Science Policy Report

Address all comments to the Science Policy Office at:
[email protected]

17 April 2019

In This Issue:

Policy News

Science and Society News

International Corner

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Policy News

Congressional leaders are charging ahead with negotiations on a deal to skirt $126 billion in spending cuts, but the Trump administration is reluctant. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had agreed to begin negotiating a new two-year deal to raise budget caps. The majority leader said there is a "bipartisan desire" to avoid another stopgap spending bill that simply extends funding at current levels and to avoid the automatic cuts if Congress fails to raise the budget caps. However, President Donald Trump has scoffed at the idea of striking a bipartisan two-year deal to ward off billions of dollars in spending cuts. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have signed on to a coalition letter urging Congress to come to a budget agreement that raises the budget caps and prioritizes federal research. Read the full article.

 

Multiple “Dear Colleague” letters were circulating among Congress in support of federal research funding programs. In its fifth year, the Dear Colleague letter in support of the USDA competitive grants program, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), had a record 113 Members of Congress sign on. The letter asked for strong support for the AFRI program in FY2020. Letters in both the House and Senate also circulated asking for $9 billion in funding for the National Science Foundation in FY2020. The Department of Energy-Office of Science also had a letter in both the House and Senate asking for $7 billion in funding for FY2020.

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have signed on to multiple coalition letters that ask Congress to provide funding increases for USDA research programs in fiscal year (FY) 2020. The AgForward Coalition and the AFRI Coalition, both of which ASA, CSSA, and SSSA are members, sent letters to Congress requesting at least $445 million, an increase of $30 million, for the AFRI competitive grants program. The National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) also sent letters to both the House and Senate requesting funding increases for multiple USDA REE programs including NIFA – AFRI, Hatch, Smith-Lever and the ARS. 

More than 140 leading farm, conservation, and wildlife groups, including ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, sent a letter to Congress asking appropriators to respect the funding decisions made in the 2018 Farm Bill and reject any cuts to farm bill conservation funding through the appropriations process. Farm bill conservation programs, including the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), play a vital role in helping farmers, ranchers, and landowners to keep their lands sustainable and profitable for generations to come. Read the letter here.
 

Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) and freshman Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) announced that they will co-chair the Congressional Research & Development Caucus for the 116th Congress. The caucus was established during the 108th Congress with the purpose of highlighting the economic and societal importance of research and development and to advocate for federal research and development funding. Read the full article.
 

A controversial plan by the White House to review the connections between climate change and national security might be led by a former official with the Department of Energy (DOE) who oversaw talks about nuclear weapons tests with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Former Ambassador C. Paul Robinson, who served as chief negotiator for the Geneva nuclear testing talks from 1988 to 1990, is favored to lead the review panel, according to two sources involved in the talks. Read the full article.
 

Science and Society News

Specialized knowledge, skill, education, experience, or training in any of our expertise areas are highlighted in the Scientific Expertise Directory as resource for members and others looking for experts in our sciences. Take a look and find the expert you seek! ASA - CSSA - SSSA

Genetic variation is needed for breeding progress. Predicting the amount of genetic variability in a cross has stymied plant breeders for a long time, but the easy availability of DNA fingerprints today might provide a means to predict the amount of variation among progeny before a cross is made. In particular, DNA fingerprints allow breeders to create “virtual populations” to model the distribution of progeny in each cross. In a paper recently published in Crop Science, researchers attempted to validate theoretical models for predicting the genetic variance (VG) via DNA markers. Among eight maize crosses, the mean of each cross was accurately predicted for flowering date, ear height, and plant height. Yet despite the use of a large and carefully designed experiment, predictions of genetic variance were inaccurate. Read the full article.
 

A growing body of research suggests that consuming less meat from ruminant animals can mitigate the climate change impact but given the rising demand of livestock products in developing countries, improving the sustainability of beef production is a popular solution. Data-gathering technology and precision farming can help beef producers improve traceability and transparency and become more effective in reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. Read the full article.
 

With passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has been designated as the lead USDA agency to administer the new USDA Hemp Production Program. AMS is in the process of working toward developing regulations to implement the 2018 Farm Bill provisions. It is expected that the final rule will be implemented by the end of calendar year 2019. Until the final rule is implemented, all rules and restrictions must be followed per Section 7606 of the 2014 Farm Bill. In other words, no one should try to implement the 2018 Farm Bill production provisions before the final USDA rule is established. Learn more on the NIFA website.
 

