FEDERAL AGENCY: COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

AUTHORIZATION: Section 2(c), Public Law 89-106, 7 U.S.C. 450i(c), as amended; Sections 1414, 1458A, 1472, 1473D, 1475, and 1480 of Public Law 95-113, as amended; Section 1415, Public Law 97-98, Section 1409, Public Law 99-198, Sections 1616, 1640, Public Law 101-624; Public Law 99-284, 7 U.S.C. 178n; Public Law 104-127; Public Law 105-185.

OBJECTIVES: To carry out research, extension, and education to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the nation and to facilitate or expand on-going State-Federal food and agricultural research, extension, and education programs.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

 

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Project Grants.

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: Areas of basic and applied research and extension and education are generally limited to high priority problems of a regional or national scope.  Areas currently awarded on a competitive basis are Special Research Grants Integrated Pest Management.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility: Special Research Grants experiment stations, all colleges and universities, other research institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations and individuals having a demonstrable capacity to conduct research to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the United States.

Beneficiary Eligibility: For Special Research Grants agricultural experiment stations, all colleges and universities, other research institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations and individuals having a demonstrable capacity to conduct research to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the United States.

Credentials/Documentation: None. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination: All proposal solicitations are published in the Federal Register or sent to all eligible institutions. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102 and E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure: Formal proposals are solicited and should be submitted to the Office of Extramural Programs, CSREES, USDA, as outlined in the guidelines and/or requests for proposals. Application procedures are contained in the Research Grant Application Kit. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110, Special Research Grants Program Administrative Provisions.

Award Procedure: Proposals are reviewed by a peer panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Proposals are funded in order of merit to the extent permitted by available funds.

Deadlines: As announced in the Federal Register for each fiscal year.  Specific deadline dates can be obtained by contacting the Office of Extramural Programs at (202) 401-5048.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 4 to 6 months.

Appeals: None.

Renewals: Requests for renewal support must be submitted as new proposals at the announced deadline, and are considered in equal competition with other proposals.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements: As announced in the solicitation of proposals.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: From 1 to 3 years.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports: Quarterly financial reports. Annual progress reports. Final financial and final summary progress reports.

Audits: Audits will be conducted in accordance with guidelines established in the revised OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," and implemented in 7 CFR Part 3052, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations."

Records: Grantees are expected to maintain separate records for each grant to ensure that funds are used for the purpose for which the grant was made. Records are subject to inspection during the life of the grant and for three years thereafter.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification: 12-1500-0-1-352.

Obligations: (Grants) FY 99 $85,651,575; FY 00 est $81,506,912; and FY 01 est $36,876,168.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $3,500 to $1,879,518; $153,741.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

 

Example of accomplishments Integrated Pest Management Program for muskmelon and watermelon farmers in one state in the Midwest helped reduce overall insecticide use of participating farmers by 10 tons and saved nearly $250,000 in fungicide costs in 1 year.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE: Pages 50994-50996 and 50998-50999, Federal Register, Vol. 54, No. 236, Part IX, December 11, 1989; 7 CFR 3015, Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations; 7 CFR Part 3017, Government wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants); 7 CFR Part 3018, New Restrictions on Lobbying; 7 CFR Part 3019 (Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations; 7 CFR 3400, Special Research Grants Administrative Provisions, Federal Register, November 15, 1991, Vol 56, No. 221, pages 58146-58152.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office: None.

Headquarters Office: Office of Extramural Programs, Proposal Services Branch, Stop 2245, 14th and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-2245  Telephone:  (202) 401-5048.

RELATED PROGRAMS:

10.001, Agricultural Research_Basic and Applied Research;
10.202, Cooperative Forestry Research;
10.203, Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act;
10.205, Payments to 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Tuskegee University;
10.206, Grants for Agricultural Research_Competitive Research Grants;
10.207, Animal Health and Disease Research;
10.215, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education;
10.219, Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research;
10.250, Agricultural and Rural Economic Research;
10.652, Forestry Research.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS: A Spatial Decision Support System for Water Quality Management; Nitrogen and Phosphorus Mineralization in Conifer and Aspen Soils; Ecologically Based Alternatives for Management of Pecan Scab; Developing IPM Strategies for Urban Landscape Systems.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: Within guidelines established for the program; overall scientific and technological quality of proposal; research competence of the principal investigator(s), research team and support personnel; adequacy of facilities, equipment, and related program support; justification of support requested in relation to objectives and procedures; feasibility of attaining objectives during life of proposed research; awareness of published literature and current research related to proposed research; relevance of importance of proposed research to solution of specific areas of inquiry; and estimate of expected benefits.