<h2>Background</h2>
<p>The NZAGRC operates a competitive Innovation Fund for researchers working on solutions for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The first funding round took place in 2020 and a second round is open now, closing 9am Tuesday 13 April 2021.</p>
<h3>2021 Innovation Fund round: OPEN</h3>
<p><strong>Focus</strong></p>
<p>The NZAGRC Innovation Fund seeks Expressions Of Interest (EOIs) that address the following research area:</p>
<ul>
<li>Reduction of methane and/or nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural activities in New Zealand.</li>
</ul>
<p>Successful applications must develop novel approaches and/or significantly strengthen current research avenues that show major promise for bringing practical, farm-level solutions closer to on-farm implementation.</p>
<p><strong>Features</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>A total of $4 million (NZD) is available.</li>
<li>Individual projects will have a maximum value of $800,000 and a maximum duration of 2 years, starting 1 July 2021.</li>
<li>Applications are invited from New Zealand based research providers, organisations and companies.</li>
<li>A two-stage process will be followed:
<ul>
<li>Stage 1: submission of EOIs and shortlisting by a Technical Assessment Panel (TAP)</li>
<li>NZAGRC staff work with approved shortlisted applicants to develop contract-ready research proposals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The specially constituted TAP will evaluate EOIs and make recommendations to the NZAGRC Director on which projects should move to Stage 2. The NZAGRC Director will decide which projects move to Stage 2, taking the TAP recommendations into account along with the existing NZAGRC funding portfolio and broader New Zealand funding landscape.</li>
<li>Research projects should be conducted in a manner that ensures the widest possible benefit to New Zealand. Therefore, unless there are strong reasons to protect Intellectual Property, it should be made publicly and freely available.</li>
<li>Co-funding is strongly encouraged for all applications, and applications involving industry should have significant co-funding.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key dates</strong></p>
<table style="height: 166px;" width="411">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;<strong>Date</strong></td>
<td>&nbsp;<strong>Activity</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16 March 2021</td>
<td>Round opens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13 April 2021</td>
<td>9am, EOIs close</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>26-30 April 2021</td>
<td>Technical Assessment Panel meets</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7 May 2021</td>
<td>NZAGRC notifies applicants of outcomes and begins work with short-listed applicants to develop a detailed, contract-ready research proposal</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>30 May 2021</td>
<td>&nbsp;Successfully negotiated proposals submitted to NZAGRC Governance Group for funding approval</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1 July 2021</td>
<td>&nbsp;Contracting complete; projects commence</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Key documents</strong></p>
<p>Download the 2021 Innovation Fund guidelines here:&nbsp;<span class="mix_file"><a title="2021 Innovation Fund guidelines" href="user/file/2351/Innovation%20Fund%20Guidelines_2021_Website.pdf"><img src="images/icons/icon_pdf.gif" alt="pdf" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" border="0" vspace="1" /> 2021 Innovation Fund guidelines</a> <span style="font-size: 80%;">(0.09MB)</span></span>.</p>
<p>Download the Innovation Fund Expression Of Interest form here: <span class="mix_file"><a title="2021 Innovation Fund EOI form" href="user/file/2352/NZAGRC%20Innovation%20Fund%20EOI%20Form_2021_Website.docx"><img src="images/icons/icon_generic.gif" alt="docx" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" border="0" vspace="1" /> 2021 Innovation Fund EOI form</a> <span style="font-size: 80%;">(0.26MB)</span></span>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>2020 Innovation Fund round</h3>
<p>The first round of the NZAGRC Innovation Fund opened in July 2020, with $2 million available for projects from New Zealand-based research providers, organisations and companies. Proposals were sought for projects, up to two-years in duration,&nbsp;that addressed one or both of the following research areas:&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li>Reducing methane emissions from enteric fermentation in ruminants</li>
<li>Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from ruminant animal deposited urine patches</li>
</ol>
<p>As with the second round, proposals had to significantly strengthen current research avenues and/or develop novel approaches that show major promise for bringing practical, farm-level solutions closer to on-farm implementation.</p>
<p>Four projects were selected, worth a total of $1.72 million:</p>
<ul>
<li>Targeting methanol formation for methane, led by AgResearch</li>
<li>Molecular tools for methane mitigation, led by the University of Auckland</li>
<li>Inhibiting ruminal methane using bromoform, led by AgResearch</li>
<li>On-farm delivery of methane inhibitors, led by DairyNZ</li>
</ul>