USDA- NIFA Update USDA Science & Actions
Jeanette Thurston, Ph.D. USDA-NIFA
National Program Leader Institute of Food Safety & Nutrition
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
• Created through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, re-org. complete Oct 1,2010
• Replaced the former Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES)
http:www.nifa.usda.gov
NIFA’s Unique Mission: Leading food and agricultural
sciences to create a better future for the Nation and the world
NIFA’S NEW TAGLINE…
WE WILL PREVENT WHAT CAN AIL YOU
NIFA Director: Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy
Mother of all Wicked Problems…..
7 Billion (2012) à 9 Billion (2050)
“Baby” Wicked Problems… Food, hunger, poverty, health,
water, environment, energy, climate
change
7 Billion (2012) à 9 Billion (2050)
Changing paradigm…farm-to-fork to Farmà Forkà Healthy Outcomes
Food Safety
Nutrition Food security Healthy Foods Food Quality
Health Education
Biology ↔ Culture ↔ Behavior
↨
In order to promote better health outcomes we must understand the Nexus between:
NIFA: National Program Leadership & Federal Assistance
• Identify & meet National research, extension & education needs
• Provide formula and competitive grants
v Challenge Area Programs v Integrated, Multidisciplinary, Multi-institutional,
achieving significant impacts in short periods
v Foundational Area Programs v Basic research, $500K, single function
v NIFA Fellows Program v Pre-doctoral & postdoctoral grants
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)
1. Food Security--Keep American agriculture competitive while ending world hunger
2. Childhood Obesity--Improve nutrition and end childhood obesity
3. Food Safety--Improve food safety for all Americans
4. Bioenergy--Secure America’s energy future through renewable biofuels
5. Climate Change--Mitigate and adapt agriculture to variations in climate
AFRI: Goals of Five Challenge Areas
Balancing Act Research Extension
Education
AFRI: Achieving Outcomes…
Ecology Detection
Survival/Fate
Food Safety Training
Risk
Control/Reduction
Occurrence
Undergraduate
University
Producers Consumers
online
Pamphlets/ Info sheets
Graduate
K-12
Evaluation
Labor Force
Public Health
Retail
Teachers
eXtension
Prof Dev Workshops
2010 AFRI Food Safety Research Focus
~$100M over next 5 yrs • Shiga-toxigenic E. coli in beef
• Viruses in food • Education
• Critical and Emerging Issues in Food Safety
• Processing Technologies • Food-borne pathogen-plant interactions
Comprehensive Approach to Science: REE Action Plan for USDA Science
• Vision to deliver the research, tools, & statistical data needed to meet the needs of USDA and the country
USDA REE Action Plan 7 Goals
1. Local and Global Food Supply and Security 2. Responding to Climate & Energy Needs 3. Sustainable Use of Resources 4. Nutrition & Childhood Obesity 5. Food Safety 6. Education & Science Literacy 7. Rural Prosperity/Rural-Urban Interdependence
www.ree.usda.gov
USDA Science: Organizing Research Around Problem Solving
• Research, Education, and Economics (REE) agencies – Agriculture Research Service – National Institute of Food and
Agriculture – Economic Research Service – National Agriculture Statistics
Service
Food Safety
REE Role: Provide science that informs decisions & policies that contribute to a safe food supply & the
reduction of foodborne (FB) hazards
v 6 Strategies & Actions
www.ree.usda.gov
REE Sister Agencies: Quarterly Reporting…
• Activities • Impacts • Outcomes **Keep the program updated so we can highlight your activities in quarterly and annual reports. Contact program lead for the program.
2012/13 AFRI Challenge Area: Food Safety Program
• 3 program priority areas: – Antibiotic resistance – Produce safety – Emerging Issues – LOI deadlines have passed
• RFA located on NIFA website: www.nifa.usda.gov
AFRI: Food Safety Foundational Program
• 2013 Foundational RFA LOI deadlines in November!
• Up to $6 Million for food safety priorities
• RFA located on NIFA website:
www.nifa.usda.gov
AFRI NIFA Fellowships Grants Program
• Pre-doctoral (PhD candidate; $75K; 2 yr) • Post-doctoral ($130K; 2 yr)
• ~30% success rate
NIFA Stakeholder Input • Contact National Program Leaders
– www.nifa.usda.gov – [email protected]
• Written Comments: – Policy and Oversight Division; Office of Grants and
Financial Management; National Institute of Food and Agriculture; USDA; STOP 2299; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20250-2299;
– E-mail to: [email protected].
• Formal Stakeholder Meetings
Other Activities & Update…
• Farm Bill-~$130M – Expiration of Programs ex., SCRI, OREI, BFRDP
• Sequestration – Automatic budget cuts; 8% on Jan 2
• 2014 AFRI Food Safety program • National Academies Review of AFRI
• NIFA Strategic Plan
Thank you!!