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Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
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Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×

2.

 

VALUE OF FOOD, FIBER, AND NATURAL-RESOURCES RESEARCH

 

21

   

 Economic Contributions,

 

22

   

 Rates of Return from Food and Fiber Research,

 

23

   

 Impacts of Advances in Life Sciences,

 

25

   

 Public-Sector and Private-Sector Research Funding,

 

26

3.

 

THE NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM

 

29

   

 Quality and Value,

 

30

   

 Measuring the Quality and Value of NRI-Supported Research,

 

31

   

 Novelty and Significance of Research,

 

35

   

 Fairness,

 

36

   

 The NRI Peer Review Process,

 

36

   

 Evaluation of NRI Peer Review Process,

 

38

   

 Relevance and Responsiveness,

 

39

   

 Summary Findings,

 

40

4.

 

ROLE AND SCOPE OF THE NRI PROGRAM

 

41

   

 Scientific Objectives,

 

42

   

 Applied versus Fundamental Research,

 

42

   

 Multidisciplinary Research,

 

59

   

 Training and Education,

 

45

   

 Developing Future Scientists,

 

45

   

 Strengthening Academic Institutions in the Food and Fiber System,

 

46

   

 Enhancing Public Understanding,

 

47

   

 Complementarity,

 

48

   

 Other USDA-Funded Research Programs,

 

48

   

 Intramural Research,

 

48

   

 Formula Funds,

 

49

   

 Special Grants,

 

49

   

 Other Competitive Grants in USDA,

 

50

   

 Complementarity of NRI in USDA,

 

51

   

 Other Federal Programs,

 

52

   

 National Science Foundation,

 

52

   

 National Institutes of Health,

 

53

   

 Department of Energy,

 

53

   

 Interagency Programs,

 

54

   

 Complementarity of NRI with other Federal Programs,

 

55

   

 Industry and the NRI,

 

56

   

 Summary Findings,

 

56

   

 Scientific Objectives,

 

56

   

 Training and Education,

 

56

   

 Complementarity,

 

57

Page xvii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×

5.

 

PRIORITIES AND PRIORITY-SETTING AT THE NRI

 

58

   

 Process,

 

59

   

 Overview of USDA Priority-Setting Process,

 

59

   

 NRI Priority-Setting Process,

 

59

   

 Analysis of NRI Priority-Setting Process,

 

60

   

 NRI Research Priorities,

 

61

   

 Funding History of the NRI’s Six Divisions,

 

61

   

 History of NRI Research Programs,

 

66

   

 Analysis,

 

66

   

 Research Opportunities,

 

69

   

 Summary Findings,

 

69

   

 Priority-Setting Process,

 

69

   

 Research Priorities,

 

71

6.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL AND FUNDING ISSUES

 

73

   

 Organizational Issues,

 

74

   

 Location in USDA,

 

74

   

 NRI Governance,

 

77

   

 Chief Scientist,

 

77

   

 Board of Directors,

 

78

   

 Organization,

 

78

   

 Funding Issues,

 

80

   

 Total NRI Funding,

 

80

   

 Size and Length of Grants,

 

81

   

 Overhead Rates,

 

84

   

 Summary Findings,

 

85

   

 Organization,

 

85

   

 Funding,

 

85

7.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

87

   

 The NRI’s Mission,

 

88

   

 Research Accountability,

 

89

   

 Priority-Setting and Organization,

 

90

   

 Funding,

 

97

   

 Summary of Recommendations,

 

100

 

 

Appendixes

 

 

   

A.   Section 1615 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990

 

103

   

B.   Survey on the US Department of Agriculture’s National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program

 

108

   

C.   External Views of the NRI

 

112

   

D.   Outline for Interviews (June 16, 1998) with USDA Professional Staff on Internal Workings of the NRI Program

 

141

Page xviii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×
Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×

Tables, Figures, and Boxes

TABLES

Table 2–1

 

