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Maryland Soy Board Seeking Applications for Research Grants(PR Web Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) SALISBURY, MD (PRWEB) September 08, 2014 Researchers seeking funding from the Maryland Soybean Board for 2014-2015 are being reminded of the "Request for Proposal" procedure required in the checkoff grant process. As has been the case in recent years, the research committee of the board is asking all grant applicants to submit a "pre-proposal," a concise summary statement of the proposed project in advance of the preparation of a full and final grant application. "Actually," said William Layton, a Dorchester County producer and chairman of the MSB Research Committee, "we accomplish two things with this procedure. First, we get the opportunity to quickly review what researchers have in mind for the coming year." "Perhaps more importantly," he added, "we hope to spark an increase in grant applications. It's our thought that researchers might want to test the water with some new ideas -- in production research or crop utilization or genetic development, for example -- without having to go through the long and time-consuming process of filing a full-blown grant request." Sandy Davis, the checkoff board's executive director, will send out request- for-pre-proposal application forms during the first week of September. They must be returned to the board by Oct. 15. Pre-proposals must be submitted on those application forms. Additional pages may not be attached. Researchers are required to keep their summary statements to "two to three sentences." Researchers who do not receive a pre-proposal form may find one on the web at http://www.mdsoy.com. Letters requesting researchers to submit full proposals will be mailed during the first week of November. By federal law, under which the soybean checkoff program was authorized and mandated in 1990, checkoff revenues may be spent only in the areas of market development, research, education and commodity promotion. However, noted Layton, there's a lot of leeway in those areas. "We don't want researchers to feel confined," Layton said. "We want to encourage new ideas. We are always interested in hearing about possibly better or novel ways to grow, manage, use or market our crop. We hope that the use of pre-proposals will continue to encourage these ideas to surface." About Maryland Soybean Board: The Maryland Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. To learn more about the Maryland Soybean Board, visit http://www.mdsoy.com. Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/mdsoybean/research/prweb12150511.htm (c) 2014 PRWEB.COM Newswire |