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How Can We Generate The Proper Balance; 



This Subcommittee, along with the full House Agriculture Committee, have authorized 

 substantial growth of formula funds over the 1990-1994 time frame. There has also been 

 authorization of a number of special grants and other programs, including those for 

 sustainable agriculture that address needs and concerns of farmers and ranchers, 

 enviroimientalists, and consumers. The Congress has authorized a growth of the National 

 Research Initiative up to $500 milhon per year by the end of 1994. 



We do not know how the Congress will position itself with reauthorization of these funds 

 in the 1995 Farm Bill. We would hope that the concept of an investment with demonstrated 

 payoff would make funding for agricultural research sufficiently attractive that it will be 

 sustained and enhanced in the new farm bill. 



We recognize there is a move on the part of senior members of the Congress to develop a 

 closer relationship between the authorization, budget, and appropriations processes, both 

 in terms of substance and function. We assume the more general decisions that emerge 

 from this debate will drive the results of deUberations on agricultural science and education. 



In our testimony, we suggested that Congress and the Administration could facilitate 

 stronger collaborative activities for the SAESs at the regional level which could consolidate 

 or complement state level research and development. The SAESs are strongly motivated 

 to cooperate because of shortage of funds and pressures from governing bodies to assume 

 greater responsibihties with shrinking resources. There are current examples of how such 

 programs work including the Integrated Pest Management Program, Aquaculture Program, 

 National Pesticide Impact Assessment Program and Sustainable Agriculture Research and 

 Education Program. There might be other targeted special grant programs for regional 

 research. Regional Centers of Excellence (without walls) could be considered. 



As we contemplate the staggering financial pressures that exist today on almost every land 

 grant university, it seems most likely that these institutions will continue to seek relief 

 anywhere it can be found. Thus, while those concerned with the total picture at the national 

 level might wish it otherwise, the most likely scenario is that individual institutions will 

 continue to seek help from the Congress in securing funding for projects or facilities that 

 benefit their institutions and states, even if some projects are not of the highest national 

 priority. 



Congress and the Administration could establish alternative mechanisms for providing this 

 kind of support and establish jmd use ground rules that would make this process more 

 orderly and constrained. If such ground rules were in place and understood, we believe the 

 land grant university community would respect them. To illustrate this concept, we 

 proposed in our testimony that the concept of a competitive facilities grant program be 

 revived and restudied. 



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