Advancing Plant Transformation
Supports research and tool development to improve plant genetic transformation, breeding, and gene editing across diverse plant species.
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: August 28, 2024 (NSF/USDA DCL) | Rolling (NSF BIO core programs)
Funding Amounts: Varies by program; typical awards range from $10,000 to $10,000,000 (USDA-NIFA AFRI FAS), or $300,000–$800,000 (international collaborations); duration and size depend on the selected program.
Summary: Supports research and tool development to advance plant genetic transformation methods, aiming for breakthroughs in plant breeding, regeneration, and gene editing across diverse plant species.
Key Information: Proposals must be submitted to existing NSF or USDA programs; use "PlantTransform:" in the proposal title.
Description
This opportunity highlights the interest of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in supporting research to advance plant genetic transformation. The initiative seeks proposals that address fundamental and applied challenges in introducing DNA, RNA, and proteins into plant cells, with a focus on overcoming genotype dependency and low transformation rates in many species. Research may include the development of new transformation technologies, improvements to current methodologies, studies on cellular mechanisms, cell totipotence, plant-microbe interactions, and efforts targeting under-investigated plant species. Interdisciplinary and collaborative projects are encouraged, especially those that enhance the U.S. capacity for reliable and efficient plant transformation.
Proposals are not submitted to a new, standalone program but are instead directed to existing NSF and USDA-NIFA programs—specifically within the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) and the USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Researchers should select the program most closely aligned with their project aims.
