Overview of ARS National Programs

1
Overview of ARS National Programs

• Steven Kappes
• Deputy AdministratorAnimal Production
  Protection
• National Program Staff
• Agricultural Research Service

2
Agricultural Research Service

• ARS is the intramural research arm of USDA
• CSREES funds extramural research

http//www.ars.usda.gov/
3
Profile of ARS

• 8,000 employees
• 2,200 scientists
• 100 laboratory locations
• 1.1 billion annual budget
• Partnerships with universities and industry

• Intramural Research
• Farm-to-table research scope
• 21 (19) National Programs
• 1,100 research projects
• Information technology transfer

4
ARS Is a National Organization
5
ARS Organization (Matrix Management)
6
ARS is a Mission-Driven Organization

• Our mission is to conduct research to develop
  and transfer solutions to agricultural problems
  of high national priority and provide information
  access and dissemination to
• Ensure high quality, safe food and other products
• Assess the nutritional needs of Americans
• Sustain a competitive agricultural economy
• Enhance the natural resource base and the
  environment
• Provide economic opportunities to rural citizens
  and society as a whole

7
How Do We Meet Our Mission?

• Through National Programs!
• A National Program is a set of research
  projects directed toward common goals to solve
  agricultural problems of high National priority.
• National Programs are outcome driven, e.g., a
  safer food supply.

8
National Programs
Animal Prod/Prot Natural Resources
Crop Prod/Prot
Water Availability Management Soil
and Air Resource

Management Pasture, Forages and Rangeland
Systems Ag. Waste Byproduct Utilization Agricult
ural System Competitiveness
Sustainability Bioenergy
Food Animal Production Animal Health Veterinary,
Medical and Urban Entomology Aquaculture
Plant, Microbial Insect Germplasm Conservation
Development Plant Biological Molecular
Processes Plant Diseases Crop Protection
Quarantine Crop Production Methyl Bromide
Alternatives
Nutrition, Food Quality and Safety
New Uses, Quality Marketability of Plant
Animal Products Human Nutrition Food Safety
9
NPS Function

• Provide Program Leadership
• Receive input on high priority research needs
  (relevance) and develop Action Plan
• Develop research objectives for each research
  project with scientists
• Identifies opportunities to leverage ARS
  research activities
• Develop budget initiatives
• National Program Champion
• Technical expert advises ARS Administrator,
  USDA Secretary, President and Congress

10
How ARS Plans and Sets Research Priorities
Executive Branch (Department, other Federal
agencies)
ARS Program Budgeting Priorities
Agency Scientists Managers
Customers, Partners, Stakeholders
Scientific Communities
11
How does ARS address new research problems?

• Redirection
• Collaborations
• New budget initiatives
• Does ARS have the expertise and
  capacity?
• Can the research be done by universities or
  industry?
• Fundamental (Basic) vs Applied Research

12
ARS National Program Cycle 2003 2008 (current
5 year cycle)
Relevance
Program Planning Priority Setting
Scientific Merit Peer Review
Program Assessment
Quality (Retrospective)
Quality (Prospective)
Project Implementation
Program Coordination
Performance
13
Quality (retrospective)

• External panels of scientific experts and
  stakeholders
• Did the program component achieve the goals of
  the action plan?
• Was the work of high quality?
• Each component scored for impact
• Program evaluation not project evaluation

14
ARS National Program Cycle (new 5 year cycle)
Workshop
Relevance
Program Planning Priority Setting
Scientific Merit Peer Review
Program Assessment
Quality (Retrospective)
Quality (Prospective)
Project Implementation
Program Coordination
Performance
15
Relevance

• Each National Program conducts a national
  planning workshop
• Stakeholder input
• Develops action plan (NPS and scientists)
• 5 year plan
• Defines program objectives and directions
• Set the outcomes for the retrospective reviews

16
Program Direction and Resource Allocation Memos
(PDRAMs)

• NPL assigns research objectives and expected
  outcomes for each project
• Specify the level of SY effort and funding to be
  allocated to research project
• If applicable, a SY recruitment or assignment
  action and the scientific discipline required may
  also be specified

17
ARS National Program Cycle
Relevance
Program Planning Priority Setting
Scientific Merit Peer Review
Program Assessment
Quality (Retrospective)
Quality (Prospective)
Project Implementation
Program Coordination
Performance
18
ARS National Program Cycle
Relevance
Program Planning Priority Setting
Scientific Merit Peer Review
Program Assessment
Quality (Retrospective)
Quality (Prospective)
Project Implementation
Program Coordination
Performance
19
Performance(individual scientist)

• Annual performance ratings
• Annual reports including milestones met
• RPES evaluation

20
Workshop Outcomes

• What we need from our Customers and Stakeholders-
• High priority research problems (prioritized)
• We need to understand the problem
• Long term needs
• Balanced research portfolio (basic and applied)
• ARS will develop an Action Plan
• ARS will email customers and stakeholders our
  Annual Reports

21
NP 106