# Presentation: 497489

## Proud Past, Promising FutureARS National Administrative Officer’s Leadership and Training Conference 2004 

- Dr. Caird Rexroad
- Acting Associate Administrator
- Agricultural Research Service

## 50th Anniversary

- Nov 2, 1953, ARS established
- Eight research Bureaus eliminated, research consolidated under ARS into 5 program branches
- Dr. Byron T. Shaw, first Administrator (1953-1965)

## Slide 3

## ARS Budget Status 

- Administration proposal called for net 5 percent decrease from FY 2003 budget
- Included was a proposed $136 million reduction (selected labs and projects) to finance new research initiatives
- Congress finally enacted new budget in February 2004
- Congress rejected Administration’s reduction proposals

## ARS Budget (FY 2004) (continued)

- 4 percent net program increase over FY 2003
- $1,083 million total
- Additionally, $63 million for facility modernization
- Strong stakeholder and partner support
- Budget increases reflect expanding program scope and new partnerships

## Proposed ARS Budget (FY 2005)

- Overall net decrease of 9 percent from FY 2004 level to $987 million$169 million reduction/redirection to finance $66 million in new initiatives
- Appropriation action still pending before U.S. Congress

## ARS Research Priorities

- Emerging Diseases and Invasive Species
- Homeland Security and Biosecurity
- Genomics and Genetic Resources
- Biotechnology Risk Assessment
- Biobased Products and Bioenergy

## Facilities

- 75 major projects since 1987; 30 underway
- National Centers for Animal Health, Ames Iowa
- Incorporates the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, the Center for Veterinary Biologics, and the National Animal Disease Center

**Notes:**
USDA has had a research facility at Ames, Iowa since 1905 when it opened a hog cholera research station.
The current facilities date to 1961 when the National Animal Disease Laboratory (NADL) opened.  Diseases such as brucellosis, viral diarrhea, leptospirosis, fowl cholera, salmonellosis, and foot rot were studied and Hog cholera research also continued.  Work at the Ames site led to the elimination of hog cholera from the U.S. in 1978.
Since 1953, ARS had responsibility for both research of animal diseases and regulatory actions regarding animal health and quarantine.  However, in 1971 regulatory and control functions were removed from ARS, and USDA established the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) effectively separating research from regulatory actions.  ARS continues to conduct research at Ames in conjunction with APHIS.
The Laboratory was renamed The National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in 1973.  The focus of the Center was, and continues to be, to conduct basic and applied research on the diseases of livestock and poultry, which are of major economic importance to U.S. agriculture, and to apply the results to animal disease prevention and control programs. 
Efforts to renovate the facilities at Ames have been ongoing for many years.  Recent events and outbreaks of exotic diseases has spurred renewed interest from Congress and the Administration to provide the $460 million needed to fully renovate the USDA facilities at Ames.  Additionally, following the events of 9/11 USDA began examining intentional threats to our food supply as homeland security issues. 
The work at Ames was recently spotlighted during the incidence of BSE found in Washington State.  

The new National Centers for Animal Health incorporates the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories and Center for Veterinary Biologics, and ARS’ National Animal Disease Center.  A consolidated laboratory was completed in January. Ground was broken for the High Containment Animal Barn on September 23, 2003. Once completed, this 140,224 square foot animal housing and training facility will house cattle, bison, elk, deer, reindeer, sheep, and hogs.

The remainder buildings of the Centers are scheduled to be completed by 2007. Design of the Phase II laboratory is nearing completion. This laboratory will be comprised of 4 main lab wings and will cover 545,803 square feet. Animal health research, diagnostic, and product evaluation testing will take place in this facility.

## Cooperative Agreements

- Increased number of agreements=increased workload
- Accountability issues
- Quality/relevance of research

## Information Technology

- OCIO
- Telecommunications, resource management databases, cyber-security, unified e-mail systems, common word processing platforms, web policies and server consolidations
- Facilitate and enhance ARS’ science activities

## Slide 11

## Proposed ARS

- Organizational Structure

## Leading America towards a better future 

***Leading America towards a better future ***
***through agricultural research and information***