NORTH CENTRAL REGION
NCRA

Northern Central Regional Association of
State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors

The NCRA is one of five regional associations responsible for facilitating the cooperation of regional and national research. The research is supported in part by the Multistate Research Fund (MRF), which is a federal appropriation authorized by the Hatch Act. Additional support comes from other federal programs as well as state and private sources. The research program focuses on regional priorities that are identified and developed jointly by State Agricultural Experiment Station (SAES) Directors, Departmental Chairs, and participating scientists. Our office serves the 12 Experiment Stations in the North Central region.

Currently, the NCRA manages about 80 multistate projects. About half of these are “research” projects, supported by the MRF, which must meet a number of criteria including both regional and USDA approval. The remaining projects are Coordinating Committees (CCs) and integrated Extension/Education Research Activities (ERAs) which involve research, extension, and/or education.

See How We Are Changing the Future

Discover the Impact of North Central Innovation

LEADERSHIP

Dr. Jeanette Thurston, Executive Director

Christina Hamilton, Assistant Director

LEARN MORE

https://www.ncra-saes.org

STATES/TERRITORIES

IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI

PRIORITIES

Enhance NC Multistate Research
- Ensure the NC multistate portfolio aligns with regional priorities (climate, water, soil health, precision ag, antimicrobial resistance, UAS, CWD, etc.).
- Conduct regular Administrative Advisor and NIMSS training.
- Encourage strong interstate and regional collaborations, such as leveraging external funding, shared facilities, students, etc.
- Regularly communicate project expectations with NC reviewers.
- Celebrate excellence through regional multistate project awards.
- Highlight priority and hot topic multistate efforts regularly through social media and NCRA website.
Catalyze Growth and Quality in Partnerships
- Enhance relationships with USDA-NIFA staff through the LGU2U initiative.
- Ongoing USDA-ARS/LGU discussions around shared facilities, staff, and policies.
- Partner with NC Cooperative Extension Association (NCCEA) through regional programs such as annual new Administrative Boot Camps: http://www.nccea.org/nc-admin-boot-camps/, LGU2U, multistate projects, etc.
- Continue to build synergistic relationships with minority-serving institutions (1890s, Tribal Colleges/1994s, Hispanic Serving Institutions, NIFA Tribal Grant Panels, etc.)
- Engage in cross-regional initiatives and projects with other regional associations
- Engage with and build relationships with key groups such as APLU, Lewis Burke Associates Advocacy, AHS, CARET, regional centers, and beyond.
Enhance the NCRA
- Engage in professional development and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training; offer additional group opportunities at regional meetings
- Share state updates and best practices during monthly NCRA calls and in-person meetings.
- Encourage DEI activities as a priority for all NCRA directors and stations
- Celebrate leadership excellence through regional award