Building Federal Support for Bioenergy Research:
Starting Local
for
ASA Section: Agronomic Production Systems
Karl Glasener
Director of Science Policy
Agronomy, Crop, Soil Science Societies
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
1.61%
Trends in science funding
• Decades-long decline or
flat federal funding for our
sciences
• Declining success rates
– FY 2010-USDA AFRI funding rate is
26% (403 awards out of 1,571
proposals)
– FY 2011-NIH funding rate is 18%
(8,765 awards out of 49,592
proposals)
– FY 2011-NSF BIO funding rate is
18% (1,309 awards out of 7,438
proposals)
– FY 2011-NSF EHR funding rate is
17% (807 awards out of 4,660 awards
Zero-sum game
• Interdisciplinary cannibalism
• Gloves are off
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Opportunity, not a Challenge
US reliance on foreign oil
decreasing, but…
Middle East Instability
Strong support for bioenergy
Oil costs
from the
East
the Persian
Total
of Middle
the wars
in (specially,
Iraq and Afghanistan
Gulf) accounts
for 17 percent
U.S.
oil imports
allocated
by Congress
to date of
are
$1.38
trillion,
and
this dependence
is growing.
with
$807.4
billion to Iraq
and $570.9 billion to
Afghanistan.
I support an “all-of-theabove” strategy for
energy. This includes
exploration of viable
alternative forms of
energy, including, but
not limited to: wind,
biofuel, ethanol, and
nuclear.
Recipe for building federal support
for bioenergy research
Strong support for bioenergy, but…
• But must be sustainable
– Socially
– Environmentally
– Economically
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Form working group
Conduct research
Set goal(s)
Possible goal
Gauge opposition
Build partnerships
Develop toolbox
Get started!
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Form working group
• Form an ASA bioenergy research working
group
Conduct research
• Agencies currently having and details of
bioenergy research programs?
• Congressional committees with jurisdiction
over/interest in bioenergy research?
• Scientific societies and organizations with
interest in bioenergy research?
Setting goals
• Programmatic opportunity within
federal agencies
• New program through legislation
• Authorizing
Possible goal
Create National Science Foundation-Department
of Energy Office of Science-Department of
Defense-EPA-USDA National Institute of Food and
Agriculture and Forest Service interagency
bioenergy research program in fiscal year (FY)
2016 budget request
– Energy title of farm bill
– Stand-alone bill
• Appropriating
– Funding for DOD
Gauge opposition
Build partnerships
• Who would oppose your efforts?
– Tight budgets = zero-sum game
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Build toolbox
Bringing it back to the district/state
One-pager
Position statement/white paper
• One-pager or documents
• Showing how supporting your ask, “new
federal bioenergy research program” will
result in:
– Economic benefit to district/state/nation
• Job creation
• New manufacturing
• Catalyze private sector
investment
Let’s do it!
Science Policy Office
– Congressional Science Fellow (1986)
– Director of Science Policy (1994)
– Director of Government Affairs (2012)
– Science Policy Associate (2012)
– Administrative Assistant (2012)
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Education and advocacy
• White House
– Office of Science and Technology Policy
– Office of Management and Budget
– President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology
• Federal Agencies
– NSF
– DOE
– DOD
– EPA
– USDA NIFA,
ARS and FS
Starting local
Education and advocacy
• Congress
– Personal offices
• Rep. David Price (D-4)
• Sen. Kay Hagan (D)
• Sen. Richard Burr (R)
– Committees
• Energy & Commerce
• Natural Resources
• Agriculture
Certain segments are voting
• But their action stops at the polls
• 42% turnout (of eligible voters)
in 2010 midterm elections
• Ideal environment for a few
voices to influence policy
As an explorer, Sagan played
important roles in helping
NASA loft the world's first
wave of interplanetary probes.
“All Politics Is Local”
Core Constituent Scientist Teams
– Congressional Visits Day
alumni (>150)
• Each alum recruited 2
scientists (one grad
student)
– 24 CCSTs established
– Goal of 40 CCSTs by
Dec 2012
5
Core Constituent Scientist Teams
Meeting with your congressional delegation
Starting local
8,000 ASA members
One-pager
A story worth telling…
• Societies advocated for
inclusion agronomist, crop, soil
scientist in BRDTAC
• Both House and Senate had
provision included in their
versions
• Last minute in Senate, provision
dropped
• Four constituent scientist calls
in 2 hours
• Scientific credibility
Reach Goal
• President’s FY 2016 Budget Request
– National Science Foundation-Department of
Energy Office of Science-Department of
Defense-EPA-USDA National Institute of
Food and Agriculture and Forest Service
interagency bioenergy research program
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Thank you
• Interested in getting
involved?
• Interested in Science
Policy?
Contact Info:
• Subscribe to Science
Policy Report:
https://www.soils.org/
science-policy/sspr
Science Policy Office
• Phone: 202-408-5382
• kglasener@scienceso
cieties.org
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