57 



the USDA and the State ag experiment stations is about 32 per- 

 cent. Of that, about half of it is formula or for the base programs.] 



I further delineated that there's an opportunity to evaluate and 

 to look at perhaps what I would classify as the continuum of re- 

 search where we start from the breakthrough technology, the origi- 

 nal idea, to where we get that application in the field, if you will. 

 If you go on that continuum from breakthrough to application, from 

 a personal perspective, I would break down that there are about 

 three categories there — ^the breakthrough, the work that's in be- 

 tween, and that which is being applied in the field — and if you 

 would look at our work, my personal opinion is about one-fourth of 

 it sits in the breakthrough area, about one-fourth in the application 

 area, and the remainder in the middle. 



Mr. Stenholm. Does anyone else have a comment on that? 



Mr. Foil. If you will, Mr. Chairman, just one additional thing 

 that I think bears thought. At the Federal level, obviously, we need 

 to seek a balance that deals with the national needs and the na- 

 tional nature of what we do. The balance in any given State will 

 be quite different. I think in terms of my State of Mississippi, and 

 our approach is much more applied and adaptive and less fun- 

 damental. The apphed and adaptive nature of research is, in most 

 cases, better served through special and formula funds £ind less by 

 competitive grants, because, by nature, the competitive grants deal 

 mostly with the fiindamental kinds of science. Another State with 

 a larger State commitment to doctoral-level training and basic re- 

 search might have a different mix. 



So there would be give-and-take from the system to come up with 

 a balance that met those needs. I think Dr. Fischer made some 

 good observations as to the general way in which these should be 

 divided, but the individual States will be able to respond in dif- 

 ferent manners based on the nature of their priorities in the sys- 

 tem. 



Mr. Stenholm. How much research is now funded by check-off 

 dollars or industry dollars? 



Mr. Fischer. I can get a specific number for you. My estimate 

 would be that it's somewhere around less than 10 percent. 



Mr. Stenholm. Any comments concerning the perception that in- 

 dustry-funded research is suspect because the people paying for it 

 expect certain results? 



Mr. Fischer. That's not a new comment to me, Mr. Chairman, 

 but I believe as we are dealing with agriculture and its changing 

 dimensions, we will need to, if you will, build linkages with various 

 and other entities. In my testimony earlier, I indicated it would be 

 viable to look at other USDA agencies, look at other Departments — 

 Environmental Protection Agency — and how we can build some 

 linkages with them. I also believe that it is beneficial for us in the 

 pubUc sector to build those linkages with the private sector in 

 order to enhance both our common objectives. 



If you will, good science, quality science that goes through the 

 peer review process for publication will not get through that proc- 

 ess being biased, but I beUeve it's very powerfiil for us to be looking 

 at linkages we should be building. 



Mr. Stenholm. I personally could not agree more, and one of the 

 thoughts I want to leave with you and perhaps request a response 



