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tag:www.gov.uk,2005:/government/organisations/innovate-uk Innovate UK - Activity on GOV.UK HM Government 2016-09-27T12:11:07+01:00 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:PublicationesquePresenter/338894 2016-09-14T15:30:00+01:00 2016-09-27T12:11:07+01:00 Notice: Funding competition: emerging & enabling technologies round 1 Businesses can apply for a share of £15 million to develop technologies to stimulate future products, services and industries.
Updated: Added the briefing link for Bristol

Innovate UK is investing up to £15 million in innovation projects to stimulate the new products and services of tomorrow.

The aim of this competition is to help businesses innovate to find new revenue sources. Proposals should show how to achieve a step change in business growth, productivity and export opportunities for at least one UK small and medium-sized enterprise (SME).

We expect projects to range from total costs of £35,000 to £2 million. Projects should last between 6 months and 3 years.

There are 2 options to apply into this competition, dependent on project size and length, these are referred to as streams. Stream 1 is for projects under 12 months duration and under £100,000. Stream 2 is for projects lasting longer than 12 months or costing over £100,000.

 This competition opens on 3 October 2016.

You must register before noon on 30 November 2016.

You must apply before noon on 7 December 2016.

Attend the launch event in London on Friday 30 September 2016 or via webinar. and the briefing events in:

 Manchester on Monday 10 October 2016

 Belfast on Friday 14 October 2016

 Cardiff on Thursday 20 October 2016

 Bristol on Wednesday 26 October 2016

Register and apply online.

Not right for your innovation project? View other Innovate UK funding competitions.

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:PublicationesquePresenter/339098 2016-09-14T15:10:00+01:00 2016-09-26T16:29:19+01:00 Notice: Funding competition: antimicrobial resistance Up to £4 million capital investment is available to enable research into antimicrobial resistance and advance the development of new products.
Updated: Made it clear that funding requests can be larger or smaller than the stated amount.

Open to any UK organisation, Innovate UK are delivering a competition on behalf of the Department of Health to invest up to £4 million to support the UK's capability to conduct research into antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The aim will be to develop new products and services that will reduce the impact of drug resistant pathogens, slow down the emergence of new ones, and produce new products and services including drugs, vaccines and diagnostics.

Focusing on antibacterial resistance, the competition aims to:

strengthen research and innovation excellence across the UK

maximise private sector engagement and leverage funding

capitalise on existing UK expertise in AMR research and innovation

support and use capability in different regions

Successful applicants must spend and claim their grant by 31 March 2017.

We expect funding requests to be between £200,000 and £2 million but larger and smaller grants will be considered (see funding section).

The competition project is open to any UK organisation working on its own or in a consortium.

The competition opens on 14 September 2016.

You must register before noon on 27 October 2016.

You must apply before noon on 2 November 2016.

Watch the webinar of the briefing event in London on 19 September 2016

Register and apply online

Not right for your innovation project? View other Innovate UK funding competitions.

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:PublicationesquePresenter/339336 2016-09-20T12:30:00+01:00 2016-09-26T12:30:12+01:00 Notice: Funding competition: cell & gene therapies industrial manufacture Businesses can apply for a share of up to £11 million to industrialise and establish the large-scale manufacture of cell and gene therapies.
Updated: Added the guidance for applicants and registration links.

Innovate UK is to invest up to £11 million in collaborative research and development projects to stimulate large-scale manufacturing in the cell and gene therapy sector.

We are seeking proposals to industrialise established manufacturing processes for cell and gene therapies. The aim of this competition is to develop the manufacturing capability of candidate cell and gene therapies so they are ready for pivotal clinical trials and early market supply.

We expect projects to range in size from total costs of £1 million to £2.5 million. We may consider projects outside this range if you contact us before 2 November to discuss. Projects should last between 1 and 3 years.

Projects must be collaborative and must include at least one UK-registered small or medium-sized enterprise (SME). A business must lead the project.

This competition opens on 26 September 2016.

You must register before noon on 16 November 2016.

You must apply before noon on 23 November 2016.

Attend the briefing event in London on 5 October 2016

Register and apply.

Not right for your innovation project? View other Innovate UK funding competitions.

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:PublicationesquePresenter/338726 2016-09-12T09:45:00+01:00 2016-09-26T07:24:55+01:00 Notice: Funding competition: innovation in health and life sciences round 1 Businesses can apply for a share of £15 million for projects that support SMEs to develop innovations in health and life sciences.
Updated: Have added a link for the recording of the briefing event.

Innovate UK is investing up to £15 million in projects addressing technical or commercial challenges in health and life sciences (H&LS). The aim is to increase competitiveness for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The H&LS sector focuses on agriculture, food and healthcare. It is supported by bioscience technology, medical research and engineering and physical sciences expertise.

Grants can be awarded to a consortium, led by a business, working with other organisations or research groups. All consortia must involve at least one SME. We welcome projects led by an SME. An SME can apply on its own for funding up to £100,000.

There are 2 options to apply into this competition. These are dependent on the size and length of your project. These options are called streams. Stream 1 is for projects under 12 months and under £100,000. Stream 2 is for projects over 12 months or over £100,000.

The competition opens on 12 September 2016.

You must register before noon on 9 November 2016.

You must apply before noon on 16 November 2016.

Watch the recording of the briefing event.

Register and apply online.

Not right for your innovation project? View other Innovate UK funding competitions.

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:NewsArticlePresenter/339806 2016-09-23T14:36:46+01:00 2016-09-23T14:36:46+01:00 News story: Emerging and enabling technologies: apply for innovation funding Businesses are invited to apply for a share of £15 million to develop the innovative products, services and industries of the future.

Innovate UK is investing up to £15 million in projects that will stimulate the new products and services of tomorrow. These new innovations will have the potential to unlock billions of pounds of value to industry and disrupt existing markets.

Emerging technologies

An emerging technology is one that is progressing in, or has recently emerged from, the research base. It allows us to do something that was not possible before. Because of this, it disrupts existing markets and enhances value to customers. It can improve our lives and lead to new sources of wealth generation.

Enabling technologies

Enabling technologies underpin the development of high-value products and services in many industrial sectors and markets. They improve performance and productivity.

Projects will:

harness emerging and enabling technologies across the economy

develop and scale-up research and development to bring ideas, processes and products closer to availability at scale and commercial release

use design processes to understand customer motivations and behaviour and use that insight to create better products, services and processes

We are looking to fund a portfolio of projects that include:

technical feasibility

industrial research

experimental development

Competition information

this competition opens on Monday 3 October 2016

the registration deadline is Wednesday 30 November 2016

the application deadline is Wednesday 7 December 2016

we expect projects to range from total costs of £35,000 to £2 million

projects should last between 6 months and 3 years

a business must lead the project but can work with others

each project must involve at least one SME

there will be a launch event in London on Friday 30 September 2016 (also available via webinar)

there will be briefing events for potential applicants in Manchester, Belfast and Cardiff in October

Find out more about this competition and apply

Find out more about Innovate UK's emerging and enabling programme

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:NewsArticlePresenter/339688 2016-09-21T10:53:00+01:00 2016-09-22T08:53:19+01:00 News story: Cell and gene therapies industrial manufacture: apply for funding Businesses can apply for a share of £11 million for projects to stimulate large-scale manufacture in the cell and gene therapy sector.
Updated: The breifing event is on the 5th October now

Innovate UK is investing up to £11 million in projects to stimulate large-scale manufacturing in the cell and gene therapy sector. These will be collaborative research and development projects.

We are seeking proposals to industrialise established manufacturing processes for cell and gene therapies. The aim of this competition is to develop the manufacturing capability of candidate cell and gene therapies. This is so they are ready for pivotal clinical trials and early market supply.

