P r o p o s a l   G u i d e l i n e s

NEW: IMBA Request for Proposals for Fiscal Year 2007

The Executive Management Committee of the Illinois-Missouri Biotechnology Alliance (IMBA) is soliciting proposals for FY2007. The special grant to IMBA provides $962,000 for subcontracts to enhance the profitability of the American agriculture and food sector as a result of the application of biotechnology (and related economic analysis) to corn and soybean. Priority will be given to research that demonstrates commercialization potential (i.e., projects that might produce marketable products or influence the agrobiotech market in the next few years) and has evidence of support from the private sector. The Executive Committee also welcomes projects that document economic, environmental and/or social impacts from corn and soy biotechnology.

The IMBA Executive Committee encourages investigators to address the path to commercialization very seriously as they explain the range of results anticipated from the proposed research. An explanation of how private sector interest will enhance the potential for commercialization or real world application of the anticipated research will be considered in the project selection process. As an alternative to commercialization, an explanation of how the proposed research will help an industry segment progress or attain a new performance level will also be considered.

The deadline for proposal submission is 5 pm, June 1, 2006. Proposals must be submitted electronically as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or pdf documents by going to proposal FastTrack and following the instructions for submission. Investigators should use the SF-424 application package. The guidelines, application forms and instructions are available from USDA-CSREES at: www.csrees.usda.gov/business/awards/app_guidelines.html. (Save these forms as your own file so they can be sent via email with your proposal as an attachment.)

Investigators will receive an acknowledgement from the program manager upon receipt of their proposal.

Consider the Special Grant's Focus

Competitively awarded grants will be made to projects in one of two areas:

  1. Profitability of corn and soybean. This can be either at the level of production, processing or use, including enhancing the use of functional foods and increasing the knowledge of the benefits of corn and soy nutrition.
  2. Improving our understanding of the socioeconomic variables that influence the adoption of corn or soy biotechnology and /or the attributes and purchasing decisions of consumers. This includes objective analysis of the perceived benefits and risks associated with agrobiotechnology.

Interested investigators are encouraged to visit the IMBA website, www.imba.missouri.edu, to learn about projects that have been previously funded. Investigators can expect a greater emphasis on commercialization potential from research results this fiscal year than in the past.

Proposals may originate from private firms, universities, agencies, or organizations, but awards are only made to scientists conducting research in non-profit organizations. Proposals should include clear and concise statements about the following, with adequate detail so that a reviewer can assess the potential for success and impact of the project:

  • The context and expected outcomes of the research.
  • Justification for the research.
  • How the proposed project contributes to IMBA's mission and objectives.
  • A description of the research, including scientific objectives, background (with references), materials and methods, and strategies.
  • Project responsibilities for each investigator (if multiple principal investigators) and the mechanism for coordination and communication among the investigators.
The Review Process

Projects will be reviewed in a two-step process. The first step assesses:

  • Relevance to the IMBA mission and its objectives.
  • Economic potential of the outcomes (be it a product, process, or a set of empirical models).

This phase of the selection process is conducted with the presumption that the research team has defined the appropriate research methodology and is capable of successfully completing the proposed work. Researchers, research administrators, and/or experts from outside of the academic community will be used as expert reviewers at this stage of the process.

Final project selection is based on evaluation of:

  • Appropriateness and quality of the proposed research as judged by a scientific peer group.
  • Expected probability of successfully achieving the targeted research outcomes within the proposed timeframe and with the proposed resources.

The Project Narrative (Field 7 on SF-424) is limited to 10 single spaced pages of written text, including figures and tables. Fonts should be no smaller than 12 point, and pages must have one inch margins. Instructions for Field 7 can be found under (b) Project Narrative, pages 6 and 7 of "Guidelines for Application Preparation and Submission of Special Research Grants." www.csrees.usda.gov/business/awards/app_guidelines.html

The contents of the application should be assembled in the following order (All the following marked FORM are found at the web site.):

  • FORM SF424 R&R Cover Sheet (omit Field 10, and Field 17 is No)
  • Conflict of Interest List(s), see guidelines
  • FORM - Research and Related Other Project Information
  • Project Summary/Abstract
  • Project Narrative
  • Bibliography and References Cited
  • Documentation for Facilities and Other Resources
  • Equipment Documentation
  • FORM - Research and Related Key Person Profile(s)
  • Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support for PI/PD followed by those for each Key Person
  • FORM - Research and Related Budget (one form for each year and a summary)
  • Budget Narrative Justification
  • FORM - Research and Related Personal Data

The Executive Management Committee encourages new investigators and new areas of research. All other things equal, a preference will be given to research proposed by principal investigators who have not previously received IMBA funding. We encourage new investigators to evaluate past IMBA research (http://www.imba.missouri.edu) to determine the appropriateness of their proposal to IMBA's mission. Additionally, dialogue with past and current Principal Investigators with a view to possible collaboration is considered desirable.

IMBA has $962,000 to allocate to new projects. The average award for projects funded in the recent past has been approximately $160,000 (direct costs), most projects were funded for two years. Questions about IMBA proposals should be directed to Dr. Ken Schneeberger, IMBA program manager, at the University of Missouri. His phone is 573-882-8777 and email is schneebergerk@missouri.edu. NOTE: The terms of the grant restrict use of IMBA funds to pay only the direct costs associated with the research. IMBA funds cannot be used to pay for indirect or tuition. Salaries for investigators on 12 month appointments is not allowed, but a portion of summer salary may be requested for investigators on 9 month appointments.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 5:00 pm, June 1, 2006.