The White House has doubled down on its support for competitively awarded, peer-reviewed funding for research. Last year, it asked for a 23% boost to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) while holding level its requests for other research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That request was rejected, but this year it is seeking a 44% boost over current levels, to $383 million. Karl Glasener, who directs science policy for the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, says a 2012 report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology helped make the case. Congressional approval is another matter, but Glasener is optimistic: "Congress too seems increasingly sold on competitive funding mechanism in general and for AFRI specifically."
展开▼
