Sponsor

Bayer Crop Science

Description

First introduced in 2015, the Bayer Grants4Ag initiative has evolved to offer researchers financial and scientific support to develop ideas for novel solutions across all research and development areas in the Division of Crop Science. Awarded projects will be paired with an internal Bayer Scientist for project guidance.

Weeds, disease and harmful insects rob plants of water, sunlight and nutrients, which can have a devastating impact on food production. At Bayer, we bring greater than a century of research to manage these global challenges, and we want you to help us find the next exciting class of crop protection products. 

We are interested in collaborating to identify novel starting points for crop science R&D, which includes finding tool compounds that could unlock new modes of action for control of fungal diseases, insect pests or weeds as well as reducing the environmental impact of future products. 

Through our Grants4Ag program, we offer unrestricted funding and focused guidance toward discovering new molecular targets for fungicide, pesticide or herbicide research as well as delivery mechanisms or formulations for novel active ingredients.

What we're looking for

We are interested in providing funding and mentoring in order to advance your research and determine if there is any potential application in shaping the future of crop protection.

Solutions of interest include:

• Novel biochemical or structural targets that could inhibit key pathways in plants, insects or fungi;
• Innovative methods to deliver active ingredients to plant or pathogen-based systems.

Our must-have requirements are:

• Submissions must include a hypothesis for an effect that can be tested experimentally.

What's out of scope:

• Compounds with known or expected biological activity (please submit to our Testing4Ag program [1]).

Access to chemical libraries, DNA sequences and screening technologies will be provided on a case by case basis.

Bayer’s vision of #HealthForAll, #HungerForNone drives our need to strengthen innovation capabilities in all areas of agriculture. We know we can’t accomplish this alone, so we're always interested to hear about novel, early-stage scientific innovations that can contribute to feeding the world without starving the planet. You have our commitment to take a look, match with our R&D priorities and provide you timely feedback.

Eligibility

Although Bayer allows non-faculty to apply, U of G requires an eligible faculty member to hold and administer funding.

Funding Availability

Funding is proposal-dependent and typically ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. Prior recipients have used the funding for research, personnel, equipment and other purchases.

Indirect Costs

0%

Project Duration

Bayer expects the projects are completed in about one year. However, Bayer can extend and renew on a case-by-case basis.

Special Notes

Additional details can be found on Halo's RFP website [2].