Competition information

the competition opens on 26 September 2016

the registration deadline is noon on 16 November 2016

the application deadline is noon on 23 November 2016

a business must lead the project

businesses must work with at least one other organisation

we expect projects to range in size from total costs of £1 million to £2.5 million

projects should last between 1 and 3 years

there will be a briefing event for potential applicants on 5th October 2016

Find out more about this competition and apply

Find out more about Innovate UK's health and life sciences programme

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:DocumentCollection/325686 2016-04-05T15:41:00+01:00 2016-09-21T16:04:07+01:00 Collection: Innovation grants for business: apply for funding Businesses and research organisations can apply to funding competitions to help them develop their innovations.
Updated: Removed "APC6 - accelerating the drive to low carbon propulsion" and "innovation in infrastructure systems" competitions because applications have now closed.

All of the current and forthcoming funding competitions run by Innovate UK are published here.

You can apply for funding to test the feasibility of your idea, research and develop it and demonstrate it in a prototype.

Innovate UK funding competitions cover the following industry sectors:

emerging and enabling technologies

infrastructure systems

health and life sciences

manufacturing and materials

We also have an open programme that is not sector based. Browse, register and apply for our current competitions.

For regular competition updates, sign up to our newsletter

Application process

Watch this video to find out about our application process.

Innovate UK - Application Process

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:PublicationesquePresenter/335933 2016-08-05T10:40:00+01:00 2016-09-21T14:32:04+01:00 Notice: Funding competition: global cooperation feasibility studies Businesses can apply for a share of £1.2 million to carry out short, international feasibility studies.
Updated: Removed registration link

This competition opened on 5 August 2016 and is now closed for registrations.

Innovate UK is to invest up to £1.2 million to support innovative UK SMEs in carrying out short international cooperation feasibility studies. These studies should build international business networks. The aim is to enable commercial research and innovation partnerships, and future collaboration.

We will fund projects with eligible costs of up to £30,000 for each project. Businesses may receive funding of up to 70% of their total project costs. Projects should last up to 4 months. The funding will enable SMEs to undertake short feasibility studies and spend time abroad. You can use the funding for activities such as travel and subsistence costs. This is to develop international partnerships and gain a better understanding of collaborative opportunities. Companies can explore ideas in the context of future cooperation.

A UK SME must lead the project to build international partnerships. You can carry out the project on your own or in collaboration with other UK partners, but only UK SMEs will receive funding.

You must register before noon on 21 September 2016.

You must apply before noon on 28 September 2016.

Not right for your innovation project? View other Innovate UK funding competitions.

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:NewsArticlePresenter/310828 2015-10-27T15:08:00+00:00 2016-09-19T14:04:08+01:00 Press release: Pioneering projects in food and agriculture win £17.8 million Lobster farming, scallop cultivation & whisky distillation among projects winning £17.8 million Agri-Tech Catalyst funding.
Updated: Changed an incorrect partner for "Project 2: Development and validation of a system for automatic detection of lameness in sheep" from Dunbia to Intel UK.

Pioneering projects to improve agriculture and food production at home and overseas, have been funded to the tune of £17.8 million, under the latest round of the Government's Agri-Tech Catalyst.

Projects include one assessing the potential to commercialise the farming of lobsters, a proposal to cultivate scallops on ropes and a way of continuing to make whisky with UK wheat, by using a novel variety.

The technologies are among 21 successful bids that have won a competition run by the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK, to target commercially promising new technologies to provide an economic boost to the UK agriculture sector.

Speaking at the opening of Agrimetrics, the UK's first big data centre of excellence for the whole food system, at Rothamsted Research, in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, Life Sciences Minister George Freeman MP said:

By harnessing science to reduce water and pesticide usage, and to pioneer greener modern farming, the UK is leading the way in boosting agricultural productivity.

Investing in pioneering agri-tech projects like these is win-win for the UK as these technologies will improve food production and create businesses and jobs up and down the country.

British solutions for agricultural challenges

Ian Meikle, head of agriculture and food, at Innovate UK, said:

By supporting these project partnerships – many of which include small businesses – Innovate UK is backing British solutions for agricultural challenges. These schemes are helping to create new jobs and will open up new markets and drive productivity.

Professor Jackie Hunter, BBSRC chief executive, said:

Investing in advances in agriculture is vital, not only for our future food supply but also to help build the UK bio-economy. These new research projects highlight how UK bioscience is at the forefront of innovative approaches for modern farming.

Agri-Tech Catalyst

The funding was awarded through the Agri-Tech Catalyst,which was set up by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Innovate UK, Department for International Development and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) with a £70 million investment to help make the UK a world leader in agricultural technology, innovation and sustainability.

The Agri-Tech Catalyst offers funding for collaborative projects, taking innovative ideas from any sector or discipline with the potential to provide an economic boost to the UK agri-tech industry, by tackling challenges in agriculture.

The scheme will help to take innovations all the way from concept to commercialisation, awarding grants for early-stage pre-industrial research feasibility studies, industrial research, and late-stage pre-experimental and experimental feasibility studies. Any UK business or academic researcher can apply.

The Agri-Tech Catalyst will fund proposals relating to:

primary crop and livestock production, including aquaculture

non-food uses of crops including ornamentals (for example, for biomass)

food security and nutrition challenges in international development

challenges in downstream food processing, provided the solution lies in primary production.

Full summaries of funded projects:

Agri-Tech Catalyst Round 4 – Late Stage

Project 1: VerticalVale: Viability of the Saturn Grower in commercial farming

Partners: Saturn Bioponics, ValeFresco

Saturn Bioponics are working on a collaborative project with leading fresh produce growers ValeFresco, to prove and showcase the benefits that the Saturn Grower vertical growing system offers in a commercial growing environment.

The project will demonstrate the 2.5-3.5% yield increase and reduced costs of production the system delivers on leafy crops, with particular focus on pak choi.

Results have wider application across the fresh produce industry, in particular for leafy salads, herbs and soft fruit. The project enables a step change in the economics of high-value crop production.

Project 2: Improving hydroponic production using new online nitrate sensor

Partners: Sharp Laboratories Ltd; Lincolnshire Herbs Ltd; APS Salads Ltd; May Barn Horticultural Consultancy Ltd

Many crops, including tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, strawberries, raspberries and ornamental flowers are often grown using hydroponics, where fertiliser for the growing plants is supplied in the irrigation water. Hydroponic farming produces excellent quality crops with good efficiency but there is an opportunity to improve the method by continuously monitoring and controlling the fertiliser components in the irrigation water.

This project aims to enable better control over the use of nitrate, which is an important component of the fertiliser. A new sensor, which can be used to continuously measure the nitrate concentration in irrigation water will be deployed at commercial hydroponic farms, allowing continuous nitrate monitoring for the first time.

We will evaluate the potential for expected benefits including reductions in fertiliser use and expense and smaller discharge of fertiliser into natural waters, helping to meet environmental legislation.The technology is relevant to UK and global farming.

Project 3: Real-time information systems for precision pig production

Partners: Farm Energy & Control Services Ltd; ARM Buildings Ltd; Garth Pig Practice Ltd; DC & RJ Allen & Partners; J M Sankey Fmrs; DA & EM Skinner; Stockcroft Ltd; Yorkwold Pigpro Ltd

This project unusually involves a consortium of prime producers and technology suppliers. It is farmers who will actually deliver on sustainable intensification and that is why this project involves them directly as full partners.

Entitled real-time information systems for precision pig production, the project will commercially pilot a recently developed system - Guardian Action - as a precursor to full UK industry roll-out. The information system provides real-time remote data recovery from pig production units and allows browser access to the processed and analysed data designed to create knowledge at a farm level.

In addition, anonymous data will be pooled and analysed to add further value for end users. Crucially, the pilot will include the setting up of a customer support resource to ensure that end users can turn the knowledge into profit. Uniquely, veterinary and nutritional expertise will complement the data analysis and interpretation. The system will be supplied and supported on a subscription fee basis.

