**Northern Plains Area Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement and/or
Reimbursable Agreement Process:**

The proposed research must support the mission of ARS; be of mutual
interest to all parties; supplement the program(s) of the scientist and
unit performing the work; be related to the expertise and assignment of
individuals performing the work; be fully documented and tracked. ***All
parties must mutually contribute resources to the effort.***

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **ARS Scientist/Unit Support      | **Extramural Agreements Section   |
| Staff Responsibilities:**         | Responsibilities:**               |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| -   Determine if you wish to      |                                   |
|     submit a research proposal to |                                   |
|     obtain incoming funds from a  |                                   |
|     Non-ARS Entity. (*i.e.,*      |                                   |
|     APHIS; NRCS; Forest Service;  |                                   |
|     DOD; EPA; National            |                                   |
|     Cattlemen\'s Beef Assoc.;     |                                   |
|     Texas Corn Producers; North   |                                   |
|     Dakota Beef Commission;       |                                   |
|     Minn-Dak Growers; etc.).      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| -   Obtain the ARS-425 template   | -   Review and approve the        |
|     (and ARS-416/417 templates    |     ARS-425. Release to NPS level |
|     when applicable) from the     |     for their review and          |
|     Unit ARIS User. Complete and  |     approval.                     |
|     return template(s) to Unit    |                                   |
|     ARIS User.                    | -   Provide Statement of Work     |
|                                   |     example(s) upon request from  |
| -   **Unit ARIS User:** Enter the |     the scientist.                |
|     ARS-425 and obtain line       |                                   |
|     management approval           | -   Contact the Unit ARIS User    |
|     signatures (RL/LD/CD).        |     when it is time add the       |
|                                   |     ARS-416/417 to the Approved   |
| -   Research proposals ***[cannot |     ARS-425.                      |
|     be submitted]{.underline}***  |                                   |
|     to the Non-ARS Entity until   |                                   |
|     the ARS-425 is approved by    |                                   |
|     all line management levels    |                                   |
|     (RL/LD/CD/AD/NPS).            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Add the ARS-416/417 to the    |                                   |
|     Approved ARS-425 (when        |                                   |
|     instructed to do so by the    |                                   |
|     Agreements Section).          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| -   Prepare the Statement of Work | -   Review the Statement of Work  |
|     (SOW) and Budget for the      |     and Budget for the proposed   |
|     proposed research.            |     research.                     |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Mutual interest in the        | -   Upon NPS approval of the      |
|     agreement\'s objective must   |     ARS-425 and/or ARS-416/417,   |
|     be specifically stated in the |     prepare the Cooperative       |
|     SOW.                          |     Agreement package and send it |
|                                   |     to the Non-ARS Entity for     |
| -   E-mail the SOW & Budget to    |     their signature.              |
|     the Agreements Section.       |                                   |
|                                   | -   Return a copy of the signed   |
| -   Forward all copies of         |     and fully executed            |
|     letters, E-mail               |     Cooperative Agreement         |
|     correspondence, etc., you     |     document to the Cooperator,   |
|     have had with the Non-ARS     |     ARS scientist, RL/LD/CD, and  |
|     Entity.                       |     LAO.                          |
|                                   |                                   |
| > 970-492-7029 or                 | -   Work with the NPA Budget and  |
| > [jim.quaratino@ars.usda.go      |     Fiscal Section to receive the |
| v](../jim.quaratino@ars.usda.gov) |     funds into ARS and assign an  |
| >                                 |     accounting code.              |
| > 970-492-7022 or                 |                                   |
| > [marc                           |                                   |
| ie.currie-gross@ars.usda.gov](../ |                                   |
| marcie.currie-gross@ars.usda.gov) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Funds are                     |                                   |
|     **[NOT]{.underline}**         |                                   |
|     available for use until all   |                                   |
|     Agreement actions are         |                                   |
|     completed by all parties.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   If a check is mailed to the   |                                   |
|     ARS Scientist or Unit:        |                                   |
|     Forward the check to the      |                                   |
|     Agreements Section.           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| -   Prepare the Annual and/or     | -   Document the Performance and  |
|     Final Performance Report(s)   |     Financial reports under the   |
|     to document the research      |     Terms and Conditions of the   |
|     conducted.                    |     Agreement.                    |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Send the original Performance | -   Monitor the ARS-421           |
|     Report(s) to the Non-ARS      |     Annual/Final Progress Report  |
|     Entity and a copy to the      |     system for the sibling CRIS   |
|     Agreements Section.           |     project (if applicable).      |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   In cooperation with the       | -   Close the Agreement through   |
|     Location Administrative       |     appropriate channels.         |
|     Officer and/or Budget staff,  |                                   |
|     obtain a copy of the Status   |                                   |
|     of Funds report and send it   |                                   |
|     to the Agreements Section.    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+