Case Summary:

“Given the tremendous growth of the wheat market worldwide, it is imperative to support researchers like [the client], who focuses on addressing the biotic factor affecting wheat production through sustainable management of wheat diseases such as wheat streak mosaic. Given the significance of wheat production worldwide, halting the continuation of [the client’s] research places the United States at a significant disadvantage.”

“[The client’s] research is of utmost importance in improving honey production by studying the seasonal activity of predatory wasps attacking honeybee Apis cerana Fab. colonies. In conclusion, [the client’s] innovative research is progressing the field, positively influencing the research of his peers, and providing innovative solutions for advancing the global honey market.”

These statements are excerpts from letters of support written for our client, an expert in the field of plant pathology from Nepal. His proposed endeavor was to work on implementing cutting-edge molecular plant disease diagnostic techniques to improve early detection and novel discovery of emerging and reemerging plant diseases. His work is relevant to food security, pest management, and applied entomology, as plant diseases have a significant impact on crop yields and quality, and is thus of great importance because it is especially important to efforts in optimizing agricultural models and plant genotyping technologies for increased crop yield and improved disease resistance, which is estimated to cost billions of dollars in damages to plants each year.

It is due to this that his work also has broad implications for the United States. For instance, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the production of crops, livestock, and seafood contributes over $300 billion annually to the national economy. Due to its clear national importance, his research has in fact been supported with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and the European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window.

He has been regularly invited to conduct peer reviews for authoritative journals in the field and has completed several reviews for prestigious journals. Given that only the most highly esteemed researchers in the field are invited to evaluate the work of their peers, especially in notable venues, it is clear that our client is seen as very knowledgeable in the field and an expert in topics related to his proposed endeavor.

His research has resulted in 13 peer-reviewed journal articles (9 of them first-authored), and 1 book which have been cited a total of 167 times. Thus, the client has provided independent researchers from around the world with useful approaches to the study of complex topics within the field of plant pathology. That other researcher consistently looks to his methods and findings to inform and guide their own studies helped indicate that he is well-positioned to make further useful discoveries in the field of plant pathology.

His work of twelve years in the field has added immensely to his expertise, which helped him win the approval in just 2 months and 7 days. We are glad to have helped him in this process and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.