Page images
PDF
EPUB

expiration date of the grant and should be submitted to the Awards Management Branch, Office of Extramural Programs at 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

Office of Grants and Financial Management

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 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:

12-1500-0-1-352.

Obligations:

(Project Grants) FY 11 $5,380,045; FY 12 est $4,545,625; and FY 13 est $5,417,280 - 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 represents no year funds.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:

If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive project grant or cooperative agreement are established, these will be announced in the annual program announcement or Request for Application (RFA).

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Fiscal Year 2011: For the FY 2011 award cycle, $ 5,313,334 was available for project grant awards after subtracting administrative costs.

A total of 89 applications requesting a total of $22,824,563 were received in this years competition. In April 2011, a 28-member peer review panel evaluated these applications. The peer panel included faculty and administrators from land grant and non-land grant colleges and universities and practitioners from the food and agricultural sciences community.

Funds were available to support a total of 24 awards in the following Project Types (3 Conference/Planning: $ 84,020; 13 Regular: $1,763,899; 5 Joint: $1,369,678; and 3 Large-Scale Comprehensive Initiatives (LCI): $2,101,805). Joint and LCI Project Proposals requiring partnerships and sharing of grant funds between two or more institutions.

The funding ratio for this program in FY11 was 27%.

Funded projects should address one or more of the following educational strategies: (a) Curriculum Development, Instructional Delivery Systems and Expanding Student Career Opportunities; (b) Increasing Faculty Teaching Competencies; and (c) Facilitating Interaction with Other Academic Institutions. Also in 2011, all projects had to address one of five Priority Areas: Global Food Security and Hunger, Climate Change, Sustainable Energy, Childhood Obesity, and Food Safety. Fiscal Year 2012: For the FY 2012 award cycle, $ 4,514,934 was available for project grant awards after subtracting administrative costs.

A total of 88 applications requesting a total of $26,170,178 were received in this years competition. In June 2012, a 24-member peer review panel evaluated these applications. The peer panel included faculty and administrators from land grant and non-land grant colleges and universities and practitioners from the food and agricultural sciences community.

Funds were available to support a total of 14 awards in the following Project Types (1 Conference/Planning: $ 28,505; 6 Regular: $823,206; 3 Joint: $808,059; and 4 Large-Scale Comprehensive Initiatives (LCI): $2,855,164). Joint and LCI Project Proposals requiring partnerships and sharing of grant funds between two or more institutions.

The funding ratio for this program in FY12 was 16%.

Funded projects should address one or more of the following educational
strategies: (a) Curriculum Development, Instructional Delivery Systems and
Expanding Student Career Opportunities; (b) Increasing Faculty Teaching
Competencies; and (c) Facilitating Interaction with Other Academic
Institutions. Also in 2012, all projects had to address one of five Priority Areas:
Global Food Security and Hunger, Climate Change, Sustainable Energy,
Childhood Obesity, and Food Safety. Fiscal Year 2013: Pertinent details to be
provided by Program at a future date.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

7 CFR Part 3430, Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Grant
Programs General Grant Administrative Provisions and Program-Specific
Administrative Provisions; 7 CFR Part 3015, USDA Uniform Federal
Assistance Regulations; 7 CFR Part 3017, Government wide Debarment and
Suspension (Nonprocurement); 7 CFR Part 3018, New Restrictions on
Lobbying; 7 CFR Part 3019, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants
and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other
Non-profit Organizations; and 7 CFR Part 3021 USDA implementation of
Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-free Workplace (Financial
Assistance) and 7 CFR Part 3405, Higher Education Challenge Grants,
Administrative Provisions, and Grant Application Kit.
Regional or Local Office:

None.

Headquarters Office:

USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Youth, Family, and
Community, Division of Community and Education 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., STOP 2250, Washington, District of Columbia 20250-2250
Phone: (202) 720-2324 Fax: (202) 720-2030.
Website Address:

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/

RELATED PROGRAMS:

10.210 Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants; 10.216 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants; 10.226 Secondary and Two-Year Postsecondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grants EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Fiscal Year 2011: Create a model curriculum focused on urban agriculture with two parallel tracts of study: Environmental Sciences Urban Agriculture option, and an Environmental JusticeUrban Agriculture option. The two tracts will share a set of core courses oriented specifically around urban and global food systems.

Improve student understanding of complex agricultural systems by integrating the use of a systems modeling platform to adapt a modeling platform for teaching basic concepts in crops, soils, and agricultural meteorology, and through this process of introduction and refinement, develop the ability of students to apply modeling approaches for understanding complexity in agroecosystems. This project will improve the quality of food and agricultural skills by using modeling tools to improve student understanding and ability to solve complex problems related to agroecosystem management.

