Programs General Grant Administrative Provisions and Program-Specific Regional or Local Office: None. Headquarters Office: USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Food Production and Sustainablity, Division of Animal Systems, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 2240, Telephone: (202) 401-6134; Fax: (202) 1602. ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment, Division of Global Climate Change, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 2210, Telephine: (202) 401-4926; Fax: (202) 401-1705; USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Food Production and Sustainablity, Division of Plant Systems-Protection, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 2240, Telephone: (202) 401-4939; Fax: (202) 401-1782: USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Division of Food Safety, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 2225, Telephone: (202) 401-1954; Fax: (202) 401-4888; USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment, Division of Bioenergy, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 2210, Telephone: (202) 401-5244; Fax: (202) 401-2653; AND USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Food Safety and Washington, District of Columbia 20250-2240 Phone: (202) 401-6134 Fax: (202) 401-1602 Website Address: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/ RELATED PROGRAMS: 10.001 Agricultural Research_Basic and Applied Research; 10.200 Grants for Fiscal Year 2011: (A) Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate A five-year Coordinate Agriculture Project is targeting preparing the Pacific Northwest (PNW) for a 2015 introduction of a 100% infrastructure compatible biofuels industry that meets the region's pro-rata share of Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) targets using sustainably grown regionally appropriate woody energy crops, thereby helping to revitalize the region's agriculture/forestry sectors with establishment of a sustainable advanced biofuels industry that supports both large and small growers and brings jobs to rural communities in the region. We will complete a three prong integrated program of research, extension and education to achieve this goal. The desired actions (medium term outcomes) for the three project components are: RESEARCH - Mitigate technology risks along the entire supply chain so that a woody energy crop-based biofuels industry, which makes significant contributions towards RFS2 targets, can be built in the PNW. EXTENSION - Build a critical mass of competent small- and medium-size growers to provide the industry with timely supply of purpose-grown woody energy crops, and address the needs and concerns of stakeholders that will be impacted by an advanced biofuels industry in the PNW. EDUCATION - Build a critical mass of well-trained workers capable of filling the cross-disciplinary needs of the biofuels industry. Capstone activities for the project are: 1. GreenWood Resources, the Nation's larger grower of hybrid poplar, will establish and operate four 200-acre energy farms managed with low-input silviculture. 2. ZeaChem Inc., a leading biorefinery developer, will modify its 10 ton(dry)/day biorefinery in Boardman, OR to produce multiple 8,000 gallon truckloads of biobased gasoline and jet/diesel, which will be distributed to consumers on a test basis by Valero Energy Corporation. 3. Deployment of sustainability, extension and education programs by world-class regional institutions will lead to the establishment of a critical mass of well-trained growers and workers. Successful completion of these activities will lead to the desired actions of adequate risk reduction to allow the financing, construction, and operation of multiple biorefineries in the region. An education project with the overarching goal to develop a model for supporting teachers and students learning of both sustainability and bioenergy concepts, and their understanding that these concepts can be explored, explained and applied during decision-making using multiple perspectives. This project builds cross-cultural collaborations and honors both tribal ways of knowing and learning together, and scientific ways of knowing to construct integrated perspectives on sustainability that can advance agricultural practices and promote energy solutions for the future. The project supports middle, high school, and undergraduate students and their teachers as well as science researchers to deepen their understanding of scientific processes and social, environmental and economic issues related to sustainable bioenergy development. A research project focusing on multiple enhanced-value co-products from regionally important oilseed feedstock received the full funding for the project in 2011. This project addresses creating enhanced-value products from one feedstock of particular importance to the Pacific Northwest, oilseeds. Brassicaceae oilseed crops including rapeseed, mustard, and camelina exhibit rotational and environmental quality benefits making them excellent choices as rotational crops for the production of advanced liquid biofuel feedstocks, however unacceptable grower returns limit feedstock production. Value-added co-product development is the only avenue available for developing a liquid biofuels industry from oilseeds grown. The overall goal is to ensure economic viability of liquid biofuels production from rapeseed, mustard, and camelina by developing enhanced-value co-products from the seed meals remaining after