Plant Biology Research and Training for the 21st Century (1992) / Chapter Skim
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2 FEDERAL MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
2 FEDERAL MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
Pages 21-36
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From page 21... ...
Agencies report expenditures and other data with different definitions of disciplines and without agreement about whether specific research programs are "basic" or "applied" and whether grants are "competitive" or "noncompetitive." Thus, the expenditure figures in this report are best estimates based on the committee's interpretations. The data describe a patchwork of funding for plant research in the United States from five federal agencies with different policies and practices.
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From page 22... ...
These are formula funding to State Agricultural Experiment Stations associated with land-grant colleges and universities, Special Research Grants that are either Congressionally earmarked to specific research programs or are awarded competitively, and competitive grants. Formula funding is commonly referred to as base support for agriculture experiment station scientists arid is spent largely at the discretion of individual AES directors.
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From page 23... ...
In response to our ~nqu~, USDA's Portent Research Information Service provided data on funding for plant research. In 198S, USDA allocated $300 million for its intramural program of research ~ plant sciences administered by the Agricultural Research Service.
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From page 24... ...
Of the total USDA avocation reported to the committee, 94% is non-competitively awarded to land grant colleges for support of intramural research by Agncultural Research Service (ARS) employees atop scientists at state agncul~ral experiment stations, and for special grants, often awarded at the direction of Congress.
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From page 25... ...
Competitively Awarded Research and Training Grants A distinctive feature of CSRS funding of plant biology at academic institutions is that most grants are allocated to selected institutions by formula rather than through open competition among scientists in all research laboratories. The program of the Competitive Research Grants Office (CRGO, now NRICGP)
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From page 26... ...
Plant Biology ~ the 21st Century ...
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From page 27... ...
The division uses a merit rewew system for decisions about awards of grants. After determining that a proposal meets basic standards of scientific meet, completeness, and compatibility with the DoE mission, agency project managers use DoE personnel and, in most cases, an ad hoc pane!
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From page 28... ...
provides about $70 million annually in support of plant-biology research. NSF is the largest federal provider of competitively awarded research grants in basic plant biology, and support for this area accounts for almost 25% of ah funds awarded by BBS.
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From page 29... ...
Included in this NSF support is more than $2 million for about 80 postdoctoral fellowships and approximately $500,000 for about 20 Presidential Youna ~vesi~gators who work on BAJA ~ ~^~4 -~- ~A___ ~ _ _ basic plant biology. ~ _ Some predoctoral fellowships in plant sciences are provided through the NSF Education Directorate.
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From page 30... ...
The Arabidops~s Genome Research Project is coorc~iT,ated under an interagency agreement among NSF, the NTH National Center for Human Genome Research, USDA, and DoE. In September 1991, USDA, DoE, and NSF signed an agreement to continue their joint program on collaborative research in plant biology.
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From page 31... ...
Lack of Focus on Plant Science as an Important Basic Biology Discipline Most of the federal funds that support research in the plaIlt sciences are allocated for programs that target practical problems rather than the understanding of basic plant processes. Biomedical research is directed toward practical questions, but NIH has emphasized basic biomedical research.
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From page 32... ...
There are exceptions, and some schools, both public aIld private, have highly effective research and training in the full range of biologic systems, including proka~yotic, fungal, plant, alla animal biology. Funding for Basic Plant-Biology Research is Insufficient The $131.2 million in federal money spent by a variety of entities In fiscal year 1990 on competitively awarded grants for basic plant-biology research is small compared with the mnount spent on many other federal scientific research program.
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From page 33... ...
In comparing basic plant biology with basic biomedicine, it is apparent that plant biology lacks a coherent program and adequate financial support for training and research. Total federal support for basic research In 1990 was $~.4 billion; about $5.2 billion went for basic life-science research (NSF, 1990c)
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From page 34... ...
Financial Support for Training in Plant Sciences is Inadequate and Undependable Funding for direct support of predoctoral and postdoctoral training in plant sciences is commonly inadequate and undependable. In 1984, $5 million was appropriated to establish the USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship Program, which enabled 302 students to enroll in a wide range of graduate degree programs; funding ceased in 1986.
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From page 35... ...
to provide adequate training for undergraduates who wish to pursue careers in plant research. Undergraduates often do not have the basic scientific training required to compete for entrance to the available graduate programs in basic biology.
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From page 36... ...
land grant universities and two private companies in 1989, has shown a cntical need for instruments, modern laboratory space, and consumable materials (NASULGC, 1989~. Although the study was intended to gauge the needs for agricultural biotechnology, we perceive its Finings to mirror a pervasive problem In all segments of plant science.
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