Annual reports and workplans
Documents
2003 year one workplan and budget
Program Overview
The extraordinary discoveries of plant molecular biology have yet to be used in ways that will benefit the world’s poor; likewise, the rich pools of genetic resources that exist in collections held by national agricultural research systems (NARS) and the Future Harvest Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have yet to be tapped in a systematic way. Through this Challenge Program, we will create a strong coalition of institutions dedicated to alleviating poverty by applying the recent advances of the biological sciences. This alliance will harness the powerful tools of the genomics revolution to unlock the genetic potential within crop germplasm to address the needs of the resource-poor. The Challenge Program for Unlocking Genetic Diversity in Crops for the Resource-Poor will produce a new, unique public platform for accessing and developing new genetic resources using new molecular technologies and traditional means. Also known as the “Unlocking Genetic Diversity Challenge Program” (or UGDCP), this Challenge Program will make available as public goods an unprecedented array of genomic and genetic resources, ready for direct use in plant improvement, first to the national agricultural research systems (NARS) of developing countries, small and large, that have plant improvement programs, and later to any other entities that have crop improvement goals, especially those dedicated to resource-poor farmers. These products will be in the form of enabling technologies and intermediate products for crop improvement programs in NARS and elsewhere.
Overview: Read online | 
download PDF (2.29 MB)
Program Overview
The extraordinary discoveries of plant molecular biology have yet to be used in ways that will benefit the world’s poor; likewise, the rich pools of genetic resources that exist in collections held by national agricultural research systems (NARS) and the Future Harvest Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have yet to be tapped in a systematic way. Through this Challenge Program, we will create a strong coalition of institutions dedicated to alleviating poverty by applying the recent advances of the biological sciences. This alliance will harness the powerful tools of the genomics revolution to unlock the genetic potential within crop germplasm to address the needs of the resource-poor. The Challenge Program for Unlocking Genetic Diversity in Crops for the Resource-Poor will produce a new, unique public platform for accessing and developing new genetic resources using new molecular technologies and traditional means. Also known as the “Unlocking Genetic Diversity Challenge Program” (or UGDCP), this Challenge Program will make available as public goods an unprecedented array of genomic and genetic resources, ready for direct use in plant improvement, first to the national agricultural research systems (NARS) of developing countries, small and large, that have plant improvement programs, and later to any other entities that have crop improvement goals, especially those dedicated to resource-poor farmers. These products will be in the form of enabling technologies and intermediate products for crop improvement programs in NARS and elsewhere.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (2.29 MB)
2004 annual report and year two workplan
It is my pleasure to submit the research and financial report for our first full year of operations. It has been an exciting, eventful, productive, and fulfilling year, indeed.
As you will see in the following report, we have launched a dynamic and comprehensive research programme. Through this initial work we have begun translating the vision incorporated in our original concepts into reality at a rapid rate. Beyond simply supporting research, we are constructing an information management and analysis platform that will allow all participants in the GCP to have access to our data, analytical tools, and reports. This bioinformatics resource, a first of its kind in the CGIAR, will serve as a resource for all CGIAR scientists and their partners who are involved in genomics- and crop improvement-related research. Perhaps most importantly, this platform will fully integrate the GCP, and by extension the entire CGIAR, into the broader global plant genomics research community. Such integration is essential if the CGIAR is to continue to play a leading role applying cutting-edge science to critical agricultural problems in developing countries.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (731.21 kB)
It is my pleasure to submit the research and financial report for our first full year of operations. It has been an exciting, eventful, productive, and fulfilling year, indeed.
