7 U.S.C. § 7613: Relevance and merit of agricultural research, extension, and education funded by the Department

The Secretary shall establish procedures that provide for scientific peer review of each agricultural research grant administered, on a competitive basis, by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the Department. The Secretary shall establish procedures that provide for relevance and merit review of each agricultural research, extension, or education grant administered, on a competitive basis, by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Secretary shall consult with the Advisory Board in establishing the merit review procedures on a continuous basis. Peer and merit review procedures established under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not take the offer or availability of matching funds into consideration. the relevance to the priorities established under section 7612(a) of this title of the funding of all agricultural research, extension, or education activities conducted or funded by the Department; and the adequacy of the funding. As soon as practicable after the review is conducted under subsection (b) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall consider the results of the review when formulating each request for proposals, and evaluating proposals, involving an agricultural research, extension, or education activity funded, on a competitive basis, by the Department. In formulating a request for proposals described in paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall solicit and consider input from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education regarding the prior year’s request for proposals. The Secretary shall establish procedures that ensure scientific peer review of all research activities conducted by the Department. As part of the procedures established under paragraph (1), a review panel shall verify, at least once every 5 years, that each research activity of the Department and research conducted under each research program of the Department has scientific merit and relevance. the scientific merit and relevance of the activity or research in light of the priorities established pursuant to section 7612 of this title ; and the national or multistate significance of the activity or research. A review panel shall be composed of individuals with scientific expertise, a majority of whom are not employees of the agency whose research is being reviewed. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall use scientists from colleges and universities to serve on the review panels. The results of the panel reviews shall be submitted to the Advisory Board. establish a process for merit review of the activity; and review the activity in accordance with the process. establish a process for merit review of the activity; and review the activity in accordance with the process. establish a process for merit review of the activity; and review the activity in accordance with such process.