2023 N.C. PSI Strategic Plan

2025 Strategic Plan

Introduction

This opening statement from the 2014 economic feasibility study for what would become the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative (N.C. PSI)—jointly prepared by a partnership of North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS)—stands as true today as it did in 2014. In response, numerous stakeholders banded together to elevate these words from text in a report to action and impact with results that are already evident in the early successes of N.C. PSI, as outlined below:

• The construction of the NC State University Plant Sciences Building that serves as the initiative’s headquarters and a hub for innovation and collaboration on NC State’s Centennial Campus;

• The assembly of some of the world’s leading researchers in their respective disciplines comprising N.C. PSI’s leadership team while assembling interdisciplinary teams to push the envelope in plant sciences and advance the missions of their respective research platforms (i.e., interdisciplinary thematic focus areas);

• Unprecedented levels of support from the state’s growers and agricultural advocacy groups underscored by a commitment to collaboration around shared challenges;

• Public-private partnerships that will leverage the world’s leading researchers from academia, the public sector and private industry alike in a cohesive, mission-aligned environment unlike any ever seen before in higher education;

• More than $100 million in funding received for N.C. PSI projects that will address challenges facing row crops, specialty crops and the environment; and

• Numerous spaces, equipment and people who are mobilizing and connecting well beyond the walls of the NC State University Plant Sciences Building to deliver these solutions.

North Carolina has a significant opportunity to be the global hub for advanced plant sciences research and for the application of that research to expand agricultural productivity.

North Carolina’s most pressing agricultural challenges—and those of the world—await. North Carolina’s population is growing and becoming increasingly diverse, with changing geographies and conditions presenting new challenges that demand innovative solutions and clear pathways for these solutions to reach the state’s growers, along with the millions of residents they serve. N.C. PSI is uniquely positioned to bring together the collective capacity of NC State and our partners to address these highly complex challenges. We drive discovery, from increasing yields and creating new varieties to extending growing seasons, enhancing agricultural and environmental sustainability, and producing new and improved technology. The solutions we develop at N.C. PSI will not only have an extraordinary impact on our state, but will transform agriculture, economies and communities throughout the world.

The plant sciences require the collaborative effort of great minds across all disciplines, approaching applied research through bold curiosity, academic barrier-breaking, multi-sector partnerships and technological innovation. Through our interdisciplinary approach to research, discovery and hypothesis-driven science that generates these solutions, we are not only accelerating the pace of science but translating its outputs into real outcomes that impact the growth and sustainability of our state. And through our many partners, combined with North Carolina’s standing as one of the world’s leading agricultural economies, we are positioned to scale these local impacts into global solutions that benefit billions, ultimately generating additional value for our state’s economy.

N.C. PSI remains poised to deliver groundbreaking research, scientific excellence and impactful solutions in close collaboration with partners who have made N.C. PSI a reality. We recognize that engagement and intentional two-way communication form the foundation of these collaborations. It is essential that we understand challenges our partners face and mobilize teams to respond while communicating our progress and translating the results of complex science into tangible solutions with clear impacts. We must also balance the need for shorter-term solutions that meaningfully impact partners’ bottom lines today with working toward longer-term discovery that will sustain agriculture in our state and throughout the world 50 years from now. Our partners at N.C. Cooperative Extension will serve as key collaborators in maintaining this dual focus, forming a conduit for ideation, knowledge transfer and connecting real-time discovery with the on-farm needs of the same stakeholders and communities our dedicated Extension personnel already serve throughout the state.

As N.C. PSI has evolved, so have our stakeholders’ needs and expectations for it. Just as N.C. PSI has grown from its roots in CALS to encompass a broad and diverse team of researchers across numerous disciplines throughout the university, so must the initiative adapt to changing conditions and new challenges. N.C. PSI is defining and expanding pathways for stakeholder engagement, informing policies and structures that enable even greater interdisciplinary collaboration across all colleges and other institutions, and demonstrating clear value and tangible impacts in a way that rewards stakeholders’ trust, confidence and support.

We also recognize that N.C. PSI cannot and should not be all things to all people. That is where our partnership-driven, collaborative model comes into clear focus. While there may be projects or needs that extend beyond N.C. PSI’s mission, this does not represent a terminal point for ideas or pursuits. Leveraging the collective capacity of NC State and the breadth of our networks, we can identify opportunities for partners to respond to these needs while staying true to our mission and maximizing our impact.

This strategic plan is rooted in each of these statements, recognizing the importance each carries for the future of plant sciences and agriculture—specifically the next several years, as N.C. PSI enters one of its most formative stages. Today’s investments, innovations and discoveries will define N.C. PSI’s success and impact for not only the upcoming years, but decades to come. And just like the fluid environment in which a groundbreaking interdisciplinary research initiative like N.C. PSI operates, we must be flexible and adapt to changing needs, including those we cannot fully see or appreciate today. That is why this plan is structured as a three-year strategic plan, intended to align with and reinforce other university plans like Wolfpack 2030 and the CALS 2030 strategic plan to generate elevated impact for shared constituencies but with a shorter-term horizon that allows for iterative planning and progress.

The 2014 economic feasibility study referenced above goes on to emphasize, “The Plant Sciences Initiative represents a ‘must do’ project for North Carolina, filling the major gap in the current ecosystem in terms of a need for modern, interdisciplinary academic plant sciences infrastructure and a facility to advance collaborative public/private research and associated industry development.”

N.C. PSI is well on its way to fulfilling each element of these foundational statements, but it is nowhere near complete. N.C. PSI will always represent a key priority for North Carolina, with our team and many partners committed to expanding and supporting the paradigm-shifting research N.C. PSI is already generating as it accelerates from a novel initiative to one with a global reputation for scientific excellence, pursuit of discovery and pushing the boundaries in plant sciences in ways that transcend the state and impact the world.

Our Vision

Create a healthier, sustainable and more prosperous future through plant science innovation.

Our Values

Collaboration. We are partnership-focused by design. We recognize the potential of the solutions we build and impacts we generate will only be maximized through intentional, integrated collaboration with our colleagues across the university, our partners and the communities we serve.

Inclusivity. We operate as one diverse and inclusive N.C. PSI community. We build and maintain an environment where all viewpoints, ideas, backgrounds and perspectives are welcome and appreciated, and all can see themselves as part of our community.

Engagement. Our work impacts millions throughout our state and even more across the world. We listen and pay attention to the needs of those we serve. We actively engage with those we impact to then communicate our science and integrate real-world considerations into our discovery.

THE N.C. PSI VALUE PROPOSITION

Our Mission

To solve grand challenges in agriculture and the environment in North Carolina and beyond through interdisciplinary team-based science, partnerships and talent development.

Entrepreneurship. We champion a culture built on entrepreneurship. We translate ideas into solutions that generate real value for the communities and economies we serve and can be adapted or exported well beyond the immediate need they address—amplifying their impact on our state and world.

Innovation. We operate at the cutting edge of science, technology and discovery, bringing new innovations to agriculture and elevating our work to positively impact communities and economies throughout the state and world.

Scale Neutrality. We develop solutions and technologies that benefit and include all types and scales of growers.

Sustainability. If we properly deliver our mission, we are contributing to a more sustainable world. This concept of sustainability is integrated into all we do, recognizing the actions we take today should create a better tomorrow for all.

We assemble interdisciplinary teams featuring the world’s preeminent plant science researchers that leverage the collective capacity of NC State and beyond. With our support, these teams conduct leading research that accelerates discovery and innovation, leverages leading technology, translates to real-world conditions of North Carolina agriculture and generates tangible impacts on North Carolina farms that can be scaled to solve complex global challenges. At the same time, we are focused on building the plant sciences workforce of tomorrow through applied research, teaching, learning and training of technical discipline skills and unique interactions, while taking great care to integrate the N.C. PSI community with the communities and economies we are designed to support.

Strategic Plan Framework

This strategic plan is organized into a series of themes defining N.C. PSI’s broad focus areas for the next three years, supported by strategic priorities that outline what we seek to influence within each theme, goals that define success in measurable ways and key initiatives that will help us achieve each goal.

Each priority area is noted for its alignment with NC State’s Wolfpack 2030 strategic plan and how this plan will help to reinforce and advance the university’s broader impact and success.

