News
Request for Proposals due November 1, 2011
Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council
P.O. Box 104778 ¨ Jefferson City, MO 65110
Request for Proposals
September 2011
The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is accepting proposals from individuals and/or institutions interested in conducting soybean research projects. Proposals will be reviewed by the members of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council at their next scheduled meeting.
Proposal Guidelines:
Submission deadline is November 1, 2011.
Proposals are to be written in layman’s language.
Limited to no more than three (3) pages (excluding budget and required attachments), the application must include the following:
1. Title (not to exceed 15 words; do not use scientific jargon—use common names for all organisms)
2. Name, address, telephone number and email address of principal investigator(s)
3. Missouri farmers face many challenges to their goal of profitable soybean production. What specific challenge does this project propose to address?
4. If the proposal is accepted, the source of funds for this project will be farmer-generated soybean checkoff dollars. Explain briefly why Missouri farmers should fund this proposed project.
5. Money used by Missouri farmers to conduct soybean research is an investment to improve soybean profitability. Estimate the economic impact of funding for this proposed project. Be as specific as possible.
6. All projects should include a strategy on how technology from the project can be commercialized and with whom.
7. When will Missouri soybean farmers receive the economic benefit of this research? When will the final results be available to the industry? Be as specific as possible.
8. Give specific starting and finishing dates for the proposed project.
9. State clear and precise goals. What are your short-term objectives to reach these goals? Be specific in your response.
10. What procedure will you use to reach your short-term goals?
11. Briefly justify the proposed research. If appropriate, include a brief literature review, but use only a few specific and recent citations. Indicate your knowledge of current research being conducted on similar topics.
12. Literature cited (15 maximum citations)
13. Budget breakdown, by year, to include: salaries & wages; fringe benefits; equipment; supplies, travel, and other identified expenses. Professor salaries, indirect costs and tuition cannot be charged to the grant.
14. Please submit a short biographic sketch of all researchers involved. Limit to one (1) page per principal investigator.
15. Does another individual or entity have rights or ownership to the information or processes expected to be developed as a result of this research? If yes, that individual or entity must be acknowledged and the agreement specified.
A current and pending support form must accompany the proposal. This form must document principal investigator(s), in lead order; supporting agency and project number; total dollar amount; effective and expiration dates; percentage of time committed; and title of project. Following are the instructions for completing this form:
1. Record information for active and pending projects, separated by category. (Concurrent submission of a proposal to other organizations will not prejudice its review.)
2.All current research to which principal investigator(s) and other senior personnel have committed a portion of their time must be listed, whether or not salary for the person involved is included in the budgets of the various projects.
3. Provide analogous information for all proposed research which is being considered or which will be submitted in the near future to other possible sponsors.
Note: For all approved projects, funds will be released only after a signed contract is received.
If you have questions, please contact Dale Ludwig at the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, phone 573-635-3819, fax 573-635-5122 or email dludwig@mosoy.org.
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Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council
P.O. Box 104778
Jefferson City, MO 65110-4778
(573) 635-3819 (573) 635-5122 fax
Direction for Research Proposals
September 2011
1. Develop and commercialize competitive industrial uses for soybeans. Two key terms are commercialization and competitive. If they are not competitive, they can’t be commercialized. If they are not commercialized and sell additional soybeans or add value, we can’t meet our goal of improving profitability for Missouri soybean farmers.
2. Aggressively protect and grow livestock feed markets for soybeans, soybean oil and meal. The livestock market is our largest customer. It’s a huge market and a lot of competitors would love to take part of it. We can protect and grow this market with additional processing, developing additives that improve soybeans, soybean oil and meal’s value. Longer term, we need to develop, most likely through biotechnology, new lines of soybeans with modified traits (modified amino acid profiles and fatty acid content).
3. Develop specific trait soybeans for specialized uses (i.e., identity-preserved soybeans). This will be the answer to some of our long-term market growth and profit potential. Not competing in the commodity market may be the best alternative for growth of the soybean industry and profits. Therefore, developing soybeans and soy products that create increased value is essential.
4. Enable Missouri farmers to become low-cost producers of soybeans. Any technology, process or practice that leads to reduced cost and improved yields with the net result of lowering total cost for production is desirable.
These new developments, however, need to be industry driven with a market in which we are competitive. These markets need to be identified before a project is started.
All of the categories listed above may well require or speed processes by the use of biotechnology. Biotechnology will play a role in many projects we do in the future.
Prepared by:
Dale R. Ludwig
Executive Director/CEO
Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council
