NIFA gathers stakeholder input and information to identify priorities for new grant programs and/or to modify priorities for existing grant programs, as described in their Requests for Applications (RFA). A stakeholder is anyone who conducts or uses agricultural research, education, and extension. Input is used to meet the requirements of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.

NIFA gathers input from any individual, and specifically from commodity groups, industry, inter-agency Federal work groups, the National Academy of Sciences, non-governmental organizations, scientific societies, and university partners.

Stakeholder input is obtained in several ways. Input is solicited in all NIFA RFAs. NIFA also conducts stakeholder listening sessions or workshops, some as stand-alone events, some in conjunction with national scientific meetings. NIFA staff also gathers stakeholder information from other government and private sector events and publications.

Stakeholder Input Sources: Food, Nutrition & Health

Past:

• Presidential Priority for 2009: American Competitiveness Initiative

• A Science Roadmap for Agriculture, Update 2006,National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant College (NASULGC) and Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP). Discussion of the scientific feasibility to meet the needs of diverse groups of stakeholders.

• A Science Roadmap for Agriculture Survey, May 2005, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant College (NASULGC) and Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP). Survey of diverse stakeholder groups to develop the priorities for the next five years.

• Advantages of Agriculturally Important Domestic Species as Biomedical Models, East Lansing, MN. Review of the role of agricultural animals in research.

• Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Stakeholder Hearing Transcript - Hearing held on September 10, 2008 at the NIFA Waterfront Building.

• Assessing the Health Effects of Bioactive Food Components, Bethesda, MD. Discussion of bioactive components and approaches to evaluate their significance in health promotion and disease prevention.

• BFRDP Stakeholder Input Meeting. Transcript of stakeholder hearing on the Beginning Farmer and Ranchers Development Program (BFRDP) held on October 27, 2008 in Washington, DC.

• Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs: Promoting Healthy Weight in Children, Society for Nutrition Education. Identified actions to advance the understanding of biological and physiological mechanisms affecting appetite, satiety, etc., to address the obesity epidemic.

• National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board. Organization contributing to effective federal agricultural research, education and education programs through broad stakeholder feedback and sound science in its ongoing role as advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture.

• National Food and Society Roundtable on Obesity and Youth, Washington, DC. Childhood obesity prevention policy, research, extension, and education strategies and new initiatives to enhance related program leadership.

• Nutraceuticals for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. Existing and emerging issues in the development and use of nutraceuticals.

• The 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Recommended changes to the dietary guidelines.

See all stakeholder input pages