NCRA Summer Meeting
St. Louis, MO
1:30 to 4:30 pm, June 23, 2008

Minutes

 

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Item 5.2: NC506 Update

Presenter: Brendan Jordan

NC506 Media Strategy

June 10, 2008

Local and state media

1.       Sarah will either collect press releases from NC506 research teams or collect information from research teams and write press releases

2.       Sarah will coordinate with communications staff in NCBC member organizations to distribute press releases to local television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and websites.

National media

1.       Sarah will coordinate small tactical teams of interested communications staff in organizations that have already done some work/are looking to do work with national media

2.       Each team member will work to build rapport with editors/reporters in media of their choice in order to land stories in national television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and websites.

Tracking and follow-up

1.       Sarah will track results through Google News and write up periodic reports about how many stories we’ve landed on the web.

2.       Each team member is responsible to either follow up on his/her story or let Sarah know if s/he doesn’t have time and needs her to do it.

 

Research Release Dates

 

1.       Outputs, Local-level sustainability: GHG emissions and resource requirements (Ken Cassman)-

a.        BESS software journal publications: (i) June 08, general findings, (ii) July 08, co-product use component in cattle diets, (iii) ?, co-product use in dairy systems Aug 08, K Cassman)(

b.      Presentations at: (i) Iowa Bioeconomy Conf, Sept 08 (ii) Agronomy-Geological Soc mtgs Houston, Oct 08, (iii) BBI FEW, Nashville

c.       Contributions to EPA-RFS and CA-LCFS process for determining GHG emissions methods and values for corn-ethanol

2.       Regional-level sustainability (Randy Fortenberry)- Policy scenarios and outcomes, draft presented at Amer. Ag. Econ Mtgs, second week of August 08

3.       Outputs, Local-level sustainability: Contemporary ethanol plant efficiency study (Richard Perrin)- paper at Amer. Ag Econ Mtg, second wk Aug 08, other papers thereafter

4.       Co-product use and sustainability (Nate Mosier)- review article submitted, Aug 08

5.       Outputs local-level sustainability: social impacts (Cornelia Flora)-

a.       Two presentations at conferences in France

b.      Hoffman, M. and C.B. Flora. ‘The Impact of an Ethanol Plant on an Iowa Rural Community: An Exploratory Study Using the Community Capital Framework”.  Ann. meeting Agriculture, Food and Human Values Soc., New Orleans,  June 08

c.       Separate presentations by Flora, Tigges and Bell, Selfa, and Wright in a session on corn ethanol at the Rural Sociological Soc. Mtgs New Hampshire, July 08

d.      Separate presentations by Flora, Tigges, and Wright at the Biobased Industry Outlook Conference, Ames, IA September  8-9, 2008

6.       NC506: Next Phase Research Themes- Proposal due by Dec 1 2008 to Dick Straub

7.       Final Report- First draft due Nov 10, 2008 (Final draft: Randy Fortenberry)

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Item 5.3:  ED Report on upcoming meetings

Presenter: Arlen Leholm

 

NCRA Spring Meeting at CIMMYT Discussion

 

Dates: March 31 to April 2, 2009

• Arrive 3/30/2009
• NCRA business meeting on 3/31 and the morning of 4/1
• Meet with CIMMYT director (Tom Lumpkin)/scientists on afternoon of 4/1 – What topics would the NCRA like to discuss with them?  We need to be able to suggest some program ideas…..
• Trip to pyramids on morning of April 2
• Sonny will be arranging the Monarch butterfly trip – please let him know if you are interested
• All lodging, meeting, and food costs for the evening of 3/30 through lunch on April 2 will be included in your registration fee.  If you are bringing a spouse, they will need to pay this registration fee as well, unless they plan to eat on their own.  Please note: CIMMYT does not accept credit cards.
• Chris will adjust the fees as best she can, based on individual needs, but please remember to let her know what your plans are as soon as possible so we can reserve the space and meals in advance.

Action Taken: Committee assigned to design spring program:  Bill Ravlin, Sonny Ramaswamy, Gary Cunningham, Arlen Leholm, and Chris Hamilton

    Traverse City NCRA Agenda notes:

• Fewer topics, more time for each
• AA a big issue lead by Joe (20 min)
• Energy White Paper - next steps

 

 

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Item 6.0:  MRC Report

Presenter: Doug Buhler, 2008 MRC Chair

 

6.1 Remaining new proposals/revisions (for information only):

     

·         NC_temp211 (EFNEP Related Research, Program Evaluation and Outreach): Revisions approved.  Will become NC1169 on October 1, 2008 pending CSREES approval.

 

·         NC_temp206 (Nutrition and Management of Feedlot Cattle to Optimize Performance, Carcass Value and Environmental Compatibility): Revision addresses the MRC comments in an acceptable fashion, recommend approval as a coordinating committee. Will become NCCC208 on October 1, 2008.

 

·         NC_temp1902 (Agricultural Bioethics): The NC 1902 letter indicates that the committee is willing to address the recommendations and concerns of the MRC.  The MRC had agreed to ask for minor revisions to the project and that the committee become an NCCC rather than an NC group.  The recommendations were to be in place by the second year of the project.  I am in agreement that the committee has addressed the concerns of the MRC and I will monitor this as the new AA for the group. Will become NCCC209 on October 1, 2008.

