News Release | American Society of Agronomy

American Society of Agronomy
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Identifying Federal Research Dollars for Ag

New book chapter highlights critical agricultural research areas receiving federal funding, including food, nutrition, and natural resource sciences.

Caron Gala-Bijl Karl Glasener MADISON, WI, MAY 13, 2010 -- “Food, Nutrition, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences in the FY 2011 Budget,” is the title of a book chapter written by key staff at American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Authors Karl Glasener, Director of Science Policy, and Caron Gala Bijl, Science Policy Programs Coordinator, highlight programs and trends across the federal portfolio that support research and development in areas related to biofuel production, environmental quality, food safety and security, and nutrition.

The chapter represents the efforts of the Washington DC based ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Office to enhance federal support for programs in the realms of agronomy, crop, soil, and environmental quality. The chapter, authored in part by the ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Office, is published in a new book, “Research and Development FY 20011,” by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Highlights from the chapter, “Food, Nutrition, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences in the FY 2011 Budget,” include:

· USDA proposed an increase in funding for NIFA’s competitive Agriculture and Food Research Initiative from $262 million in FY 2010 to $429 million in FY 2011.

· NSF’s Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development (BREAD) Program received initial federal support of $6 million for basic research to test innovative hypotheses, approaches, and technologies for sustainable, science-based solutions to problems of agriculture in developing countries.

· The President’s budget announced an additional $10 million for increased support to five USDA regional feedstock research and demonstration centers.

“We are honored to have been selected by AAAS to participate in this book chapter. It underscores our commitment to enhance federal support for agriculture research. Our Science Policy Office in Washington DC can be commended for its successful impact and support of our sciences,” says Ellen Bergfeld, CEO of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA.

Copies of the report, including the tables included in the book are available from AAAS at: www.aaas.org/spp/rd/rdreport2011/. More information about the ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Office can be found online, at: www.agronomy.org/science-policy.

The American Society of Agronomy is an international scientific and professional society with its headquarters in Madison, WI. Our members are researchers and trained, certified professionals in the areas of growing our world’s food supply, while protecting our environment. We work at universities, government research facilities and private businesses across the United States and the world.