New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award in the US

Deadline: 22-Feb-23

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) seeks nominations for its 2023 New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award (NIA) to provide early-career scientists the investment needed to propel them into successful research careers.

The New Innovator Award seeks to promote career advancement of highly creative and promising new scientists who intend to make a long-term career commitment to research in food and agriculture and bring innovative, ground-breaking research initiatives and thinking to bear on problems facing food and agriculture. Within the scope of the New Innovator Program, investigators will have the freedom to explore new avenues of inquiry that arise during their research. Therefore, FFAR is interested in the program of research to be explored and its impact as opposed to a list of very specific aims.

Priorities

FFAR gives preference to individuals who are within eight years of receiving a Ph.D. or equivalent degree. Eligible candidates must also conduct research that aligns with their Challenge Areas.

• Soil Health
  • The Soil Health Challenge Area develops sustainable on-farm practices from the ground-up by creating innovative solutions to improve soil health from measurement to adoption.
• Sustainable Water Management
  • The Sustainable Water Management Challenge Area supports research that enhances and protects natural waters to sustain agricultural production and environmental health.
• Next Generation Crops
  • The Next Generation Crop Challenge Area funds research on new and conventional crops to increase crop diversity and farm profitability.
• Advanced Animal Systems
  • The Advanced Animal Systems Challenge Area supports research that improves animal health and welfare and pioneers practices that sustain their food system.
• Urban Food Systems
  • The Urban Food Systems Challenge Area helps scientists, farmers and policymakers design equitable urban food systems that promote wellness and urban resilience.
• Health-Agriculture Nexus
  • The Health-Agriculture Nexus Challenge Area supports research to reduce food and nutrition insecurity, decrease food waste and loss and improve human health.

Award Information

• Anticipated Award Duration: Up to 36 months
• Amount per Award: Up to $150,000/year for up to three years. Matching funds are not required from the applicant, as they are provided by FFAR. However, additional matching is always encouraged to broaden the scope of the program, and, if available, should be reflected in the budget. Lack of matching funds will not influence the review of the application.
  • FFAR will award each applicant up to $150,000 per year for up to 36 months.
  • Indirect costs are limited to 10% of the total award, including subcontracts, if applicable. Unrecovered indirect cost is not permitted. Construction and renovation costs are not allowed. Salaries of principal 4 investigators are allowed for time not covered by institutional or other grant funds and effort should be commensurate with the research proposed.
• Anticipated Number of Awards: Up to ten (10) awards. The actual number of awards will depend on the quality and budgets of successful proposals. FFAR reserves the right to negotiate all or none of the applications received for funding consideration under this opportunity.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Institutions
  • U.S. Institutions of Higher Education.
    • Public/State controlled institutions.
    • Private institutions.
  • U.S. Nonprofit Research Institutions.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • In keeping with FFAR goals to reach a diverse and broad range of institutions and individuals who participate in its programs, the following types of higher education institutions are highly encouraged to apply for FFAR programs:
    • Hispanic-serving Institutions.
    • 1890s Land Grant Institutions and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
    • Tribal Colleges and Universities.
    • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.
    • Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions.
  • Institutions may submit one nominee to the 2023 New Innovator Award program.
• Eligible Individuals
  • Faculty members at eligible institutions with the creative ideas, skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research program as Principal Investigator are invited to work with their institution to develop an application for support.
    • The nominated faculty member must have been hired on or after August 1, 2019 for a tenure-track or equivalent position and may work in any discipline or any department within the institution.
    • Preference will be given to individuals near the onset of their independent research career and who are within eight (8) years of receiving a Ph.D. or equivalent degree.
    • Individuals with significant research experience prior to obtaining their faculty position will not be considered for this award.
  • FFAR recognizes that agriculture and food sciences are highly complex, requiring individuals from a variety of disciplines to realize the potential in each field or research area. Particularly for early-stage investigators, collaborators are often essential for success. While this award is made to an outstanding early career investigator, applicants should include information regarding any essential collaborators and include letters of support from those collaborators. In these letters, the collaborators should comment on the potential of the individual to achieve success.

For more information, visit FFAR.