research Andrea Pickering and Harry Clark Outline of talk The - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Global Research Alliance: Enhancing cooperation in agricultural greenhouse gas research

Andrea Pickering and Harry Clark

Outline of talk

• The Global Research Alliance
• The New Zealand Fund for Global Research

Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

• Round 1 Results and lessons learnt
• Round 2 Details and proposed changes

Challenges

• Agriculture contributes to global greenhouse gas

emissions; as global demand for food grows, agricultural emissions are projected to increase

• Agriculture also has to adapt to a changing climate
• Opportunities to reduce GHG emissions while working

towards food security and adaptation objectives

• Collaboration between countries is essential

PRODUCTIVITY + EFFICIENCY = LESS EMISSIONS & MORE FOOD

The Alliance

• Launched in December 2009
• Brings countries together to find ways to grow more

food without growing greenhouse gas emissions:

In the margins of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark

• Improve understanding, measurement & estimation of agricultural emissions
• Find ways to reduce emissions intensity of agricultural production systems

and increase potential for soil carbon sequestration, while enhancing food security

• Improve farmer access to agricultural mitigation technologies & best practices

Membership

33 member countries >> www.globalresearchalliance.org

• Governing body
• Work carried out by
• Held together by a Charter
• Supported by a Secretariat

Structure

Alliance Council 3x Research Groups:

Livestock with ruminant & non-ruminant subgroups Paddy Rice Croplands

2x Cross-Cutting Groups:

Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling Inventories and measurement

New Zealand (currently) The Alliance has no central funding mechanism

New Zealand funding in support of the Alliance

• Total $45 million available from 2011 to 2016 for

research, development and capability building initiatives that support the Alliance.

• The funds are used to:
• Build capability through the LEARN network
• Fund New Zealand science projects through targeted RFP’s
• Fund internationally collaborative projects that support the

workplan of the Livestock Research Group

• Create an international research fund - The NZ Fund for

Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research (the Fund

Any questions so far?

The NZ Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research (The Fund)

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

The Fund

• A competitive fund
• All participating countries

expected to contribute

• $25 million available
• Two funding rounds each

with 2 stage application process

• Maximum funding period

Open to all member countries but minimum 30% NZ involvement Cash In-kind Between 2012 and 2016 Round 1: $16m Round 2: $9m Round 1: 4 years Round 2: 3 years

Round 1 September 2011 to May 2012 Round 2 open week of 23 June 2012

• An International Strategic Science Panel was

appointed to select four Grand Challenges

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Prof Paddy Cunningham Chief Scientific Advisor, Government of Ireland Daniel Martino Executive Director of Carbosur, Uruguay Jimmie Smith Director General, ILRI, Kenya Andy West New Zealand Collier Isaacs FarmIQ Science advisers Gerald Rys MPI Harry Clark NZAGRC

How The Fund is structured

Chair: Sir Peter Gluckman (Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor)

Chair: Sir Peter Gluckman (Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor)

How The Fund is structured

• Technical Assessment Panel (TAP) appointed to

assess applications to the Fund based on their skills and experience in relation to the Grand Challenges

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Professor Steve Jarvis Exeter University Professor Hugh Blair Massey University Professor Hugh Morgan Waikato University Dr Frank O’Mara Teagasc Professor Chuck Rice Kansas State University Dr Gerald Rys MPI Dr Andrea Pickering MPI Science Advisor Dr Harry Clark NZAGRC

The four Challenge areas

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

• Manipulating rumen function
• Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from soils
• Manipulating rates of soil carbon storage
• Improved information for farmer decision

making

Any general points of clarification?

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Review of Round 1

Stage One: Expressions of Interest

36 received by MPI 29 eligible - MPI vet against seven eligibility criteria 11 invited to submit full proposals

Stage Two: Full proposals

10 submitted to MPI & assessed by TAP (5 criteria) 4 recommended for funding (full /or partial)

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

$6.62 million awarded for research projects

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Challenge one

Deep sequencing the rumen microbiome $2.0 million Dr Graeme Attwood, AgResearch

This project brings together leading rumen microbiology researchers from NZ, Australia, USA and France to deep sequence the rumen microbiome in order to better understand the processes that contribute to methane formation in sheep and cattle

Accelerated discovery of methanogen- specific inhibitors $1.12 million Dr Ron Ronimus, AgResearch

The main goal of this project is to develop a high- throughput screening method for rapidly identifying novel anti-methanogen inhibitors, based on the efficient testing of inhibitors against methanogens growing in 96-well culture plates. The team includes NZ, Australia, USA and Japan

Vaccine to reduce methane emissions in ruminants $1.0 million Dr Neil Wedlock, Agresearch

A leading New Zealand research team will aim to identify adjuvants (substances that trigger production of antibody responses to the vaccine) to produce a vaccine which targets methanogens in the rumen

Successful Projects

Challenge two Challenge three

No projects funded

Challenge four

No projects funded

Animal delivery of DCD in urine by provision in feeds $2.5 million Dr Stewart Ledgard, Agresearch

A cost-effective nitrous oxide mitigation technique, based on animal delivery of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) in urine via provision in feeds, will be evaluated in field plot and grazing system studies across different locations in NZ, Australia and Ireland. The team includes these three countries.

