Acronyms

1862's

Land-Grant Institutions established by the passage of the First Morrill Act (1862)... .

1890's

1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities and Tuskegee University: (The) Historically black land-grant colleges and universities. ...

1994's

Native American Institutions which received land-grant status in 1994 as a provision in the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act, titled �The Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.?/dd>

AA

The Administrative Advisor to a multistate research project, research coordinating committee, information exchange group or research advisory committee.

ACOP

Academic (Programs) Committee on Organization and Policy: A unit of the NASULGC, CFERR, Board on Agriculture. The representative governing body of the APS.

AHS

Administrative Heads Section: A unit of the NASULGC, CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are the chief administrators of the member universities' agricultural programs.

APS

Academic Programs Section: A unit of the NASULGC, CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are the designated administrators of academic programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states and territories.

ARD

The Agricultural Research Directors, 1890 Land-Grant Universities.

AREERA

Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998

ARS

Agricultural Research Service: The principal in-house research agency of USDA.

"Cage"

"The Cage" commonly refers to the USDA Secretary's suite of offices. Named because the outer (reception) office is square in shape with glass walls and doors.

CARET

Council on Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching: A NASULGC- affiliated national stakeholder organization representing constituencies served by the land-grant colleges of agriculture..... They offer guidance and support for programs in agricultural research, extension, and teaching.

CBO

Congressional Budget Office: CBO provides Congress with objective, timely, non-partisan analysis needed for economic and budget decisions and to provide the information and estimates required for the Congressional budget process.

CES

Cooperative Extension System: A national, publicly funded, non-formal educational system that links the educational and research resources and activities of USDA ...

also...
CES

Cooperative Extension Section: A unit of the NASULGC CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are designated administrators of the cooperative extension services of all the states and territories.

CFERR

NASULGC's Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewal Resources (includes the Board on Agriculture and its many sections)

CFO

Chief Financial Officer: The Office of the CFO provides financial management leadership and service to support quality program delivery by USDA.

CIO

Chief Information Officer: The Office of the CIO has primary responsibility for supervision and coordination within the USDA for the design, acquisition, maintenance, use, and disposal of information technology by USDA agencies, ...

CC

Coordinating Committee: Synonymous with Information Exchange Group

CRIS

Current Research Information System (USDA)

NIFA

Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service: Unites the research, higher education, and extension education and outreach resources of USDA. ... [NIFA was formed through a merger of the former Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS) and the former Extension Service (ES).]

CSRS

Civil Service Retirement System: A federal government retirement system which provides annuities to qualified employees who retire because of age and years of service, involuntary separation not for cause, or disability, to widows or widowers and minor children of employees who die and, in certain circumstances, to the survivors of annuitants.

ED

Executive Director; an executive staff person employed by one of the SAES regional associations.

ECOP

Extension Committee on Organization and Policy: A unit of the NASULGC CFERR, Board on Agriculture. The representative governing body of the Cooperative Extension Section (NASULGC).

ERS

Economic Research Service: The USDA/REE Agency that provides information and analysis on agriculture, food, natural resources and rural America.

ESCOP

Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy: A unit of the NASULGC CFERR, Board on Agriculture. The representative governing body of the Experiment Station Section (ESS).

ESS

Experiment Station Section: A unit of the NASULGC CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are designated administrators of the 1862 and 1890 agricultural experiment stations within the states and territories.

FAIR

Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (1996 Farm Act): The omnibus food and agriculture legislation signed into law on April 1996, that provided a 7-year framework for the Secretary of Agriculture to administer various agricultural and food programs.

FAS

Foreign Agricultural Service: USDA agency that represents the diverse interests of U.S. farmers and the food and agricultural sector abroad.

FF

Formula Funds, distributed from the federal government through the Hatch Act authority for the federal-state partnership.

FFY

Federal Fiscal Year: The federal, 12-month accounting year (October 1 through September 30)

FY

Fiscal Year: An accounting year of 12 months (usually July 1 through June 30)

FOIA

Freedom of Information Act: A federal statute which allows any person the right to obtain federal agency records unless the records (or part of the records) are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions in the law.

FSIS

Food Safety and Inspection Service: USDA agency with the mission to protect consumers by ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled.

GAO

General Accounting Office: Investigative arm of Congress. Charged with examining matters relating to the receipt and disbursement of public funds, GAO performs audits and evaluations of government programs and activities.

GPRA

Government Performance and Results Act: A law passed in 1993 which requires that federally funded agencies develop and implement an accountability system based on performance measurement, including setting goals and objectives and measuring progress toward achieving them.

HSI

Hispanic-Serving Institution: A two- or four-year institution with at least a 25% Hispanic student enrollment. While not designated as land-grant institutions, HSIs participate in specified USDA programs as authorized by Congress to promote and strengthen the ability of these schools to carry out education, applied research and community development programs.

IAS

International Agriculture Section: A unit of the NASULGC CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are the designated administrators of international agriculture programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states and territories.

ICOP

International Committee on Organization and Policy: The representative governing body of the International Agriculture Section (IAS).

IEG

Information Exchange Group: Synonymous with Coordinating Committee

MRF

Multistate Research Funds: That portion of the federal formula funds that is allocated to the states and territories for support of multistate research projects.

NAL

National Agricultural Library: Part of the Agricultural Research Service, NAL is a major international source for agriculture and related information and is one of four national libraries in the U.S.

NAREEEAB or NAREE

The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board: Established by the FAIR Act of 1996, this Board is charged with reviewing long-term and short-term national policies and priorities relating to agricultural research, extension, education, and economics.

NASS

National Agricultural Statistics Service: The USDA/REE Agency that Administers USDA's program for collecting and publishing timely national and state agricultural statistics.

NASULGC

National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges: A voluntary, non-profit association of public universities, the nation's land-grant institutions and many state university systems.

NCRA

North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors

NERA

Northeastern Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors

NRCS

Natural Resources Conservation Service: USDA's lead agency for conservation technical assistance.

NRI

National Research Initiative: A competitive research grants program administered by NIFA.

NRSP

National Research Support Project: National research support projects supported by Multistate Research Funds (taken off-the-top) and other sources of funds.

OED

Office of the Executive Director

OBPA

Office of Budget and Program Analysis: USDA office which coordinates the preparation of the Department's budget estimates, legislative reports and regulations.

OGC

Office of General Counsel: Serves as the legal advisor and counsel for the Secretary and program agencies of the USDA.

OMB

Office of Management and Budget: Assists the President in overseeing the preparation of the Federal budget and supervises its administration in Executive Branch agencies (such as the USDA).

OSTP

Office of Science and Technology Policy: Provides the President with timely policy advice and coordinates the U.S. science and technology investment.

PY

Professional Year: A full-time equivalent graduate student or postdoctoral research associate.

REE

Research, Education and Economics: A USDA mission area comprised of four agencies: the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (NIFA), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Economic Research Service (ERS), and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

SAES

State Agricultural Experiment Station: The agricultural research arm of the 1862 Land-Grant Universities.

SAAESD

Southern (Regional) Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors

SY

Scientist Year: A full-time equivalent research scientist.

TY

Technical Year: A full-time equivalent technical support staff person.

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture: The third-largest civilian department of the U.S. government, overseeing a variety of agencies, government corporations, and other entities that employ more than 100,000 people at over 15,000 locations in all 50 states, the U.S. territories, and 80 countries.

WAAESD

Western (Regional) Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors

¹ Adapted from lists found at: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu:8050/escop/acronyms.htm

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