National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Update

W2002 Annual MeetingEtta Saltos

National Program Leader, Human NutritionMarch 4, 2010

Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) • Creation of National Institute of Food and

Agriculture (NIFA) Oct. 1, 2009

• Creation of Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), which supersedes National Research Initiative (NRI) and Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS); this began in FY 2009

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

• Raise the profile of agricultural science: research, education, and extension

• All current CSREES authorities have been transferred to NIFA

• Transition to NIFA occurred 10/1/09; re-organization is under review

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)• Led by a presidentially-appointed Director, Dr. Roger Beachy,

founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center – Dr. Beachy’s speech at APLU 11/16/09:– http://www.nifa.usda.gov/about/speeches/pdfs/2009_nov_1

6_beachy_aplu_final.pdf– Dr. Beachy’s speech at Ag Outlook 2/18/10:

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/speeches/10_beachy_outlookforum.html

Five focal areas:

• Global Food Security and Hunger. • Climate Change• Sustainable Energy• Childhood Obesity • Food Safety

Institute of Food Production and Sustainability

•Enhancing global food security through productive and

sustainable agricultural systems

Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment

• Ensuring energy independence through clean, biobased energy systems

• Ensuring sustainable and adaptive agro-ecosystems in response to climate change

Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition

• Ensuring a safe food supply• Improving citizens’ health through nutrition• Reducing childhood obesity• Improving food quality

Institute of Youth and Community Development

• Enabling vibrant and resilient communities• Preparing the next generation of scientists• Enhancing science capacity in minority-serving

institutions• Enhancing youth development

AFRI Authorization• Authorized for appropriation of $700M for FY

2008 - 2012 (FY 2009 $202M; FY 2010 $262M)

• No less than 30% will be made available for integrated programs

• Of funds allocated for research, 40% for applied research & 60% for fundamental research

•Indirect costs capped at 22%

AFRI Project Types

Fundamental Research

• Increases knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and has the potential for broad application

• Has an effect on agriculture, food, nutrition, or the environment

AFRI Project Types

Applied Research

• Expansion of the findings of fundamental research to uncover practical ways in which new knowledge can be advanced to benefit individuals and society

AFRI Project Types Education

• Formal classroom instruction, laboratory instruction, and practicum experience in the food and agricultural sciences

• Related activities, e.g. faculty development, student recruitment and services, curriculum development, instructional materials and equipment, and innovative teaching methodologies

AFRI Project Types

Extension

• Informal education program conducted in the States in cooperation with USDA

• Act or process that delivers science-based knowledge and information educational programs to people, enabling them to make practical decisions

Integrated Projects – Putting It All TogetherBringing together the three components of the

agricultural knowledge system (research, education, extension) around a problem or activity

Integrated Project

Research

Education

Extension

Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP)

• Supports large-scale multi-million dollar projects to promote collaboration, open communications, and the exchange of information; reduce duplication of effort and coordinate activities among individuals, institutions, States and regions

• May be research CAP or integrated CAP

AFRI 2010 Five Societal Challenge Areas• Keep American agriculture competitive while ending world

hunger

• Improve nutrition and end child obesity

• Improve food safety for all Americans

• Secure America’s energy future through renewable biofuels

• Mitigate and adapt agriculture to variations in climate

AFRI 2010• Grants will be larger – up to $25M and longer in

duration

• Grants will be longer in duration – up to 5 yrs and in some cases, renewal will be granted upon achieving specific goals.

• Grants for challenge areas will be awarded as continuation grants

• Pre- and postdoctoral fellowship grants “NIFA Fellows”

AFRI RFA• http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2010ne

ws/01062_afri.html• There will be seven separate RFAs: one for each

societal challenge area, one for foundational research programs and one for NIFA Fellows

• AFRI Request for Application:http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/afri_rfa.html • Also available from Grants.gov (search keyword

“AFRI” or CFDA Number 10.310)

Abstracts from NRI/AFRI: Abstracts of previously funded projects from National Research Initiative (2008 and earlier, listed by program):

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/nri/nri_abstracts_topic.html

Abstracts of previously funded projects from AFRI (2009 and later, listed by state):

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/afri/afri_reports.html

NIFA 2011 Budget (President’s Request)

• AFRI: $428.8M• Formula: Same as 2010

Other NIFA News: • USDA Joins National Collaborative on Childhood

Obesity Research: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2010news/02252_nccor.html

Other NIFA News: • USDA Awards $1 Million to North Carolina State

University to Train Students in Human Health and Nutrition: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2009news/11191_ncsu.html

THANK YOU!Etta SaltosNational Program Leader202-401-5178; esaltos@nifa.usda.gov