MINUTES
NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF STATE AGRICULTRUAL EXPERIMENT STATION DIRECTORS
One Hundred Sixty-Sixth Meeting
Multistate Research Committee Meeting
1.0 Call to Order and Introductions - Phil Larsen
Present: Mary Ann Lila (IL); Marshall Martin (IN); Wendy Wintersteen, Cornelia Flora (IA); Forrest Chumley (KS); Gary Lemme, Bridget Behe (MI); Philip Larsen, Bert Stromberg, Sarah Greening (MN); Tom Payne, John Gardner, Ken Schneeberger, John Poehlman (MO); Darrell Nelson, Dale Vanderholm, Nancy Betts (NE); Virginia Clark-Johnson (ND); David Benfield, Bill Ravlin, John Allred (OH); Kevin Kephart (SD); Margaret Dentine (WI); Wade Gordon (Tribal Colleges); Mary Ann Rozum (CSREES); Darrell Cole (USDA/ARS); Robert Ziegler (KSU and Diagnostic Networks); Beth Nelson (Midwest Poultry Consortium), Daryl Lund (Executive Director, NCRA), Nicole Nelson (NCRA Office)
2.0 Approval of the September 2002 Minutes - Phil Larsen (Available at http://www.wisc.edu/ncra/Sept2002.htm) Approved
3.0 Adoption of Agenda Approved
4.0 Executive Committee Report and Interim Actions of the Chair - Phil Larsen
5.0 Executive Director's Report - Daryl Lund
5.1 Activities since September 2002
5.2 NIMSS Update and Discussion
5.2.1NIMSS Job Jar available at http://www.wisc.edu/ncra/NIMSSjobjar.htm.)
5.3 National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) Membership ('02 Update available at www.wisc.edu/ncra/CFAR.doc)
5.4 Other
6.0 Diagnostic Networks - Robert Ziegler (KSU)
(Please see http://www.gpdn.org/Information/Marketing/
for more information on the
7.0
8.0 Sun Grant Initiative - Kevin Kephart
9.0 ESCOP Report - Daryl Lund
10.0 Agriculture Security - Phil Larsen
10.1 National Institute for Agriculture Security - Darrell Nelson
10.2 Select Agent Registration - Report from each SAES - Margaret Dentine
10.2.1 The new biosecurity recommendations for working with select agents can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5119a1.htm
10.2.2 A good page for more information is available at American Society of Microbiology. It includes a link to the Federal Register and other documents http://www.asmusa.org/pasrc/selectagent121720regalert.htm
11.0 Multistate Research Committee - Margaret Dentine
Executive Session (
NCRA Office FY '04 Budget - Phil Larsen, Margaret Dentine, Daryl Lund
ED Annual Report - Phil Larsen, Daryl Lund
12.0 Update on Tribal colleges in the North Central Region - Wade Gordon
13.0 Report from each SAES on Budget: Current Situation and Strategies for Managing Budgets - Phil Larsen
(Each state will provide updates at the July
2003 meeting)
14.0 ARS Report - Darrell Cole, Associate Area Director
15.0 CSREES Report -Mary Ann Rozum
16.0 Nominations Committee Report - Bert Stromberg
17.0 Resolutions - Marshall Martin
18.0 Other
19.0 Announcements - Phil Larsen
20.0 Summary and Review of Assignments - Phil Larsen
AGENDA BRIEFS:
5.0 Executive Director's Report - Daryl Lund
5.1 Activities since
September 2002
October
Facilitated meeting of National Multistate
Coordinating Committee in
Participated in AA training sessions
Food and Society Coordinating Committee conference call
Contributor to Food Technology Trends in Food Research
IFT Committee on Science, Communications and Government Relations
November
NIMSS Oversight Committee conference call
F/S Initiative NIH Directors meeting
NIAS conference call
NASULGC Annual Meeting-Chicago
IFT Task Force on Member Benefits
AA training session
December
New Directors
AA training session
January
Role of IT in Education Conference-Okinawa, JP
NCRA Executive Comm conference call
February
NIAS Bd of
NIMSS Oversight Committee
BAC conference call
NIAS conference call
MRC conference call
March
CARET meeting-Crystal City, VA
NIAS Bd of Directors meeting-Wash DC
ESCOP meeting-Wash DC
NCRA Spring meeting-Kansas City, MO
Monthly teleconference calls for the ESCOP Chair's Advisory Committee and the Food and Society Initiative Coordinating Committee. Developed the final draft of the NRSP Guidelines. Developed the final draft of the ballot to the directors for an assessment.
