The NARDeP Center was formed by the Regional Rural Development Centers in response to the increasingly contentious and complex agricultural and rural development policy issues. The Center was funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under a competitive grant (Number 2012-70002-19385), and engages land-grant universities as well as national organizations, agencies, and experts to develop and deliver timely policy-relevant information around signature areas identified by our Advisory Boards.
Current signature areas are:
- Energy and the Environment
- Food Systems Development
- Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship
In addition, the Center supports research that cuts across policy issues related to the farm and agricultural sectors; the environment; rural families; households and economies; and consumers, food and nutrition.
NARDeP's continuing objectives are to:
- Provide timely and cutting-edge research on current and emerging public policy priorities and regulations in a quantitative format
- Contribute to the development of theoretical and research methods
- Create and disseminate new datasets from secondary and other sources to policymakers, analysts and other interested individuals
- Serve as a clearinghouse for technology diffusion and educational resources and to disseminate impartial information through web-based training and other publications
- Help to train the next generation of policy analysts
