One of the strengths of the NRI is that all qualified scientists in the U.S. are eligible, whether from a land grant institution or not, public or private, industry, or even as an individual. Proposals are competitively reviewed by peers around the world as well as an assembled panel of experts in the field. Scientific merit of the proposal, qualifications of proposed project personnel and adequacy of facilities, and relevance of the project to long-range improvements in and sustainability of U.S. agriculture are the criteria for evaluation.
Special care is taken to avoid conflicts of interest in the review process.
The funding equivalent of 1 or 2 grants is provided to each of these programs. Fundamental research tests new ideas and seeks scientific understanding of agriculturally important organisms, ecosystems, and processes, as examples. Mission-linked research provides scientific understanding needed specifically to solve current problems important to food, agriculture, or the environment. The NRI programs on biological control, assessing pest control strategies, agricultural systems, mapping plant and animal genomes, adding value to agricultural products, and developing new markets for agricultural products are examples of mission-linked research. Fundamental and mission-linked research both contribute to the knowledge base needed for helping agriculture become sustainable.