| 1:30 pm
| 1.0 | Welcome and Introductions - Orlando McMeans Approved: Minutes
Approved: Agenda
Interim Actions: The chair will continue trying to schedule a meeting between the ESCOP leadership and the Interim NIFA Director, Dr. Jacobs-Young |
| 1:35 pm
| 2.0 | NIFA Updates - Chavonda Jacobs-Young/Meryl Broussard In meeting discussion: - Meryl Broussard: NIFA is adjusting programmatically and fiscally to budget cuts, preparing for the upcoming Farm Bill audit hearings (7/28/11), continuing their reorganization process, and adjusting to employee reductions due to budget cuts and key people leaving. The position of NIFA Director is a political appointment (to replace Dr. Beachy) and the White House is considering candidates. The loss of earmarks reduced the NIFA budget substantially and one of the consequences is that personnel will be reduced accordingly. Because of the large budget cuts that will take place at NIFA, the Principal Scientist positions that were stipulated in the reorganization plans have been cancelled. Consideration is being given to having IPAs or other types of appointments used in the future. All four of the NIFA Institutes will soon have their directors. The two remaining vacancies are soon to be filled. The Director of the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition finalist is awaiting final clearance and Dan Kugler will return August 1st to head the Institute of Youth, Family, and Community. The division director positions have all been filled with internal recruits. The new budget officer is Paula Geiger; Ven Neralla will serve as Director of Congressional Affairs for both NIFA and REE. Still vacant is the position of Director of Planning, Accountability, and Reporting which was previously held by Bob MacDonald. Bart Hewitt is serving as the interim director of this unit. NIFA’s unexpended funds are being questioned. This is an explainable practice but still a target for those looking to make cuts and seeing these funds as money provided by Congress that go unused. Consequently, NIFA is looking at ways to reduce these, i.e. showing smaller unobligated balances by using the carry-overs to fund large continuation awards and adjusting the accounting accordingly. There has still been no guidance for the agency on the 2013 budget which is needed to strategize for the next funding cycle. Therefore the RFAs for 2011 and 2012 may be combined in order to get back on cycle. NIFA would like to consolidate some of its small funding lines, i.e. those less than $1 M because of the high transaction costs associated with them. Budget cuts affect AFRI awards because there will be fewer resources for new grants, but awards already made must still be honored. Continuation requests will receive more critical review and more conservative actions. There remains enough funding for Foundational programs (30%, which is about $160 million) but large CAP awards in the multimillions are unlikely for a while in the new budget climate. The Secretary has restricted travel as a cost saving measure. Thus the state liaison program is affected since NPL travel is curtailed. It was asked that if in DC we should visit the NPLs instead of expecting them to come to us. Note: universities cannot pay travel expenses of NPLs. Substantial travel expenses of NIFA are those for peer panels. NIFA will try alternative peer panel activities besides travel, like using videos and conference calls when possible. When asked about the inconsistencies of Plan of Work requirements from NPLs, Dr. Broussard requested that these problems should immediately be brought to the attention of Bart Hewitt.
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| | | Reports |
| 2:00 pm
| 3.0 | Communications & Marketing -Jerry Arkin/Cornerstone In meeting discussion: - Please see agenda brief. The contract to the ‘kglobal’ firm has been signed. By phone Dina Reitzel, the CARET liaison member of the C&M Committee from New Mexico joined the discussion. Darren Katz of kglobal called in and stated that his firm is honored to have been trusted to work on this special initiative. Darren has strong experience working in political, Fortune 500, and non-profits’ environments and with political marketing using grassroots efforts. Kgobal has local organizers in all Congressional Districts (~2500) and they execute marketing strategies, recognizing that local level involvement is most persuasive. They leverage key opinion leaders to get to members of Congress. Press releases are used strategically, i.e. they use Tweets that are known to be followed by Senators’ offices. They will be aligning their efforts with Cornerstone and initiatives will be tailored, focused and driven with a timing perspective. Other members of the kglobal team are Tom Frank who specializes in leveraging social media in large campaigns using microsites and tools like Facebook, Twitter and email. Jeff Morris has hands on experience working with field organizers to tailor messages for targeted audiences. Kgobal is currently working on an op ed in the National Journal because this publication is creditable and local level media use op eds published by then and then the op ed content can be amplified through social media. EDs will be of assistance in getting articles to or for kglobal and after more planning by the C&M committee, university communication staff will be of assistance as well. Dina asked if the firm is willing to help craft the system’s theme – simple, easy but catchy. It was said that Cornerstone has been asked by the PBD to assist with this as well. Darren indicated that whatever the messages used by their initiatives, they will be comprehensive, compelling, and consistent. The call ended with Jerry recommending that all visit the kglobal website.
