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Identifying
Priorities
for Iowa's Future
November 2003
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Overview
Goal for the Review
Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture is seeking Iowans’ input to ensure that resources in the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station are aligned to meet the present and future needs of Iowa, as well as to adequately address current realities in state funding for research and education.
The Vision
The College of Agriculture aspires to be the foundation for the education and technology that will be the future of Iowa agricultural and food systems. We will achieve this vision by educating our future leaders; by maintaining our strengths in production and value-added agriculture; and by investing in new areas to ensure Iowa remains a world leader in agriculture and life sciences. Recently the College has made investments in areas that include animal and plant genomics, biorenewable products and processes, corn and soybean production programs, risk assessment of genetically modified products, and food safety and security. We will achieve the vision through partnerships with people and groups who believe in a better Iowa. The College will be a vital force for opportunity and positive change. That’s our vision.
How You Can Help
In this report, we’ve assembled information for a snapshot of our recent research. As you review the information, consider whether we are asking the right questions to meet Iowans’ needs and whether resources are adequately aligned to respond to needs. What do you believe should be the high priorities for agricultural research in the future? Your insights are valuable as the College of Agriculture makes plans to reach its vision by determining future directions of the Experiment Station and connected extension and outreach programs.
Scope of the Review
This review of research funded through the Experiment Station covers the Federal Fiscal Year from October 1, 2001, to September 30, 2002 (FY02). This period represents the most complete financial information available. Information on research and extension programs primarily represent results reported from this period. The review is divided into the following categories, which follow federal classifications for agricultural research:
• Plants & Their Systems
• Animals & Their Systems
• Natural Resources & Environment/Engineering & Support Systems
• Family & Community Systems
• Economics, Markets & Policy
• Food & Non-Food Products: Development, Processing, Quality & Delivery
• Human Nutrition, Food Safety & Human Health and Well-being
• Research Support, Administration & Communication
Scope of the Research
In FY02, the Experiment Station had 226 active research projects, representing the efforts of scientists in nearly 35 departments, centers and programs across the Iowa State campus. The Experiment Station supported nearly 300 faculty (147 full-time equivalents, FTEs) and 420 staff members (145 FTEs). Although their work primarily focuses on areas in the College of Agriculture, the Experiment Station also supports efforts in Engineering, Family and Consumer Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.
Funding Sources
The Experiment Station receives funds from three primary sources: state appropriations, federal formula funds (allocated to states based on their number of farmers and rural residents) and grants and contracts. In FY02, Experiment Station expenditures totaled $85.4 million. In the figures below, we’ve included a category of product sales, which are expenditures from sales of agricultural products or services resulting from research programs (i.e., grain, livestock, seminar fees, publications). We’ve also included the current FY04 state appropriations for the Experiment Station. Current FY04 figures are unavailable for the other categories.
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FY02
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FY04
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| State Appropriations |
$36.1 million
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42%
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$31.3 million
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| Federal Formula Funds |
$4.1 million
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5%
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| Grants & Contracts |
$38.6 million
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45%
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| Product Sales |
$6.6 million
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8%
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| Total: |
$85.4 million
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100%
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The State Funding Picture
Over the past several years, state budget difficulties have meant serious cuts to research in the College of Agriculture. With budget cuts and unfunded salary increases, the Experiment Station’s base budget has declined 24.6 percent since 2001. The picture is similar for state funding of Extension within the College. In response, the College has reduced staff, left faculty positions unfilled and consolidated research facilities. For the current year, 2003-04, state funding for the Experiment Station is $31.3 million (this figure includes the mid-year budget cuts announced in October). In FY02, the year this review is based upon, the state appropriated $36.1 million to the Experiment Station.
Why State Funds Are Critical
Results of this review will be an important part of upcoming discussions involving state budgets for the College of Agriculture. State funding for the Experiment Station and Extension pays for the people — faculty and staff — and the places — infrastructure such as labs and farms — that keep Iowa State among the nation’s leaders in agricultural research, education and extension. Experiment Station scientists leverage state dollars to compete in bringing in grants and contracts for work that addresses Iowa’s needs. And they compete very successfully. In FY02, they brought in $38.6 million in grants and contracts. State funding supplies the resources crucial for retaining the best and brightest scientists and for maintaining high-quality programs. It supports graduate students who will contribute to Iowa’s future economy in agriculture and life sciences. It helps provide the science-based information that contributes to Iowa’s economic development and quality of life. State funds are crucial to continue Extension’s efforts to deliver unbiased research information to Iowans. Approximately $10 million supports ISU Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources, which includes faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture and other areas on campus and field specialists around the state.
Research and Extension Trends
Generally, the broad categories of Experiment Station research have not changed dramatically over 20 years (see table below). In FY02, 57 percent of expenditures was directly linked to research in production agriculture. Twenty years ago, in FY83, production agriculture research accounted for 59 percent of Experiment Station expenditures. The remaining funds have supported research primarily in natural resources, water quality, forestry, food and human nutrition, value-added agriculture, horticulture, nonproduction economic issues, human health, and family and communities. Today, 72 percent of ISU Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources’s activities on campus is devoted to production agriculture and 56 percent of field specialists’ efforts is tied to production agriculture. Production agriculture research has included work in plant production and protection, animal production and protection, soils and agricultural economics and marketing.
Finances
In the table, financial information from FY02 and from FY83 shows expenditures by research category. Also shown for FY02 is a breakdown of sources of funding — state, federal and grants and contracts.
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