“ALPHABET SOUP”1
| 1862’s |
Land-Grant Institutions established by the passage of
the First Morrill Act (1862)... . |
| 1890’s |
1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities and Tuskegee
University: (The) Historically black land-grant colleges and universities.
... |
| 1994’s |
Native American Institutions which received land-grant
status in 1994 as a provision in the Elementary and Secondary Education
Reauthorization Act, titled “The Equity in Educational Land-Grant
Status Act of 1994.” |
| AA |
The Administrative Advisor to a multistate research
project, research coordinating committee, information exchange group
or research advisory committee. |
| ACOP |
Academic (Programs) Committee on Organization and Policy:
A unit of the NASULGC, CFERR, Board on Agriculture. The representative
governing body of the APS. |
| AHS |
Administrative Heads Section: A unit of the NASULGC,
CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are the chief administrators
of the member universities’ agricultural programs. |
| APS |
Academic Programs Section: A unit of the NASULGC, CFERR,
Board on Agriculture. Members are the designated administrators of
academic programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states
and territories. |
| ARD |
The Agricultural Research Directors, 1890 Land-Grant
Universities. |
| AREERA |
Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform
Act of 1998 |
| ARS |
Agricultural Research Service: The principal in-house
research agency of USDA. |
| “Cage” |
“The Cage” commonly refers to the USDA Secretary’s
suite of offices. Named because the outer (reception) office is square
in shape with glass walls and doors. |
| CARET |
Council on Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching:
A NASULGC- affiliated national stakeholder organization representing
constituencies served by the land-grant colleges of agriculture.....
They offer guidance and support for programs in agricultural research,
extension, and teaching. |
| CBO |
Congressional Budget Office: CBO provides Congress with
objective, timely, non-partisan analysis needed for economic and budget
decisions and to provide the information and estimates required for
the Congressional budget process. |
| CES |
Cooperative Extension System: A national, publicly funded,
non-formal educational system that links the educational and research
resources and activities of USDA ... |
also...
CES |
Cooperative Extension Section: A unit of the NASULGC
CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are designated administrators
of the cooperative extension services of all the states and territories. |
| CFERR |
NASULGC’s Commission on Food, Environment, and
Renewal Resources (includes the Board on Agriculture and its many
sections) |
| CFO |
Chief Financial Officer: The Office of the CFO provides
financial management leadership and service to support quality program
delivery by USDA. |
| CIO |
Chief Information Officer: The Office of the CIO has
primary responsibility for supervision and coordination within the
USDA for the design, acquisition, maintenance, use, and disposal of
information technology by USDA agencies, ... |
| CC |
Coordinating Committee: Synonymous with Information Exchange Group
|
| CRIS |
Current Research Information System (USDA) |
| CSREES |
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension
Service: Unites the research, higher education, and extension education
and outreach resources of USDA. ... [CSREES was formed through a merger
of the former Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS) and the former
Extension Service (ES).] |
| CSRS |
Civil Service Retirement System: A federal government
retirement system which provides annuities to qualified employees
who retire because of age and years of service, involuntary separation
not for cause, or disability, to widows or widowers and minor children
of employees who die and, in certain circumstances, to the survivors
of annuitants. |
| ED |
Executive Director; an executive staff person employed
by one of the SAES regional associations. |
| ECOP |
Extension Committee on Organization and Policy: A unit
of the NASULGC CFERR, Board on Agriculture. The representative governing
body of the Cooperative Extension Section (NASULGC). |
| ERS |
Economic Research Service: The USDA/REE Agency that
provides information and analysis on agriculture, food, natural resources
and rural America. |
| ESCOP |
Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy:
A unit of the NASULGC CFERR, Board on Agriculture. The representative
governing body of the Experiment Station Section (ESS). |
| ESS |
Experiment Station Section: A unit of the NASULGC CFERR,
Board on Agriculture. Members are designated administrators of the
1862 and 1890 agricultural experiment stations within the states and
territories. |
| FAIR |
Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
(1996 Farm Act): The omnibus food and agriculture legislation signed
into law on April 1996, that provided a 7-year framework for the Secretary
of Agriculture to administer various agricultural and food programs.
|
| FAS |
Foreign Agricultural Service: USDA agency that represents
the diverse interests of U.S. farmers and the food and agricultural
sector abroad. |
| FF |
Formula Funds, distributed from the federal government
through the Hatch Act authority for the federal-state partnership. |
| FFY |
Federal Fiscal Year: The federal, 12-month accounting
year (October 1 through September 30) |
| FY |
Fiscal Year: An accounting year of 12 months (usually
July 1 through June 30) |
| FOIA |
Freedom of Information Act: A federal statute which
allows any person the right to obtain federal agency records unless
the records (or part of the records) are protected from disclosure
by any of the nine exemptions in the law. |
| FSIS |
Food Safety and Inspection Service: USDA agency with
the mission to protect consumers by ensuring that meat, poultry, and
egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled. |
| GAO |
General Accounting Office: Investigative arm of Congress.
