Regional Rural Development
Centers
The CSREES Regional
Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) play
a unique role in USDA's service to rural
America. They link the research and educational
outreach capacity of the nation's public
universities with communities, local decisionmakers,
entrepreneurs, families, and farmers and
ranchers to help address a wide range of
development issues. They collaborate on
national issues that span regions—like
e-commerce, the changing interface between
rural, suburban, and urban places, and
workforce quality and jobs creation. Each
tailors programs to address particular
needs in its region.
The RRDCs bring together the most innovative
minds—from inside and outside universities—to
address cutting-edge issues without regard
to state boundaries. They respond to emerging
issues, generate credible science-based information
to clarify these issues, and create public-private
partnerships to address them.
The RRDCs were established by the Rural
Development Act of 1972. The first was the North
Central Regional Center for Rural Development,
based at Iowa State University. Subsequent
RRDCs were established in the South, Northeast,
and West. The Southern
Rural Development Center is based at
Mississippi State University. The Northeast
Regional Center for Rural Development is
based at The Pennsylvania State University,
and the Western
Rural Development Center is based at
Utah State University. Each RRDC is administered
by a joint agreement between USDA and a host
institution operating for the Extension Services
and the Agricultural Experiment Stations
in the respective region. Core funding is
from CSREES for integrated research, education,
and extension activities.
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