Published in Probe Volume 2(1): Spring 1992
Donna Schenck-Hamlin, Coordinator
Food and Feed Grains Institute
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
Research funding decisions by private and public sponsors demand increasing information support in the 1990's. To justify the awarding of grants during a period of constrained resources, donors require ample evidence that the proposed work is not redundant, but a logical extension of previous development.
As co-funding between private and public sponsors increases, there is a growing need to capture a profile of research activity in both sectors. This is occurring particularly among commodity associations, that co-sponsor work with government agencies as well as with industry.
These groups' funding decisions are driven by the need for improved market opportunities. Their selection criteria may be more sensitive to changing economic priorities than the strategies of other types of sponsors.
Database Established
A database to support research funding decisions in this environment has been established for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) at Kansas State University (KSU). Known as the Corn Utilization Research Database (CURD), the database combines information from public- and private-sponsored research activities in the United States and overseas.
All retrospective research activities funded by NCGA and its associated State checkoff offices are profiled in CURD. Currently, pending research proposals are included as well, so that decision-makers may compare proposals from other States and consider establishing regional funding schemes.
Surveys of patentees and published authors generate additional profiles of expertise in the database that are useful to sponsors who are forming new research teams. A principal source of expertise are participants of NCGA's corn utilization conferences and of other symposia devoted to starch-, protein-, and oil-based field crop products.
The database categorizes research activity with regard to targeted users, the constituents of the plant from which new products are derived, product types, processes, and associated quality issues. Research results are cited from a parallel database, the Postharvest Documentation Service (PHDS), also located at KSU in the Food and Feed Grains Institute.
Challenges
Encompassing the diversity of research on food, feed, and industrial uses for corn is a primary challenge for the database researchers. Another is the inclusion of ongoing private research activity that is rarely disclosed before a product or patent appears. Informal knowledge of such work in commodity associations can be tapped, but citing details other than the expertise of the active workers is problematic.
A database designed for decisionmaking with regard to research requires that connections between recorded activities be made apparent. A current challenge for CURD is the modeling of research progress, as well as the associations among experts, co-sponsors, and problem areas.
Availability
CURD is available online to anyone using a microcomputer and modem. After allowing users one free search, KSU charges a fee per online session. Individuals seeking access may contact the CURD office at the following address:
Corn Utilization Research Database
Food and Feed Grains Institute
Farrell Library, Room 419
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-1200
Ph (913) 532-7452; FAX (913) 532-5861
INTERNET: CURD@KSUVM.KSU.EDU