State Board of Agricultural Research and Education
Statement of Policy and Rules of Procedure

In 1997, by legislative decree, the State Board of Agricultural Research was established to be responsible for budgeting and policy-making associated with the supervision of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. During the legislative session in 1999, the law was changed to include responsibility for the North Dakota State University Extension Service. The State Board of Agricultural Research became the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE).

Membership of the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education:

• President of North Dakota State University or the president's designee;
• Vice president for Agriculture and University Extension, who serves in a nonvoting capacity;
• Director of the N.D. Agricultural Experiment Station, who serves in a nonvoting capacity;
• Director of the NDSU Extension Service, who serves in a nonvoting capacity;
• Five persons appointed by the Ag Coalition;
• Five persons appointed by the Extension Service's multicounty program units;
• ND Agriculture Commissioner, who serves as a nonvoting member;
• Two members of the legislative assembly appointed by the chair of the legislative council (one member from each political faction).

The term of office is four years and begins July 1. An individual may be reappointed to a second four-year term. The term for appointed legislators is two years and member legislators may be reappointed.

Compensation:

Each appointed member of SBARE is entitled to receive $75.00 per day ($37.50 if less than four hours) as compensation for the actual time devoted to the duties of the office. Each member is also entitled to receive necessary expenses in the same manner and amounts as state employees for attending meetings and performing other functions of the office.

Duties of the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education:

• Determine the causes of any adverse economic impacts on crops and livestock produced in this state;
• Develop ongoing strategies for the provision of research solutions to negate adverse economic impacts on crops and livestock produced in this state;
• Develop ongoing strategies for the dissemination of research information through the Extension Service;
• Implement the strategies developed under subsections 2 and 3, subject to approval by the State Board of Higher Education;
• Develop, with the Agricultural Experiment Station and the NDSU Extension Service, an annual budget for the operations of these entities;
• Develop a biennial budget request and submit that request to the President of North Dakota State University and the State Board of Higher Education;
• Maximize the use of existing financial resources, equipment, and facilities to generate the greatest economic benefit from research and extension efforts and to promote efficiency;
• Annually evaluate the results of research and extension activities and expenditures and report the findings to the Legislative Council and the State Board of Higher Education;
• Advise the President of North Dakota State University regarding the recruitment, selection, and performance of the Vice President for Agriculture and University Extension, the Experiment Station Director, the Extension Service Director; and
• Present a status report to the Budget Section of the Legislative Council.

Meetings:

SBARE shall, on an annual basis, elect one of its members as chair. The board shall meet at the times and locations designated by the chair in consultation with the NDSU Vice President for Agriculture and University Extension.

Conduct of Meetings:

Robert's Rules of Order shall prevail at all meetings of the board. The majority of the board members entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at all regular and special meetings of the board. Official decisions shall be passed only by rules of order and shall be recorded in the official minutes of the board. Minutes of each meeting shall be acted upon during the next meeting of the board. All meetings shall be open to the public.

Agricultural Research Fund

The State Board of Agricultural Research and Education may use up to ten percent of the proceeds of the agricultural research fund, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars, for administrative expenses and annually shall apportion the remaining proceeds of the agricultural research fund as follows:

• Seventy percent to research activities affecting North Dakota agricultural commodities that account for at least two percent of the gross sales of all agricultural commodities grown or produced in the state. The percentage of the dollars available for each agricultural commodity under this section may not exceed the percentage that the gross sales of the agricultural commodity bear to the North Dakota gross sales of all agricultural commodities grown or produced during the previous year, as determined by the Agricultural Statistics Service;
• Eighteen percent to research activities affecting North Dakota animal agriculture; and
• Twelve percent to research activities affecting new and emerging crops in North Dakota.

The State Board of Agricultural Research and Education shall solicit proposals for research from the public and private sectors and shall appoint committees to review the proposals and award the agricultural research grants on a competitive basis. Each committee must consist of a majority of agricultural producers selected in consultation with the agricultural commodity groups representing commodities that are the subjects of the proposed research and may include researchers and other individuals knowledgeable about the proposed area of research. Whenever possible, the committees shall require that a grant recipient commit matching funds.

The State Board of Agricultural Research and Education shall develop policies regarding the award of research grants, including requirements for matching funds, cooperation with other in-state and out-of-state researchers, and coordination with other in-state and out-of-state proposed or ongoing research projects.

Revised May 2005