Ronnie Green, vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has been selected to serve on a National Research Council review committee that will study the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The 16-member review team will perform an independent assessment of the initiative, including the quality and value of research funded by the program and the prospects for its success in meeting its multiple goals, such as developing critical knowledge for agriculture across a range of disciplines, preparing the future scientific workforce, and addressing major societal challenges related to the agricultural system. The assessment will study whether the program operates fairly and effectively, how research priorities are established and balanced, and how AFRI contributes to the advancement of agriculture relative to other scientific research and grant programs inside and outside of the USDA.
AFRI funds research, education, and extension grants that address key problems of agriculture. AFRI is USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s flagship competitive grants program. It is important to evaluate the implementation of the initiative at this relatively young stage in its existence to determine how well it is functioning, identify strengths and weaknesses, gauge its ability to meet goals, and suggest adjustments.