Interim Action: The Regional Research Committee met by conference call on January 19, 2001, to discuss the nominations for the 2001 Northeast Multistate Research Award for Excellence. The Committee decided to give the 2001 Annual Award to NE-167, "Family Business Viability in Economically Vulnerable Communities," for the group's contributions to regional research. A special award of recognition will be given to NE-501, " Eradication, Containment, and/or Management of Plum Pox (Sharka) Disease," for their effectiveness in responding to an immediate problem.

The recommendations of the Committee on the requests are as follows:

1. Recommends approval of the Request to Write a Proposal entitled: Eradication, Containment and/or Management of Plum Pox (Sharka) Disease. October 2001 to September 2006. Submitted by John Halbrendt, NE-501 (PA). Administrative advisor will be Paul Backman.

2. Recommends approval of the Request to Write a Proposal entitled: Assuring Fruit and Vegetable Product Quality and Safety Through the Handling and Marketing Chain. October 2002 to September 2007. Submitted by Mark Mount (MA).

   Suggestions were made to include an outreach component to address consumer reaction to product irradiation, and research to detect hazardous effects caused by packaging and shipping materials. Administrative advisor will be Mark Mount.

3. Recommends approval for off-the-top funding for FY2002 for the following projects at the funding level of FY2001, adjusted for any change in the Hatch appropriation, or the amount requested, whichever is less:

   • NE-009, "Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization." Recommend approval of off-the-top funding for the same level as FY2001 ($145,000).

   • NE-059, "Regional Research Coordination," Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. Recommend approval of off-the-top funding for the same level as FY2001 ($40,788).

4. Recommendations for off-the-top funding for NRSPs will be made when all the requests for FY2002 funding are received. Only NRSP-5 and NRSP-8 have submitted their proposals.

5. The Committee recommends the following Directors as Administrative Advisors for these projects:

   • NE-176, Characterization and Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Ozone in the Northeastern U.S. (Bob Seem)

   • NEC-067, Soil Testing (Scott Angle)

   • Request to Write a Proposal (approved in Sept. 2000) entitled, Increasing capacity of families, individuals and communities to improve their quality of life. (Adesoji Adelaja)

6. Other business:

   Review of the NRSPs' Portfolio - Since the review of the NRSPs endorsed by ESCOP more than a year ago has not materialized, the Committee requests the NERA Chair to pursue with vigor the review of the NRSP portfolio, by working with CSREES-Partnership Office. The report should be completed by the next NERA meeting on September 2001.

   Multistate Research Projects' requests for reimbursement of shared project costs - Five options are being tabled for discussion to cover project costs for publication, web development, etc.:

   1. The old procedure of addressing individual requests by evaluating the need and approving an off-the-top funding through NE-59;

   2. Approving an off-the-top funding for the ED to administer. This fund will be used to cover such costs;

   3. Direct invoicing to participating stations;

   4. Admin. Advisor covering the costs out of his/her station's fund; and

   5. Increasing annual registration from participants to cover these costs.

   Update on the Agency's Guidance on Multistate Activities - There were discussions on the complexity of the reporting requirements. The ED suggested options on preparing an annual report for the multistate projects. The impacts reported could be used by the states for their individual impacts reporting. This will be tabled for discussion at the association's meeting.

   Regional Priorities Committee Report - Dan Rossi and Lavon Bartel will deliver their reports at the Joint Session. It was noted that the results of this report could be used to survey the NE CARET delegation the results of which could then be used to support submissions to the 2001 IFAFS program.

   Discussion of strategies to form a body to review/approve multistate integrated projects with Extension representation. (Expected outcome is final recommendations on what to do with NECs) - This will be discussed at the Joint Session and hopefully, an agreement will be reached with extension on how to go about this process.

   Paperless Research Management System (update on conversion to a national system) - The other regions would like to adopt the Northeast paperless system and have approached Colien Hefferan (ESCOP Chair-McArthur Floyd's letter) for support to convert it into a national system. Some suggestions were given to proceed with the conversion and invoice the other regions accordingly. It was expressed that an off-the-top funding request may not fair too well with the directors.

   C-FAR Membership - The Committee felt that it may be worthwhile to join C-FAR to address the need to collect stakeholders' inputs. A recommendation will be forwarded for the association's review.