Web Site Address: http://www.reeusda.gov. RELATED PROGRAMS: 10.222, Tribal Colleges Endowment Program. EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS: Center for Integrated Rural Development Studies; Agricultural Degree Development Project; Implementation of a Comprehensive Horticulture Program; Educational Program in Nutrition; Strengthening Curricula and Services for Students in the Food and Agricultural Sciences. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: Proposals are evaluated using the following criteria: Overall approach and cooperative linages; intrinsic merit; budget and cost effectiveness; and institutional commitment and resources. 10.222 TRIBAL COLLEGES ENDOWMENT PROGRAM (Tribal Colleges Endowment Program) FEDERAL AGENCY: COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AUTHORIZATION: Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994, Public Law 103-382, 7 U.SC. 301 note, as amended; Public Law 105-185. OBJECTIVES: To enhance educational opportunities at the 30 Tribal colleges designated as the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions by strengthening their teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences in targeted need areas. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Formula Grants. USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: Public Law 103-382 established an endowment fund corpus, the interest of which was to be used to benefit the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions. Funds may be used to support teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences in the targeted need areas of: (1) Curricula design and instructional materials development; (2) faculty development and preparation for teaching; (3) instruction delivery systems; (4) student experiential learning; (5) equipment and instrumentation for teaching; and, (6) student recruitment and retention. Applicant Eligibility: Bay Mills Community College, Black feet Community College, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Cheyenne River Community College, Dine Community College, D-Q University, Dull knife Memorial College, Fond Du Lac Community College, Fort Belknap Community College, Fort Berthold Community College, Fort Peck Community College, LacCourte Orielles Ojibwa Community College, Little Big Horn Community College, Nebraska Indian Community College, Northwest Indian College, Oglala Lakota College, Salish Kootenai College, Sinte Gleska University, Sisseton Wahpeton Community College, Sitting Bull College, Stone child Community College, Turtle Mountain Community College, United Tribes Technical College, Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute, Institute of American Indian Arts, Crown point Institute of Technology, Haskell Indian Nations University, Leech Lake Tribal College, College of the Menominee Nation; and Little Priest College. Beneficiary Eligibility: The 1994 Institutions--Bay Mills Community College, Black feet Community College, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Cheyenne River Community College, Dine Community College, D-Q University, Dull knife Memorial College, Fond Du Lac Community College, Fort Belknap Community College, Fort Berthold Community College, Fort Peck Community College, LacCourte Orielles Ojibwa Community College, Little Big Horn Community College, Nebraska Indian Community College, Northwest Indian College, Oglala Lakota College, Salish Kootenai College, Sinte Gleska University, Sisseton Wahpeton Community College, Sitting Bull College, Stone child Community College, Turtle Mountain Community College, United Tribes Technical College, Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute, Institute of American Indian Arts, Crown point Institute of Technology, Haskell Indian Nations University, Leech Lake Tribal College, and College of the Menominee Nation; and Little Priest College. Credentials/Documentation: Guidelines include: 7 CFR Part 1, Subpart A; 7 CFR Part 3; 7 CFR Part 15, Subpart A; 7 CFR Part 3015; 7 CFR Part 3017; 7 CFR Part 3018; 7 CFR Part 3019; 7 CFR Part 3052; 29 U.S.C. 794, Section 504 and 7 CFR Part 15b; 35 U.S.C. 200 et seq., and 37 CFR Part 401. Preapplication Coordination: None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Application Procedure: None. Award Procedure: The Indian student count for the 1994 institutions (as defined in Section 390(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act) will be furnished to the agency by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Using the formula specified, grant payments will be made through the office of Extramural Programs to each of the institutions by the electronic transfer system or by Treasury check. Deadlines: The information for the Indian student count is to be received by August 1. Interest will be disbursed within 45 days from termination of the fiscal year and notification of availability of interest funds. Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: None. Appeals: None. Renewals: None. Formula and Matching Requirements: The interest from the Endowment Fund Corpus will be distributed, after adjustment for administrative cost, as follows: (1) Sixty percent distributed on a pro rata basis based upon the Indian student count for each institution for the prior fiscal year; and, (2) Forty percent distributed in equal shares to the 1994 Institutions. There are no matching requirements. Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: The grant will be awarded for a 12-month period of assistance. Reports: Annual technical and financial report will be due by December 31 of the year following that in which funds were received. Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit 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. Records: Grantees are expected to maintain records three years beyond the life of the grant or longer if there are any pending litigation or unresolved audit findings. Separate records for each grant must be maintained. Records are subject to inspection during the life of the grant and for three years thereafter. Account Identification: 12-1500-0-1-352. Obligations: (Grants) FY 07 $3,119,628; FY 08 est $3,264,000; and FY 09 est not reported. Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $7,932 to $40,191. Average: $14,943. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The funds derived from the interest on the Endowment Fund will be used to support grants for teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences. REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE: 7 CFR 301 note; 7 CFR Part 1.1, USDA implementation of Freedom of Information Act; 7 CFR Part 3, USDA implementation of OMB Circular No. A129 regarding debt collection; 7 CFR Part 15, Subpart A, USDA implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; 7 CFR Part 3015, USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations; 7 CFR Part 3017, Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants); 7 CFR Part 3018, Restrictions on Lobbying; 7 CFR Part 3019, USDA implementation of OMB Circular No. A110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospital, and Other Nonprofit Organizations; 7 CFR Part 3407, Agency Procedures to Implement the National Environmental Policy Act; 7 CFR Part 3052, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations; 29 U.S.C. 794, Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and 7 CFR Part 15b (USDA implementation of statute), prohibiting discrimination based upon physical or mental handicap in Federally assisted programs; and 35 U.S.C. 200 et seq., Bayh-Dole Act, controlling allocation of rights to inventions made by employees of small business firms and domestic nonprofit organizations, including universities, in Federally assisted programs (implementing regulations are contained in 37 CFR Part 401). Regional or Local Office: None. Headquarters Office: Higher Education Programs, Science and Education Resources Development, CSREES, USDA, Room 3901 Waterfront Centre, Washington DC 20250-2251. Telephone: (202) 720-1973. Web Site Address: http://www.reeusda.gov. RELATED PROGRAMS: 10.221, Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants. EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS: None. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: None. 10.223 HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTIONS EDUCATION GRANTS FEDERAL AGENCY: COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AUTHORIZATION: National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended, Section 1455, 7 U.S.C. 3241. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences. These programs aim to attract outstanding students and produce graduates capable of enhancing the Nation's food and agricultural scientific and professional work force. Grants under this program will be awarded to: (1) support the activities of consortia of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to enhance educational equity for underrepresented students; (2) strengthen institutional educational capacities including libraries, curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention, in order to respond to identified State, regional, national, or international educational needs in the food and agricultural sciences; (3) attract and support undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups in order to prepare them for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States, beginning with the mentoring of students at the high school level and continuing with the provision of financial support for students through their attainment of a doctoral degree; and (4) facilitate cooperative initiatives between two or more HispanicServing Institutions, or between Hispanic-Serving Institutions and units of State government or the private sector, to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Project Grants. USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: Funds may be used to support one or more of the following target areas or additional target areas as identified in the annual program announcement: Curricula design; materials development; library resources; faculty preparation and enhancement for teaching; instruction delivery systems; scientific instrumentation for teaching; student experiential learning; and student recruitment and retention. Applicant Eligibility: Hispanic serving institutions are eligible to receive funds under this program. "Hispanic serving institutions" means an institution of higher education which, at the time of application, has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students, and which (1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such certificate; (2) is a public or other nonprofit institutions accreditted by a nationally recognized accrediting body; and (3) is legally authorized to provide a program of education beyond the secondary level for which a 2-year associate, baccalaureate, or higher degree is awarded. Applications may be submitted by, and awards may only be made to, public or other non-profit Hispanic-Serving Institutions as defined in the definitions section of this solicitation. For the purposes of this program, the individual branches of a State university system or public system of higher education that are separately accredited as degree granting institutions are treated as separate institutions eligible for awards. Accreditation much be by an agency or association recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. Institutions also must be legally authorized to offer at least a two-year program of study creditable toward an associate's or bachelor's degree. Separate branches or campuses of a college or university that are not individually