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sustainable agriculture as it applies to farms, farm families, rural communities, and broad 

 landscapes. 



There is a perception among some that, in the aggregate, the scientific programs of the 

 SAESs have shifted from applied toward more basic resejirch. This may be due in part to 

 the increasing use of the modem tools of biology and engineering for agricultural research 

 which involves a shift from field to laboratory studies. But, the interval between fundamental 

 discovery and appUcation in the "new biology" is often very short. 



There is a concern that Land Grant Universities have become broad based academic 

 institutions with a system of rewards that favors "single investigator fundamental research". 

 The balance may have shifted at some institutions in this respect. There are problems in 

 recognizing contributions of research and extension scientists at the application end of the 

 spectrum. The studies of Land Grant Universities planned by the Kellogg Foundation and 

 the National Academy of Sciences will explore the influence of the faculty reward system 

 on the effectiveness of agriculture programs. Methods of recognizing and rewarding 

 interdiscipUnary research (often of relatively long duration) will be one of the key issues in 

 this matter. The problem is not that too much fundamental research is being done, but that 

 there needs to be a more equitable recognition of contributions at the other end of the 

 spectrum. 



In summary, the balance between basic and applied research is not so much the issue as is 

 the orientation of research to meet broadly expanding mandates from the food, agriculture 

 and environmental needs . The opportunity to exploit the modem tools of biology, 

 engineering and social sciences calls for a greater investment in the programs defined by the 

 National Research Initiative. However, this new investment caimot come at the expense of 

 the federal investment in base programs which undergird the remainder of the portfolio 

 which is also necessary to the health of the SAES system and U.S. agriculture. 



6. What are the main purposes of "base programs"? How has an erosion of formula 

 funding affected these programs? 



Base programs are usually equated with programs partially funded with federal formula 

 funds. These include Hatch, Cooperative Forestry, Evans Allen, and Animal Health funds. 

 As previously noted, these funds are awarded on a formula driven by the size of agriculture 

 and number of farms in a given state. Base programs also are funded with state 

 appropriations. They are generally regarded as recurring, stable, long-term sources of 

 revenue for the SAESs. They often provide the opportunity for assuring continuity in 

 funding of long-term research. 



Research projects funded with formula funds are submitted to merit review (usually be 

 either an intemal or external peer process)" and are reviewed and certified by USDA as 

 being national in scope. Klost projects of this type are also supported (often to a major 