Agri-Tech Catalyst Round 4 – Industrial Research

Project 1: Cocoa farm of the future

Partners: Mondelez UK R&D Limited; Tree Global Ghana Ltd; Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana

Without cocoa there is no chocolate and without the next farming generation, there is no cocoa. A vibrant cocoa supply chain is essential for the future of chocolate and - through the Mondelez Cocoa Life sustainability programme - we are leading its transformation.

As part of the programme, Mondelez UK R&D Limited is leading a project to transform the way cocoa is grown and dramatically boost farm yields and farmer incomes. By implementing this project in Ghana we are seeking to directly improve farming practices and technologies for the benefit of many thousands of Ghanaian cocoa producers and to ensure that high-quality Ghana cocoa continues to be the foundation ingredient in some of the UK's best loved chocolates, like Cadbury Dairy Milk.

Project 2: Third generation polyethylene greenhouse cladding materials

Partners: British Polythene Ltd; Haygrove Tunnels Ltd; Berry Gardens Ltd; Finlays Horticulture (Kenya) Ltd; A. Schulman Inc Ltd.; The University of Reading; The University of Lincoln; East Malling Research

This project will develop a range of novel, third-generation, greenhouse film cladding materials. The films will be spectrally modified to drive completely passive benefits to primary greenhouse growers worldwide.

We will modify materials to change their UV transmission, the scattering of photosynthetically active radiation and to reflect near infra red heat. The benefits targeted will include yield and quality gains, the reduction of solar heat load and potential reductions in pest incidence.

For primary producers the technology is low cost, and small production gains will justify investment in the technology. In terms of film manufacturers the global market for specific greenhouse film is worth c. £1.4 billion. However, it has a low level of product differentiation. Thus, innovations within this project have real potential to secure significant sales and export opportunities.

Project 3: MUST: Miscanthus scaling technology

Partners: Terravesta Assured Energy Crops, Bell Brothers Nurseries, Edwards Farm Machinery, Aberystwyth University, Nutriss, CERES

The UK needs to reduce CO2 emissions in order to mitigate climate change, and green technologies will also stimulate economic activity. Bioenergy crops provide an alternative to fossil fuels, where wood, straw and other biomass is burnt in power stations, in order to generate electricity. 75% of the biomass we burn is imported.

Miscanthus is a plant with a straw-like stem that grows 2-3 metres high in a year, is harvested in spring and grows back from the roots to produce a crop each year. The harvested crop is burnt in power stations. It grows well on land that is not suitable for food crops.

The current method for planting miscanthus is from sections of root dug up from other miscanthus plants, but this limits how much we can plant each year. Planting miscanthus seed would allow us to speed up deployment. This project aims to understand how to produce miscanthus seed, plant and look after it successfully, and harvest it effectively, so we can grow more of the crop in the UK and create a new industry.

Project 4: BirdEase: An integrated diagnostic system for bacterial detection in poultry farms

Partners: Greengage Lighting Ltd; University of Cambridge; Cramasie Ltd; 2 Sisters Food Group; Campden BRI; CASI Everysite (TLR Ltd)

There is increasing pressure within the poultry industry to improve biosecurity measures & cleanliness in primary production; advanced diagnostics for early disease detection are high on the agenda. In response to this specific industry need, this project will develop an integrated on-farm early-warning bacterial sensing system for intensive poultry production systems, targeting key food-borne disease pathogens prevalent in poultry meat: campylobacter, E.coli & salmonella.

The proposed innovation integrating sample collection, chemical-free enrichment, acousto-optic detection & seamless user presentation, is enabled only by the inter-disciplinary convergence of leading agri-scientists & engineers with poultry producers & industry informers. The overarching objective is to enable earlier decision making by producers to instigate preventative control measures that minimise downstream cross-contamination, thereby decreasing foodborne disease incidence within the supply chain.

Project 5: Aquaculture of the great scallop: Field tests for rope-growing techniques

Partners: Scalloptech Limited; Portland Oystermen Limited

The project focuses on UK field testing of rope growing methods for the great scallop in the UK. The project will test variables affecting productivity of rope-growing techniques in order to (i) prove that it is a viable mode of production for large-scale commercial application; (ii) demonstrate the advantages of rope growing over current scallop aquaculture practices; and (iii) to optimise methodology for the implementation of the technique.

The output of the project is intended to be data and know-how which will form the basis of a model to generate funding for commercial exploitation of such methods.

One project is examining the feasibility of rearing scallops on ropes

Project 6: Novel low-viscosity wheats for distilling

Partners: The Scotch Whisky Research Institute, Rothamsted Research, Limagrain UK

A new collaboration between industry and academics has been funded which aims to utilise a novel non-GM approach to improve a major UK crop. The project, which involves Rothamsted Research and two industrial partners, The Scotch Whisky Research Institute and Limagrain UK, will run from 2015-2018. A successful outcome will demonstrate the potential to greatly accelerate development of novel varieties of crops for different end uses.

A novel variety of wheat could be used for whisky distillation among other things

Project 7: Lobster Grower 2 - Assessing the technical, economic and environmental potential for a novel candidate aquaculture species

Partners: The National Lobster Hatchery; University of Exeter; West Country Mussels; CEFAS; Falmouth University

Support from the Agri-tech Catalyst has been secured for a 36-month project, addressing fundamental food security challenges by examining novel angles to expand aquaculture; to include a species not currently exploited, the European lobster. This species commands the highest value (by volume) of any species landed in the UK and exhibits a significant supply deficit. Sea-based culture, in containers (SBCC) exhibits the potential for a low-carbon form of rearing with no feed costs.

The project will use containers specifically designed for the species, developed in an early stage project, to assess performance and develop holistic application of SBCC systems. The project will run a pilot scale lobster farm to gather practical, operational, environmental, biological, engineering, economic and social data that can be used to develop an essential tool to encourage and inform future investment. The consortium will be led by the National Lobster Hatchery and consists of two SMEs, two HEIs and a government agency.

Project 8: Innovative plant breeding & phenotyping technologies to reduce nutrient requirement of forages and improve livestock production efficiency

Partners: Germinal Holdings; Aberystwyth University

A major challenge facing the UK livestock centre is the need to fulfil the increasing demand for meat and milk products whilst reducing the environmental impact of production. This project will apply innovative plant genetics and breeding approaches to the development of improved varieties of perennial ryegrass and white clover with increased nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and deliver environmental and economic benefits to primary producers and wider society.

It will also deliver commercial return to the seed company Germinal Holdings Ltd., who will market the improved varieties. The project will use the National Plant Phenotyping Centre in Aberystwyth as a bridge between studies in flowing solution culture and in the field and to develop high throughput technologies for the effective screening of new plant varieties with improved NUE in the glasshouse and in the field.

Project 9: Improving female fertility and calf survival in the UK beef industry

Partners: British Limousin Cattle Society, SRUC

Fertile suckler beef cows and low calf mortality are essential for profitable beef production systems. To improve cow fertility and calf survival, national data will be used to develop genomic breeding values for fertility and survival.

Genomic selection is a novel breeding tool, which increases the rate of genetic improvement for traits that have traditionally been difficult to improve, such as fertility and survival. As a result, the overall efficiency of the UK beef industry can be improved as cows will be more fertile and produce more calves in their lifetime and more calves will survive.

This will increase production, but just as important do it in a sustainable way that ultimately will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions per kg beef produced. This project is innovative as beef genomics is still in its infancy and there are currently no breeding tools available for the genetic improvement of survival.

Project 10: Benchmark scenario planning in primary production: creating sustainable change

Partners: Syngenta Limited; AGCO Limited; AGCO Zambia Limited; University of Southampton; Aberystwyth University

Across the world we face growing issues of food security and nutrition. Agri-science is one of the eight great technologies where the UK can link research strength to practical application to farming practices and the food industry.

This project focuses on improving outcomes in primary production, and hence food security, by using advanced technologies to facilitate efficiency benchmarking for both productivity and environmental performance. The hypothesis we will investigate is that historic data patterns can be used to support farmers' decision making, a positive impact on global food security in a sustainable way.

