Addendum: Project Proposals
Introduction
All applicants are strongly encouraged to file a Pre-Proposal per the instructions below. The Pre-Proposal is designed to save the applicant time by not filing an off-target Full Proposal. If the applicant chooses to not fill-out a Pre-Proposal, registration with the NFO (Networking & Facilitation Office) is required at the following email address: administrator@AgPMT.org.
Instructions for the Pre-Proposal and the Full Proposal may be downloaded from the NPMTI’s Website at www.AgPMT.org. Pre-Proposal instructions follow this Introduction.
Funding
As explained in the 5-Year Action Plan (see Action Plan, www.AgPMT.org), agricultural appropriations budgeting is dynamic in which funding can vary from year to year. NPMTI operates under the auspices of the USDA-ARS, which administers appropriated funds, generally consistent with the recommendations of the NPMTI Executive Committee (EC). Given that most research conducted by NPMTI scientists are for multi-year projects, funding priority is given to ensure continuation of that research, as long as research benchmarks and activities (as reported in annual reports to the USDA-ARS) are consistent with the goals of NPMTI. New research will be prioritized by the RAC (Research Area Committee), or in the case of new crops and diseases, prioritized by the NPMTI EC, which is comprised of all stakeholders in the NPMTI. Prioritized research proposals are forwarded by the EC to the USDA-ARS as recommendations.
PLEASE NOTE: Anyone receiving funds from NPMTI will be expected to share data to help with the overall development of the suite of predictive modeling tools.
Important Dates and Deadlines for Submission of Proposals
August 24, 2020:
Pre-Proposal Process begins (Instructions following this Introduction)
August 28, 2020:
Registration Process begins. Register with administrator@AgPMT.org
September 9, 2020:
Deadline for submission of a Pre-Proposal
September 16, 2020:
Registration ends. Those submitting a Pre-Proposal do not have to register
September 30, 2020:
Deadline for Body of Full Proposal
October 8, 2020:
Deadline for final submission of support documents
National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative (NPMTI) Pre-Proposal Instructions
INTRODUCTION – The National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative (NPMTI), which under the auspices of the USDA-ARS, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to support NPMTI goals in FY2021.
Those interested in submitting a proposal are strongly encouraged to complete this Pre-Proposal to help applicants understand the objectives of NPMTI so that time isn’t spent on developing an off-target Full Proposal that doesn’t meet the needs of NPMTI and therefore won’t be considered for funding.
NPMTI is a multi-year and multi-crop program that aims to develop modeling tools to predict diseases and mycotoxins affecting U.S. row crops to better inform management decisions. The overall goals of the NPMTI are to:
1) ensure crop sustainability and crop quality;
2) improve soil health;
3) monitor pathogens and microbial diversity in the environment, including, but not limited to crop residues, soils and air;
4) improve disease management thereby reducing yield losses;
5) increase precision of in-season disease management tactics; and
6) work towards eliminating the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
PLEASE NOTE: Anyone receiving funds from NPMTI will be expected to share data to help with the overall development of the suite of predictive modeling tools.
PRE-PROPOSAL DEADLINE: September 9, 2020
INSTRUCTIONS
The entire package should be formatted using Times New Roman, 12 point or higher, black colored font with one-inch margins. All items in the package should be gathered by the PI and submitted together as a single editable MS Word file.
The entire pre-proposal entry should be no longer than 3 pages, including budget and budget justification.
Submit pre-proposal by September 9, 2020 to administrator@AgPMT.org with the subject line: NPMTI Pre-proposal.
The Pre-Proposal review should take about two weeks.
Please answer the following Pre-Proposal questions: (click here for printable form)
Name of PI: _________________________ Affiliation: __________________________
Title of PI: __________________________ Email: ______________________________
Office phone: ________________________ Mobile number: ______________________
TITLE OF PROPOSED PROJECT: __________________________________________
Project Duration: _____ 1 Year; ____ 2 years; Projected end date ___________________
Project Summary – suggested 250 words or less and include: a. project goals; b. project objectives; c. how project will be completed in the proposed period; and d. how outcomes will benefit stakeholders/end users.
Project Plan of Work – suggested 400 words or less and include: a. description of experimental methods and procedures; b. mention any scholarly work that is related to and supports the proposed research; c. identify gaps in the knowledge base that the proposal is trying to fill; and d. state the relevance of the project to the goals of the NPMTI and how this project will support the highly collaborative nature of the NPMTI.
Collaboration – Will this proposed project rely on collaborators? _____ Yes _____ No
If yes, briefly describe – suggested 100 words or less.
Project Budget Estimate – Provide a budget table outlining the funds needed to perform the described work. If the proposed duration of the project is 2 years, please provide an annual budget breakdown. The budget table may include total funds requested for: salaries, equipment, travel, supplies, and other direct costs. Any funds requested for collaborators should be included in the totals.
Along with the budget outline, include a budget justification (1-2 paragraphs) to help explain the breakdown of the proposed funds in each category in the budget table.
Other Funding – Will this proposed project rely on matching funds, or other sources of income? ______ Yes ______ No
If yes, provide a list of any current and pending support in a tabular format that includes PIs, Supporting Agency, Total Amount, Effective and Expiration Dates, Titles and Main Objectives of each project(s).
Thank you for your submittal to the National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative.
Review of your pre-proposal should take about two weeks.