20 YEAR EXTERNAL REVIEW
OF THE
UNITED STATES – ISRAEL BINATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUND
BARD
REPORT OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE
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The BARD External 20 Year Review Committee (Committee) was commissioned to assess the effectiveness of BARD and its suitability as a mechanism for promoting and supporting binational agricultural research for the mutual benefit of the United States and Israel. The scientific, agricultural and economic outcomes of BARD sponsored research and the overall operations of the Fund were evaluated. The Committee also assessed the recognition and perception of BARD within the scientific and agricultural communities and made recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the direction and continued operation of the Fund.
The Committee met three times between January 1999 and January 2000. Interviewees included BARD administrators, Board and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members, BARD grant recipients, evaluation panel members and university officials. In addition, the Committee received comments from interested persons by e-mail. An appraisal of the outputs of BARD-funded scientific research and an assessment of economic outputs of BARD projects were received.
The Committee concluded that BARD, using a modest budget over a 20 year period, has selectively funded outstanding cooperative agricultural science activities, performed by leading researchers. BARD supported the training of some of the most promising young scientists in a broad research program that supports agriculture of mutual importance and relevance in the two countries and internationally. The Committee also found that:
· BARD research produces scientific and technical outcomes of high caliber. The Fund attracts submissions from researchers among the top echelons in their fields.
· The high number of technological and economic benefits to the agriculture of both countries justifies the program and its continued funding.
·
BARD is to be commended on the continued evolution of
its operations to maintain standards of excellence and meet the current needs
of the agriculture community. Nevertheless, the Committee found that the scope
of BARD's research support is in need of review to reflect developments and
opportunities in non-traditional sectors of agricultural and biological
sciences.
· The disposable funds available to BARD for support of their collaborative research program have reached a critically low level.
· BARD's operations have become a benchmark for binational agricultural funding between countries with comparable scientific and technological capabilities and common agricultural problems.
The Committee encourages the Board of Directors to continue to pursue strategies for augmenting BARD's income to enable BARD to continue to support cooperative research for the mutual benefit of the agriculture of the United States and Israel.
Since the last External Review was completed in 1988, the activities of BARD have continued to focus primarily on the support of mission-oriented, collaborative agricultural research projects. Since BARD’s inception, there have been 22 rounds of proposal submissions involving a total of 3,000 proposals, of which 850 were funded to a total of $186M. During the 10-year period under review (1988-1998), the distribution of funds approached 50% for each partner country.
The support rate for all 22 rounds of proposal submissions averages 27%, and for the period of this review, 24%, with a record low in 1998 of 20%. The Committee sees this fluctuation in the rate of support to be a result of the decrease in BARD’s income and the gradual decrease in the purchasing power of the available funds. In no way does the reduced support rate reflect upon the quality of proposals submitted.
The range of agricultural research areas funded includes
economics, engineering, animal production and protection, aquaculture, cellular
and molecular biology, field, garden and horticultural crops, plant production
and protection, postharvest and food science, soil, water, air and environment.
By far the greatest allocations have gone to research in biological sciences underpinning agricultural production (82%), and in particular during the review period there has been a burgeoning in the support of molecular genetic research across the agricultural spectrum. In other areas, agricultural engineers have made an impressive contribution, albeit with a relatively small proportion (6.5%) of BARD funds, as have soil scientists with only 9.6% of the total allocation.
The United States' partners in BARD projects are from institutions in nearly every State and involve scientists from state universities and land grant colleges (77%), USDA’s Agriculture Research Service (15%) and other private and public, not-for-profit research institutions (8%). In Israel almost 50% of the allocations go to research partners in the Agriculture Research Organization, another 25% to the Hebrew University and the remainder to other universities and non-profit research institutions.
The
Committee commissioned an assessment of the quality of the scientific outputs
of BARD-funded projects made possible by BARD's unique system of peer review of
final reports. This assessment of the scientific merit of 520 completed
projects, conducted by an experienced agricultural scientist showed that more
than half were considered to be outstanding or excellent. Only a very few (2%)
were considered to be of poor scientific merit.
Publications arising from BARD projects were also analyzed,
in terms of the numbers and quality of research papers as judged from the
“impact factor” of the journals in which they were published. The outputs, as
measured in terms of published work, were considerable. Of the 380 projects
completed over the past decade, more than 1,900 papers were published in more
than 200 refereed scientific journals. Of these papers, more than 36%
appeared in high impact journals, including the most prestigious scientific
journals, and another 30% appeared in the top agricultural research
journals in their respective fields. On average each BARD project resulted in
five such papers.
