About NDAES

Research projects reported previously under the former CRIS system will still be available for viewing at the CRIS website (http://cris.nifa.usda.gov/search.html). For more detailed information, go to this website and select Click here for Assisted Search. In the section titled Search CRIS by Individual Data fields, type nd. in the Division/Station area which selects North Dakota. Then, either: 1) type in the Department required in the Institute/Department area; or 2) enter keywords in the Keyword area.

North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Research Project Guidelines

PURPOSE

The North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) projects are required for several reasons. First and foremost, since the NDAES receives funds from our federal partner USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for certain research activities we have an obligation of accountability to the federal government.   Secondly, NDAES projects help individual investigators and teams of investigators develop and accomplish their short- and long-term research goals that conform to the NDAES mission.

WHO SUBMITS?

Each NDAES faculty member is expected/required to have their own individual project if their AES appointment is 30% or greater. In addition to individual projects, team projects may be written if it is appropriate for the situation. Participation in a multi-state project may substitute for an individual AES project.  New faculty members in the college who have NDAES research appointments of 30% or greater should prepare and submit an AES project within one year of joining NDSU.

Projects should encompass an individual faculty member’s program of work (e.g., grants obtained should align with overall project objectives). If work beyond these objectives is performed (either new grants or change of interest), a new or additional project should be developed.  

PROJECT REVIEW PROCESS and TIMELINE*

January 1:  New NDAES projects are due for submission to the AES Associate Director’s office on or before January 1.

Internal Review: To meet the January 1 deadline, project proposals should be submitted to the department chair/head or Research and Extension Center (REC) director on October 1 to facilitate an internal review. The internal review will consist of a review by the chair/head/director and by two NDSU peer researchers. Special attention should be paid by the chair/head/director to ensure the proposal is in proper format at the stage of the internal review.  If collaborators or cooperators are included on the proposal, time must be allowed for them and their immediate supervisors to review the project prior to submission of the proposal for review.

NDAES Review: Once a proposal has been processed through the internal review, the chair/head/director submits by email an electronic version of the project proposal to the NDAES associate director’s office and indicates in the email the two reviewers who provided the internal review. The project will then be submitted to the NDAES Review process, that consists of at least two reviewers from the Project Review Committee (PRC). PRC Reviewers will then have approximately one month to review the proposals. Project Directors will subsequently be notified of the NDAES Review outcome and of any necessary revisions.

May 1:  All revisions and reporting system requirements will need to be completed by May 1.  

*For new faculty, please contact Ona Vig (ona.vig@ndsu.edu) if date of appointment does not align with this timeline. 

NDAES REVIEW OF PROJECT

1. One electronic copy of the project (developed using the preparation guidelines that follow) and chair/head/director email message will be submitted to the Associate Director’s office (sent to ona.vig@ndsu.edu and francis.casey@ndsu.edu).
2. Associate Director’s office will ensure that the project conforms to the guidelines. If project conforms to guidelines, the project will then be given to PRC for evaluation by at least two reviewers who are assigned by a lead reviewer. If the project does not conform to the guidelines, it will be sent back to the Project Director for corrections prior to the NDAES Review by the PRC. The lead NDAES reviewer will determine if the project will go forward for approval or if further revisions are needed based on input from the PRC. The PRC is represented by each unit within the NDAES, plus at least one representative from both Extension and the REC.
3. Upon completion of reviews, the Associate Director will write a letter to the project director indicating any changes that may need to be made.  Receipt of final, revised and signed proposal from the Project Director is expected by May 1.

PROJECT FORMAT

Projects must be double-spaced, in 12 point font, have numbered pages, and be no longer than 8 pages in length from the section “Heading” to the “Importance to the State of North Dakota” section.  Projects not following the correct format will be sent back to the investigator prior to NDAES review.

CONTENT AND ORDER OF PROJECT FORMAT

 
Heading: (centered at top of page)

North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station

North Dakota State University

Department of _________________

Project Number:

Leave blank.

Project Title:

Title must be concise and reflect problem areas. USDA/NIFA guidelines limit all titles to 175 characters.

Start Date      End Date

Duration may not exceed five years. The federal reporting cycle is October 1 to September 30, so most projects will have a starting date of October 1 and a termination date of September 30.  Duration of up to five years is recommended but projects of shorter duration are acceptable. Scientists can vision research that is longer in duration.  They should recognize that they will be required to segment their research and that they will be required to re-write at a maximum of five years.

