+-------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| ![](me      | **Program Solicitation**                               |
| dia/image1. |                                                        |
| png){width= | **1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity      |
| "1.16666666 | Building Grants Program**                              |
| 66666667in" |                                                        |
| height="    | **Fiscal Year 2008**                                   |
| 0.816666666 |                                                        |
| 6666667in"} | **Closing Date: February 15, 2008**                    |
|             |                                                        |
|             | **[CBG Program:]{.underline}**                         |
|             |                                                        |
|             | **Telephone: 202-720-1254**                            |
|             |                                                        |
|             | **Internet:                                            |
|             | <http://                                               |
|             | www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/rfas/1890_capacity.html>** |
|             |                                                        |
|             | **Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number        |
|             | (CFDA)**                                               |
|             |                                                        |
|             | [10.216 \-- 1890 Institution Capacity Building         |
|             | Grants]{.underline}                                    |
|             |                                                        |
|             | **CSREES Funding Opportunity Number**                  |
|             |                                                        |
|             | USDA-CSREES-CBGP-001192                                |
+-------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| **United    |                                                        |
| States      |                                                        |
| Department  |                                                        |
| of          |                                                        |
| Ag          |                                                        |
| riculture** |                                                        |
+-------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| ![](me      |                                                        |
| dia/image2. |                                                        |
| png){width= |                                                        |
| "0.56875in" |                                                        |
| height="    |                                                        |
| 0.800694444 |                                                        |
| 4444445in"} |                                                        |
+-------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| **          |                                                        |
| Cooperative |                                                        |
| State       |                                                        |
| Research,   |                                                        |
| Education,  |                                                        |
| and         |                                                        |
| Extension   |                                                        |
| Service**   |                                                        |
+-------------+--------------------------------------------------------+

**\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*PLEASE READ\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\***

## IMPORTANT ITEMS FOR THE USDA-CSREES Capacity Building Grants Program

## FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2008 PROGRAM SOLICITATION

Four major changes are made in this RFA:

-   New funding category is added;

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Number of proposals submitted by an institution is restricted to
    eight applications;

-   Eligibility of the PD is restricted based on the number of active
    grants received from the CBG Program; and

-   Alignment of application with institution Goals and Objectives is
    required.

The 1890 Institutions Teaching and Research Capacity Building Grants
(CBG) Program requires all applications be submitted electronically
through [**Grants.gov**](http://www.grants.gov/). There are considerable
online resources to help potential applicants with the new electronic
forms and submission requirements.

This is the second year of electronic submissions and it is expected
that the 1890 institutions, including Tuskegee University and West
Virginia State University are registered with Grants.gov.

The Agency within USDA responsible for administering this grants program
is the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
(CSREES). CSREES has also developed documentation to help navigate the
process. The central point for all information related to electronic
application submission is
[www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/electronic](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/electronic).
This site is updated frequently and it should be checked often for
program-specific help concerning electronic submissions.

+---------------------------+------------------------------------------+
| **Helpful Submission      | **Website Address**                      |
| Information**             |                                          |
+---------------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Information pertaining to | > [www.cs                                |
| the transition to         | rees.usda.gov/funding/electronic](http:/ |
| electronic submission can | /www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/electronic) |
| be found at the CSREES    | >                                        |
| website.                  | > This page will be updated frequently   |
|                           | > and should be checked for              |
|                           | > program-specific help.                 |
+---------------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Applications for this     | To access the electronic application via |
| grants program should be  | Grants.gov, go to                        |
| submitted through the     | [                                        |
| Grants.gov website.       | www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/), |
|                           | under the "Apply for Grants" heading on  |
|                           | the left side of page and click on       |
|                           | "Download a Grant Application Package."  |
|                           | Enter the CFDA number 10.216 in the      |
|                           | appropriate box to search by Catalog of  |
|                           | Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)       |
|                           | number.                                  |
+---------------------------+------------------------------------------+
| The CSREES GRANTS.GOV     | Each applicant should use the CSREES     |
| Application Guide         | document titled, "A Guide for            |
| provides guidance for     | Preparation and Submission of CSREES     |
| completing the forms      | Applications via Grants.gov" also known  |
| required by Grants.gov    | as the "CSREES Application Guide," that  |
| and CSREES. Used in       | is part of this RFA package located at   |
| conjunction with this RFA | [**Grants.                               |
| for the CBG grants        | gov**](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fundin |
| program, this guide will  | g/grant_forms/electronic_app_guide.pdf). |
| assist applicants with    | This document provides guidance for      |
| most field-specific       | completing the required forms at         |
| questions.                | Grants.gov.                              |
|                           |                                          |
|                           | **Applicants should also reference the   |
|                           | RFA for additional guidance not found in |
|                           | the application guide.**                 |
+---------------------------+------------------------------------------+

-   Applications must be received at
    [**Grants.gov**](http://www.grants.gov/) by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time,
    on February 15, 2008. Plan ahead. Do not wait until the last minute
    to submit your application.

