Teams

The mission of CAPS is to find practical solutions to challenging problems within four main Strategic Areas: Photosynthesis & Carbon Fixation, Biomass & Bioproducts, Crop Improvement & Functional Foods, and Plant- Microbe Interactions. CAPS seeks to bring together the wide-ranging expertise available at OSU to bridge basic and applied research largely by catalyzing formation of interdisciplinary teams from across the university.

CAPS understands the dynamic interactions that occur between team members, and that these applications represent possible solutions to large-scale, multi-faceted problems. We encourage all applicants to put forth the core group of investigators (the most compact team) needed to work on a problem of joint interest. Teams are expected to be between 3-8 members, and should span basic and applied research to tackle a practical challenge. We expect that situations will arise wherein team members will form and reform sub-teams to better position themselves for external funding. While CAPS will encourage formation of the teams that are most viable for accomplishing the research goals and for funding competitiveness, all changes to the core team will be reviewed by CAPS leadership to ensure that the changes are indeed justified.

Proposed projects will find practical solutions to a problem in one (or more) of the four outlined strategic areas. Initial project periods are anticipated to be 2-4 years in duration. Teams will need to provide yearly progress reports for inclusion in the CAPS annual report.

Eligibility

STs must be formed by a minimum of three OSU individuals with PI status (includes Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Full Professors, Research Scientists and Research Assistant Professors). Being a member of one Scientific Team (ST) does not disqualify a researcher from being part of another. We discourage, however, the same individual to be the contact PI in more than one ST. 

Current Scientific Teams

  • BAIT: The Bioplastic Alternatives Interdisciplinary Team
  • BPBFP: Bioconversion of plant-based feedstocks to products
  • SMART: Strategic Modern Approaches for Resilient Trees

Previous Scientific Teams

  • CMAP: Conversion of Greenhouse Gases into High Value Materials
  • MBSA: Microbial Based Solutions for Agriculture
  • PlantDom: Plant Domestication and the Evolution of Plant-Associated Organisms
  • RapRes: Developing Vectors as Tools to Rapidly and Flexible Alter Plant Phenotypes
  • SoyRes: Comparison of Genetic Resistance Responses to Biotrophs, Necrotrophs and Pests in Soybean
  • TIRE: Overcoming barriers to establishing a viable rubber crop for Ohio farmers

Previous Opportunity Teams