accreditted as degree granting institutions are not treated as separate institutions. To be eligible for competitive consideration for an award under this program, a Hispanic-Serving Institution muc at the time of application: (1) certify that it has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students; and (2) provide assurances that not less than 50 percent of the institution's Hispanic students are low-income individuals as defined in the definitions section of this solicitation. Beneficiary Eligibility: Hispanic serving institutions, as identified above, are eligible to receive funds under this program. Credentials/Documentation: Each prospective grantee institution must furnish the information and assurances specified in the proposal solicitation and/or the administrative provisions for the program once they are developed. These materials will be available from the CSREES, Office of Extramural programs, at (202) 401-5050. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87. Preapplication Coordination: To assist CSREES in preparing for the review of proposals, institutions planning to submit proposals may be requested to complete Form CSREES-711, "Intent to Submit a Proposal," provided by CSREES in the grant application package. CSREES will determine annually if "Intent to Submit a Proposal" forms will be requested. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Application Procedure: Formal proposals should be submitted to the CSREES, Office of Extramural Programs, in accordance with instructions provided in the program announcement. The program announcement will be published in the Federal Register. Award Procedure: Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by CSREES staff with the assistance and advice of a peer panel of scientists, educators, representatives from the private sector, and representatives from other Federal agencies. Proposals will be supported in order of merit to the extent permitted by available funds. Deadlines: Please contact the program contact listed in the Information Contacts or Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Appeals: None. Renewals: None. Formula and Matching Requirements: CSREES encourages and may require nonfederal matching support under this program and will disclose any matching requirements or incentives for providing matching funds in its annual program announcement. Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Reports: Quarterly financial reports, annual progress reports, final financial reports, final summary progress reports, and other reports as specified in the grant 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 Nonprofit 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. 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 3 years thereafter. Account Identification: 12-1500-0-1-352. Obligations: FY 07 $5,686,986; FY 08 est $5,364,480; and FY 09 est not reported. Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $25,000 to $75,000. This is a newly funded program, average not yet determined. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: One of our-year instituveloped an academically rigorous internship program in the field of agricultural conservation, and then used the program as a recruitment tool to attract Hispanic students. A community college developed curriculum leading to a college certificate in water technology that addresses a statewide need for qualified technicians in the critical fields of water conservation and wastewater management. REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE: Applicable regulations will be outlined in the program announcement and/or the administrative provisions for the program once they are developed, and in the terms and conditions of any resulting grant award. Applicable regulations will include but not be limited to: 7 CFR Part 3015, USDA Uniform Administrative Regulations; 7 CFR Part 3019, USDA Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations; 7 CFR part 3017, Government wide Debarment and Suspension and Drug-free Workplace Requirements; 7 CFR part 3018, New Restrictions on Lobbying; and 7 CFR part 3052, USDA implementation of OMB Circular No. A-133 (revised June 24, 1997) regarding audits of States, local governments, and nonprofit organizations. Regional or Local Office: Not applicable. Headquarters Office: USDA, CSREES, Multicultural Alliances, Science and Education Resources Development, Room 3240 Waterfront Centre, Washington, DC 20250-2251. Telephone: (202) 720-1254. Web Site Address: http://www.reeusda.gov. RELATED PROGRAMS: 10.217, Higher Education Challenge Grants; 10.220, Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program; 10.210, Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants; 10.226, Secondary and Two-Year Postsecondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grants. EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS: The Agriculture Education Implementation Outreach Project; Developing Freshman's Interest in Agricultural Research and Careers; The Integration of Research Internships into the Undergraduate Life Sciences Curriculum; Enhancement of Genetics Lab Teaching Through Agricultural Biotechnology Research; and Bridges to Careers as Urban Environmentalists. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: Criteria are expected to include the following: (1) The likelihood that the project will have a substantial impact upon and advance the quality of higher education in the food and agricultural sciences higher education by strengthening institutional capacities to meet clearly delineated needs; (2) the soundness of the proposed approach, including objectives, procedures, timetable, evaluation and dissemination plans, and partnerships and collaborative efforts; (3) the institution's commitment to the project and the adequacy of institutional resources available to carry out the project; (4) the qualifications and the adequacy of the key personnel who will carry out the proposed project; (5) the extent to which the total budget adequately supports the project and is cost effective; and (6) the degree to which the proposal complies with the application guidelines and is of high quality. 