5.2 NIMSS Update and Discussion
The NIMSS Oversight Committee has created a job jar and has prioritized the improvements needed in NIMSS. The NERA Office is making steady progress in completing the tasks. The Oversight Committee recommended to ESCOP that the overall responsibility for NIMSS be placed within the agenda of NRSP-1 since NIMSS needs to be integrated as much a possible with existing and ultimate data systems on SAES/ARD research.
5.3 National
Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) Membership ('02 Update
available at www.wisc.edu/ncra/CFAR.doc)
The NCRA Office has received the bill for continued membership in NC-FAR. Most notable within NC-FAR is the resignation of Terry Wolf and Joe Coffey, both primary movers within the organization. ESCOP has elected to renew its membership in NCFAR. Our membership dues last year were $1000. According to the membership categories, we could pay $500.
Action Requested: Provide membership dues to NC-FAR
Action Taken: The NCRA approved another year's
membership in the National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research. We are
contributing as an Affiliate Member at $1,000.
5.4.1 Announcements:
o Station directors need to input their project participants.
o The AA virtual handbook is excellent. Use it.
o
SAES-422 forms or minutes are required of all
NC, NCR,
o The NCRA Office is operating at peak efficiency with the new Administrative Assistant.
5.4.2Indirect Cost Recovery Cap on USDA Grants
Daryl Lund will forward the Council on Government Relations attachments from Mort Neufville to the NCRA. These documents pertain to USDA competitive grants and removal of the ICR cap. The university presidents have requested removal of the ICR cap through correspondence with OMB.
5.4.3 Impact Statements
Daryl Lund will work with the NCRA Executive Committee on a process to develop impact statements on at least one project in each area of the BAC budget request for CSREES (Food Safety and Security; Food and Health; Environment).
Also, see Western Region Impacts website located at www.ag.unr.edu/wri. This will be posted on the NCRA homepage.
5.4.4 NCRA Strategic Plan
NCRA Strategic Plan Analysis - The NCRA office will analyze the NCRA strategic plan using RPA, SOI, and FOS analysis. The analysis will be shared with the MRC at the NCRA Summer Meeting.
5.4.5 NCRA Survey on Use of Hatch Money
The NCR Office will conduct a survey of the NCRA stations on policies and distribution they have for Hatch money including multistate research funding.
5.4.6 Leveraged Funds from Multistate Projects
The NCRA Office will work with the MRC to develop a reporting request for NC, NCR and NCT projects to describe leveraging MRF.
8.0 Sun Grant Initiative - Kevin Kephart
8.1 Reintroduction of the authorization
language:
An authorization bill (83016) was introduced
8.2 FY03 Special Grant
The special grant for planning purposes has once again been awarded at $560,000. The work that has been proposed for this special grant includes:
- an assessment of federal and non-federal roadmaps for the purpose of identifying niches for the SGI. This effort will be conducted by selected faculty. Guidance is requested on a nomination process.
- A series of stakeholder workshops in Washington DC and an SGI Biobased Bioenergy Science and Education Exhibition/Reception on Capitol Hill
A key common theme here is broader faculty involvement and all three of these could be linked together.
8.3 An SGI advocate
Terry Nipp of AESOP Enterprises has been brought n board as an advocate. Terry has been very active as a lobbyist for land-grant issues for several years. He's also been knowledgeable of the SGI for as long as anyone and he's very committed to the idea.
8.4 I'm still working on the final report and
will distribute when I can.
