University of California Davis Davis, California, United States
Abstract Text: Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) and vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri, ACP), has driven extensive research efforts aimed at understanding the disease and mitigating its impact on commercial citrus, and preventing its introduction and spread in areas where it is not established. A nearly unprecedented level of federal research support has been directed towards HLB. However, the structure and effectiveness of HLB research networks is poorly understood. We used a bilevel optimization problem (BLOP) framework to evaluate how large-scale funding programs (e.g., HLB-MAC, USDA-NIFA-ECDRE) have shaped and continue to influence scientific collaboration and knowledge dissemination about HLB. Modeling funding agencies as upper-level (UL) decision-makers and citrus growers as lower-level (LL) responders, with interdisciplinary scientists acting as intermediaries, the BLOP framework provides a novel, structured, interdisciplinary approach for assessing how funding allocation influences research network connectivity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and research outcomes.