We will measure and report on the impact of each of these priorities while tracking our overall progress against the robust outcome metrics associated with the Golden LEAF Foundation’s generous grant to the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc. that—along with other support provided to the university from North Carolina’s commodity groups, partners and the residents of North Carolina—is serving a crucial role in supporting N.C. PSI’s start-up infrastructure and operations.

N.C. PSI’s success and impact will also largely depend upon the success of its five platforms, which are each designed to break down traditional silos and encourage more intentional interdisciplinary collaboration, thinking, education, knowledge transfer, engagement and work within their respective areas of focus. The goals and strategies each platform will work toward in the coming years are further outlined below as key components of the broader N.C. PSI strategic plan framework, which is organized into three distinct focus areas: scientific impact, engagement and communication, and operations and governance

The sequence and construct of these focus areas within this plan are intentional. N.C. PSI’s core revolves around scientific impact, with researchers working daily to solve some of the world’s grandest challenges. In many ways, this concept is innate to N.C. PSI, where researchers are actively generating scientific excellence, broadly guided by the work of the N.C. PSI platforms as core research priorities. This plan is based on this same understanding, with focus areas and priorities that are crucial for enabling the science, connecting discovery with impact and sustaining this impact over time.

FOCUS AREA 1:

Scientific Impact

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1.1: Integrate Technology and Data Management Capabilities Into All Aspects of N.C. PSI

N.C. PSI is an interdisciplinary initiative that extends well beyond the walls of its headquarters at the Plant Sciences Building—from conducting interdisciplinary research and engaging key stakeholders to collaborating with research stations throughout the state. N.C. PSI implements accessible programs and opportunities to the entirety of our NC State community and N.C. PSI affiliates.

Foundational to this sentiment are our technology and data management capabilities that are already being incorporated in throughout N.C. PSI projects. We will continue to build out this infrastructure in a way that further positions it as one of the most valuable components of N.C. PSI to advance plant science discovery and innovation. It will elevate how we collect, store and analyze the significant amounts of data that are crucial to our research while integrating these capabilities with all aspects of NC State’s research enterprise. NC State’s many research stations, greenhouses and Extension offices in all counties generate valuable data that can and should be integrated more holistically into research and the development of solutions that similarly serve each of our state’s diverse communities. We also recognize there are varying levels of connectivity, data management and digital literacy across our state’s communities with corresponding needs that N.C. PSI and Extension can coordinate to address through a mix of solutions that empower the growers of today in preparing for the future of their industry.

GOAL 1.1.1: BUILD OUT DATA INFRASTRUCTURE AND INTEGRATION THROUGHOUT THE NC

STATE PLANT SCIENCES ECOSYSTEM

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Define, explore and integrate next-generation N.C. PSI data storage capabilities, as well as necessary resources for maintaining the technology, people, processes and procedures that can support associated project and partnership needs

Key Initiative 2: Develop structures and processes for centralizing N.C. PSI data collection and sharing

Key Initiative 3: Work with NC State Extension to build integrated data collection, storage and sharing systems that link NC State research stations with N.C. PSI data systems, allowing for seamless data transfer and analysis across the state’s plant science ecosystem

GOAL 1.1.2: EXPAND DATA-DRIVEN RESEARCH AND DIGITAL LITERACY INVOLVING

PLANT SCIENCE

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Formalize collaboration with NC State’s Data Science Academy and other existing university academies or structures to magnify and broaden data-focused connections between NC State and agricultural producers

Key Initiative 2: Integrate data from NC State research stations to build a centralized data system for research and discovery

Key Initiative 3: Develop and launch a program with NC State Extension to train Extension agents to use, analyze and teach producers how to leverage agricultural data in decision-making

Key Initiative 4: Develop a solution for utilizing data repositories for academic programming and pedagogy

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 2: Ensure preeminence in research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration.

• Goal 3: Expand and advance our engagement with and service to North Carolina and beyond, defining the standard for a 21st-century land-grant university.

• Goal 5: Improve university effectiveness through transformative technologies, cutting-edge processes and actionable data.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1.2: Transform the Future of Agriculture Through LargeScale Interdisciplinary Pursuits

N.C. PSI’s foundation is uniquely structured and positioned to help promote significant interdisciplinary collaborations and the resulting collusions of innovation and discovery that occur—all in pursuit of excellence in plant sciences and agriculture.

The benefit of N.C. PSI is the way in which we intentionally bring disciplines and partners together to maximize how hypothesis-driven science can advance progress and drive transformational impact. From our physical and digital infrastructure to Extension’s statewide presence and the global reach of our partners, we are creating an environment that is not only conducive for effective, large-scale research pursuits, but catalyzes them. The same is true within NC State, where N.C. PSI is already serving as a beacon that draws in researchers across various colleges and maximizes their collective focus and energy.

Granting agencies are also increasingly recognizing and funding these types of collaborations that deliver solutions beyond what is possible by focusing on a single discipline. While funding is not what drives academic research and discovery, the availability of and intent behind such resources are a key part of what unlocks its fullest potential. In this sense, N.C. PSI’s mission and structure is ideally aligned with those interests where we are creating the space and opportunity for highly effective, large-scale grant applications. We must aggressively pursue such opportunities by connecting the brightest minds in academia, government and industry around shared passions for addressing agriculture’s most pressing issues – from researchers across NC State and other universities to economic and industry partners. In securing such large-scale grants and solving the grant challenges they help to support, we are not only transforming the world around us but securing the resources that help catalyze ongoing discovery and future innovation through N.C. PSI.

GOAL 1.2.1: FULLY INTEGRATE N.C. PSI INTO GRANTING AGENCY ECOSYSTEMS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Identify relevant organizations and secure advisory committee participation or other roles for N.C. PSI leadership to serve in, thereby informing priority-setting and decision-making

Key Initiative 2: Identify core areas of interest of federal agencies and private foundations for funding considerations and ensure service offerings are structured accordingly

Key Initiative 3: Work with NC State leadership to develop standard and proactive approaches to engaging federal agencies, North Carolina’s congressional delegation and relevant state agencies or elected officials in N.C. PSI research efforts and identifying funding opportunities that align with N.C. PSI research priorities

GOAL 1.2.2: SECURE LARGE-SCALE INTERDISCIPLINARY GRANTS THAT HAVE A TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Facilitate the development of interdisciplinary research teams comprising NC State researchers and external partners aligned with agricultural needs and funding opportunities

Key Initiative 2: Provide competitive seed funding to encourage early-stage collaboration on integrated research and outreach projects

Key Initiative 3: Support the continuation of N.C. PSI research projects by connecting planned or ongoing research with future funding opportunities

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 2: Ensure preeminence in research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration.

• Goal 3: Expand and advance our engagement with and service to North Carolina and beyond, defining the standard for a 21st-century land-grant university.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State.

Position N.C. PSI as a Regional Hub for Plant Sciences Economic Impact

There are numerous financial opportunities associated with aggressively working to catalyze N.C. PSI research into commercialized products and ideas that spark partnerships, licensing and company creation, thereby delivering a multiplier effect on our state’s economy well beyond the research itself. In 2021 alone, more than $10 billion in private equity investment and over 750 individual investments were made in ag-tech sectors. Many involved areas of high activity for N.C. PSI, including plant sciences, sensor development, precision agriculture, indoor agriculture and crop protection.

Beyond the clear financial benefits, N.C. PSI has a clear opportunity to position our region as a hub for plant sciences commercialization activities, leveraging the collective intellectual capacity that already exists at NC State and nearby universities with private industry in areas like Research Triangle Park. N.C. PSI can serve as a convener of these many assets, directing this significant capacity in the form of interdisciplinary research projects focused on solving the grandest, most complex challenges in the plant sciences and agriculture. We must be intentional about identifying and cultivating these assets in an environment where there are clear benefits for becoming part of this entrepreneurship ecosystem.

