Science Policy Report

Address all comments to the Science Policy Office at:
sciencepolicy@sciencesocieties.org

30 September 2020

In This Issue:

Policy News

~ Senate clears hurdle to avoiding a shutdown
~ Soil Health Institute names six-member Scientific Advisory Committee

Science and Society News

~ 2020 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting is virtual | watch the sneak peek recording!
~ The 2020 ASA, CSSA, SSSA Photo Contest is open. Submit by October 31.
~ Join the Discussion! Log in to the Discussion Boards for ASA Communities, CSSA/SSSA Division, and Specialty Groups
~ Career Center | Reach qualified applicants with the ASA, CSSA, SSSA Job Board!
~ Free curriculum brings ag to schoolchildren
~ Join ASA, CSSA, SSAA | Become a member to connect and help advance our sciences!
~ First look at a sustainable agricultural mulch
~ More than 300 agriculture and conservation organizations voice support for pesticide law
~ Toxic beaches: bacteria and algae triggered hundreds of closures and warnings this year
~ Turning cotton into bioplastics: TTU researchers digging up new demand

International Corner

~ Burkina Faso renews commitment to GM crops with Bt cowpea
~ Self-limiting ‘friendly’ technology offers hope for controlling fall armyworm without pesticides

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

~ Climate-Resilient Crops
~ Restore Colorado 2021
~
~ Nominees Sought for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences
~ Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program 2020
~ Artificial Intelligence for Earth Innovation
~ Small Business Innovation Research Program - Phase I
~ Energy and Carbon Optimized Synthesis for the Bioeconomy (ECOSynBio)
~ California Wildlands Grassroots Fund
~ Sustainable Jersey Grants Program: Gardinier Environmental Fund
~ Bayer Grants4Ag – Chemical Input & Soil Health
~ Bayer Grants4Ag – Accelerating Precision Agriculture
~ Bayer Grants4Ag – Fighting Pests While Preserving Biodiversity
~ Energize the Environment Grant Program
~ Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT)
~ Minnesota Crop Research Grant

Policy News

(TOP) ~ Senate clears hurdle to avoiding a shutdown

The Senate on Tuesday cleared a key procedural hurdle to advancing a short-term funding patch that would prevent a government shutdown on Wednesday at midnight. The Senate advanced the measure in an 82-6 vote, easily clearing the 60-vote threshold. The upper chamber is expected to pass the continuing resolution with bipartisan support on Wednesday, sending the measure to President Donald Trump, who will have just hours to sign the bill before the midnight deadline. The stopgap bill stretches about $1.4 trillion in current government funding levels until Dec. 11. Read the full article. 

(TOP) ~ Soil Health Institute names six-member Scientific Advisory Committee

The Soil Health Institute (SHI) has established a Scientific Advisory Committee to review, provide recommendations, and engage in helpful problem solving with SHI in its on-going mission to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soils through scientific research and advancement. Areas to be addressed include various aspects of soil health measurements, research and development, quantifying impacts, and driving adoption. SHI’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Cristine Morgan, serves as the Committee Chair. Read the full article. 

Science and Society News

(TOP) ~ 2020 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting is virtual | watch the sneak peek recording!

The Virtual 2020 Annual Meeting will be held November 9-13. Watch a condensed overview (mp4) of the virtual experience and check out the Agenda -at-a-Glance. Find out more. Questions about the 2020 Annual Meeting? Visit our FAQ page. 

(TOP) ~ The 2020 ASA, CSSA, SSSA Photo Contest is open. Submit by October 31.

Science isn't just found in journals or labs. Photography is a powerful way to tell the story behind our science. What inspires you in a farm landscape, in a wetland or forest, in a plant you’re studying or a soil you’ve just unearthed? Display your vision by entering the Photo Contest. Members submit your photos by October 31st. Winning photos in each category will receive prizes, and all submissions could be used for CSA News, Crops & Soils, websites, social media, and educational purposes. The themes for the photo contest are: ASA: Agronomy Feeds the World, CSSA: Plant Science for a Better World, SSSA: Soils Sustain Life, Tools at Work, People at Work. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Join the Discussion! Log in to the Discussion Boards for ASA Communities, CSSA/SSSA Division, and Specialty Groups

Using Discussion Boards for communication allows us to better connect and give all members ability to join the conversation, find resources, and start topics. Be sure to read the Daily Digest recaps of the days posts that are sent direct to your member email. Join the conversation! Check out the Agronomy, Crops, and Soils Boards.

(TOP) ~ Career Center | Reach qualified applicants with the ASA, CSSA, SSSA Job Board!

Support your sciences and reach qualified applicants! The Career Center promotes and encourages opportunities in the agronomic, crop, soil, and environmental sciences and serves as a clearinghouse for resumes and job listings. Employers and recruiters will find the most qualified talent pool with relevant work experience to fulfill their staffing needs. Visit our careers page to browse and post positions. Visit the careers page. 