High resolution data measurements will be evaluated in large scale and smallholder agriculture at locations in Zambia and the UK. Syngenta, AGCO, the University of Aberystwyth and the University of Southampton are working with other academic and international development organisations to deliver the project.

Project 11: Building genomic breeding pyramids for Indian cattle

Partners: Tropical Animal Genetics Private Limited (TAG); University of Edinburgh

The objective of this project is to increase the incomes of resource-poor, including landless, dairy farmers in India by establishing a process of continuing genetic gain. This will be achieved by developing a breeding pyramid to offer routinely to farmers first-cross heifers between Holstein and Sahiwal.

This will be achieved through two innovations: the first, to establish specialist producers of heifer calves produced following embryo transfer; the second, to use DNA technology to establish reciprocal recurrent genomic selection (RRGS) for both Holstein and Sahiwal parents to maximize the productivity of the crossbred.

This will capture in a sustainable structure the hybrid vigor in productivity of the crossbred in both yield and fitness for the production environment. The direct benefits will be obtained by the women of the household as they are typically responsible for the dairying activity and receive the income from it. In addition the scheme will diversify the sector and secure the indigenous breed resources.

Agri-Tech Catalyst Round 4 – Early Stage

Project 1: Feasibility study to develop technology for predicting wheat yield

Partners: Selex ES; SOYL

The collaborative project between Selex ES and SOYL will test the feasibility of developing new technology for predicting wheat yield using a wide range of data including remotely sensed information describing the crop and soil. The project is highly innovative as it seeks to produce the first commercially viable yield prediction service that not only predicts yield, but also identifies the key factors expected to limit yields.

New applications for remote sensing technologies will be developed and innovative techniques for integrating a wide range of data types will be employed. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to produce a decision support tool that enables more efficient operating practices for a wide range of clients within the wheat industry.

Project 2: Development and validation of a system for automatic detection of lameness in sheep

Partners: University of Nottingham; Intel UK; Farm Wizard

This project seeks to address the challenge of sheep lameness, a predominant cause of both poor productive and reproductive performance on sheep farms costing industry around £80 million a year. Lameness control relies on early detection and treatment of lame sheep yet there are no suitable/optimal tools for lameness detection. The project proposes to develop and test validity of a system for automatic lameness detection in sheep.

Project 3: Vaccine diluent improvement for ECF-ITM

Partners: GALVmed, CTTBD, Arecor Ltd

This project represents a unique opportunity to translate British technology and expertise from the human health sector into livestock disease control in the developing world context. The project focuses on East Coast Fever (ECF), a major constraint on small-holder cattle production in East, Central and Southern Africa.

An effective vaccine, ECF-ITM, currently exists for the disease but it has a number of important drawbacks that affect its use in the field. This project will trial the use of novel formulations as a replacement for the ECF-ITM vaccine diluent. Success in the project will deliver important ECF-ITM vaccine product enhancements, notably vaccine stability.

This will afford far greater mobility and flexibility to ECF vaccinators resulting in an estimated 300,000 additional cattle being effectively immunised per year. This will be a notable development in the sustainable intensification of small-holder cattle production in the region.

Project 4: Aphid-resistant wheat for the smallholder farmer in Africa

Partners: Rothamsted Research; Seed-Co Ltd

Seed-Co are the largest seed company in Africa, operating in 13 countries in Eastern, Central, Western and Southern Africa and have developed varieties suitable for different environmental conditions as well as for the smallholder farmer, therefore any pest resistance traits will benefit farmers in Africa and further afield.

Smallholder farmers face difficult challenges in protecting their crops against pests and diseases in these countries. Aphid pests can cause severe damage and yield losses to wheat. This project will identify wheat lines which show resistance to aphids, which can be bred into wheat varieties suitable to be grown in rain-fed, low-potential environments, thereby safeguarding the yield of smallholder farmers and reducing the reliance on expensive and environmentally unfriendly pesticides. By doing this we hope to contribute to the food and income security of the African smallholder farmer.

Project 5: Application of general repellents against agricultural pests

Partners: Russell IPM Ltd; Russell IPM Bangladesh Ltd; Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural Uni; East Malling Research; Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich

General semiochemical repellents are widely used for protecting humans and livestock from attacks by arthropod pests in developing and developed countries, but they have been little explored or used for crop protection. The aim of this project is to prove the concept that volatile, repellent chemicals can be used to reduce the damage caused to agricultural crops by a range of insect pests.

This could provide a widely-applicable new approach to management of crop pests that reduces the use of conventional pesticides and is compatible with integrated pest management and sustainable agricultural intensification. The approach is applicable in both developed and developing countries.

The project will be a collaboration between a UK SME, Russell IPM, two UK research institutes, East Malling Research and the Natural Resources Institute, and an SME, Russell IPM Bangladesh, and university, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, in Bangladesh

Project 6: Pan-specific vaccine to control Streptococcus agalactiae disease in tilapia aquaculture

Partners: Moredun Research Institute, Benchmark Animal Health Ltd.

As the world population grows and becomes more affluent, an increasing number of people include protein in their diet. Aquaculture is the fastest growing source of animal protein and a major source of income in Asia, South America and Africa.

Tilapia is a popular fish, both with farmers and consumers, but disease can cause massive losses on tilapia farms. Streptococcus agalactiae, which can affect tilapia as well as people, is a major cause of such losses. Currently, antibiotics are commonly used to combat this problem. This is not sustainable because of the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

As an alternative, we propose to develop a vaccine that would protect fish from all types of S. agalactiae that affect them. This project brings together scientific expertise in the area of fish disease and vaccine development and commercial expertise in vaccine production and distribution. Jointly, the partners aim to provide the global aquaculture industry with effective and affordable tools for sustainable disease control.

Project 7: Early attractants for the major new fruit pest, Drosophila suzukii; a 'super lure'

Partners: Berry Garden Growers; Real IPM; East Malling Research; University of Greenwich

The UK fruit industry is under continual pressure from the introductions of non-native pests and diseases. This project will aim to better monitor and time pesticide application against a highly damaging soft and stone fruit pest, Drosophila suzukii. It will achieve this by developing a more species specific attractant for future use in monitoring traps and, eventually, control technologies.

 tag:www.gov.uk,2005:PublicationesquePresenter/338916 2016-09-12T09:00:00+01:00 2016-09-19T11:18:19+01:00 Notice: SBRI funding competition: metal detection for fast parcels Businesses can apply for a share of £150,000 to develop a device that detects metallic threat items in fast parcel depots.
Updated: Added the registration link

The Home Office is to invest up to £150,000 in innovation projects to develop a metal detector that works in fast parcel depots.

The aim of this competition is to fund the development of techniques for detecting the metal in threat items including firearms, their components and ammunition. The system must activate an alarm. The device should be suitable for use with the conveyor belts used at fast parcel depots.

Proposals should either:

modify existing equipment to activate an alarm when threat items are detected

develop novel techniques that will activate an alarm when threat items are detected

We expect projects to range in size from total costs of £30,000 to £50,000 (excluding VAT). All contracts must be completed by 31 March 2017.

If you are a business, you can carry out the project on your own or you can work with others via subcontracts.

The competition opens on 19 September 2016.

You must register before noon on 5 October 2016.

You must apply before noon on 12 October 2016.

Attend the application clinic event.

Register and apply.

Not right for your innovation project? View other Innovate UK funding competitions.