Present classroom instruction and material in a contextual manner that promotes experiential learning by students, and develops the ability of students to learn in team/group formats. Case-study teaching provides multiple approaches for effective teaching through real life examples. Specific products include: 1) collaborating with a nationally recognized expert in case study teaching in the development of 8 different cases,

2) implement these case studies in six different Universities/programs, and 3) assess the impact of this approach on student learning outcomes. Outcomes: These cases will be made available to teachers of food safety and microbiology nationally through hardcopy and electronic means. The outcome of this effort will be students that are better prepared to apply fundamental principles for assuring a safe food supply.

Address the urgent issue of global food security and hunger through development of a new masters degree-level curriculum in International Agriculture and Development which will allow students to combine their technical degree with an internationally focused program of study. This project includes restructuring existing courses, developing new courses in global knowledge, and providing a core overseas experience in key partner countries.

Assist students in understanding science and math concepts that frequently deter many from continuing within food and agricultural science-based majors. Based on a successful design model established with NSF funding, the team will create educational multimedia tools, including animations and mini-games, to supplement instruction and enhance science and math conceptual understanding. Multimedia products will be integrated into coursework, with empirical measures of test results compared to previous semesters and instructors recommendations on future use. Students exposed to the educational materials should have greater success with key STEM test items, feel greater confidence in their skills at the end of the semester, and feel more confident about the likelihood of entering science-intensive agricultural careers. Fiscal Year 2012: Pertinent details to be provided by Program at a future date. Fiscal Year 2013: Pertinent details to be provided by Program at a future date. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Request for Application (RFA).

10.219 BIOTECHNOLOGY RISK ASSESSMENT RESEARCH
Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program (BRAG)
FEDERAL AGENCY:

National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Department of Agriculture
AUTHORIZATION:

Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, Section 7210, Public Law
101-171, 7 U.S.C 5921; Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of
1990, Section 1668, 7 U.S.C 7901.
OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of the BRAG program is to assist Federal regulatory agencies in making science-based decisions about the effects of introducing into the environment genetically engineered organisms, including plants, microorganisms (including fungi, bacteria, and viruses), arthropods, fish, birds, mammals and other animals excluding humans. Investigations of effects on both managed and natural environments are relevant. The BRAG program accomplishes its purpose by providing Federal regulatory agencies with scientific information relevant to regulatory considerations derived from the risk assessment research that the program funds.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Grant funds must be used for allowable costs necessary to conduct approved research objectives. Funds may not be used for purposes other than those approved in the grant award documents. The use of grant funds to plan, acquire, or construct a building or facility is not allowed under this program. With prior approval, and in accordance with the cost principles set forth in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-21, (codified at 2 CFR 220), some grant funds may be used for minor alterations, renovations, or repairs deemed necessary to retrofit existing teaching or research spaces in order to carry out a funded project. However, requests to use grant funds for such purposes must demonstrate that the alterations, renovations, or repairs are essential to achieving the major purpose of the project. Grant funds may not be used for endowment investing.

Section 720 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 (Pub.L. No. 112-55) limits indirect costs to 30 percent of the total Federal funds provided under each award. Therefore, when preparing budgets, applicants should limit their requests for recovery of indirect costs to the lesser of their institutions official negotiated indirect cost rate or the equivalent of 30 percent of total Federal funds awarded.

**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. Fully discretionary.
Applicant Eligibility:

Any public or private research or educational institution or organization.
Beneficiary Eligibility:

Any public or private research or educational institution or organization.
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 will be delineated in the RFA.

Deadlines:

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:

Section :094 - Deadlines:

Dates for specific deadlines are announced in the RFA each fiscal year. Information is also available via our website and may be obtained via the Grants.gov website. Respective links are provided below:

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/

http://www.grants.gov

Section :095 - Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:

From 30 to 180 days.

Appeals:

Not Applicable.

Renewals:

Specific details are provided in the Request for Applications (RFA) each fiscal year.

Formula and Matching Requirements:

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements. Funds are awarded competitively. No formula grants are awarded under Subtitle K of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 [7 U.S.C. 3319e].

NIFA does not require matching or cost sharing support for this program.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:

The term of a competitive grant under this authority may not exceed five (5) years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit. Reports:

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. Cash reports are not applicable. 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. 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 Awards Management Branch, Office of Extramural Programs at 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 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 3 years. Records must be retained beyond the 3-year period if litigation is pending or audit findings have not been resolved. Account Identification:

12-1500-0-1-352.

Obligations:

(Project Grants) FY 11 $1,802,018; FY 12 est $2,841,069; and FY 13 est $1,165,620 - 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.

Some of these funds are no year.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:

If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive project grant or cooperative agreement are established, these will be announced in the annual program announcement or Request for Application (RFA). PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Fiscal Year 2011: For the FY 2011 award cycle, $ 4,408,350 was available for project grant awards after subtracting administrative costs.

