NORTHEAST MULTISTATE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE MEETING

The Holiday Inn By The Bay - Lincoln Room
88 Spring Street, Portland, Maine 04101

July 12, 2009
3:00pm to 4:30pm

Chair, Michael Vayda (VT)

Members: Bill Vinson (WV), Tom Burr (NYG), Kirby Stafford III (CT-NH), Jon Wraith (NH) and Bob Schrader (NEED)

1. Request to approve the revised proposal, NE_TEMP1561: Optimization of Poultry Welfare and Production Systems for the 21st Century (Renewal of NE 1022) [10/2009-2014]

   Action: Recommends approval.
   The technical committee had addressed MAC's concerns and expanded the literature citation. Although MD had joined, MAC would still encourage DE and PA to join this project.

2. Request to approve the proposal, NE_TEMP507: Biology, Ecology & Management of Emerging Disease Vectors [8/2009-2014]

   Action: Recommends approval.
   The committee had sufficiently addressed the concerns of the peer reviewers.

3. Request to approve the Request to Write for project NE504: New England Center for Invasive Plants [10/2009-2014]

   Action: Recommends approval to write proposal.
   This is an important area. Several stations in the Northeast had expressed interest in joining this project. The request, as proposed, is too narrow: it failed to mention even related projects in CT and ME, and does not address the whole NE region. "New England" should be removed from the title to encourage broad participation from the region. The full proposal is also expected to include a strong extension component. The full proposal must look at invasive species broadly to be considered for approval.

4. NRSP Review Committee Recommendations:
   • Summary of NERA and NRSP-RC Recommendations
   • Proposed Revisions to the NRSP Guidelines

   Action: Recommends approval of the proposed changes in the guidelines specifically the requirement to submit an outline of the proposed NRSP, that will include the objectives, justification and a tentative budget. This will go to the NRSP Review Committee for concept approval. The other change is the addition of a new peer review form, Appendix D. The peer reviews (at least three) will focus on relevance and how the project will be implemented successfully. Current projects will undergo this peer review process as they are renewed and new proposals submitted.
   Provide any comments or recommendations to Mike Vayda or Dan Rossi by July 31, so they can raise those at the NRSP Review Committee Meeting in August.

5. Advisor Assignments:
   • NECC1009: Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Tree Fruit Cultivars [10/2005-2010]
   • NE1038: Hydropedology: Genesis, Properties, and Distribution of Hydromorphic Soils [10/2009-2014]
   • NE1020: Multi-state Evaluation of Winegrape Cultivars and Clones [10/2004-2017]
   • NE1022 (New NE_temp1561): Poultry Production Systems: Optimization of Production and Welfare Using Physiological, Behavioral and Physical Assessments
   • NE1027: Ovarian Influences on Embryonic Survival in Ruminants [10/2007-2012]
   • NRSP3: (New NRSP_temp3)The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)

   Action: Names were put forward. The directors will be approached to serve as advisors. The Nominations Committee will give their recommendations at the NERA meeting.

6. Funds for Excellence in Multistate Research Award [Word]

   Action: Recommends approval. This will be a good incentive for the technical committees to nominate their projects. It involves minimal funding input from the Northeast stations. The award should be widely publicized. NERA-OED will notify the committees to include this as an agenda item in their annual meetings.

7. Other business:
   • Jon Wraith has a request from NE1024 for a two-year extension. MAC felt that the technical committee has sufficient time to go through the proposal submission/review process. MAC suggested that the Advisor assess the right course of action that NE1024 should take, and submit a request at the September meeting.
   • Chair Vayda will ask the directors when they want the next call for proposals for the 2010 Planning Grant be released.

8. Changes to Coordinating Committee Forms [Interim action by MAC: approved via e-mail on June 5, 2009]:
   Revisions to Request to Write and Project Outline [Appendix B]

Action: Approval noted and will be recorded in this report.

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