The Center for Produce Safety has announced $500,000 is available to fund the center’s first Innovation Challenge. Dave Corsi, chair of the CPS Board of Directors stated, “This is an invitation and opportunity for technology innovators to develop, refine and focus their solutions to meet a critical industry need; identifying evidence or conditions where cross contamination can take place in our growing environments. 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. CPS anticipates that the outcomes of this competitive award-based innovation and development challenge will include a diverse set of grower-oriented and, ideally, on-farm deployed tools — from solid proof-of-concept to pre-commercial beta-test ready kits. The GRABIT challenge is the first of a multipart effort CPS has undertaken to address the priority research needs of the fresh produce supply chain.
- 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
