Program Announcement (on USDA website): http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/funding/rfamgsp.htm

As a collaborative interagency effort, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) announce the availability of grant funds and request applications for the Microbial Genome Sequencing Project (MGSP) for fiscal year (FY) 2002. The amount available for support of this program in FY 2002 is approximately $9 million.

The purpose of this interagency program announcement is to solicit applications to conduct high-throughput sequencing of genomes of microbes that are of fundamental biological interest, as well as those that are important to the productivity and sustainability of agriculture and forestry, and to the safety and quality of the nation's food supply. Priority will be given to projects that will provide whole genome sequence data and mapping information on microorganisms to fill key gaps in our knowledge of microbial diversity, of microbes that play roles in diverse ecosystems, and/or microbes that have an impact on agriculture and food safety. Priority also will be given to projects that integrate education and outreach and those that establish close collaboration among investigators and end users.

A full description of the program, as well as application instructions are available on the USDA website at: http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/funding/rfamgsp.htm. A "Letter of Intent" is requested and due by close of business (COB) to USDA only on March 15, 2002 (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Funding applications must be received by USDA by COB on May 1, 2002 (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Proposals received after this date will not be considered for funding.