By Bill Tomson, March 12, 2015
(Published by Politico)
It’s a bad year to ask Congress for a 38 percent raise, but that’s exactly what the Obama administration is doing on behalf of a new program that better fosters competition among the nation’s agricultural research universities…Read more.
A major report released today from a broad coalition of scientists identifies five key areas of food and agriculture research that should be invested in throughout the next decade. It also marks a major lobbying push to fund agriculture research to ensure a steady food supply for a growing population
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The premier program for competitively awarded research grants in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) lacks the funding to reach its full potential, according to testimony heard on Capitol Hill today. The testimony was presented in front of the House Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research—chaired by Representative Rodney Davis—that looked at research in the context of the 2018 Farm Bill.
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The budget omnibus agreement reached by Congress for FY 2018 today includes a $25 million increase for the US Department of Agriculture’s flagship competitive research program and a $140 million increase for the agency’s research, education, and economics portfolio. The budget for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) has now reached $400 million, with the last three fiscal budgets providing a total 23 percent boost.
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