Share your science! Abstract Submission, Housing and Registration are now open for the 2019 ASA, CSSA, SSSA Annual Meeting November 10-13, "Embracing the Digital Environment". The Annual Meeting is one of the few gatherings that bring together approximately 4,000 scientific leaders from industry, government agencies, and academic institutions in one unique environment. This year’s meeting will feature more than 3,500 technical presentations, along with a host of networking events and award ceremonies. Register here, hotel information here, and submit your abstract here.

University of Florida (UF) scientists plan to use a $7.3 million, four-year grant to find the genetic traits that will make sweet corn taste even better, last longer, and grow better across the nation. Mark Settles, a professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), will lead the project. “What we want to do is find those genes that make sweet corn a tasty vegetable and be able to then use those genes in traditional breeding,” Settles said. Read the full article.
 

USDA announced the results of the 2017 Census of Agriculture, spanning some 6.4 million new points of information about America’s farms and ranches and those who operate them, including new data about on-farm decision making, down to the county level. Information collected by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) directly from farmers and ranchers tells us both farm numbers and land in farms have ongoing small percentage declines since the last Census in 2012. At the same time, there continue to be more of the largest and smallest operations and fewer middle-sized farms. The average age of all farmers and ranchers continues to rise. Read the full article.
 

ASA and SSSA offer free trial memberships that provides an in-depth look our associated benefits, without the up-front commitment of member dues. The Trial Memberships, gives the opportunity to take a tour, become familiar with ASA, SSSA, our members, and our benefits. If you like what you see and believe, as we do, that this is a valuable addition to your networking and information needs, join and become a member. Already a member? Then invite a colleague to join our Societies and spread the word by sharing these links to future members for details! ASA Membership and SSSA Membership.
 

USDA seeks nominations of qualified individuals for the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. The 15-member NAREEE Advisory Board reviews and makes recommendations on top priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension, and economics. Members serve two- to four-year terms depending on the Board or committee and represents different sectors of agricultural research. The current open positions include: one vacancy on the NAREEE Advisory Board; nine vacancies on the National Genetic Resources Advisory Council; three vacancies on the Specialty Crop Committee; and eight vacancies on the Citrus Disease Subcommittee. Nomination submission deadline is April 26. Read the full announcement.
 

International Corner

Europe’s soil is washing away. It can take hundreds of years to generate a centimeters of fertile topsoil, and only a strong wind or unexpected flood to wash it away. The European Commission estimates Europe loses 9 million metric tons of soil annually — equivalent to 275 soccer pitches each day. Soil erosion and degradation is particularly acute in parts of Europe, where industrial farming and unchecked urbanism have exposed farmland to wind and rain. Read the full article.
 

The latest federal budget news coming out of Brasília has Brazilian scientists fearing the worst. On 29 March, faced with a stagnant economy and falling tax revenues, the government announced it was “freezing” nearly 30 billion reais ($7.5 billion) of the country’s public funds for the year, including a 2.2 billion real slice of the science ministry’s budget. If the freeze isn’t lifted, funds for scholarships and research will be cut by 42%—a blow that would come on top of a series of other cuts in recent years. Read the full article.
 

In a ghost town in southeastern Spain, Alfonso Chico de Guzmán is using ancient farming practices to restore the soil on his family's 1,000- hectare farm. If it works, he’ll hold back the encroaching desert — and maybe even bring his abandoned village of La Junquera back to life. The stakes are high. Chaotic weather and thinning topsoil are putting farmers like Chico de Guzmán under ever greater pressure. And it’s only going to get worse. Climate change models used by the European Commission project temperatures will increase by more than 2°C in Spain by the end of the century. According to a special report published by the European Court of Auditors in December 2018, three-quarters of Spain faces desertification, making it one of the most seriously affected countries in Europe. Read the full article.
 

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Nitrogen migration from anthropogenic sources, such as agricultural runoff or wastewater discharge, is responsible for eutrophication of marine systems causing anoxia, ecological disruption and reduction in productivity of natural systems and fisheries. Eutrophication can result in widespread “dead zones” and contribute to proliferation of toxic microalgae and/or cyanobacteria, as recently seen on Florida’s Gulf Coast. One potential solution is the large‐scale cultivation of nitrogen‐fixing seaweeds in these eutrophic marine systems. Seaweeds are non‐vascular macroalgae plants capable of rapid growth via carbon fixation and effective uptake of nitrogen, predominately in the form of nitrate. When deployed in eutrophic marine systems, cultivation of seaweeds on a large scale may provide local, and possibly regional, mitigation of excess nutrient concentration via bioextraction. ARPA‐E’s MARINER program targets the development and deployment of new technologies for the economically viable production of seaweeds on a scale sufficient for bioenergy production. Deadline, May 13. Read the full announcement.
 

