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Dr. Susan Offutt 



1. How do the priority- setting mechanisms for agricultural research need 

 to change to Include more involvement from producers and consumers? 



In its report, Investing in Research (attached), the Board on Agriculture 

 considered how consumers and producers and others with a stake in the 

 productivity of the food and agricultural system should be included in 

 setting the agenda for an expanded competitive grants program. The 

 role of advisory committees in program planning is addressed at length, 

 beginning on page 89 of the report. 



2. In general, how effective do you feel Congressional involvement has been 

 in the past? How could this be Improved? 



In Investing in Research , the Board emphasized the importance of evaluating 

 the effects of the competitive grants program. This topic is discussed 

 on page 92 on the report. The Congressional responsibility for oversight 

 of executive branch agencies would surely include the consideration of 

 improved and expanded evaluation of these programs' efficacy. 



3. How should priority- setting mechanisms change to ensure the correct balance 

 of both basic and applied research missions? 



The Board considered the relationship between basic and applied science 

 extensively in its report Investing in Research . Chapter 5, "Program 

 Areas and Scientific Opportunities," systematically considers, for each 

 major category of grant activity, what relationships exist between 

 scientific areas and areas of practical or potential application. 



4. Some individuals advocate a more regional approach to the distribution 

 of formula funding. Are the present efforts made on these lines adequate 

 or could they be increased? 



In its study of the future of the land grant colleges of agriculture, the 

 Board will explore this question by comparing regional agricultural and 

 natural resource bases to research capacity in the region's universities. 

 Opportunities for Improving the performance of teaching, research, and 

 extension programs based on regional considerations will be explicitly 

 considered. 



5. As budget pressure brought on by the deficit increases, how might we 

 change our allocation of formula funding, competitive grants, and 

 special grants to more effectively meet our needs? 



The Board proposed a major increase in the size of the USDA competitive 

 grants program, to $500 million annually, as described in Investing 

 in Research Chapter 1. While the Board believes a mix of formula, 

 competitive, and special grants is appropriate, its priority is an 

 increase in the size of the competitive grants program. 



(Attachment follows:) 