10.224 FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA-RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES (Fund for Rural America) FEDERAL AGENCY: COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Section 793, 7 The funding for Rural America (FRA) provides funds for rural development TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Project Grants. USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: The CSREES Fund for Rural America competitive grants program will support applied, developmental, and adaptive research; technology transfer; extension and related outreach activities; and education. The program will emphasize biological, physical, and social sciences to address systems-based problems. This requires involvement of affected parties within the system (such as producers, commodity groups, environmental interests, rural communities, and other program beneficiaries); therefore, this program will give priority to projects that are designed and proposed by eligible grant recipients in collaboration with institutions, organizations, and communities of interest. Strong partnerships will be critical to leverage and apply research, education, and extension investments to address user needs and solve community-defined problems. The program is segmented into two initiatives: (1) The Fund Core Initiative, which addresses and links international competitiveness, profitability; and efficiency; environmental stewardship; and rural community enhancement; and (2) the Secretary's Initiative to Ensure a Safe, Competitive, Nutritional and Accessible Food System. Examples of potential research, education, and extension activities to be funded under the Fund Core Initiative include, but are not limited to: extension to improve producers' risk management knowledge, skills, and practices; adaptive research to develop new strategies for animal waste management to reduce environmental contaminants in animal waste; and innovations in delivery of education and information in rural areas. As part of the Fund Core Initiative, CSREES also intends to provide funding for FRA Center Grants which are aimed at bringing together individuals, institutions, States, and/or regions in support of research, education, and extension in a collaborative process towards a common goal. Initially, CSREES will award FRA Center Planning Grants to support only the planning stages of FRA Centers, and only those organizations successful in receiving a FRA Center Planning Grant will be eligible to receive follow-on funding for a FRA Center. Proposals for FRA Center Planning Grants and for follow- on FRA Center Grants may be solicited in separate announcements. Examples of research, education, and extension activities to be funded under the Secretary's Initiative to Ensure a Safe, Competitive, Nutritional and Accessible Food System include, but are not limited to: assessment of educational needs of small and very small meat and poultry processing plants to achieve Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) implementation; research, development and on-farm extension education about low-cost production facilities, such as hoop housing for swine production, combined with management systems and genetics appropriate to these facilities; research to create foods that have increased amounts of the beneficial components found in fruits, vegetables and grains; and research and extension efforts to develop and implement mechanisms such as community-operated canneries or dehydration facilities to extend the "shelf-life" of food available through gleaning and food recovery programs. Funds provided under the CSREES Fund for Rural America competitive grants program may not be used for the construction of a new building or for the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building (including site grading and improvement and architect fees), or for the purchase of fixed equipment. Applicant Eligibility: Proposals may be submitted by Federal research agencies, national laboratories, colleges or universities or research foundations maintained by a college or university, or private research organizations. National laboratories include Federal laboratories that are government-owned contractor-operated or government-owned government operated. If the applicant is a private organization, documentation must be submitted that the organization has an established and demonstrated capacity to perform research or technology transfer. A programmatic decision on the eligibility status of the private organization will be made based on the information submitted. Beneficiary Eligibility: The beneficiaries of this program are expected to be parties affected by the fundamental reforms to Federal farm programs. These parties include, but are not limited to producers, commodity groups, environmental interests, and rural communities. Credentials/Documentation: Organizations must furnish the information and assurances specified in the program guidelines and/or proposal solicitation with each proposal it submits. In addition, if a proposal is recommended for funding and the submitting organization has not previously received funding from CSREES, that organization will be asked to furnish specific management information relating to the organization as part of the pre-award process. Preapplication Coordination: All proposal solicitations are published in the Federal Register. Any preapplication requirements will be specified in the program guidelines and/or proposal solicitations. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Application Procedure: Application procedures are outlined in the annual program guidelines and/or proposal solicitations. Award Procedure: Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by CSREES staff members with the assistance and advice of peer panels of specialists who are uniquely qualified by training and experience in their respective fields to render expert advice on the merit of proposals being reviewed. Proposals are recommended for funding in order of merit to the extent permitted by available funds. The National Agricultural Research, Education and Economics Advisory Board will review collective groups of proposals recommended for funding to ensure the relevance of the work proposed for funding toward achieving the programmatic goals of the Fund for Rural America. Proposals recommended for funding as a results of the merit and programmatic relevance evaluations then undergo a financial and administrative review. Upon the satisfactory completion of all reviews and evaluations, a grant award is issued. Deadlines: All proposal submission deadlines are announced in the program guidelines and/or proposal solicitations, which are published in the Federal Register. Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 90 to 180 days from proposal submission. Appeals: None. Renewals: None. Formula and Matching Requirements: A grant awarded for applied research that is commodity-specific and that is not of national scope must be matched by the grant recipient with equal funds from a nonfederal source. The matching requirement may be met through allowable costs incurred by the recipient or subrecipient and through third party in-kind contributions. Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: From 6 months to 4 years. Reports: Annual and final technical and financial reports must be submitted to CSREES in accordance with the terms and conditions of a grant award. Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit 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. Records: Grantees must maintain separate records for each grant to ensure that funds are used for the purpose for which the grant was made. Grantees must maintain records, which are subject to inspection by CSREES, the cognizant Federal audit agency, or the USDA Office of Inspector General, three years beyond the expiration date of a grant or longer if there are any pending litigation or unresolved audit findings. Account Identification: 12-0012-0-1-999. Obligations: (Grants) FY 07 $0; FY 08 $0; and FY 09 est not reported. Range and Average of Financial Assistance: The range of assistance is $25,000 to $600,000; the average amount for Standard Grants is $271,000; the average amount for Center Planning Grants is $25,000. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The development of information infrastructure for post-secondary programs that will expand American Indian agricultural and natural resources programs; the development of a center for decentralized rural wastewater treatment; and the demonstration and promotion of the economic development potentials of farmers' markets and their effects on vendors and host communities. REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE: As indicated in the terms and conditions of any resulting grant award, the applicable regulations, guidelines, and literature include, but are not limited to: 7 CFR Part 3015 - USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations; 7 CFR Part 3017, as amended - USDA Implementation of Government wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government wide Requirements for DrugFree Workplace (Grants); 7 CFR Part 3018 - USDA Implementation of New Restrictions on lobbying; 7 CFR Part 3019 - USDA Implementation of OMB Circular No. A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations; 7 CFR Part 3052 - USDA Implementation of OMB Circular No. A-133 (revised June 24, 1997) regarding audits of States, local governments, and nonprofit organizations; 7 CFR Part 3407 - CSREES procedures to implement the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended. Regional or Local Office: None. Headquarters Office: Deputy Administrator, Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: (202) 401-1761. Web Site Address: http://www.reeusda.gov. RELATED PROGRAMS: 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; 10.205, 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; 10.215, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education; 10.500, Cooperative Extension Service. EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS: Planning for Native American Rural Development; Food Losses from the Farm to the Consumer; Competition for Land on the Urban-Rural Interface; ValueAdded Composites from the Rural Southwestern United States. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: Proposals are initially reviewed to ensure that they meet the requirements set forth in the program guidelines/proposal solicitations. Standard Project Grant proposals then undergo technical evaluations using the following criteria: (1) Merit - scientific, technical, or educational merit; well defined problem; clearly defined objectives; appropriateness of approach (including selection of proper approach to address systems, multifaceted, or multidisciplinary problems); demonstrated integration of components (such as research, education, and extension components); degree of feasibility; soundness and effectiveness of management plan; (2) Quality - creativity and innovativeness in addressing problems and issues; selection of most appropriate and qualified individuals to address problem; competence and experience of personnel; effective utilization of knowledge base in addressing problems; potential to contribute solutions to stated problem; identified potential