ESCOP Science and Technology Committee Overview

Chair Steve Pueppke, University of Illinois

Past Chair Nancy Cox, University of Kentucky

ED Liaison Eric Young, SAAESD

New Directors Workshop

December 8, 2004

Charge

Organize the collection of national research projects into a cohesive portfolio of research programs that support sustained federal appropriations for SAES/ARD research endeavors

Link regional and national multistate, multi-functional and multi-disciplinary activities

Coordinate regional and national research programs with national initiatives such as CROPS 99 and FAIR 2002

What we actually do

Assemble disciplinary experts to produce scientific information for review and dissemination by ESCOP Chair to the AES system.

Membership

Member Representing Eric Young (S Region) Executive Directors Margaret Dentine (WI) SAES North Central Region Steve Pueppke (IL) SAES North Central Region Richard Rhodes III (RI) SAES Northeastern Region Gloria Wyche-Moore (DC) SAES Northeastern Region David Boethel (LA) SAES Southern Region William F. Brown (FL) SAES Southern Region Ron Pardini (NV) SAES Western Region TBA SAES Western Region Arthur Allen (MD-ES) ARD Conrad Bonsi (Tuskegee) ARD Sally Rockey CSREES Dan Schmoldt CSREES Phil Schwab CSREES Adrianna Hewings (IL) ARS Frank Zalom (UCDavis) CROPS 99 Nancy Cox (KY) FAIR 2002 Edwin Price (TX) ICOP Cliff Gabriel OSTP Lou Swanson (CO) Rural Sociology Dan Rossi (NJ) Agricultural Economics Patsy Brannon (NY) Human Ecology

Proposed assignment of target areas from Strategic

Plan

Strategic Target 2. Improve the effectiveness of agricultural research management

Share research management approaches and successful leadership experiences

Develop improved performance and accountability measures

Develop, maintain, and share methods for documenting the impacts of research

Maintain an inventory of SAES System's capacity

Verify the quality of scientific research, to ensure that research investments are effectively allocated.

Strategic Target 8. Organize the national research portfolio into a set of discrete programs

Give the SAES System's diversity of disciplines a voice in the creation of a consensus ordering of research programs

Reorganize the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy's (ESCOP) Technical Committees

Partner with the professional society activities (e.g., FAIR 2002, CROPS 99) for planning national program activities

Act as liaison with commodity groups to establish agreed programmatic priorities, for mutual support

Charge the identified program areas with responsibility for monitoring and projecting needed capacity, planning research activities, and reporting accomplishments.

Proposed assignment of target areas from Strategic Plan

Assigned subcommittees and other working groups

Ag Biotech Implementation Task Force (Joint ESCOP-ECOP)

Food Safety (Joint ESCOP-ECOP) (Completed assignment 2/00)

Pest Management Strategies (Joint ESCOP-ECOP)

Roadmap Steering Committee

Social Sciences Subcommittee

ESCOP-ECOP Agricultural Biotechnology

Implementation Task Force [Initiated 9/00]

Purpose: Determine the research and educational needs and opportunities related to biotechnology issues and determine an appropriate role for the land-grant system in addressing these issues.

Chair: Tom Hoban (NC) Vice Chair: Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes (MO) Administrative Advisor: Johnny Wynne (NC)

ESCOP-ECOP Agricultural Biotechnology Implementation Task Force documents

Working Documents:

Ag Biotechnology Implementation Task Force Update: July, 2001

Building Societal Consensus on Biotechnology: A Research and Education Initiative [Posted 10/9/00]

Ag Biotech Task Force Report – Agricultural Biotechnology: Critical Issues and Recommended Responses from the Land-Grant Universities (Posted 1/21/00)

Task Force’s Suggested Action Steps for ESCOP (Posted 9/00)

ESCOP-ECOP Food Safety Subcommittee

Purpose: Determine the research and education needs and opportunities related to food safety issues and determine an appropriate role for the Land-Grant System in addressing these issues.

Chair: Jim Denton, University of Arkansas Vice-Chair: (TBA) Administrative Adviser: Darrell Nelson (NE)

Working Documents: Background Documents from Food Safety Task Force: Task Force Recommendations: Priority on Importance and Impact with

Subsequent Action Steps [Posted 9/21/00] Task Force – Ranked Recommendations [Posted 7/31/00] Task Force Survey Questionnaire [Posted 7/31/00] Task Force Final Report: Identifying Potential Contributions of the Land

Grant Universities for the Implementation of the Preliminary National Food Safety Strategic Plan (June 2000)

ESCOP-ECOP Pest Management Strategies Subcommittee

Purpose: To effect communication between the federal government and the SAES/CES Directors and stakeholders; and to perform a liaison role with the Office of Pest Management

ESCOP Chair: Frank Zalom (CA)

Working Committee: National Biocontrol Working Group - Frank Gilstrap (TX), AA

Science Roadmap Steering Committee

Follow-up on the Science Road Map by assessing human resource needs for the changes recommended

Online survey for academic, extension, experiment station representatives

Subcommittee: Sally Rockey, Lou Swanson, Dan Rossi, Nancy Cox, Eric Young

Social Sciences Subcommittee

Purpose: Recommend specific action items to help the Land-Grant System respond to high priority issues related to social concerns. Continue to identify high priority research and education action items leading to specific outcomes which will be attractive to funding agencies to enable Land-Grant Systems to address social issues in a significant, measurable way that will lead to sustained financial support for these programs.

Chair: Stephan Goetz, NE Regional Center for Rural Development (Feb. 2003) ESCOP Representative: Steve Pueppke (IL), Chair, ESCOP Science and Technology Committee

Working Documents: Rural and Community Prosperity – Congressional briefing 7/20/01 Social Science Subcommittee report to ESCOP, annually

Ad Hoc Committee on TSE’s

Request by Forrest Chumley (KS) to provide leadership on transmissible spongioform encephalopathies

Action: request to NC 505, a project designed for research on TSE’s, to add communications experts to their team

Desired result: communication of fact-based information to the media and commodity representatives