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Because special grants complement other avenues of funding, it would be 

 helpful to encourage multiple state cooperative programs for special 

 grants. For example, there is a tremendous need for special grants in each 

 region of our country. Special grants could be established v^hich v^ould 

 allovy^ individuals from 3 or 4 states to cooperate on projects supported by 

 special grants. If facilities were needed to carry out the special grant 

 activities, individuals from the cooperating states could compete for the 

 special grant funds based on criteria established for the specific special 

 grant. This process would allow special grants to be used effectively in 

 different regions of the United States and would stimulate greater 

 cooperation between individuals vdthin a region. 



2. Do you feel that current formula funding levels are adequate to support 

 base levels of programming? 



The USDA budget support for land-grant universities through the formula 

 funding process has not kept pace with inflation or state support for land- 

 grant universities over the last 25 years. It is very evident the federal 

 government has not kept the same level of support for experiment station 

 research programs when compared to state funding. There was a time in 

 the history of the land-grant university system, that the federal and state 

 governments provided equal funds based on formula funding concepts. 

 In order to develop quality programs over the years, a high proportion of 

 the states provided considerable more money than the federal government 

 provided through the formula system. As a result, it is not uncommon for 

 state governments to provide 3-5 times more support for agricultural 

 research than the federal government provides through the formula 

 funding method. I'm very concerned about the limited funds provided for 

 agricultural research through the USDA budget process. The funds are so 

 limited that many states have no reason to consider priorities established 

 at the federal level for agricultural research. Therefore, the impact on 

 priorities for research at the state level by USDA is limited when 

 compared to priorities established 25 or 30 years ago. If this trend 

 continues, USDA will have no impact on priorities for agricultural 

 research in this country. The current formula funding method needs to be 

 reviewed because it does not provide adequate support for base level 

 funding from the USDA for research at the land-grant universities. The 

 erosion of support for base funding at the land-grant universities over the 

 last 25 years heis had a significant negative impact on agriculture research 

 at a large proportion of the land-grant universities. As a result, many of 

 our land-grant universities are finding it difficult to compete for quality 

 scientists and students. As a result, other countries around the world are 

 developing a much stronger agriculture research base than the United 

 States. This trend will have a serious and negative impact on producing 

 quality food for the American consumer in the 21st Century if we do not 

 correct this negative trend. I'm sure you know from your experience, the 