GOAL 1.3.1: EXPAND TECH TRANSFER AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF N.C. PSI RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Partner with the Office of Research Commercialization to design tech transfer training, technical assistance, mentorship and incubation programs for N.C. PSI-affiliated researchers

Key Initiative 2: Develop and resource a patent fund for N.C. PSI-affiliated projects

Key Initiative 3: Work with university leadership to recognize and incentivize commercialization successes generated by interdisciplinary research activities

GOAL 1.3.2: SPUR GREATER ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACROSS THE N.C. PSI ECOSYSTEM

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish an entrepreneur in residence (EIR) program for N.C. PSI research outputs or ideas with high-growth capabilities or potential

Key Initiative 2: Develop financial and programming structures to support the N.C. PSI entrepreneurship ecosystem, including supplemental funding for internal faculty startups, resources for student challenges and events that support innovation and a speaker series to connect company founders and sector leaders’ knowledge with the N.C. PSI community

Key Initiative 3: Establish an entrepreneurship suite in the Plant Sciences Building featuring meeting and lab space dedicated to early-stage companies and serving as an incubator space for faculty developing concepts for commercialization

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 2: Ensure preeminence in research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1.4: Develop the Next Generation of Problem Solvers in Agriculture

N.C. PSI provides a unique training ground for a new breed of problem solvers. Our focus is on mobilizing, training and deploying the next-generation workforce that will not only solve the challenges of the future but serve communities and economies that look vastly different from those of today.

For K-12 students, this means building awareness of future workforce opportunities, generating excitement for the challenges that await these young minds, and establishing pathways to a career in plant science innovation. For NC State students, this means enhancing their access to prospective employers and gaining practical experience beyond higher education in the form of mentorship, internships and early-stage concept incubation. Whether here in North Carolina or around the world, the extensive footprint of our region’s leading employers should be leveraged. For faculty, this means helping them understand and navigate the pathways to generating a commercially viable concept, providing mentorship by an entrepreneur in residence, developing and protecting intellectual property, incubating and accelerating these concepts, securing necessary financial investments and ultimately establishing new revenue streams or building new entrepreneurs and companies in the process. For industry partners, this provides low barriers to entry in collaborating with some of the world’s leading researchers who can not only solve complex problems but do so in a way that helps to enhance the commercial viability of such solutions, identifying and building their future workforce through the diverse students engaged in our work and accessing environments for testing and de-risking new technologies before they are broadly applied or distributed.

GOAL 1.4.1: BUILD PATHWAYS FOR ALL LEARNERS TO ENGAGE WITH THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: In coordination with industry partners and existing university programs and centers, facilitate K-12 engagement with N.C. PSI through curriculum development, educational modules, in-service trainings and access to N.C. PSI resources like the demo lab

Key Initiative 2: Identify and form partnerships with other North Carolina higher education institutions, including minority-serving institutions and community colleges, to provide greater connectivity among students to N.C. PSI areas of focus, drive research collaborations and enhance overall career readiness among students

Key Initiative 3: Establish a process for understanding real-time industry workforce needs, coordinating the development and growth of programs that address these needs (e.g., certificate programs in precision or sustainable agriculture with an emphasis on those that involve applied experience)

GOAL 1.4.2: TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLANT SCIENCES RESEARCHERS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish partnership with academies and training programs to provide graduate student rotational placements within N.C. PSI-affiliated projects

Key Initiative 2: Develop and fund a one-year graduate student fellowship for N.C. PSI-affiliated researchers

Key Initiative 3: Establish N.C. PSI internship program, leveraging existing frameworks to place undergraduate and graduate students with N.C. PSI industry partners focused on international work-study opportunities

Key Initiative 4: Launch career services function for N.C. PSI-affiliated students to help connect and provide graduates with valuable research opportunities in N.C. PSI partner institutions, organizations and companies

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 1: Empower students for a lifetime of success and impact.

• Goal 2: Ensure preeminence in research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State.

FOCUS AREA 2:

Engagement and Communication

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s Presence Across NC State, Throughout North Carolina and Around The World

N.C. PSI operates as a university-wide center for driving interdisciplinary research in plant sciences—a crucial mandate, but one that is intrinsically challenged in the context of a decentralized higher education system related to research interests, disciplines and geography. The challenges of communicating across a large university environment are not unique to NC State. However, it is imperative that we recognize these obstacles and identify them as areas of opportunity, where an initiative like N.C. PSI has been intentionally designed to foster interdisciplinary research.

Many university partners and stakeholders view N.C. PSI as a CALS initiative, which can create challenges in generating buyin and participation among other colleges and departments. Meanwhile, some internal stakeholders are unclear or unaware of how best to integrate with N.C. PSI, while some colleges or departments view it as a potential threat to losing faculty and the resources that go along with a faculty member’s research. The university is taking aggressive steps to dispel these perceptions while elevating interdisciplinarity as a cornerstone for how NC State will approach research in the coming years. N.C. PSI is poised to serve as a model for large-scale interdisciplinary initiatives, both in driving policies and implementing structures that best accommodate interdisciplinary activities and attract interest, participation and resources that make these activities possible. The entire NC State community must see N.C. PSI as a value-add resource that can elevate the impact of their work.

We must be intentional and aggressive about transparently engaging all university stakeholders, particularly faculty and students who may have an interest in affiliating with N.C. PSI or being engaged in our work. Our future success is also largely contingent upon building buy-in among department heads in and outside of CALS, whose leadership and influence can drive the participation of faculty in large-scale interdisciplinary activities. There is natural benefit and opportunity for collaborating with other colleges and disciplines such as business, science, humanities and social sciences that have not yet been thoroughly integrated into N.C. PSI.

We also recognize that we have much to build and share with other NC State units in how we collectively achieve success in interdisciplinary activities—from developing policies and financial models that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration to designing communication strategies that build understanding and buy-in among stakeholders. For example, we must define and aggressively communicate the value proposition of N.C. PSI to principal investigators (PIs) across the university, as some are hesitant to engage for various reasons, including losing space in their department and the inadequate weight placed on interdisciplinary work through their department’s retention, promotion and tenure (RPT) criteria. It will be even more imperative to educate, equip and mentor younger faculty and students as a pipeline for the next generation of PIs. We will do so by teaching them how to form partnerships and highlighting the significant support N.C. PSI can provide in advancing their research through administrative support, funding, technology and cutting-edge equipment, facility and lab space, and more. These are not issues or challenges unique to N.C. PSI, but they are ones we are well positioned to address. As we expand our reach, we can create the systems that allow for broad, sustained engagement across the NC State ecosystem for both N.C. PSI and other interdisciplinary initiatives.

In coalescing NC State’s tremendous talent and expertise in plant sciences within our N.C. PSI ecosystem, we will further position N.C. PSI as a hub for discovery and hypothesis-driven science that attracts other scientists from around the world eager to engage in the challenges we are working to solve. Our focus on scientific excellence and impact will serve as both a driving force for future collaborations and a global beacon for plant science research, attracting interest and investment among all those who seek to be at the forefront of innovation and discovery in plant sciences.

GOAL 2.1.1: EXPAND N.C. PSI COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS, STRUCTURES AND RESOURCES

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Conduct a comprehensive communications audit of N.C. PSI stakeholders and stakeholder needs, and develop an annual communications plan and audience-specific communication and engagement strategies

Key Initiative 2: Implement a sustainable organizational model for N.C. PSI communications, including staff and resources dedicated to supporting ongoing communications initiatives

Key Initiative 3: Develop protocols and requirements for N.C. PSI grants rooted in project deliverables for providing project updates, successes and information that can be used in broad N.C. PSI communications

Key Initiative 4: Establish and promote a distinct N.C. PSI brand that evolves beyond CALS

GOAL 2.1.2: INCREASE FACULTY RESEARCHERS, TEAMS AND STUDENTS ENGAGED WITH N.C. PSI

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish a regular cadence of general communications with targeted updates and information tailored to non-affiliated faculty, students and groups

Key Initiative 2: Identify and promote lecture series, hackathons and similar interactive events to integrate faculty and students from across the university with N.C. PSI

Key Initiative 3: Design materials and hold informational sessions throughout NC State to promote pathways to engaging with N.C. PSI, how to apply for support or affiliate with N.C. PSI and the value of affiliating with N.C. PSI

GOAL 2.1.3: FULLY COALESCE N.C. PSI FACULTY RESEARCHERS, STAFF, STUDENTS AND TEAMS WITHIN THE N.C. PSI ECOSYSTEM

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish regular cadence of communications, updates and events tailored to N.C. PSI-affiliated teams and staff

Key Initiative 2: Hold monthly and bi-annual events to encourage broad interaction across N.C. PSI-affiliated teams and staff and share key N.C. PSI updates

Key Initiative 3: Hold quarterly platform meetings for N.C. PSI-affiliated teams and staff to share best practices and encourage collaboration and information-sharing related to platform topics

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2.2: Prioritize Engagement With the North Carolina Agriculture Sector

N.C. PSI is the direct result of the significant and sustained support our external stakeholders have provided over the years. These partners placed significant confidence and resources in N.C. PSI when it was merely a concept; we are now at a point today where we can and must demonstrate this support was well placed. We must build on this foundation of engagement underpinning N.C. PSI, ensuring these same groups and individuals be part of and easily understand our work, experience the science and discovery as it unfolds and see clear value that bolsters their bottom lines.

