Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:This project involves researchers, students, businesses, and other organization types (governmental, NGO, etc.) from across the agricultural sector. Individuals from both crop and livestock communities as well as integrative disciplines (e.g., engineers, data scientists, economists, and social scientists) have engaged with AG2PI activities and content. The AG2PI community includes founding stakeholder and partner organizations, both domestic and global (for full list of partner organizations visit https://www.ag2pi.org/institutional-involvement/) that have shared AG2PI communications and events since the start of the original project in 2020. To ensure the inclusion of under-represented minorities, we have used inclusive language in our seed grant request for proposals and considered seed grant proposals that provide an opportunity for increasing involvement in agricultural and G2P research and knowledge-sharing. Changes/Problems:Executive Board member Eric Lyons has been removed from the project; he has accepted a program manager position at National Science Foundation. Although he has contributed mightily to this project, this change will not affect our ability to complete the project's goals during the second year of this award. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training and development opportunities were presented to coconut grant PIs during the 2023 AG2PI conferences, in which they were asked not only to present on their grant project but also to work with others to talk through the biggest challenges facing advancements in agricultural genomes to phenomes research and related work. Awardees will also be provided the opportunity to present on their project deliverables in an AG2PI-organized field day or training workshop in 2024. Awardees will be invited to any future AG2PI-organized conference, should one be held. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This project reaches researchers, students, and companies from across the agricultural sector by leveraging stakeholder and partner organizations, both domestic and global, to distribute information on project activities and events. This has led to a great diversity of participants, based on information collected at event registration during the 2020 award project (NIFA grant no. 2020-70412-32615), as well as from across disciplines (e.g., Complex Modeling, Crop, Data Science/Bioinformatics, Data Storage/Security/Cyberinfrastructure, Education, Engineering, Ethical/Legal/Social Implications/Policy, Livestock/Aquaculture, Microbes, Model Organisms) that continues to grow. AG2PI includes members who share information on upcoming AG2PI activities with various URM organizations, such as MANNRS and SACNAS, particularly with respect to the seed grant opportunity. Twitter (@AG2PI; 566 followers as of August 8, 2023) and LinkedIn (166 followers) accounts are used for advertising awarded coconut grants as well as their associated activities. In this way the project cuts across generational differences in communication preferences. A mini-conference was held December 2, 2022, to describe the coconut grant RFP and to answer any questions about the opportunity. This event was advertised via the AG2PI website, listservs belonging to AG2PI and associated organizations, Twitter and LinkedIn. The RFP was advertised through the same channels and prospective proposers were encouraged to reach out via email with any questions. Dissemination of coconut project activities are primarily the responsibility of the project teams, but, when appropriate, AG2PI shares these outcomes on the website under the "Funded Seed Grants" page, retweets or distributes through the AG2PI listserv. For example, one PI of a coconut grant requested AG2PI's help in disseminating, through the listserv, a call for travel support to graduate students and early career professionals interested in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) phenotyping applications in U.S. agriculture and natural resources. The travel support was to attend the S1069 USDA multi-state meeting in Virginia., where the AG2PI project supported attendance of an additional 10 graduate students and postdocs from across the country. The PI reported that AG2PI's support greatly enhanced the energy and scientific discourse of the meeting. There were over 63 applicants for this travel support, demonstrating growing demand for the topic. Coconut grant outcomes are organized within the funded project description, along with the narrative from the proposal. These can be found at https://www.ag2pi.org/resources/ag2pi-funded-seed-grants/#coconut. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Coconut grant awardees will be asked to present on their work in AG2PI organized virtual field days or training workshops; whichever event type is the best fit for disseminating outcomes of that particular project. Outcomes will continue to be shared with the AG2PI community via emails and social media.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Impact statement: The overall objective of the proposed project is to use a peer-review based competitive process (seed grants) in coordination and approved by NIFA to: (1) develop tools and datasets that can be used to advance genome engineering tools; (2) mitigate environmental impacts from agriculture; and (3) encourage development of root stocks that increase carbon capture and can support grain crop covers. To meet this overall objective, we will expand the seed grant program effectively deployed during the current projects. The purpose of this project has been to leverage the activities of the existing NIFA-funded AG2PI projects (USDA NIFA grant no. 2020-70412-32615 and 2021-70412-35233) that have developed a cross-kingdom community that is now prepared and well positioned to tackle cross-cutting, impactful AG2P research. To meet this overall objective of supporting community solutions to shared challenges, we have expanded and improved upon the seed grant program effectively deployed during the ongoing 2020 AG2PI project to develop them into larger seed grants, which we term "coconut" grants. The Coconut grant opportunity focused on supporting research projects that have applications to both crops and livestock. In general, proposals for activities that span both plant and animal systems were most successful, but single species/domain proposals that described how the work will apply across kingdoms were also awarded. Projects addressing any of the three topic areas identified by USDA as special topics of interest were especially encouraged (e.g., Develop tools and datasets that can be used across multiple crop species to advance genome engineering tools for integrated optimization of crop yield and livestock feed for improved animal reproduction and nutrition; Mitigate environmental impacts from crop and livestock production; Encourage development of root stocks that increase carbon capture and can support grain crop cover) but additional topics identified in the AG2PI community surveys as being of major cross-kingdom importance were also considered. Any institution eligible for subcontract funding under the USDA's AG2PI RFA was eligible to apply for seed grants. Awards were given across five topic areas, ranged from $175,000-250,000 and have durations of 12 months with a start date of March 1, 2023. Seven of the 40 submitted, eligible proposals were awarded; two of those proposals were awarded after revision for lesser budgets than what was included in their original proposals. As such, we have awarded seven coconut grants to principal investigators at academic institutions in seven states (Arizona, California, Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas) for a total of $1,302,094 awarded. Awarded teams represent a total of 11 institutions from 10 states and Australia. Expected deliverables include training workshops, field days, new or updated software and analytical tools, datasets and databases. Outcomes will be shared as publications and through conference presentations. Narratives of awarded projects and their deliverables (as they are received) can be found at https://www.ag2pi.org/resources/ag2pi-funded-seed-grants/#coconut. Progress reports have been received and deliverables completed to date are linked on the AG2PI website and provided in the "Products" section of this report. Principal investigators of awarded coconut grant teams were invited to attend the 2023 AG2PI conference "Mapping the Future of Agricultural Genome to Phenome Research" held June 15-16 in Kansas City, MO, and co-hosted by USDA NIFA. They were asked to participate in small group breakout discussions but were not asked to formally present on their projects since only a few months had passed since their projects had started. One team did share a poster at the conference (PI: Juan Steibel). This team has also presented on their work in an AG2PI field day that was held June 21, 2023, via Zoom. Details of this field day can be found in the Products section of the Progress Report for 2020 AG2PI project. Internal assessment is being conducted by the AG2PI project manager and focuses on the coconut grants. Compared to previous seed grant opportunities provided through the two previous AG2PI program awards to this team in 2020 and 2021 awards, few Coconut grant PIs are early career. Senior PIs and teams were more successful in submitting strong proposals. Prospective early career proposal leads could have benefitted from additional help in creating their proposals. Future RFAs should direct all applicants to training or informational materials on how to prepare these types of proposals. The most commonly reported challenges by seed grant awardees in their progress reports (and across our previous AG2PI awards) are 1) difficulty within their institutions to get award monies into accounts, and 2) hiring specialists and technicians. Delays in completing deliverables have been directly tied to both of these challenges. We do not have any insight on how these challenges can be solved, but they directly affect the success of these projects and therefore are of concern to the AG2PI project and larger program.
Publications
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