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| 2:20 pm
| 4.0 | Policy Board of Directors Report - Steve Slack In meeting discussion: - The PBD accepted Steve to serve out the unexpired term of Mark McLellan. Dr. Slack will also work with Steve Pueppke on the CLP. The PBD is asking each land grant university for the one-pagers previously used after the template was provided by Cornerstone. The one-page impact documents will be like the others but with new numbers. Good examples will also be provided so that some improvements can be made. Eric Young mentioned that there will be a task force established to find the appropriate people for ad hoc committees needed to perform some of the work of the PBD. This task force will be composed of the four past chairs of the respective COPs, and a past chair of AHS, and have an ED as support staff. The task force meetings are expected to be totally electronic. The FSLI program had been discussed in the PBD meeting. It is the consensus that this is an excellent program but there is consternation because while they request scholarship funds from the BAA, they do not provide the PBD with financial or programmatic reports. Thus this FSLI request (scholarship contribution) to the PBD was not approved until FSLI agrees to provide such information.
- A director, Clarence Watson, will represent ESCOP on Dr. Woteki’s task force to draft “Partnership Principles.” Mike Harrington would assist Clarence by forwarding documents on the partnership developed in 2003.
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| 2:30 pm | 5.0 | National - CFAR - Nancy Cox |
2:35 pm
| 6.0 7.0 | Cornerstone Advocacy Update -Jim Richards/Hunt Shipman
Budget and Legislative Committee - Steve Slack In meeting discussion: - Please see agenda brief. The House budget numbers are awful for NIFA. The Senate is the focus for advocacy efforts and the impact one-pagers about the proposed reductions will be needed by the end of July to assist with the advocacy efforts. The mark-ups in the Senate will probably be mid- to late September and we hope for better disposition from the Senate than we received from the House. Hunt and Nancy Cox are C-FAR board members. Their positions on the board help garner support for the system among the other broad constituencies of agriculture.
- The current major issue is the system’s consideration of a proposal for “one-line funding for NIFA programs.” While all agreed that support for this concept needed to come from the regions and sections, the timing issue is prohibitive to getting this broader response. Carolyn offered some questions/concerns from those at the meeting from the 1890 community. These will be sent to Mike Harrington who is preparing FAQs. The background: AHS and PBD wanted the BAC and the CLP to consider the one-line funding option to provide downside protection for capacity funding and to insure increase to capacity funds when NIFA appropriations are increased. This mechanism has similarities to how NIH and NSF address Congress for their funding. Discussions ensued and the final motion by Steve Slake stated that ESCOP would support the one-line funding approach in principle with the caveat that endorsement of this strategy would require discussion at the September, 2011 ESS meeting so that full sectional input and deliberation can first be provided.
The motion was approved. |
| 2:50 pm
| 8.0 | Committee on Legislation & Policy - Vernie Hubbert/Steve Pueppke In meeting discussion: - Currently both the CLP and BAL activity primarily relate to the one-line funding strategy
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| 3:15 pm
| 9.0 | Science and Technology Committee Report - Bill Ravlin In meeting discussion: - See agenda brief. The 2011 National Multistate Research Award for Excellence winner is project S-1032 and documentation has been forwarded to APLU to be included in the APLU Awards Program. Bill Ravlin agreed to chair the task force on operationalizing the ESCOP Science Roadmap. In MN it was suggested that efforts be made to pull together the ESCOP/ACOP/ECOP and REE strategic plans/roadmaps. Since the operationalization will be discussed with ESS in September it was suggested that an “outsider” speak critically on the roadmap during the program to entice more discussion during the breakout sessions. This was deemed a good idea.
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3:25 pm
| 10.0 | NRSP Review Committee Report -Ralph Cavalieri In meeting discussion: - Please see agenda brief. Any feedback, share comments with Dan.
