On Thursday, February 11, eXtension Foundation learned that the New Technologies in Agricultural Extension (NTAE) budget line which provides eXtension’s base funding was dropped from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) budget submitted to the President’s budget request for FY2017.
eXtension is a part of the Cooperative Extension System that provides a national platform that supports Extension professionals with resources and professional development for advancing science-based knowledge, digital technologies and innovation into local communities of all kinds in the United States.
In 2015, eXtension refocused its mission and added new initiatives to enhance development of Extension professionals’ effectiveness in addressing issues, innovation, and impact. Some issues targeted by eXtension and Extension professionals are food, agriculture, health, and energy.
Upon learning of the removal of NTAE’s baseline funding for extension, the leadership of eXtension, eXtension’s Board of Directors, and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP)–the representative leadership and governing body of the Cooperative Extension System nationwide that is part of the Association of Public Land-grant Universities (APLU) Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA)–came together to develop a request to restore NTAE’s budget line for funding eXtension in FY2017 at the FY2016 level of $1.55 million.
Anyone wishing to support this advocacy effort is invited to join this action using the request document linked above. This action has been approved by the BAA Budget and Advocacy Committee and Policy Board of Directors. As you advocate for this competitive line, please adhere to the guidelines of BAA and the language used in the request document.