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CPS Innovation Challenge - Applications due April 22, 2019

Posted on April 10, 2019 10:08 AM by WGCIT

CPS Innovation Challenge - total award funds available $500,000

On January 16, The Center for Produce Safety announced their first Innovation Challenge award. This program, currently termed GRABIT - (Grower's Risk Assessment Biomarkers Investigative Tool) is designed to bring tools to the supply chain to manage risk and meet the CPS mission: Fund the science, find solutions and fuel the change."

The GRABIT challenge was designed to stimulate the development of science-based approaches to support the broader critical knowledge needs in produce safety risk identification, risk intervention, and high-density data development associated with the domesticated animal-specialty crop interface. This is not a tool to look for pathogens, but a tool to look for the evidence of chronic or acute transfer factors from a domesticated animal point source.

  • April 22 - Applications due by 12:00 noon PDT - Five-page narrative describing the innovation, rationale for biomarker(s) selection, and proof of concept or alpha-test proof of functionality
  • June 18-19 - Awards announced at 2019 CPS Research Symposium in Austin, Texas

AWARD STRUCTURE*  - UP TO $500,000 AVAILABLE
-Prime Time Ready:
 4 awards, $75,000 each
-Solid Proof of Potential: 5 awards, $30,000 each
-Promising Proof of Concept: 10 awards, $10,000 each
*Not all categories may be awarded; awards will be based on merit and industry readiness

Application information available on the CPS website:
www.centerforproducesafety.org/grant_opportunities.php

Please send all CPS GRABIT award related questions to research@centerforproducesafety.org