Mission-Oriented Research

Mission-Oriented Research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

What does the term "mission-oriented research" imply to Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences?

The land-grant university mission is defined in terms of teaching, research and extension. In essence, the land-grant mission has been to provide educational opportunities for the sons and daughters of working-class people and to provide knowledge to benefit individuals, communities and states.

The knowledge provision of the mission was originally accomplished by responding to society's needs through research and extension in agriculture, mining and engineering.

The land-grant universities have worked throughout history to expand that mission and cover the full spectrum of knowledge. According to a report by the Board on Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences, changes in agriculture's social and scientific context require a new vision for agricultural research.

The vision:

• Sees agricultural research as a combination of a positive economic, social and environmental force, conducted with understanding and awareness of how problems and solutions are interconnected globally.
• Recognizes that agricultural production research focusing on productivity, efficiency and profitability should continue to meet the food and fiber needs of an expanding U.S. and global population.
• Is proactive and anticipatory of the effects of new technologies and emerging socioeconomic structures on society, human health and the environment.
• Encompasses equally important benefits accruing from agricultural research, including enhanced public health, clean water, diverse wildlife, rural amenities and social well-being.

Even though the nature of the mission has changed over history, research within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences remains mission-oriented. Three implicit assumptions are reflected in how the College approaches misison-oriented research:

• Conscious efforts must be made to focus resources and expertise to bear on identified community, state, national and international problems.
• The complex nature of problems encompass multiple disciplines and require a range of collaborative research, from fundamental to applied approaches.
• The faculty, the College and the university are accountable to the public who are the source of funds.

Several elements are critical to the College's success in implementing mission-oriented research to achieve strategic goals:

• The recognition that we need to increase our understanding of natural phenomena, and we need to provide practical benefits from that research.
• Administrative and institutional support for mission-oriented research.
• Adequate funding.
• Collegiality and open communications are essential to the success of mission-oriented research across disciplinary lines.
• Recognition of the contributions made by investigators in multidisciplinary teams engaged in mission-oriented research.

The College has played a significant role in Iowa's economy and society, and will continue to be a vital and relevant force for positive change through the application of science to the practical problems facing Iowa.

April 2009. The preceding was adapted from a paper on mission-oriented research written by Catherine Woteki, dean of the College, in 2003.