republic-os/legal/us/code/title-07/chapter-103/section-7613.md

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LegalText	7 U.S.C. § 7613	Relevance and merit of agricultural research, extension, and education funded by the Department	us	united_states_code	code_section	7	AGRICULTURE	103	AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION REFORM	7613	7 U.S.C. § 7613	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc07@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t7/s7613	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-07/usc07.xml	e164a58bbd7d74691b53f01b26e88931397de5681eec521275b0bc94f6167ef4	50edab1679a711653797362c0aeb8f2273303fe473fb7fa16df1ee76bdd6e984	8812abb549a4dc108b7048e15b7682f3ea3701bdd875fc20908f3b26c58791e6	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

7 U.S.C. § 7613 - Relevance and merit of agricultural research, extension, and education funded by the Department

Text

(a) Review of National Institute of Food and Agriculture (1) Peer review of research grants The Secretary shall establish procedures that provide for scientific peer review of each agricultural research grant administered, on a competitive basis, by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the Department.

(2) Relevance and merit review of research, extension, and education grants (A) Establishment of procedures The Secretary shall establish procedures that provide for relevance and merit review of each agricultural research, extension, or education grant administered, on a competitive basis, by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

(B) Consultation with Advisory Board The Secretary shall consult with the Advisory Board in establishing the merit review procedures on a continuous basis.

(3) Consideration Peer and merit review procedures established under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not take the offer or availability of matching funds into consideration.

(b) Advisory Board review On an annual basis, the Advisory Board shall review—

(1) the relevance to the priorities established under section 7612(a) of this title of the funding of all agricultural research, extension, or education activities conducted or funded by the Department; and

(2) the adequacy of the funding.

(c) Requests for proposals (1) Review results As soon as practicable after the review is conducted under subsection (b) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall consider the results of the review when formulating each request for proposals, and evaluating proposals, involving an agricultural research, extension, or education activity funded, on a competitive basis, by the Department.

(2) Input In formulating a request for proposals described in paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall solicit and consider input from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education regarding the prior year’s request for proposals.

(d) Scientific peer review of agricultural research (1) Peer review procedures The Secretary shall establish procedures that ensure scientific peer review of all research activities conducted by the Department.

(2) Review panel required As part of the procedures established under paragraph (1), a review panel shall verify, at least once every 5 years, that each research activity of the Department and research conducted under each research program of the Department has scientific merit and relevance.

(3) Mission area If the research activity or program to be reviewed is included in the research, educational, and economics mission area of the Department, the review panel shall consider—

(A) the scientific merit and relevance of the activity or research in light of the priorities established pursuant to section 7612 of this title; and

(B) the national or multistate significance of the activity or research.

(4) Composition of review panel (A) In general A review panel shall be composed of individuals with scientific expertise, a majority of whom are not employees of the agency whose research is being reviewed.

(B) Scientists from colleges and universities To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall use scientists from colleges and universities to serve on the review panels.

(5) Submission of results The results of the panel reviews shall be submitted to the Advisory Board.

(e) Merit review (1) 1862 and 1890 Institutions Effective October 1, 1999, to be eligible to obtain agricultural research or extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each 1862 Institution and 1890 Institution shall—

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with the process.

(2) 1994 Institutions Effective October 1, 1999, to be eligible to obtain agricultural extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each 1994 Institution shall—

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with the process.

(3) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities To be eligible to obtain agricultural extension funds from the Secretary for an activity, each Hispanic-serving agricultural college and university shall—

(A) establish a process for merit review of the activity; and

(B) review the activity in accordance with such process.

(Pub. L. 105–185, title I, § 103, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 527; Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, §§ 7129(c)(3), 7301, 7511(c)(30), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1227, 1242, 1270; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, §§ 7129(c)(3), 7301, 7511(c)(30), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1988, 2003, 2031; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7301, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 887.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246. Section is comprised of section 103 of Pub. L. 105–185. Subsec. (f) of section 103 of Pub. L. 105–185 amended sections 361g, 3221, and 3222 of this title and repealed sections 346 and 3314 of this title.

Amendments2014—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 113–79, § 7301(1), substituted “Relevance and merit review of research, extension,” for “Merit review of extension” in heading. Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 113–79, § 7301(2), inserted “relevance and” before “merit” and substituted “research, extension, or education” for “extension or education”. Subsec. (a)(2)(B). Pub. L. 113–79, § 7301(3), inserted “on a continuous basis” after “procedures”. 2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7511(c)(30), substituted “National Institute of Food and Agriculture” for “Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service” in heading and “the National Institute of Food and Agriculture” for “the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service” in text of pars. (1) and (2)(A). Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7301, added par. (3). Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7129(c)(3), added par. (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8701 of this title. Amendment by section 7511(c)(30) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 7511(c) of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1522 of this title.