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1. Situational
Analysis* |
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Between 1970 and 2005: the U.S. population
increased by 100 million; the GDP grew by 293%; federal
revenues, outlays, and domestic spending all rose dramatically;
and funding for health/medical research at NIH increased by $22.6
billion (882%). (All constant 2000 dollars unless noted.) |
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However, USDA funding for food, agriculture,
and natural resources research grew at an average annual rate of
just 1.85 percent over the last 35 years. |
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And, in the last 15 years, USDA base funding
for State Agricultural Experiment Stations actually dropped by $27
million while base funding for the Cooperative Extension Service
declined by $45 million. |
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Even the National Research Initiative – the
principal food, agriculture, and natural resources competitive
grants program – received less funding in FY 2005 ($180 million,
current dollars) than each of 25 states received in NIH grants
during that same 12-month period. |
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2. The CREATE-21
Proposal |
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America faces many serious challenges that can
only be solved through enhanced scientific research, extension,
and teaching. |
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To address those problems, the National
Institutes for Food and Agriculture will be created within the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, integrating the research, education, and extension
programs currently divided among the Agricultural Research Service
(ARS), Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES), Economic Research Service (ERS), and U.S. Forest
Service (USFS). |
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The Institute will provide: (1) enhanced
“competitive” funding to support vital fundamental and applied
research/extension projects; and (2) continued “capacity” funding
for intramural research at USDA and research, education, and
extension programs at land-grant and related
universities/institutions. |
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3. Reorganization
within USDA |
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Functions, facilities, programs, projects,
activities, and personnel from ARS, CSREES, ERS, and USFS R&D will
be integrated within the Institute. (Intramural and
university-based functions will be retained within the new
organizational structure.) |
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The Institute will be: (1) an independent
agency reporting to the Secretary; (2) led by an eminent
scientist/educator, appointed by the President and confirmed by
the Senate for a six-year term; and (3) guided by a National
Stakeholder Advisory Council. |
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4. The Case for
Reorganization |
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The new Institute will…
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Increase organizational flexibility through a variable structure organized
initially around six major problem/solution areas. |
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Improve budgetary
efficiency through elimination of duplicative programs and
activities and a streamlined bureaucracy. |
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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. |
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Boost stakeholder involvement
through a new National Stakeholder Advisory Council and other
mechanisms for improved/increased input at all levels. |
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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 small 1862 land-grants,
and AASCARR.) |
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5. Enhanced Funding
Authorized |
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Competitive funding
will (after seven years) reach $2.126 billion per year, with fundamental research
constituting 55 percent of the total and integrated programs the
remaining 45 percent. (Full indirect cost recovery will be
implemented as new funds become available.) |
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Capacity funding will
(after seven years) reach $2.937 billion per year, enabling intramural USDA
research and extramural programs at land-grant and related
universities/institutions to maintain/extend their base
operations. |
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If CREATE-21 is enacted and fully funded,
after seven years the competitive/capacity ratio – considering
existing funds ($2.676 billion) and new funds ($2.676 billion) –
would be 42/58. (Currently, the competitive/capacity ratio is
approximately 10/90.) |
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However, to "jump start" the funding
enhancement program, $200 million per year in mandatory USDA
funding would flow immediately to the Institute from the
statutory authority for the Initiative for Future Agricultural
and Food Systems (IFAFS) program. |
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6. The Case for
Enhanced Funding |
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CREATE-21 must be enacted in order to: |
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Help food, agriculture,
and natural resource producers
secure the benefits of: improved animal, crop,
and forest quantities, qualities, and production efficiencies;
new/expanded markets; new bioproducts and new/improved
technologies; and sustainable production systems. |
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Provide consumers and families with food/fuel cost savings and health improvements
through: increased food and nutritional value; a safe, secure, and
affordable food supply; new biofuels; and the best quality
information to enable healthy food choices. |
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Boost the economic
vitality of rural and urban
communities by: greatly expanded leadership programs; and
increased efforts to stimulate entrepreneurship and business
development. |
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Increase environmental
stewardship through: improved farm and forest production
methods; decreased dependence upon chemicals with harmful effects
on people and the environment; and finding alternative uses for
agriculture wastes. |
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7. Relationship
between CREATE-21 and NIFA |
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CREATE-21 incorporates all key elements
of the NIFA (Danforth) proposal, including creation of a National
Institute providing (eventually) $1 billion per year in new
funding for fundamental research in food, agriculture, and natural
resources through competitively-awarded peer-reviewed grants. |
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However, the CREATE-21 proposal goes further
by recommending integration of all existing USDA research,
education, and extension programs and activities within the
National Institute and maintained/ enhanced capacity funding for
America’s land-grant and related universities/institutions. |
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7. Relationship
between CREATE-21 and NIFA |
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CREATE-21 is a project of the Board
on Agriculture Assembly of the National Association of State
Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and its partners. |
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We are working to reach a consensus
about how the partnership between the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and America's land-grant and related universities
and institutions should be updated to "Create Research,
Extension, and Teaching Excellence for the 21st Century." |