Aggregate Returns on Public Investments in Agricultural Research and Extension

 

24

Table 4–1

 

NRI Support of Postdoctoral Researchers

 

46

Table 4–2

 

Skills and Items Affected by Acquired Grant

 

47

Table 5–1

 

Summary of Congressionally-Mandated High-Priority Research Areas (1990)

 

63

Table 5–2

 

NRI Research Divisions and Stakeholders’ Needs

 

64

Table 5–3

 

Committee’s List of Emerging Research Issues

 

70

Table 6–1

 

NRI Funding Levels, 1991 to 1998

 

81

Table 6–2

 

History of Funding for Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research in the USDA (in millions of dollars)

 

82

FIGURES

Figure 2–1

 

Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research Expenditures in the United States, 1960–1996

 

27

Figure 2–2

 

Research Expenditures by Food and Fiber Industries 1960 and 1996

 

28

Figure 5–1

 

Congressional Appropriations for NRI Divisions and Special Initiatives, 1991–1997

 

64

Figure 5–2

 

NRI Programs, 1987–1998 (Gantt Chart)

 

67

Figure 6–1

 

Organization of Research at the US Department of Agriculture

 

75

Figure 6–2

 

Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management

 

76

Figure 6–3

 

National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Organization

 

79

Figure 7–1

 

Recommended Organization of USDA Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area

 

93

Figure 7–2

 

Recommended Organization of USDA Extramural Competitive Research Service (New NRI)

 

96

BOXES

Box 3–1

 

Ethanol from Biomass: An Example of a Significant Scientific Advancement from NRI Research

 

32

Box 3–2

 

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome: An Example of a Significant Scientific Advancement from NRI Research

 

34

Box 3–3

 

Reduction in Fertilizer Use Profits Farmers and the Environment: An Example of NRI Research with Great Promise

 

35

Box 3–4

 

Rules and Guidelines for Panel Composition

 

37

Box 4–1

 

Is It Basic or Is It Applied?

 

43

Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
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Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×
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Page xvii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×
Page R17
Page xviii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×
Page R18
Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×
Page R19
Suggested Citation:"Table of Contents." National Research Council. 2000. National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9844.
×
Page R20
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National Research Initiative: A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research Get This Book
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Our nation faces daunting challenges to its food and fiber system and to the condition of our natural resources in the coming decades. Rapid increases in world population and the pressure on resources generated by increasing per capita consumption as a result of increasing per capita income challenge the very basis of our standard of living—our food, fiber, and natural-resource base. As the nation faces the challenges, new technologies and new information systems are changing the face of biologic research.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has traditionally been the nation's primary public research engine in food, fiber, and natural resources. The National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRI) is a small part of that USDA research effort, but it accounts for a substantial portion of the nation's merit-based peer-reviewed fundamental research efforts in food, fiber, and natural resources.

In 1997, USDA asked the National Research Council Board on Agriculture (now the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources) to conduct an independent assessment of the NRI program. Specifically, USDA asked the Research Council to: perform a retrospective assessment of the quality and value of research funded by the program; determine whether the science and technology priorities in the major NRI programs are defined appropriately; assess how NRI activities complement other USDA programs, those of other federal agencies, and state programs in the private sector; and recommend the nature and content of changes for the future.

This report summarizes the results of the committee's analysis. Chapter 2 summarizes the value of food, fiber, and natural resources-research to the United States, focusing on economic contributions and rates of return of food and fiber research. The committee's analysis of the quality, value, fairness, relevance, and responsiveness of the NRI competitive grants program is presented in chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents the committee's analysis of the role and scope of the NRI, including its scientific objectives, its value in training and education, and its complementarity with other research activities. The committee's analysis of NRI's priority-setting process and its research priorities is given in chapter 5. The committee's analysis of organizational and funding issues is given in chapter 6. Chapter 7 presents the committee's recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the NRI program. Additional supporting materials are found in appendixes A through I.

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