Dear Colleagues,

In the last 12 months, we have experienced major, if not unprecedented changes across ANR. These changes have been driven by our funding challenges and by the need to prepare for the future.

New relationships, collaborations, and systems have been launched. Many dedicated and experienced staff have moved into very different new roles while others have moved on to new endeavors. I am very proud of your commitment and your sacrifices. The progress we have made is substantial.

These changes are unsettling for some, but maintaining the status quo simply isn’t an option. Dealing with budget realities is an obvious necessity. Organizing and refocusing on the future is also imperative.  We must think...

Bob Sams of Communication Services and Information Technology and Joni Rippee of the Program Support Unit (PSU) recently led a discussion about grant application support with members of ANR Contracts and Grants, Communication Services and Information Technology, and the PSU. From that discussion, a process will be developed to guide and support the AFRI grant proposal process as it relates to the ANR Strategic Initiatives.

The process begins with the principal investigator contacting the Strategic Initiative leader in the appropriate subject area to assess the proposal’s merit and fit within ANR guidelines.

PSU staff will be assigned to handle proposals for each specific request for application. Contracts and Grants...

The UC ANR Natural Resources Coordinating Conference is set for June 28-30. ANR academics and members of selected workgroups should plan to attend and discuss how the Sustainable Natural Ecosystem Initiative can best implement its part of the ANR Strategic Vision.

The conference will be held at the Lion's Gate Hotel at 3410 Westover in McClellan (just northwest of Sacramento).

Here is the tentative agenda:

• Monday, June 28:  Overview of current understanding and key priorities of major environmental issues affecting California (e.g. demography, water supply, energy availability, transportation infrastructure, climate change, habitat fragmentation, diversity loss, land use change). Panels will comment on a...

While the National Institute for Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grants program is getting a lot of attention these days, it is more than just another grant opportunity. It represents a significant and strategic shift in the funding philosophy and goals that reflect the formation and purpose behind the formation of NIFA. One of those goals is to better integrate research and extension in order to solve difficult problems.

ANR academics who are NOT planning to apply for the 2010 AFRI grants are encouraged to consider becoming peer reviewers for the federal funding program.

By participating on a review panel, not only do you get a chance to see and compare proposals, you also have the...