oil expression and glycerol generated during biodiesel production. A research project assessing the effects of conversion of marginal lands to perennial grass biofuel crops is underway in the Northeast US to provide accounting for the long-term sustainability of this approach received its 2nd year of funding in FY 2011. This project is characterizing key metrics that strongly affect the biofuel production system emissions footprint: 1) soil carbon (C) accumulation and sequestration, and 2) nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions. These impacts-along with crop yields-will be determined under current production practices on shallow, wetness-prone marginal soils for which little relevant research exists and which comprise the primary land base for these bioenergy crops in the NE. The overarching goal of the project is to develop an understanding of near-term (<5 year) and mid-term (5-10 year) soil C trends and potential N2O and CH4 emissions from perennial grass bioenergy feedstocks grown in the NE. Tradeoffs involving suitabilities and comparative potential impacts of warm season vs. cool season perennial grass feedstocks and management choices will be better known and available to producers, planners and policymakers. These results - particularly yield which governs potential petroleum offsets and together with soil C sequestration comprises the primary C sinks, and N2O flux which represents the primary system emission - will provide the most important (and to date largely missing) data inputs for assessing perennial grass bioenergy system impacts in the NE, which will enable development of bioenergy systems with minimized adverse and maximized positive impacts for the region. (B) Food Security: N/A - No projects were awarded. (C) Food Safety: FY10 Program A4121: Human noroviruses are the most common cause of foodborne disease. This Coordinated Agriculture Project will use an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to develop improved tools, skills, and capacity to study foodborne viruses, identifying risk factors and developing management strategies for reducing contamination in pre- and post-harvest environments. FY12 Program A4141: Low moisture foods such as chocolate and peanut products are under researched food vehicles that have been associated with illnesses and deaths. Survival of Salmonella on these foods is not well understood. This study aims to investigate the impact of water mobility and fat content on bacteria survival, with a view to determining appropriate strategies to destroy Salmonella in these foods. FY12 Program A4161: Poultry products have been frequently implicated in reported cases of salmonellosis. The goal of this proposal is to develop and communicate a safe, effective and economical Salmonella control program for protecting the safety of the food supply and the health of consumers. To achieve this goal, the proposed studies will develop a novel Salmonella control strategy that promotes the establishment of an intestinal microbiota in chicken that prevents colonization by pathogenic bacteria and enhances the mucosal immune response to Salmonella vaccination and challenge. (D) Sustainable Bioenergy: A five-year Coordinate Agriculture Project is targeting preparing the Pacific Northwest (PNW) for a 2015 introduction of a 100% infrastructure compatible biofuels industry that meets the region's pro-rata share of Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) targets using sustainably grown regionally appropriate woody energy crops, thereby helping to revitalize the region's agriculture/forestry sectors with establishment of a sustainable advanced biofuels industry that supports both large and small growers and brings jobs to rural communities in the region. We will complete a three prong integrated program of research, extension and education to achieve this goal. The desired actions (medium term outcomes) for the three project components are: RESEARCH - Mitigate technology risks along the entire supply chain so that a woody energy crop-based biofuels industry, which makes significant contributions towards RFS2 targets, can be built in the PNW. EXTENSION - Build a critical mass of competent small- and medium-size growers to provide the industry with timely supply of purpose-grown woody energy crops, and address the needs and concerns of stakeholders that will be impacted by an advanced biofuels industry in the PNW. EDUCATION - Build a critical mass of well-trained workers capable of filling the cross-disciplinary needs of the biofuels industry. Capstone activities for the project are: 1. GreenWood Resources, the Nation's larger grower of hybrid poplar, will establish and operate four 200-acre energy farms managed with low-input silviculture. 2. ZeaChem Inc., a leading biorefinery developer, will modify its 10 ton(dry)/day biorefinery in Boardman, OR to produce multiple 8,000 gallon truckloads of biobased gasoline and jet/diesel, which will be distributed to consumers on a test basis by Valero Energy Corporation. 