Dear RosEXEC committee members,

There is an opportunity to pick a low hanging fruit as a result of the recently passed Farm bill. We should have a plan to submit to this program whatever the fate of the RoseCAP may be. Cameron and I are calling an ‘urgent’ meeting of RosEXEC to discuss this possibility. All of you have the access phone number from last time but I will circulate again once we have a set time. I am proposing Friday 3:30 PM Eastern, Monday 3:30 PM Eastern or Tuesday 3:30 PM Eastern for our call. Can you reply quickly with your response and I will send out an Email confirmation ASAP.

All the best,

Gennaro

Gennaro Fazio, PhD
Apple Rootstock Breeder and Geneticist
Plant Genetic Resources Unit USDA ARS
Cornell University - 630 W. North St.
Geneva, NY 14456
(315) 787-2480 Office
(315) 787-2216 Fax

From: Norelli, Jay
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 9:48 AM
To: Dardick, Chris; 'Peace, Cameron'; aalbert@CLEMSON.EDU; Fazio, Gennaro
Subject: FW: SCRI Funding Opportunity on the Horizon

Hi Bert, Chris, Cameron and Gennaro,

Is there a Rosaceae wide plan to submit to this program? How will RoseCAP relate to this program? Should RosExec meet to discuss this opportunity?

Jay

From: ASHS US Members [mailto:ASHSUSA@ashs.org] On Behalf Of Michael W. Neff
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 9:45 AM
To: ASHS US Members
Subject: SCRI Funding Opportunity on the Horizon

Dear U.S. ASHS Members,

As I'm sure you're all aware, Congress recently passed the Farm Bill, and it was sent to the White House yesterday, May 20. Although there is a veto threat by the Administration, the Bill passed both sides of the Hill with enough votes for an override if vetoed. ASSUMING the Bill is vetoed and subsequently overridden (or signed into law) in the very near future, there will be $30 MILLION in the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) that would have to be obligated by SEPTEMBER 30, 2008.

Attached to this communication is the CSREES document that explains the SCRI in full. Broadly, the SCRI puts strong emphasis on COLLABORATIVE TEAMS solving SYSTEMS-BASED problems of "producer-to consumer" systems. Again, the document explains in full detail the initiative, and gives examples of project types that might be appropriate for this funding, and a partial list of priorities in five focus areas identified by USDA.

Because of the tight timeline IF and when the Bill becomes law, I would suggest that you start thinking about projects now and "think big" (project funding of $1 million or more)?i.e., build your collaborative teams that would allow you to be competitive for grant types in that funding range. I would further suggest that the?key words you should keep in mind for this endeavor include "plant breeding, automation, sensors, robotics"--all of the industry-based strategic plans that have been developed recently include these terms.

Your Society is pleased to be able to offer you early notice of this opportunity. Remember that until the Bill becomes law, this money does not exist. But if and when it does, there will be a very tight timeline for projects to be submitted for review (think early August at the latest).

While the original proposed funding numbers you will read in the document did not end up at those levels in the final Farm Bill, horticulture and specialty crops ultimately fared well in the Bill. There will be $50 million per year in the SCRI program for FY 2009?2012. But the $30 million available this year will "disappear" if not obligated by September 30, 2008!

If you're interested, start thinking about projects now. ASHS will keep you informed as any information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Mike Neff