The Proposal

Executive Summary

1. Situational Analysis

2. Outline of Proposal

3. Origins of Proposal

4. USDA Integration

5. Case for Integration

6. Enhanced Funding

7. Case for Funding

8. CREATE-21 and NIFA

Related Materials

Supporting Documents

Values and Principles

Definitions

CASE FOR INTEGRATION

Primary responsibility over U.S. food, agriculture, and natural resources research, teaching, and extension is vested within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
However, this responsibility is spread over four agencies: Agricultural Research Service (ARS); Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES); Economic Research Service (ERS); and Forest Service (USFS).
The weaknesses of the current system?
	An inflexible organizational structure.
	Budgetary inefficiencies.
	Inadequate integration of programs/activities.
	Ineffectual stakeholder input mechanisms.
	An emphasis on “capacity” vs. “competitive” funding.
CREATE-21 addresses these problems by integrating the functions, facilities, and personnel of ARS, CSREES, ERS, and USFS R&D into a new “National Institute” led by an eminent scientist/educator.
The Institute will...
	Increase organizational flexibility through a variable structure organized initially around six major problem/solution areas.
	Improve budgetary efficiency through elimination of duplicative programs and activities and a streamlined bureaucracy.
	Enhance program integration by bringing the intramural research capacity of ARS, ERS, and USFS R&D more closely together with the research, education, and extension capacity of America’s land-grant and related universities/institutions (as presently funded through CSREES).
	Boost stakeholder involvement through a new National Stakeholder Advisory Council and other mechanisms for improved/increased input at all levels.
	Be authorized to receive increased competitive grant funding. (Authorized funding for the intramural capacity of ARS, ERS, USFS R&D, and the land-grant university system will also be significantly enhanced, with special emphasis placed on building capacity at the 1890, 1994, and smaller 1862 land-grant universities).

>> Next: Enhanced Funding