The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Trade Policy and Geographic Affairs announces this funding opportunity to support the Technical Agricultural Assistance Program by issuing two new awards. This opportunity is available to all qualified organizations and is intended to support science-based and risk-proportionate decision-making in multilateral forums and in regulatory developments in Africa and Southeast Asia.
The award(s) will stimulate activities and programs developed in support of science-based decision making under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (the Protocol) focused on Africa and/or Asia regions with global collaboration as appropriate. These activities are intended to follow on several years of successful regional efforts. The award(s) are anticipated to support preparation for international meetings, including the Conference of Parties-Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COPMOP), and associated intersessional meetings and negotiations, which may educate stakeholders on technical issues to allow them to fully participate in international fora dealing with agricultural biotechnologies.
The supported activities may engage regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders in agricultural biotechnology throughout the world with focus on Africa and/or Asia and leveraging similar efforts elsewhere as conditions warrant. Applicants may, inter alia: design, plan, conduct, and or support workshops, consultations, and meetings, duties for any of which may include: providing the venue in which the activities take place, consulting on or developing participant lists and agendas, and developing materials needed to conduct the activities; planning, designing, delivering, supporting, and or preparing educational materials and/or demonstrations of agricultural biotechnology; arranging for translation and interpretation services; providing subject matter expertise and advice to foreign officials; entering into subcontracts for subject matter or logistical services; providing support for speakers and participants to attend international meetings and negotiations, and the like, as appropriate.
The activities in this program may support: 1) promoting science-based decision making under the Convention on Biological Diversity 2) promoting science-based regulatory systems to countries in key regions that would increase domestic acceptance, adoption, use and facilitate international trade of products of agricultural biotechnology, 2) engaging with key decision makers and influencers of agricultural biotechnology to enhance understanding of the potential economic, sustainability, and societal contributions of such products, 3) developing alliances to foster collaboration and common messaging at the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and other international fora, and 4) evaluating areas of challenges and opportunities in the process of developing appropriate activities.
Deadline: Aug. 18, 2023
Eligible Applicants: institutions of higher education, state cooperative institutions, non-profit organizations, and public international organizations
Year one funding is $80,000. Subject to availability of funding, a cumulative total of $800,000 may be available throughout the period of performance of the awards. See Section H, Other Information, for additional information on incremental funding.