Spurring Innovation in Food and Agriculture: A Review of the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Program

by National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Committee on a Review of the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

Overview

The United States embarked on bold polices to enhance its food and agricultural system during the last half of the 19th century, investing first in the education of people and soon thereafter in research and discovery programs aimed at acquiring new knowledge needed to address the complex challenges of feeding a growing and hungry nation. Those policies, sustained over 125 years, have produced the most productive and efficient agricultural and food system in history.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the primary agency responsible for supporting innovations and advances in food and agriculture. USDA funds are allocated to support research through several mechanisms, including the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). In 2008, Congress replaced USDA's National Research Initiative with AFRI, creating USDA's flagship competitive research grants program, and the 2008 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act, known as the Farm Bill, outlined the structure of the new program. Spurring Innovation in Food and Agriculture assesses the effectiveness of AFRI in meeting the goals laid out by Congress and its success in advancing innovations and competitiveness in the U.S. food and agriculture system.

Spurring Innovation in Food and Agriculture evaluates the value, relevance, quality, fairness, and flexibility of AFRI. This report also considers funding policies and mechanisms and identifies measures of the effectiveness and efficiency of AFRI's operation. The study examines AFRI's role in advancing science in relation to other research and grant programs inside of USDA as well as how complementary it is to other federal research and development programs. The findings and conclusions of this report will help AFRI improve its functions and effectiveness in meeting its goals and outcomes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780309299565
Publisher:	National Academies Press
Publication date:	01/24/2015
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

Select Acronyms and Abbreviations xix

Summary 1

1 Introduction 17

Purpose of This Study 18

Addressing U.S. Priorities in Agriculture and Food 20

Training, Education, and Extension 25

Organization of the Report 26

References 27

2 The Global Landscape of Agricultural Research and Development 29

The Role of Food and Agricultural Research and Development in Economics and Competitiveness 29

Conclusion 39

References 40

3 Value of the Afri Program 43

Brief History of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Competitive Grant Programs 44

Vision for a Competitive Grants Program in Agriculture 50

Overview of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative 51

Role of Competitive U.S. Department of Agriculture Grants for Research, Education, and Extension 60

Other Agencies' Competitive Grants Programs Related to Agriculture 66

Conclusions 73

References 75

4 A Quantitative Assessment of Project Input-Output Relationships in the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative 79

Changes in Statistical Profiles of National Research Initiative and Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Projects 80

Considerations for an Analysis of Program Productivity 86

Productivity Assessment of Project Data 92

Conclusions 103

References 105

5 Program Management 107

Program Areas 107

Grant Types 111

Priority-Setting Process 119

Program Effectiveness and Efficiency 122

Diversity 130

Management Structure and Staff Workload 135

Areas for Improvement 138

References 141

6 Conclusions and Recommendations 143

Need for Food and Agriculture Research 144

Realignment of Program Structure to Match Mission, Mandate, and Budget, 145 Strategy and Collaboration 151

Program Management 153

Concluding Remarks 159

References 160

Appendixes

A Biographical Sketches of Committee Members 161

B Presentations to the Committee 171

C Web-Based Questionnaire 175

D Summary of Responses to Web-Based Questionnaire 185

E Excerpt from the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 191

F Types of Grants Offered in Each Afri Program (2009-2013) 199

G Profile of Average NRI and Afri Projects (2008-2012) 207

H Data Processing for Program Evaluation 219