7 USC 7614 - Roadmap

§ 7611. Standards for Federal funding of agricultural research, extension, and education
§ 7612. Priority setting process
§ 7613. Relevance and merit of agricultural research, extension, and education funded by the Department
§ 7614. Definitions
§ 7614a. Roadmap
§ 7614b. Review of plan of work requirements
§ 7614c. Budget submission and funding

§ 7611. Standards for Federal funding of agricultural research, extension, and education

(a) In general

The Secretary shall ensure that agricultural research, extension, or education activities described in subsection (b) address a concern that—

(1) is a priority, as determined under section 7612(a) of this title; and

(2) has national, multistate, or regional significance.

(b) Application

Subsection (a) applies to—

(1) research activities conducted by the Agricultural Research Service; and

(2) research, extension, or education activities administered, on a competitive basis, by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

(Pub. L. 105–185, title I, § 101, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 526; Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7511(c)(29), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1270; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7511(c)(29), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2031.)

§ 7612. Priority setting process

(a) Establishment

(b) Responsibilities of Secretary

(1) Process

(2) Regulations

The Secretary shall promulgate regulations that prescribe—

(A) the requirements for an institution referred to in paragraph (1) to comply with paragraph (1); and

(B) the consequences for an institution of not complying with paragraph (1), which may include the withholding or redistribution of funds to which the institution may be entitled until the institution complies with paragraph (1).

(d) Management principles

To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that federally supported and conducted agricultural research, extension, and education activities are accomplished in a manner that—

(1) integrates agricultural research, extension, and education functions to better link research to technology transfer and information dissemination activities;

(2) encourages regional and multistate programs to address relevant issues of common concern and to better leverage scarce resources; and

(3) achieves agricultural research, extension, and education objectives through multi-institutional and multifunctional approaches and by conducting research at facilities and institutions best equipped to achieve those objectives.

(Pub. L. 105–185, title I, § 102, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 526; Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7129(c)(2), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1227; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7129(c)(2), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1988.)

§ 7613. Relevance and merit of agricultural research, extension, and education funded by the Department

(a) Review of National Institute of Food and Agriculture

(1) Peer review of research grants

(2) Relevance and merit review of research, extension, and education grants

(A) Establishment of procedures

(B) Consultation with Advisory Board

(3) Consideration

(b) Advisory Board review

On an annual basis, the Advisory Board shall review—

(1) the relevance to the priorities established under section 7612(a) of this title of the funding of all agricultural research, extension, or education activities conducted or funded by the Department; and

(2) the adequacy of the funding.

(1) Review results

(2) Input

(d) Scientific peer review of agricultural research

(1) Peer review procedures

(2) Review panel required

(3) Mission area

If the research activity or program to be reviewed is included in the research, educational, and economics mission area of the Department, the review panel shall consider—

(A) the scientific merit and relevance of the activity or research in light of the priorities established pursuant to section 7612 of this title; and

(B) the national or multistate significance of the activity or research.

(4) Composition of review panel

(A) In general

(B) Scientists from colleges and universities

(5) Submission of results

(e) Merit review

(1) 1862 and 1890 Institutions

Effective October 1, 1999, to be eligible to obtain agricultural research or extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each 1862 Institution and 1890 Institution shall—

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with the process.

(2) 1994 Institutions

Effective October 1, 1999, to be eligible to obtain agricultural extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each 1994 Institution shall—

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with the process.

(3) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities

To be eligible to obtain agricultural extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each Hispanic-serving agricultural college and university shall—

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with such process.

(Pub. L. 105–185, title I, § 103, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 527; Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, §§ 7129(c)(3), 7301, 7511(c)(30), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1227, 1242, 1270; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, §§ 7129(c)(3), 7301, 7511(c)(30), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1988, 2003, 2031; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7301, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 887.)

§ 7614. Definitions

Except as otherwise provided in this section and sections 7614a to 7614c of this title,1

1 See References in Text note below.

in this section and sections 7614a to 7614c of this title: 1

(1) Capacity and infrastructure program

(2) Capacity and infrastructure program critical base funding

(3) Competitive program

(4) Competitive program critical base funding

(5) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities

(6) NLGCA Institution

(7) 1862 Institution; 1890 Institution; 1994 Institution

(Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7501, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1256; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7501, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2018.)

§ 7614a. Roadmap

(a) In generalNot later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary of Research, Education, and Economics (referred to in this section as the “Under Secretary”), shall commence preparation of a roadmap for agricultural research, education, and extension that—

(1) identifies current trends and constraints;

(2) identifies major opportunities and gaps that no single entity within the Department of Agriculture would be able to address individually;

(3) involves—

(A) interested parties from the Federal Government and nongovernmental entities; and

(B) the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board established under section 3123 of this title;

(4) incorporates roadmaps for agricultural research, education, and extension made publicly available by other Federal entities, agencies, or offices; and

(5) describes recommended funding levels for areas of agricultural research, education, and extension, including—

(A) competitive programs;

(B) capacity and infrastructure programs, with attention to the future growth needs of—

(i) small 1862 Institutions, 1890 Institutions, and 1994 Institutions;

(ii) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities;

(iii) NLGCA Institutions; and

(iv) colleges of veterinary medicine; and

(6) describes how organizational changes enacted by this Act have impacted agricultural research, extension, and education across the Department of Agriculture, including minimization of unnecessary programmatic and administrative duplication.

