How would changes affect the willingness of scientists to undertake longer-term research objectives?
Federal formula and state funding provide secure funding to scientists across a broad set of disciplines related to agriculture for undertaking projects that require sustained multi-year efforts before major objectives and large payoffs can be obtained. Examples of research that took decades to complete, but that generated very high payoffs, include the discovery of hybrid corn (Huffman & Evenson, 2006b, pp. 159-161) and of tillage systems that conserve soil and provide outstanding crop yields. Uncertainty about when and if scientists will obtain competitive grant funding, coupled with typically shorter- run priorities in grant funding, reduces opportunities for long-term pursuits and shifts research efforts toward shorter-term projects with more predictable outcomes (Huffman & Just, 2000). A larger federal competitive grants program might have the advantage of leveraging state and federal formula SAES funding to focus on medium-term national needs. This focus, however, comes at the co
