The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and OCP North America, a global plant-nutrition company, launched the FFAR-OCP Disruptive Technology Fellowship, or the FFAR-OCP Fellowship. This funding opportunity supports up to five early-career scientists conducting research on fertilizer efficiency and technology development.
Fertilizer is beneficial to plant productivity; however, plants may not absorb all the applied fertilizer and excess fertilizer can lead to negative environmental effects. Farmers need improved fertilizer technologies and guidance to improve soil and plant health, crop productivity and environmental resilience. The FFAR-OCP Fellowship aims to provide research on precision fertilizer application methods, nutrient recommendation methods and guidance on land applications of animal waste to customize and enhance fertilizer efficiency.
Relevant research areas include organic fertilizers, intelligent fertilizers (based on a controlled release or carrier delivery system), enhanced efficiency fertilizers, biofertilizers, biostimulants or other specialty products. The technologies and research generated through this fellowship will increase plant uptake of essential macronutrients, boost productivity and limit the loss of inputs, which contribute largely to water and marine ecosystem damage.
Fellows may have the opportunity to partner with OCP and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco to co-develop novel fertilizer products that could be efficient for high-production and low-input agriculture following the completion of their research.
The application period for this fellowship closes on June 1, 2022. Funding for this fellowship is limited to only those projects that have demonstrated progress in the first phase of their research. Applicants must have completed their Ph.D. within the past ten years to be eligible for funding. Additional information, including details on how to apply, is available on the FFAR-OCP RFA webpage.
Each awardee may receive up to $75,000 in funding. As FFAR and OCP North America provided funding for this program, applicants are not required to secure additional funds.
