10.203 Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act

Formula Grants

State

Public Nonprofit Organization

U.S. Territories and Possessions

A--Agriculture

A-Research, Development

A-Technical Assistance, Information, Services;

       (Hatch Act)

 

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

AUTHORIZATION: Hatch Act of 1887, as amended; Act of August 11, 1955, Public Law 84-352, 7 U.S.C. 361a-361i; Education Amendments of 1972, Section 506, Public Law 92-318; Public Law 93-471; Public Law 95- 113; Education Amendments of 1980, Section 1361, Public Law 96-374, 7 U.S.C. 301; Public Law 97-98; Public Law 99-198; Public Law 101-624; Public Law 104-127; Public Law 105-185.

OBJECTIVES: To support agricultural research at State Agricultural Experiment Stations.  Its purpose is to promote efficient production, marketing, distribution, and utilization of products of the farm as essential to the health and welfare of people and to promote a sound prosperous agriculture and rural life.  Up to 25 percent of funds to be used for integrated cooperative research and extension activities.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Formula Grants.

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: Money appropriated pursuant to this Act shall also be available, in addition to meeting expenses for research and investigations conducted under authority of Section 2, for printing and disseminating the results of such research, retirement of employees subject to the provisions of an Act approved March 4, 1940 (54 Stat. 39), administrative planning and direction, and for the purchase and rental of land and the construction, acquisition, alteration, or repair of buildings necessary for conducting research. The State Agricultural Experiment Stations are authorized to plan and conduct any research authorized under Section 2 of this Act in cooperation with each other and such other agencies and individuals as may contribute to the solution of the agricultural problems involved, and moneys appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be available for paying the necessary expenses of planning, coordinating, and conducting such cooperative research.  Up to 25 percent of funds to be used for integrated cooperative research and extension activities.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility: Funds under the Hatch Act are allocated in accordance with the statutory formula stated in the Act to the State agricultural experiment stations of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Micronesia, and Northern Mariana Islands.  These institutions have been identified and declared eligible by their respective State legislatures.

Beneficiary Eligibility: Funds under the Hatch Act are allocated in accordance with the statutory formula stated in the Act to the State agricultural experiment stations of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Micronesia, and Northern Mariana Islands.  These institutions have been identified and declared eligible by their respective State legislatures.

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

APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination: This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102 and E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure: State 5-year plans of work must be submitted to and approved by CSREES before funds are released.  This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedure: Awards are made to States according to statute.

Deadlines: None.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Not applicable.

Appeals: Not applicable.

Renewals: Not applicable.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements: Formula for fiscal year 1955 was a fixed base and sums appropriated in excess of 1955 level use the following fund allocation statistical factors: (1) 20 percent allotted equally to each State; (2) not less than 52 percent to States as follows: One-half in an amount which bears the same ratio as the rural population of the State bears to the total rural population of all the States (and the source is the 1990 Decennial Census); and one-half in an amount which bears the same ratio as the farm population of the State bears to the total farm population of all the States (and the source is the 1990 Decennial Census); and (3) at least 25 percent to States for cooperative research in which 2 or more State agricultural experiment stations are cooperating to solve problems of agriculture in more than one State. The statistical factor used for eligibility does not apply to this program. Matching requirement: Federal funds must be matched with nonfederal funding on a dollar-for-dollar basis. In the case of Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, Federal funds are subject to not less than a 30 percent match with nonfederal funds in fiscal year 2000; not less than a 45 percent match with nonfederal funds in fiscal year 2001; and not less than a 50 percent match with nonfederal funds in fiscal year 2002 and each fiscal year thereafter.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Fiscal year appropriated. Unobligated balance September 30 deducted from subsequent year allocation.  Funds are released quarterly under the electronic transfer system.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports: Due dates and plans of work and reporting requirements will be provided to eligible institutions by the agency.

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.

Records: Maintained by project.  Retain payment documents 5 years.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

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

Obligations: (Grants) FY 99 $170,773,534; FY 00 est $170,539,616; and FY 01 est $170,760,756.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $611,608 to $5,831,557; $2,796,141.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Examples of accomplishments science researchers have developed a method to sample the air in poultry houses and run rapid diagnostic tests for specific foodborne pathogens on collected air samples so that entire poultry houses can be rapidly screened for the presence of salmonella and other foodborne pathogens. (2) By using a whey protein-based edible coating, in conjunction with a number of naturally occurring anti-microbial agents, researchers were able to inhibit effectively the growth of Listeria on beef frankfurters.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE: Administrative Manual for the Hatch (Experiment Station) Act as amended, Agricultural Handbook No. 381 revised November 1980; Manual for Cooperative Regional Research, revised 1986; 7 CFR Part 3015, USDA 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; and 7 CFR Part 3019, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office: None.

Headquarters Office: Deputy Administrator, Partnerships, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-2201.  Telephone:  (202) 720-5623.

RELATED PROGRAMS: 10.001, Agricultural Research_Basic and Applied Research; 10.200, Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants; 10.202, Cooperative Forestry Research; 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; 10.219, Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research; 10.250, Agricultural and Rural Economic Research; 10.500, Cooperative Extension Service; 10.652, Forestry Research.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS: Not applicable.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: Not applicable.