A total of 58 applications requesting a total of $27,521,608 were received in this years competition. In June 2011, a 12-member peer review panel evaluated these applications. The peer panel included faculty and administrators from land grant and non-land grant colleges and universities and practitioners from the food and agricultural sciences community.

Funds were available to support a total of 8 awards in the following Project Types (1 priority: $992,760; 7 standard: $ 3,055,590).

The funding success rate for this program in FY11 was 14%.

Funded projects should address one or more of the following scientific priorities:

(a) comparison between transformation-associated mutagenesis in plants and variation introduced using non-genetic engineering approaches;

(b) studies of landscape level environmental impacts of (genetically engineered) GE crops;

(c) pollen flow and best management practices for co-existence in alfalfa;

(d) management practices to minimize environmental risk from deployment of a GE organism;

(e) methods to monitor dispersal of GE organisms;

(f) gene transfer to domesticated and wild relatives;

(g) environmental impacts of GE relative to non-GE production systems; (h) comparative assessment of the effects of GE plants with either a single resistance gene vs. stacked/pyramided resistance genes or single resistance gene vs. multiple genes that confer broad resistance to insects and/or diseases; (i) biological and ecological studies associated with GE perennial species; (j) development of environmental risk assessment methodologies for GE organisms when there is little baseline data on the unmodified parent organism (e.g., Panicum virgatum, Miscanthus, Populus spp., Eucalyptus spp.); and (k) assessment of the potential for non-target effects of RNA interference transgenes. Fiscal Year 2012: For the FY 2012 award cycle, approximately $ 4,323,167 was available for project grant awards after subtracting administrative costs.

A total of 53 applications requesting a total of $25,623,126 were received in this years competition. In May 2012, a 12-member peer review panel evaluated these applications. The peer panel included faculty and administrators from land grant and non-land grant colleges and universities and practitioners from the food and agricultural sciences community.

Funds were available to support a total of 11 awards in the following Project Types (2 conferences: $42,500; 9 standard: $ 4,280,667).

The funding success rate for this program in FY11 was 19%.

Funded projects should address one or more of the following scientific priorities:

(a) comparison between transformation-associated mutagenesis in plants and variation introduced using non-genetic engineering approaches;

(b) studies of landscape level environmental impacts of (genetically engineered) GE crops;

(c) pollen flow and best management practices for co-existence;

(d) management practices to minimize environmental risk from deployment of a GE organism;

(e) methods to monitor dispersal of GE organisms;

(f) gene transfer to domesticated and wild relatives;

(g) environmental impacts of GE relative to non-GE production systems; (h) comparative assessment of the effects of GE plants with either a single resistance gene vs. stacked/pyramided resistance genes or single resistance gene vs. multiple genes that confer broad resistance to insects and/or diseases; (i) biological and ecological studies associated with GE perennial species; (j) development of environmental risk assessment methodologies for GE organisms when there is little baseline data on the unmodified parent organism (e.g., Panicum virgatum, Miscanthus, Populus spp., Eucalyptus spp.); and (k) assessment of the potential for non-target effects of RNA interference transgenes. Fiscal Year 2013: Pertinent details will be provided by Program at a future date.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

7 CFR Part 3430, Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Grant Programs General Grant Administrative Provisions and Program-Specific Administrative Provisions; 7 CFR Part 3015, USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations; 7 CFR Part 3017, Government wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement); 7 CFR Part 3018, New Restrictions on Lobbying; 7 CFR Part 3019, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-profit Organizations; and 7 CFR Part 3021 USDA implementation of Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-free Workplace (Financial Assistance).

Regional or Local Office:

None.

Headquarters Office:

USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Food Production and Sustainablity, Division of Plant Systems-Production, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW., STOP 2240, Washington, District of Columbia 20250-2240 Phone: (202) 401-4202 Fax: (202) 401-1782

Website Address:

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/

RELATED PROGRAMS:

10.001 Agricultural Research_Basic and Applied Research; 10.200 Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants; 10.202 Cooperative Forestry Research; 10.203 Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act; 10.207 Animal Health and Disease Research; 10.250 Agricultural and Rural Economic Research; 10.652 Forestry Research EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Fiscal Year 2011: 1. Pollen aerobiology, biocontainment, and plant genetics of perennial grasses

2. Fostering coexistence: industry-driven field and landscape research on pollen-mediated gene flow in genetically engineered alfalfa

3. Development of molecular technologies for marker-free transgenic crops 4. Development of a framework for assessing the non-target effects of plant RNAi on insects and

5. Assessing the non-target effects of milk from transgenic goats that overproduce lysozyme. Fiscal Year 2012: Awards have not yet been finalized. Pertinent details will be provided by Program at a future date. Fiscal Year 2013: Pertinent details will be provided by Program at a future date. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Request for Application (RFA).

