Duration: 10/01/2027 to 09/30/2032

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Agricultural research at land-grant universities drives innovation. For more than two decades, NRSP1 has supported land-grant universities and their partners by providing the systems and resources needed to manage and communicate multistate research activities.

A key component of NRSP1 is the National Information Management and Support System (NIMSS), a web-based platform that manages multistate activities from proposal development through project completion. NIMSS provides a centralized location for proposal submission and review, participant management, meeting coordination, and annual reporting. The system serves researchers, administrators, Extension professionals, federal partners, and other stakeholders nationwide while also being open and accessible to the public.

NRSP1 also supports the Multistate Research Fund Impacts (MRF Impacts) program, which showcases the accomplishments and benefits of multistate research. Through impact statements, outreach materials, training, and other engagement efforts, MRF Impacts turns research findings into clear, accessible stories that demonstrate how collaborative research addresses real-world challenges and benefits agriculture, natural resources, communities, and the nation.

Together, NIMSS and MRF Impacts help ensure that multistate research is both effectively coordinated and broadly understood.

Statement of Issues and Justification

NRSP1 and the National Information Management Support System (NIMSS) 

History

NRSP1 is a long-term, 1862 Land-grant State Agricultural Experiment Station (SAES) national research support project (NRSP) that has existed for over two decades, supporting our regional and national Hatch Multistate research projects and Extension-integrated activities (hereafter referred to broadly as 'multistate activities'). NIMSS facilitates multistate project management, from proposal conception to project termination.

Initially, NRSP1 served as the financial mechanism for the legacy NIMSS, which was first developed and housed at the University of Maryland. In 2014, a full redesign of the database was implemented with a Clemson University’s ITT (now Clemson University Learning Institute) contractor. With guidance from an ESS (now agInnovation) and NIFA-partnered team, Clemson developers created a secure, modern, and agile new application that went online in 2015.

Following the initial three-year (FFY2014 to 2017) NIMSS redesign period, agInnovation renewed its contract with Clemson University Learning Institute in 2017 and again in 2022. These five-year duration renewals have allowed for continuation of critical multistate research support services, improved system efficiency, continued security enhancement, daily data back-ups, and continued correction of legacy system data integrity. In addition, the Clemson team was able to work closely with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to allow for improved data integration and sharing initially with REEport and most recently, the NIFA Reporting System (NRS). 

Present Day

Today, NIMSS continues to serve agInnovation as a web-based application allowing: (1) online submission of proposals, peer reviews and progress reports, (2) management of participants, (3) scheduling of annual project meetings, (4) current and past project proposals, and (5) ready access to this information. An automated e-mail notification function prompts users when action is needed and sends out notifications for meetings and report deadlines, along with instructions for completing required tasks. Researchers, Extension educators, stakeholders, and other cooperators can review and keyword search NIMSS for relevant and timely information related to multistate research projects. In addition, the public has access to research project outlines and impacts without needing to apply for an account. Clemson developers and the regional NIMSS system administrators (RSAs) work continuously together with stakeholders to identify and develop new features to improve system efficiency and value.

NRSP1 and the Multistate Research Fund Impacts Program (MRF Impacts)

(Sara will edit the below, as needed)

Impact reporting is a vital mechanism for project accountability and generating awareness of and support for NIFA-supported research. While NIMSS operates as an internal system for administrating Hatch Multistate projects, it is important to share the impacts of these projects with decision-makers and stakeholders. Project participants submit technical reports and publications throughout each project period, but a professional communications strategy and communicators are needed to develop cohesive messaging, create engaging materials, and reach a wider audience. 

Since 2012, NRSP1 has supported the Multistate Research Fund Impacts Program (MRF Impacts), which employs communication professionals who use a variety of strategies to showcase the unique value and successes of Hatch Multistate projects and enhance the visibility of SAES and land-grant universities (LGUs). This is done primarily through Impact Statements (one- to two-page infographics) for terminating projects. Impact Statements are shared directly with Administrative Advisors (AAs), project participants, Regional SAES Associations, and NIFA representatives. They are often shared with leadership and communicators at participating LGUs, partner trade/industry associations, elected officials, regulatory organizations, media, and others. These beneficiaries use Impact Statements to prepare reports, blog posts, press releases, articles, speeches, responses to Congressional inquiries, and more. Secondary beneficiaries include producers and the general public who are impacted by Hatch Multistate research projects. 

In addition to being housed on the MRF Impacts website (mrfimpacts.org), Impact Statements are also uploaded to the NIMSS database and the National Land-grant Impacts Database (NIDB; landgrantimpacts.org). Impact Statements are uploaded in multiple locations to reach a variety of audiences and serve different purposes. For example, the NIDB does not display final, formatted Impact Statements (it only supports text), and visitors to NIMSS are largely project participants, so Impact Statements are uploaded to this database for mostly archival purposes. The MRF Impacts website houses Impact Statements and other program information and materials in a public-friendly format. Future work will consider ways to better link the MRF Impacts website, NIMSS, and NIDB for easier access and greater functionality. 