(b) Reviewability

(c) Roadmap implementation and reportNot later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary commences preparation of the roadmap under this section, the Secretary shall—

(1) implement and use the roadmap to set the research, education, and extension agenda of the Department of Agriculture; and

(2) make the roadmap available to the public.

(Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7504, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1257; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7504, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2019.)

§ 7614b. Review of plan of work requirements

(a) Review

The Secretary shall work with university partners in extension and research to review and identify measures to streamline the submission, reporting under, and implementation of plan of work requirements, including those requirements under—

(1) sections 3221(d) and 3222(c) of this title;

(2)section 361g of this title; and

(3)section 344 of this title.

(b) Consultation

(Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7505, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1258; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7505, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2020.)

§ 7614c. Budget submission and funding

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Covered programThe term “covered program” means—

(A) each research program carried out by the Agricultural Research Service or the Economic Research Service for which annual appropriations are requested in the annual budget submission of the President; and

(B) each competitive program carried out by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for which annual appropriations are requested in the annual budget submission of the President.

(2) Request for applications

(b) Budget request

(c) Capacity and infrastructure program requestOf the funds requested for capacity and infrastructure programs in excess of the capacity and infrastructure program critical base funding level, budgetary emphasis should be placed on enhancing funding for—

(1) 1890 Institutions;

(2) 1994 Institutions;

(3) NLGCA Institutions;

(4) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities; and

(5) small 1862 Institutions.

(d) Competitive program requestOf the funds requested for competitive programs in excess of the competitive program critical base funding level, budgetary emphasis should be placed on—

(1) enhancing funding for emerging problems; and

(2) finding solutions for those problems.

(e) Additional presidential budget submission requirement

(1) In generalEach year, the President shall submit to Congress for each funding request for a covered program—

(A) in the case of the information described in paragraph (2), such information together with the annual budget submission of the President; and

(B) in the case of any additional information described in paragraph (3), such additional information within a reasonable period that begins after the date of the annual budget submission of the President.

(2) Information describedThe information described in this paragraph includes—

(A) baseline information, including with respect to each covered program—

(i) the funding level for the program for the fiscal year preceding the year for which the annual budget submission of the President is submitted;

(ii) the funding level requested in the annual budget submission of the President, including any increase or decrease in the funding level; and

(iii) an explanation justifying any change from the funding level specified in clause (i) to the level specified in clause (ii);

(B) with respect to each covered program that is carried out by the Economic Research Service or the Agricultural Research Service, the location and staff years of the program;

(C) the proposed funding levels to be allocated to, and the expected publication date, scope, and allocation level for, each request for applications to be published under or associated with—

(i) each grant and cooperative agreement awarded under subsection (d) of section 2279 of this title;

(ii) each priority area specified in subsection (b)(2) of section 3157 of this title;

(iii) each research and extension project carried out under section 5811(a) of this title;

(iv) each grant awarded under section 5925b(a) of this title; and

(v) each grant awarded under section 7632(d) of this title; and

(D) any other information the Secretary determines will increase congressional oversight with respect to covered programs.

(3) Additional information described

(4) ProhibitionUnless the President submits the information described in paragraph (2)(C) for a fiscal year, the President may not carry out any program during that fiscal year that is authorized under—

(A) subsection (d) of section 2279 of this title;

(B) subsection (b) of section 3157 of this title;

(C)section 5811 of this title;

(D)section 5925b of this title; or

(E)section 7632 of this title.

(f) Report of the Secretary of AgricultureEach year on a date that is not later than the date on which the President submits the annual budget, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing a description of the agricultural research, extension, and education activities carried out by the Federal Government during the fiscal year that immediately precedes the year for which the report is submitted, including—

(1) a review of the extent to which those activities—

(A) are duplicative or overlap within the Department of Agriculture; or

(B) are similar to activities carried out by—

(i) other Federal agencies;

(ii) the States (including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and other territories or possessions of the United States);

(iii) institutions of higher education (as defined in section 1001 of title 20); or

(iv) the private sector; and

(2) for each report submitted under this section on or after January 1, 2014, a 5-year projection of national priorities with respect to agricultural research, extension, and education, taking into account domestic needs.

(g) Interchangeability of funds

(Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7506, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1259; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7506, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2020; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7513, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 901; Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12301(a)(2)(C), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4950.)