NRSP001: National Information Management and Support System (NIMSS)
Statement of Issues and Justification
Prerequisite Criteria: Mission
The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) amended the Hatch Act of 1887 identified and specified the use of Multistate Research Fund (MRF) for integrated research and extension activities. The National Information Management and Support System (NIMSS) was designed to facilitate the management of these multistate research and extension activities supported by the MRF, from conception of the proposal to project termination.
Prerequisite Criteria: How does this NRSP pertain as a national issue?
NIMSS now serves as the central repository of all MRF funded projects and activities in the country. NIMSS is a web-based application allowing (1) online submission of proposals, peer reviews and progress reports, and (2) ready access to this information. An automated e-mail notification function prompts users to take action and sends out notifications for meetings and report deadlines. Researchers, Extension educators, stakeholders and other cooperators can search the System for relevant and timely information related to multistate research projects. In addition, the public has access to research project outlines and impacts in NIMSS.
Rationale: Priority Established by ESCOP/ESS
The first version of NIMSS was previewed at the national Experiment Station Section Meeting in Idaho in September 2001. It was fully operational and was serving all the 1862 Agricultural Experiment Stations by 2002. Subsequently, with the success of the first version, more functions were incorporated and a second version was released in August 2004 allowing for customization for each particular group of users. The 1890s research institutions and Cooperative Extension were added and given similar access to fully utilize NIMSS. NIMSS is now currently serving all the 1862 and 1890 Land-grant institutions, allowing them to manage in a totally paperless system their multistate research portfolio.
Another significant accomplishment during the previous period is the development of a Web Service which allows NIFA to download data from NIMSS and integrate them into their management dashboard. This application will continue to be used and explored for further integration of both systems for the purpose of pre-populating federal forms.
Rationale: Relevance to stakeholders
The data collected through NIMSS covers a wide range of agricultural and related information including agriculture, forestry, natural resources, rural life, human nutrition, food safety, human health and other consumer concerns. Maintaining and enhancing NIMSS will provide substantial direct benefits to administrators of State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES), Cooperative Extension Service (CES), participating scientists, federal agencies, and many others utilizing this system. There will also be indirect benefits to the public through increased access to information on agricultural and related information.
Back to Top