krishi gobeshona foundation - Bangladesh Agricultural Research ...

KRISHI GOBESHONA FOUNDATION
A non-profit foundation to support CGP for agricultural research
Reg. No. E 684(05)07
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Campus, Farmgate, Dhaka-1215
Telephone: 880-2-9111041, 9131170. Fax: 880-2-8113032, E-mail: barc@bdmail.net
Announcement
Call for Proposals
Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) is a non-profit organization established in 2007 under
Companies Act 1994. KGF is an independent organization implementing Competitive Grants
Program (CGP). The World Bank financed National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP Phase I
Cr. 4386-BD) would provide initial funding for KGF and CGP.
CGP would fund location-specific, pre-identified, high priority, multi-disciplinary, short to medium
term, problem-solving research and development. It would help to develop a more pluralistic research
system by opening the CGP to the NARS institutes, universities, other research institutes, NGOs, and,
through co-financing, to the private sector and the international institutes with excellence in
agricultural research. The research themes to be supported would be those that are crucial to bridge
the yield gaps, respond to the problems identified through micro level priorities and address other
demand-based issues for improving agricultural productivity and farm income. Major focus would be
on on-farm applied and adaptive research, including marketing, socio-economic aspects and value
addition.
The KGF supports short to medium-term project relevant to any of its research themes seeking
solution to the problem(s) with clearly defined methods and objective(s) achievable within the
stipulated timeframe. Such support will normally be for 12-24 months (maximum 36 months if
justified). No grants will be made to an individual having no institutional affiliation and proven
capacity to perform for the desired output. KGF in collaboration with Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Council developed research agenda in CGP thematic areas for its first round of Call for
Proposals.
KGF is now inviting applications for proposal/concept note in prescribed format for the first round
CGP. Please note that the CGP priority thematic areas, prescribed format and general guidelines for
preparation and submission of proposal for CGP are available at KGF office. Interested applicants
may visit the website: www.barc.gov.bd for further information.
The deadline for the submission of completed application (2 copies) in prescribed format is 20
November, 2008. The sealed envelope containing the proposal should clearly indicate Thematic
Area and Title of the Proposal with name and address of the proponent. Applications submitted
through e-mail will not be considered. KGF authority has the right to accept or reject any or all
application/proposals without assigning any reason thereof.
Dr. M. Nurul Alam
Executive Director
Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF)
BARC Campus, Farmgate
Dhaka-1215

Thematic Areas for SPGR and CGP under NATP
PRIORITY RESEARCH AREAS FOR CGP
Priority Research Areas of Crops Sector for CGP
1. Varietal improvement and Genetic Resources
a. Validation and upscaling of improved varieties/genotypes (in variable ecosystems)
b. Collection of crop varieties
c. On-farm conservation of genetic resources
2. Farm productivity enhancement
a. reducing yield gap in major crops
b. crop diversification,
c. resource use efficiency,
d. ecosystems analysis
e. development and validation of resource saving technology
f. integrated farming for whole farm productivity and livelihood improvement
3. Seeds and planting materials
a. Seed quality improvement
b. Farmers’ seed security
4. Hill farming
a. Ecosystem analysis
b. Crop adaptation
5. Coastal Agriculture
a. Ecosystem analysis
b. Crop adaptation
6. Climate Change
a. Assessment of vulnerability of crops to climate change
b. Policy
7. Soils
a. Agricultural land loss and food security
i. Assessment
ii. Policy
b. Nutrient use efficiency (NUE)
i. Management options and NUE
ii. Techniques of improving NUE
c. Water use efficiency
d. Problem soils
e. Land productivity
f. Soil organic matter
8. Small-scale farm machinery
a. Adaptation and upscaling
9. Post-harvest technology
a. Processing and product development
b. Agro by-products

10. High value agriculture
a. Validation and upscaling of improved varieties/genotypes of high value specialty
crops
b. Demand and supply potentials
c. Organic production; prospects and market demand
11. ICT in Agriculture
a. Agricultural Databases and Knowledge Banks
b. Use of Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing
Priority Research Areas of Livestock Sector for CGP
1. Health Management and Clinical Research
a. Herd Health Management
2. Diagnosis & Diagnostics
a. Validation and up-scaling of diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines & biologics
3. Feeds & Fodder
a. Feeding Information and Feeding Standard
4. Livestock Marketing
a. Value chain Development
Priority Research Areas of Fisheries Sector for CGP
Benefits of Small and Marginal Farmers
a. Socio-economics of fishermen & fisher folks
b. Fisheries database development
c. Impact of climatic change on fisheries
Priority Research Areas of Socio-Economics, Marketing, and Supply and
Value Chain for CGP
Socio-Economics/Productivity and Profitability
1. Assessment of improved technologies for poverty reduction and food security
2. Evaluation of economic benefits of different crops and non-crop enterprises
3. Benefit cost of technologies for yield gap minimization
4. Impact assessment of different technologies/projects
5. Agricultural price policy
6. Impact of agricultural credit and micro-finance
Marketing and Supply Chain
1. Agri-business and agro-processing of agricultural products
2. Development of effective supply and value chain
3. Promotion of agricultural marketing in hill and other areas
4. Export market potential of high value crops
5. Demand-supply estimation of different food items
Post-Harvest
1. Post-harvest processing of high value crops
2. Management of pre- and post-harvest losses
3. Processing technologies for development of agro-based products