3. Deployment of sustainability, extension and education programs by world-class regional institutions will lead to the establishment of a critical mass of well-trained growers and workers. Successful completion of these activities will lead to the desired actions of adequate risk reduction to allow the financing, construction, and operation of multiple biorefineries in the region. An education project with the overarching goal to develop a model for supporting teachers and students learning of both sustainability and bioenergy concepts, and their understanding that these concepts can be explored, explained and applied during decision-making using multiple perspectives. This project builds cross-cultural collaborations and honors both tribal ways of knowing and learning together, and scientific ways of knowing to construct integrated perspectives on sustainability that can advance agricultural practices and promote energy solutions for the future. The project supports middle, high school, and undergraduate students and their teachers as well as science researchers to deepen their understanding of scientific processes and social, environmental and economic issues related to sustainable bioenergy development. A research project focusing on multiple enhanced-value co-products from regionally important oilseed feedstock received the full funding for the project in 2011. This project addresses creating enhanced-value products from one feedstock of particular importance to the Pacific Northwest, oilseeds. Brassicaceae oilseed crops including rapeseed, mustard, and camelina exhibit rotational and environmental quality benefits making them excellent choices as rotational crops for the production of advanced liquid biofuel feedstocks, however unacceptable grower returns limit feedstock production. Value-added co-product development is the only avenue available for developing a liquid biofuels industry from oilseeds grown. The overall goal is to ensure economic viability of liquid biofuels production from rapeseed, mustard, and camelina by developing enhanced-value co-products from the seed meals remaining after oil expression and glycerol generated during biodiesel production. A research project assessing the effects of conversion of marginal lands to perennial grass biofuel crops is underway in the Northeast US to provide accounting for the long-term sustainability of this approach received its 2nd year of funding in FY 2011. This project is characterizing key metrics that strongly affect the biofuel production system emissions footprint: 1) soil carbon (C) accumulation and sequestration, and 2) nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions. These impacts-along with crop yields-will be determined under current production practices on shallow, wetness-prone marginal soils for which little relevant research exists and which comprise the primary land base for these bioenergy crops in the NE. The overarching goal of the project is to develop an understanding of near-term (<5 year) and mid-term (5-10 year) soil C trends and potential N2O and CH4 emissions from perennial grass bioenergy feedstocks grown in the NE. Tradeoffs involving suitabilities and comparative potential impacts of warm season vs. cool season perennial grass feedstocks and management choices will be better known and available to producers, planners and policymakers. These results - particularly yield which governs potential petroleum offsets and together with soil C sequestration comprises the primary C sinks, and N2O flux which represents the primary system emission - will provide the most important (and to date largely missing) data inputs for assessing perennial grass bioenergy system impacts in the NE, which will enable development of bioenergy systems with minimized adverse and maximized positive impacts for the region. (E) NIFA Fellowship Grant Program: NOTE: FY 2011 competition and FY 2012 competition were combined in FY 2012. (F) Childhood Obesity Prevention: Childhood overweight is of great concern to our population because this overweight tends to continue into adulthood and may greatly increase the risk of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. Not only does this significantly burden the healthcare system, but is also decreases the quality of life of individuals suffering from these diseases. One potentially important time to intervene and change lifelong habits may be in early infancy. The reason for thinking this is that babies who grow rapidly tend to also be babies who become overweight children. Babies who are exclusively breastfed tend to be somewhat protected from this later risk. Though no one knows whether or not formula contributes directly to a rapid weight gain, it is possible that some babies who are formula fed can be overfed. Caregivers may or may not be aware that they are overfeeding their babies. For example, if formula has too little water, the baby will be taking in a high-calorie bottle. If the formula has too much water, the baby may still feel hungry and cry and the caregiver may believe the baby needs more food. Another way a caregiver may overfeed a baby is to add infant cereal to the bottle. Depending on how much is added, this can add a large number of calories to the bottle of formula and also changes the proportion of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Formula is specifically designed to give these nutrients in the right proportion. Changes in these nutrients may change the growth of the baby. Research from this lab has indicated that ~25% of mothers are over-diluting infant formula, and that upwards of 90% of low-income women in East Tennessee are adding infant cereal to bottles of formula. It is critical that we demonstrate how these behaviors impact rate of weight gain and then develop strategies for reducing these behaviors. Fiscal Year 2012: (A) Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change: No information available. Awards have not yet been made. Pertinent data will be provided by Program at a future date. (B) Food Security: The goal of this project is to discover and use genome resources of tospoviruses, thrips vectors, and plants to mitigate crop losses due to thrips and tospoviruses, while educating new scientists with interdisciplinary perspectives on vector/virus/plant biology. The goal of this project is to develop an accurate forecasting model that will address the mite-virus disease complex in wheat and improve the growers ability to anticipate and take action to improve sustainability of wheat production systems. The model also will be deployed through Extension and educational curricula. (C) Food Safety: Pertinent data will be provided by Program at a future date. (D) Sustainable Bioenergy: No information available. Awards have not yet been made. Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date. (E) NIFA Fellowship Grant Program: Projects were funded that will develop the next generation of leaders who will be actively engaged in agriculture, forestry, and food related research, education, and extension careers. Successful proposals focused on developing the next generation of scientists who will lead agriculture into the future by solving current and future challenges facing our society. The awarded projects also targeted talented, highly-motivated doctoral candidates and postdoctoral trainees that demonstrate remarkable promise and demonstrated the ability to increase the number of gifted agricultural scientists in the United States. Further information is available at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/fellowshipsgrantprogramafri.cfm. (F) Childhood Obesity Prevention: Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date. Fiscal Year 2013: (A) Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change: No information available. Request for Applications under development. Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date (B) Food Security: Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date (C) Food Safety: Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date (D) Sustainable Bioenergy: No information available. Request for Applications under development. Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date. (E) NIFA Fellowship Grant Program: Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date. (F) Childhood Obesity Prevention: Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date. Within guidelines established for the program as described in the RFAS. 10.311 BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM BFRDP FEDERAL AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Department of Agriculture Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, [7 U.S.C. 3319f]. , Public Law 107-171, 7 U.S.C 3319f. OBJECTIVES: To support the nations beginning farmers and ranchers by making competitive grants to new and established local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives that address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Project Grants USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: Competitive grants are made to support: (A) mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships; (B) resources and referral; (C) assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in acquiring land from retiring farmers and ranchers; (D) innovative farm and ranch transfer strategies; (E) entrepreneurship and business training; (F) model land leasing contracts; (G) financial management training;. (H) whole farm planning; (I) conservation assistance; (J) risk management education; (K) diversification and marketing strategies; (L) curriculum development; (M) understanding the impact of concentration and globalization; (N) basic livestock and crop farming practices; (O) the acquisition and management of agricultural credit; (P) environmental compliance; (Q) information processing; and (R) other similar subject areas of use to beginning farmers or ranchers. In addition, cooperative agreements may be awarded to establish Education Teams: (1) In General: In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall establish beginning farmer and rancher education teams to develop curricula and conduct educational programs and workshops for beginning farmers or ranchers in diverse geographical areas of the United States. (2) Curriculum: In promoting the development of curricula, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include modules tailored to specific audiences of beginning farmers or ranchers, based on crop or regional diversity. (3) Composition: In establishing an education team for a specific program or workshop, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable: (A) obtain the short-term services of specialists with knowledge and expertise in programs serving beginning farmers or ranchers; and (B) use officers and employees of the Department with direct experience in programs of the Department that may be taught as part of the curriculum for the program or workshop. (4) Cooperation: (A) In General: In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall cooperate, to the maximum extent practicable, with: (i) State cooperative extension services; (ii) Federal and State agencies; (iii) community-based and nongovernmental organizations; (iv) colleges and universities (including an institution awarding an associates degree) or foundations maintained by a college or university; and (v) other appropriate partners, as determined by the Secretary. (B) Cooperative Agreement: Notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement