AMES, Iowa — Beef farmers in Iowa are excited about the opportunity to release the first call for research proposals funded by the $0.50 per head Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program. The Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) will be accepting research proposals through 5:00 p.m. on February 16, 2018.
“Funding production research was an identified need behind the Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program this past year and our IBIC Executive Board is excited to release this research initiative on behalf of Iowa beef producers,” said Dean Black, Treasurer of the Iowa Beef Industry Council and Chair of IBIC’s Research Committee.
In the 2017-18 fiscal year Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program budget, $200,000 has been allocated toward this research initiative. Research proposals should be restricted to $75,000 per project and will only be accepted from higher education or land-grant institutions across the United States. These funds are made available from the $0.50 per head Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program investment that may be used for research, but not limited to, cattle production and beef products to assist Iowa’s beef producers enhance their current operations.
Any proposals submitted for funding should seek to answer core questions or solve on-farm challenges faced by cattlemen in the Cornbelt Region, specifically Iowa beef producers. These research priorities are not limited to, but include: cattle production systems beneficial to Iowa’s beef producers, on-farm practices and herd health, and marketing trends. Research proposals must be submitted by email to beef@iabeef.org by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2018. Late proposals will not be accepted. Instructions for submission of research proposals and additional research topics are found at www.iabeef.org.
“The IBIC Research Committee will evaluate each proposal and an announcement for funding will be made in April,” stated Black. “We are excited to enhance our research program through the Iowa State Beef Checkoff and look forward to the quality of research proposals that will be submitted this year. The opportunity to conduct production research has never been available until now.”
— Iowa Beef Industry Council
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