211(D) - ANNUAL REPORT : 1975-76

Purpose of the grant was to assist MSU to strengthen & further develop its faculty competence in Agric Economics & to facilitate utilization of this competence in the training of grad students, the conduct of research on high priority LDC problems, and provision of services to AID, LDC institutions, & other intl agencies. According to the Department, 211-D assistance has aided in its dvlp into one of the largest & strongest grad programs training professionals for intl dvlp careers. Accumulated field experience supported by grant has been transferred back into grad trng program which now enrolls some 125 students, 50 of which are foreign, with 40 from LDC"s. Several specialized grad courses dealing with agr econ problems have been developed. Grant assistance of $745,000 over 6 years has also supported dvlp of new research proposals by dept faculty, preparation of publications & conference papers based on LDC projs, overseas field research by MSU faculty & grad students, assistance by 2 visiting profs, & the addition of one new dept staff member. During 1975-76 dept members provided 87 man weeks of short-term services & 13 man years of long-term services to AID, private foundation projs, & LDC govts. Grant has further facilitated dvlp & operation of 4 research programs at MSU that operate through separate AID contracts: African Rural Employment Network; Agric Sector Analysis & Simulation Proj; Rural Agric Program Mgmt; & Latin Amer Agric Marketing Organizaton. In 6 years, the dept has awarded 85 advanced degrees & 27 PhD dissertations have been completed on LDC agric dvlp problems. 50 students received research support from the grant. The dept has further benefitted through collaboration with other 211-D grant institutions. Annexes provide a 1975-76 listing of dissertation, MA theses, and faculty publications completed; a 211-D grant financial report; and abstracts of PhD dissertations completed in 1975-76.