II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 767 

To establish a Division of Food and Agricultural Science within the National 

Science Foundation and to authorize funding for the support of fundamental agricultural research of the highest quality, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 12, 2005 

Mr. BOND (for himself, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. TALENT, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. ROBERTS, and Mr. COLEMAN) introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL

To establish a Division of Food and Agricultural Science 

within the National Science Foundation and to authorize 

funding for the support of fundamental agricultural research of the highest quality, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Food and 

5 Agricultural Science Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 
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1 (1) COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Council’’ means the 

2 Standing Council of Advisors established under sec3 tion 4(c). 

4 (2) DIRECTOR.—Except as otherwise provided 

5 in this Act, the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director 

6 of Food and Agricultural Science. 

7 (3) DIVISION.—The term ‘‘Division’’ means the 

8 Division of Food and Agricultural Science estab9 lished under section 4(a). 

10 (4) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘‘Foundation’’ 

11 means the National Science Foundation. 

12 (5) FUNDAMENTAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH; 

13 FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE.—The terms ‘‘fundamental 

14 agricultural research’’ and ‘‘fundamental science’’ 

15 mean fundamental research or science that— 

16 (A) advances the frontiers of knowledge so 

17 as to lead to practical results or to further sci18 entific discovery; and 

19 (B) has an effect on agriculture, food, nu20 trition, human health, or another purpose of 

21 this Act, as described in section 3(b). 

22 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

23 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

24 (7) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘‘United 

25 States’’ when used in a geographical sense means 
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1 the States, the District of Columbia, the Common2 wealth of Puerto Rico, and all territories and posses3 sions of the United States. 

4 SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—The Agricultural Research, Econom6 ics, and Education Task Force established under section 

7 7404 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 

8 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3101 note) conducted an exhaustive review 

9 of agricultural research in the United States and evalu10 ated the merits of establishing 1 or more national insti11 tutes focused on disciplines important to the progress of 

12 food and agricultural science. Consistent with the findings 

13 and recommendations of the Agricultural Research, Eco14 nomics, and Education Task Force, Congress finds the 

15 following: 

16 (1) Agriculture in the United States faces crit17 ical challenges, including an impending crisis in the 

18 food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of 

19 the United States. Exotic diseases and pests threat20 en crops and livestock, obesity has reached epidemic 

21 proportions, agriculturally-related environmental 

22 degradation is a serious problem for the United 

23 States and other parts of the world, certain animal 

24 diseases threaten human health, and United States 
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1 producers of some major crops are no longer the 

2 world’s lowest cost producers. 

3 (2) In order to meet these critical challenges, it 

4 is essential that the Nation ensure that the agricul5 tural innovation that has been so successful in the 

6 past continues in the future. Agricultural innovation 

7 has resulted in hybrid and higher yielding varieties 

8 of basic crops and enhanced the world’s food supply 

9 by increasing yields on existing acres. Since 1960, 

10 the world’s population has tripled with no net in11 crease in the amount of land under cultivation. Cur12 rently, only 1.5 percent of the population of the 

13 United States provides the food and fiber to supply 

14 the Nation’s needs. Agriculture and agriculture 

15 sciences play a major role in maintaining the health 

16 and welfare of all people of the United States and 

17 in husbanding our land and water, and that role 

18 must be expanded. 

19 (3) Fundamental scientific research that leads 

20 to understandings of how cells and organisms work 

21 is critical to continued innovation in agriculture in 

22 the United States. Such future innovations are de23 pendent on fundamental scientific research, and will 

24 be enhanced by ideas and technologies from other 

25 fields of science and research. 
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1 (4) Opportunities to advance fundamental 

2 knowledge of benefit to agriculture in the United 

3 States have never been greater. Many of these new 

4 opportunities are the result of amazing progress in 

5 the life sciences over recent decades, attributable in 

6 large part to the provision made by the Federal Gov7 ernment through the National Institutes of Health 

8 and the National Science Foundation. New tech9 nologies and new concepts have speeded advances in 

10 the fields of genetics, cell and molecular biology, and 

11 proteomics. Much of this scientific knowledge is 

12 ready to be mined for agriculture and food sciences, 

13 through a sustained, disciplined research effort at an 

14 institute dedicated to this research. 

15 (5) Publicly sponsored research is essential to 

16 continued agricultural innovation to mitigate or har17 monize the long-term effects of agriculture on the 

18 environment, to enhance the long-term sustainability 

19 of agriculture, and to improve the public health and 

20 welfare. 

21 (6) Competitive, peer-reviewed fundamental ag22 ricultural research is best suited to promoting the 

23 fundamental research from which breakthrough in24 novations that agriculture and society require will 

25 come. 
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1 (7) It is in the national interest to dedicate ad2 ditional funds on a long-term, ongoing basis to an 

3 institute dedicated to funding competitive peer-re4 viewed grant programs that support and promote 

5 the highest caliber of fundamental agricultural re6 search. 

7 (8) The Nation’s capacity to be competitive 

8 internationally in agriculture is threatened by inad9 equate investment in research. 

10 (9) To be successful over the long term, grant11 receiving institutions must be adequately reimbursed 

12 for their costs if they are to pursue the necessary 

13 agricultural research. 

14 (10) To meet these challenges, address these 

15 needs, and provide for vitally needed agricultural in16 novation, it is in the national interest to provide suf17 ficient Federal funds over the long term to fund a 

18 significant program of fundamental agricultural re19 search through an independent institute. 

20 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Division estab21 lished under section 4(a) shall be to ensure that the tech22 nological superiority of agriculture in the United States 

23 effectively serve the people of the United States in the 

24 coming decades, and to support and promote fundamental 
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1 agricultural research of the highest caliber in order to 

2 achieve goals, including the following goals: 

3 (1) Increase the international competitiveness 

4 of United States agriculture. 