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City officials tout new businesses as examples of reuse
December 22, 2013
MARTINSBURG — During the recent ribbon cutting for the new Martinsburg Executive Center and Martinsburg Storage, City Councilman Roger Lewis thanked the developers for their investment in the city....
"the IRS is a federal agency. Also, if my former commuting partner who was a CPA working for them is an example, they are trained to be aggressive. Finally had to stop commuting with him. His mindset was that he was part of the corporate world and every dollar more he could collect was like profit. No altruism or such with him and I guess many others."
So you do not like the pributt bidness mindset.
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Storage Wars -- WV style.
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The evidence room again ? How much will this deputy be fined ?
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I'd like to store myself, and then be thawed out in 2525 to see the future.
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Self-storage was nowhere in the ordinance for the city at all until C&D Assets applied to have it added to the ordinance. Believe it or not when something is not classified at all in our ordinanace it is a problem. C&D Assets at least got it in the ordinance with a special exception. That means the city officials can regulate this type of business now that it's in the ordinance.
I personally condone this business for their effort in taking yet another run down building in our city limits and bringing it back to life. There are many buildings around this town that are getting run down and nothing being done to them. This company has revitalized a part of our city, which I believe this new business will add to the beautification of the Raleigh St extension. Obviously the people complaining are not concerned about the greater good of the city and most likely are not the people out here making efforts to make this a better place for businesses to be and homeowner's to live.
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"Self-storage businesses were not allowed in community business districts. C&D Assets requested that self-storage businesses be allowed in community business districts through a special exception to the zoning ordinance."
Looks like laws are made to be broken for certain individuals. Aren't special exceptions special.
And the mayor says...Stop eating my sesame seed cake.
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Showing 6 of 6 comments

subset: commoncrawl


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Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste and the Santa Clarita City Council cordially invite the community to meet the city's new Assistant Fire Chief Bill Niccum at a special open house at City Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 22 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Free and open to the public, the open house will be held in the Century Room on the first floor City Hall at 23920 Valencia Blvd., Valencia 91355.
Niccum has strong ties to Santa Clarita, having attended Saugus Elementary, Hart High School and College of the Canyons.
He purchased his first home in Newhall and is pleased return to work in Santa Clarita as the assistant fire chief.
"It is a pleasure to work in Santa Clarita and to serve with the many dedicated men and women of the local fire stations," Niccum said. "I am looking forward to serving this community as the assistant fire chief."
The meet and greet open house is an opportunity for the community to meet Assistant Chief Niccum.
There will be information and displays about fire safety programs, including the "Ready! Set! Go!" program, which details important steps families can take to protect themselves in the event of a fire.
For more information about the open house, call (661) 255-4939.
To learn more about the "Ready! Set! Go!" program, visit the Los Angeles County Fire Department's website at fire.lacounty.gov.


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DeLand, Fla. - The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) unveiled its Scholar All-America and Scholar All-Region Teams for the 2011 season earlier this week and the high achievements of Stetson men's soccer individuals on the field and in the classroom were prominently recognized. Junior defender Luis Ocejo (Mexico City, Mexico) and senior midfielder Gonzalo de Mujica (Buenos Aires, Argentina) were named Third Team Scholar All-Americans and First Team All-South Region Scholars while senior forward Joakim Helland (Bergen, Norway) earned All-South Region Honorable Mention.
Ocejo, a Finance major, and de Mujica, an International Business major, advanced to the national Scholar All-America squad on the strength of their First Team All-South accolades. The Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Atlantic Sun Hatters team captain, respectively, the duo were both named to the NSCAA All-South Region Third Team earlier this month purely for on-field reasons. Ocejo anchored a Stetson back line that registered six shutouts in 19 matches while scoring two goals and handing out three assists. De Mujica ranked second on the team in scoring (behind only NSCAA Third Team All-American and A-Sun Player of the Year Jonathan Mendoza) with 17 points on five goals and seven assists.
Helland, also a Finance major, was Stetson's fourth-leading scorer with five goals and two assists in 2011. He played in all 19 matches with 11 starts up top and was instrumental in Stetson's 10-match unbeaten streak to end the year that will carry over into the 2012 campaign. The Hatters went 10-5-4 overall and 6-1-1 in A-Sun action, finishing second in the league standings.
These three scholar-athletes helped lead a team-wide scholar effort that made Stetson a NSCAA All-Academic Team earlier this month for the second year in a row. Ocejo and de Mujica were the only Scholar All-Americans from the Atlantic Sun Conference; Stetson's three Scholar All-South honorees led all A-Sun institutions.
FACEBOOK - Stetson Athletics (facebook.com/stetsonhatters); TWITTER - @StetsonSID (twitter.com/stetsonsid)


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text:
ILO identifies climate change as a strategic challenge ahead
13 June
2008: The International Labour Organization's (ILO) Conference convened for its
ninety-seventh session from 28 May-3 June in Geneva, Switzerland. In a report
submitted to the Conference entitled
"Decent Work, Some Strategic Challenges Ahead," ILO Director-General Juan Somavia recognizes that, although the
organization does not have a mandate on climate change per se, the changes in the economy will impact employment.
In the report, the
Director-General outlines the ILO's work in this area, from environmental
crisis reconstruction to green jobs and sustainable
enterprises. In addition, the Report
to the Conference for the year 2007–08 highlights the Green Jobs
Initiative, which aims to link development and job creation to environmental
sustainability. The Report also indicates that in 2007, the ILO began
offsetting carbon emissions associated with official ILO air travel. [Decent
Work: Some Strategic Challenges Ahead] [ILO programme implementation


