TITLE 7 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - PRIORITIES, SCOPE, REVIEW, AND COORDINATION OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION

7 USC 7611 - Standards for Federal funding of agricultural research, extension, and education

(a) In general
The Secretary shall ensure that agricultural research, extension, or education activities described in subsection (b) of this section address a concern that

(1) is a priority, as determined under section 7612 (a) of this title; and

(2) has national, multistate, or regional significance.

(b) Application
Subsection (a) of this section applies to

(1) research activities conducted by the Agricultural Research Service; and

(2) research, extension, or education activities administered, on a competitive basis, by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

7 USC 7612 - Priority setting process

(a) Establishment
Consistent with section 3101 of this title, the Secretary shall establish priorities for agricultural research, extension, and education activities conducted or funded by the Department.

(b) Responsibilities of Secretary
In establishing priorities for agricultural research, extension, and education activities conducted or funded by the Department, the Secretary shall solicit and consider input and recommendations from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education.

(1) Process
Effective October 1, 1999, to obtain agricultural research, extension, or education formula funds from the Secretary, each 1862 Institution, 1890 Institution, 1994 Institution, and Hispanic-serving agricultural college and university shall establish and implement a process for obtaining input from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education concerning the use of the funds.

(2) Regulations
The Secretary shall promulgate regulations that prescribe

(A) the requirements for an institution referred to in paragraph (1) to comply with paragraph (1); and

(B) the consequences for an institution of not complying with paragraph (1), which may include the withholding or redistribution of funds to which the institution may be entitled until the institution complies with paragraph (1).

(d) Management principles
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that federally supported and conducted agricultural research, extension, and education activities are accomplished in a manner that

(1) integrates agricultural research, extension, and education functions to better link research to technology transfer and information dissemination activities;

(2) encourages regional and multistate programs to address relevant issues of common concern and to better leverage scarce resources; and

(3) achieves agricultural research, extension, and education objectives through multi-institutional and multifunctional approaches and by conducting research at facilities and institutions best equipped to achieve those objectives.

7 USC 7613 - Relevance and merit of agricultural research, extension, and education funded by the Department

(a) Review of Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service

(1) Peer review of research grants
The Secretary shall establish procedures that provide for scientific peer review of each agricultural research grant administered, on a competitive basis, by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the Department.

(2) Merit review of extension and education grants

(A) Establishment of procedures
The Secretary shall establish procedures that provide for merit review of each agricultural extension or education grant administered, on a competitive basis, by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

(B) Consultation with Advisory Board
The Secretary shall consult with the Advisory Board in establishing the merit review procedures.

(3) Consideration
Peer and merit review procedures established under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not take the offer or availability of matching funds into consideration.

(b) Advisory Board review
On an annual basis, the Advisory Board shall review

(1) the relevance to the priorities established under section 7612 (a) of this title of the funding of all agricultural research, extension, or education activities conducted or funded by the Department; and

(2) the adequacy of the funding.

(1) Review results
As soon as practicable after the review is conducted under subsection (b) of this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall consider the results of the review when formulating each request for proposals, and evaluating proposals, involving an agricultural research, extension, or education activity funded, on a competitive basis, by the Department.

(2) Input
In formulating a request for proposals described in paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall solicit and consider input from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education regarding the prior years request for proposals.

(d) Scientific peer review of agricultural research

(1) Peer review procedures
The Secretary shall establish procedures that ensure scientific peer review of all research activities conducted by the Department.

(2) Review panel required
As part of the procedures established under paragraph (1), a review panel shall verify, at least once every 5 years, that each research activity of the Department and research conducted under each research program of the Department has scientific merit and relevance.

(3) Mission area
If the research activity or program to be reviewed is included in the research, educational, and economics mission area of the Department, the review panel shall consider

(A) the scientific merit and relevance of the activity or research in light of the priorities established pursuant to section 7612 of this title; and

(B) the national or multistate significance of the activity or research.

(4) Composition of review panel

(A) In general
A review panel shall be composed of individuals with scientific expertise, a majority of whom are not employees of the agency whose research is being reviewed.

(B) Scientists from colleges and universities
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall use scientists from colleges and universities to serve on the review panels.

(5) Submission of results
The results of the panel reviews shall be submitted to the Advisory Board.

(e) Merit review

(1) 1862 and 1890 Institutions
Effective October 1, 1999, to be eligible to obtain agricultural research or extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each 1862 Institution and 1890 Institution shall

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with the process.

