Anne Datko, Program Director
National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP)
CSRS, USDA
With approval of the 1992 budget by the President and Congress, funding will again increase for USDA's National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP). Funds totaling $97.5 million will be available to support the four existing divisions--Natural Resources and the Environment ($18 million); Nutrition, Food Quality, and Health ($6.5 million); Plant Systems ($40 million); and Animal Systems ($25 million)-- and to initiate competitive programs in two new divisions-- Market, Trade, and Policy ($4 million); and Processes for Adding Value and New Products ($4 million).
1991 Funding and Programs
USDA's former Competitive Research Grants Office (CRGO) accepted responsibility for managing NRICGP when it was established in 1991. At that time, NRICGP received funding at the level of $73 million, a 30-percent increase over 1990's funding for CRGO. Proposal submissions increased 50 percent; 590 awards were made.
The additional applications submitted for established programs plus the large number of applications received for new programs accounted for the increase in 1991. The new programs included Water Quality; Forest, Rangeland, and Crop Ecosystems; Food Safety; Cellular and Molecular Basis of Animal Disease; Animal Molecular Genetics; and Plant Genome.
Solicitation for 1992 Proposals
The 1992 Program Description (solicitation for proposals), published in the Federal Register in late November 1991, includes two newly funded Divisions--Markets, Trade, and Policy; and Processes for Adding Value. Also provided is information on the new Agricultural Research Enhancement Award Program. A copy of the Program Description, and the Grant Application kit can be obtained from NRICGP, c/o Proposal Services Branch, Cooperative State Research Service, Room 303, Aerospace Center, USDA, Washington, DC 20250-2200. Telephone: (202) 401-5049. Deadlines for all programs are summarized in Table 1.
Peer Reviewers Appreciated
NRICGP solicits proposal reviews from scientists across the country and around the world. Critical and balanced reviews are a crucial component of NRICGP's review process. More than 10,000 reviews were requested in 1991. The effort and time required to prepare thorough and constructive reviews represents a major contribution to NRICGP, the applicant scientists who receive the reviews, and the scientific community as a whole. NRICGP staff extends their appreciation to each scientific peer reviewer who has participated in this process.