Investing in the National Research Initiative An Update of the Competitive Grants Program in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1994) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix: Executive Summary from Investing in Research
Appendix: Executive Summary from Investing in Research
Pages 45-60
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From page 45... ...
The ability of the United States to resolve the spectrum of issues and related problems in agriculture nutrition, economics and international trade, production efficiency, natural resources conservation, control of pollutants, and others—depends on depth of knowledge, the available tools and technologies, and the skill and insight to apply them. The United States needs to invest in the future in human capital and the scientific knowledge base to revitalize and reinvigorate one of its leading industries, the agricultural, food, and environmental system, in its broadest sense.
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From page 46... ...
. Agricultural research is focusing on ways to produce leaner animals and to process nutritious foods with reduced levels of saturated fats and cholesterol.
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From page 47... ...
This fact is significant because accumulating evidence indicates that a growing number of contaminants from agricultural production are found in underground water supplies. Although research is being conducted in these areas, a major increase in support will be required to adequately investigate and apply new knowledge and technologies to curtail surface water and groundwater contamination.
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From page 48... ...
This increase should support competitive grants administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Competitive Research Grants Office.
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From page 49... ...
Animal Systems: cellular and molecular basis of animal reproduction, growth, disease, and health; identification of genes responsible for improved production traits and resistance to disease; improved nutritional performance of animals; and improved nutrient qualities of animal products. Nutrition, Food Quality, and Health: microbial contaminants and pesticide residues related to human health; links between diet and health; bioavailability of nutrients; postharvest physiology and practices; and improved processing technologies.
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From page 50... ...
Mission-linked multidisciplinary team grants should support multidisciplinary research focusing on more applied problems of national significance and should be linked to, among others, the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) , the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
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From page 51... ...
To deal with their inherent complexity and diversity, it is necessary to establish multidisciplinary grants and make them a major feature of the expanded program. Strengthening Institutions and Human Resources Research-strengthening grants to institutions and individuals should be a key component of an expanded competitive grants program.
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From page 52... ...
Agricultural research characteristically gives a high annual return on investment, more than 45 percent (Fox et al., 1987~. The contributions of research conducted within the competitive grants program will, in addition, bring advances not only to agriculture, food, and the environment but also to other scientific disciplines and other sectors of society.
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From page 53... ...
Research supported by the USDA's competitive grants program is narrow, covering only some of the six program areas recommended in this proposal. The proposed increase of $500 million would expand the current competitive grants program level of $50 million to an annual total of at least $550 million.
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From page 54... ...
From 1955 through 1988, research funding for USDA remained virtually stable in constant dollars, corrected for inflation. The purchasing power actually decreased, and higher costs are associated with the potent but costly instruments and supplies required by today's researchers.
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From page 55... ...
The competitive grants program will warrant status as an independent office within USDA's Office of Science and Education, setting its administrator on a par with the administrators of the Agricultural Research Service, Cooperative State Research Service, and Extension Service as the managers of USDA's science, education, and training activities. As the USDA competitive grants program grows from about $50 million to $550 million in annual awards, changes in administrative procedures and institutional relationships will be essential.
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From page 56... ...
Elected and public officials must reduce the national debt and at the same time set priorities among competing federal expenditures to enact programs that maintain the welfare, infrastructure, security, and continued economic growth of the United States. As a part of that they must also address public concerns for maintaining global competitiveness, the safety and nutritional quality of the food supply, and environmental resources.
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From page 57... ...
It also raises the real risk of destroying some of the "muscle" of current high-quality research in intramural and formula-funded research in attempts to cut out any "fat." Without some real growth in the USDA research budget, there can be no realistic opportunity to broaden the scope of science contributing to agricultural, food, and environmental research. Many of the new scientific opportunities that require costly supplies and instrumentation will have to remain unexplored, and few multidisciplinary research teams will be able to be formed to attack the multifaceted problems of competitiveness, food quality, and natural resources confronting agriculture.
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From page 58... ...
The United States is endowed with perhaps the world's most extensive and abundant complement of soils, water, and climate favorable for agricultural production. Still, several other countries have tremendous natural assets to draw upon in developing productive agricultural industries.
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From page 59... ...
1987. Balancing basic and applied science: The case for agricultural research.
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