Both
evaluations show that BARD supports research of the highest quality. In the
years since BARD's initial round of funding, many scientific and technological
advances have resulted from its funded research. Through
the analysis of the scientific outcomes, and the evidence from the summaries
provided by the funded scientists, the Committee saw many examples of
BARD-supported work that are now recognized as the basis of advances in
agricultural science. Project summaries, including research publications, are
included in the Annex of the Committee’s report.
Brief synopses of developments arising from some of these
BARD sponsored projects follow:
Agricultural
Economics: BARD has funded
approximately 30 research projects in agricultural economics over the past 20
years. The value of these projects stems from two sources: 1) the value of
information in reducing uncertainty on the part of decision makers, be they
policy makers or producers; and 2) scientific merit, through refined theories
and methods that improve subsequent applied analyses. Projects supported by
BARD have primarily been of the latter type, although some have produced
results that have been applied by decision makers.
Animal Production: BARD has supported a portfolio of successful projects on topics related to the improvement of animal production. Amongst these are quite basic studies aimed at reducing the caloric and fat content of beef and other red meats through genetic manipulation, as well as contributions to the understanding of bovine reproductive behavior and thermotolerance in cattle. In poultry, some notable outcomes were realized in reducing to practice research findings on the effect of early feed restriction on chicken growth. Basic information was generated on eggshell formation in relation to shell thickness.
Animal Health and Welfare: BARD supported continuing and productive collaborations with significant outcomes in molecular and immunological aspects of several important cattle diseases: babesiosis, brucellosis, and bovine leukemia virus. The outcomes include the design of improved approaches to diagnosis and vaccination. Other high impact projects dealt with Marek's disease and tibial dyschondroplasia in poultry.
Aquaculture and Algal Culture: Some of the earliest BARD proposals supported very successful research related to the genetics of fish production and the creation of transgenic fish, notably tilapia, carp and catfish, and to the hormonal manipulation of fish reproductive cycles. Parallel projects in improvements in fishpond aeration have made realistic the establishment of an aquaculture industry in the southern United States. Cognate projects on the culture of single-celled algae as sources of growth factors for fish and for the food industries have led to a delineation of the basic synthetic pathways for these growth factors.
Genomics and Breeding: BARD-funded projects provided important initial inputs for genomic approaches to genetic improvement of agricultural species (both animals and plants) using DNA-based marker assisted selection. These have led to important advances in genetic manipulation of traits of economic importance in cattle and poultry that have impacted on cattle breeding worldwide. While selection for rapid juvenile growth rate in poultry has halved the cost of production of a kilogram of meat, it is associated with poor disease resistance and reproductive performance. This led to research using classical approaches in BARD-sponsored projects on the genetics of immunological maturity and the genetics of minimum body weight for onset of sexual maturity with outcomes that will improve reproductive performance of broiler breeder females. Genetic approaches through genomic mapping and transformation have led to significant advances in creating disease resistant grapevines, tomatoes and other agriculturally important species.
Agricultural
Engineering: Machine vision equipment for real time quality-inspection and
sorting of fruits and vegetables is an outstanding BARD success story. Another
project whose outcomes include methods for management of greenhouse
environments has generated a comprehensive model (TOMGRO) applied to tomato
crops, that is accepted as the standard world wide. The invention of an
aerodynamic/electrostatic method to deliver fine particles (chemicals, pollen)
is the outcome of additional BARD funded projects. Use of this method allows a
three to six fold increase in particle deposition and result in 50% reduction
of pesticide dispersal per unit of land.
Plant Production: BARD
supported research on fundamental aspects of the photosynthetic process.
Important outcomes include the understanding of the action of herbicides on
thylakoid function, the mechanism of photoinhibition of photosynthesis and the
assembly of the photosynthetic apparatus. Outstanding outputs were forthcoming
from a series of BARD projects on cell wall synthesis and its control: these
led to the first cloning of a cellulose synthase in higher plants.
Ground-breaking research on plasmodesmatal communication between cells resulted
in an understanding of proteins involved in the movement of macromolecules,
including plant viruses from cell to cell. Other studies revealed how ion
uptake by plant cells is regulated through the interaction of light receptors
and the biological clock. Plant quality improvement through molecular plant
breeding has been directed in several projects to the development of stress
tolerance, to improvement of wheat seed protein quality, to the tolerance of
wheat plants to heat, to sugar accumulation in fruit and to sweet corn quality
and blight resistance. The demonstration that water-soluble phenolic compounds,
liberated by plant roots into the soil, stimulate germination of mycorrhizal
fungi spores lead to their use for enhancing the establishment of peanut and
garlic plants in the soil. Each of these projects was made possible through the
enabling technology generated in the original BARD-supported work.