Personnel: Insert a heading for each of the three personnel categories as applicable.

Project Director(s): List project director and co-project director(s) Co-PDs are other NDSU faculty with a major role in the project. Lesser levels of participation are collaborators.

This section should also indicate an accurate percentage of time (SY) allocated to the project for each PD. The percentage is based on 100% of the research appointment (e.g., if the PD has a 70% research appointment and does not have another active AES research project, the effort shown can be 0.7 SY). If there are questions regarding the correct assignment of time, please contact the unit chair/head/director, Ag Budget Office director, or the Director’s office prior to completing this section. List as SY time commitment and indicate if the effort is research (AES) or extension (EXT, extension effort would only be shown for integrated projects). 

Collaborators:  List NDSU collaborators. Collaborators are NDSU researchers or units that are active partners but not PDs in the research project. Clearly, but briefly, specify the responsibilities of each collaborator. Indicate the SY time commitment for all collaborators.  Each collaborator’s commitment is usually 1–10% for the project but a higher percentage may be appropriate. List as SY time commitment and indicate if the effort is research (AES) or extension (EXT, extension effort would only be shown for integrated projects). 

Research Support Staff: - List as PY (research associate, post doc etc.) or TY (research technician)

Introduction and Non-Technical Summary:  In lay terms, briefly describe the following using these four sections/headings:

• The Introduction and Issue (state the issue and why it is important)
• Goals and Objectives - list each objective numerically. 
• Target audiences (list your target audience and explain how they will benefit)
• Activities (how your activities lead to the outcomes described in the goal statement or objectives. 

This section is limited to 8,000 characters.

Methodology:  Describe the ways in which the project will be conducted, with emphasis on the scientific methods and any unique aspects or significant departures from usual methods.   This section is to provide a general design of the project. To begin, re-state each of the objective statements followed by a description of the procedures/methods for that objective. The procedure statements should show that the research needs and plans have been considered carefully and the proposed work has the potential to provide data and information which will permit accomplishing the objectives.

While the details of the experimental design do not need to be specified, provide sufficient information to indicate that an appropriate design is planned.  Limited to 8,000 characters.

Integrated* Research and Extension Activities:

Projects that include integrated Research and Extension activities are highly encouraged. The NDAES and the NDSU Extension Service are required to spend 25% of their Hatch and Smith-Lever allocations on integrated activities. Integrated activities are defined as jointly planned, funded, and interwoven activities between Research and Extension to solve problems. This includes the generation of knowledge and the transfer of information and technology.

*If a project is written as an integrated project, please insert a short paragraph in this section that explains the integrated activities. Limited to 4,000 characters.

Importance to the State of North Dakota:

Clearly delineate the value/implications of the project to the citizens of North Dakota. Specify, in nontechnical language, a statement for each Agricultural Experiment Station research project indicating 1.) the projected economic impact of each project to the State of North Dakota, and 2.) how the project relates to the general agricultural community in the state.   

Multistate Activities: 

Leave this section blank unless otherwise instructed.

Multistate activities are collaborative efforts that reflect the programs of institutions in at least two States or territories. Each participating State or Territory must collaborate on objectives and be involved in the outcomes. You must be formally involved with someone from another state who is working on the objectives of this project. 

If applicable, Animal Care, DNA/RNA, Radioactive Materials, or Human Subjects approval is needed before the project may be submitted to NIFA for final approval.          

Approval Page (make this one separate page):

      Space should be provided for signature and date by unit administrator for all PDs; administrators of collaborating and cooperating units; and Director, North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Submission of a project to the Director is an indication that the lead PD has provided copies of the project to each signing administrator, made them aware of any relevant changes, and that they approve of the level of participation specified. All projects that involve work at an REC will need to be approved by the director of that center (indicated by their signature on this page). The Director will sign the final version after it has been reviewed by the PRC, do not send the project proposal to the AES Director for signature. 

________________________________________________________      _______________

PI’s Unit Administrator’s signature                                                                Date

________________________________________________________      _______________

Collaborating Unit(s), Administrator’s signature                                             Date

________________________________________________________      _______________

Director, North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station                                  Date

Guidelines for AES and ES Grant Budget Preparation and Management (October 2021)

General Policies

All proposals, with the exception of SBARE grants, must be approved by the University (ndsu.research@ndsu.edu), Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) before they are submitted to the funding agency. 

All agreements/contracts must be signed by Amy Scott, SPA.

