Title: Project proposals for National Weeds Productivity Research Program open

The Australian Government has provided up to $12.4 million (inclusive of GST) to RIRDC for the first two years of the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program to 30 June 2012 with the goal of reducing the impact of invasive weeds on farm and forestry productivity as well as on biodiversity All RIRDC research investments are oversighted by the Weeds R&D Advisory Committee in accordance with the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program R&D Plan 2010-2015 that has been approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Solutions to weeds in Australia require a long-term, integrated, multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary approach. RIRDC is seeking project applications that involve collaboration between stakeholder groups, and where possible, including external contributions both monetary and in-kind.

Project applications will be assessed according to the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program Open Call Grants - Guidelines for Applicants (National Weeds and Productivity Research Program - open call guidelines.pdf) that have been approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The National Weeds and Productivity Program



Applying for Funding and Guidelines



Applications must address the four research objectives (taken from the five-year plan) as shown below, and must also take into consideration the 'broad research priorities' from the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which are also in the five-year plan.

Research Objectives:



Objective 1: Improve knowledge for effective risk management of weeds.



Outcome: Improved likelihood of effective integrated weed management strategies being adopted, particularly at a landscape scale to manage the risks associated with invasive plants in agriculture, forestry and natural resource management including aquatic weeds. This includes preventative, mitigative and adaptive strategies including the impact of climate change.

Priority: Investing in R&D that fills key knowledge gaps which contribute to more effective risk management of weeds. RIRDC will collaborate with key agencies including Plant Health Australia, the Biosecurity Services Group of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, CSIRO, other rural research and development corporations, and state and territory government agencies in identifying knowledge gaps and commissioning the necessary research.

Resource Allocation: The Plan envisages allocating up to 25% of the Program budget to this objective.

Objective 2: Reduce current and future impacts of weeds on Australia's productive systems and environments.



Outcome: Improved tools, methods and technology that can solve the most serious invasive plant problems impacting on primary industry productivity and the environment including aquatic weeds. This will include new methods that reduce reliance on high cost and potentially harmful herbicides and promote integrated approaches to weed management. This objective will be aligned to the needs of Australian agriculture to address energy and chemical inputs in production and also the impact of climate change on the spread and invasive intensity of existing and potential weeds.

Priority: Investing in R&D to investigate the most serious invasive plant problems and to provide the knowledge and methods to solve those problems.

Resource Allocation: The Plan envisages allocating up to 40% of the Program budget to this objective.

Objective 3: Support improved adoption of weed management approaches.



Outcome: Outputs of R&D facilitates improved adoption by stakeholders of the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program.

Priority: Investing in R&D that improves understanding of economic, social and environmental impacts of invasive plants; that identifies the motivators and barriers to the uptake of cost-effective integrated weed management strategies and options; and ensures better coordination and information exchange between researchers, land managers and regulatory agencies about integrated approaches for management of invasive weeds.

Resource Allocation: The Plan envisages allocating up to 30% of the Program budget to this objective.

Objective 4: Plan for future funding and institutional arrangements for national investment and management of weeds R&D.



Outcome: A well-researched plan for future investment and institutional arrangements for national weeds research and development that can be presented to governments and other potential investors prior to the ending of the current funding for the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program.

Priority: Investing in research and development that identifies options, the pros and cons of those options and how the preferred option or options can be implemented.

Resource allocation: The Plan envisages allocating up to 5% of the Program budget to this objective.

Minister's Broad Research Priorities:



  1. investigate and solve the most serious invasive plant problems focusing efforts to improve productivity and the environment;
  2. investigate new methods which reduce reliance on herbicides and promote integrated approaches which also help to reduce energy and chemical inputs in agriculture;
  3. refine landscape-scale integrated weed management strategies to manage the risks associated with invasive plants in agriculture, forests, pastures and native vegetation, including addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation issues;
  4. identify motivators and barriers to the uptake of cost-effective integrated weed management strategies and options to encourage the uptake of integrated practices;
  5. improve understanding of economic, social and environmental impacts of invasive plants; and
  6. ensure better coordination and information exchange between researchers, land managers and regulatory agencies about integrated approaches for priority management of invasive weeds.


Projects should aim to develop proposals that address research needs, involve integrated approaches to weed issues and cover economic, social and environmental impacts.

Projects could be delivered at a regional or landscape level, industrylevel or deal with a major weed issue at a local level. RIRDC is also seeking projects which involve collaboration between stakeholder groups.

Applicants are required to submit their proposals through a two stage process:

Stage 1:



Please fill in the National Weeds and Productivity Program Stage 1 Application form [ National Weeds and Productivity Stage 1 Application.doc ] and email the completed document to weeds@rirdc.gov.au by 5:00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time, 10th of December 2010. Once RIRDC has received this document a Clarity User ID and Password will be provided.

Stage 2



When a Clarity User ID and logon have been provided to the applicant, proposals will need to be submitted via Clarity as Full Research Proposals Submitting a Full Proposal.pdf by 5:00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time, 13th of December 2010.

Key Dates



Action

Date

Open-call for research proposals

13 November 2010

Closing date for Stage 1 proposals

10 December 2010

Closing date for Stage 2 proposals

13 December 2010

Advice on successful/ unsuccessful proposals

31 January 2011

Contracts entered into (First payment on contract execution)

As specified in contract

Annual progress reports

As specified in contract

Final report

As specified in contract


From http://www.rirdc.gov.au, see original source.



Article: WeedsNews1309 (permalink)
Date: 12 November 2010; 3:17:56 PM AEDT

Author Name: David Low
Author ID: adminDavid