The Supplemental and Alternative Crops Competitive (SACC) Grants Program will support the development of canola as a viable supplemental and alternative crop in the United States. The goal of the SACC program is to significantly increase crop production and/or acreage by developing and testing of superior germplasm, improving methods of planting, cultivation, and harvesting, and transferring new knowledge to producers (via Extension) as soon as practicable. Extension, education, and communication activities related to the research areas above must be addressed in the proposal. Deadline, May 31. Read the full announcement.
 

The New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) Competitive Grants Program RFA for fiscal year (FY) 2019 provides funding for a cooperative agreement that contributes to “Enhancing Electronic Extension (E3)" a national web-based information and education delivery system. E3 engages land-grant institutions and the Cooperative Extension Service to provide objective, scientific information to the public that answer questions and guide decisions. By creating web-based access to high-quality, non-duplicative, research-based information, E3 can help better serve the needs of the public seeking real-time information. In FY 2019, NIFA plans to support E3 strategic direction in providing leadership for innovation and technology that advances education through the promotion of CES growth and competencies. Deadline, June 6. Read the full announcement.
 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Proposals will be accepted from the following several states. See the links for full announcement details and deadlines. 
Oregon – Deadline May 31
Idaho – Deadline June 7
Rhode Island – Deadline June 10
Georgia – Deadline June 10
California – Deadline June 10
Kansas – Deadline June 14
 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS), in collaboration with the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), seeks to promote interdisciplinary research that enables novel mathematical and computational approaches that capture and explore the full range of mechanisms and biological variability needed to better understand biological systems behavior across multiple scales. The development of replicative or descriptive models for complex biological systems remains challenging. Models that move beyond replication into the realm of prediction and ultimately becoming indispensable tools for discovery-driven biology are severely lacking. A paradigm shift in the current, oftentimes conservative approach to interdisciplinary mathematical biology is needed to promote the realization of modeling platforms that facilitate discovery of novel biological phenomena, rules, and theories. As part of the effort, funding opportunities are available in fiscal years FY2019 and FY2020 to provide support for proposals from interdisciplinary teams comprised of mathematical, computational, and biological scientists to develop MODels for Uncovering Rules and Unexpected Phenomena in Biological Systems (MODULUS). This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) is to encourage researchers involved in the biosciences and the mathematical sciences to collaborate formatively in biological investigations using novel mechanistic mathematical models to guide biological exploration and discovery of new rules in living systems. Deadline, June 1. Read the full announcement.
 

ECR’s Building Capacity for STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) solicitation supports projects that build individuals’ capacity to carry out high quality STEM education research that will enhance the nation’s STEM education enterprise and broaden the pool of researchers that can conduct fundamental research in STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM workforce development. Specifically, ECR: BCSER supports activities that enable early and mid-career researchers to acquire the requisite expertise and skills to conduct rigorous fundamental research in STEM education. ECR: BCSER seeks to fund research career development activities on topics that are relevant to qualitative and quantitative research methods and design, including the collection and analysis of new qualitative or quantitative data, secondary analyses using extant datasets, or meta-analyses. Deadline, June 7. Read the full announcement.
 

The National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program - also known as America's Seed Fund powered by NSF - provides small businesses with equity-free funding to conduct research and development (R&D) work that will lead to the commercialization of innovative new products and services. The NSF SBIR program seeks innovative proposals that show promise of commercial and societal impact. We invite the submission of Project Pitches in almost any area of science and technology. The SBIR program at NSF solicits proposals from the small business sector consistent with NSF's mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense. “Pitch Proposal” deadline, June 13. SBIR full announcement and STTR full announcement.

Sources: Politico; ScienceInsider; Forbes; USDA; UFBlog; ARPA-E; NSF;

Vision: The Societies Washington, DC Science Policy Office (SPO) will advocate the importance and value of the agronomic, crop and soil sciences in developing national science policy and ensuring the necessary public-sector investment in the continued health of the environment for the well being of humanity. The SPO will assimilate, interpret, and disseminate in a timely manner to Society members information about relevant agricultural, natural resources and environmental legislation, rules and regulations under consideration by Congress and the Administration.

This page of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA web site will highlight current news items relevant to Science Policy. It is not an endorsement of any position.