Social media continues to be an important space for communicating. Effective social media requires monitoring and networking and a deep understanding of program messaging and resources. In the previous project period, we piloted a social media internship in which a part-time student hourly employee assisted with sharing Impact Statements—along with supplemental information and graphics—on MRF Impacts social media channels (@MRFimpacts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). Participating institutions and researchers, Regional SAES Associations, and NIFA staff frequently engage (e.g., share, retweet, like) these posts. 

Continuous increase in the reach and use of MRF Impacts materials provides evidence for continuing with this component of NRSP1. In the previous project period (2017-2022), over 50 Impact Statements were produced. The MRF Impacts website had over 13,500 page views between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. Project participants, Regional SAES Associations, participating researchers and universities, and USDA-NIFA continue to express appreciation for Impact Statements and use them widely. For example, NIFA’s Director of Communications has used numerous Impact Statements to develop talking points for the NIFA Director and USDA Secretary and Undersecretary. Reach and engagement on social media has continued to rise each year. In federal fiscal year 2021, our tweets had 223,200 impressions; they were retweeted 563 times by NIFA, LGUs, and others. Going forward, we propose to continue strategically sharing Impact Statements and other products using a variety of formats to reach a broad audience. 

Impact Writing Workshops 

Since 2013, MRF Impacts has responded to requests from SAES Directors, AAs , and scientists for impact reporting guidance by delivering in-person and virtual Impact Writing Workshops to a variety of groups, including individual Hatch Multistate projects, faculty at LGUs, NIFA staff, and national conference attendees. Because participants of Hatch Multistate projects actively engage in other research, Extension, and teaching endeavors, even the Impact Writing Workshops that target individual project groups indirectly support better reporting across grants and programs. During the 2017-2022 project period, we delivered over 30 Impact Writing Workshops. Workshop evaluations consistently report satisfaction with presenter knowledge and delivery and indicate improvement in targeted knowledge and skills. Demand for workshops continues to increase and is growing beyond the program capacity. Going forward, we propose to explore a variety of ways to meet this demand more efficiently and effectively. 

Proceeding with MRF Impacts will ensure we continue to track and communicate the progress of Hatch Multistate projects and provide project participants with the tools they need to share their impacts. Our activities will continue to support the assembly, storage, and distribution of information and materials about Hatch Multistate research projects. Through these activities, MRF Impacts supports the entire portfolio of Hatch Multistate projects, which address all agInnovation national priority areas and needs. Going forward, MRF Impacts will continue to coordinate with NIFA, Regional SAES Associations, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) and others to connect Hatch Multistate projects to broader national campaigns and ensure proposed actions meet stakeholder needs.

Collectively, the NIMSS database system and MRF Impacts provide for open and transparent systems that enhance compliance and accountability for SAES. The success of prior NRSP1 projects and their continuous adaptation of new technologies and approaches reinforce their inherent value and purpose to the Multistate Research portfolio. These two systems reflect ongoing core capacities of ESS.

Prerequisite Criteria

How is the NRSP consistent with the mission?

NRSP1 truly exemplifies what it means to be a Capacity/Core 'National Research Support Project.' The NIMSS database portion allows us to fully manage and vet multistate activities through rigorous oversight and review, from inception to termination. Working in tandem, the MRF Impacts program transforms the project data collected in NIMSS into engaging impact stories designed for non-academic audiences. The Impacts program provides an effective platform through which our stories are shared with the USDA and other stakeholders.

How does the NRSP pertain to a national issue?

Through its dual purpose, NIMSS and MRF Impacts, NRSP1 enables agInnovation to effectively identify, review and, implement multistate research activities addressing regional and national priorities. Collected data is used to develop impactful stories that demonstrate the value of Hatch multistate research, for the USDA and other stakeholders. This directly supports continued public investment in the Hatch and Hatch Multistate funds. 

Rationale

Priority Established by agInnovation

NRSP1 supports all agInnovation national priority areas by streamlining activity management and oversight, while amplifying the documented impacts of Hatch Multistate-funded activities, through NIMSS and MRF Impacts, respectively.

Relevance to Stakeholders

NIMSS: NIMSS provides the essential operational infrastructure to manage the full lifecycle of Hatch-supported multistate research, from proposal inception to project termination. As a secure, web-based application, NIMSS optimizes administrative efficiency by centralizing online proposal submissions, peer reviews, meeting authorizations, and progress reports, while allowing open access to all of these resources. The platform acts as a vital nexus for a broad coalition of stakeholders, including agricultural researchers across land-grant and non land-grant institutions, 1862 and 1890 agricultural research directors/staff, Cooperative Extension, regional association offices, land-grant communicators, USDA agencies and other federal partners, and industry and international collaborators.

(Have Sara review this) MRF Impacts: Working hand-in-hand with NIMSS, the MRF Impacts communications component of NRSP1 amplifies the visibility of land-grant institutions and champions the successes of their collaborative work. By translating technical milestones into attractive, layperson-accessible, impact statements and other communication tools, our dedicated impact coordinator disseminates these success stories widely to federal partners, university leadership, and public audiences alike. Furthermore, the program drives valuable capacity building by offering competitive, annual impact-writing training to multistate committees and AES research teams. This initiative provides a profound professional development benefit, empowering researchers to articulate their work effectively and reinforce the societal impact and net-positive return on investment of this agricultural investment.

