The North Central Directors Association (NCRA), with extensive input from adminstrators and faculty in the North Central Region, has recently developed strategic priorities for the North Central Regional Research portfolio. High priority regional research will have the following attributes:
- Good science
- Problem solving
- High priority
- Multidisciplinary
- Multi-state
- Assure accountability
- Direct impact/outcome to society/people
- Leverage
- Information and technology transfer
The following crosscutting areas have been identified as high priorities in the NCRA prioritization process:
- Food production, processing and distribution
- Genetic resources development and manipulation
- Integrated pest management
- Natural resources and the environment
- Economic development and policy
- Social change and development
- Food and nutrition
Twenty-five percent of the federal base or formula funds are designated for support of Regional Hatch research projects. These are projects that focus on problems common to two or more states. IAHEES participation in Regional research projects is typically with other agriculture experiment stations in the North Central Region, but may include projects in other regions. Regional funds are restricted to projects conducted jointly with other states and are subjected to critical evaluation of NC and NCR projects by regional committees composed of administrators from several states and then by the North Central Regional Research Committee.
Suggestions for Regional research projects often originate with interested scientists; however, Experiment Station directors establish technical committees charged with preparing a research proposal focused on a given problem. Each Experiment Station director approves the researcher(s) who will represent the station on the technical committee. Station directors, with DEO input, make the decision as to the amount of Regional Research Funds (RRF) to allocate to a given project for support of Regional research.
The following criteria for the RRF project outlines are specified in the USDA/CSREES Manual for Cooperation Regional Research:
- The problem involves evident cooperation and interdependence of disciplinary skills and insights, and their application to its solution.
- Research on the problem requires more scientists, equipment, and facilities than are generally available at one experiment station.
- The research approach is adaptable and particularly suitable for interstate and federal/state cooperation, resulting in conservation of limited resources and a saving of research funds.
- The project attracts additional support for research on a problem unlikely to occur through other research programs and mechanisms.
- The project is sufficiently specific to promise significant accomplishment in a reasonable period of time (5 years or less).
- The project can provide the solution to a problem of fundamental significance, or fill an important gap in our knowledge from the standpoint of the present and future agriculture of the region.
- The project can be effectively organized and conducted on a regional level.
Participation in Regional Projects and Use of Regional Travel Funds
Iowa State University faculty participate in any of the four regional committees (NC, W, S, or NE) as described in the section, Regional Participation. The Resource Verification form is submitted to the Associate Director of the Iowa station, using the appropriate form for the North Central, Western, Southern, or Northeastern regions. Listed here are Definitions of scientist year, professional year, and technical year.
After approval, the Associate Director send the verification form to the Administrator Advisor of the regional committee, confirming Iowa's participation in the regional activities. Commitments to regional activities are submitted during the development of a regional committee, the revision of a regional committee or, by means of an addendum after the regional project has been approved by USDA/CSREES Partnerships office. The appropriote procedures are described below.
To join a Regional project in which the Iowa Station does not officially participate, i.e., is not listed in the Official Regional Outline:
- Faculty complete the addendum, describing the proposed work and listing the objectives. The addendum is signed by the DEO and forwarded to Dr. Colin G. Scanes, Associate Director/Station Projects Office, 111 Curtiss Hall.
- The IAHEES Associate Director signs the addendum and forwards it to the Administrative Adviser of the regional committee, requesting approval by the regional technical committee.
- If the technical committee/Administrative Advisor accepts the addendum, the Administrative Adviser signs it and forwards it to the USDA/CSREES Regional Partnerships Office, while notifying the Director of the originating station(Iowa).
- CSREES Partnerships Office reviews the addendum and notifies the petitioning station administrator and the Administrative Adviser of approval.
- The IAHEES Director is notified that CRIS forms are required. The Station Projects Office asks the PI to prepare forms AD-416/AD-417 to document the PI's participation.
- After the IAHEES director signs CRIS forms, the Station Projects Office notifies the investigator, and the DEO, of the assigned project number. AD-421 progress reports are required annually.
- The addendum is made a part of the official regional project outline.
To join a regional project in which the Iowa Station participates, but the PI plans to participate in other stated regional objectives:
- Follow all of the above.
To join a regional project in which the Iowa Station is already listed as a participant in the regional outline and for which the PI will participate in objectives already stated:
- Faculty submit a request, to participate in the regional committe, through their department chair, to Dr. Colin Scanes, Associate Director. The request includes the following information: Faculty name with communication addresses, time commitment (SY,PY,TY), and objectives(s) in which faculty will contribute.
- The Associate Director submits this request to the Administrative Advisor of the regional committee.
- The Administrative Adviser notifies the IAHEES Associate Director when the investigator has been accepted/approved to particpate as a member of the regional project.
- At the Iowa station, the Station Projects Office notifies the investigator of the approval. The investigator is added (a) to the CRIS AD-416, and (b) to the listing of departmental projects.
Each of the four regional research committees approves its regional proposals before submitting them to the USDA/CSREES Partnerships Office for approval. Following review by the national committee, the USDA/CSREES Partnerships Office notifies IAHEES when a regional project has been approved, either as a new or revised project. The IAHEES requests that the Iowa representative follow these guidelines:
- Complete AD-416 Research Resume.
- Complete AD-417 Classification.
- Complete the CSREES-662, even though your research does not require special-use approvals.
- Complete the cover signature page of the IAHEES project proposal form.
- Attach signed approval forms from the special use committe(s), if appropriate.
- Please note that form AD-416 and the cover page of an IAHEES project proposal form require signatures of DEO(s); the PI(s) also sign the cover pages.
- Submit the completed documentation to the Station Projects Office, 131 Curtiss Hall, for review. When final approval is given, the project will be assigned an IAHEES project number and submitted to the Current Research Information System (CRIS), a unit of the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) within USDA.
Annual reporting requirements for Regional projects are the same as for other Station projects.
NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with CRIS documents, you can learn about them at CRIS WebForms. Office staff in each department can connect to these forms to add/revise project information. If you have any problems, please contact Tom Hillson, College of Agriculture Webmaster, hillson@iastate.edu.