 

6.2 FY2009 Budgets for off the top funded committees

• Action Needed:  Approval of OTT project budgets

• Action Taken: NC1100 Expires 9/09; NC7: Joe Colletti will develop a business plan by August 1, 2008 to address FY2009 budget concerns.  This plan will be distributed to the NC AES directors for action at the Traverse City NCRA meeting.

·         NC7:  $582,745; see detailed budget below

·         NC1100: $24,000; no change, see detailed budget below

 

6.3 Other MRC Issues

•  Considerations for a detailed review of NC research portfolio next year?  There will be many more proposals to review next year than in 2008, so the MRC meeting may not be the most appropriate time for such a review.  Doug Buhler will come to the next meeting with a proposal for reviewing the portfolio.

• NRSP Report (see next item):

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Item 6.3.2: NRSP report

Presenter: Marshall Martin

NRSP Review Committee Recommendations

June 2008

 

NRSP-1

 

$346,829 FY’09 budget recommended for approval.

 

Comments –

·         Important for One Solution Stakeholder Committee to stay engaged with REE policy makers and IT folks to make sure the databases are useful for universities as well as USDA and Congress.

·         Current project terminates Sep 30, 2010.

 

NRSP-3

 

It is recommended that the NRSP-3 renewal proposal not be approved and that this activity be established as a multistate project that can be funded through MRF by participant AES’s and other sources.  The NRSP-3 group is commended for exemplifying the ideal of becoming self supporting.

 

Note: Disapproval of the NRSP-3 renewal proposal will automatically grant a one year extension for this project to Sep 30, 2009 with a budget of $50,000.

 

Comments –

·         Off-the-top funding is now less than 2%, an excellent example of decreasing dependency on this funding source.

·         NE region suggested this project become a multistate project with participating stations supporting the $50,000.

·         No compelling argument to keep this project as an NRSP and maintain a low level of funding.

·         Current project terminates Sep 30, 2008.

 

NRSP-4

 

$481,182 FY’09 budget is recommended for approval.

Project extension to Sep 30, 2010 is recommended for approval.

 

Comments –

·         Specialty Crops Research Initiative is not designed to support this type of activity, so this funding still needs to come from off-the-top Hatch.

·         Project group should consider how they could reduce dependence on off-the-top funding when the renewal proposal and next 5-year budget are developed.

·         Current project terminates Sep 30, 2009.

 

NRSP-5

 

Project extension to Sep 30, 2009 is recommended for approval.

$145,678 FY’09 budget is recommended for approval, if funds do not become available from the National Clean Plant Network.

 

Comments –

·         2008 Farm Bill includes mandatory funding for NRSP-5 activities through the National Clean Plant Network.

·         It appears these funds will be administered through APHIS, but it is not sure the funds will be available for FY’09, so off-the-top funding approval is needed to ensure continuation.

·         If it is learned that APHIS will provide funding for FY’09 prior to the ESS meeting, the off-the-top funding request will be withdrawn.

·         If APHIS provides funding during FY’09, the difference between that funding and the approved off-the-top will be returned to CSREES for redistribution to the SAES.

·         One year project extension is needed to allow off-the-top funding in ’09, if necessary.

·         Current project terminates Sep 30, 2008.

 

NRSP-6

 

$110,000 FY’09 budget is recommended for approval and the National Plant Germplasm Coordinating Committee is requested to consider new ways to fund this by end of the current project.

 

Comments –

·         Request that the National Plant Germplasm Coordinating Committee take another look at whether or not this project should be funded in some other way through the National Plant Germplasm system.

·         As project is rewritten there needs to be a serious justification for off-the-top funding.

·         Current project terminates Sep 30, 2010.

 

NRSP-7

 

$325,000 FY’09 budget is recommended for approval, minus any funds made available to this project in the FY’09 federal budget.

 

Comments –

·         Proposal for renewal of this project in 200 will have to show substantial funding from other sources, including industry, in order to be approved and funded.

·         Current project terminates on Sep 30, 2009.

 

NRSP-8

 

The renewal project from Oct 1, 2009 to Sep 30, 2013 is recommended for approval.

$500,000 FY’09 budget is recommended for approval with the understanding that subsequent years’ funding be contingent on more details regarding other funding sources supporting the NRSP-8 activites and information on efforts to obtain funding from industry and other non-public sources.

 

Comments –

·         Need to include grants and other funding sources that support activities of this project in the FY’10 budget request to justify recommendation of this level of funding again.

·         Current project terminates Sep 30, 2008.

 

NRSP_temp101

 

It is recommended that this new NRSP project proposal not be approved.  Any subsequent submission of this proposal should include a better justification of the activity as a NRSP, explaination of the priority need for this information and its use, and how this activity could support research on global climate change.

 

Comments –

·         Discussion at the spring regional meetings resulted in the following general opinions on this project proposal:

o        West favored approval and funding

o        Northeast was not favorable because the proposal did not justify the project as a NRSP and the deliverables from the activity are not a high priority need.

o        North Central was not in favor of approving this proposal and thought it was more suited to being established as a multistate project.

o        South did not favor approval because most stations not using this data and generally thought that the data collection should be supported by other agencies.