for technology transfer and information dissemination; (3) relevance - proposal advances purposes for federallysupported research, education, and extension as referenced or stated in the solicitation; potential to contribute solutions to priority problems in agriculture; identification and involvement of stakeholders; involvement of communities of interest and stakeholders in the identification of problems set forth in the proposal; partnership with those affected by the outcome. FRA Center Planning Grant proposals will be judged using the following criteria: (1) Merits of the FRA Center concept; (2) relevance of the proposed FRA Center to the purposes of the Fund for Rural America; (3) appropriateness of planning activities in assembling a follow-on proposal for funding of the proposed FRA Center; and (4) competence of identified participants. Criteria used to judge FRA Center Grant proposals will be published in the FRA Center Grant solicitation. 10.225 COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS (Community Food Project Program) FEDERAL AGENCY: COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AUTHORIZATION: Food Stamp Act of 1977, Section 25, as amended; Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Section 401, Public Law 104-127. OBJECTIVES: To support the development of community food projects designed to meet the food needs of low-income people; increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their own needs; and promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Project Grants. USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: Community food projects are intended to take a comprehensive approach to developing long-term solutions that help to ensure food security in communities by linking the food sector to community development, economic opportunity, and environmental enhancement. Comprehensive solutions may include elements such as: (1) Improved access to high quality, affordable food among low-income households; (2) support for local food systems, from urban gardening to local farms that provide high quality fresh food, ideally with minimal adverse environmental impact; and (3) expanded economic opportunities for community residents through local business or other economic development, improved employment opportunities, job training, youth apprenticeship, school-to-work transition, and the like. Any solution proposed must tie into community food needs. Successful applicants must provide matching funds, either in cash or in-kind amounting to at least 50 percent of the total cost of the project during the term of the grant award. Applicant Eligibility: Proposals may be submitted by private nonprofit entities. Because projects must promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues, applicants are encouraged to seek and create partnership among public, private nonprofit and private for-profit organizations or firms. To be further eligible for a grant, a private nonprofit applicant must meet three mandatory requirements: 1. Have experience in the area of: (a) community food work, particularly concerning small and medium-sized farms, including the provision of food to people in low-income communities and the development of new markets in lowincome communities for agricultural producers; or (b) job training and business development activities in low-income communities; 2. demonstrate competency to implement a project, provide fiscal accountability and oversight, collect data, and prepare reports and other appropriate documentation; and 3. demonstrate a willingness to share information with researchers, practitioners, and other interested parties. Beneficiary Eligibility: Prior to the award of a grant, a prospective grantee organization must furnish information about the organization upon request from USDA. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87. Preapplication Coordination: All proposal solicitations are published in the Federal Register. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102 and E.O. 12372. Application Procedure: Formal proposal submission to the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service in accordance with the Community Food Projects program guidelines which will be issued annually. Award Procedure: Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by CSREES staff members with the assistance and advice of peer panels of specialists who are uniquely qualified by training and experience in their respective fields to render expert advice on the merit of proposals being reviewed. Proposals are supported in order of merit to the extent permitted by available funds. Proposals recommended for funding as a result of the merit review then undergo a financial and administrative review. Upon completion of all reviews, a grant award is issued. Deadlines: All proposal submission deadlines are announced in the proposal solicitation published in the Federal Register. Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 90 to 180 days. Appeals: None. Renewals: None. Formula and Matching Requirements: There is a matching requirement of 50 percent Federal and 50 percent nonfederal support of the project during the term of the grant. The nonfederal share may be provided through payment in cash or in-kind contributions in the form of fairly evaluated facilities, equipment, or services. The nonfederal share may be derived from State or local governments, or from private sources. Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: From one to three years. Reports: Quarterly financial reports, annual progress reports, and final financial and final summary progress reports. Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 2, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit 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. Records: Grantees must maintain separate records for each grant to ensure that funds are used for the purpose for which the grant was made. All matching contributions must be verifiable in the grantee organization's records. Records are subject to inspection during the life of the grant and for three years thereafter. Account Identification: 12-3505-0-1-605. Obligations: (Grants) FY 07 $4,800,000; FY 08 est $4,800,000; and FY 09 est not reported. Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $10,000 to $250,000. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Grants were awarded for projects designed to increase food security in communities by bringing the whole food system together to assess strengths, establish linkages, and create systems that improve the self-reliance of community members over their food needs. REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE: As set forth in the program guidelines and any resulting grant award, including 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); 7 CFR Part 3019 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Nonprofit Organizations); and 7 CFR Part 3052 (Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations). Regional or Local Office: None. Headquarters Office: Deputy Administrator, Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: (202) 401-1761. Web Site Address: http://www.reeusda.gov. RELATED PROGRAMS: 10.572, WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS: Family Gardens and Neighborhood Markets-Three New Communities; Patchwork Family Farms; Value-Added Processing for Community Food Security; Native American Food Systems Project; Lowell Farming and Food Project. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: 1. The applicability and merit of the proposed project in regard to its ability to: Meet the food needs of low-income people in the proposed community for providing for its own food needs; and promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition needs; 2. the capacity to become self-sustaining once Federal funding ends; and 3. organizational and staff qualifications and experience; and 4. additional criteria will be considered relative to the extent the proposed project contributes to: (a) developing linkages between two or more sectors of the food system; (b) supporting the development of entrepreneurial projects; (c) developing innovative linkages between the for-profit and nonprofit food sectors; (d) encouraging long-term planning activities and multi-system, interagency approaches; and (e) incorporating linkages to one or more ongoing USDA themes or initiatives referred to in the program guidelines and/or annual proposal solicitation. 10.226 SECONDARY AND TWO-YEAR POSTSECONDARY AGRICULTURE EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS FEDERAL AGENCY: COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AUTHORIZATION: Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Public Law 104-127, as amended. OBJECTIVES: To promote excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education, and to encourage more young Americans to pursue baccalaureate and higher degrees in the food and agricultural sciences. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Project Grants. USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS: Funds may be used only in targeted areas, e.g., curricula design and materials development, promotion of teaching competencies, promotion of agriscience and agribusiness career information, instruction delivery systems, student experiential learning, and educational activities that increase the diversity of students pursuing degrees in agriscience and agribusiness. Applicant Eligibility: Public secondary schools or public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges. Beneficiary Eligibility: Public secondary schools or public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges. Credentials/Documentation: Each first-time recipient must furnish organizational management information requested by the funding agency, and each applicant must provide assurances specified in the annual solicitation of applications. Preapplication Coordination: All proposals/solicitations are published in the Federal Register. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Application Procedure: Formal proposals should be submitted to the Office of Extramural Programs, CSREES, as outlined in the solicitation of applications. Application procedures are contained in the program regulations and required forms are contained in the Grant Application Kit. This program is subject to the regulatory provisions of USDA, 7 CFR Part 3015, et seq., and all successor regulations. Award Procedure: Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by CSREES staff members with the assistance and advice of peer panels of qualified educators, administrators, industrialists, and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the fields covered by the proposals. Proposals are supported in order of merit to the extent permitted by available funds. Grant payments may be made by the electronic transfer system, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check. Deadlines: All deadlines are announced in the Federal Register. Appeals: None. Renewals: None. Formula and Matching Requirements: Dollar-for-dollar matching funds from nonfederal sources is required. Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Grants are awarded for a one to two-year period and may receive no-cost extensions as appropriate up to a maximum of five years. Reports: Annual progress reports. Quarterly financial reports. Final progress reports are due within 90 days after project expiration. Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local governments, and Nonprofit 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. Records: Grantees are expected to maintain separate records for each grant to ensure that |