• Do not start incurring expenditures for a grant project before the grant is officially awarded. Officially awarded means either having an appropriately signed agreement in place or having received a check for the project and having a project set up with Grant and Contract Accounting. To request pre-award spending go to https://www.ndsu.edu/research/for_researchers/managing_an_award/. It is preferable to set up a grant in advance of receiving the award than to charge expenditures somewhere else and transfer them when the grant is awarded.

• Office supplies, postage and secretarial support are not allowed on Federal grants, and while not specifically prohibited on other grants, the budgeting of these items is strongly discouraged unless there is a compelling reason to include them. If you feel they are a necessary, direct cost to the project, they must be specifically requested and justified in the proposal budget, and approved by the Federal agency.

• Appropriately assign costs. Grant funds are not one big pool of money on which to draw. Each expenditure needs to be directly related to the grant project. When assigning expenditures, ask yourself if you would be able to explain to an auditor how the expenditure is related to the project.

Matching Funds

• If matching funds are not required and it is not one of the ranking criteria for the proposal, don’t show them anywhere in the proposal.
• Know the exact source of matching funds before you commit them. If allowed as match, facilities and administrative costs, salaries and fringe benefits should be the first choice to use as match. Avoid using operating costs such as travel and supplies from state appropriated funds or other grants as match. Make sure you have notified individuals you plan to use as match and verify that they agree to work on the project. Also, make sure the matching funds are available and not being used as match for another project. Funds may be used as match only once.
• DO NOT COMMIT THE RESOURCES OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. We do not have the authority to show matching funds from counties, other colleges or other state agencies without written authorization from an appropriate official (i.e. county auditor, or president of a university) of that organization. The same applies to using other grant funds as match. We will need documentation indicating approval to use the grant funds as match. If it is necessary to use matching funds from other organizations, that organization will need to document the matching funds and have the documentation available for an audit. THE PRACTICE OF USING 3RD PARTY MATCH IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.
• MATCHING FUNDS MUST BE SPENT DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD AS THE GRANT. Previously spent funds or funds spent after the grant has terminated, are not allowable as match. For example, if you have a grant with effective dates of March 31, 2022 through March 31, 2023, the matching funds must be spent during that same time period.

Fringe Benefit Rates - See Section 808 in the NDSU Policy Manual

• Fringe benefits for most employees include social security, unemployment, worker’s compensation, health insurance, retirement benefits, disability insurance and life insurance.
• Fringe benefits are budgeted at actual estimated rates based on salary. The department account technician or grant coordinator can provide the correct rate to use.
• 10% for temporary employees paid on an hourly basis and not enrolled in school. This category includes seasonal labor during the growing season.
• 3% for graduate students and undergraduate students enrolled in school.
• Fringe benefits need to follow salary dollars. Salary can’t be paid from one source and fringe benefits from another source.

Pre-Proposals

• Pre-proposals need to go through the University approval process if any kind of itemized budget information is included, especially if it includes matching funds.
• If a pre-proposal is selected for further development, the full proposal will need to go through the approval process in Novelution.

Facilities and Administrative Costs - See Section 813 in the NDSU Policy Manual or Sponsored Program webpage

• 45% for on campus research; 26% for off-campus research.
• 43.2% for other sponsored activities, most Extension projects fall into this category.
• F&A costs are computed on modified total direct costs (MTDC). MTDC consist of all salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials, supplies, services, travel and subcontracts (up to the first $25,000 of subcontracts). Equipment over $5,000 is excluded from MTDC, participant support costs, tuition and rental costs. Example: Total direct costs in a research grant budget are $126,000 with $6,500 in equipment and a $30,000 subcontract, ($126,000 - 11,500)*.45 = $51,525.
• Approximately 42% of the total amount generated is returned to the Vice President for Agricultural Affairs and usually half of that amount is returned to the department that generated it.

For more information, see sections 800-823 of the NDSU Policy Manual

Multistate/regional research is a collaborative effort between multiple states or across a region. The mission is to capitalize on the strengths of individual experiment stations by melding their strengths into cooperative and complementary research programs. North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) faculty and staff participate in many multistate research committees; committees established to share goals and results on research of high priority among state agricultural experiment stations, the cooperative extension service, the USDA, and other research institutions and agencies.

Process

To become an official participant of a multistate research project committee, you should first visit with your department chair/head/director. Upon approval by your unit head, contact Erin McCall in the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) director's office at erin.mccall@ndsu.edu or 701-231-7656 to request participation. You will be asked to provide information that will be input to the NIMSS website. See "Appendix E instructions" below.