text:
With almond trees blooming and rain looming, farmers are scrambling to find bee's to pollenate their crops.
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text:
Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestinians were halted in early October after the expiration of the ten-month moratorium on settlement construction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far not accepted Obama administration incentives to extend the moratorium for two months. The administration is now scrambling to avoid the collapse of the peace talks, and struggling with a dilemma it helped create by launching a peace process "without having a solution wired for the expiration of the settlement moratorium," says Michele Dunne, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment and editor of the Arab Reform Bulletin. Dunne believes Netanyahu is looking for a way to renew the moratorium, but his recent offer a two-month settlement freeze if Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state is "less a serious proposal than an attempt to show that the Palestinians are the intransigent party."
President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority went to the Arab League over the past weekend to vent his unhappiness with the peace talks, which are at a standstill. What was the result of that meeting?
There were two Arab League meetings last week. One was the foreign ministers meeting, and that was followed by a summit. The Arab League summit dutifully ignored this issue, but the foreign ministers meeting did take up the Israeli-Palestinian issue. What they said in a statement was that they were supporting Abbas' decision not to return to talks unless Israeli settlement activity is stopped, and the foreign ministers urged the United States to pursue efforts to persuade Israel to stop settlement activity. They decided to meet again in a month to revisit the issue.
Are the Arabs seeking a permanent freeze or just a one- to two-month suspension?
At this point they're taking their cue from Abbas. If the Israeli prime minister were to agree to renew the settlement moratorium--which is not a full freeze but imposes some significant limits on settlement building--that would last sixty to ninety days, Abbas would return to the direct talks and he would ask the Arab League to endorse that.
What did you make of Netanyahu's offer for a two-month settlement freeze if the Palestinians recognize Israel as a "Jewish state"?
Netanyahu has raised this idea in various forums in recent months. On the face of it, he is attempting to get a concession out of the Palestinian leadership on the refugee issue--specifically, an understanding that no matter how the issue is resolved, it will not involve the return of a significant number of Palestinians to their pre-1948 homes in what is now Israel--before actual negotiations take place on that issue. I doubt Abbas would make that deal even if a large-scale and long-term settlement freeze were on the table, and what Netanyahu is offering is much less than that. Therefore this is less a serious proposal than an attempt to show that the Palestinians are the intransigent party.
The Israeli cabinet has just adopted a proposed law that any new non-Jewish immigrant has to pledge loyalty to the "Jewish state." The discussion about a new settlement freeze seems to be on the back burner right now, although Netanyahu is obviously under a lot of pressure from Obama to extend it.
Correct, and Obama apparently has offered Netanyahu a package of U.S. guarantees or pledges about positions the United States would take on various things in exchange for a moratorium of some sixty days. We're seeing various things surface in the Israeli press about the positions of different members of Netanyahu's coalition, in particular the Shas party and Yisrael Beiteinu [headed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman]. Regarding the citizenship loyalty pledge that the cabinet approved, it has to go to the Knesset. I think Netanyahu had promised Lieberman from the beginning that he would support that kind of an action, at least within the cabinet. It's hard to know whether this could be part of some kind of a deal. The impression that's being created is that Netanyahu is working with the members of his cabinet, who are more to the right than he is, to get them to agree to, say, a sixty-day settlement moratorium. I don't know whether moving forward on this loyalty pledge could be part of a deal with them.
If something happens positively in the peace talks--like a new moratorium for two months--that would benefit President Obama and Democrats in the midterm elections. But how much can be accomplished in such a short period, particularly since Obama seems to be promising Netanyahu that he will only press for a two-month extension in the settlement freeze?
The fact that this summit--which was attended by Netanyahu, Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and Jordanian King Abdullah II--was held in early September had a lot to do with the U.S. domestic political calendar. Obama certainly wanted to create the impression that he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page and were cooperating to move the peace process forward. The idea was to make it look as though Obama was having some success in foreign policy and certainly was not having any strong differences with Israel. Now, unfortunately, the fact that the administration went ahead with that summit and the launch of the talks without having a solution wired for the expiration of the settlement moratorium has really created a bit of a mess for the administration because, as you say, it looks as though they launched these talks with great fanfare only to have them collapse three and a half weeks later because of a problem that everyone knew was there--the expiring settlement moratorium.
Let's jump to the Arab League foreign ministers' meeting. Why did Abbas have to go to the Arab League foreign ministers? That's sort of unusual, isn't it?
He has now done this several times. His new modus operandi is to go to the Arab League. The basic reason is the extreme weakness of the Palestinian position and of Abbas's own position. Because of the divisions between Fatah and Hamas, with the Palestinian political house divided internally, he feels he needs Arab state support to show that he is not taking decisions totally on his own. There certainly are accusations by Hamas and others that he cannot really speak for the Palestinians now with authority. So he is trying to bolster his position by having Arab states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Jordan standing behind him. I also think it's a bit of a way to bolster his standing vis-a-vis the United States and the international community. He and the Palestinian Authority have become completely dependent on international political and financial support. There is a danger inherent in this, of course, that he has given away the independence of Palestinian decision-making, which was something that his predecessor Yasser Arafat fought very hard for.
Some commentators, like CFR's Elliot Abrams, have noted that the Palestinians have a functioning West Bank government, headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, and they could morph into their own state, and that in fact Fayyad has a plan for a Palestinian state. Is there any realistic possibility of the Palestinians just announcing they now have a state?
After the Arab League summit, Saeb Erekat, one of the lead negotiators on the Palestinian side, said that the Palestinians discussed with the Arab foreign ministers alternative courses of action should there not be renewed or successful peace talks. And he outlined a couple of possibilities. One of them was that the Palestinians would ask the United States to recognize the existence of a Palestinian state along the 1967 "green line" [borders] for the West Bank and Gaza. Another variation on that would be that they would ask the UN Security Council to recognize the same thing--a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines. I don't know how realistic they are. Frankly, I think the Palestinians at this point are trying to use them as threats. They're desperately trying to find something they can use to press the Israelis. This is something that Fayyad has talked about since he launched his plan for building the institutions of a Palestinian state in August 2009, that the Palestinians would somehow go to the international community and ask for recognition of the state.
You are leaving the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy's website and entering another Carnegie global site.
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text:
Yeti Bikes Overview
Yeti Cycles is a boutique US mountain bike company that have been crafting high end, specialist cross country and all mountain, free-ride and downhill mountain bikes for over twenty years. Yeti bikes are instantly identifiable by their distinctive turquoise colour and 'Yeti Man' logo. Made famous by the likes of mountain biking legend John Tomac, Yeti Cycles continue to be in the vanguard of off-road cycling innovation. Yeti Cycles offer a suite of exceptionally designed and engineered models that cover the full spectrum of mountain biking.
2014 Yeti 29er Mountain Bikes:
ARC Carbon.
2014 Yeti 26" Dual Suspension Mountain Bikes:
SB66, SB66 Carbon, SB66 Comp, 303 WC.
2014 Yeti 27.5 Dual Suspension Mountain Bikes:
2014 Yeti 29er Dual Suspension Mountain Bikes:
SB95 Carbon, SB95, SB95 Comp.
2013 Mountain Bikes
Yeti DJ.
2013 Mountain Dual-Suspension Bikes
Yeti SB66 C, Yeti SB66, Yeti 575, ASR-5 C, Yeti 303 WC.
2013 29er Bikes
Yeti ARC C, Yeti Bigtop 29R.
2013 29er Dual-Suspension Bikes
Yeti SB95 C, Yeti SB95.
2012 Yeti Cycles Cross Country Bikes
Yeti ARC, Yeti ASR-C.
2012 Yeti Cycles Trail Bikes
Yeti AS-R 5 Alloy, Yeti ASR-5 Carbon, Yeti 575, Yeti SB-66 Alloy, Yeti SB-66 Carbon.
2012 Yeti Cycles Gravity Bikes
Yeti Dirt Jumper, Yeti Four Cross, Yeti 303-WC.


text:
ALTHOUGH the African National Congress (ANC) faces the "real prospect" of losing support in next year's elections, President Jacob Zuma remains an "electoral asset" for the party, says an analyst.
Richard Calland, an associate professor in public law at the University of Cape Town, also told members of the Cape Town press club on Thursday that violence could be part of future elections amid increasing political competition.
He dismissed the chances of Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Mamphela Ramphele's Agang SA in the election, saying Dr Ramphele had made a "bad mistake" by joining formal politics. While the ANC was expected to win next year's elections, speculation was that its share of the vote would drop. Earlier this month, financial services group Nomura predicted that the ANC would lose up to 10% (from 65.9% to 56.2%) of its votes to the Democratic Alliance (DA), Agang and the EFF.
Prof Calland, who was speaking about his new book, The Zuma Years: SA's Changing Face of Power, said the polls will be the most competitive to date. There was a "serious prospect" of the DA accumulating up to 30% of the vote.
"We can be critical of Mr Zuma, but in the last two elections he has saved them. Remember that in 2009 in eight of the nine provinces of the country, the popular support of the ANC went down on average 8% but in KwaZulu-Natal, the most populous province, it went up 16% and similar figures in 2011 … meaning that in 2009 the ANC's decline was about 4% ... Zuma saved them and will he do so again? Perhaps".
But Prof Calland criticised Mr Zuma's leadership saying he "just does not read", which was one of his major weaknesses. He said Mr Zuma was "in many ways, the embodiment of anti-intellectualism".
"He does not read policy documents, Cabinet briefs and the stuff that is the meat and drink of modern, sophisticated government".
He compared him with former president Thabo Mbeki, who "kept Cabinet ministers on their toes because he read everything, possibly too much".
Prof Calland also said despite Mr Zuma being popular in KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC should "expect some serious declines" in the rest of the country. But Agang and the EFF were unlikely to get more than 3% of the vote each, he said. "Malema is very difficult to predict.…. He is a very charismatic and talented young man, and could take votes from the ANC, in township areas. He will go to areas where ANC leaders will not go; you would think he would do 2% or 3%, which will damage the ANC".
On Agang, Prof Calland said Dr Ramphele — with whom he worked at the now-defunct think-tank Idasa — did not have the "skills" to run a political party, a factor that could cost her in the polls.
"We all regret the loss of her as an independent voice that speaks with absolute authority and courage. I do not think she has the discipline or the skills, the attributes and the personality to run a political party.… I fear that Agang will not do well. I will be surprised if they got more than 2% or 3% of the vote".


