The Research, Education, and Extension Office (REEO) was established by Congress through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to coordinate science activities of the Department of Agriculture. Located in the Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, the REEO is the central office within the Department where key science issues and needs are identified, science activities are coordinated and prioritized, and scientific capacity is strategically aligned. Led by the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics—the Department’s Chief Scientist—the expertise represented in REEO integrates the crucial functions of USDA intramural and extramural research, education and extension across the breadth of food, agriculture, community, and natural resource systems. The duties of the REEO staff are to assist the Chief Scientist/Under Secretary in the following areas.

• Identify, prioritize and address emerging agricultural research, education, and extension needs incorporating public and private-sector input into the Department’s science agenda.
• Prepare and support implementation of the Department’s roadmap for agricultural research, education, and extension.

• Enhance science collaboration, integration, coordination, responsiveness, efficiency, and effectiveness across the Department and public agricultural science system
• Identify and assess workforce needs of the research, education, and extension functions of the Department.
• Foster strategic, collaborative, and effective use of resources.

• Describe the components of the agricultural research, education and extension system and how they work together to advance science and address needs and opportunities.
• Communicate with agricultural research, education, and extension beneficiaries and representatives of the science community, industry, and the general public, to provide information, obtain input on issues important to agriculture, and promote the benefits of agricultural research, education, and extension.
• Interact with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board, and inter-agency and multi-departmental efforts to identify and recommend opportunities to better advance and coordinate federal science activities.