ESCOP met September 23 in Baltimore (http://www.escop.msstate.edu/minutes/exec1102.htm),
November 11 in Chicago (http://www.escop.msstate.edu/minutes/exec1102.htm)
and March 4-5 in Washington DC (http://www.escop.msstate.edu/minutes/min3-03.htm).
Actions taken:
Multiple Activity Program (MAPs) - The Multiple Activity Programs Initiative was officially dissolved after CSREES confirmed that funding for integrated activity could be accepted by CSREES within the current Hatch and Smith-Lever funding and reporting systems.
National Institute of Agricultural Security - See the separate report by Darrell Nelson the NCRA representative on the Board of Directors.
Assessments - During discussions of funding it became clear that there are several activities in which ESCOP is engaged which will require funding. These include further development of NIMSS ($30000), communications and marketing ($20000) and potential advocacy beyond that supported by the BAC Blue Ribbon Team ($50000). The ESCOP had originally proposed that the membership be polled to determine if they would support an assessment at 50% of last year's rate. Further discussion in the Chair's Advisory Committee lowered the rate to 25% of last year's rate. A ballot was sent to EES membership and the assessment was approved 28 to 10. The assessment was included in the 2003-04 assessment bill sent to the deans in February.
Action Taken: The NCRA will send a letter to Bob Moser describing the problems the assessments over the past year; the letter will be signed by Phil Larsen.
Committee on Committees - The CoC recommended that no changes should be made in the ESCOP committee structure or charges at the present time. The activities of the committees complement the activity within BAA and provide valuable analysis to the SAES/ARD system. It was adopted that the name of the Advocacy and Marketing Committee be changed to Communication and Marketing Committee.
NRSP Guidelines - The NRSP Guidelines were approved by ESS and submitted to CSREES. They are currently undergoing review within the organization.
BAA Policy Board - The Policy Board has established two standing committee: The Budget and Advocacy Committee (chaired by Tom Payne) and the Farm Bill Committee (chaired by Jeffrey Armstrong). ESCOP has recommended SAES/ARD directors for each of the Farm Bill subcommittees (Conservation - Henry Vaux (CA, henry.vaux@ucop.edu); Rural Development - Alfred Parks(Prairie View A&M, alfred_parks@pvamu.edu); Energy - Kevin Kephart (SD, kkephart@abs.sdstate.edu); Research and Education - Bill Brown (LA, bbrown@agctr.lsu.edu); Forestry - Bruce Wiersma (ME, wiersma@apollo.umenfa.maine.edu); Steering Committee - Daryl Lund (NCRA ED, dlund@cals.wisc.edu).
FYI - Ian Maw has accepted the position of ED for ACOP replacing Al Lingg next July. Tom Fretz and Dan Rossi are the two finalists for the NERA Ed position. The EDs will be attending (usually via teleconference) staff meetings of Mort Neufville at NASULGC. Mike Harrington (ED Western Region) will be attending BAA Policy Board meetings and teleconferences. Daryl Lund will be attending BAC meetings and teleconferences.
10.1 National Institute for Agriculture Security -
Darrell Nelson
Background Information:
In October 2001, the ESCOP Chair appointed a special task force to address agri-security issues. Over the next several months, the task force met with representatives of USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS, Department of Justice, federal intelligence agencies and private security contractors to discuss security needs for agricultural experiment stations and for the U.S. food supply. The outcome from these discussions was the proposal to form the National Institute for Agricultural Security as a 501(C)3 not for profit company. The proposal was approved by ESCOP and the Policy Board of the Board on Agriculture Assembly during mid 2002. In recent months, the corporation bylaws have been written and approved and a filing for 501(C)3 status in the state of Maryland is pending. AESOP Enterprises has been hired to represent NIAS with federal agencies and Congress.
