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Objective 1: Build partnerships to address challenges and opportunities, serving the needs of diverse IPM stakeholders and building on their knowledge to solve problems. <br/>Objective 2: Establish and maintain interactive information networks that provide broad access to IPM resources and enable people to make informed decisions and reduce risks as they manage pests. <br/>Objective 3: Develop signature Global Food Security Programs and foster their sustainability, using IPM expertise to promote food availability and accessibility. <br/>Objective 4: Review and evaluate the impacts of IPM implementation, and communicate successes so that the benefits of IPM research, education, and outreach can be more fully understood, promoted, and valued. <br/>Objective 5: Manage funding resources effectively to ensure that stakeholders receive the greatest possible benefit from public support of IPM research, education, and outreach. We will accomplish these goals through the work of staff, participation of advisory groups, active partnerships, the use of communication and information systems, and funded projects. <P>We will also oversee two grants programs: (1) the Northeast Regional IPM (RIPM) Competitive Grants Program, supporting projects that develop pest control tactics and integrate them into IPM systems and educational projects, and (2) the IPM Partnerships Grants Program, emphasizing collaborative, priority-setting extension projects. Among other project types, the IPM Partnership Grants program funds Working Groups that provide key connections to stakeholders in specific settings throughout the region. We are poised to build on the structures and relationships that have been carefully developed to offer the full advantage of benefits envisioned through the Regional IPM Center system.
Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
IPM is critical to our food production systems, our schools, and our homes. In a world of climate change and invasive species, IPM offers effective, economical management of pests, reducing risks to the environment and human health. But fragmented oversight can diminish IPM's efficiency, and shrinking public investments in IPM threaten society's capacity to reap its benefits. The Northeastern IPM Center will serve as a hub where groups and agencies that care about safe, affordable pest management can share information and work together. With the Center's guidance, these stakeholders will focus on the region's important pest problems, tap into trustworthy scientific information, and build on each others' successes. The Center's four-year goal is to fulfill the promise of IPM by strengthening its base of support, expanding and extending crucial IPM knowledge throughout the region, and making IPM's benefits available to the people who need it most. In 2012-2013, we will convene IPM, organic, and sustainable agriculture stakeholders to frame common issues; develop supplemental sources of funding for IPM; promote food accessibility through ties to urban agriculture; and support projects pertaining to invasive species, pest monitoring/forecasting, and plant protection. We will develop a new strategic plan and communications plan, and we will evaluate the needs and resources for educating new IPM scientists and practitioners. A possible midterm NIFA review of Centers should provide an opportunity for self-assessment, stakeholder input, and further interaction with USDA. Overall, our Center will increase coordination of IPM research, education, and extension, enhancing responsiveness to global food security challenges.
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Approach:<br/>
1: Continue partnerships with organizations concerned with IPM development and implementation. We'll maintain broad-based advisory and steering committees; involve stakeholders and partner institutions; fund IPM working groups; maintain connections with state IPM Coordinators through our regional technical committee (NEERA1004); increase collaborations among 1862 and 1890 Land-Grant Institutions; and continue as a national leader in urban IPM through our signature project: Promoting IPM in Affordable Housing. We will work closely with other IPM Centers; identify program needs and establish priorities with the assistance of working groups; and, with stakeholders, develop a new strategic plan.
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2: We will continue to develop our Center's interactive outreach system via webinars, RSS, Facebook, and Twitter; original newsletters and publications; email news distributed directly to 3,600 stakeholders; workshops, conferences, and other opportunities for face-to-face engagement; and two project-specific websites that we manage with funding from other grants: StopPests.org (multifamily housing) and StopBMSB.org. NortheastIPM.org will serve as a hub for interaction across states, disciplines, and institutions with news, a database of funding opportunities, and a searchable IPM resources database.
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3: Meet in November 2012 to frame the discourse about organic, IPM, and sustainable agriculture. Encourage urban agriculture by educating ourselves, developing partnerships, participating in a related conference; placing a priority on urban agriculture in our grants program; and featuring urban agriculture in our newsletter. Fund projects focused on invasive species, pest monitoring, and forecasting; make information available via the web; and partner with other Regional IPM Centers to release regional and national Pest Alerts. Strengthen and enhance public and private support; explore partners aligned with our mission; assess existing and future Center-funded projects for trends, breadth, and impact; share methods with other Centers; and, through a strategic planning process, refine top priorities. Evaluate needs and resources for educating new IPM scientists and practitioners and the resources currently available for independent crop consultants, technical service providers, and certified IPM practitioners; and dovetail with signature projects of other centers.
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4: Manage projects to yield impacts; refine regional IPM priorities; support IPM evaluation through working groups; and communicate positive outcomes.
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5: We will continue to advertise and administer two grant programs: the IPM Partnership Grants Program and the Northeastern Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program. We will fund projects reflecting regional priorities and manage reviews fairly; prepare for and attend the NIFA review of Centers, then follow through on suggestions; continue to assess project reports and dollars leveraged by Center-managed projects; disseminate results; seek outside private funds to augment program dollars and projects; and assess progress by meeting milestones, analyzing trends, and tracking accomplishments.