(TOP) ~ Free curriculum brings ag to schoolchildren

Whether you’re a parent, educator or homeschooler, you’re likely looking for education to help support school-aged kids this year. The Farm Journal Foundation recently launched a new collection of multi-media e-learning resources that provide a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Agriculture System that are designed to support educators and homeschooling families as they plan curriculum for the fall semester. Read the full article. 

(TOP) ~ Join ASA, CSSA, SSAA | Become a member to connect and help advance our sciences!

Now more than ever we all have a need to stay connected and membership is a valuable way to grow these connections. Whether you work in academia, government, or industry, you will find colleagues to share with and the information you need to succeed. And, wherever you are on the career ladder -- student just starting out, steadily climbing, or at the top -- membership helps you advance your career. Find out more and join one, two, or all three societies to connect and help advance our sciences. Join the Agronomy, Crop, and/or Soil Science Societies today!

(TOP) ~ First look at a sustainable agricultural mulch

Farmers often need to regulate soil temperature, reduce weeds, and minimize water loss. Agricultural mulch can help farmers do so. But the plastic in commonly used agricultural mulch can degrade soil and water quality. Microplastics can even enter the food chain. In a new study, researchers tested a more sustainable approach to lowering evaporation from soils. Instead of plastic, they used sand particles coated with soybean oil. This research was published in the Vadose Zone Journal, a publication of the Soil Science Society of America. Read the full story. 

(TOP) ~ More than 300 agriculture and conservation organizations voice support for pesticide law

CropLife America (CLA), joined by more than 300 agriculture and conservation organizations, sent a letter to all members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives affirming their support for pesticide regulations in place today under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The letter is in response to recently introduced legislation (H.R. 7940, S. 4406) that would undermine the science-based standards contained within our nation’s pesticide laws. Read the full press release. 

(TOP) ~ Toxic beaches: bacteria and algae triggered hundreds of closures and warnings this year

Either toxic algae or potentially dangerous fecal bacteria forced the closure of at least 116 U.S. beaches this spring and summer and triggered health warnings at 162 more, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Working Group. We found inconsistent terminology, unclear guidance and uneven efforts to convey the warnings to the public, revealing troubling gaps in how waterborne risks to human health are monitored and disseminated. The need for a nationwide beach monitoring program is clear, but so is the need for tougher, enforceable regulations to control agricultural runoff – one of the primary causes of algae and bacteria outbreaks – into the nation’s rivers, lakes and oceans. Read the full story. 

(TOP) ~ Turning cotton into bioplastics: TTU researchers digging up new demand

Field after field of green cotton plants surrounding Lubbock, Texas, will soon turn into a blanket of white, as just beyond the city limits sits the largest cotton patch in the country. “We're very fortunate here in Lubbock to have the critical mass of research that follows cotton from field plots to work in cotton breeding, all the way to textual spinning,” says Steve Verett, CEO of Plains Cotton Growers. “We can do it all.” A staple in West Texas, the cotton research being done at the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI) at Texas Tech is breaking barriers. Read the full article. 

International Corner

(TOP) ~ Burkina Faso renews commitment to GM crops with Bt cowpea

Burkina Faso scientists and farmers say their country has not abandoned crop biotechnology, despite challenges that prompted it to shelve genetically modified (GM) cotton in 2016. Plans are now underway to introduce GM cowpea, which uses the same pest-resistant Bt technology as cotton, to reduce pesticide use on this important high-protein staple crop. Read the full article. 

(TOP) ~ Self-limiting ‘friendly’ technology offers hope for controlling fall armyworm without pesticides

Oxitec, the Oxford University spinoff company that produces environmentally-friendly insect control solutions, today announced a collaboration with the life sciences giant Bayer to scale up its program targeting the destructive fall armyworm crop pest. Like its existing programs against dengue- and Zika-carrying mosquitoes, the fall armyworm effort will use Oxitec’s “Friendly” self-limiting insect technology. This employs genetic engineering to introduce a gene that prevents offspring of the pests surviving into adulthood, thereby dramatically reducing the population. Read the full article. 

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

(TOP) ~ Climate-Resilient Crops

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) will be accepting applications for the new Improving Climate Resilience in Crops program starting September 16, 2020. We are launching this grant opportunity through our Next Generation Crops Challenge Area to increase a crop’s tolerance for higher temperatures. Opens: September 16. Read the full announcement.