The purpose of the NIAS is to enhance the security of the nation's food and agricultural system utilizing the national network of the AES system which includes more than 7,500 scientists. Major activities of NIAS are: (1) organize meetings of experts to develop scientifically sound information on agricultural security issues, (2) facilitate identification of critical research needs,
(3) provide scientific support for law enforcement and intelligence communities including classified threat assessments, possible interventions, and appropriate training activities, (4) produce targeted briefings and policy recommendations on agricultural security issues and (5) facilitate the exchange of information on agricultural security developments. Other NIAS support services include advising on research site security; certification of site security measures; facilitation of background checks and security clearances for faculty, staff and students; information security; and education and training programs.
More information about NIAS is available at the following URL: http://agriculturalsecurity.homestead.com
13.0 Reports
from each SAES on Budgets
It was suggested that topics for future "sharing activities" include contracting for services, AES as potential contractors for USDA/ARS services, and e-business with CSREES.
14.0 ARS Report
– Darrell Cole
Dr. Cole provided a spreadsheet that showed where the FY 2003 Budget Increases were going to ARS locations in the NCR. Discussion was held on some specific items as to how they were added to the ARS budget. Also, discussion about the role of ARS in cooperative research for some of the Congressional priority projects. Dr. Cole indicated that the FY 2004 Presidential Budget was being modified and that some projects in the NCR would be impacted i.e. redirection to administration priorities, termination etc.
A discussion was held about the ARS requirement to track visitors that came into space assigned to ARS at universities and ARS owned facilities. A copy of Dr. Kniplings memo was provided to the NCR representatives.
15.0 CSREES Report - Mary Ann Rozum
Lab security reports-Gary Cunningham from CSREES will follow up to get written reports on the lab inspections at universities for homeland security. Ernie Hirashi? From USDA is the contact. It may take a couple weeks.
Integrated multi-state audits will not have a major impact on states if they followed CSREES national guidance. If CSREES guidance was wrong, they will take responsibility.
CSREES House hearings are occurring tomorrow. They are expected to be difficult. EEO is an issue with USDA. There are l6 class action suits, and cases are behind schedule.
The new NRI supplemental RFA is expected out as early as April. Topics to be covered are animal genomics for $l5 million, graduate and post graduate higher education grants linked to animal genomics and bio-informatics for $8-l0 million, behavior of nutrition on obesity, air quality focusing on PM 10 and 2.5 and natural events such as wildfire smoke, animal and plant disease homeland security diagnostics, value-added food, and nano-technology. Up to 20% of the total NRI MAY (not shall) be used for integrated IFAFS-like projects. The criteria will be spelled out in the RFA.
There is $2.5 million for critical issues such as a new disease response, which can be carried over to another year if no outbreak occurs.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service has a newly authorized program called Conservation Innovation Grants, which is a subset of the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). Rumored amounts are $33 million for next fiscal year to conduct field-testing and on-farm research of promising new technologies, but new research will not be funded. The program requires a 50% nonfederal cash match. CSREES is negotiating to possibly conduct the competitive process for NRCS. This program will be a subset of EQIP for the life of the farm bill.
18.0 Other
18.1 2004
Spring NCRA Meeting Planning Committee Report - Sarah Greening, Wendy
Wintersteen, Gary Lemme
With the goal of exploring interregional research opportunities, the NCRA 2004 spring meeting planning committee proposes holding next year's meeting in Orlando, FL and inviting the SRA to hold a joint meeting at a time of mutual agreement. D. Lund is asked to contact the SRA with this offer prior to the SRA 2003 meeting.
Proposed Agenda:
Monday - MRC meeting
Monday evening - Joint reception with SRA
Tuesday A.M. - Joint meeting on interregional cooperation and topics of mutual interest
Tuesday lunch - Joint with SRA
Tuesday P.M. - Concurrent NCRA and SRA meetings
Wednesday A.M. - Concurrent NCRA and SRA meetings
This committee is willing to work with Daryl and Nikki on meeting logistics.
18.2 The BAA-BAC website is now working: http://www.nasulgc-bac.com/
18.3
Missouri Commercialization Analysis (handout provided by John Gardner)
19.0 Announcements
Marshall Martin provided a tentative schedule of events and discussion followed.