As you will see in the following report, we have launched a dynamic and comprehensive research programme. Through this initial work we have begun translating the vision incorporated in our original concepts into reality at a rapid rate. Beyond simply supporting research, we are constructing an information management and analysis platform that will allow all participants in the GCP to have access to our data, analytical tools, and reports. This bioinformatics resource, a first of its kind in the CGIAR, will serve as a resource for all CGIAR scientists and their partners who are involved in genomics- and crop improvement-related research. Perhaps most importantly, this platform will fully integrate the GCP, and by extension the entire CGIAR, into the broader global plant genomics research community. Such integration is essential if the CGIAR is to continue to play a leading role applying cutting-edge science to critical agricultural problems in developing countries.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (731.21 kB)
2005 annual report and year three (2006) workplan
We are delighted to provide you with this report on our activities and outputs over the last 12 months, and we hope that, in reading it, you too will share in the sense of achievement we feel in looking back on our Programme’s
progress during 2005.
Last year, 2005, was the first year of “full speed” research activities for the GCP. With the initiation of 17 first round competitive grants and 50 new commissioned projects, we now have a rich portfolio of diverse and complementary activities conducted by an extensive network of experts. These activities and some very promising early results were highlighted at the GCP 2005 Annual Research Meeting in Rome in September. Many of the 2006 commissioned research projects took shape at this event, through animated and fruitful scientific discussions, which reflected the enthusiasm and commitment of the Generation community.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (764.5 kB)
We are delighted to provide you with this report on our activities and outputs over the last 12 months, and we hope that, in reading it, you too will share in the sense of achievement we feel in looking back on our Programme’s
progress during 2005.
Last year, 2005, was the first year of “full speed” research activities for the GCP. With the initiation of 17 first round competitive grants and 50 new commissioned projects, we now have a rich portfolio of diverse and complementary activities conducted by an extensive network of experts. These activities and some very promising early results were highlighted at the GCP 2005 Annual Research Meeting in Rome in September. Many of the 2006 commissioned research projects took shape at this event, through animated and fruitful scientific discussions, which reflected the enthusiasm and commitment of the Generation community.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (764.5 kB)
2006 annual report and year four (2007) workplan
It gives us great pleasure to present you with the Generation Challenge Programme 2006 Annual Report, which outlines our accomplishments over the past year. This year has been one of great success and change for the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP), and we are proud to inform you of these activities in the following report.
A major objective for the GCP is to help link ‘basic’ research with ‘applied’ science—to help make scientific innovations and new technologies relevant for resource-poor farmers, and to improve the access for scientists and researchers in the developing world to technologies that can make their work faster and more efficient. The GCP was intended to address the historical gap between bench scientists working on cutting-edge research in their high-tech labs and the plant breeders and resource-poor farmers that their research is supposed to help.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (1 MB)
It gives us great pleasure to present you with the Generation Challenge Programme 2006 Annual Report, which outlines our accomplishments over the past year. This year has been one of great success and change for the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP), and we are proud to inform you of these activities in the following report.
A major objective for the GCP is to help link ‘basic’ research with ‘applied’ science—to help make scientific innovations and new technologies relevant for resource-poor farmers, and to improve the access for scientists and researchers in the developing world to technologies that can make their work faster and more efficient. The GCP was intended to address the historical gap between bench scientists working on cutting-edge research in their high-tech labs and the plant breeders and resource-poor farmers that their research is supposed to help.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (1 MB)
2007 annual report and year five (2008) workplan
Without a doubt, 2007 was yet another exciting year, filled with significant scientific achievements and valuable products, all thanks to the skills and commitment of the GCP community. Through the year, our projects continued to mature, we expanded our network of partners, and we worked more closely with the plant breeding community.
Going by the standing of the journals in which most of the refereed papers published in 2007 appeared (see Appendix C), it is clear that GCP conducts high-quality science whose outputs are recognised by peers. In this fourth year of the Programme, we went beyond impact at the Subprogramme level, increasingly progressing along the GCP pipeline of activities and beginning to make real impacts on crop improvement. These range from characterising germplasm diversity to discover new alleles and identify genomic regions of interest, to developing markers for breeding programmes in developing countries to improve adapted germplasm. Breeding programmes are our bridge to reaching resource-poor farmers. As a result, projects initiated in 2007 clearly build on, and add value to, our previous work. This evolution is reflected in an expanded portfolio of projects in which genes, markers, traits and tools, from and for GCP research, are tested in drought-prone environments.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (934.3 kB)
Without a doubt, 2007 was yet another exciting year, filled with significant scientific achievements and valuable products, all thanks to the skills and commitment of the GCP community. Through the year, our projects continued to mature, we expanded our network of partners, and we worked more closely with the plant breeding community.