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Successful Projects

Lessons from Round 1: Expressions of Interest

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

• Overall quality of the proposals was disappointing
• The MSI portal has limitations
• Failure to read the guidelines
• Failure to directly address the Challenges
• The RISK ASSESSMENT section was inadequately completed in most

cases

• END USERS were frequently ill-defined
• Considerable scope for greater collaboration between NZ scientists =

fewer but stronger EOIs

• Focussing directly on the Challenge crucial
• RISK ASSESSMENT section inadequately completed in most cases
• Proposals should use preliminary data if available to strengthen their

applications

• Some applicants found applications forms difficult to complete &

poorly worded in some areas

• Co-funding rules a barrier to international partnerships
• Timelines very short to develop new collaborations
• Confusion over absolute need to have international partners

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Lessons from Round 1: Full Proposals

Questions

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

• $15 million available between 2013 and 2016
• Round Two will open week beginning

25 June 2012

• Seed funding available

Round 2 in detail

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Expressions of Interest due 27 August 2012 Invitations for full application made by 29 October 2012 Full applications close 17 February 2013 Funding to start 1 July 2013

Proposed changes for Round 2

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

• Re-design of the application forms:
• Not using the MSI portal for the EoI stage
• Budget tables streamlined and simplified
• Some general re-wording and more consistent use of language

between EoI and full application forms (e.g. risk and barriers)

• Better definitions of some terms (e.g. Additionality, Alignment)
• Slight changes to the wording of the Grand Challenges
• Changes to the co-funding rules
• Clarification regarding New Zealand only bids

Grand Challenge One: Manipulating rumen function

The Challenge: Research that leads to the development of practical and safe ways to manipulate rumen microbial communities and/or ruminant physiology in grazing ruminants such that methane per unit

• f feed intake is sustainably reduced, animal health and nutrition is

maintained and animal productivity maintained or increased.

Notes: This challenge is targeted at the processes leading to the formation of methane

in the rumen. It can accommodate a wide range of possible approaches (e.g. inhibition of methanogens, alternative hydrogen sinks and host animal effects) and does not specify or favour any particular approach. Successful proposals can span the spectrum from basic to applied research but all proposals need to demonstrate a holistic context for the work and clearly show how it will advance the development of applied solutions. The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Grand Challenge Two: Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from soils

The Challenge: Research that will further develop and extend practical and cost-effective methods of manipulating nitrification and de- nitrification processes in soils to consistently reduce nitrous oxide emissions and nitrogen losses to the environment from soils under grazing livestock and within a broad range of geographic and climatic conditions.

Notes: This challenge is aimed at the further development of known technologies, and/or

the development of new technologies that provide farmers with practical and cost effective tools to reduce the intensity of N2O emissions from grazing animals under a broad range of climatic and management conditions. The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Grand Challenge Three: Manipulating the rates of soil carbon storage

The Challenge: Research that identifies and quantifies management practices that can increase long-term soil carbon storage in grazing livestock systems under varying (and changing) climatic conditions, different soil conditions and management histories while maintaining

• r increasing pasture and animal productivity.

Notes: Increasing the quantity of soil carbon stored in soils has been identified as the

main route by which agriculture can contribute to decreasing net greenhouse gas

• emissions. This challenge focuses on how the identified potential to increase soil

carbon accumulation in soils can be realised. To do this, the most cost-effective and practical management practices have to be identified and their efficacy confirmed and

• quantified. It is anticipated that this will involve both empirical and modelling

approaches. The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Grand Challenge Four: Improved information for farmer decision making

The Challenge: The creation of scientifically proven, well quantified and practically relevant decision-support information that will allow farmers to devise and implement modified practices that would demonstrably reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of output in grazing livestock systems. This information needs to be underpinned by research that addresses gaps in our current knowledge and considers the full range of physical, economic, social and environmental drivers and constraints on farm operations. Notes: This Challenge addresses the issue of technology uptake via the development of

information that farmers will use to quantify the physical and financial consequences

• f implementing farm practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity.

Proposals must clearly demonstrate that they have the appropriate mix of skills needed for the probability of success to be high. It is envisaged that successful bids will have strong farmer involvement and contain a mix of biophysical, social and economic science expertise, and address ongoing uptake, ownership, and development. The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Proposed changes to co-funding rules

• 1-10% of funding allocated to international partner

– No co-funding required

• 11-69% funding allocated to international partner

– Minimum 11% + 1:1 co-funding above 11%

• Co-funding can be cash or in-kind but existing contracted work cannot be

counted as co-funding

• New Zealand funding will not generally cover the salary and overheads of

existing permanent employees of overseas organisations

• New Zealand only proposals are acceptable but there is a strong

preference for bids involving other Alliance countries

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Round 2 information

• Information, guidelines and application forms

www.mpi.govt.nz/nzlivestockemissionsfund

• Direct Questions to:

Sue Escott-Brown Ministry for Primary Industries PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140 sue.escott-brown@mpi.govt.nz

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research

Questions

The New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research