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administrators and senior scientists representing the broad array of scientific and 

 programmatic interests and responsibilities of the SAES-CSRS complex. About one- 

 hundred participants divide themselves into subcommittees that address the six major 

 components of the plan. They consider the several hundred specific inputs from the users 

 of the research product and develop a set of broad initiatives which define the highest 

 priority needs for new information and technology. They also define for each initiative a 

 set of research objectives that are needed to achieve the prescribed goals. There is also an 

 assessment of the resources required to fully implement the recommendations for each 

 research objective. 



After the draft has been given tentative endorsement by ESCOP and CSRS, the initiatives 

 are sent to every Experiment Station Director who is asked to rank the initiatives in priority 

 order of importance, based on perceptions of need and opportunity. This grass roots 

 evaluation of priorities is repeated on an annual basis. There is an excellent consensus 

 among regions on the most important five or so initiatives out of a set of 15-20 items. 

 Likewise, there is good agreement on the initiatives of lower (but important) priority. The 

 mid-range of average priorities has less regional consensus, reflecting the diversity and site 

 specificity of much of what is done in agricultural research. 



The product of ESCOP-CSRS planning is a broadly stated document that provides vision 

 and mission statements for the SAESs, a brief background for perspective and an array of 

 highest priority initiatives, with research objectives and resources needed to achieve the 

 goals. It includes a state and regional consensus on relative priorities based on a very broad 

 input from the users of the product of SAES research. 



The ESCOP-CSRS plan is one of the inputs to the National Agricultural Research 

 Committee (NARC), which is part of the Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences. 

 This Council, mandated by the 1977 and succeeding Farm Bills, also receives input from 

 similar committees dealing with Extension, Higher Education and International Programs. 

 The NARC has membership from the SAESs , Federal agencies conducting agricultural and 



