agInnovation South Spring Meeting
April 2 – 5, 2018
Tulsa, OK

Participants: Rick Bennett, KY, Wes Burger, MS, Jackie Burns, FL, Susan Duncan, VA, Henry Fadamiro, AL, Jerry Fankhauser, FL, Bob Godfrey, VI, Tom Hanna, KY, George Hopper, MS, Sherry Larkin, FL, Rogers Leonard, LA, Steve Lommel, NC, Nathan McKinney, AR, J.F. Meullenet, AR, David Monks, NC, Allen Moore, GA, Reuben Moore, MS, Saied Mostaghimi, VA, Craig Nessler, TX, Lesley Oliver, KY, Keith Owens, OK,  Tim Rials, TN, Randy Raper, OK, Chris Ray, SC, Rick Roeder, AR, Bob Stougaard, GA, and David White, TN
Executive Director’s Office:  Eric Young, agInnovation South
Liaisons: Denise Eblen, USDA/NIFA and Larry Chandler, USDA/ARS
Other guests:  Tom Coon, Ok, Steve Turner, SRDC, and Bob Klien, OK
 
Action Items

 Agenda#  Actions Taken
Agenda – Approved (Nessler/Owens)
Minutes – Approved (Hopper/Lommel)
Interim Actions – Approved (White/Nessler)
S18 Approved S-009 FY’2019 budget $490,742 (Ray/Owens)

Minutes

Monday, April 2
4:00 – 6:00 Registration
6:00 – 8:00 pm Welcome Reception

 

Tuesday, April 3
6:30 – 8:00 am Breakfast
8:00 – 8:05 Call to Order and Introductions  –  Jackie Burns

Action Taken:
Agenda – Approved (Nessler/Owens)
Minutes – Approved (Hopper/Lommel)
Interim Actions – Approved (White/Nessler)
8:05 – 8:15  S1  Welcome to Oklahoma – Tom Coon, Vice President of Agricultural Programs
8:15 – 8:45  S2  NIFA and AFRI Updates – Denise Eblen, USDA/NIFA
8:45 – 9:15  S3
 ARS Update – Larry Chandler, USDA/ARS
9:15 – 9:30  S4 BAA Policy Board of Directors Report – Bob Godfrey and Eric Young
In meeting report:

  • Search for Ian’s replacement is moving along
    • Received 6 applications so far, one withdrew
    • First committee conference call April 6 to consider the 5 remaining applicants
9:30 – 9:45  S5 Budget & Legislative Committee Report – Saied Mostaghimi and George Hopper
In meeting report:

  • Line consolidation is being considered by B&L committee, recommendations will go to Budget and Advisory Committee and Policy Board of Directors, system will have a chance to review and comment
9:45 – 10:00  S6 Communication & Marketing Committee Report – Eric Young
In meeting report:

  • Future charge will be more strategic
  • Relationship with Policy Board of Directors is still being considered, probably will be a PBD Ad Hoc Committee
10:00 – 10:30 am Break
10:30 – 10:45  S7 Science & Technology Committee Report – Susan Duncan and Nathan McKinney

Science Roadmap Mockup
New Roadmap Concepts
Hamilton New Roadmap Mockup

In meeting report:

  • Looking for feedback on short format for new Roadmap
  • Also feedback on grand challenges list
10:45 – 11:00  S8 Diversity Catalyst Committee Report – Jackie Burns and Wes Burger
11:00 – 11:15  S9 National Impact Database Committee Report – Eric Young
In meeting report:

  • Consider calling reviewers “editors” or “review editors”
  • If impact statement is rejected, the director should be notified in addition to the inputter
11:15 – 11:30  S10 NRSP1, Impact Training and NIMSS Report – Keith Owens
In meeting report:

  • Multistate impact workshops are beginning this year, S-1032 will have it at their meeting May 22
  • Future deadline for requesting training will be July 1
11:30– 11:50  S11 ASRED and ECOP Report – Rogers Leonard

 Click here for handout
11:50 – 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 – 2:30  S12 Best Practices Session – 9 vs 12 month appointments; ie how to choose, salary difference, function (R, T, E) dependent, what percent FTE for each, salary on grants, etc. – Steve Lommel and Saied Mostaghimi
In meeting report:

  • ASRED will have a discussion on this topic at their meeting next week, Eric will talk with them about a joint effort to seek more information on how institutions are handling this
2:30 – 2:40  S13 NRSP – 4, Facilitating Registration of Pest Management Technology for Specialty Crops and Specialty Uses (Mid-Term Review) – Jackie Burns
In meeting report:

  • Project is doing very well, still leveraging a large amount of funding from industry and other sources
  • Should continue as is
2:40 – 2:50  S14 NRSP – 6, The US Potato Genebank: Acquisition, Classification, Preservation, Evaluation and Distribution of Potato (Solanum) Germplasm (Mid-Term Review) – Craig Nessler
In meeting report:

  • Valuable resource of potato germplasm for our breeders and industry
  • Should continue as is
2:50 – 3:00  S15 NRSP – 9, National Animal Nutrition Program (Mid-Term Review) – Lesley Oliver
In meeting report:

  • Project is maturing and data is being used by many different entities
  • Should continue as is
3:00 – 3:30 pm Break
3:30 – 3:45  S16 NRSP – 8, National Animal Genome Research Program – Eric Young

Renewal Proposal
Budget Request
Accomplishment Report
Response to Reviews

In meeting report:

  • Many significant accomplishments for investment from AES and significant leveraging of grant funds
  • Unanimous agreement renewal proposal and budget should be approved
3:45 – 4:00  S17 Questions or comments regarding continuing projects (no budget decision) –
NRSP – 3, National Atmospheric Deposition Program – George Hopper
NRSP – 10, Database Resources for Crop Genomics, Genetics and Breeding Research – Steve Lommel
4:00 – 4:15  S18 S-9, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization – Bob Stougaard
Action Taken:

  • Approved S-009 FY’2019 budget $490,742 (Ray/Owens)
4:15 – 4:30  S19 SRDC Update – Steve Turner
Click here for handout and PowerPoint Presentation
4:30 – 4:45 S20 MRC Report – Nathan McKinney
In meeting report:

  • Excellence in Multistate Award nominees  – SERA 46 and S-1064
  • Each excellent examples of multistate activities
  • S-1064 project will be submitted to the Science and Tech Committee as the Southern region nomination for the national award
4:45 – 5:00 S21 Cotton Winter Nursery and Cotton Database Update – Eric Young
5:00 Adjourn
6:00 pm Dinner on your own 
Wednesday, April 4
6:30 – 8:00 am Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00  S22 Best Practices Session – Faculty incentive programs; ie funding, selection criteria, bonus or base increase, types of activities/achievements to qualify, etc. – Jean-Francois Meullenet and Lesley Oliver
9:00 – 9:15  S23 Executive Director’s Report – Eric Young
9:15 – 9:20  S24 agInnovation South Excellence in Leadership Award Presentation – Jackie Burns
In meeting report:

  • John Russin was selected to receive the 2018 agInnovation South Excellence in Leadership award
9:20    Break for Executive Session
9:30 -10:30    Chief Operating Officers Meeting
11:00 – 9:00 pm Lunch, Tour, and Dinner 
Thursday, April 5
7:00 – 8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 – 8:35  S25  Chief Operating Officers Meeting Report – Jackie Burns
8:35 – 9:30  S26 Best Practices Session – Capacity Funds Accountability; including time & effort reporting, matching requirements, payroll allocation, documentation, etc. – Wes Burger, Bob Klein (Asst. VP for Fiscal Affairs, OK State)

In meeting report:

  • Mississippi State financial audit findings in excerpts from NIFA letter and their response can be seen here
  • Bob Klein, Oklahoma State
    • Don’t normally track capacity funds by fiscal year on project basis
    • If we have to track it that way, it will result in hundreds of new accounts having to be created each year
    • Also, faculty projects will have to be moved to new accounts manually which will result in more errors
    • Time and effort needs to be tracked on a project basis well enough to assure the funds are spent on the correct project and correct amount
  • Eblen said OMB considers Capacity funds the same as grants
  • If there’s a delay in federal funds being allocated there would be a gap in funding if can’t move funds between projects
  • NIFA is open to a lot of different processes to accomplished this
  • NIFA’s requirements are more rigorous than same other fed agencies
  • Fundamental issue is defining capacity more like competitive and it keeps evolving that way
  • Need to have an open discussion with NIFA on use of capacity vs competitive
  • Roundtable with appropriate people from NIFA, research and extension
  • Allen will suggest a session on this topic at ESS Workshop this Fall
  • “Umbrella” Hatch projects with 3-5 faculty make accounting somewhat easier
9:30 – 9:40  S27  2018 Fall agInnovation South and ESS Meeting/Workshop – Allen Moore and Eric Young
In meeting report:

  • The Fall ESS Workshop will be Oct 1-3 in Lincoln, NE
9:40 – 9:50  S28 2019 Spring Southern Mini Land-grant Meeting – Saied Mostaghimi and Eric Young

  • Meeting Schedule
  • Meeting will be at the Ft. Lauderdale Coral Springs Marriott on March 18-21, 2019
  • Planning Committee is currently planning sessions for the joint day on Wednesday when all groups meet together
9:50 – 10:00  S29  Resolutions Committee Report – Rick Roeder
In meeting report:
10:00 – 11:00  S30 NIFA Webinar on Time & Effort Reporting – Maggie Ewell, Office of Grants and Financial Management, NIFA
In meeting report:
11:00 – 11:05 Closing Comments – Jackie Burns
11:05 am Adjourn and Check-out