ESCOP Science and Technology Committee Overview

1. ESCOP Science and Technology Committee Overview • Chair Steve Pueppke, University of Illinois • Past Chair Nancy Cox, University of Kentucky • ED Liaison Eric Young, SAAESD New Directors Workshop December 8, 2004

2. Charge • Organize the collection of national research projects into a cohesive portfolio of research programs that support sustained federal appropriations for SAES/ARD research endeavors • Link regional and national multistate, multi-functional and multi-disciplinary activities • Coordinate regional and national research programs with national initiatives such as CROPS 99 and FAIR 2002

3. What we actually do • Assemble disciplinary experts to produce scientific information for review and dissemination by ESCOP Chair to the AES system.

4. Membership MemberRepresenting • Eric Young (S Region) Executive Directors • Margaret Dentine (WI) SAES North Central Region • Steve Pueppke (IL) SAES North Central Region • Richard Rhodes III (RI) SAES Northeastern Region • Gloria Wyche-Moore (DC) SAES Northeastern Region • David Boethel (LA) SAES Southern Region • William F. Brown (FL) SAES Southern Region • Ron Pardini (NV) SAES Western Region • TBA SAES Western Region • Arthur Allen (MD-ES) ARD • Conrad Bonsi (Tuskegee) ARD • Sally Rockey CSREES • Dan Schmoldt CSREES • Phil Schwab CSREES • Adrianna Hewings (IL) ARS • Frank Zalom (UCDavis) CROPS 99 • Nancy Cox (KY) FAIR 2002 • Edwin Price (TX) ICOP • Cliff Gabriel OSTP • Lou Swanson (CO) Rural Sociology • Dan Rossi (NJ) Agricultural Economics • Patsy Brannon (NY) Human Ecology

5. Proposed assignment of target areas from Strategic Plan Strategic Target 2. Improve the effectiveness of agricultural research management • Share research management approaches and successful leadership experiences • Develop improved performance and accountability measures • Develop, maintain, and share methods for documenting the impacts of research • Maintain an inventory of SAES System's capacity • Verify the quality of scientific research, to ensure that research investments are effectively allocated.

6. Proposed assignment of target areas from Strategic Plan Strategic Target 8. Organize the national research portfolio into a set of discrete programs • Give the SAES System's diversity of disciplines a voice in the creation of a consensus ordering of research programs • Reorganize the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy's (ESCOP) Technical Committees • Partner with the professional society activities (e.g., FAIR 2002, CROPS 99) for planning national program activities • Act as liaison with commodity groups to establish agreed programmatic priorities, for mutual support • Charge the identified program areas with responsibility for monitoring and projecting needed capacity, planning research activities, and reporting accomplishments.

7. Assigned subcommittees and other working groups • Ag Biotech Implementation Task Force (Joint ESCOP-ECOP) • Food Safety (Joint ESCOP-ECOP) (Completed assignment 2/00) • Pest Management Strategies (Joint ESCOP-ECOP) • Roadmap Steering Committee • Social Sciences Subcommittee

8. ESCOP-ECOP Agricultural Biotechnology Implementation Task Force [Initiated 9/00] • Purpose: Determine the research and educational needs and opportunities related to biotechnology issues and determine an appropriate role for the land-grant system in addressing these issues. • Chair: Tom Hoban (NC) Vice Chair: Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes (MO) Administrative Advisor: Johnny Wynne (NC)

9. ESCOP-ECOP Agricultural Biotechnology Implementation Task Force documents Working Documents: • Ag Biotechnology Implementation Task Force Update: July, 2001 • Building Societal Consensus on Biotechnology: A Research and Education Initiative [Posted 10/9/00] • Ag Biotech Task Force Report – Agricultural Biotechnology: Critical Issues and Recommended Responses from the Land-Grant Universities (Posted 1/21/00) • Task Force’s Suggested Action Steps for ESCOP (Posted 9/00)

10. ESCOP-ECOP Food Safety Subcommittee Purpose: Determine the research and education needs and opportunities related to food safety issues and determine an appropriate role for the Land-Grant System in addressing these issues. Chair: Jim Denton, University of Arkansas Vice-Chair: (TBA) Administrative Adviser: Darrell Nelson (NE) Working Documents: • Background Documents from Food Safety Task Force: • Task Force Recommendations: Priority on Importance and Impact with Subsequent Action Steps [Posted 9/21/00] • Task Force – Ranked Recommendations [Posted 7/31/00] • Task Force Survey Questionnaire [Posted 7/31/00] • Task Force Final Report: Identifying Potential Contributions of the Land Grant Universities for the Implementation of the Preliminary National Food Safety Strategic Plan (June 2000)

11. ESCOP-ECOP Pest Management Strategies Subcommittee Purpose: To effect communication between the federal government and the SAES/CES Directors and stakeholders; and to perform a liaison role with the Office of Pest Management ESCOP Chair: Frank Zalom (CA) Working Committee: National Biocontrol Working Group - Frank Gilstrap (TX), AA

12. Science Roadmap Steering Committee • Follow-up on the Science Road Map by assessing human resource needs for the changes recommended • Online survey for academic, extension, experiment station representatives • Subcommittee: Sally Rockey, Lou Swanson, Dan Rossi, Nancy Cox, Eric Young

13. Social Sciences Subcommittee Purpose: Recommend specific action items to help the Land-Grant System respond to high priority issues related to social concerns. Continue to identify high priority research and education action items leading to specific outcomes which will be attractive to funding agencies to enable Land-Grant Systems to address social issues in a significant, measurable way that will lead to sustained financial support for these programs. Chair: Stephan Goetz, NE Regional Center for Rural Development (Feb. 2003) ESCOP Representative: Steve Pueppke (IL), Chair, ESCOP Science and Technology Committee Working Documents: • Rural and Community Prosperity – Congressional briefing 7/20/01 • Social Science Subcommittee report to ESCOP, annually

14. Ad Hoc Committee on TSE’s • Request by Forrest Chumley (KS) to provide leadership on transmissible spongioform encephalopathies • Action: request to NC 505, a project designed for research on TSE’s, to add communications experts to their team • Desired result: communication of fact-based information to the media and commodity representatives