This is both a function of setting clear expectations for how we engage partners in our work, or even specific projects, and fulfilling those commitments in ways that are most valued and appreciated. Fundamentally, this starts with sharing regular updates on the work taking place within N.C. PSI in ways beyond email or social media. We must have an active presence throughout the state, with leadership, researchers and staff visibly engaging with these partners and other stakeholders on projects and activities that matter the most to them. In addition to reinforcing the commitment we have made to all the communities of the state, this engagement will also enable our N.C. PSI team to better understand the needs of individual stakeholders and adopt focus areas they will immediately connect with and understand, rather than making assumptions about those needs or conducting research that may not be applicable to them. NC State Extension is a valuable conduit we will leverage in this outreach and engagement, whereby N.C. PSI can also help to drive Extension’s continued evolution in connecting new technology advancements, data management capabilities and more with the idiosyncrasies of the state’s farming landscape and geography.

In addition to providing regular updates to our partners and stakeholders, N.C. PSI can and must be more proactive and transparent in helping all external stakeholders understand the “pace of science,” what N.C. PSI is working toward and the incremental but key benchmarks research yields along the way that helps to generate impactful successes. Regular updates and real-time success stories can help carry this message to our external stakeholders while maintaining momentum for larger-scale research that can be more time consuming but highly impactful. These success stories can also yield additional value in attracting new researchers or funding interest to N.C. PSI and elevating the likelihood of securing additional grants or support to continue our work as we demonstrate the real value we are already creating.

More general communication with our external stakeholders should also be focused on the real-world implications of what N.C. PSI is doing to address real-world challenges. This will be particularly important in raising awareness of N.C. PSI among the non-agriculture public, connecting terms like sustainability and climate change in ways that clarify their meaning and move beyond political leanings or perspectives.

GOAL 2.2.1: IMPLEMENT STRUCTURES FOR ELEVATING N.C. PSI’S IMPACT ON THE STATE’S AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish an N.C. PSI Growers Advisory Board with thought-leaders that represent major commodities and external stakeholders throughout the state

Key Initiative 2: Design and launch programs in coordination with NC State Extension specifically focused on connecting external stakeholders with N.C. PSI capabilities

Key Initiative 3: Assign designated NC State Extension agents and specialists to serve as liaisons to N.C. PSI platforms

GOAL 2.2.2: ENHANCE AND EXPAND COMMUNICATION PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES TO BETTER INTEGRATE EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS INTO N.C. PSI’S WORK

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Curate and share messaging, stories and updates on a wide and representative variety of external stakeholders throughout the state

Key Initiative 2: Develop an annual report to highlight N.C. PSI activities and how they are impacting external stakeholder priorities or needs

Key Initiative 3: Hold general and commodity-specific roundtable meetings for external stakeholders to learn about key N.C. PSI activities and share updates on real-time needs that may be addressed through N.C. PSI research

Key Initiative 4: Establish a regular schedule for N.C. PSI platform leads and other key staff to travel outside of Raleigh to engage with stakeholders, understand new challenges and provide updates on N.C. PSI activities

Key Initiative 5: Design and hold annual N.C. PSI field days to demonstrate translational work produced by affiliated projects

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 3: Expand and advance our engagement with and service to North Carolina and beyond, defining the standard for a 21st-century land-grant university.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

Expand N.C. PSI Partnerships and Strengthen External Collaborations

In addition to NC State’s engaged and continually growing community, there are numerous stakeholders and prospective partners outside the university that are central to N.C. PSI’s origination, design and ultimate success.

N.C. PSI’s base of industry partners in particular offers a strong foundation for continued growth. While some partnerships are inextricably linked to N.C. PSI’s physical presence, like those industry partners co-located at the Plant Sciences Building, there are many others that transcend physical co-location and bring with them significant opportunity for statewide and global impact in research, commercialization, workforce development and more. For NC State, this can mean providing students with greater access to internship and workforce opportunities with some of the world’s leading institutions and private-sector companies similarly focused on innovation in plant sciences, as well as international programs that carry ancillary benefits for the university. It can mean connecting faculty with commercialization opportunities for monetizing the groundbreaking discovery and viable concepts under development among N.C. PSI research teams. And it can mean driving economic activity ranging from leveraging NC State’s expansive research capabilities toward private sector investments and discovery to providing mentorship, incubation, acceleration and other technology transfer support services that help build companies and deliver a longterm exponential impact on the university and state. Private companies are similarly served by such mission-aligned partnerships, where N.C. PSI offers access to an unprecedented aggregation of talent, ideas and research capabilities through a diverse community of preeminent researchers from across the region and world.

We recognize, though, that such partners operate in a for-profit environment with an obligation to deliver value and returns. In some cases, these missions may align with ours, but in others they may diverge. Above all, we must partner diligently and strategically on efforts that best serve our mission.

Other institutions in the region and beyond represent areas of opportunity for partnership by drawing in diverse stakeholders and partners where our mutual capabilities in plant sciences can elevate one another in holistic, distinct ways that fill knowledge gaps and expand opportunities. We will aggressively pursue collaborations with other institutions, particularly those that can enhance our region’s standing as a hub for innovation in plant sciences. In these instances, partnerships with institutions like N.C. A&T State University represent significant opportunities to build upon our historic collaboration with our fellow land-grant university, which offers synergistic expertise to that of NC State and operates as the largest historically Black university in the U.S. Such partnerships offer great potential for broadening collaborative research in our region, integrating joint expertise into grant proposals, expanding our collective capacity for large-scale research opportunities and exposing faculty and students to new topics and coursework beyond the footprint where they currently work or learn.

GOAL 2.3.1: SCALE AND GROW N.C. PSI’S EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Design and resource an organizational function for managing and growing industry partners

Key Initiative 2: Explore satellite or physical locations adjacent to the Plant Sciences Building to co-locate N.C. PSI and industry partners

Key Initiative 3: Expand formal partnerships with other higher education institutions and project-based research teams

Key Initiative 4: Establish and expand master research agreements (MRAs) with external collaborators

GOAL 2.3.2: DIVERSIFY OUR RESEARCH TALENT PIPELINE

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Identify and formalize research partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the region

Key Initiative 2: Develop an early scholars summer program to recruit and expose underrepresented undergraduates and early-stage graduate students to interdisciplinary plant-based research

GOAL 2.3.3: INCREASE INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AND PROGRAMMING

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Formalize and expand partnerships between N.C. PSI and international universities

Key Initiative 2: Develop a pathway for affiliating visiting scholars with NC State through N.C. PSI

Key Initiative 3: Develop strategic communications that highlight people, programs and partnerships with national and global impacts

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 1: Empower students for a lifetime of success and impact.

• Goal 2: Ensure preeminence in research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration.

• Goal 3: Expand and advance our engagement with and service to North Carolina and beyond, defining the standard for a 21st-century land-grant university.

• Goal 4: Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being in all we do.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State.

FOCUS AREA

3: Operations and Governance

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3.1: Establish N.C. PSI as a Model for Interdisciplinary Structure, Governance, Policy, Staffing and Sustainable Funding

In recent years, much of N.C. PSI’s efforts have focused on areas akin to those of many start-ups: securing funding, building collaborative workspaces, identifying talent and initiating early projects. In this next stage of N.C. PSI’s evolution, we must build out the additional structures, operational processes, staff and support that can reduce barriers to interdisciplinary research and build a more sustainable organization for the future.

The development of these supports is essential to N.C. PSI’s future success, as well as the success of future large-scale collaborative initiatives through NC State. N.C. PSI is one of the first major, and largest, interdisciplinary efforts undertaken at the university, where it already operates as one of the most visible connection points among researchers, growers, industry partners, public-sector agencies, university leadership and many other stakeholders. Beyond its linkages with partners and profile among external stakeholders, N.C. PSI is also viewed as one of the most ambitious efforts to recruit and unite researchers from across NC State around a shared research agenda. We do this through an innovative model that breaks from the traditional department- and college-focused structures entrenched within the university by focusing on activating and engaging with all colleges throughout NC State to raise awareness of agricultural challenges and promote interdisciplinary opportunities to develop corresponding solutions.