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Don't you just love it when a multimillion dollar athlete let's a lot of hype get to his head and he says things that aren't necessarily true? Well, that is the case with Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers.
In a recent article, Chalmers went on record to say that he's definitely a Top-10 point guard in the NBA and he doesn't think that Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in the NBA.
I agree with Chalmers' assessment of Rondo, however, I'm not so sure I believe him when he says he's a Top-10 NBA point guard.
When I think of NBA point guards, first I think of the standouts. That's usually Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose, Los Angeles Clippers Chris Paul, Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams, San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker, Rondo, Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers Steve Nash, Washington Wizards John Wall, Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving, Minnesota Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio, Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Conley, and even Milwaukee Bucks' Brandon Jennings.
There are still guys out there like Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans and Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry.
All in all, Chalmers might crack the Top-20 list, but there's no way right now in this stage of his career that he's a Top-10 point guard. Yes he may have just won a ring with the Heat, but if you watch the fourth quarter or most quarters in their games, LeBron James or Dwayne Wade are usually the two players dribbling the ball down the court, not Chalmers.
Maybe Chalmers has a huge season coming up in October, but for now he'll still be known as a role player to the "Big three" of the Heat.


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After years of trying to discipline him, the leaders of al-Qaida's North African branch sent one final letter to their most difficult employee. In page after scathing page, they described how he didn't answer his phone when they called, failed to turn in his expense reports, ignored meetings and refused time and again to carry out orders.
Most of all, they claimed he had failed to carry out a single spectacular operation, despite the resources at his disposal.
The employee, international terrorist Moktar Belmoktar, responded the way talented employees with bruised egos have in corporations the world over: He quit and formed his own competing group. And within months, he carried out two lethal operations that killed 101 people in all: one of the largest hostage-takings in history at a BP-operated gas plant in Algeria in January, and simultaneous bombings at a military base and a French uranium mine in Niger just last week.
The al-Qaida letter, found by The Associated Press inside a building formerly occupied by their fighters in Mali, is an intimate window into the ascent of an extremely ambitious terrorist leader, who split off from regional command because he wanted to be directly in touch with al-Qaida central. It's a glimpse into both the inner workings of a highly structured terrorist organization that requires its commanders to file monthly expense reports, and the internal dissent that led to his rise. And it foreshadows a terrorism landscape where charismatic jihadists can carry out attacks directly in al-Qaida's name, regardless of whether they are under its command.
Rudolph Atallah, the former head of counterterrorism for Africa at the Pentagon and one of three experts who authenticated the 10-page letter dated Oct. 3, said it helps explain what happened in Algeria and Niger, both attacks that Belmoktar claimed credit for on jihadist forums.
"He's sending a message directly north to his former bosses in Algeria saying, 'I'm a jihadi. I deserve to be separate from you.' And he's also sending a message to al-Qaida, saying, 'See, those bozos in the north are incompetent. You can talk to me directly.' And in these attacks, he drew a lot of attention to himself," says Atallah, who recently testified before Congress on Belmoktar's tactics.
Born in northern Algeria, the 40-something Belmoktar, who is known in Pentagon circles by his initials MBM, traveled to Afghanistan at the age of 19, according to his online biography. He claims he lost an eye in battle and trained in al-Qaida's camps, forging ties that would allow him two decades later to split off from its regional chapter.
Over the years, there have been numerous reports of Belmoktar being sidelined or expelled by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. The letter recovered in Timbuktu, one of thousands of pages of internal documents in Arabic found by the AP earlier this year, shows he stayed loyal to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, until last year, and traces the history of their difficult relationship.
The letter, signed by the group's 14-member Shura Council, or governing body, describes its relationship with Belmoktar as "a bleeding wound," and criticizes his proposal to resign and start his own group.
"Your letter ... contained some amount of backbiting, name-calling and sneering," they write. "We refrained from wading into this battle in the past out of a hope that the crooked could be straightened by the easiest and softest means. ... But the wound continued to bleed, and in fact increasingly bled, until your last letter arrived, ending any hope of stanching the wound and healing it."
They go on to compare their group to a towering mountain before raging storms and pounding waves, and say Belmoktar's plan "threatens to fragment the being of the organization and tear it apart limb by limb."
They then begin enumerating their complaints against Belmoktar in 30 successive bullet points.
"Abu Abbas is not willing to follow anyone," they add, referring to him by his nom de guerre, Khaled Abu Abbas. "He is only willing to be followed and obeyed."
First and foremost, they quibble over the amount of money raised by the 2008 kidnapping of Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler, the highest-ranking United Nations official in Niger, and his colleague. Belmoktar's men held both for four months, and in a book he later published, Fowler said he did not know if a ransom was paid.
The letter says they referred the case to al-Qaida central to force concessions in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, a plan stymied when Belmoktar struck his own deal for 700,000 euros (about $900,000) for both men. That's far below the $3 million per hostage that European governments were normally paying, according to global intelligence unit Stratfor.
"Rather than walking alongside us in the plan we outlined, he managed the case as he liked," they write indignantly. "Here we must ask, who handled this important abduction poorly? ... Does it come from the unilateral behavior along the lines of our brother Abu Abbas, which produced a blatant inadequacy: Trading the weightiest case (Canadian diplomats!!) for the most meager price (700,000 euros)!!"
The complaint reflects how al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, initially considered one of the group's weaker wings, rose to prominence by bankrolling its operation with an estimated $89 million raised by kidnapping-for-ransom foreign aid workers and tourists. No less than Osama bin Laden endorsed their business model, according to documents retrieved in the terror leader's hideout in Pakistan.
The letter also confirms for the first time that payments from European governments went directly toward buying arms to carry out attacks against Western targets, as long speculated by experts. The council chides Belmoktar for not following this practice.
"(The chapter) gave Abu Abbas a considerable amount of money to buy military material, despite its own great need for money at the time. ... Abu Abbas didn't participate in stepping up to buy weapons," the letter says. "So whose performance deserves to be called poor in this case, I wonder?"
The list of slights is long: He would not take their phone calls. He refused to send administrative and financial reports. He ignored a meeting in Timbuktu, calling it "useless." He even ordered his men to refuse to meet with al-Qaida emissaries. And he aired the organization's dirty laundry in online jihadist forums, even while refusing to communicate with the chapter via the Internet, claiming it was insecure.
Sounding like managers in any company, the Shura leaders accuse Belmoktar of not being able to get along with his peers. They charge that he recently went to Libya without permission from the chapter, which had assigned the "Libya dossier" to a rival commander called Abou Zeid. And they complain that the last unit they sent Belmoktar for backup in the Sahara spent a full three years trying to contact him before giving up.
"Why do the successive emirs of the region only have difficulties with you? You in particular every time? Or are all of them wrong and brother Khaled is right?" they charge.
The letter reveals the rifts not only between Belmoktar and his superiors, but also the distance between the local chapter and al-Qaida central. The local leaders were infuriated that Belmoktar was essentially going over their heads, saying that even AQIM has had few interactions with the mother brand in Pakistan and Afghanistan, a region they refer to by the ancient name of Khorasan.
"The great obstacles between us and the central leadership are not unknown to you. ... For example, since we vowed our allegiance, up until this very day, we have only gotten from our emirs in Khorasan just a few messages, from the two sheiks, bin Laden (God rest his soul) and Ayman (al-Zawahri)," they write. "All this, despite our multiple letters to them."
Belmoktar's ambition comes through clearly not only in the bitter responses of his bosses, but also in his own words: "Despite great financial resources ... our works were limited to the routine of abductions, which the mujahedeen got bored with."


