orientation to nifa

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Orientation to NIFA

2010 National Extension and Research

Administrative Officers’ Conference


…that my talk will not be like the dairy farmer and the fly.

This Is My Hope


We will cover three broad areas:

1. How NIFA relates to the Land-Grant System;

2. How the Federal budget process works; and,

3. How NIFA provide funds to universities and others.

Overview of this session…


In the beginning: 1862

USDA and Land-Grants

Why they are called land-grant institutions.

What Is a Land-Grant?


USDA - May 15, 1862. First Morrill Act of 1862. Hatch Act of 1887. Second Morrill Act of 1890. Smith-Lever Act of 1914. Equity in Educational Land-grant Status Act

of 1994.

Key Legislation


Natl. Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 - P.L. 95-113

Section 1444…1890 Extension Section 1445…1890 Research

More Legislation


We are USDA’s primary link to the land-grant community;

We are a financial assistance agency; and,

We are the Federal partner in collaborative and cooperative ventures in:◦Education◦Extension◦Research

NIFA


To advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well being, and communities.

The Mission of NIFA


Delivering in three functional areas:

Federal/State Partnership

Higher Education

ResearchExtension

NIFA


130 Colleges of Agriculture, including Land-Grant Institutions;

59 Agricultural Experiment Stations; 57 Cooperative Extension Services; 63 Schools of Forestry; 27 Colleges of Veterinary Medicine; 42 Schools & Colleges of Family & Consumer

Sciences; 18 1890 Universities & Tuskegee University; 34 1994 Native American Land-Grant Institutions. Over 250 Hispanic Serving Institutions

NIFA Partner Institutions


Hispanic Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities

Will come from the community of more than 250 HSIs currently accredited by the Department of Education

HSACU = HSI + degree in field related to agriculture

New Category: HSACUs


One Example of NIFA Programs:The Cooperative Extension System

Federal Partner = USDA

State Partner = LGU’s

Local Partner = Counties (~3,100)

Ultimate Partner =American Citizens


Non-competitive◦Formula Funds◦Special Grants◦Administrative Grants

Competitive◦Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

◦Other competitive grant authorizations (education, extension, and facilities)

Agency Mechanisms for Land-Grant Support


CES is the largest, and arguably the best, non-formal adult education system in the world.

Major reason for success: State and local governments decide which state and local issues to address.

Note on the Partnership


USDA MOU States

States MOU Counties

Matching Dollars

Some Mechanics


Counties Volunteers

Volunteers????

Counties and Citizens


A few years ago, USDA’s Forest Service was battling a serious disease problem, “Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum ).” They needed additional trained “scouts,” but did not have the resources to get them. Solution? Extension Master Gardeners. More than100,000 of them.

Anecdote Number 1


4-H: utilizes more than 3 million adult person days of volunteer assistance each year. This is equivalent to adding another federal agency that employs 11,500 people.

Anecdote Number 2


Question: How are 4-H kids possibly related to Urban Serving Institutes? More than half the current 6.5 million 4-H kids are suburban or urban dwellers.

And…Remember the 3 million person days of adult volunteer assistance?

Final Anecdote


Those 6.5 million kids plus millions of adults should be suggestive of what Extension would call a community of interest, but what I call a political resource: there are more than 45 million living 4-H alumni in the U.S.

That’s a voting bloc!

Final Anecdote, Part 2


Do you have any questions?

?Before we move on…


…Jumper cable

……Alligator

………Grasshopper

Interlude

Introduction to the Federal Budget Process and

NIFA Funding



Traditionally, the NIFA Budget Officer, Tina Buch, speaks on the federal budget process.

Unfortunately, she cannot be here, so you are stuck with me. But Tina knows many of you, and sends her regards.

Cautionary Disclaimer


Timeline stays the same from year to year…usually.

But as we all have seen recently, sometimes the process varies:

In FY 2007, we had a full-year continuing resolution.

Federal Budget Process


In 2009, we had a CR until mid-March.

The FY 2010 budget that should have become public this past February was also delayed.

More on the Budget Process

Appropriations…October 1 (but note that Congress doesn’t usually get this done on time. In FY 2007, we didn’t even have a full-year continuing resolution until February 15, 2007; in 2008, our appropriation was signed December 26, 2007. And in 2009, it was signed in March.)