Our success will directly inform the success of future interdisciplinary centers and initiatives as a blueprint for how such efforts can maximize their productivity and impact. We can also serve as a catalyst for building upon NC State’s proven track record of research commercialization. Our operating and physical environment is specifically designed to promote entrepreneurship in bringing world-class researchers to solve challenges. In many instances, this will involve the development and commercialization of intellectual property. We must build upon the foundation we offer for commercialization, designing and implementing policies where necessary that can benefit others across our ecosystem and expanding on existing supports to promote tech transfer within N.C. PSI, moving research concepts from the laboratory and accelerating them into a commercial setting.

N.C. PSI has a unique and necessary opportunity to establish models for how interdisciplinary research activities are selected or funded outside of the traditional structures and financial streams; how university, college and departmental policies encourage interdisciplinary research; how diverse perspectives and stakeholders inform research areas of focus and activities; and how decisions are made in an inclusive way that fosters transparency and trust among those who affiliate or are impacted by these research enterprises.

GOAL 3.1.1: CREATE ADVISORY AND COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING STRUCTURES

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish an institutional advisory board, consisting of diverse representation from across the university, to guide and transparently communicate key N.C. PSI funding or strategic decisions to university stakeholders

Key Initiative 2: Build an internal advisory structure with representation from organizations and research teams engaged with N.C. PSI to serve as a venue for elevating operational insights and recommendations to N.C. PSI leadership, thereby enhancing access to and transparency and ownership of the initiative

Key Initiative 3: Establish an N.C. PSI Diversity Council to align areas of focus and activities with best practices for inclusive stakeholder engagement

GOAL 3.1.2: INFLUENCE POLICIES AND STRUCTURES THAT ENHANCE FACULTY PARTICIPATION IN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Serve as a pilot for a new facility and administrative (F&A) cost formula at NC State that encourages greater interdisciplinary collaboration

Key Initiative 2: Establish a joint resource or shared position organizational model for university interdisciplinary centers, including organizational components like cost recovery functions, ideal reporting structures and operational guidance

Key Initiative 3: Work with the NC State Office of Research Commercialization to build a master research agreement (MRA) and intellectual property (IP) management framework for N.C. PSI research activities that can be leveraged toward other university interdisciplinary efforts

Key Initiative 4: Work with university leadership to identify a model or mechanisms for acknowledging, rewarding or incentivizing researchers to participate in interdisciplinary research initiatives

GOAL 3.1.3:

FULLY

ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL FOR N.C. PSI MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Define shared resources for managing and overseeing N.C. PSI operations, programs and activities and scale organizational structure as necessary based on evolving needs

Key Initiative 2: Dedicate resources for key N.C. PSI functions like industry engagement, connecting faculty with research opportunities, and overall communications and engagement

Key Initiative 3: Develop and implement succession plans for key N.C. PSI leadership positions

GOAL 3.1.4: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT KEY PROCESSES TO STREAMLINE AND BUILD TRANSPARENCY IN N.C. PSI PROJECTS AND OPERATIONS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Design a standard application submission and review process for connecting project concepts with N.C. PSI funding or affiliation

Key Initiative 2: Develop faculty and partner onboarding materials, including expectations of PIs and project teams, as well as documentation of processes and services available to N.C. PSI-related projects

Key Initiative 3: Design a process for onboarding and offboarding N.C. PSI researchers, projects and related resources, including communication and coordination with home departments and operating units

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 2: Ensure preeminence in research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration.

• Goal 3: Expand and advance our engagement with and service to North Carolina and beyond, defining the standard for a 21st-century land-grant university.

• Goal 4: Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being in all we do.

• Goal 5: Improve university effectiveness through transformative technologies, cutting-edge processes and actionable data.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3.2: Develop Sustainable Funding Model for N.C. PSI

N.C. PSI is the beneficiary of arguably unprecedented levels of financial and other support among varied stakeholders and constituencies who have committed to N.C. PSI’s mission and the promise it holds for the future of agriculture. This support has helped to catalyze N.C. PSI from merely a concept and vision to an organization with worldrenowned talent, facilities, equipment and capabilities. As we evolve from a start-up organization, we must also aggressively seek financial support and implement a corresponding model that can sustain our impact far beyond these early years of N.C. PSI.

Philanthropy is a natural conduit for drawing in funds that help to catalyze key initiatives or focus areas in higher education. However, it cannot be the sole mechanism for N.C. PSI to rely upon in sustaining operations and scaling its growth, although there are certainly opportunities to more clearly define how institutional giving and formal support can directly inform our mission and future impact.

There are also natural opportunities within the university to generate funds that help to inform that focus as the university expands its focus on large-scale interdisciplinary initiatives like N.C. PSI, including through F&A criteria that can better support interdisciplinary research and implementing shared-resource models for staffing positions among multiple colleges, units or centers.

Beyond philanthropic or university-directed funding, N.C. PSI’s ongoing sustainability will be contingent upon our ability to align with, aggressively pursue and secure funds related to granting agencies’ funding priorities. We must also integrate our leadership, PIs and stakeholders in the work of these agencies to understand and inform their own priorities, shape funding opportunities and position N.C. PSI as an ideal candidate for future project awards or funding decisions. Similarly, we must provide appropriate levels of staff and technical assistance to faculty in helping to identify and successfully pursue these funding opportunities.

Further, private industry partners offer near-term financial opportunities for sponsored research activities that N.C. PSI’s operating model and organizational design is uniquely structured to support. However, these activities must be carefully considered for mission alignment and to preserve NC State’s longstanding reputation as an objective, science-backed leader for discovery and innovation—one that cannot and will not be compromised neither in perception nor reality. Through these industry engagements, and those that may not involve industry, we see tremendous potential and opportunity for innovation and discovery that can catalyze new commercialization opportunities, build pathways for entrepreneurship and cultivate the launch of new companies that not only deliver value to NC State and our partners but support sustainable economic activity and impact for our state. N.C. PSI is well positioned to support these commercialization and spinoff opportunities, with integrated partners and surrounding geographies designed to maximize the economic potential of discovery and innovation well beyond direct research activities.

GOAL 3.2.1: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE FUNDING MODEL FOR N.C. PSI

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Identify future budget needs for N.C. PSI operations, thereby informing sustainable fund development and revenue generation targets

Key Initiative 2: Develop a process for identifying and monitoring N.C. PSI capacity across project support services, including technology, data storage, physical space, programming, pre-award and ongoing project management

Key Initiative 3: In coordination with university leadership, implement and monitor F&A criteria for N.C. PSI and other university interdisciplinary activities

Key Initiative 4: Identify target units within N.C. PSI that provide an opportunity to achieve cost recovery, establish a pilot cost recovery model for shared positions and define cost recovery targets, eventually expanding the cost recovery model to all relevant N.C. PSI units

Key Initiative 5: Establish seed funding programs in coordination with relevant N.C. PSI platforms that help to incubate new ideas or bridge key gaps where funding isn’t available or easily accessible

GOAL 3.2.2: ESTABLISH PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO SCALE THE FUTURE IMPACT OF N.C. PSI PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: In coordination with CALS Advancement, utilize N.C. PSI strategic priorities, goals and key initiatives as basis for driving future development strategies and philanthropic pursuits related to professorial endowments, graduate student and research funding, specific programmatic investments and more

Key Initiative 2: Provide regular N.C. PSI project updates to NC State Advancement team to elevate work and impact across communications, giving campaigns and donor cultivation efforts

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 5: Improve university effectiveness through transformative technologies, cutting-edge processes and actionable data.

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving.

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State.

N.C. PSI Platform Goals

In the early planning stages of N.C. PSI, leaders and stakeholders recognized a series of carefully structured platforms would be necessary within the N.C. PSI organization and ecosystem to break down academic and research barriers and support and sustain interdisciplinary research teams with distinct areas of focus.

These thematic areas were conceptualized and selected based on the significant promise each represents in rapidly deploying cross-disciplinary teams to address emerging issues for North Carolina agricultural producers. As the initiative has evolved since 2014, N.C. PSI leadership has adapted these principal platforms to the three research platforms and two enabling platforms that exist today, led and coordinated by some of NC State’s most talented researchers in their respective areas. Those platforms include: Plant Improvement, Resilient Agricultural Systems, Data-Driven Plant Sciences, Education and Workforce Development, and Extension Outreach and Engagement.