to reflect the terms of any cooperation under subparagraph (A). An award also may be made to establish a Curriculum and Training The Secretary shall establish an online clearinghouse that makes available to beginning farmers or ranchers education curricula and training materials and programs, which may include online courses for direct use by beginning farmers or ranchers. Set-Aside: Not less than 25 percent of funds used to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year shall be used to support programs and services that address the needs of: (A) limited resource beginning farmers or ranchers (as defined by the Secretary); (B) socially disadvantaged beginning farmers or ranchers (as defined in section 355(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e)); and (C) farmworkers desiring to become farmers or ranchers. Set-Aside: Not less than 25 percent of funds used to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year shall be used to support programs and services that address the needs of: (A) limited resource beginning farmers or ranchers (as defined by the Secretary); (B) socially disadvantaged beginning farmers or ranchers (as defined in section 355(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e)); and (C) farmworkers desiring to become farmers or ranchers. Prohibition: A grant made under this subsection may not be used for the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of a building or facility. Indirect Costs (Federal Budget): Grants: Not to exceed 22% of Federal Funds Awarded Cooperative Agreements (if only CCC funding made available under section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002): Full Negotiated Rate. Cooperative Agreements (if any discretionary funding made available in the annual appropriations): Not to exceed 10% of total direct cost of agreement if made to a nonprofit institution (including an educational institution) Full Negotiated Rate if made to an entity other than a nonprofit institution Special Note on Indirect Costs as in-kind matching contributions: Indirect costs may be claimed under the Federal portion of the award budget or, alternatively, indirect costs may be claimed as a matching contribution (if no indirect costs are requested under the Federal portion of the award budget). However, unless explicitly authorized in the RFA, indirect costs may not be claimed on both the Federal portion of the award budget and as a matching contribution, unless the total claimed on both the Federal portion of the award budget and as a matching contribution does not exceed the maximum allowed indirect costs or the institutions negotiated indirect cost rate, whichever is less. An awardee may split the allocation between the Federal and non-Federal portions of the budget only if the total amount of indirect costs charged to the project does not exceed the maximum allowed indirect costs or the institutions negotiated indirect cost rate, whichever is less. For example, if an awardees' indirect costs are capped at 30 percent pursuant to FY 2012 appropriated funds, Section 720 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (Division A of Pub. L. 112-55), the awardee may request 15 percent of the indirect costs on both the Federal portion of the award and as a matching contribution. Or, the awardee may request any similar percentage that, when combined, does not exceed the maximum indirect cost rate of 30 percent. Applicant Eligibility: The recipient must be a collaborative, State, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities, which may include: state cooperative extension service; community-based and nongovernmental organization; college or university (including institutions awarding associate degrees); or any other appropriate partner. Others may be eligible to apply. Please refer to Part III of the current BFRDP Request for Applications for complete eligibility requirements. Beneficiary Eligibility: The recipient must be a collaborative, State, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities, which may include: state cooperative extension service; community-based and nongovernmental organization; college or university (including institutions awarding associate degrees); or any other appropriate partner. Others may be eligible to apply. Please refer to Part III of the current BFRDP Request for Applications for complete eligibility requirements. Credentials/Documentation: No Credentials or documentation are required. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program. Preapplication Coordination: All RFAs are published on the Agencys website and Grants.gov. Applicants must complete the Grants.gov registration process. Please see the following Grants.gov link for more information: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. An environmental impact statement is required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Application Procedures: OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Applications should be submitted as outlined in the RFA. Applications must follow the instructions provided per Grants.Gov and in the Agency guide to submitting applications via Grants.gov. Award Procedure: Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 1613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the RFA. