Dr. Anna PalmisanoDeputy Administrator- Competitive Programs UnitCooperative 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 meritQualifications 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……………….…...205.2

• 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

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

National Research initiative Funding History ($M)

020406080

100120140160180200

NRI Average Award Size has Grown!

050

100150200

250300350

TotalAwards

($M)

Ave.Total

Award($K)

Ave.AnnualAward($K)

2001

2004

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 BiosecurityNRI Funded Researchers at U. of Maryland Fight the Spread of Avian Flu

Agricultural Genomics

Plant GenomeAnimal GenomeMicrobial Genome

Sequencing Microbial

ObservatoriesMicrobial Functional

GenomicsCSREES teams with NSF and DOE to sequence the Maize Genome

Agricultural Production and Value-Added Processing

Animal Growth and NutritionAnimal ReproductionPlant Biochemistry, Genetics,

Development and AdaptationNanotechnology 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 SafetyEpidemiology of Food

SafetyFood Safety Research and

Response Network – Coordinated Agricultural Project

Human Nutrition and Obesity

Bioactive Food ComponentsImproving Food Quality and

Value

Agroecosystems

Soil ProcessesWater and WatershedsManaged EcosystemsAir QualityWeedy/Invasive SpeciesRural DevelopmentRural 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 budgetsMinimize overlapEnhance 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: 202-401-1761

E-mail: apalmisano@csrees.usda.gov

http://www.csrees.usda.gov