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7 U.S. Code § 5939. Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
(a) DefinitionsIn this section:
(1) Board
The term “Board” means the Board of Directors described in subsection (e).
(2) Department
The term “Department” means the Department of Agriculture.
(3) Foundation
The term “Foundation” means the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research established under subsection (b).
(4) Secretary
The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.
(b) Establishment
(1) In general
The Secretary shall establish a nonprofit corporation to be known as the “Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research”.
(2) Status
The Foundation shall not be an agency or instrumentality of the United States Government.
(c) PurposesThe purposes of the Foundation shall be—
(1) to advance the research mission of the Department by supporting agricultural research activities focused on addressing key problems of national and international significance including—
(A)
plant health, production, and plant products;
(B)
animal health, production, and products;
(C)
food safety, nutrition, and health;
(D)
renewable energy, natural resources, and the environment;
(E)
agricultural and food security;
(F)
agriculture systems and technology; and
(G)
agriculture economics and rural communities; and
(2)
to foster collaboration with agricultural researchers from the Federal Government, State (as defined in section 3103 of this title) governments, institutions of higher education (as defined in section 1001 of title 20), industry, and nonprofit organizations.
(d) Duties
(1) In generalThe Foundation shall—
(A)
award grants to, or enter into contracts, memoranda of understanding, or cooperative agreements with, scientists and entities, which may include agricultural research agencies in the Department, university consortia, public-private partnerships, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and industry, to efficiently and effectively advance the goals and priorities of the Foundation;
(B) in consultation with the Secretary—
(i)
identify existing and proposed Federal intramural and extramural research and development programs relating to the purposes of the Foundation described in subsection (c); and
(ii)
coordinate Foundation activities with those programs so as to minimize duplication of existing efforts and to avoid conflicts, specifically at the Department of Agriculture; and
(iii)
document the consultation process and include a summary of the results in the annual report required in subsection (f)(3)(B) [1]
(C)
identify unmet and emerging agricultural research needs after reviewing the roadmap for agricultural research, education, and extension authorized by section 7614a of this title;
(D)
facilitate technology transfer and release of information and data gathered from the activities of the Foundation to the agricultural research community and agriculture stakeholders;
(E)
promote and encourage the development of the next generation of agricultural research scientists; and
(F)
carry out such other activities as the Board determines to be consistent with the purposes of the Foundation.