While developed as individual platforms to set visions for impact and success, organize research areas of focus and build community around specific research topics, N.C. PSI’s future success will be highly contingent upon these platforms integrating seamlessly with one another; with elements of multiple platforms are often present in research projects, programs or service activities. The following goals and key initiatives recognize this interconnectivity across the N.C. PSI platforms while highlighting the distinctive nature of each platform’s composition, with both elements serving as important ways in which these platforms will help catalyze N.C. PSI’s broad success and impact years into the future. As such, platform-specific goals are listed with the corresponding alignment each has with the broader N.C. PSI strategic priorities contained within this strategic plan.

Data-Driven Plant Sciences

Plant Improvement

Education and Workforce Development

Extension Outreach and Engagement

Resilient Agricultural Systems

PLANT IMPROVEMENT PLATFORM

Drive innovative science and technology that expands discovery opportunities across all plant science fields to deliver applied solutions.

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Crop stress protection

• Agrisymbiotics

• New plant varieties

• Genomics and genome editing

For over 130 years, NC State has focused on understanding agriculture from the groundup, from seed to harvest. This includes extensive studies and publications on underlying genetics and plant breeding, the soil and root system, water and nutrient delivery, crop protection methods and plant physiology. The Plant Improvement platform focuses on how plants interact with their environment, including soil, climate and biotic and abiotic plant stresses by investigating plant components and what it takes to grow them. With greater understanding of how to manipulate a plant’s surroundings and genetic make-up, the more we can develop solutions that improve plant yield and advance plant science.

GOAL 1: UTILIZE SEED FUNDING PROGRAM TO DRIVE FACULTY AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH N.C. PSI

KEY INITIATIVES

• Provide seed funding for new N.C. PSI projects or concepts to catalyze the development of research teams within the NC State ecosystem (e.g., partnering with NC State interdisciplinary academies and related research teams); stimulate new ideas, team formation, and data and technology development to be competitive for large-scale funding programs; and designate funds specifically to engage graduate and postdoctoral students in related research activities

• Identify and pursue seed funding to support exploration of causal genes or develop new technologies and integrate basic and applied scientists to drive product development

• Provide and market Plant Sciences Building technology, infrastructure and other resources for affiliated N.C. PSI projects

• Provide seed funding for technical staff and other resources at research stations and for on-farm, field-based programs

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 1.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 1.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic impact

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 3.1: Establish N.C. PSI as a model for interdisciplinary structure, governance, policy, staffing and sustainable funding

Strategic Priority 3.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

GOAL 2: ESTABLISH ENVIRONMENT THAT DRIVES COLLISIONS BETWEEN PLANT BREEDERS AND FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCHERS

KEY INITIATIVES

• Hold problem-based meetings focused around clearly-defined challenges, facilitating a shared understanding of gaps or issues, identifying prospective solutions and pursuing relevant grant opportunities

• Establish working groups for key areas of focus or challenges along with a roster of faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral students interested in or affiliated with the platform

• Leverage data analytics software and existing university tools to identify prospective research teams and align research agendas

• Establish conduit for plant breeders to deploy new varieties that are built on pushing the boundaries of plant science and have real-world applications

• Position the Plant Sciences Building demo lab as an active place for researchers to respond to real-world needs like phenotype and molecular biology demonstrations

• Hold regular research lightning talks or workshops to serve as an idea exchange and continually align the work of plant breeders and researchers

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

N.C. PSI PLATFORM GOALS: PLANT IMPROVEMENT

GOAL 3: LEVERAGE N.C. PSI AND PLATFORM INFRASTRUCTURE TO BUILD COLLABORATIONS AND DRIVE ENGAGEMENT AMONG FACULTY, STUDENTS AND INDUSTRY

KEY INITIATIVES

• Hold industry forums to understand private industry needs and challenges, identify overlapping areas of focus, align students with internship opportunities to support these needs, and discuss ways N.C. PSI can support related research and development priorities (e.g., small molecules)

• Provide affiliated researchers with access to seed and microbial storage solutions

• Promote and connect researchers with Plant Sciences Building greenhouses to support programs like speed breeding

• Establish models for gene testing and provide researchers with model access

• Develop menu of platform offerings and how to access N.C. PSI and/or platform resources (e.g., information on Plant Sciences Building resources, demo lab success stories or case studies, virtual tours or videos and research expertise of affiliated faculty)

• Hold workshops or seminars on next-generation crops designed to understand knowledge and technology gaps and clarify how N.C. PSI and partners can generate value or solutions to address these needs (e.g., Plant Breeding Consortium)

• Develop whitepapers focused on research concept ideas that align with grant funding areas of interest

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 1.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 1.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic impact

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

RESILIENT AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS PLATFORM

Serve as a leader in driving research and discovery that creates a more resilient food system and helps steward the natural environment and communities of North Carolina.

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Plant and food systems

• Food security and health outcomes

• Environmental sustainability

The Resilient Agricultural Systems platform unites two approaches—the social science aspect of food production and availability and the industrial aspect of food sustainability— through research that fosters the production of resilient food. We apply this focus in working with researchers to create crops that adapt to and withstand environmental shifts; explore how to be good environmental stewards; preventing crop loss; study logistics, delivery systems and food economics; answer society’s questions concerning food visibility, safety and sustainability; and think beyond food to collaborate with partners on other plant products.

As outlined in the Wolfpack 2030 strategic plan and reinforced in relevant college strategic plans, sustainability is one of NC State’s core values and top areas of focus for N.C. PSI in the coming years. This particularly relates to the type of research we will undertake and how that research will lead to more sustainable solutions for our state’s communities, economies and industries that can be exported throughout the world. Our success in advancing this research will mirror the success of NC State in becoming a global leader in sustainability, leading to corresponding benefits and impacts for the many audiences we collectively serve.

GOAL 1: ESTABLISH N.C. PSI AS A LEADER IN RESILIENT AGRICULTURE AMONG INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS

KEY INITIATIVES

• In coordination with regional industry partners and start-ups, identify federal funding opportunities for translation projects or components of projects that can also drive technology development and innovation (i.e., SBIR)

• Develop N.C. PSI strategy for maximizing future federal funding for climate change and smart agriculture

• Establish technical assistance program and webinar series to educate faculty on how to position and apply for future funding streams involving areas of focus like climate change and smart agriculture

• Work with industry partners to advise on setting private-sector sustainability targets

• Establish working groups to serve as an advisory resource for government agencies and regulatory discussions on resilient agriculture topics (e.g., crop insurance)

• Based on federal areas of focus or interest, develop proposals for agencies that leverage N.C. PSI capabilities in resilient agriculture that align with these emerging issues or needs

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 1.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic impact

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

Strategic Priority 3.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

N.C. PSI

GOAL 2: SUPPORT NC STATE’S POSITIONING AS A LEADER IN AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH

KEY INITIATIVES

• Identify and form partnerships with external stakeholders seeking to develop more sustainable products that positively contribute to regenerative agriculture

• Establish educational programming that highlights the importance of sustainability and N.C. PSI projects contributing to a sustainable future

• Secure large-scale interdisciplinary grants that help advance sustainable agriculture practices

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 1.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

Strategic Priority 2.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 3.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 3.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic impact

GOAL 3: POSITION THE N.C. PSI MAKERSPACE AS A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR NC STATE

KEY INITIATIVES

• Hold student trainings, lunch-and-learns and other information sharing sessions to showcase the Makerspace as a resource for NC State students

• Design and hold student and/or faculty hackathons for specific research topics or areas of interest that connect to Makerspace resources and capabilities

• Develop stories, videos and case studies on concepts students and/or faculty have built or worked on in the Makerspace to build awareness of these successes and the possibilities of working in the Makerspace

• Establish regular showcase with website updates and flash talks or meetings highlighting recent Makerspace ideas and translational research concepts

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic impact

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 3.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

GOAL 4: ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESILIENT AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

KEY INITIATIVES

• Establish connection or matchmaking framework for connecting students interested in participating in resilient agriculture research with university investigators engaged with N.C. PSI (including work-study programs and taskbased project needs)

• Form and maintain list of graduate students already affiliated with N.C. PSI or who have indicated an interest in affiliating with N.C. PSI

• Design a research rotation to introduce students to varying concepts under development within N.C. PSI