Going by the standing of the journals in which most of the refereed papers published in 2007 appeared (see Appendix C), it is clear that GCP conducts high-quality science whose outputs are recognised by peers. In this fourth year of the Programme, we went beyond impact at the Subprogramme level, increasingly progressing along the GCP pipeline of activities and beginning to make real impacts on crop improvement. These range from characterising germplasm diversity to discover new alleles and identify genomic regions of interest, to developing markers for breeding programmes in developing countries to improve adapted germplasm. Breeding programmes are our bridge to reaching resource-poor farmers. As a result, projects initiated in 2007 clearly build on, and add value to, our previous work. This evolution is reflected in an expanded portfolio of projects in which genes, markers, traits and tools, from and for GCP research, are tested in drought-prone environments.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (934.3 kB)
2008 annual report and year six (2009) workplan
The year 2008 marks the end of Phase I (2004–2008) of the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP). It is, therefore, a fitting time for stocktaking and forward planning, as we embark on Phase II (2009–2013).
In the pages that follow, you will also read how this transition into Phase II is informed by several internal and external reviews, of which the most comprehensive was the External Programme and Management Review (EPMR), commissioned by the Science Council of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The EPMR recommended the approval of GCP Phase II. For this positive outcome, on behalf of GCP’s Management Team (MT), I would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the researchers and their support staff who participated in the review. It is their continued commitment and concrete contributions to science that brought about this good result, for which the MT is deeply grateful.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (1.34 MB)
The year 2008 marks the end of Phase I (2004–2008) of the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP). It is, therefore, a fitting time for stocktaking and forward planning, as we embark on Phase II (2009–2013).
In the pages that follow, you will also read how this transition into Phase II is informed by several internal and external reviews, of which the most comprehensive was the External Programme and Management Review (EPMR), commissioned by the Science Council of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The EPMR recommended the approval of GCP Phase II. For this positive outcome, on behalf of GCP’s Management Team (MT), I would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the researchers and their support staff who participated in the review. It is their continued commitment and concrete contributions to science that brought about this good result, for which the MT is deeply grateful.
Overview: Read online | download PDF (1.34 MB)
2009 annual report
The Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) is an initiative of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and was launched in 2003 as a 10-year programme. The Programme was designed in two phases (2004–2008 and 2009–2013). Therefore, this Annual Report marks the first year of Phase II.
The Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) is an initiative of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and was launched in 2003 as a 10-year programme. The Programme was designed in two phases (2004–2008 and 2009–2013). Therefore, this Annual Report marks the first year of Phase II.
2010 annual report
Just as in previous years, and due to the effort of a broad and skilled network of partners, 2010 was a fruitful year. Numerous outputs were generated, several of them being now available for further distribution (an online product catalogue will be posted in early 2011). At the heart of activities conducted in 2010 were creating new diversity by developing recombination populations for main food cereals; developing new genetic resources for legumes – critically important for food quality in developing countries; improving GCP’s target crops1 for drought-prone environments; and developing analytical and decision tools as well as suitable infrastructure for efficient data management. 2010 also saw the release of several higher-yielding varieties through markerassisted selection. The relevance and quality of research is supported by the sizeable peer-reviewed publications (see Appendix D). The partnerships between advanced research institutes (ARIs), CGIAR Centres and country programmes have been further strengthened through the establishment of seven core Research Initiatives (RIs). Typically, the RIs bridge the gap between upstream and applied research. In addition, due to consistent and coordinated capacity development targeting both human capacity as well as infrastructure, partners from breeding programmes in the South are now increasingly leading GCP research activities. Consequently, over the coming years of the Programme, more than 40 percent of our funds will go directly to support partners in the global South.
