Hello, friends of our planet and lovers of good food! The GFI Alternative Protein Research Grants Program is cooking up something innovative, tasty, and game-changing for our food system.
This program provides funding for research projects that delve into the world of plant-based and cell-cultured meat, dairy, and egg products, exploring the potential of these alternative proteins to revolutionize our diets, improve our health, and save our planet.
From exploring the molecular structure of plant proteins to analyzing consumer attitudes towards lab-grown meat, this program could be your ticket to creating a more sustainable, ethical, and delicious future for food.
Overview of the Protein Research Grants Program
The Good Food Institute is presently seeking ideas for its Alternative protein research grants initiative, which aims to address significant scientific and technological issues in the alternative protein market.
They sponsor early to mid-stage research ideas with a technological readiness level (TRL) of 1-6. Up to 3.4 million USD is available for Field Catalyst prizes in three key areas. Field Catalyst Grants provide targeted funding for high-priority scientific and technical areas, usually for no more than 24 months and $250,000.
We are pleased to announce the release of our 2024 RFP for research projects in the field of alternative protein creation:
- Total financing available: $3.4 million.
- Project duration: up to 24 months.
- Funding per project: Up to $250,000, with an additional $50,000 available for projects collaborating with researchers and/or industry stakeholders who have not previously participated in alternative protein research.
The Protein Research Grants Program Focus Areas
We are looking for submissions for three main issue areas:
Priority A: Upcycled Plant Proteins
Improve the usefulness of existing food industry sidestreams by incorporating emerging processing methods/technology, with a calculated sidestream volume, limited economic assessment, and end-product demonstration.
Priority B: Next-generation fermentation downstream processing
Sustainable and low-cost techniques to downstream food protein separation via precision fermentation biomanufacturing.
Priority C: Hydrolyses for farmed meat
Optimize raw material processing and characterisation to provide less expensive and more effective hydrolysate components for cultured meat media.
Eligibility of the Grant Program
Submissions are open to applicants from all sectors of the world, including academics, government, industry, and non-profits. GFI highly encourages women, gender minorities, racial and ethnic minorities, and other underrepresented groups in the alternative protein business to apply for funding through this RFP.
Graduate students or postdoctoral researchers are qualified to lead the proposed project if they provide a Letter of Commitment signed by a faculty member from their higher education institution. The letter of commitment should:
- Please confirm that the planned research will have access to the relevant laboratory facilities.
- Expressly endorse the faculty member’s commitment to acting as a partner and advisor for the project.
- If the candidate is a student, discuss the present goals of their dissertation (finished or planned) and how the proposed research topic connects to them.
GFI welcomes ideas from scientists who are new to the alternative protein area and who have not previously received GFI funding. We also accept ideas from researchers who have previously received a GFI funding award. GFI will not sponsor activities that surpass 100% FTE (full-time equivalent) for any individual.
Investigators may be identified as key persons in numerous proposal submissions, but they can only serve as Principal Investigator on one proposal per RFP.
How To Apply
- Proposals are generated and submitted via our proposal platform. Applicants must create a user profile before submitting a proposal.
- For further information, please click here to visit the GFI.
Note: The submission deadline is May 23rd, 2024 at 4 pm ET (1 pm PT).
And so, we bring our journey through the Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research (SFIAR) Award to a close, but the commitment to food security, poverty reduction, and environmental protection lives on.
Whether you’re a student, researcher, or non-profit professional, the recognition and support offered by this award can make all the difference in advancing your work and creating a more sustainable and equitable future.
The challenges we face in ensuring food security, combating poverty, and protecting our planet are great, but the passion and commitment of those dedicated to solving these issues give us hope for the future.
