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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - NSF Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) (FY 2012)

1) What is the NSF Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP)?

The NSF Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) is a long-running funding opportunity under the National Plant Genome Initiative. It has supported plant genomics research since 1998 and focuses on using genome-scale data, methods, and resources to address ambitious, genome-wide research questions important to plant biology and agriculture.

2) What is the main goal of this solicitation?

The solicitation aims to capitalize on major growth in genome sequences, functional genomics methods, and related resources for crops and model plants. Projects are expected to go beyond incremental advances by proposing conceptually fresh strategies that can address grand challenge problems in plants of economic importance.

3) What kinds of activities does PGRP support in FY 2012?

In FY 2012, PGRP supports three main activity types: (1) genomics-empowered research projects, (2) development of tools and resources for plant genome research, and (3) Mid-Career Investigator Awards in Plant Genome Research (MCA PGR) to help established researchers trained outside plant genomics pivot into genomics-enabled plant research.

4) What counts as a "genomics-empowered" research project under this program?

Genomics-empowered research projects use genome-scale tools to answer fundamental questions in plant and agricultural sciences where genomic breadth is essential. Examples of topic areas mentioned include traits, adaptation, productivity, and other core biological processes.

5) What kinds of tool and resource development does PGRP fund?

The program funds tools and resources that make plant genome research more powerful or more accessible. This includes new experimental technologies, computational methods, and novel approaches to analyzing and interpreting large genomic datasets.

6) What are the Mid-Career Investigator Awards in Plant Genome Research (MCA PGR)?

MCA PGR awards are designed to bring established researchers into plant genome research when their primary training is outside plant genomics. The intent is to support training and a research launch into genomics-enabled plant research, broaden the plant genomics community, and encourage cross-pollination between fields.

7) Who is eligible to serve as the principal investigator (PI) for the MCA PGR track?

For MCA PGR, the PI must hold an independent tenure-track or non-tenure-track position at a U.S. academic or nonprofit research institution, run an active research program, and have been trained primarily in a field other than plant genomics, with the intent of gaining training and launching genomics-enabled plant research.

8) Is training required or encouraged in PGRP proposals?

Training is strongly emphasized, particularly training that is tightly integrated with the research plan rather than treated as an add-on. Competitive proposals are expected to clearly describe both the science and how trainees (such as students and postdocs) or transitioning investigators will gain new cross-disciplinary skills.

9) What kinds of interdisciplinary training experiences are encouraged?

The solicitation particularly encourages interdisciplinary training that crosses traditional boundaries, including areas such as plant physiology, quantitative genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and engineering.

10) Are both small and large projects allowed?

Yes. The program is open to a range of project sizes and structures, from single-investigator projects to large multi-investigator, multi-institution collaborations, as long as the scope and budget are appropriate for the ambition and workload of the proposed research.

11) How must multi-organization consortia submit proposals?

If multiple organizations are involved as a consortium, they must submit a single unified proposal with one lead organization and the other organizations included as subawardees.

12) Are separately submitted collaborative proposals allowed?

No. Separately submitted collaborative proposals are not allowed under this solicitation and will be returned without review.

13) Does the program encourage new participants or institutions that have not been funded by PGRP before?

Yes. The solicitation indicates a desire to broaden participation by encouraging applications from investigators and institutions that have not previously been part of PGRP.

14) Are early-career investigators allowed or encouraged to apply?

Yes. The program explicitly welcomes early-career investigators, including those applying through NSF's CAREER mechanism.

15) Is there any recommendation for early-career applicants before submitting?

Early-career applicants are encouraged to contact a PGRP Program Director for guidance before applying.

16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 12-517.

17) What type of award mechanism is used?

This NSF opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism.

18) What is the opportunity category?

The opportunity is categorized under science and technology research and development.

19) Approximately how many awards did NSF expect to make, and what was the estimated total funding?

NSF anticipated making about 15 awards with an estimated total funding level of $15 million.

20) What is the expected award size range?

Individual awards could range from $100,000 up to $10 million.

21) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The solicitation states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

22) What was the proposal target date?

The proposal target date listed was March 5, 2012.

23) When was the solicitation posted and when was it archived?

The solicitation was posted on December 9, 2011 and archived on April 5, 2012.

24) What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based, accredited academic institutions with a U.S. campus; U.S. nonprofit research organizations (including museums, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar entities tied directly to research or education); and consortia composed only of those eligible organizations.

25) Can an ineligible organization participate as a subawardee?

No. The solicitation states that organizations not eligible to submit cannot participate as subawardees.

26) What kinds of research themes does the program highlight as examples of fit?

The solicitation highlights genome-wide research questions that matter for plant biology and agriculture, including fundamental questions tied to traits, adaptation, productivity, and other core biological processes where genome-scale approaches are essential, particularly for plants of economic importance.

27) What does the solicitation mean by moving beyond incremental work?

It signals that proposals should not focus on small, step-by-step advances. Instead, projects should propose conceptually fresh strategies or approaches aimed at addressing grand challenge problems, taking advantage of the expanding availability of genome sequences and functional genomics capabilities.