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Facility will receive a site visit review. Site visit reviews 

 will consider all aspects of the organization, including the 

 facilities, technical staff, the mechanisms planned for the 

 management, and ongoing evaluation of the work of the research 

 Facility. 



Facilities will be reviewed by the Teams to determine their 

 ability to meet goals of Congress and the Secretary of 

 Agriculture. Emphasis will be placed upon the extent to which 

 the Facility has enhanced, or will enhance the economic well- 

 being of U.S. agriculture. The review shall ascertain if the 

 Facility meets national standards of excellence. 



The following analyses of the Facility and submitted 

 materials will be made during the review process: 



Intrinsic merit "of the intellectual focus and research. 

 What is the scientific merit of the work being conducted? 

 This criterion is concerned with the Facility's overall 

 quality of research and the likelihood that the research 

 will lead to fundamental advances within the field, new 

 discoveries, and/or technological developments and 

 commercialization. The presence of unique opportunities for 

 technical innovation will be explored. 



Research performance competence. This criterion relates to 

 the capability of the investigator (s) and the adequacy of 

 the resources that are committed to the Facility. An 

 important issue here is the adequacy of existing or planned 

 facilities. 



Utility or transferability of the research. This criterion 

 is used to assess the likelihood that the research can 

 contribute to the achievement of a goal that is extrinsic or 

 in addition to that of the research field itself and thereby 

 serve as the basis for new or improved technology, or assist 

 in the solution of agricultural problems. 



Appropriateness of the Research Facility approach. Included 

 in this criterion are the questions: Is the Facility's 

 approach and structure essential to or appropriate to the 

 research activities described? Will a Facility's approach 

 add significantly to what could be done through other modes 

 of research support? 



Appropriateness of institutional and management plans and 

 arrangements . This criterion relates to the likely 

 effectiveness of management and the strength and form of 

 commitments to the Facility. Important additional issues 

 include: the reasonableness and appropriateness of the 

 budget; the mechanisms proposed or in place to enable 

 evaluation of the Facility's progress; and the nature and 



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