(TOP) ~ Restore Colorado 2021

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for the annual Restoration and Stewardship of Outdoor Resources and Environment (RESTORE) Colorado Program. Grants made through the RESTORE Colorado Program will focus on the restoration, enhancement and expansion of wildlife habitat throughout the state. Deadline: October 29. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~

  

(TOP) ~ Nominees Sought for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences

The NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences recognizes research by a mid-career scientist (defined as up to 20 years since completion of PhD) at a U.S. institution who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. For the purpose of the prize, areas of science with applications to agriculture include plant and animal sciences, microbiology, nutrition and food science, soil science, entomology, veterinary medicine, and agricultural economics. The recipient will be awarded a medal and a $100,000 prize. The prize is endowed through generous gifts from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Read the full announcement and apply here.

(TOP) ~ Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program 2020

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for projects that conserve, restore and improve habitat in the Intermountain West. The objective of the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program (RMR) is to work in focal landscapes in the region to restore and conserve wildlife species associated with sagebrush, irrigated meadows and aquatic systems while conserving the phenomenon of large mammal migration. Competitive proposals submitted under this RFP will support strategic projects that accelerate and implement priority conservation practices as identified in the RMR business plan. Deadline: October 13. Read the full announcement.

(TOP) ~ Artificial Intelligence for Earth Innovation

To better take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing technologies, the National Geographic Society and Microsoft’s AI for Earth program have issued an RFP for novel projects that create and deploy AI tools to improve the way we monitor, model, understand, and ultimately manage Earth’s natural systems for a more sustainable future. Under the AI for Earth Innovation RFP, grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded in support of projects that use cloud computing to create and deploy open source trained models and algorithms that make key analytical processes more efficient in the environmental field. As an additional opportunity, Microsoft will help the successful proposals make the completed models available for use by other environmental researchers and innovators. In addition to financial support, successful proposals will receive free access to AI for Earth APIs, applications, tools, and tutorials, and support for their computational work on Microsoft Azure. Projects should create generalizable, scalable tools that use AI for conservation in at least one of the core topic areas of biodiversity and climate change. All models supported through the grant must be open source and grant recipients must be willing to publicly share their models for use by other environmental researchers. Deadline: October 21. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Small Business Innovation Research Program - Phase I

The USDA SBIR program focuses on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit. Unlike fundamental research, the USDA SBIR program supports small businesses in the creation of innovative, disruptive technologies and enables the application of research advancements from conception into the market. Projects dealing with agriculturally related manufacturing and alternative and renewable energy technologies are encouraged across all SBIR topic areas. USDA SBIR's flexible research areas ensure innovative projects consistent with USDA's vision of a healthy and productive nation in harmony with the land, air, and water. The USDA SBIR program has awarded over 2000 research and development projects since 1983, allowing hundreds of small businesses to explore their technological potential, and providing an incentive to profit from the commercialization of innovative ideas. Deadline: October 22. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Energy and Carbon Optimized Synthesis for the Bioeconomy (ECOSynBio)

This funding opportunity seeks submissions to establish new technologies to significantly improve the carbon efficiency of bioconversion platforms through the accommodation of external reducing equivalents. Proposed systems of interest include, but are not limited to: (1) carbon optimized fermentation strains that avoid CO2 evolution, (2) engineered mixotrophic consortia or systems that avoid CO2 evolution, (3) biomass or gas fermentation with internal CO2 utilization, (4) cell-free carbon optimized biocatalytic biomass conversion and/or CO2 utilization, and (5) cross-cutting or other proposed carbon optimized bioconversion schemes. All systems will need to demonstrate the capacity to accommodate external reducing equivalents to optimize the carbon efficiency of the system as compared to traditional fermentation systems (i.e. the sum of the recoverable energy contents of the products is greater than the energy content of the biomass or primary carbon feedstock). Deadline: October 26. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ California Wildlands Grassroots Fund

The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment is inviting applications for projects designed to preserve California's wildlands. Through its California Wildlands Grassroots Fund, the foundation awards grants of up to $7,500 to projects aimed at permanently protecting intact wildlands on both public and private lands in California, with the goal of helping preserve the state’s wilderness and native biological diversity. Cal Wildlands defines "wildlands” as natural habitats that are (or have the potential to be) permanently preserved through legislation or deed restrictions and are on a scale necessary to support significant native plant and animal life. Efforts to advance wildlands and open space protection through county general plans and other local planning mechanisms may be eligible for funding. Cal Wildlands also supports policy advocacy and litigation and regulatory watchdogging at the local, state, and federal levels if the project objective is designed to protect wildlands. Deadline: October 28. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Sustainable Jersey Grants Program: Gardinier Environmental Fund

The Sustainable Jersey Grants Program helps local governments in New Jersey make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically toward Sustainable Jersey certification. The Gardinier Environmental Fund is contributing $100,000 to support a Sustainable Jersey Grants Program for municipal governments and public-school districts. For this grant cycle, funds will be provided for energy projects focused on conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy. The Fund is particularly interested in innovative energy projects that take a comprehensive approach to meeting advanced energy conservation objectives, such as achieving net-zero energy buildings. Two $20,000 grants and six $10,000 grants will be awarded. Deadline: October 30. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Bayer Grants4Ag – Chemical Input & Soil Health

