Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Nominations for Industry Members of the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR)

USDA Foundation board member nominations deadline is April 28, 2014 by 5 PM ET

https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-07574

The C-FARE Board is invited to submit names of agricultural and applied economists employed by industry, non-profit, and or academic institutions who are qualified to govern the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research according to the Board responsibilities and FFAR mission and goals outlined below. Please note, the nominees are not required to be in industry, but must be nominated by someone in industry. C-FARE will work with industry contacts to submit the nominations.
C-FARE Deadline: Wednesday, April 23 by 11:59 PM ET.
To submit nominations, please ask the nominee for the following:
I. If they are not a member of industry, please indicate who from industry is willing to nominate them in addition to the information below.
II. If they are a member of industry, they only need to provide the following:
· Contact information—Name, position, institution/company, email, phone number.
· Biographical sketch—Paragraph form, no longer than two pages. Please emphasize skills and experience related to tech transfer, work with industry, understanding of USDA REE (and NSF) programs, emerging needs for ag sector, mentorship (next gen. mentorship), and ability to manage innovative and visionary research programs.
· (Not required, but recommended) Foundation Board Experience—State any experience related to Foundation Board grant management (300 words).
· Statement of Qualifications—Please emphasize the ability to identify the emerging needs for the ag sector, student and professional development program involvement, and ability to manage organizations to implement visionary action.
Please send C-FARE (info@cfare.org) this information by Wednesday, April 23 at 11:59 PM ET. 
Of Notable Importance
USDA Summary of Industry Board Member Responsibilities: The Foundation's Board will be responsible for governing the organization and ensuring it succeeds in its mission. To that end the Board members will oversee the mission and operation of the Foundation, including: Approving programs and monitoring their effectiveness, coordinating Foundation activities with federal research programs, awarding grants, and ensuring financial solvency and raising resources.
FFAR Board Appointment Process: The initial Board is to be appointed by the ex-officio board members designated in the statute. The ex-officio members are: The Secretary of Agriculture, the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics, the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Director of the National Science Foundation. The nominees are not required to be in industry, but must be nominated by someone in industry.
USDA Deadline: April 28, 2014 by 5 PM ET.
Letters of Support: Congressional Affairs, Research, Education, and Economics, Room 214-W, Whitten Building, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250-0321, fax number 202-260-8786, email FFAR@usda.gov.
Background Information on FFAR:
Summary: In accordance with Sec. 7601 of Pub. L. 113-79, the United States Department of Agriculture announces solicitation for nominations to fill 15 vacancies on the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research. Seven (7) representatives are to be selected from lists of candidates provided by industry.*
*Eight (8) representatives are to be selected from a list of candidates provided by the National Academy of Sciences in a separate process (C-FARE/AAEA Completed Nominations on April 8).
Section 7601 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79) created a new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research:
(1) To advance the research mission of the Department by supporting agricultural research activities focused on addressing key problems of national and international significance including—
(A) plant health, production, and plant products;
(B) animal health, production, and products;
(C) food safety, nutrition, and health;
(D) renewable energy, natural resources, and the environment;
(E) agricultural and food security;
(F) agriculture systems and technology; and
(G) agriculture economics and rural communities; and
(2) to foster collaboration with agricultural researchers from the Federal Government, State (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)) governments, institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C, 1001)), industry, and nonprofit organizations.
In general, the Foundation shall:
(A) Award grants to, or enter into contracts, memoranda of understanding, or cooperative agreements with, scientists and entities, which may include agricultural research agencies in the Department, university consortia, public-private partnerships, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and industry, to efficiently and effectively advance the goals and priorities of the Foundation;
(B) in consultation with the Secretary—(i) identify existing and proposed Federal intramural and extramural research and development programs relating to the purposes of the Foundation described in subsection (c); and (ii) coordinate Foundation activities with those programs so as to minimize duplication of existing efforts and to avoid conflicts;
(C) identify unmet and emerging agricultural research needs after reviewing the roadmap for agricultural research, education, and extension authorized by section 7504 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7614a);
(D) facilitate technology transfer and release of information and data gathered from the activities of the Foundation to the agricultural research community;
(E) promote and encourage the development of the next generation of agricultural research scientists; and
(F) carry out such other activities as the Board determines to be consistent with the purposes of the Foundation.

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