• Work with university graduate student associations to design seminar series for students to engage with their peers at NC State and other institutions and form industry connections

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 1.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic impact

Strategic Priority 1.4: Develop the next generation of problem solvers in agriculture

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

GOAL 5: POSITION PLATFORM AS CONNECTOR OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY

KEY INITIATIVES

• In coordination with the N.C. PSI communications team, highlight and communicate N.C. PSI research involving natural conditions and key platform areas of focus like climate change

• Establish research teams representing diverse communities throughout NC State to pursue federal funding in emerging areas like climate change and resilient agriculture

• Hold N.C. PSI Resilient Agriculture Conference to showcase the work taking place across each N.C. PSI platform with resilient agriculture themes like how technology is driving resilient agricultural systems

• In coordination with the Data Science Academy and other partners, establish or facilitate and curate access to a central data repository for plant breeders and other on-farm research datasets

• Work with CALS and other university partners to pursue and secure precision agriculture funding for NC State research stations in areas ranging from operating and facility needs to technology integration

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 1.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

Strategic Priority 3.1: Establish N.C. PSI as a model for interdisciplinary structure, governance, policy, staffing and sustainable funding

Strategic Priority 3.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

DATA-DRIVEN PLANT SCIENCES PLATFORM

VISION

Serve as the data acquisition, data management and data analytics catalyst for discovery, innovation and translation in plant science research.

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Precision and predictive agriculture

• Big data management and analytics

• Agricultural decision support tools

Data-driven solutions for efficient collection, management and analysis of agricultural data are essential for addressing challenges in agriculture, from fundamental molecular processes and optimized on-farm resource management to economic impact analyses. The Data-Driven Plant Sciences platform is positioned to advance the application and integration of data science, software tools and advanced analytics needed to enable groundbreaking innovation and discovery throughout N.C. PSI. At its core, the platform is focused on expanding capacity for N.C. PSI in three specific areas: sensor development and automated data acquisition; deployable data management, data sharing and computing architectures for integrative analytics; and training, education and outreach opportunities that expand data science literacy for N.C. PSI stakeholders.

GOAL 1: LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE N.C. PSI MAKERSPACE AS A

TESTBED FOR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY

KEY INITIATIVES

• Create Makerspace to develop low-cost prototype sensor systems and automated data acquisition pipelines for real-time monitoring of plant behavior and performance

• Support N.C. PSI affiliated projects in the development and implementation of real-time data acquisition systems to collect data across agricultural scales (from labs to greenhouses to the field)

• Host design events and training opportunities that expand the skillsets of N.C. PSI students and faculty and accelerate their ability to create, calibrate and deploy sensing systems for specific agricultural use-cases

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 1.4: Develop the next generation of problem solvers in agriculture

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

GOAL 2: LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SOLUTIONS AND INTEGRATION OF EXISTING SOLUTIONS FOR STORING, ANALYZING AND MAINTAINING LARGE-SCALE DATASETS AND DATA REPOSITORIES

KEY INITIATIVES

• Establish working groups to identify key data or technology needs in agricultural research and develop solutions or recommendations to address these challenges

• Facilitate the creation and instantiation of open-source databases for organizing, storing, querying and sharing data within and across N.C. PSI projects

• Support faculty in understanding and defining how, when and where to move research data into an open data environment

• Facilitate the creation and sharing of source code, data management schema, and machine learning and deep learning model repositories for N.C. PSI projects

• Develop best-practice workflows and standards for integrating, validating, filtering, cleaning and transferring data, which will be shared across N.C. PSI projects

• Support the development and use of cloud and on-premises computing resources for N.C. PSI-affiliated students and faculty

• Work with industry partners to design sandbox and production data management and data analytics environments

• Work with industry partners to identify paths towards the development and deployment of scalable data management and analytics solutions

• Work with the NC State Office of Information Technology and the Office of Research and Innovation to provide support to N.C. PSI-affiliated projects through the grant life cycle for the ideation, implementation and maintenance of data management and compute infrastructures based on best practices and specific project and use-case needs

• Work with the NC State Office of Information Technology to identify long-term infrastructure solutions for large-scale data storage needs

• Work with NC State’s Office of Information Technology to identify and pursue grants to expand data science hardware and overall capacity

• Work with NC State’s Office of Information Technology and Office of Research and Innovation to identify and pursue grants that expand the technological infrastructure and human capacity needed to develop and deploy big data analytics for agricultural use-cases

• Advocate for and support expanded telecommunications infrastructure at research stations to facilitate transfer of onfarm data with N.C. PSI’s centralized data repository

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 3.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

Strategic Priority 3.1: Establish N.C. PSI as a model for interdisciplinary structure, governance, policy, staffing and sustainable funding

Strategic Priority 3.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

GOAL 3: INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY OF DATA SCIENCE TOOLS AND TRAINING FOR PLANT SCIENTISTS AND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCHERS

KEY INITIATIVES

• Develop repositories through which cleaned and anonymized data from N.C. PSI-affiliated programs can be used in design events, short courses, industry-led workshops, or data science and machine learning courses

• In collaboration with NC State Extension and other N.C. PSI platforms, develop data science training programs for Extension agents

• Collaborate with NC State Extension, university academies, and other N.C. PSI platforms to establish Extension agent beta testing programs that provide an iterative, on-farm feedback loop for the application of new digital products and tools

• Collaborate with industry partners and university academies to hold data science seminar series that bridge gaps between data analytics developers, agricultural researchers and stakeholders and address challenges and opportunities around data science in agriculture

• Collaborate with other N.C. PSI platforms to host a field day focused on data science and connecting advancements in data analytics and technology with Extension agents and other agricultural stakeholders

• Develop series of industry-driven tutorials or short courses to help PIs understand how to leverage industry software in their research and connect graduate students and researchers with new areas in data science

• Leverage other university academies and NC State Extension to engage students in experiential learning and discovery activities (e.g., on-farm review of originating data and training workshop program for graduate students)

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.1: Integrate technology and data management capabilities into all aspects of N.C. PSI

Strategic Priority 1.4: Develop the next generation of problem solvers in agriculture

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM

VISION

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Experiential learning

• Ag science leadership

• Student training and certifications

In the years to come, society will face unprecedented challenges like increasing global temperature, demands for feeding future populations, land availability, and other needs related to agricultural sciences. The Education and Workforce Development platform is designed to train the next generation of diverse students, scientists and problem solvers, many of whom will represent very different demographics relative to the students of today. This platform will serve as a unique, interdisciplinary training ground and conduit for integrating people from these diverse socioeconomic, cultural, educational and research backgrounds into the same environment. It will link existing programs to amplify their impact and establish new programs that engage students at all learning levels and address agricultural workforce needs for decades to come.

GOAL 1: ENHANCE EXISTING UNIVERSITY RELATIONSHIPS AND DRIVE NEW COLLABORATIONS WITH K-12 PARTNERS AND STUDENTS THROUGHOUT NORTH CAROLINA

KEY INITIATIVES

• Establish program for integrating K-12 student summer camps into N.C. PSI, including facility and lab tours and lab demonstrations or other activities

• Work with high school advisors to provide messaging and communications to students, particularly in lower-income areas, that promote agricultural career opportunities

• Work with K-12 administrators and teachers to develop and foster robust teacher training programs focused on longer-term research and learning activities, including paid stipends for teachers participating in research activities

Train a diverse workforce and connect interdisciplinary career pathways that drive future innovation and impact in plant sciences.