Implementation

Objectives

1. Maintain and enhance the effectiveness, functionality, and utilization of NIMSS.
   
2. Effectively document and communicate the impacts of multistate research, enhance the utility of MRF Impacts materials, and improve the capacity of the Hatch Multistate project participants and others to report their impacts.
   

Projected Outcomes

Management, Budget and Business Plan

A NRSP1 Management Committee exists with representation from each regional association, SAES director’s office staff from across regions, NIFA, and four Administrative Advisors (regional representation) serve as stakeholder representatives from agInnovation charged to continuously provide oversight to and evaluate the effectiveness of NIMSS and multistate research and Extension impacts communication efforts. The representatives are responsible for collecting information from the institutions in their respective regions to provide recommendations to improve NIMSS (function and content) and information on the multistate research and Extension impact communications efforts and programs in meeting their needs and objectives.

The NRSP1 Management Committee is also responsible for conducting the annual performance review of the agInnovation Multistate Research Impacts Program Coordinator and providing it to the Coordinator’s host institution in the required manner.

Membership

• NRSP1 Chair: The NIMSS lead RSA (regional system administrator) serves as NRSP1 chair. Term is indefinite, provided the lead RSA wishes to continue in the role and is approved by the NRSP1 membership.
• Administrative Advisors (AAs): One from each of the 1862 regions (NC, NE, S, and W,) and the 1890s. The position of lead AA will be revisited with each 5-year cycle and rotate as needed.
  • One of the AAs must be the director at the host institution of the agInnovation Multistate Research Impacts Program Coordinator or an individual appointed by said director.
  • One of the AAs must be the director from the institution hosting the NIMSS development team, if NIMSS remains with a Land-grant University, or an individual appointed by said director.
  • Executive Directors (EDs) may serve as AAs, if appointed by their regional directors.
• Executive Directors from ARD, NC, NE, S, and W
• Assistant Directors/Coordinators from NC, NE, S, and W (one of which serves as NIMSS lead and NRSP1 chair).
• NIMSS User Representatives:
  • At least two NIMSS users with Station Director responsibilities from two separate 1862 regions and represent the interests of NIMSS users.
  • User representatives serve no terms and may be reappointed indefinitely by their regional associations for as long as they wish to serve.
• Non-voting representatives from the following organizations:
  • NIFA PARS Director
  • NIFA Communications Director
  • agInnovation Multistate Research Impacts Program Coordinator
  • Director or appointee of the director at the host institution of the Multistate Research Impacts Program Coordinator

Roles and Responsibilities of NRSP1 Members

• NRSP1 Chair: Sets meetings and agendas, leads meeting discussion, serves as the technical lead for the preparation of the NRSP1 renewal proposal, and other activities that emerge and the committee feels appropriate for the chair role.
• Administrative Advisors (AAs): Facilitate NRSP1 proposal renewal and midterm review processes, identify peer reviewers, and conduct the annual performance review of the agInnovation Multistate Research Impacts Program Coordinator with input from the other NRSP1 members. The AA housed within the impact writer’s host region is responsible for submitting the impact writer’s performance reviews as dictated by the policies of that institution.
• Executive Directors from ARD, NC, NE, S, and W: Provide general high-level leadership and oversight to NRSP1, identify regional directors to serve as NRSP1 AAs or serve as regional AAs themselves if their regional associations approve, assist the NRSP1 management committee with NRSP1 reviews and other activities, as needed.
• Assistant Directors/Coordinators from NC, NE, S, and W: Serve as regional NIMSS RSAs to provide regional administration of NIMSS, regular interfacing with the NIMSS technical team, NIMSS testing as needed, and all other aspects of support to NIMSS and NIMSS users.
• NIMSS User Representatives: Provide NIMSS user-level feedback to NRSP1, participate in NIMSS testing and NRSP1 reviews, share updates from NRSP1 to their regional associations, administrative officers, and other regional NIMSS users with help from the regional Assistant Directors/Coordinators and EDs.
• Non-voting representatives from the following organizations: Provide regular programmatic updates and recommendations to NRSP1 membership. The agInnovation Multistate Research Impacts Program Coordinator is expected to provide quarterly updates to NRSP1.

Organization and Function

The NRSP1 Management committee meets virtually four times a year, during which reports on quarterly NIMSS updates and issues are presented, along with an agInnovation Multistate Research Impacts quarterly report. The NIFA PARS and Communications Directors also provide updates, as needed.

(NIMSS and MRF Impacts Budgets and Business Plans to be added here)

 

Integration

NRSP1 was developed to facilitate the management and communication of the impacts of integrated research and Extension activities supported by the Hatch Multistate Research Fund. It supports all 1862 and many 1890 Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension participants. The program can also accommodate integrated education activities as the need arises.

Outreach, Communications and Assessment

Projected Participation

View Participation Form/Appendix E: Participation

Literature Cited

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions