The Good Food Institute (GFI) has launched a $3 million competitive research grant program to encourage universities and others to pursue plant-based and clean meat research. This money will be awarded to projects led by scientists from around the world and from any sector to advance knowledge within the fields of plant-based and clean meat, GFI said in a statement.

GFI said plant-based and clean meat -- also known as cellular-based meat -- have become the “darlings of Silicon Valley,” attracting investments from the biggest names in tech and venture capital, from Bill Gates and Sergey Brin to DFJ, Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures. Even global meat giants Tyson, Cargill and Maple Leaf have backed plant-based and clean meat start-ups.

Despite its potential to revolutionize the food system and allow researchers to solve some of the world’s biggest problems – from climate change to antibiotic resistance – GFI estimates that less than 0.3% of the world’s universities are currently engaged in plant-based meat or clean meat research.

There have already been examples of universities having a major impact in the space. U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded research at the University of Missouri was key for the plant-based meat company Beyond Meat. Dr. Mark Post’s research at Maastricht University led to the first clean meat burger in 2013, followed by the formation of the clean meat company Mosa Meats.

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“There are so many interesting scientific questions to answer,” GFI director of science and technology Dr. David Welch said. “What are the best cell types and cell culture methods for clean meat production? Which crops produce the best plant-based meats and are best suited for growth in each region of the world? It’s a curious mind’s dream.”

Dr. Uma Valeti, co-founder of clean meat company Memphis Meats, made the move from medicine to meat to maximize his impact. “If I continued as a cardiologist, I might save maybe a few-thousand lives over the next 30 years, but if I am successful in helping to change the way meat is made, I could positively impact billions of human lives and trillions of animal lives.”

For more information about the competitive grants program, visit www.gfi.org/ResearchGrants. Proposals must be submitted by Nov. 21, 2018, and award recipients will be announced by January 2019.