Drive rebranding of NERA to agInnovation Northeast

• This is an effort that has started.  The Association has cleared the name change on the Cooperative Agreement with the University of Rhode Island and have migrated the website domain from nerasaes.org to agInnovation-northeast.org. 

  • The next immediate tasks to be undertaken include revising the organizational rules of operation and our multistate research project guidelines.  The Executive Committee can evaluate the revisions and share with the Association for approval. 

  • The Office of the Executive Director will create a new set of promotional materials for distribution to the directors.  It’s important that under the new identity clearly, agInnovation Northeast communicates its vision, mission, and goals.

 

Continue implementation of the Northeast Agenda 

• This is an ongoing effort to catalyze collaboration in the Northeast with focal areas including: developing resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems; leading effective adaptation and mitigation for our changing climate; and promoting environmental, human, animal, and community health and well-being.

  • The NE communicators are working on “the regional voice” and part of the agInnovation Northeast website is dedicated to that (see The Northeast Regional Voice). 

  • Anton Bekkerman is serving as the liaison for the Northeast “asset mapping” project using a large language model and artificial intelligence. 

  • How else might the NE agenda be used to catalyze collaboration?  The association has operating funds available to fund an update of the Agenda as to reflect the rebrand to agInnovation Northeast.

 

Ensure that agInnovation Northeast has a place in national discussions

• What can be done from an organizational perspective to ensure that agInnovation Northeast directors are in front, leading regional and national efforts?  What can be done as directors and as an organization to establish the regional association as a hub for thought leadership and collaboration?  At the national level, there is continuing support for the Research Facilities Act, an ongoing effort on developing a research roadmap, and a burgeoning capacity funds initiative.  (The national effort will be dedicated to growing the capacity funds allocation to institutions.)         

 

Capacity Funds Fact Finding/Best Practices

• As a follow-up to a discussion that started in the Fall, there is interest in surveying the Northeast Land-grant institutions on research and extension appropriations and expenditures, both capacity and competitive.  What can be done to ensure reporting from all institutions?  How should the Administrative Heads be engaged in this process?

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Renewal of agInnovation Northeast Cooperative Agreement with the University of Rhode Island

• The current Cooperative Agreement expires on June 30, 2025.  In the interim period, the name change (NERA to agInnovation Northeast) was approved.  The Office of the Executive Director is currently visiting with central administrators at the University of Rhode Island on the renewal effort.

 

The future of the NERA FY 2024 RFP

• The Association has historically dedicated $31,000 for Planning grants/workshops.  This year those funds ($31,000) have been reallocated to agInnovation Northeast initiatives/workshops.  Are there specific areas in which the directors wish to make strategic investments? 

 

International partnerships 

• From Jason White (CTAES / Connecticut-New Haven): We have a significant number of scientists investigating novel and advanced technological strategies to combat increased crop biotic and abiotic stress. This is under the general heading of climate resilient ag research; while publishing papers and getting grants is great, what I’d really like to do is roll some of this out into actual use more quickly than the typical runway. It would also be good to increase international partnerships. For example, those most interested in the work I just mentioned are in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Mauritius, India…  (Jason has also suggested starting an ag partnership with Cuba.)