Dr. Anna Palmisano Deputy Administrator- Competitive Programs Unit Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service

“To advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well being, and communities. ” Competitive Programs supports mission relevant, high priority research and integrated programs The Mission of CSREES

CSREES Strategic Goals Enhance economic opportunities for agricultural producers Increase economic opportunities and improved quality of life in rural America Enhance protection and safety of the Nation’s agriculture and food supply Improve the Nation’s nutrition and health Protect and enhance the Nation’s natural resources and environment

Peer Review: A Hallmark of Competitive Programs Rigorous peer review selects proposals of highest merit Review performed by experts in research, extension and education Evaluation criteria include: Scientific merit Qualifications Facilities Project planning & management Relevance

FY2006: Program Areas and Investment National Research Initiative……...$181 M Community Foods…………………….$5 M Outreach/Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers/Ranchers..$5.9 M Biotechnology Risk Assessment…..$3.9 M SBIR………………………………….$18 M Section 406…………………… $42 M

FY2007: President’s Request National Research Initiative total.$247.5M 406 part of NRI………………………42.3 NRI without 406……………….… Increase in NRI (w/o 406)………….24 % Integrated increase from 22 to 30%

Proposed Areas of Increase in NRI Domestic Animal Genomics -- Bioinformatics Biomass/Biofuels Food and Ag Biosecurity Ecology and Economics of Invasive Species Plant Biotechnology and Water Security

National Research Initiative: USDA’s Largest Competitive Program Basic and Applied Research Integrated Activities (Research, Education and/or Extension) Biological, physical, social sciences Single discipline and inter-disciplinary One investigator or teams Broad eligibility

Types of NRI Proposals Standard Grants (Research and Integrated) Conferences Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards (some restrictions apply) –New Investigator Awards –Post-doctoral Fellowships –Strengthening Awards Coordinated Agricultural Projects

Promote collaboration, coordination and communication in high priority areas Target specific gaps or make rapid progress Large Awards: up to $5M, 2-4 years Annual progress reports to stakeholder meetings Examples: Avian Flu, Rice Genome, Food Safety, Porcine Disease

NRI Average Award Size has Grown!

NRI Priority Setting Mission Relevance Potential impact Scientific opportunity and Enabling Technologies Linkages to other programs/Minimizing overlap Stakeholder input: Developing a shared vision for long term goals

FY2006: NRI Program Clusters Agricultural Biosecurity Agricultural Genomics Agricultural Production and Value- Added Processing Nutrition, Obesity, Food Safety and Quality Agro-ecosystems

Agricultural Biosecurity Animal Protection Plant Biosecurity Biology of Arthropods and Nematodes Plant-Microbe Associations Animal Biosecurity NRI Funded Researchers at U. of Maryland Fight the Spread of Avian Flu

Agricultural Genomics Plant Genome Animal Genome Microbial Genome Sequencing Microbial Observatories Microbial Functional Genomics CSREES teams with NSF and DOE to sequence the Maize Genome

Agricultural Production and Value- Added Processing Animal Growth and Nutrition Animal Reproduction Plant Biochemistry, Genetics, Development and Adaptation Nanotechnology for Food and Agriculture Biobased Products and Bioenergy Markets and Trade Improving fertility in livestock through research on sperm proteins

Nutrition, Obesity, Food Safety and Quality Protecting Against Food-borne Pathogens Food Safety Epidemiology of Food Safety Food Safety Research and Response Network – Coordinated Agricultural Project Human Nutrition and Obesity Bioactive Food Components Improving Food Quality and Value

Agroecosystems Soil Processes Water and Watersheds Managed Ecosystems Air Quality Weedy/Invasive Species Rural Development Rural Prosperity for Small-Mid sized Farms Stemming the growth of invasive thistles

NRI Discovery Award Annual award, initiated in 2005 Award recognizes outstanding NRI- supported principal investigator Criteria are excellence, relevance and impact on CSREES mission 2005 NRI Discovery Award Winner, Dr. Peter Sutkovsky, U. of Missouri

Collaborations are key to:  Leverage tight budgets  Minimize overlap  Enhance coordination NPLs actively participate in interagency working groups under the President’s National Science and Technology Council Interagency Collaborations

Examples of CSREES Interagency Collaborations Microbial Genome Sequencing Program (NSF) Maize Genome Program (NSF) Microbial Observatories (NSF) Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy (DOE) Metabolic Engineering (NSF, NIH, NASA, DOE, etc.) Climate Change Science Plan (DOE, NASA, NSF, others) And more….

Community Food Program Meet the food needs of low-income people Increase self-reliance in meeting food needs Promote comprehensive responses to food, farm and nutrition issues

Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Deliver outreach, technical assistance and educational programs Enhance the potential of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to acquire, own, operate and retain farms and ranches.

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Research for the development of a profit- making technology, product or service Two Phase Program - feasibility and development $80,000 (Phase I)/$300,000 (Phase II) Small Businesses of 500 employees or less Government-wide 2.5% set-aside of USDA extramural funding for research

Stakeholder Input is Vital! Scientific societies, National Academy REE Advisory Board Producers, processors, industry Land Grant University System Non-governmental organizations Other federal agencies International coordination

Looking toward the future…. Develop a shared vision with the scientific community, other stakeholders Develop cross-cutting programs in highest priority areas Improve integration of social and natural sciences Continue to seek partnerships with other agencies to leverage funds

Questions? Contact: Dr. Anna Palmisano Deputy Administrator, Competitive Programs Phone: