
Texas A&M AgriLife Research strategic plan
Agricultural advancement through research for healthier lives and livelihoods
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research strategic plan is an aspirational 5-year guide to realizing healthy lives and livelihoods, improved through abundant, affordable and high-quality food and agricultural products in Texas and around the world.

Strategic plan task force
A group of AgriLife Research faculty and administrators responsible for generating strategic research priorities that elevate the agency’s impacts for all Texans and beyond.
Internal and external SWOT analysis
Surveys of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, SWOT, of AgriLife Research for consideration in an adaptative strategic planning process.
Internal and external surveys
A collection of approximately 360 faculty and research staff responses and 250 external responses informing a comprehensive analysis of AgriLife Research.
Four synergistic priorities
In working through a model of adaptive strategic planning, which considers agricultural, environmental and economic variability, we have arrived at four strategic priorities. Each of these works synergistically with its three counterparts, as we must advance all to advance each:
Priority one: Leading-edge research and innovations
Discover new innovations, technologies and science-based solutions to enhance agricultural and ecological systems and the life sciences.
Priority two: Sustainable production systems
Provide the translational research necessary to develop and produce high-quality, safe and sustainable food and fiber systems with local, national and global impacts.
Priority three: Economic strength
Enhance the efficiency, profitability and resiliency of agriculture, natural resources and food systems in the state of Texas and the world.
Priority four: Healthy living
Discover, disseminate and facilitate the adoption of scientific evidence at the intersection of nutrition, human health and agriculture.
Adaptive strategic planning
In meeting the changing needs of agriculture, we have implemented a model of adaptive strategic planning. This method is based on detecting and responding to variability across a broad scope that spans agricultural policy, environments, economies and related impact areas. Adaptive strategic planning depends upon innovation and input from faculty and staff.
Aligning with The Texas A&M University System

The set of four priorities identified in the AgriLife Research strategic plan is informed by alignment with the broader imperatives of The Texas A&M University System.
The Texas A&M University System Strategic Imperatives
The AgriLife Research strategic priorities align directly with three of The Texas A&M University System’s eight strategic imperatives.
Imperative #4
Increase prominence by building a robust and targeted research portfolio.
Imperative #5
Provide services that respond to the needs of the people of Texas and contribute to the strength of the state’s economy.
Imperative #7
Pursue pioneering and progressive opportunities to address national and global challenges.
Our commitment: Strengthening our capacity to serve
Continuing to advance agriculture in our four priority areas requires a corresponding commitment to grow and strengthen the scientific enterprise of AgriLife Research by enhancing research capacity, productivity and impact.
Commitments
- Invest in recruitment, retention
- Support faculty funding searches and scholarship
- Improve infrastructure and access
- Integrate AgriLife Research and SVMBS administration and faculty
- Recognize and reward successes
- Support next-generation training
- Nurture internal/external stakeholder relationships
- Develop paths to funding