The NIFA Factor By Wendi Williams, Editor

There is one feature that remains constant about Cooperative Extension and that is CHANGE. By October 1, 2009, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) will undergo a name change and become the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) as stipulated in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. This piece of legislation is better known as the Farm Bill. The idea is to make the organization comparable to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) by raising the profile of agricultural research, education, and Extension. Like the NIH and the NSF, NIFA will award competitive external grants for research, particularly in the area of agriculture as it pertains to strengthening national security and developing new technologies and biofuel. The United States Department of Agriculture will remain the parent organization.

According to its Guiding Principles, NIFA like CSREES, will continue to focus on food sciences, agriculture, human health and wellness, communities, and the environment. The common denominator of course is PEOPLE. Greater emphases will be placed on establishing multi-disciplinary programs that encompass research, education, and Extension. Extension has always incorporated these elements beginning with research. Research is transformed into effective programs that positively impact the lives of people and the communities in which they live.

Competition will also be stiff for grant funding. Think NIH and NSF to get a better picture of what the future may hold.

Organizational Structure
NIFA will have a top-level director that is an expert in one or more of its program areas (see above), and "appointed to a single, six-year term by the President of the United States, by and with advice and consent of the United States Senate," (Create-21, 2009). NIFA will also be divided into the Institute for Economic Opportunities, the Institute for Nutrition and Health, the Institute for Rural and Urban Community Development, the Institute for Natural Resources and Environment, the Institute for Food Safety and Agricultural Security, and the Institute for Families, Youth, and Communities. More developments are certainly forthcoming as NIFA settles into its new role.

What do these changes mean for Extension programs?
First, as stated earlier, competition will be stiff for grant funding. So, it's time to brush up on those grant writing skills. Second, it is imperative that program impacts are fully documented. Without proper impact data, it becomes increasingly difficult to secure outside funding both to sustain and to create new programs. Valuable resources are also lost without adequate funding that may eventually include jobs. Third, it means that Extension needs to work a little harder to avoid program duplication and to determine areas where collaboration can occur with the organization and with partners. These are just a portion of the issues Extension is currently facing, particularly in determining program goals for the next decade.

Yes, the winds of change are definitely blowing on Extension once again!

United States Department of Agriculture. (2009, May 11). National Institute of Food and Agriculture. About Us. Retrieved July 20, 2009.

United States Department of Agriculture. (2009, March 30). National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Guiding principles. Newsroom. Retrieved July 20, 2009.

---

If you do not have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat and wish to view the
PDF publication on this site, click here to download: