Plant Genome Research Program | 18 579

Opportunity Information: Apply for 18 579

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) is a discretionary grant opportunity focused on advancing plant genomics at genome-wide scale. The program is designed to support ambitious research that tackles difficult scientific questions with clear biological significance, and it also emphasizes problems that matter beyond the lab, including questions tied to societal needs and economic importance. A central theme of the program is that projects should operate at a scale and depth that truly leverage modern genomics, and that they should bring creative, forward-looking approaches rather than incremental extensions of existing work.

PGRP places strong value on developing and applying innovative tools, technologies, and community resources that make it easier for a broad range of plant scientists to ask and answer genome-scale questions. In other words, the program is not only about generating new biological insights, but also about building capabilities the wider community can use, such as improved methods, datasets, platforms, or enabling resources that expand what functional plant genomics can accomplish. NSF highlights that the most compelling projects will combine high-impact questions with approaches that are both technically strong and conceptually novel.

A major expectation under this opportunity is that the data produced through funded research should be broadly useful. NSF explicitly stresses usability, accessibility, and integration, meaning that genomics outputs should be shared in ways that allow other researchers to find them, reuse them, and connect them across biological scales (for example, linking genomic variation to gene function, traits, physiology, and plant performance). The intention is to maximize scientific impact across biology by ensuring that genomics data and resources do not remain siloed within individual projects.

The program also makes workforce and community development a core requirement rather than an add-on. Training, broadening participation, and career development are described as essential to scientific progress and are expected to be integrated into all PGRP-funded projects. This signals that competitive proposals should weave education and mentoring into the research plan, and should include thoughtful efforts to expand participation and support the development of researchers at different career stages.

PGRP offers two funding tracks. The RESEARCH-PGR track supports genome-scale plant research aimed at answering fundamental biological questions, including work connected to economically important processes with societal relevance. The TRTech-PGR track is oriented toward tools, resources, and technology breakthroughs that enable functional plant genomics, with an emphasis on advancements that make new types of genome-wide inquiry possible or substantially improve existing capabilities.

Administratively, this opportunity is run by the NSF under CFDA number 47.074 (Science and Technology and other Research and Development). It is an open eligibility program (unrestricted, subject to any additional eligibility language in the official solicitation). Proposals are accepted at any time, and NSF anticipated making about 15 awards. The published award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically indicates that award size is not capped in that field and applicants should refer to the solicitation and NSF norms for appropriate budget scope. The funding opportunity title is "Plant Genome Research Program" and the opportunity number is 18-579, with a creation date of August 15, 2018.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Plant Genome Research Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.074.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 15, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for 18 579

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