(2) 1994 Institutions
Effective October 1, 1999, to be eligible to obtain agricultural extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each 1994 Institution shall

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with the process.

(3) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities
To be eligible to obtain agricultural extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each Hispanic-serving agricultural college and university shall

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with such process.

7 USC 7614 - Definitions

Except as otherwise provided in this section and sections 7614a to 7614c of this title,^[1] in this section and sections 7614a to 7614c of this title:^[1]

(1) Capacity and infrastructure program
The term capacity and infrastructure program has the meaning given the term in subsection (f)(1) of section 6971 of this title (as added by section 7511 (a)(4)).

(2) Capacity and infrastructure program critical base funding
The term capacity and infrastructure program critical base funding means the aggregate amount of Federal funds made available for capacity and infrastructure programs for fiscal year 2006, as appropriate.

(3) Competitive program
The term competitive program has the meaning given the term in subsection (f)(1) of section 6971 of this title (as added by section 7511 (a)(4)).

(4) Competitive program critical base funding
The term competitive program critical base funding means the aggregate amount of Federal funds made available for competitive programs for fiscal year 2006, as appropriate.

(5) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities
The term Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities has the meaning given the term in section 3103 of this title.

(6) NLGCA Institution
The term NLGCA Institution has the meaning given the term in section 3103 of this title.

(7) 1862 Institution; 1890 Institution; 1994 Institution
The terms 1862 Institution, 1890 Institution, and 1994 Institution have the meanings given the terms in section 7601 of this title.

[1] See References in Text note below.

7 USC 7614a - Roadmap

(a) In general
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary of Research, Education, and Economics (referred to in this section as the Under Secretary), shall commence preparation of a roadmap for agricultural research, education, and extension that

(1) identifies current trends and constraints;

(2) identifies major opportunities and gaps that no single entity within the Department of Agriculture would be able to address individually;

(3) involves

(A) interested parties from the Federal Government and nongovernmental entities; and

(B) the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board established under section 3123 of this title;

(4) incorporates roadmaps for agricultural research, education, and extension made publicly available by other Federal entities, agencies, or offices; and

(5) describes recommended funding levels for areas of agricultural research, education, and extension, including

(A) competitive programs;

(B) capacity and infrastructure programs, with attention to the future growth needs of

(i) small 1862 Institutions, 1890 Institutions, and 1994 Institutions;

(ii) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities;

(iii) NLGCA Institutions; and

(iv) colleges of veterinary medicine; and

(6) describes how organizational changes enacted by this Act have impacted agricultural research, extension, and education across the Department of Agriculture, including minimization of unnecessary programmatic and administrative duplication.

(b) Reviewability
The roadmap described in this section shall not be subject to review by any officer or employee of the Federal Government other than the Secretary (or a designee of the Secretary).

(c) Roadmap implementation and report
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary commences preparation of the roadmap under this section, the Secretary shall

(1) implement and use the roadmap to set the research, education, and extension agenda of the Department of Agriculture; and

(2) make the roadmap available to the public.

7 USC 7614b - Review of plan of work requirements

(a) Review
The Secretary shall work with university partners in extension and research to review and identify measures to streamline the submission, reporting under, and implementation of plan of work requirements, including those requirements under

(1) sections 3221 (d) and 3222 (c) of this title;

(2) section 361g of this title; and

(3) section 344 of this title.

(b) Consultation
In carrying out the review and formulating and compiling the recommendations, the Secretary shall consult with the land-grant institutions.

7 USC 7614c - Budget submission and funding

(a) Definition of competitive programs
In this section, the term competitive programs includes only competitive programs for which annual appropriations are requested in the annual budget submission of the President.

(b) Budget request
The President shall submit to Congress, together with the annual budget submission of the President, a single budget line item reflecting the total amount requested by the President for funding for research, education, and extension activities of the Research, Education, and Economics mission area of the Department for that fiscal year and for the preceding 5 fiscal years.

(c) Capacity and infrastructure program request
Of the funds requested for capacity and infrastructure programs in excess of the capacity and infrastructure program critical base funding level, budgetary emphasis should be placed on enhancing funding for

(1) 1890 Institutions;

(2) 1994 Institutions;

(3) NLGCA Institutions;

(4) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities; and

(5) small 1862 Institutions.

(d) Competitive program request
Of the funds requested for competitive programs in excess of the competitive program critical base funding level, budgetary emphasis should be placed on

(1) enhancing funding for emerging problems; and

(2) finding solutions for those problems.