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields; (c) the need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs; (d) the need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations; (e) the need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and (f) the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. Evaluation Criteria: In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall evaluate: (A) relevancy; (B) technical merit; (C) achievability; (D) the expertise and track record of 1 or more applicants; (E) the adequacy of plans for the participatory evaluation process, outcome-based reporting, and the communication of findings and results beyond the immediate target audience; and (F) other appropriate factors, as determined by the Secretary. Regional Balance: In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure geographical diversity. Priority: In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to partnerships and collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental and community based organizations with expertise in new agricultural producer training and outreach. Deadlines: Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines. Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: :094 Deadlines: Dates for specific deadlines are announced in the RFA each fiscal year. :095 Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 30 to 180 days. Appeals: Not Applicable. Renewals: Not Applicable. Formula and Matching Requirements: This program has no statutory formula. Matching Requirements: Percent: 25.%. Funds are awarded competitively. No formula grants are awarded under Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, [7 U.S.C. 3319f]. To be eligible to receive a grant under this program, a recipient must provide a match in the form of cash or in-kind contributions in an amount equal to 25 percent of the funds provided by the grant. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program. The term of a competitive grant under this program may not exceed three (3) Grantees are to submit initial project information and annual summary reports to NIFAS electronic, Web-based inventory system that facilitates both grantee submissions of project outcomes and public access to information on Federally-funded projects. The details of the reporting requirements are included in the award terms and conditions. NIFA uses the SF-425, Federal Financial Report to monitor cash. Grantees are to submit initial project information and annual summary reports to NIFAS electronic, Web-based inventory system that facilitates both grantee submissions of project outcomes and public access to information on Federally-funded projects. The details of the reporting requirements are included in the award terms and conditions. Quarterly Reports of Federal Cash Transactions (SF-272) are required by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (www.dpm.psc.gov) and are submitted online through the DHHS Payment Management System (PMS) website. If you become delinquent in these reports, you will not be able to access your funds. A final Financial Status Report (SF-269) or "Federal Financial Report" (SF-425) is due within 90 days of the expiration date of the grant and should be submitted to the address listed below, in accordance with instructions contained in 2 CFR 3430.55 (also refer to Section 3015.82 of the Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations). Awards Management Division (AMD) Office of Grants and Financial Management (OGFM) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) STOP 2271 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20250-2271 Telephone: (202) 401-4986. Grantees are to submit initial project information and annual summary reports to NIFAS electronic, Web-based inventory system that facilitates both grantee submissions of project outcomes and public access to information on Federally-funded projects. The details of the reporting requirements are included in the award terms and conditions. Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Audits will be conducted in accordance with guidelines established in the revised OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, and implemented in 7 CFR 3052. This program is also subject to audit by the cognizant Federal audit agency and the USDA Office of Inspector General. Records: In accordance with the Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Non-profit Organizations [2 CFR 215, Subpart C, Section 215.53, (OMB Circular A-110)] grantees shall maintain separate records for each grant to ensure that funds are used for authorized purposes. Grant-related records are subject to inspection during the life of the grant and must be retained at least three (3) years. Records must be retained beyond the three-year period if litigation is pending or audit findings have not been resolved. Account Identification: 12-0502-0-1-352. Obligations: (Cooperative Agreements) FY 11 $18,154,513; FY 12 est $18,201,000; and FY 13 est $0-The difference between the appropriation and obligation numbers reflects legislative authorized set-asides deducted as appropriate, and in some cases the availability of obligational authority from prior years. This program is authorized under the FY 2008 Farm Bill, which expires at the end of the FY 2012. To date no new legislation has been enacted. Range and Average of Financial Assistance: Minimum and maximum amounts of funding per grant are established by the annual program announcement or RFA. However, the amount of the competitive grants shall not exceed $ 250,000 for each year. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Fiscal Year 2011: $18.2 million was awarded to 34 standard grants and 2 |