Reducing Global Hunger with Agrigenomics
Illumina is dedicated to making tangible contributions to the agricultural community, with the goal of reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. We are committed to enabling groundbreaking research that will result in increased sustainability, productivity, and nutritional density of agricultural species.
Greater Good Sequencing Grant Program
Through the Illumina Greater Good Sequencing Grant Program, we are collaborating with the agricultural community to support research into creating a sustainable, nutritious food supply. The grant program is designed to help identify measures that can increase crop yields and improve livestock welfare and productivity to alleviate poverty and hunger in the developing world.
The Award
Applications for the 2021 Agricultural Greater Good Initiative grants are currently being accepted. The deadline for all 2021 applications is December 4, 2020.
The Grand Prize winner will receive 20 terabases of Illumina NovaSeq sequencing data on samples of your choice (check Terms and Conditions). The winner will be announced during the Illumina Workshop at PAG XXIX.
Agricultural Greater Good Initiative
This initiative recognizes researchers in the agricultural community using Illumina technology to help alleviate global hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
Watch VideoEligibility and Requirements
The grant program is open to basic researchers in agrigenomics at academic or nonprofit institutions. Priority will be given to research that increases sustainability, productivity, and nutritional density of the world’s food supply.
In 400 words or less, provide an overview, a statement of work, and a description of the impact of your research. You may also include up to three figures, with legends, and a list of citations (with 200 word count limit).
In these sections, applicants should include:
- Economic impact
- Social impact
- Collaborators
- Nations represented
- Technologies used
- Other sources of funding
To be considered, all entries must:
- Be in English
- Be complete
- Be an original work
Judging Criteria
A team of Illumina scientists and executives will judge all submissions. Each submission will be judged based on our view of how well the entry reflects scientific merit, innovation, and fit with the values of the Illumina Agricultural Greater Good Initiative.
Past Recipients of the Agricultural Greater Good Initiative Grant
Roland Schafleitner
The International Mungbean Improvement Network led by the World Vegetable Center
Elena Ciani
University Bari, Italy and International Camel Consortium for Genetic Improvement and Conservation (ICC-GIC)
Gabriela "Vanina" Villanova
National University of Rosario's Aquatic Biotechnology Laboratory, Santa Fe, Argentina
G. Craig Yencho and Bode Olukolu
North Carolina State University, Department of Horticulture
Todd Mockler
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Allen Van Deynze and Howard-Yana Shapiro
University of California Davis, African Orphan Crops Consortium
Tim Close
University of California at Riverside
Max Rothschild
Iowa State University, Global Food Security Consortium
Rajeev Varshney
ICRISAT, India
Appolinaire Djikeng
Biosciences eastern and central Africa – International Livestock Research Institute Hub (BecA-ILRI Hub)
Todd Michael
Head of Genome Analysis Centre, Monsanto
Tad Sonstegard
USDA-ARS
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Additional Resources
Genomics to Enhance Global Food Security
The African Orphan Crops Consortium is using genomics to address malnutrition in Africa.