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| 3:35 pm
| 11.0 | National Plant Germplasm Coordinating Committee Report - Lee Sommers In meeting discussion: - See detailed agenda brief. Lee is awaiting appointment by the USDA Sec. to serve as ESCOP and NPGCC representative on the National Genetics Resources Advisory Council which is being re-established. The NPGCC committee has liaisons that work well, now even to include the National Association of Plant Breeders.
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| 3:45 pm
| 12.0 | 406 Programs, i.e. Water Quality and IPM -Mike Harrington, Arlen Leholm, and Ed Smith In meeting discussion: - The recommendation with the most traction is to merge the 406 programs into Smith Lever 3D programs as appropriate. (Also recommended the maintaining the Rural Dev. Centers.) The task force and Cornerstone may recommend updated actions as budgetary actions/scenarios keep changing. There is still a trust issue that must be realized and addressed appropriately. An agenda brief will be posted on this soon.
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| 3:55 pm
| 13.0 | LEAD21 Update - Arlen Leholm In meeting discussion: - Agenda brief will be forthcoming. After some dishevel, LEAD21 was transferred from the Fanning Institute to the UMN to meet the obligations of the current class of seventy-four (74). The program is now up and running as well as ever. While the program was at Fanning , the program incurred a deficit of $108,852.90 . The BAAPBD agreed to loan LEAD21 the money to pay down the deficit, and to repay the loan in 5 – 6 years. The current contract with MN will continue until ~3/1/12. A new RFP will be developed by representation of the LEAD21 Board and the PBD and the final choice of the RFP submitters will be extended a contract for multiple year commitments with clarified role definitions and process descriptions in place. Thus, the next class will be managed by the next contract winner, effective 1/1/12. The two members from the PBD who will work with the LEAD21 board members to help craft the RFP and make other contractual oversight improvements are Steve Slack and Bruce McPheron. To help pay back the loan to the PBD, the tuition for the next classes will be increased by $500 to $9500. There will be new requirements for timely audits, clarification of bylaws etc. Arlen was strongly commended for handling what could have been a disastrous outcome. He used exceptional diplomacy (as did those working with him, i.e. Jeff Jacobson and Dick Senese) and the result was keeping LEAD21 running smoothly. Mike suggested that those who are alumni of the leadership program might be willing to contribute and thus help relieve the debt more quickly.
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| 4:15 pm
| 14.0
| Report from ECOP - Ed Smith, ECOP liaison to ESCOP In meeting discussion: - Ed indicated he has accepted the request to serve on the ESCOP C&M committee. He asked if ESCOP would seek the endorsement from the regions of the South’s white paper on “Criticality of Formula Funds for Research and Extension.” He also recommended that rather than simply discuss the series of questions posed by ECOP and ESCOP separately, these questions should be discussed by both ESCOP and ECOP together.
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| 4:20 pm
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| Break |
| 4:35 pm
| 15.0 | Report on the REE Roadmap Listening Session in MN, June 8-9, 2011 |
| 4:45 pm
| 16.0 | Farm Bill Seminar Update - Mike Harrington In meeting discussion: - Mike informed the group that the National Center for Food and Ag Policy will be holding Farm Bill discussions in DC. The Farm Foundation and C-FAR as well as other groups will be participating and former Sec. Glickman heads a discussant group as well.
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| 4:50 pm
| 17.0 | 2011 ESS/SAES/ARD Meeting and Workshop Update - Lee Sommers In meeting discussion: - Gave an update on the Sept. 26-29th meeting with 60 registered thus far. Those wishing to stay beyond the conference dates should make reservations by phone, not online. The program has fallen into place. There will be expenses needing to be paid to the keynote speaker on climate change, John Oliver. The vote was taken and unanimously agreed that ESCOP would pay.
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| | Thursday, July 21, 2011 |
| 8:00 am | 18.0 | Joint ESCOP-ECOP session on "Grant Writing and Developing Effective Proposal Teams" An Update on Regional Training and Curriculum Development" (developing integrated proposals) - Arlen Leholm, Mike Harrington, and Robin Sheppard |
| | | ESCO-ECOP Joint Session concludes and both groups assemble separately for respective section meetings |
| 9:00 am | 19.0 | "Operational Plan Task Force" Report and Discussion - mission: operationalizing the ESCOP Science Roadmap |
| 9:45 am | 20.0 | Unfinished business - Drs. Jacobs-Young and Otto gave final remarks and the meeting was adjourned at 5 PM.
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