NIRSC Categories of Membership
All NIRSC Members are required to sign the NIRS Forage and Feed Testing Consortium License Agreement. The Agreement is renewed annually with payment of fees.
Commercial Member
- Includes commercial entity and testing lab
- Expected to participate by submitting spectra and samples
- Receives NIRSC calibrations for commercial use
- Voting member
Instrument Partner Member
- A commercial entity
- Not required to submit spectra or wet chemistry
- Receives NIRSC calibrations for demonstration and installation purposes
- Helps develop calibrations for new instrument platforms
- Not required to pay new membership fee
- Contributes to NIRSC with expertise and collaboration
- Voting member
Research/Non-Profit Member
- Receives NIRSC calibrations for research and/or non-profit use
- Does not compete with commercial labs
- Expected to participate by submitting samples annually
- Voting member
Sponsorship Member
- Does not receive NIRSC calibrations
- Not required to pay new member setup fee
- Contributes to NIRSC with expertise, collaboration, samples, spectra, and support
- Voting member
Collaborator Member
- Special application only, approved by the Board of Directors
- A public and non-profit entity
- May use NIRSC calibrations for research and/or non-profit uses
- Collaborates above and beyond normal membership responsibilities
- Voting member
Breeder Member
- Special application only, approved by the Breeder Members Group and the Board of Directors
- A commercial entity that participates in cost sharing for new constituents of interest
- Receives NIRSC specific calibration
- Uses NIRSC calibrations for genetic research
- Expected to participate by submitting spectra and samples
- Voting member
Producer Member
- Limited to on-farm use
- Receives analysis results from forage and hay produced on-farm for resale
- Receives calibrations on forage and feed samples
- Will not analyze samples for profit or outside sources except for hay purchased to be used solely on that specific farm or enterprises