Just as in previous years, and due to the effort of a broad and skilled network of partners, 2010 was a fruitful year. Numerous outputs were generated, several of them being now available for further distribution (an online product catalogue will be posted in early 2011). At the heart of activities conducted in 2010 were creating new diversity by developing recombination populations for main food cereals; developing new genetic resources for legumes – critically important for food quality in developing countries; improving GCP’s target crops1 for drought-prone environments; and developing analytical and decision tools as well as suitable infrastructure for efficient data management. 2010 also saw the release of several higher-yielding varieties through markerassisted selection. The relevance and quality of research is supported by the sizeable peer-reviewed publications (see Appendix D). The partnerships between advanced research institutes (ARIs), CGIAR Centres and country programmes have been further strengthened through the establishment of seven core Research Initiatives (RIs). Typically, the RIs bridge the gap between upstream and applied research. In addition, due to consistent and coordinated capacity development targeting both human capacity as well as infrastructure, partners from breeding programmes in the South are now increasingly leading GCP research activities. Consequently, over the coming years of the Programme, more than 40 percent of our funds will go directly to support partners in the global South.
2011 Annual report
Here, you will find a balance of the progress we made in 2011, presenting both our successes, are well as what did not quite work out as planned, and what we did, or plan to do, about it.
This report also marks the final transition from Themes to Research Initiatives and Services (the Integrated Breeding Platform, IBP), in terms of how we present our work, hence a reduced thematic section, with the notable exception of capacity-bulding, which undergirds all research activities, as well as IBP.
Here, you will find a balance of the progress we made in 2011, presenting both our successes, are well as what did not quite work out as planned, and what we did, or plan to do, about it.
This report also marks the final transition from Themes to Research Initiatives and Services (the Integrated Breeding Platform, IBP), in terms of how we present our work, hence a reduced thematic section, with the notable exception of capacity-bulding, which undergirds all research activities, as well as IBP.
2012 Annual Report: Research Initiatives and platforms
In 2012, for the first time, our Annual Report was divided into individual sections on each of our Research Initiatives and platforms.
For a brief, acessible summary of the 2012 report, with highlights of the year, start with the Overview section:
- Overview – read online | download PDF (428.17 kB)
To review our different Research Initiatives, and to download individual reports, please visit our Research Initiative InfoCentres.
Otherwise, follow the links below to read sections online or download them in PDF format.
Research Initiatives:
- Cassava – read online | download PDF (328.65 kB)
- Legumes – read online | download PDF (360.62 kB)
- Maize – read online | download PDF (354.98 kB)
- Rice – read online | download PDF (309.44 kB)
- Sorghum – read online | download PDF (298.5 kB)
- Wheat – read online | download PDF (325.12 kB)
- Comparative Genomics – read online | download PDF (356.16 kB)
Other key GCP activities:
- Integrated Breeding Platform – homepage | read online | download PDF (279.88 kB)
- Capacity Building – homepage | read online | download PDF (381.39 kB)
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For a brief, acessible summary of the 2012 report, with highlights of the year, start with the Overview section:
- Overview – read online | download PDF (428.17 kB)
To review our different Research Initiatives, and to download individual reports, please visit our Research Initiative InfoCentres.
Otherwise, follow the links below to read sections online or download them in PDF format.
Research Initiatives:
- Cassava – read online | download PDF (328.65 kB)
- Legumes – read online | download PDF (360.62 kB)
- Maize – read online | download PDF (354.98 kB)
- Rice – read online | download PDF (309.44 kB)
- Sorghum – read online | download PDF (298.5 kB)
- Wheat – read online | download PDF (325.12 kB)
- Comparative Genomics – read online | download PDF (356.16 kB)
Other key GCP activities:
- Integrated Breeding Platform – homepage | read online | download PDF (279.88 kB)
- Capacity Building – homepage | read online | download PDF (381.39 kB)
