Location: Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit
Project Number: 2036-13210-013-009-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 30, 2022
End Date: Sep 29, 2027
Objective:
The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the University of California Riverside, (UCR) agree it is mutually beneficial to: (1) maintain collaborative relationships and share resources that are needed to achieve common research objectives; (2) strengthen the collaborations between ARS and UCR in areas of mutual interest through cooperative research programs and exchanges; (3) jointly explore and coordinate research activities of mutual interest within the scope of research and testing projects that involve work related to recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid technologies (r/s nucleic acids) and/or biohazardous agents and toxins (biohazards) conducted in the State of California, and thus enable USDA ARS Salinity Laboratory to ensure adherence to National Institutes of Health (NIH) "NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules"(NIH Guidelines); (4) clarify the specific oversight responsibilities of each party to the agreement; (5) encourage and facilitate direct contacts among appropriate scientists and other specialists; and (6) work toward long-term cooperation in agricultural research and development programs focused on developing and transferring solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority.
Approach:
This agreement would allow mutual collaborative use of facilities and services available through both UCR and the USDA ARS, subject to agreement of the individual researchers. The purpose of this agreement is to clarify the specific roles and responsibilities that each institution agrees to assume relative to the performance, conduct, management, and/or oversight of the ARS Salinity Lab research activities which specifically involve r/s nucleic acid and/or biohazards, in accordance with ARS Policies and Procedures 602.0, Institutional Biological Safety Committee.
