[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43325-43326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19714]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 178 / Friday, September 15, 2017 / 
Notices

[[Page 43325]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Stakeholder Listening Opportunity for Priorities in Research, 
Education and Extension

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of listening sessions and stakeholder feedback 
opportunities.

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SUMMARY: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture announces its 
stakeholder listening initiative ``NIFA Listens: Investing in Science 
to Transform Lives.'' This stakeholder listening opportunity informs 
the research, extension and education priorities of NIFA, which has the 
mission of investing in and advancing agricultural research, education 
and extension to solve societal challenges. These investments in 
transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and 
global pre-eminence of U.S. agriculture. This listening opportunity 
allows stakeholders to provide feedback on the following questions: 
``What is your top priority in food and agricultural research, 
extension or education that NIFA should address?'' and ``What are the 
most promising science opportunities for advancement of food and 
agricultural sciences?''
    This effort to obtain input on NIFA's science priorities will be 
carried out through online and in-person submission mechanisms. 
Stakeholder input received from the two mechanisms is treated equally. 
The priorities and opportunities obtained from this effort will be 
evaluated in conjunction with input from NIFA staff. This information 
will be critical for NIFA's evaluation of existing science emphasis 
areas to identify investment opportunities and gaps in the current 
portfolio of programs. The information obtained through this iterative 
analysis and synthesis will help to ensure the strategic positioning 
and relevancy of NIFA's investments in advancing agricultural research, 
education and extension.

DATES: 
    (A) Online Input: Submission of online stakeholder input to the 
target questions will be open upon publishing of this Notice through 5 
p.m. Eastern time December 1, 2017.
    (B) In-person Listening Sessions: Four listening sessions, each a 
full day, will be organized throughout the United States to obtain 
input from all stakeholders, including small institutions, local 
business and other stakeholder groups. The listening sessions will take 
place on October 19, 2017, October 26, 2017, November 2, 2017 and 
November 8, 2017. Each session will begin at 8:30 a.m. and is scheduled 
to end by 5:00 p.m. local time. Each session will include a 
presentation of the goals and background information on NIFA programs, 
followed by comments from stakeholders. Each registered speaker will 
receive 5 minutes to share their comments with the Agency. If time 
allows after all comments from registered speakers are made, 
unscheduled speakers will be allowed 5 minutes to present their 
comments to the Agency. The length of the sessions will be adjusted 
according to numbers of participants seeking to provide input. All 
parties interested in attending an in-person listening session must 
RSVP no later than October 12, 2017. These sessions will be webcast and 
transcribed. Information about registering for the in-person session, 
providing written comments and viewing the webcast can be found at 
https://nifa.usda.gov/nifalistens.
    Registration: The Web site, https://nifa.usda.gov/nifalistens, 
includes instructions on submitting written comments and registering to 
attend or speak at the in-person listening sessions. All parties 
interested in attending an in-person listening session must RSVP no 
later than October 12, 2017. The number of attendees and oral 
commenters is limited due to time and space constraints (see below). 
Oral commenter slots will be allotted on a first-come, first-served 
basis. All interested stakeholders, regardless of attendance, are 
welcome to submit written comments.
    Comments: Written comments are due by December 1, 2017. Written 
comments must be submitted electronically through https://nifa.usda.gov/nifalistens or emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cd83848b8ca1a4beb9a8a3be8da3a4abace3b8bea9ace3aaa2bb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f5bbbcb3b4999c8681909b86b59b9c9394db80869194db929a83">[email protected]</span></a>.

ADDRESSES: The in-person listening sessions will take place at 
conference facilities in Kansas City, MO (October 19, 2017), Atlanta, 
GA (October 26, 2017), Sacramento, CA (November 2, 2017), and 
Hyattsville, MD (November 8, 2017).
    All parties interested in attending an in-person listening session 
must RSVP no later than October 12, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Haidet, Program Specialist, 
NIFA, at 202-401-6617, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#06484f40476a6f757263687546686f6067287375626728616970"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a04030c0b2623393e2f24390a24232c2b643f392e2b642d253c">[email protected]</span></a>, or visit 
https://nifa.usda.gov/nifalistens for detailed information about 
providing written comments, joining the in-person sessions remotely, or 
registering to speak at an in-person session.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The science priority-setting process at NIFA 
involves soliciting stakeholder input on agricultural research, 
education and extension needs, obtaining input from NIFA's science 
staff who are informed through interactions with scientific 
communities, and evaluating existing programs to identify critical gaps 
in the current portfolio of programs in order to address challenges in 
U.S. agriculture.
    This listening effort will focus on answers to the following 
questions, ``What is your top priority in food and agricultural 
research, extension or education that NIFA should address?'' and ``What 
are the most promising science opportunities for advancement of food 
and agricultural sciences?''
    NIFA welcomes stakeholder input from any group or individual 
interested in agricultural research, extension or education priorities 
for NIFA. NIFA is eager to listen to stakeholder's comments on the 
priorities, solutions and opportunities that will facilitate long-term 
sustainable agricultural production, research, education and extension. 
This listening effort will focus on the agricultural science that NIFA 
invests in, but not on NIFA processes or procedures.
    All parties interested in attending an in-person listening session 
must RSVP no later than October 12, 2017.

[[Page 43326]]

Abstracts from in-person speakers can be submitted upon registration 
via https://nifa.usda.gov/nifalistens.
    Written comments by all interested stakeholders are welcomed 
through 5 p.m. Eastern time, December 1, 2017. All input will become a 
part of the official record and available on the NIFA Web site, https://nifa.usda.gov/nifalistens.

    Done at Washington, DC, on September 8, 2017.
Sonny Ramaswamy,
Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2017-19714 Filed 9-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-22-P


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