animal disease centers, four regional research 

 centers for utilization and processing, and the 

 Beltsville Agricultural Research Center which 

 covers nearly all of the Agency's research pro- 

 grams. Many of the ARS locations are at land- 

 grant universities where ARS scientists have 

 ready access to library and computer facilities and 

 to scientists and engineers of other disciplines. 



While the administrative and fiscal management 

 of ARS is achieved through the organizational 

 structure, the scientific management of the re- 

 search is accomplished through the ARS manage- 

 ment and planning system (MAPS). The heart of 

 this system is 67 subject-matter national research 

 programs (NRP's) into which the Agency's total 

 research program is divided. Each NRP has a sci- 

 ence-oriented coordinator in the Agency's Nation- 

 al Program Staff. Research is planned, document- 

 ed, reported, and reviewed within the framework 

 of the technological objectives described for each 

 NRP. Decisions to initiate, terminate, or redirect 

 research activities, including basic activities, are 

 frequently proposed by performing scientists 

 themselves at research locations, or are recom- 

 mended by line and program managers during the 

 annual review process, or are based on recommen- 

 dations by research workshops, review teams, or 

 research planning committees involved in intra- 

 and interagency coordination. 



ARS has not conducted a competitive basic 

 research grant program for several years; in con- 

 stant dollars, the ARS budget has declined 12 per- 

 cent since 1968 (see Table 4). However, ARS 

 does maintain a small extramural research pro- 

 gram primarily for the purposes of filling gaps and 

 supplementing or extending intramural programs. 

 Research proposals are solicited and funding 

 provided by the specific intramural programs. 

 Such extramural research may be either basic or 

 applied depending on program needs. 



Basic research is recognized as an inherent 

 characteristic of the ARS research program. All 

 types of research are incorporated in the Agen- 

 cy's mission-oriented programs on a justified need 

 basis. 



Organization and Management of State 

 Programs Conducted in Cooperation With the 

 Cooperative State Research Service 



The Cooperative State Research Service 

 (CSRS) provides the administrative mechanism of 

 the USDA for providing financial support to the 

 State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES), 

 cooperating forestry schools, the land-grant col- 

 leges of 1890, and the Tuskegee Institute. CSRS 

 maintains a headquarters staff to administer funds 

 and provide a national focus for the separate sta- 

 tions and schools. 



30 AGniCULTURE 



The State Agricultural Experiment Stations. 



There is one SAES in each of the 48 States (two 

 each in two States) and one each in Puerto Rico, 

 Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Co- 

 lumbia — for a total of 56. In general, the experi- 

 ment stations are associated with a land-grant col- 

 lege or university and thus are associated with 

 and have access to total university expertise and 

 facilities. 



Research programs of SAES are funded in part 

 and on a continuing basis by the USDA through 

 its CSRS. Funds are appropriated to the Depart- 

 ment under the Hatch Act with a congressional 

 directive that annual appropriations be distributed 

 to the SAES on a formula basis. There are minor 

 matching-fund requirements and the Secretary of 

 Agriculture is instructed to work with SAES to 

 ensure that Federal funds are used productively 

 and for the purpose for which they were appropri- 

 ated. In most States, Hatch and other Federal 

 funds account for well under one-half of total 

 operating funds of the SAES. The remaining 

 funds are provided primarily from State appropri- 

 ations. 



The basic unit of research in the SAES is the 

 project, which is described later in this section. 

 Prior approval of CSRS must be obtained in order 

 that a project be eligible for support with Hatch 

 funds. Annual or terminal project reports of re- 

 search accomplishments and expenditures are 

 made to CSRS for review and approval. 



In addition to the above project information, a 

 summary financial report is made to CSRS by 

 each SAES for each fiscal year and must be ap- 

 proved by CSRS as meeting overall funding and 

 expenditure requirements for Hatch appropria- 

 tions. CSRS also convenes peer panels to perform 

 periodic on-site reviews of major research pro- 

 gram areas within each SAES. The primary pur- 

 poses of these reviews are to assist the SAES in 

 its program planning, evaluation, and develop- 

 ment efforts and to fulfill the congressional man- 

 date that the Secretary of Agriculture provide as- 

 sistance to the SAES individually and promote and 

 assist in coordinating the research programs of 

 the several SAES. 



The SAES is typically one of three divisions 

 within the college of agriculture of an 1862 State 

 land grant university. The other two divisions are 

 the State agricultural extension service and the 

 academic program in agriculture. Each of the 

 three divisions is administered by a director, and 

 the three directors are responsible to the college 

 dean. 



The SAES is a continuing research-performing 

 organization in its own right administered within 

 the land-grant university. It bears the cost of sus- 

 taining its own scientific expertise, support per- 