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Bleeding Black and Gold: THROWBACK BEATDOWN
October 28, 2012 - Ray Eckenrode
The score: Pittsburgh 27, Washington 12
The headline: TO BEE, NOT TO BEE: Bumbling 'Skins can't match Steelers high-octane offense
The bottom line: There was a lot to like about the Steelers performance Sunday, but for the second straight week they won as much because of what the opponent didn't do (in this case, catch the football) than because of anything they did.
It was over when: … Robert Griffin III's desperation 4th-and-17 pass bounced in front of Santana Moss at the Steelers 7-yard-line with 4:17 left. The Redskins were put in that down-and-distance hole when Brett Kiesel, invisible for most of the day as he has been all season, sniffed about a tight end screen on first down.
Play of the day: Trailing 10-0, the Redskins looked to be getting back in the game late in the first quarter with a methodical drive that short circuited when wideout Leonard Hankerson dropped a sweet pass from RGIII in the end zone with 0:24 left. That was the first of at least seven – and maybe as many as 11 – drops by the Washington "receiving" corps.
Hot topics:
+ At the top of the list of things to like in that game is the play of Mike Adams at right tackle. Adams is still getting some chip help on pass protection, but not nearly as much as earlier in the year, and his run blocking Sunday was stellar, bordering on scary good.
+ Rising on that list is the play of Emmanuel Sanders, who has stayed healthy for probably the longest stretch of his career, and is showing he can make big plays, especially on third down, when teams are trying to cover Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.
+ Despite the obvious penalty that sprung (and brought back) Brown's TD return, Pittsburgh's special teams were better with Drew Butler especially shining with one booming punt that switched field position and another downed at the 1 that kept the Redskins from even thinking about trying to score at the end of the first half.
+ We don't like hot dogging, but we don't have a huge problem with Brown going in backwards on that ill-fated punt return because we know Brown well enough to know he's a guy that is truly exuberant about playing football rather than trying to draw attention to himself. It's still dumb, but we understand.
Game (mis)management: Nothing to note here this week for Mike Tomlin. Mike Shanahan, on the other hand, played the second half, both in terms of pace and playcalling, as if there were a fifth quarter scheduled.
In the booth: Billick's natural disdain for the Steelers showed through a few times (referring to the team as "them" numerous times, chiding fans for "crying" on an early play) but not to the point it deterred him from analyzing the game well. Honestly, he did a nice job. Sam Rosen, on the other hand, really struggled, missing calls and providing incorrect details (saying Pittsburgh had scored on every drive and also had a bye ahead) several times, sometimes multiple times.
Zebra hunting: Very clean, efficient game from Pete Morelli's crew, with really only one error (on the Keenan Lewis non-interception) and that was fixed. That end zone call drew a lot of heat on Twitter, but it all came from people who saw the replay in super slow mo. The play looked clean in live action.
A word from our sponsors:
+ Arian Foster has got a future after football in acting or TV. His work in those NFL Shop commercials is spot on.
+ Some future society studying the downfall of man is going to use those X Factor commercials as some pretty convincing evidence.
Sweet tweet: "@dougkeklak: Twitter is about to break in 5 minutes with the Steelers throwback uniforms taking the field." (Blogger's note: Prescient tweet. Also, I read more than 300 tweets about the uniforms, not one of them was funny.)
Next week: The Steelers travel to what's left of New Jersey to face the tough New York Football Giants and Brother Eli in a late Sunday afternoon special, NFC stadium means AFC telecast, which likely means Nantz and Simms. Oh goody.


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While the three candidates for the 80th District state House seat all lamented government waste and political greed Tuesday at a Blair County Tea Party forum, differences in their policies and style quickly emerged with the May 20 primary fast approaching.
The candidates - nurse and Republican Party officer Judy Ward and Hollidaysburg school board member Aaron Ritchey vying for the Republican spot; and veteran Jason Lynn running as an independent - took questions that leaned at times toward the conservative tilt of the 70-person crowd.
The three are vying to replace outgoing state Rep. Jerry Stern, R-Martinsburg, when he
retires after the November election.
"We're blessed to have three people running for this office," tea party president and forum moderator Andrew Katz said. "Think of the last time we had three people running for any office of any significance in this county."
Notified in advance of some of the general themes, the three addressed state labor legislation, Medicaid-expansion alternatives and legalized marijuana, among other topics.
Ritchey reminded the crowd of his tea party bona fides as he hailed coal power, dismissed calls for new Marcellus Shale drilling taxes and argued that "faith-based" health care is preferable to a heavier government hand in insurance.
"It's all about energy," he said of the national issues facing the district.
Ward, who directs health programs at her husband's family-owned Ward Transport and Logistics, named the Affordable Care Act as one of the area's most pressing political problems. Both Ward and Lynn cited Altoona-based doctor Zane Gates' community care system as an example for the state.
Ward called for an end to the state's prevailing-wage rules, which set minimum pay for certain contracted jobs, but took a more cautious stance when asked about bolder moves like a privatized prison system.
Lynn drew applause for his admonitions of both parties and his frank comments on politics.
"When I answer a question, I'm not a politician. You will not be getting a political answer," he said during his introduction. "You're hearing straight from a pissed-off veteran who's had enough."
Lynn diverged at times from his Republican opponents' positions - when Ward and Ritchey quickly dismissed the possibility of legalizing marijuana, as Colorado and Washington have done, he said: "Our prison system shouldn't be tied up with low-level marijuana offenders."
He argued for eliminating property taxes on primary residences, not replacing them with any new tax and for merging school districts into countywide units.
Ward noted that eliminating property taxes - a major source of funding for public schools - would leave more power in Harrisburg and less with local school boards.
All three criticized the perceived flow of funds from rural Pennsylvania to the "big three" - Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh - and blamed the City of Altoona for many of its own financial problems. The district covers most of Blair County outside the city and Logan Township.
While it appears the final race will include a Republican and at least one active independent, the fastest-approaching race is the May 20 primary between Ward and Ritchey. In a comment that could be a reference to Ward's seat on the Republican State Committee, Ritchey called himself a "true conservative," as opposed to an establishment Republican.
"If I become your state representative, we may not always agree," Ward told the tea party crowd shortly after. "But I promise to be open to new ideas and also have an open door."


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A local writer will sign copies of his recently released book in his hometown of Belington Saturday.
Philip Sharp's book, "Not in the Wind, Earthquake or Fire," is based on the journals he wrote while deployed in Iraq.
Sharp said it took him approximately three years to compile his writings into book form.
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Belington resident Philip Sharp will sign copies of his book 'Not in the Wind, Earthquake or Fire' at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Belington Library. The book comes from his journal writings during his deployment in Iraq. Profits from the book will be donated to veteran's organizations and wounded workers.
"Before I left for my deployment to Iraq in 2006, my wife gave me a journal to write in," Sharp said. "I didn't know it then, but this was the beginning of my record of a long deployment tour. Writing in my journal became one of my relieving pastimes. Time and again I would stare at the picture of my family and read the words my wife wrote to me. I would only read my Bible with more fervor. Inside the front cover she laminated a small family picture."
Sharp said when he first started writing the book, it was mostly from his memory. Then he went back to use his journals.
"An overwhelming number of books on the war come from analysts and not from someone who was there every day and on the ground," Sharp said. "I wanted to give light to the subject that readers would not normally see from a soldier's perspective."
Sharp said he named the book "Not in the Wind, Earthquake or Fire" after the story of Elijah.
"Elijah hid in a cave from people who were trying to find and kill him," Sharp said. " God told him to stand on a mountain in His presence for He was about to pass by. A strong wind crashed by but God was not in the wind. An earthquake shook but God was not in the earthquake. A fire came next, but God was not in the fire. Finally there was a gentle whisper. In this gentle whisper Elijah heard from God. While deployed there were moments that felt like winds, earthquakes and fires were all around me."
Sharp said he wanted those who read his book to see the lessons and parables.
"Regardless of what's going on around you, God is always there for you," Sharp said.
"I also wanted to be able to look back and see my reflections. It helped to write it down. There were not many places for sympathy while in Iraq."
Sharp said the profits from the book will be donated to veteran and wounded workers organizations. He will sign copies at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Belington Library.
"Not in the Wind, Earthquake, or Fire" is available from most online bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Amazon and CreateSpace.
Contact Beth Christian Broschart by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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