We as crop scientists are challenged to increase our
effectiveness in delivering products of our research to farmers. Those
products will need to increase production, be healthful food for people, and
tolerate if not mitigate climate change. Effectiveness is the percentage
of our research projects that are realized in a farmgate product that
significantly improves one of those three needs. This paper presents a
standard, non-novel, but useful methodology for critically evaluating research
related to the wheat crop. Scientists within the USWBSI work on projects
that fall along a continuum. Some are basic discovery projects that have
20 timelines for product delivery. Others are life-cycle management of
current technologies with immediate application. Balancing delivery time
and magnitude of impact are crucial for our innovation investment to be
effective. Selection of technologies with appropriate probability of
success will be discussed.