Charged with examining matters relating to the receipt and disbursement
of public funds, GAO performs audits and evaluations of government
programs and activities. |
| GPRA |
Government Performance and Results Act: A law passed
in 1993 which requires that federally funded agencies develop and
implement an accountability system based on performance measurement,
including setting goals and objectives and measuring progress toward
achieving them. |
| HSI |
Hispanic-Serving Institution: A two- or four-year institution
with at least a 25% Hispanic student enrollment. While not designated
as land-grant institutions, HSIs participate in specified USDA programs
as authorized by Congress to promote and strengthen the ability of
these schools to carry out education, applied research and community
development programs. |
| IAS |
International Agriculture Section: A unit of the NASULGC
CFERR, Board on Agriculture. Members are the designated administrators
of international agriculture programs at the colleges of agriculture
of all the states and territories. |
| ICOP |
International Committee on Organization and Policy:
The representative governing body of the International Agriculture
Section (IAS). |
| IEG |
Information Exchange Group: Synonymous with Coordinating
Committee |
| MRF |
Multistate Research Funds: That portion of the federal
formula funds that is allocated to the states and territories for
support of multistate research projects. |
| NAL |
National Agricultural Library: Part of the Agricultural
Research Service, NAL is a major international source for agriculture
and related information and is one of four national libraries in the
U.S. |
| NAREEEAB or NAREE |
The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education,
and Economics Advisory Board: Established by the FAIR Act of 1996,
this Board is charged with reviewing long-term and short-term national
policies and priorities relating to agricultural research, extension,
education, and economics. |
| NASS |
National Agricultural Statistics Service: The USDA/REE
Agency that Administers USDA’s program for collecting and publishing
timely national and state agricultural statistics. |
| NASULGC |
National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant
Colleges: A voluntary, non-profit association of public universities,
the nation’s land-grant institutions and many state university
systems. |
| NCRA |
North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment
Station Directors |
| NERA |
Northeastern Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment
Station Directors |
| NRCS |
Natural Resources Conservation Service: USDA’s
lead agency for conservation technical assistance. |
| NRI |
National Research Initiative: A competitive research
grants program administered by CSREES. |
| NRSP |
National Research Support Project: National research
support projects supported by Multistate Research Funds (taken off-the-top)
and other sources of funds. |
| OED |
Office of the Executive Director |
| OBPA |
Office of Budget and Program Analysis: USDA office which
coordinates the preparation of the Department’s budget estimates,
legislative reports and regulations. |
| OGC |
Office of General Counsel: Serves as the legal advisor
and counsel for the Secretary and program agencies of the USDA. |
| OMB |
Office of Management and Budget: Assists the President
in overseeing the preparation of the Federal budget and supervises
its administration in Executive Branch agencies (such as the USDA). |
| OSTP |
Office of Science and Technology Policy: Provides the
President with timely policy advice and coordinates the U.S. science
and technology investment. |
| PY |
Professional Year: A full-time equivalent graduate student
or postdoctoral research associate. |
| REE |
Research, Education and Economics: A USDA mission area
comprised of four agencies: the Cooperative State Research, Education
and Extension Service (CSREES), the Agricultural Research Service
(ARS), the Economic Research Service (ERS), and the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS). |
| SAES |
State Agricultural Experiment Station: The agricultural
research arm of the 1862 Land-Grant Universities. |
| SAAESD |
Southern (Regional) Association of Agricultural Experiment
Station Directors |
| SY |
Scientist Year: A full-time equivalent research scientist. |
| TY |
Technical Year: A full-time equivalent technical support
staff person. |
| USDA |
United States Department of Agriculture: The third-largest
civilian department of the U.S. government, overseeing a variety of
agencies, government corporations, and other entities that employ
more than 100,000 people at over 15,000 locations in all 50 states,
the U.S. territories, and 80 countries. |
| WAAESD |
Western (Regional) Association of Agricultural Experiment
Station Directors |
1 Adapted from lists found at: http://www.escop.msstate.edu/guidelines.pdf
and http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/whatnew/acronyms.htm
|