Postharvest and Food Science: The understanding of the molecular basis of
bitter taste in fruit products was enhanced by the demonstration of two
novel mechanisms of signal transduction in sensory perception engendered by
bitter taste compounds. Fundamental studies on the mechanism of lipid oxidation
in muscle foods have shown that dietary vitamin E supplementation is a more
practical way of stabilizing muscle tissue than withdrawing iron
supplementation. A new approach to the biocontrol of postharvest fungal
diseases of avocado has been made possible by the recognition of methods that
can stimulate the production of antifungal compounds in the peel. Another
biocontrol strategy relies on the observation that naturally occurring yeasts
on citrus fruits are antagonistic to postharvest spoilage organisms. An
understanding of the biochemistry of shoot growth has allowed the demonstration
of an effective means of eliminating the gravitropic
responses (stem bending) in cut flowers.
Plant Protection: The
molecular basis of transmission of economically important viruses between
insects and plants was elucidated. Innovative
research led to a more complete understanding of aphid and thrip vectors of
destructive plant viruses. Understanding the action of pheromones in cabbage
looper moths has created a potential for their control in the field. Nematode
surface molecules necessary for interaction with plant roots were elucidated
and may lead to a control strategy. Nematodes themselves parasitize insects and
their use in insect control has been explored. The soil-inhabiting fungus, Trichoderma
harzianum, was developed as a biological control agent for root pathogens
and is now a source of transgenes for development of crops with resistance to
root pathogens. These outcomes trace back directly to fundamental and applied
research supported by BARD.
Soil Science: A transport model was developed to describe the movement of water in the soil-water zone above the water table and to assist in the management, prevention and clean up of agricultural ground water pollution or in waste management. The interactions between water flow and root distribution has been described and will permit informed soil-water status monitoring and sound irrigation decision making.
BARD
research was also scored for its measurable benefits to agriculture in the
United States and Israel, using peer review of the final reports. This
commissioned review of projects included the peer review scores and an
aggregate score for agricultural benefits realized after the completion of the project.
Of the 520 completed projects examined, nearly 190 were identified as having
direct or very promising benefits to agriculture, justifying the
characterization of BARD as a fund with substantial benefit to agriculture.
Examples of research funded by BARD with high impact on
agriculture include projects in the following areas:
·
Implementation of electronic
sorting and grading of fruit, and robotic harvesting of fruit.
·
Reduction of production costs
through automation of greenhouse management.
·
Introduction of new
commercial cut flower species.
·
Optimization of poultry
production by feed restriction.
·
Introduction of a practical
system for cooling dairy cattle leading to improved summer milk production.
·
Elimination of gravitropic
responses (stem bending) in cut flowers.
·
Optimization of vine
microclimate, crop yield and quality in table and wine grapes.
·
Development of heat tolerant
wheat varieties.
·
Development of contained
agriculture (“plasticulture”) for production of vegetables.
·
Inhibition of chilling injury
and delayed ripening techniques.
·
Postharvest improvements to
reduce decay and extend shelf life of harvested fruit.
·
Introduction of tools for the
manipulation of fish maturation.
·
Creation of all-male
fingerling stock by sex reversal.
Pest and disease control
·
Pheromone attractants for
cabbage looper moths.
·
Use of agricultural and
municipal wastes for preparation of disease suppressive composts.
·
Post-planting control of
soilborne pathogens in fruit tree crops.
·
Solar heating (solarization)
of soils and introduction of improved strains of Trichoderma spp. as methyl
bromide replacements in the biocontrol of soilborne pathogens.
·
Enhanced mycorrhizal spore
germination leading to better symbiosis in vegetable crops.
Improved breeding through molecular genetic techniques
·
Increased efficiency in
poultry and channel catfish production.
·
Development of marker assisted
selection technologies in plant and animal breeding.
·
Molecular genetic techniques
for evaluating dairy sires.
Agricultural economics
·
Implementation of strategies
for the economic distribution and use of water.
Soil science
·
Development of practical
guidelines for the proper management of drip irrigation.
Food science
·
Biocontrol of postharvest
spoilage organisms on citrus and deciduous fruits using naturally occurring
yeasts.
·
Understanding of bitter taste
in citrus juice.
The majority of BARD projects are directed towards strategic or applied pre-commercial studies. Still, a large number have already had outputs with applications in commercial agriculture. Ten such projects were subjected to detailed qualitative and quantitative evaluation by an independent United States-Israel team of agricultural economists.
To
select the projects evaluated in this report, some 500 completed BARD projects
were first screened for potential commercial impacts. Those with the most
promising and potentially measurable economic returns were selected for further
evaluation. Following this, the BARD management conducted a round of screening,
reducing the project pool to 60. Subsequent discussions among BARD management
and the US-Israeli economic evaluation team reduced this set of projects to 25
and finally to 10. These 10 projects were subjected to detailed quantitative
evaluation. Information was gathered from project scientists, non-project
scientists and representatives of relevant industries. Cost-benefit analyses
were conducted.
