Sponsor
International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship (ICASA), a Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Collaborative
Program
Description
Liver abscesses, a condition caused by bacteria crossing from an animal’s gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream and accumulating in the liver, affect roughly 20 percent of US beef cattle, although the incidence can be as high as 70 percent in some groups. The condition is associated with reduced feed efficiency and greater trimming at harvest, negatively impacting industry profitability. Animal scientists and veterinarians do not fully understand how liver abscesses form and why incidence varies under different scenarios.
ICASA is seeking letters of intent (LOI) for research supporting one of the following knowledge areas: (1) increased understanding of liver abscess pathobiology, (2) development of new models and (3) epidemiology and incidence. Additionally, ICASA is also seeking diagnostic tools or technologies that enable informed decision-making regarding metaphylactic treatment, a practice in which a group of animals is treated at the same time to prevent the disease from spreading and affecting many animals. LOIs should be relevant to commercial production systems, breeds and management practices in the US.
ICASA encourages applicants to collaborate with commercial livestock producers, processors and allied industry. Applicants should also describe how the work will enhance responsible antibiotic use, reduce the potential for resistance and/or provide actionable information to antimicrobial-prescribers.
Eligibility
ICASA welcomes applications from all domestic and international higher education institutions, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and government-affiliated research agencies. Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to perform the proposed research as Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) may apply through their home institution or organization. Multiple submissions from the same applicant or institution are allowed.
Funding Availability
ICASA anticipates awarding approximately US $1–2 million under this funding opportunity.
Maximum Project Value
A maximum request of up to US $300,000 dollars is available per project.
Indirect Costs
A maximum of 10% of the total award may be used for indirect costs. FFAR's indirect cost allotment is not an indirect cost rate applied to the total modified direct costs; instead, it is an overall allotment from the Total Funds Request, also known as the Total Project Costs. This requirement means 90% of the total funds requested must go directly to the proposed research.
Project Duration
Projects up to two years in length are eligible for funding.
Special Notes
COVID-19
Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page.
Selection Notice
Following the full application review process, the principal investigator and the authorized organization representative listed on the project will be officially notified by email of the status of the application. If an application is selected for funding, FFAR reserves the right to request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary. Potential grantees are free to accept or reject the Grant Agreement as offered.
Intent to Fund Notification
FFAR notifies applicants of their awards by email. The notice does not constitute an award or obligate funding until there is a fully executed Grant Agreement. FFAR encourages applicants to review a sample Grant Agreement before applying to ensure they know the terms under which grants are offered.
Grant Terms and Conditions
FFAR expects applicants to have reviewed the Sample Grant Agreement before applying to ensure that the applicants are aware of the applicable terms under which the grant is offered. Successful applicants are strongly encouraged to sign the Grant Agreement as presented.
Requirement to Demonstrate Matching Funds
Matching funds are required for this program. If the applicant provides matching funds, the applicant agrees to identify and certify matching funds annually prior to disbursement of award funds. The match share is intended to supplement, not supplant existing funding for the principal investigator (PI). The applicant will abide by FFAR’s Matching Guidelines to meet FFAR’s matching requirements. To constitute a valid match, all matching funds on a FFAR grant must be expended during the grant period.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | LOI Please submit your LOI, along with an OR-5 Form to research.services@uoguelph.ca. | |
External Deadline | LOI to be submitted by applicant through FFAR’s online application Grant Management System. | |
Internal Deadline | Full Proposal If invited to full proposal, please submit a copy to the Office of Research Services for administrative review: research.services@uoguelph.ca | |
External Deadline | Full proposal to be submitted by applicant through FFAR’s online application Grant Management System. |
How to Apply
LOIs and invited full proposals must be submitted by the deadline date through FFAR’s online application Grant Management System. Applications submitted outside of this System will not be considered.