Plant Genome Research Program | 23 559

NSF Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) FAQs

1) What is the NSF Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP)?

The Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) is a discretionary National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity focused on advancing plant genomics at genome scale. It prioritizes ambitious projects that address big, difficult scientific questions with clear societal and economic relevance, and that deliver broad value to the plant research community through widely usable data, resources, and capabilities.

2) What kinds of projects does PGRP want to fund?

PGRP emphasizes projects that go beyond narrow or incremental studies. The program is geared toward proposals with depth and breadth, where genome-scale analysis is essential to answering the research question. NSF expects projects to generate biological insights and also strengthen the broader plant research ecosystem through community-use resources, new capabilities, and reusable datasets.

3) What does NSF mean by “genome-scale” in this program?

Based on the program description, “genome-scale” means leveraging genome-wide methods or datasets and framing the science around questions that require genome-scale approaches rather than treating them as optional add-ons. Projects should be designed so that genome-scale analysis is a central driver of discovery.

4) How important is societal or economic relevance for a PGRP proposal?

Societal and economic relevance are explicit priorities. NSF describes interest in work that matters scientifically and also has clear societal and economic relevance. Examples of relevant themes mentioned include crop improvement, resilience to stress, and sustainability, especially when the underlying biology is not fully understood.

5) Is PGRP only about producing new biological discoveries?

No. A central expectation is that funded projects will generate biological insights and also strengthen the plant research ecosystem. This includes creating new capabilities, resources intended for community use, and datasets that are accessible and broadly reusable.

6) What expectations does PGRP have for data sharing and reuse?

PGRP highlights the importance of producing data that are accessible and reusable. Investigators are expected to plan for strong data management practices so outputs can be used by others and integrated across different biological scales, such as linking genomic variation to gene function, traits, phenotypes, and environments.

7) What does “integrated across different biological scales” mean in practice?

The program description points to integration that connects genomic-scale information (like variation or genome-wide datasets) to downstream biological meaning and outcomes, including gene function, traits, phenotypes, and environmental context. The intent is to enable discoveries that extend beyond a single dataset, lab, or species.

8) Does PGRP require workforce development and training components?

Yes. Workforce development is described as a core feature of PGRP, not an optional add-on. Training, career development, and broadening participation should be integrated into every PGRP-funded project.

9) What types of training activities align with PGRP expectations?

Proposals are expected to include meaningful plans for mentoring students and early-career researchers and building skills relevant to modern plant genomics. Skill areas specifically named include computational genomics, functional genomics, phenomics, and data integration. The program also emphasizes creating pathways that bring a wider range of people and institutions into genome-enabled plant research.

10) What does PGRP mean by “broadening participation”?

From the information provided, broadening participation refers to intentional efforts to bring a wider range of people and institutions into genome-enabled plant research. The program frames this as essential to scientific progress and expects it to be integrated into project planning rather than handled as a separate or minimal component.

11) What funding tracks are available under PGRP?

Two tracks are available: RESEARCH-PGR and TRTech-PGR.

12) What is the RESEARCH-PGR track?

The RESEARCH-PGR track supports genome-scale plant research aimed at fundamental questions in biology. It also includes fundamental questions tied to processes of economic and/or societal importance, such as crop improvement, resilience to stress, sustainability, and other plant-driven challenges where the underlying biology is not fully understood.

13) What is the TRTech-PGR track?

The TRTech-PGR track targets breakthroughs in tools, resources, and technologies that enable functional plant genomics. Examples described include new experimental methods, computational platforms, analytical pipelines, reference resources, community datasets, and other advances that significantly expand what the community can measure, interpret, or predict at genome scale.

14) How should an applicant decide between RESEARCH-PGR and TRTech-PGR?

Based on the track descriptions, RESEARCH-PGR is aimed at fundamental genome-scale biological questions, while TRTech-PGR is aimed at tool/resource/technology development that enables functional plant genomics at genome scale. The best fit depends on whether the central contribution is a scientific discovery effort (RESEARCH-PGR) or an enabling technology/resource breakthrough intended for broad community impact (TRTech-PGR).

15) Is creativity and ambitious scope important in PGRP review expectations?

Yes. PGRP places strong weight on ambitious scientific scope and the creativity of the proposed approach. The program is intended for projects that tackle big, difficult questions rather than incremental extensions of existing work.

16) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to applicant organizations, subject to any additional eligibility details that may appear in the full solicitation.

17) Is there a deadline, or can proposals be submitted anytime?

Proposals are accepted anytime. The submission window is described as open.

18) How many awards does NSF expect to make under this opportunity?

NSF anticipates making around 20 awards.

19) What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA number for this program?

The funding opportunity number is 23-559. The program is administered by NSF under CFDA 47.074.

20) Is there a maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates that a fixed maximum is not specified in the summary record. Applicants are expected to rely on the full solicitation or program guidance for typical award sizes, budget expectations, and scope alignment.

21) What does it mean that this is a “discretionary” grant opportunity?

From the information provided, the opportunity is described as discretionary, meaning it is a grant program administered by NSF where awards are made based on program goals and competitive proposal evaluation, rather than being automatically allocated.

22) What should applicants keep in mind about community impact?

PGRP is explicit that projects should benefit more than a single lab or species. Proposals are expected to generate broadly usable datasets and/or community-use resources and capabilities, with data management practices that support reuse and integration across scales to drive high-impact discoveries.