For participation, this data will be input by office personnel in the NDAES after approval by Dr. Frank Casey, NDAES Associate Director, or Dr. Greg Lardy, NDAES Director and Station Administrative Advisor. You will receive notification of approval by email.

Appendix E Instructions

Research commitments section (If applicable, please indicate technician or research associate time in TY or PY):

1. Scientific (Scientist) Year – This is the portion of time for scientists (asst. professor, asst. scientist, and above) who are responsible for creative scientific study, thought, originality, judgments, and accomplishments directly assignable to the activity reported.
2. Professional Year – This is the portion of time for persons who hold positions in professional categories and who are assigned to research activities of the projects. Such professionals usually hold a bachelor and/or master degree. Graduate students, by virtue of their degree and acceptance in graduate school, may be categorized as “professionals.” (This would include any post-doctoral research candidates you may have working on your research)
3. Technical Year – This is the portion of time for technicians, aids, and laboratory assistants assigned in support of a project or an activity. (This would include any research technicians working under your guidance on the project)

Research section:  See “Manual of Classification for Agricultural and Forestry Research, Education, and Extension” at: https://cris.nifa.usda.gov/manualviii.pdf for descriptions and codes of research areas that match your project. Select the appropriate code(s).

Extension section:  KACS (Knowledge Area Classification System) - See section five in the linked manual listed above.

Official Station Representative

Only one voting representative is allowed per institution per project. More than one individual, however, may be listed as a member of the project.

Travel Funds

Regional research travel funds are available to official station representatives for expenses associated with travel to an authorized meeting. Funds are limited to $600 during each federal fiscal year (10/1-9/30). Please contact Erin McCall in the NDAES Director's Office at erin.mccall@ndsu.edu or 701-231-7656 prior to making travel arrangements for approval to use regional research travel funds.

Examples and Impacts

• Multistate Research Fund Impacts filtered by North Dakota State University
• Impact Statement Archive

 Request to Recruit AES Position

Principal Investigator (PI) / Project Director (PD) Role Policy

The North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) was established in 1890 (approved by the First Session of the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota, Bismarck). The State of North Dakota approved the establishment of the NDAES according to the Hatch Act, the federal legislation passed in 1887 that established state Experiment Stations. The purpose of the U.S. Hatch Act was “to promote efficient production, marketing distribution and utilization of products of farm as essential to health and welfare of our peoples and….to assure agriculture’s position in research equal to that of industry.”

Currently, the NDAES consists of seven research extension centers located throughout the state and the main station location on the campus of North Dakota State University.  The total acreage of the research extension centers and the main station comprise approximately 20,000 acres.  Much of the property of the research extension centers was donated to the state by local communities.

A timeline of some of the significant events and personnel in the history of the NDAES.

1890

• North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) established at Fargo, ND   
• C.B. Waldron appointed as first faculty member of NDAES; served NDSU for 55 years
• H. L. Bolley joined NDAES as botanist and plant pathologist; served as first coach of NDAC football team

1890-1893

Horace E. Stockbridge, first NDAES Director

1891

• North Dakota Agricultural College (NDAC) established at Fargo, ND; Offices were located on the 3^rd floor over the Red River Bank on 11 Broadway, Fargo

1893-1913

John H. Worst, NDAES Director

1903

• First sub-station constructed at Edgeley, ND (closed in 1969)

1905

• Dickinson, ND Experiment Station established for agricultural and grass research

1907

• Williston, ND Experiment Station established for irrigated crops and dryland farming practices research

1908 

• First greenhouse erected for Fargo Experiment Station scientists

1909

• Langdon, ND Experiment Station established
• Hettinger, ND Experiment Station established

1913-1917

Thomas Cooper, NDAES Director

1915

• C.B. Waldron chosen to be Dean of Agriculture at NDAC; L.R. Waldron appointed as Fargo Experiment Station plant breeder

1918

• Wanda Weniger appointed plant pathologist with the ND Agricultural Experiment Station (first woman faculty member of the N.D. Agricultural Experiment Station)

1918-1934

P. F. Trowbridge, NDAES Director

1922

• Morrill Hall built on Fargo campus; current home of NDAES and home to many Departments within the College throughout the years

1934-1937

H. L. Walster, NDAES Director

1937-1939

H. C. Hanson, NDAES Director

1939-1953

H. L. Walster, NDAES Director

1945

• North Central Experiment Station at Minot, ND was established

1949

• Agronomy Seed Farm, Casselton, ND was established

1953

• Williston Research Station relocated to present site
• Soil Testing Lab started at NDAC

