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’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.