5 (2) Develop knowledge leading to new foods and 

6 practices that improve nutrition and health and re7 duce obesity. 

8 (3) Create new and more useful food, fiber, 

9 health, medicinal, energy, environmental, and indus10 trial products from plants and animals. 

11 (4) Improve food safety and food security by 

12 protecting plants and animals in the United States 

13 from insects, diseases, and the threat of bioter14 rorism. 

15 (5) Enhance agricultural sustainability and im16 prove the environment. 

17 (6) Strengthen the economies of the Nation’s 

18 rural communities. 

19 (7) Decrease United States dependence on for20 eign sources of petroleum by developing bio-based 

21 fuels and materials from plants. 

22 (8) Strengthen national security by improving 

23 the agricultural productivity of subsistence farmers 

24 in developing countries to combat hunger and the 

25 political instability that it produces. 
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1 (9) Assist in modernizing and revitalizing the 

2 Nation’s agricultural research facilities at institu3 tions of higher education, independent non-profit re4 search institutions, and consortia of such institu5 tions, through capital investment. 

6 (10) Achieve such other goals and meet such 

7 other needs as determined appropriate by the Foun8 dation, the Director, or the Secretary. 

9 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF DIVISION. 

10 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 

11 the National Science Foundation a Division of Food and 

12 Agricultural Science. The Division shall consist of the 

13 Council and be administered by a Director of Food and 

14 Agricultural Science. 

15 (b) REPORTING AND CONSULTATION.—The Director 

16 shall coordinate the research agenda of the Division after 

17 consultation with the Secretary. 

18 (c) STANDING COUNCIL OF ADVISORS.— 

19 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—There is established in 

21 the Division a Standing Council of Advisors 

22 composed of 12 highly qualified scientists who 

23 are not employed by the Federal Government 

24 and 12 stakeholders. 

25 (B) SCIENTISTS.— 
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1 (i) APPOINTMENT.—The 12 scientist 

2 members of the Council shall be appointed 

3 to 4-year staggered terms by the Director 

4 of the National Science Foundation, with 

5 the consent of the Director of Food and 

6 Agricultural Science. 

7 (ii) QUALIFICATIONS.—The persons 

8 nominated for appointment as scientist 

9 members of the Council shall be— 

10 (I) eminent in the fields of agri11 cultural research, nutrition, science, 

12 or related appropriate fields; and 

13 (II) selected for appointment 

14 solely on the basis of established 

15 records of distinguished service and to 

16 provide representation of the views of 

17 agricultural research and scientific 

18 leaders in all areas of the Nation. 

19 (C) STAKEHOLDERS.— 

20 (i) APPOINTMENT.—The 12 stake21 holder members of the Council shall be ap22 pointed to 4-year staggered terms by the 

23 Secretary, with the consent of the Direc24 tor. 
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1 (ii) QUALIFICATIONS.—The persons 

2 nominated for appointment as stakeholder 

3 members of the Council shall— 

4 (I) include distinguished mem5 bers of the public of the United 

6 States, including representatives of 

7 farm organizations and industry, and 

8 persons knowledgeable about the envi9 ronment, subsistence agriculture, en10 ergy, and human health and disease; 

11 and 

12 (II) be selected for appointment 

13 so as to provide representation of the 

14 views of stakeholder leaders in all 

15 areas of the Nation. 

16 (2) DUTIES.—The Council shall assist the Di17 rector in establishing the Division’s research prior18 ities, and in reviewing, judging, and maintaining the 

19 relevance of the programs funded by the Division. 

20 The Council shall review all proposals approved by 

21 the scientific committees of the Division to ensure 

22 that the purposes of this Act and the needs of the 

23 Nation are being met. 

24 (3) MEETINGS.— 
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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall hold 

2 periodic meetings in order to— 

3 (i) provide an interface between sci4 entists and stakeholders; and 

5 (ii) ensure that the Division is linking 

6 national goals with realistic scientific op7 portunities. 

8 (B) TIMING.—The meetings shall be held 

9 at the call of the Director, or at the call of the 

10 Secretary, but not less frequently than annu11 ally. 

12 SEC. 5. FUNCTIONS OF DIVISION. 

13 (a) COMPETITIVE RESEARCH.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall carry out 

15 the purposes of this Act by awarding competitive 

16 peer-reviewed grants to support and promote the 

17 very highest quality of fundamental agricultural re18 search. 

19 (2) GRANT RECIPIENTS.—The Director shall 

20 make grants to fund research proposals submitted 

21 by— 

22 (A) individual scientists; 

23 (B) single and multi-institutional research 

24 centers; and 
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1 (C) entities from the private and public 

2 sectors, including researchers in the Depart3 ment of Agriculture, the Foundation, or other 

4 Federal agencies. 

5 (b) COMPLEMENTARY RESEARCH.—The research 

6 funded by the Division shall— 

7 (1) supplement and enhance, not supplant, the 

8 existing research programs of, or funded by, the De9 partment of Agriculture, the Foundation, and the 

10 National Institutes of Health; and 

11 (2) seek to make existing research programs 

12 more relevant to the United States food and agri13 culture system, consistent with the purposes of this 

14 Act. 

15 (c) GRANT-AWARDING ONLY.—The Division’s sole 

16 duty shall be to award grants. The Division may not con17 duct fundamental agricultural research or fundamental 

18 science, or operate any laboratories or pilot plants. 

19 (d) PROCEDURES.—The Director shall establish pro20 cedures for the peer review, awarding, and administration 

21 of grants under this Act, consistent with sound manage22 ment and the findings and purposes described in section 

23 3.

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