREP seeks concepts on developing Best Management
Practices (BMPs) along with proposals to provide education and outreach
opportunities on effectively and efficiently managing fertilizing materials.
Applicants
are invited to submit two-page concept proposals to FREP by Wednesday, January
15, 2014. Concepts submitted should be in line with at least one of the
program’s identified priority research areas. Further information on the 2014
FREP request for concept proposals including timelines, application criteria,
priority research areas, and examples of successful proposals are available at:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/CompetitiveGrantProgram.html. Applicants
may also send e-mail inquiries to FREP@cdfa.ca.gov.
FREP’s
Technical Advisory Subcommittee will review all concept proposals. The
Subcommittee will invite promising concept proposals that support at least one
of the listed priority research areas to be developed into full project
proposals.
Since 1990, the Fertilizer Research and
Education Program has funded more than 160 research projects focusing on
California’s important and environmentally sensitive cropping systems. A
database of completed and ongoing research is publically available at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep.html.
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