he Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (Current and Emerging Threats to Crops Innovation Lab or CETC Innovation Lab) will function as a five-year Leader with Associates (LWA) Cooperative Agreement, awarded to an eligible U.S. university to develop a global portfolio of evidence-based research for development and local capacity development activities to protect crops from biotic threats. More than one eligible university can share the leadership of the CETC Innovation Lab; however, the award itself can only be issued to one eligible institution. That institution would then issue a subaward to the partner institution for required services.
The CETC Innovation Lab will design, lead, and implement an applied research program focused on the control of current and emerging biotic threats to food security crops that the poor depend on. The program will also strengthen local research partners through capacity development while benefiting smallholder farmers and other beneficiaries of USAID assistance. The Innovation Lab will serve as a resource to USAID Missions and their implementing partners in their efforts to overcome critical crop pest, weed and disease constraints facing their national food systems. The Innovation Lab is broadly expected to help recognize, build on and influence impact pathways from crop biotic threat protection research to development outcomes through partnerships with USAID Mission-supported programs, national partners, private companies, community-based organizations, and other donors and their programs.
Ultimately, the CETC Innovation Lab will:
- Support smallholder farmers to improve production through research and innovations that provide greater resilience to pests, diseases and weeds.
- Help farmers increase household income by reducing the economic burden of pest and disease control and losses to pests, diseases, and weeds through earlier management and control.
- Mitigate potential negative environmental and climate change consequences through development and promotion of innovative, safe and effective control models and methods.
- Improve household level food security by reducing losses, allowing more production for consumption or income generation.
- Reduce risk to incentivize on farm investment, fostering increased opportunity and resilience.
Submit your notification at the InfoReady link below to upload a cover sheet no later than 4:00 p.m. on the internal submission deadline.
Cover Sheet should include (1 page, pdf):
- Descriptive title of proposed activity
- PI name, departmental affiliations(s) and contact information
- Co-PI's names and departmental affiliation(s)
- Names of other key personnel
- Participating institution(s)
- Title of this funding opportunity
Questions concerning the limited submissions process may be submitted to limitedsubs@psu.edu.