10.220 HIGHER EDUCATION MULTICULTURAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Minority Scholars Program

FEDERAL AGENCY:

National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Department of Agriculture
AUTHORIZATION:

Legislative authority for this program is contained in section 1417 of the
National Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching Policy Act of 1977
(NARETPA) (99 Stat. 1548; 7 U.S.C. 3152). USDA/NIFA administers this
federal assistance grant program to support food and agricultural sciences
baccalaureate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree training of
the next generation of scientists, policy makers, and educators in the Food and
Agricultural Sciences. USDA initiated the Higher Education Multicultural
Scholars Program in FY 1994. This program, functioning collaboratively with
eligible higher education institutions, is developing intellectual capital to secure
the preeminence of U.S. food and agricultural systems., 7 U.S.C 3152.
OBJECTIVES:

To increase the ethnic and cultural diversity of the food and agricultural scientific and professional work force, and to advance the educational achievement of minority Americans, by providing grants to colleges and universities that have a demonstrable capacity to attract, educate, and graduate minority students for careers as agriscience and agribusiness professionals, and have unique capabilities for achieving the objective of full representation of minority groups in the fields of agriculture, natural resources, forestry, veterinary medicine, home economics, and disciplines closely allied to the food and agricultural system.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Competitive annual grants to selected U.S. institutions of higher education provide for a limited number of four-year undergraduate scholarships to support minority students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in the food and agricultural sciences. Institutions also receive an annual cost-of-education allowance for each scholar supported by a grant. The scholars are selected by the institutions

and students must apply for the scholarships through procedures established by the individual institutions.

No scholarship grants are made directly to students and students cannot apply directly to USDA for scholarships. Scholarship monies may be used for tuition, fees, room, board, and other educational expenses as announced in a Federal Register notice inviting applications for new awards.

The institutional cost-of-education allowance may be used by the selected institutions to defray program expenses including, but not limited to, travel and publications costs incurred for student recruitment, and salaries of project personnel. Indirect cost is not allowable. Pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 3152(b), no indirect costs may be recovered under the MSP Program. Funds are restricted to the clearly designated uses found within the RFA.

For Award Category No. 2 Proposals, the budget sharing criteria are: (i) no single institution may receive more than forty percent (40%) and (ii) any institution may not receive less than fifteen percent (15%) of the requested funding for the baccalaureate and/or D.V.M. degree level training project (see Part II, C of the RFA).

When grant is for SEL that will be used by To-Be-Recruited Scholars: The SEL funds for To-Be-Recruited Scholars will be withheld until the Project Director has submitted, to the MSP Grants Program Office, all of the required documentation for eligibility of the MSP/SEL Scholar(s) for the SEL as well as the required specifics outlined in the RFA for the SEL. The information must be submitted for approval, no less than 150 days prior to the use of the SEL funds (see Part IV, B., 3, b, Section 1 of the RFA). Fully discretionary. Applicant Eligibility:

Proposals may be submitted by all U.S. colleges and universities with baccalaureate or higher degree programs in agriculture, natural resources, forestry, veterinary medicine, home economics, and disciplines closely allied to the food and agricultural system, including land-grant colleges and universities, colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments and a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences, and other colleges and universities having a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences.

Beneficiary Eligibility:

Funds awarded under this program are used to support full-time undergraduate students pursing a baccalaureate degree in an area of the food and agricultural sciences or a closely allied field. Persons eligible to receive scholarships under this program are students who either are enrolled or have been accepted as full-time baccalaureate or DVM degree candidates, and who are members of groups traditionally under-represented in food and agricultural scientific and professional fields.

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 will be delineated in the RFA.
Deadlines:

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:
Section :094 - Deadlines:

Dates for specific deadlines are announced in the RFA each fiscal year.
Information is also available via our website and may be obtained via the
Grants.gov website. Respective links are provided below:
http://www.nifa.usda.gov/
http://www.grants.gov

Section :095 - Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 30 to 180 days.

Appeals:

Not Applicable. Renewals:

Specific details are provided in the Request for Applications (RFA) each fiscal year.

Formula and Matching Requirements:

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements. Funds are awarded competitively. No formula grants are awarded under Subtitle K of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 [7 U.S.C. 3319e].

NIFA does not require matching or cost sharing support for this program.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:

Grants are awarded for a five (5) year period, however, scholars are supported for four (4) years during that five (5) year period. One (1) year of the grant period is available for student recruitment and for short interruptions of a scholar's educational advancement due to personal circumstances or emergencies. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit. Reports:

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. Cash reports are not applicable. 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. A final Financial Status Report

« PreviousContinue »