Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

These are the notes from the Review meeting in Texas in January 2016.

• NC1194 (NC_temp1194):  Nanotechnology and Biosensors

                Primary reviewer:  Jinglu Tan;         Secondary reviewer:  Dorota Haman

Jinglu Tan summarized the project proposal and his comments and concerns.  The group engaged in further discussion and provided additional commentary.  The proposal was “Accepted with minor revision”.  The project team was asked to address the following issues:

• Survey the capabilities of the group to perform risk analysis and expand membership if needed
• Update the literature review.
• Develop communication tool to facilitate group interaction, including plans to meet at conferences of mutual interest
• Develop a mechanism to establish and encourage collaborative activities across institutions. E.g. Share course materials

• NCERA101 (NCERA_temp101):  Controlled Environment Technology and Use

                Primary reviewer:  K.C. Ting ;          Secondary reviewer:  Garry Grabow

KC Ting summarized the project proposal and his comments and concerns.  The group engaged in further discussion and provided additional commentary.  The proposal was “Accepted with minor revision”.  The project team was asked to address the following issues:

• Strengthen and/or describe in more detail how the objectives of academic programs will be achieved. 
• Update web site with most recent annual report.
• Explore and explain reduction of participant group from 27 to 9. 
• Review and correct discrepancy between 23 state research stations listed with only 9 members.
• Update the structure from multistate to regional project format

• NCERA180 (NCERA_temp180):  Precision Agriculture Technologies for Food, Fiber, and Energy Production

                Primary reviewer:  Scott Shearer;  Secondary reviewer:  Mark Riley

Scott Shearer summarized the project proposal and his comments and concerns.  The group engaged in further discussion and provided additional commentary.  The proposal was “Accepted with minor revision”.  The project team was asked to address the following issues:

• Address concerns about  of update from previous project
• Perform rigorous editorial review for consistency and accuracy of terminology. 
• Clarify the role of university researchers in cloud based storage and analytics. 
• Develop strategy for engagement with trade and standard organizations – ISO, Ag Gateway,
• Include strategy to engage cloud based data services (beyond manufacturers – data collectors). 
• Provide concrete examples of how participants work together for improved impact.
• g. create dataset that can be shared, co-author extension publications on regional level, define protocols for investigations, research.
• Explore and articulate synergies with NIFA projects
• Agronomist connection is good; encourage membership of ‘big data’ scientists.
• Missing some experiment stations, Reconcile dramatic reduction in participants list. 
• Develop an outreach plan.