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July 7, 2005
C-FAR FY06 Appropriation Steady at $3.5 million
The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research
(C-FAR) supports stakeholder-driven research and outreach
programs to bolster Illinois' food, agricultural and related
systems. Founded in 1993, with the first state appropriation
being in fiscal year 1996, C-FAR is a grassroots organization
comprised of representatives from the state's food and agricultural
sectors who collectively volunteer thousands of hours each
year sharing their professional expertise and experiences
to strengthen Illinois' top industry.
For publicly-funded food and agricultural research in Illinois,
a $3.5 million appropriation to C-FAR was approved by Governor
Blagojevich and Illinois General Assembly for fiscal year
2006. The fiscal year is July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006.
"On behalf of all C-FAR members, and every Illinois
citizen who benefits from publicly-funded research, I extend
my appreciation to the Governor and Members of the Illinois
General Assembly," said Alan Puzey, C-FAR chairman.
This appropriation reached a high of $15 million from fiscal
years 2000 to 2002. "While our research portfolio will
remain relatively limited this next year, we look forward
to continuing to be a strong partner with the State of Illinois
as opportunities for expanded funding unfold," said
Puzey.
C-FAR funds priority research in areas identified by the
C-FAR membership through three programs:
- External Competitive Grants Program - open to qualified
researchers at nonprofit institutions, organizations,
and agencies in Illinois.
- University Internal Research Programs - funds are allocated
on a percentage basis to the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,
Illinois State University, and Western Illinois University.
- Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) Program - targeted,
multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional research to
address major issues of concern and seize new opportunities
for Illinois.
As stipulated by the Food and Agriculture Research Act,
the C-FAR appropriation's enabling legislation, 15% of the
appropriation is allocated to the External Competitive Grants
Program. It is anticipated that six priority projects will
be funded through this program in fiscal year 2006. The
University internal research programs will primarily focus
on supporting ongoing initiatives and program infrastructure.
The SRI Program will continue the support of three multiyear
initiatives that began in fiscal year 2004. The initiatives
address the economic and social challenges facing Illinois'
livestock industry, biomass energy crops for power and heat
generation in Illinois, and water quality with a focus on
total maximum daily loads.
Specific funding levels are currently being considered.
While modest reductions to some programs may be necessary
to accommodate all needs, it is highly anticipated that
all ongoing research can be sufficiently supported.
"We are often overwhelmed with the many needs for
publicly-funded research within Illinois' food and agricultural
sectors," said Nels Kasey, C-FAR research chair. "We
view our responsibility to allocate funding to the areas
in greatest need, and opportunity, as an extremely high
calling."
For more information about C-FAR and its research programs,
visit the organization's website at www.ilcfar.org or call
217.244.4232.
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