General Guideline on submitting an Application for CGP
Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) is a not-for-profit, independent organization making
grants to researchers working in public sector universities, government (GO), nongovernment
(NGO), and private organizations (PO) engaged in agricultural research and
development. Competitive Grant Program (CGP) of KGF is to encourage and promote
research that has potential to contribute to generate, validate, upscaling and adoption of
technologies in order for increasing production and enhancing food security. KGF in
collaboration with Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council developed research agenda in
thematic areas for its first round of Call for Proposals. KGF supports activities that generate
and transfer knowledge addressing food security issues while sustaining environment.
Purpose of grants:
The essential purpose of the grant is to support a single project on a clear set of problems - a
piece of work designed to answer a single question or a small group of related questions. The
KGF supports short-term project relevant to any of its research themes seeking solution to the
problem(s) with clearly defined methods and objective(s) achievable within the stipulated
timeframe. Such support will be normally for 12-24 months. No grants will be made to an
individual. It is expected that the grant applicant or the main proponent will be the Principal
Investigator (PI) of the project, and, if the applicant is successful, will be the grant holder,
responsible for directing and being actively engaged in the project.
Procedure for proposal submission:
KGF follows a two-stage process of proposal submission. All eligible proponents (see
eligibility criteria below) interested to submit a proposal to the KGF must submit a Preproposal
Concept Note following the guidelines and format specified in this guideline.
Proposals received at the KGF secretariat will be screened at the Secretariat and those
fulfilling the criteria will be forwarded to selected reviewers. A panel of experts will evaluate
the proposal.
General notes:
The proponents of successful proposals will be called for making presentation before the
panel. Based on the merit of the project, resources available to and capability of the
proponent, and outcome of the presentation, short listing of proposals will be made.
Successful proponents will proceed to second stage and will be invited to submit a Full
Proposal for further consideration for KGF funding. The full proposal must follow the
guideline and format specified; and must be received by the KGF secretariat within stipulated
time given by the KGF. Full proposals from successful stage I proponents submitted after the
deadline will not be considered.
Funding:
KGF will provide limited financial support for applied and adaptive research activities that
fall within its areas of interest. Normally a short-term project accomplished in 12-24 months
may be funded. The average grant for a project may not exceed Tk. 2,000,000. Under
exceptional circumstances a limited number of multi-year project (maximum duration – 36
months) may be funded. All proposals must provide a clear budget estimate breakdown of the
year-by-year funding requirements.

Criteria for Evaluation:
• Technical soundness & capacity to produce the output as planned.
• Consideration of funding support (Cost sharing by the proponent : Private
Organization and International Centres);
• Adequate administrative and salary support;
• Cost effectiveness;
• Meeting standard of experimental/study design, and data collection;
• Extent and quality of inter-institutional linkage;
• Clear delineation of technology transfer and uptake pathway.
Eligibility for remuneration:
Grants may be used for remuneration for either whole-time or part-time research workers. It
is expected that the PI and the co-investigator(s) will be in fully salaried position(s); however,
they will be entitled to receive a modest honorarium as provided hereunder:
1. Principal Investigator (PI): Tk. 15, 000-30,000 per month (consolidated remuneration)
depending on relevant experience (to be decided by KGF) and qualification as follows:
• A person having a PhD and research/R&D experience of 20 yrs Tk. - 30,000 (Max.)
• A person having a PhD/MS and research/R&D experience of 15 yrs Tk.- 25,000
(Max.)
• A person having an MS and relevant research/R&D experience of 10 yrs Tk.- 20,000
(Max.)
2. Co-Investigator: remuneration Tk. 10,000-15,000 per month depending on research
experience & qualification: (to be decided by the KGF).
3. Research fellow/research assistant Tk. 10,000-15,000 (per month) including PhD/MS
students having not a recipient of scholarship from other sources.
Eligibility of Research Cost:
KGF will fund research operating cost and consumable expenses and the purchase of modest
essential equipment associated solely with the research grant application, as detailed in the
project proposal format and approved by the KGF authority.
Applications received within the deadline will be submitted to an external referee before
being considered for short-listing of the proposals for presentation before a committee of
experts. The final decisions will be made by the KGF Board of Directors based on the merit
of the project proposal and presentation made before the committee of experts.
KGF authority has the right to accept or reject any or all applications/proposals without
assigning any reason thereof. The supplied format must be used by the proponent. KGF may
improve/modify any items of the proposal format/guidelines/conditions in order to better
achieve objectives of CGP research.