Initial Funding Opportunity Open for Pre-Proposals through April 17, 2017.
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, a nonprofit organization addressing food and agriculture challenges through innovative science, today launched the Pollinator Health Fund with a $10 million commitment toward reversing the pollinator population decline in the United States.
The Pollinator Health Fund supports research and technology development with impacts on pollinators in agricultural landscapes and real-world applications to beekeeping, land management, and farming practices. The first grant opportunity available through the Pollinator Health Fund invites institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations and businesses to submit research pre-proposals that demonstrate potential to significantly advance domestic pollinator health.
Insect pollinators help sustain ecosystems and contribute more than $24 billion to the United States economy annually. A variety of domestic crops rely on pollinators to reproduce; declining populations of both wild and managed pollinators threaten the viability of these crops. The new Fund is designed to help combat the economic and environmental impacts of declining pollinator populations in the United States.
Up to $4 million in grants will be awarded through this initial opportunity for research proposals addressing the following issues:
- Understanding Multiple Interacting Stressors
- Developing Best Management Practices and their Increasing Application
- Accelerating Technology Transfer
- Enhancing Outreach and Education
While research has identified several stressors that contribute to pollinator decline, how those stressors interact with each other and the implementation of science-based best practices are active areas of investigation.