The economic survey, concluded that the ten projects evaluated
are already producing benefits to Israel, the United States, or both countries.
The report concludes that the expected aggregate benefits of these projects
alone (nearly $783M for the two countries by the year 2010) exceed the total
expenditures of BARD ($186M) since its inception. If the benefits from the five
projects evaluated in the previous ten-year review are included, the outcomes
of fifteen projects greatly exceed the discounted value of the investment in BARD. No doubt, many of the remaining 835 projects funded
by BARD have also generated or will generate economic benefits. Therefore, it
is reasonable to assume that the total commercial impact of all projects can be
estimated at being several times higher, possibly even an order of magnitude
higher, than the figure presented by the external economic review team
pertaining only to the ten selected projects.
BARD also finances a significant amount of postdoctoral training, graduate student support, international exchange, and permanent equipment where calculations of direct economic benefits are virtually impossible but clearly must be substantial.
While the monetary value of the impact of a given project
is sometimes not equal in both countries, BARD research has significantly
impacted specific industries in both countries. Examples include work in the
poultry industry through work on poultry feed restriction, the intensive aquaculture
industry through improved aeration systems, the fish production industry
through breeding, and crop production industries through genetic improvement of
crop varieties.
Scientific and
technical outcomes are difficult to evaluate in any time frame of less than
15-20 years. But clearly the already high
number of scientific advances from BARD-funded research and the benefits of
this research to the agriculture of the two countries, is justification enough
for the program and its approach to funding research.
Proposal Evaluation and Selection Process
BARD works with a two-tiered evaluation system consisting of subject panel areas and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The 20 Year Review Committee followed the independent work of the US and Israeli subject panels, and observed the operations of the single binational TAC. The Committee found that there is agreement amongst those who have served in the selection process as well as recipients, administrators and unsuccessful applicants, concerning the high degree of integrity and fairness of the procedure.
BARD is unique amongst competitive grant programs in following a process of retrospective project evaluation. The Committee strongly endorses this practice and notes that, without the final reports and their review, BARD cannot properly assess the success of its collaborative research program. The final reports were an invaluable aid to the Committee in the assessment of scientific outcomes and outputs of the research. The final reports will continue to provide an important means of judging the effectiveness of research supported by BARD.
Responses received concerning the project administrative process showed that both grant holders and administrators are well satisfied with the grant-handling process and the prompt and responsive attention to their queries. The BARD administrative team is to be commended for their effectiveness and efficiency in handling the day-to-day operations. Electronic handling of much of the office traffic has been implemented and further improvements in this medium continue to be developed.
The essential philosophy of the BARD scheme in joining agricultural scientists from the two countries in common scientific pursuit has, through the synergies, complementarities and the mutual support engendered, delivered outputs and outcomes not possible had the scientists worked separately. It was noted, however, that for some projects the collaborative interactions were more apparent than real. Greater scrutiny of this aspect by the evaluators of projects may be needed. The Committee endorses the recent addition of a proposal assessment criterion to emphasize the importance attached to collaboration.
The potency of BARD collaboration is illustrated by some of the superb outcomes from its research, as revealed by the assessment of scientific outcomes and the economic survey. The strong connections built between the collaborating scientists are expressed in ways that often continue beyond the lifetime of the grant. These include the integration of multidisciplinary research, exchange visits to Israel or the United States, combining fundamental expertise to solve practical problems, better understanding of the two cultures, and more. Collaboration is stimulating and positive even when not funded. Long-term relationships are fostered and communications are improved; it has been noted that "just writing the application jointly increases the information exchange".
BARD does not issue guidelines on the type of research to be supported, but inspection of the portfolio of projects suggests that more than 80% may be classified as basic or strategic (mission oriented) research and the remainder as applied research.
BARD is the single most important source of strategic research funds for agricultural scientists in Israel. Consequently, many agricultural scientists in Israel must have a US co-PI if they intend to compete for funds to conduct basic or strategic agricultural research in their own country. This remarkable situation benefits the US since, by definition, many Israeli scientists can only get funding for their agricultural research if their project will also benefit US agriculture. The situation is also of benefit to Israel because of the number of US investigators that must be attracted to conduct agricultural research of importance to Israel. Any disproportionate impact applies more or less to both countries, where some areas of R and D have benefited Israel more than the United States, while other areas have benefited the United States more than Israel. The economic survey shows that, overall, the agriculture of both countries have significantly benefited from BARD-funded research.