Bayer Crop Science is seeking innovative approaches for minimizing chemical inputs and protecting soil health while maintaining crop yields. Funding is proposal-dependent and typically ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. Researchers will have access to a team of scientists at Bayer responsible for testing and evaluating early-stage technologies to provide input, guidance and mentoring. Proposals of interest include: Traits that increase yield by manipulating specific pathways and mechanisms under optimal growth or abiotic stress conditions, microbial biostimulants for yield enhancement and improved nutrient uptake efficiency in row crops, biological nematode control – microbial strains or natural products with clear nematocidal effect, biological control of foliar lepidopteran insect pests, particularly in vegetables – technologies with better performance and application stability than classical Bt pesticides, biological fungicides against oomycete and ascomycete pathogens from new biological classes, enabling technologies for cell-free production of microbial actives for pest and disease control. Deadline: October 30. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Bayer Grants4Ag – Accelerating Precision Agriculture

Bayer Crop Science is seeking digital tools for collecting, transmitting and analyzing data, and data platforms for measuring and predicting agronomic performance. Funding is proposal-dependent and typically ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. Each gift recipient will be partnered up with a Bayer scientist who will provide guidance and feedback on the project. Proposals of interest include: novel phenotyping and modeling tools for early detection and quantification of insects, nematodes and diseases, novel phenotyping and modeling tools for plant growth and development in response to abiotic stresses, machine learning and data modeling tools that provide actionable insights and recommendations for efficient use of crop inputs, e.g. for soil application scripting, precision technologies to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, such as in-field chemical residue measurement. Deadline: October 30. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Bayer Grants4Ag – Fighting Pests While Preserving Biodiversity

Bayer Crop Science is seeking novel approaches and technologies that preserve natural habitats and protect crops by reducing insect and nematode damage; educing fungal growth and symptoms; and increasing tolerance to herbicide applications and/or lower weed pressure. Funding is proposal-dependent and typically ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. Each gift recipient will be partnered up with a Bayer scientist who will provide guidance and feedback on the project. Proposals of interest include: novel approaches to optimize, identify and validate gene or protein expression, activity and regulation, such as promoter sequences and gene regulatory elements, novel approaches to optimize native crop genes, novel approaches to increase genetic diversity/variation in crops, controlled-release technologies for active ingredients and biologicals, artificial intelligence applications in active ingredient discovery and optimization processes, other enabling technologies in areas such as phenotyping and genetic recombination. Deadline: October 30. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Energize the Environment Grant Program

Quadratec, a leading online retailer of Jeep parts and accessories in the aftermarket, is inviting applications for its Energize the Environment Grant Program. Through the program, a single grant of $3,500 will be awarded to an individual or group currently pursuing a program or initiative designed to benefit the environment in their community. Examples of eligible projects include trail building or restoration projects; park beautification events; litter prevention initiatives; Earth study projects; sustainable land management activities; community educational projects; and youth educational engagement events. Deadline: October 30. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) 2020 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) . This funding opportunity will provide up to $80 million for projects that enhance energy demand flexibility across buildings and the electric power grid. The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to research and develop next‐generation building technologies that have the potential for significant energy savings and improved demand flexibility, affordability, and occupant comfort. An additional goal is to advance building construction, remodeling, and retrofit practices, and associated workforces. Deadline: November 5. Read the full announcement. 

(TOP) ~ Minnesota Crop Research Grant

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is accepting grant applications for applied crop research that improves agricultural product quality, quantity, or value in Minnesota. Minnesota-based organizations with agricultural research capabilities may apply for a total of $1 million, with a maximum award of $250,000 per project. Research projects with an outreach plan that addresses inequities and/or disparities experienced by diverse racial and ethnic communities including Native American tribal communities, and rural communities with limited economic opportunities will receive bonus points. In addition, preference will also be given to applicants researching crops that have limited access to other research funds. Deadline: November 24. Read the full announcement. 

Sources: Politico, Soil Health Institute, AgWeb, CropLife America, Environmental Working Group, Cornell Alliance for Science

Vision: The Societies Washington, DC Science Policy Office (SPO) will advocate the importance and value of the agronomic, crop and soil sciences in developing national science policy and ensuring the necessary public-sector investment in the continued health of the environment for the well being of humanity. The SPO will assimilate, interpret, and disseminate in a timely manner to Society members information about relevant agricultural, natural resources and environmental legislation, rules and regulations under consideration by Congress and the Administration.

This page of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA web site will highlight current news items relevant to Science Policy. It is not an endorsement of any position.