• Develop program and best practices for N.C. PSI projects to integrate community and K-12 outreach into their research projects and grant applications

• Develop section or module on the N.C. PSI website for K-12 providers to understand and access opportunities for schools and students to engage with N.C. PSI faculty and resources

• Form platform advisory board to inform future platform programming, areas of focus and ongoing collaboration

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 1.4: Develop the next generation of problem solvers in agriculture

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

GOAL 2: CONNECT UNDERGRADUATES, GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDENTS WITH NEW OR EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE CAREER READINESS AND PROMOTE ACCESS TO WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE

KEY INITIATIVES

• Develop communication strategy and module on the N.C. PSI website highlighting the value proposition for students engaging with N.C. PSI and connecting students interested in N.C. PSI with related resources or networks (e.g., faculty looking for research assistance or industry partners with internship opportunities)

• Facilitate lab experiences and tours for undergraduate classes and student groups

• Establish N.C. PSI student ambassador program, utilizing undergraduate and graduate students to conduct demonstrations and tours of N.C. PSI facilities and resources

• Work with other N.C. PSI platforms and key partners to establish umbrella industry and community internship program, or facilitate internship opportunities through existing programs

• Establish process for connecting students affiliated with N.C. PSI to student leadership, career services and other existing university professional development opportunities or programs

• Integrate N.C. PSI into existing university academic programs or identify process and funding to create a new capstone course

• Hold networking events for students to gain networking experience, connect with industry partners, learn more about N.C. PSI resources and areas of focus, and explore internship or work opportunities

• Develop new programming or align with existing research showcases to help elevate and showcase undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral student research or concepts

• Host DGP and DUP meetings at the Plant Sciences Building to connect undergraduate and graduate student coordinators with the resources available through N.C. PSI

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 1.4: Develop the next generation of problem solvers in agriculture

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

Strategic Priority 3.1: Establish N.C. PSI as a model for interdisciplinary structure, governance, policy, staffing and sustainable funding

EXTENSION OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM

Impact real-world agricultural and environmental challenges across the value chain by connecting N.C. PSI science with applied field issues and leveraging the robust N.C. Cooperative Extension partnership to communicate with stakeholders and maximize the understanding, impact and sustainability of science for agricultural stakeholders.

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Translating research into solutions

• Stakeholder engagement

• Cultivating connectivity

In collaboration with NC State Extension, the Extension Outreach and Engagement platform is focused on connecting the science conducted in N.C. PSI to address on-farm challenges. The platform supports effective, bilateral communication between applied expertise in the field and research-based information generated by N.C. PSI. North Carolina’s vast Extension network, comprising a partnership between NC State and N.C. A&T State universities known as N.C. Cooperative Extension, is crucial to the success of N.C. PSI, both in identifying emerging issues and transferring groundbreaking research, tools and technology back into the hands of North Carolinians.

GOAL 1: SERVE AS THE CONDUIT FOR ENGAGING NORTH CAROLINA GROWERS AND AGRICULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS

IN THE WORK, IMPACT AND SUCCESS OF N.C. PSI

KEY INITIATIVES

• Develop a process for identifying and engaging key external stakeholders in the work of N.C. PSI, including project end-users, as well as identifying the most effective and relevant communication strategies and activities for engaging these stakeholders

• Work with N.C. PSI and Extension communications to develop and regularly maintain a repository, mechanism and/or toolkit featuring recent N.C. PSI updates and impacts, talking points, one-pagers and other collateral that are distributed to Extension agents and the broad university community

• Develop generic and platform-specific fact sheets, videos and other multimedia or communications highlighting the work of N.C. PSI

• Develop virtual and in-person trainings and tools to upskill Extension agents and use applied examples to help them understand and translate N.C. PSI-developed science to the growers and communities they serve

PSI

• Work with Extension to develop virtual updates on N.C. PSI activities for growers and stakeholders who are less likely to participate in in-person events like field days

• Establish a regular presence for N.C. PSI at commodity-specific field days

• Design and hold on-farm trial programs for production practices and technologies developed by N.C. PSI researchers

• Engage grower associations and commodity groups in N.C. PSI projects, highlighting how research is targeting specific needs and requesting letters of support that speak directly to this engagement and the relevance of the research that will be conducted

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.2: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 1.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic impact

Strategic Priority 1.3: Develop the next generation of problem solvers in agriculture

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

Strategic Priority 3.1: Establish N.C. PSI as a model for interdisciplinary structure, governance, policy, staffing and sustainable funding

Strategic Priority 3.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

GOAL 2: ESTABLISH EXTENSION AS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL N.C. PSI PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

KEY INITIATIVES

• Develop a core set of best management practices for incorporating Extension into research teams as they come together and as research proposals are under development, including clarifying the role of Extension in a project, the resources that will be needed, the stakeholders a project addresses and the regular communications that will be necessary throughout the project to demonstrate progress and results

• Leverage existing Extension communications and events to showcase N.C. PSI updates and training exercises for Extension agents

• Hold N.C. PSI Research Showcase to bring stakeholders together and highlight the research taking place within N.C. PSI

• Advocate for resources and funding that help ensure Extension’s continued involvement in projects beyond grant or research project scopes

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.3: Transform the future of agriculture through large-scale interdisciplinary pursuits

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 2.3: Expand N.C. PSI partnerships and strengthen external collaborations

Strategic Priority 3.1: Establish N.C. PSI as a model for interdisciplinary structure, governance, policy, staffing and sustainable funding

GOAL 3: LEVERAGE THE N.C. PSI INFRASTRUCTURE TO DRIVE GREATER FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH EXTENSION

KEY INITIATIVES

• Attend meetings across the university to highlight the impact of Extension across North Carolina and drive interest among faculty in participating in N.C. PSI projects, particularly those in non-agricultural colleges, departments or disciplines

• Develop a program whereby researchers and agents can jointly apply for seed funding for projects that involve growers and hands-on research activities

• Provide funding for short-duration graduate student internships and place students with growers or Extension agents to gain applied, on-farm work experience

• Incorporate graduate student engagement with growers into N.C. PSI projects, working with PIs to define this as an area of focus early in project proposals and design activities

• Work with N.C. PSI IT and communications to establish a platform or matchmaking system that connects researchers with relevant Extension specialists and agents for their proposals and projects

N.C. PSI STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

Strategic Priority 1.3: Position N.C. PSI as a regional hub for plant sciences economic and workforce development

Strategic Priority 1.4: Develop the next generation of problem solvers in agriculture

Strategic Priority 2.1: Elevate N.C. PSI’s presence across NC State, throughout North Carolina and around the world

Strategic Priority 2.2: Prioritize engagement with the North Carolina agriculture sector

Strategic Priority 3.2: Develop sustainable funding model for N.C. PSI

Acknowledgements

Since it was initially conceptualized, the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative has been inherently driven, supported and made possible by its myriad stakeholders. This same sense of bottom-up, stakeholder-driven planning was integral to the development of this strategic plan and will be crucial in N.C. PSI’s continued evolution. N.C. PSI is grateful to the many individuals who dedicated their time to provide thoughtful feedback in supporting this planning process.

Bill Aimutis, NC Food Innovation Lab

Provost Warwick Arden, NC State

Rodolphe Barrangou, NC State CALS, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences

Geoff Bock, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Stephen Briggs, N.C. PSI Launch Director

Benjamin Chapman, NC State CALS, Department of Agriculture and Human Sciences

Padma Commuri, BASF

Andy Curliss, SAS

Interim Dean John Dole, NC State CALS

Rob Dunn, NC State

Peter Eckes, BASF

Loren Fisher, NC State CALS

Bob Franks, NC State CALS, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology

Wade Fulghum, NC State

Fred Gould, NC State Genetics and Genomics Academy

Michelle Grainger, North Carolina SweetPotato Commission

Amy Grunden, NC State CALS, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology

Shawn Harding, NC Farm Bureau

Vern Hawkins, Syngenta

Trevor Hohls, Syngenta

Marc Hoit, NC State Chief Information Officer

Jon Horowitz, NC State Research Development Office

Dirk Inze, Ghent University, VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology

Ian Jepson, Syngenta

Ray Levy, NC State Data Science Academy

Steve Lommel, NC State CALS

Terri Long, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

David Monks, NC State CALS

Sonia Murphy, NC State CALS Advancement

Adrian Percy, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Andrea Peros, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Josh Pierce, NC State College of Sciences, Department of Chemistry

Muquarrab Qureshi, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Alan Rebar, NC State (retired)

Chris Reberg-Horton, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Mark Schmidt, NC State Office of Partnerships

Dinah Schuster, NC State CALS Advancement

Ross Sozzani, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Dean Paola Sztajn, NC State College of Education

Deborah Thompson, NC State CALS

Frank Louws, NC State CALS, Department of Horticultural Science

Phil Taylor, Bayer

Rachel Vann, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Mladen Vouk, NC State Office of Research and Innovation

Owen Wagner, North Carolina Soybean Association

Cranos Williams, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

In addition to providing input through this planning process that is already helping to drive N.C. PSI’s future, numerous NC State faculty, staff and external partners have participated in planning discussions and workshops that are shaping N.C. PSI’s respective platforms and the work that will take place within each in the coming years.

N.C. PSI is similarly grateful to the time and input these stakeholders have contributed to further our mission and impact.