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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the availability of $21 million in funding to support research and development of sustainable bioenergy and biobased products. Funding will also include education and training for the future generations of scientists who will further develop and expand the bioeconomy.
The biobased economy puts $369 billion into the economy each year and supports 4 million jobs in rural and small towns across the United States. Algae-based approaches are just beginning to have an impact on agriculture, serving as a source of sustainable food, feed, fertilizers and fuels. This type of support from USDA can further accelerate algae’s potential to become a feedstock for a variety of products that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land-use requirements and impacts on already stressed freshwater supplies.
The funding will be offered through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)’s Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts Challenge Area, which to date, has awarded over $237 million in research, education and extension grants.
Applications are being solicited for the 2016 fiscal year that focus on the following priorities:
- Regional Bioenergy Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs), which support the production and delivery of regionally-appropriate sustainable biomass feedstocks for bioenergy and bioproducts. While the focus of CAPs will be on feedstocks, competitive proposals must present the feedstock development and production in the context of comprehensive regional sustainable bioenergy and bioproducts supply chain systems.
- Investing in America’s scientific corps: Preparing a new generation of students, faculty, and a workforce for emerging opportunities in bioenergy, bioproducts, and the bioeconomy.
ABO strongly encourages ABO members working on eligible technologies to apply.
Letters of Intent must be submitted by July 14! Please visit USDA’s website for more information..
Click here for the full USDA Press Release
