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16 



Given the current geographical location and trends in production, these 

 arguments lead me to think of groups of states working together. This is 

 especially true for the stations in New England and the Great Plains where 

 the size of stations is small. The Regional Research Program, which was 

 established as a mechanism to coordinate and fund research involving common 

 problems of two or more states, has failed. New economic incentives are 

 needed, at least for applied livestock research, to increase research 

 productivity. 



Ue can think of applied livestock research being scientists and 

 experimental animals and facilities, including their care. Currently in 

 livestock research, each scientist tends to have his or her own animals and 

 facilities. With large animal research, this tieing of scientists and animals- 

 and- facilities together in rather rigid proportions makes research advances 

 unduly expensive. An alternative scheme would be to make experimental animals 

 for breeding stock and facilities a "national resource", e.g., like the 

 national atom accelerator and telescope facilities, and available to scientists 

 who write exceptional research proposals for their use. Scientists, working at 

 a base institution without these livestock herds, then could specialize in 

 writing innovative proposals for using these experimental animals and 

 facilities but need not go about the expensive activity of acquiring and 

 maintaining their own. When their proposals were accepted, they would be given 

 the opportunity to visit the animal research facility to supervise conducting 

 their experiments. After the experimental data were obtained, the scientist 

 would return to his or her institutional homebase and continue with data 

 analysis, interpretation of results, and writing. Other scientists Would 

 follow at the animal research facility with their experiments. The federal 