1953-1956

Glenn C. Holm, NDAES Director

1957-1978

Arlon G. Hazen, NDAES Director; served as acting NDAC President from June, 1961 to January, 1962

1960

• Carrington Experiment Station established at Carrington, ND, as Carrington Irrigation Branch Station
• North Dakota Agricultural College becomes North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

1964

• First center pivot irrigation system in North Dakota installed at the Carrington Irrigation Station

1970

• Oakes Irrigation Research Site established in Oakes, ND as part of the Carrington Station

1979-1994

H. Roald Lund, NDAES Director

1981

• Central Grasslands Research Station established at Streeter, ND

1983

• Land Research Reclamation Research Center opened in Mandan, ND (closed 1995)

1986

• First Research Extension Center established at the Carrington Experiment Station

1992

• Wheat Plot No. 2 and Flax Plot No. 30 on Main Station gain entry into the National Register of Historic Places

1994-1998

Robert Todd, NDAES Director

1997

• State Board of Agricultural Research (SBAR) established by ND Legislature; Law changed in 1999 legislative session to include the NDSU Extension Service - to become State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE); Director of NDAES is a standing member of committee

1998-2002

Patricia Jensen, NDAES Director

2002-2018

Ken Grafton served as NDAES Director from 2002-2018; served as interim Provost from 2018-2019.

2008

• Initial construction began on the AES Greenhouse facility, located west of 18^th Street, north of the historic wheat plots and south of the Animal Nutrition Physiology Center.

2009

• The Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics moves into the new Richard H. Barry Hall which was dedicated on October 2, 2009.

2011

• The Beef Cattle Research Complex was dedicated in 2011. It is a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the needs of beef cattle research at NDSU well into the future. The center allows NDSU to accomplish the vast array of research needed to meet the challenges of 21st century beef cattle production. The complex consists of a feeding area, animal handling area, calving pens, office and laboratory space, and feed storage and mixing area covering 22,900 sq. feet.

2012

• NDSU Great Plains Land-Grant Summit commemorating the 150^th Anniversary of the Morrill Act.
  The Morrill Act, establishing land-grant institutions in the U.S., was signed into law by President Lincoln in 1862. This law created opportunities for millions of citizens to have access to higher education.  This was a revolutionary thought at the time, but one that was needed for the country to grow and take advantage of the Industrial Revolution and the Agricultural Revolution that occurred in the 19th century.  Also, this and other legislative acts, principally the Hatch Act in 1887 and the Smith-Lever Act in 1914, along with the Second Morrill Act in 1890 and the 1994 Higher Education Reauthorization Act established the land-grant system with which we are now so familiar.
• This year also marked the 125th anniversary of the Hatch Act, the federal legislation establishing the state Experiment Stations.

2013

• H. R. Lund Atrium Dedication - Dec. 19, 2013.  Because of H. Roald Lund's outstanding leadership in agricultural research and academics at NDSU, the name of the atrium in Loftsgard Hall was changed to the H. R. Lund Atrium.

2015

• NDAES Research Greenhouse Complex Dedication - Nov. 13, 2015.  The NDAES held a dedication to celebrate the completion of the last phase of construction on the NDAES Research Greenhouse Complex. The NDAES Research Greenhouse Complex is a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the needs of plant research at NDSU. It was constructed using a combination of state dollars and private donations, which totaled $33.5 million - $28.5 million in appropriated funds and $5 million in donations.

2019

• Dr. Greg Lardy named Acting NDAES Director
• Senator Bill Bowman Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory naming - Nov. 8, 2019. www.vdl.ndsu.edu/bill-bowman-veterinary-diagnostic-laboratory/

2020

• Longtime NDSU administrator, Ken Grafton, retires June 30, 2020 https://www.ndsu.edu/news/view/detail/59116/
• Dr. Greg Lardy named Vice President for Agricultural Affairs, CAFSNR Dean, NDAES Director, NDSU Extension Director

2021

• Jack Dalrymple Agricultural Research Complex renaming ceremony - August 20, 2021. www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/newsreleases/2021/aug-16-2021/ndsu-greenhouse-complex-renamed
• Peltier Complex groundbreaking ceremony - November 19, 2021. https://ndsufoundation.com/news/2021/11/peltier-complex-groundbreaking

2022

• Dr. Frank Casey named Associate Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station