Looks like the Parma extension has been rescued. -Naomi
From: Alison Weigley
[mailto:alisonf@uidaho.edu]
Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009
8:47 AM
To: Alison Weigley
Subject: U-IDAHO News: Investing
in Idaho's Future: University
of Idaho and J.R. Simplot Announce
Collaborative Concept for Parma Research and Extension Center
Dec. 7, 2009
Media Contacts: Tania Thompson, University Communications,
(208) 885-6567, taniat@uidaho.edu; Bill Loftus,
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, (208) 885-7694, bloftus@uidaho.edu; David Cuoio, Corporate
Communications, J.R. Simplot Co., (208) 389-7243, david.cuoio@simplot.com
Investing in Idaho's Future: University of
Idaho and J.R. Simplot Announce Collaborative Concept for Parma Research and
Extension Center
MOSCOW,
Idaho – Under a pre-agreement document
submitted for consideration by the University of Idaho Board of Regents, the
university and J.R. Simplot Company propose a $1.5 million multi-year agreement
for the university's Parma Research and Extension Center
that would give the center a new lease on life.
"The University of Idaho and J.R. Simplot Company have had a long and
proud history of providing leadership to the state and its agricultural
industry," said University
of Idaho President Duane Nellis."This
innovative agreement aligns the research and knowledge expertise of Idaho's land-grant university with the business acumen of
one of the state's most respected industry leaders and marks a new era in
public-private collaboration in Idaho
agricultural research. This is an Idaho-grown partnership that will pay
long-term dividends to the state's economy."
Bill Whitacre, Simplot's president and chief executive officer, reiterated the
importance of the agreement to Idaho's
future.
"The J. R. Simplot Company is excited about the potential for a new level
of collaborative research that will benefit both Idaho and our Company," said Whitacre.
"The opportunity to work with the University of Idaho
will further enable us to enhance both the practical and technical sides of
production agriculture in the food system."
In broad terms, the agreement submitted to the board of regents outlines a
commitment from Simplot to contribute $300,000 each year for five years to the
Parma Research and Extension
Center that would give
Simplot researchers use of facilities and acreage for crop research and
development. The funds would be used to pay the university's labor, materials
and other operating costs directly applicable to management and operation of
the land and facilities provided by the university under this agreement. and to
contribute to costs associated with the university's overall maintenance of the
Parma center.
The agreement states that Simplot's stand-alone research and the resulting
intellectual property would be retained by the company.
“This agreement shows that the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
conducts research that is important to the state, to Idaho agriculture and to a
company that symbolizes the entrepreneurial spirit, agriculture and Idaho for
many of us,” said John Hammel, dean of the College of Agricultural and
Life Sciences.
Terms of the Simplot agreement will be presented to the University of Idaho
Board of Regents/Idaho State Board of Education for consideration and approval.
The board's next meeting is scheduled Dec. 9-10 in Twin Falls. At that time, the university will
also present its final recommendations for the research and extension centers.
Cooperative conversations concerning the Sandpoint and Tetonia Research and
Extension centers have enabled the university to acquire sufficient pledges of
funds from industry parties to allow the institution to maintain operations at
these two facilities to be maintained through June 30, 2010. The university
plans to continue seeking more sustainable permanent funding from industry
partners for those facilities.
Under board of regent policy, the university began concurrent administrative
processes to have the mechanisms in place in the event that it needed to
restructure some or a number of its research and extension center operations.
The college administers research and extension centers statewide, including
cooperative efforts with counties to base University of Idaho
Extension research faculty in county offices.
Action by the Idaho Legislature and the governor's holdback directive, in the
face of declining state revenues, reduced the state appropriation to the
Agricultural Research and Extension Service budget this year by 17 percent, or
$4.7 million.
# # #
About the J.R. Simplot Company
The J.R. Simplot Company, a privately held agribusiness firm
headquartered in Boise, Idaho, responsibly brings earth’s
resources to life with an integrated portfolio that includes phosphate mining,
fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, food
processing, food brands and other enterprises related to agriculture.
Simplot’s major operations are in the U.S.,
Canada, Mexico, Australia,
New Zealand and China, with
products marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide. For more information: http://www.simplot.com .
About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University
of Idaho is the
state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate
education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the
state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100
million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho
is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie
Foundation classification for high research activity. The university’s
student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically
diverse scholars. Offering more than 130 degree options in 10 colleges, the
university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of
small learning communities. For information, visit http://www.uidaho.edu .
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