Established by Statute

The Agricultural Research Fund (ARF) is established in North Dakota Century Code § 15-12.1-18 and is administered by the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE) for the support of agricultural research in North Dakota. [ndlegis.gov]

The ARF is a special fund in the state treasury derived from agricultural equipment sales. The monies in the fund must be expended for agricultural research. Annually, SBARE apportions the Agricultural Research Fund: 70% to research activities affecting North Dakota agricultural commodities (those that account for at least two percent of the gross sales of all agricultural commodities grown or produced in the state, but the percentage allocated to each commodity cannot exceed the percentage that the gross sales of the commodity contribute to the total of gross sales of all agricultural commodities grown or produced the previous year); 18% to research activities affecting animal agriculture; and 12% to research activities affecting new and emerging crops. SBARE solicits research proposals and appoints committees to review the proposals and award grants competitively.

Historical Reference

The 1997 Legislative Assembly established the Agricultural Research Fund and described it in N.D.C.C. § 4-05.1-20. When the Century Code was reorganized and renumbered, the provisions became § 15-12.1-18. The fund was created as a special fund in the state treasury for agricultural research and identifies the allocation percentages listed above. [ndlegis.gov]