Research, Education, and Economics; Notice of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board Meeting

The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, which represents 30 constituent categories, as specified in section 802 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-127), has scheduled a National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board Meeting, October 26-28, 1998. The Advisory Board Chair, Vice Chair, and Executive Director will conduct an orientation of new members from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Monday, October 26, 1998. The general Advisory Board meeting will begin at 1 p.m. on Monday, October 26 and continue until approximately noon on Wednesday, October 28. During this time, the Advisory Board will elect the new officers and Executive Committee members for fiscal year 1999. The agenda for the Advisory Board general meeting will focus discussion on the Board's advisory role with regard to the recently enacted Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, and on human capacity development. Agenda items will include, but not be limited to: (1) briefing by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service and Agricultural Research Service on the scientific peer and merit review process; (2) Board advice to USDA on merit review procedures for education and extension cooperative grants; (3) USDA and Board discussion on the new Research, Education, and Economics initiative; (4) stakeholder input to USDA on legislative provisions; (5) initial discussion on the annual review of programs and projects with regard to relevance to research priorities and the adequacy of funding; (6) progress reports on Advisory Board working group activities and the

Research, Education, and Economics Strategic Planning Task Force on agricultural research facilities; and (7) Research, Education, and Economics budget update and outlook. Guest speakers will address the various elements of human capacity building at the institutional and grassroots level as part of a series of future discussions relating to human resource development in agriculture.