C-FAR: What's New: Monthly Update

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MONTHLY UPDATE
News for C-FAR Members

Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research
March 2009

Early spring greetings from C-FAR. A look back on March’s highlights include…

FY10 STATE BUDGET PROCESS LAUNCHED
Governor Quinn launched the State’s FY10 budget development process with presenting his Budget Address during mid-March. The C-FAR Board recently issued a statement in this regard, so I won’t be repetitive here. C-FAR leaders will be engaged in the budget process as appropriate.

While the budget development process will continue in earnest, the Illinois General Assembly will be on Easter recess the weeks of April 6 and 13.

SURVEY SAYS…
We appreciate the February annual meeting attendees who completed and returned an evaluation (about 40% did). This feedback is critical to considering future meetings. We were very pleased with this feedback and noted areas in which we can improve. A few key evaluation assessments and respective average scores were as follows (1 = poor and 5 = excellent):

Overall annual meeting – 4.34
Annual business meeting – 4.29
Working group meeting – 4.33
Luncheon program – 4.98

The review of research final reports and FY09 research portfolio earned an average score of 3.61. While this score may be considered relatively high, we will be considering some changes to how we conduct this important review in the future. We can do better. The meetings facilities and food service was also rated very high – 4.30 and 4.42 respectively.

We will obviously strive to ensure future meetings are received just as favorably, and work to improve upon areas that did not receive close to an “excellent” response.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS APPOINTED
Upon the recommendation of Chairman Jerry Hicks, the Board of Directors has concurred with the following committee chair appointments for the next year:

Legislative – Steve Scates, Chair; Blake Roderick, Vice Chair
Membership – Jim Charlesworth, Chair
Nominating – Larry Fischer, Chair
Research – Chuck Cawley, Chair; Byford Wood, Vice Chair
Rules and Procedures – Dennis Thompson, Chair

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL RETAINED
I neglected to note in last month’s Update (under Board meeting highlights) that the Board of Directors, at its February meeting, renewed the agreement with our legislative counsel (Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C.) for the period July 2009 – June 2010. Terms and conditions of this agreement remain unchanged from the current agreement.

McMILLAN NOMINATED FOR U OF I BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Edward (Ed) McMillan, a long-time C-FAR Individual member, agricultural leader, and 1969 UIUC graduate in agricultural science, has been nominated by Governor Quinn for appointment to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. As many of you know, Ed is a highly accomplished professional who has served Illinois and U.S. agriculture throughout his career. Currently the owner and manager of a consulting business, he was president and chief executive officer of Purina Mills Inc. from 1988 to 1996. Ed has served and continues to provide leadership on numerous boards and commissions, including chairman of the U of I board of managers for the U of I Research Park. Ed’s professionalism and his many career and volunteer experiences will be a tremendous asset to the board of trustees. Our very best to you Ed for a successful tenure of service.

April finds the following events and activities.

COMMITTEE MEMBER APPOINTMENTS BEING CONSIDERED
Chairman Hicks is currently considering committee memberships for the next year. If you have an interest in serving on one of these C-FAR committees, please let me know. Our committees are: Legislative, Membership, Nominating, Research, and Rules and Procedures. The responsibilities of these committees are included in our bylaws. I would be pleased to answer any questions you might have. These committees are critical to our association’s affairs, and yet no committee would require an overly burdensome amount of your time.

2009 MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
For Membership Chair Jim Charlesworth, we are pleased to report that the vast majority of last year’s members have renewed their membership for 2009 (and with gratitude, there are additional new members in each of our three membership categories). As of this update, 88% of both Organizational and Individual members have renewed, and 78% of Affiliate members have recommitted their support. We look forward to the small handful of remaining members renewing in the near future.

SIUC AG INDUSTRY DAY
The College of Agricultural Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is holding its 5th Annual Agriculture Industry Day on April 17. Dean Gary Minish invites you to learn more about the College’s academic, research, and outreach programs. Ag Industry Day will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at SIUC’s University Farms. For more information, see http://coas.siu.edu/default2.asp?active_page_id=1336 or contact the College at 618.453.2469. RSVPs are not necessary and the event is free and open to the public.

ANNUAL REPORTS AVAILABLE
Each of you should have received C-FAR’s 2008 Annual Report this past month. If for some reason you did not, please let us know. We have a few extra copies available, and for leaders of our Organizational members, if you feel your board or a certain committee within your organization would find this report of interest, please let us know. We would happy to provide you with additional annual reports as our supply affords.

Special explanation on C-FAR no-cost extensions

NO-COST EXTENSIONS
During the working group meetings held in conjunction with the February annual meeting, as the FY09 research portfolio was being reviewed, there were a few questions regarding what a no-cost extension exactly implies (those initiatives which have been granted a no-cost extension were so noted in the FY09 research portfolio). The consideration and granting of no-cost research extensions is a common practice for research funding entities such as ours, when certain circumstances exist. Because of this, I thought it would be of interest to provide an explanation of no-cost extensions.

The following are explanatory points regarding no-cost extensions (referred to hereafter as “extensions”).

Every C-FAR research initiative, upon it being granted funding, has an expected duration.
In the current FY09 research portfolio, many of the noted extensions are due to the FY08 appropriation not being released until several months into last fiscal year (most of these initiatives were halted until funding was realized). There was a blanket extension provided to those initiatives so impacted.
Extensions are granted when an unforeseen circumstance is experienced. Research, by its very nature, often experiences the unexpected. Therefore, the allowance for and consideration of such extensions is an inherent consideration of our operation, just as it is for every such organization of our kind.
Principal investigators who encounter an unforeseen circumstance must request a no-cost extension via a standard form instituted by C-FAR.
Each extension request is individually considered based on its merit. While the vast majority of such requests are approved, not all are.
There are a variety of reasons that lead an investigator to seeking an extension. This might include, for example, unusual weather which adversely affects the growing season for a crop production yield plot, a disease which skews an animal feed efficiency trial, a change in key research personnel, or any number of other unanticipated factors that delay the intended research progress.
The documented and appropriate granting of extensions for reasons such as these is important for many reasons. Namely, these extensions allow for unanticipated interruptions, provide for the continuing monitoring of the research progress, and enable a viable final report being submitted. The obvious goal of any research is to realize results, and extensions are granted when appropriate to enable such results.
Extensions are not granted for reasons outside of these circumstances. For example, a no-cost extension is not necessary for a C-FAR research initiative that has garnered additional funding to expand the initiative’s work. C-FAR’s reporting is for the duration of time in which State of Illinois C-FAR appropriations were afforded.

Note: In the current FY09 research portfolio, many of the noted extensions are due to the FY08 appropriation not being released until several months into the fiscal year (most of these initiatives were halted until funding was realized). There was a blanket extension provided to those initiatives so impacted.

A reminder… C-FAR’s FY09 research portfolio is available on our website at http://www.ilcfar.org/research/pdfs/FY09_portfolio.pdf or upon request from our office.

If you have any questions regarding no-cost extensions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

As our producer colleagues begin their spring planting, may it be a productive and safe season for all.

Kraig
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Kraig A. Wagenecht, Executive Administrator
Illinois Council on Food & Agricultural Research (C-FAR)
1101 W. Peabody Drive · Urbana, IL 61801
Tel: 217.244.4232 · Fax: 217.244.8594
email: wagenech@illinois.edu