More on the Federal Budget Process


During the spring and up until around July 4 of each year, NIFA develops input for the President’s budget request for the second year following. For example, we are currently in the spring of FY2010, and we are developing our input for the budget that will fund FY2012.

On/about July 4, we will submit our request to the Secretary of Agriculture. Note that this request will comply with OMB guidance.

Budget Process


OMB Passback (Late November)…often the day after Thanksgiving…this will be for FY 2012

President’s 2012 Budget due to Congress no later than the first Monday in February, 2011

More on the Federal Budget Process


AND FINALLY (sort of*)

Appropriation hearings…February, March, April

Culminating, we hope, in an appropriation on October 1, 2010, the first day of FY 2011.

* The process really never ends…Hearings on a given year are followed by Agency Estimates being due for the following year, and so on, and on, and on….

Federal Budget Process(continued)


Who are the key players in the budget process?◦ OMB◦ Secretary of Agriculture◦ OBPA◦ REE Under Secretary◦ NIFA Director

Federal Budget FAQs


What is the role of stakeholders in the budget process?

When can stakeholders provide input? Why aren’t budgets larger? Why doesn’t the NIFA budget mirror the

budget recommendations of stakeholders like APLU?

Federal Budget FAQs


Why doesn’t NIFA share all the details with its staff and stakeholders prior to the release of he budget in February? And what does it mean that the budget is “Behind the Curtain?”

What if I file a Freedom of Information Act request to get this budget information?

Federal Budget FAQs


What are the differences among an appropriation, an authorization, and a budget resolution?

Federal Budget FAQs


? ? ? ?

QUESTIONS so far?


A man walks into a florist shop and tells the proprietor, “I’d like 2 dozen of the beautiful anemones in your window.”

The proprietor replies, “I don’t have 2 dozen of them, but I can give you 2 dozen of these lovely ferns, instead.”

The customer says, “Fine…

2nd Interlude


“…with fronds like these, who needs anemones?”

End (thank God) of 2nd Interlude


FINE…WE HAVE AN APPROPRIATION…WHAT DOES NIFA DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY?

We award more than 96 percent of it to grantees.

ON TO FUNDING!


You (or, at least, your institution.)

…and lots of other eligible persons and organizations. Eligibility varies from program to program.

Who Does NIFA Fund?


The mission of NIFA is to advance knowledge.

We carry out this mission by enabling others to conduct research, extension, and education activities.

So…we fund research, extension, and education programs that tend to advance knowledge in agriculture.

What Does NIFA Fund?


Competitive…Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, for example

Formula…Smith-Lever 3(b) and 3(c), for example

Congressionally Directed funding...these are the “special” projects that Congress inserts into the NIFA budget…Earmarks.

Three Types of Funding


There is enough of this stuff to put you to sleep easily…but we don’t want that.

So…go to http://www.NIFA.usda.gov/ and click on “Funding Opportunities”

Fine…let’s talk about a few selected programs from each type of funding.

Cautionary note…

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/




Big example: the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative…$262 million in FY 2010.

Small example: Methyl Bromide Transition Program…$3.1 million in FY09.

Competitive


Specialty Crop Research Initiative (uses mandatory funding)

Food Safety Initiative (“406 authority”) International Science and Education Grants

Program (“non-406 integrated activity.”)

Other Competitive Programs


Big Example…Hatch Research…$215 million in FY 2010

Small Example…Section 1433 Animal Health and Disease…$2.95 million in FY 2010.

Formula


◦Evans-Allen Research◦Smith-Lever 3(b) and 3(c)◦Extension for 1890 Institutions◦McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research

Other Formula Programs


We don’t like them, because they tend to address limited audiences, and because in a zero-sum budget environment they reduce resources for everyone else.

But once we have them, they get subjected to the same rigorous treatment as any of our other grant programs…

Earmarks


THINK “3”

In Summary


3 Partners

--Federal--State--Local

Think “3”


3 Functions◦Research◦Education◦Extension

Think “3”


3 Types of FundingFormula

CompetitiveEarmarks

Think “3”


Regardless of the type of program, or the means of funding, or which partners are involved, the purpose is always the same: “…to advance knowledge.”

The Bottom Line


Thank You!

orientation to nifa

Documents

hopenational institute

landgrant system

landgrant community

national extension

morrill act

usdastate partner

ultimate partner

lguslocal partner