-   Applicants who have problems with their submissions to Grants.gov
    are encouraged [first]{.underline} to call the Grants.gov help desk
    to resolve any problems. Keep a record of any such correspondence.

For any questions related to preparing application content, contact:

Email: <electronic@csrees.usda.gov>

Phone: 202-401-5048, Business hours are M-F, 7:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. ET,
excluding Federal holidays.

For any questions related to Grants.gov content, contact:

Email: <support@grants.gov>

Toll Free: 1-800-518-4726, Business hours are M-F, 7:00 a.m. -- 9:00
p.m. ET, excluding Federal holidays.

Part IV of this RFA provides additional information specific to the CBG
application submission. Applicants are advised to refer to this section
to determine if specific information is required during the submission
of the forms on Grants.gov. If directed by this RFA to provide
information that is different from the CSREES Application Guide, the
information in this RFA supersedes in all cases.

**Note the attachment requirements (e.g., portable document format) in
Part III section 3. of the Guide. [Any proposals containing non-PDF
documents will be AT RISK OF BEING EXCLUDED FROM csrees
REVIEW.]{.underline} Partial applications will be excluded from CSREES
review. With documented prior approval, resubmitted applications will be
accepted until close of business on the closing date in the RFA.**

If you do not own PDF-generating software, Grants.gov provides online
tools to assist applicants. On the Grants.gov Customer Support webpage
([**http://grants.gov/CustomerSupport**](http://grants.gov/CustomerSupport))
users will find a link to "Convert Documents to PDF"
([**http://grants.gov/assets/PDFConversion.pdf**](http://grants.gov/assets/PDFConversion.pdf)).

Applications for this grant program should include the following:

+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| **Document        | **         | **Instruction      | **Additional |
| Title**           | Required** | Source**           | Instructions |
|                   |            |                    | within this  |
|                   |            |                    | RFA**        |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| SF 424 (R&R)      |            | CSREES Grants.gov  | CBG RFA      |
| Cover Sheet       |            | Application Guide  |              |
|                   |            | p. 17              | Part IV.     |
|                   |            |                    | B.1., p.21   |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| (R&R) Other       |            | CSREES Grants.gov  | CBG RFA      |
| Project           |            | Application Guide  |              |
| Information       |            | p. 24              | Part IV.     |
|                   |            |                    | B.2., p.21   |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| (R&R) Senior/Key  |            | CSREES Grants.gov  | CBG RFA      |
| Person Profile    |            | Application Guide  |              |
| (Expanded)        |            | p. 29              | Part IV.     |
|                   |            |                    | B.3., p.27   |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| (R&R) Personal    |            | CSREES Grants.gov  | CBG RFA      |
| Data              |            | Application Guide  |              |
|                   |            | p. 34              | Part IV.     |
|                   |            |                    | B.4., p.27   |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| (R&R) Budget      |            | CSREES Grants.gov  | CBG RFA      |
|                   |            | Application Guide  |              |
|                   |            | p. 36              | Part IV.     |
|                   |            |                    | B.5., p.28   |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| (R&R) Subaward    | Only for   | CSREES Grants.gov  | CBG RFA      |
| Budget Attachment | joint      | Application Guide  |              |
|                   | project    | p. 36              | Part IV.     |
|                   | proposals  |                    | B.6., p.28   |
|                   |            | (Follow attachment |              |
|                   |            | guidelines)        |              |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| USDA Cooperator   |            | No CSREES Form -   | CBG RFA Part |
| Letter            |            | PDF                | IV, B. 2(c), |
|                   |            |                    | p. 27        |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+
| CSREES            |            | CSREES Grants.gov  | CBG RFA      |
| Supplemental      |            | Application Guide  |              |
| Information       |            | p. 45              | Part IV.     |
|                   |            |                    | B.7., p.28   |
+-------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------+

**COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE**

**U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**1890 INSTITUTION TEACHING AND RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS (CBG)
PROGRAM**

**INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT**

**CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE:**  This program is listed in
the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.216.

**DATES: ** Applications must be received by Grants.gov **by 5:00
Eastern Time on February 15, 2008.** Applications received after this
deadline will normally not be considered for funding. Comments regarding
this request for applications (RFA) are requested within six months from
the issuance of this notice. Comments received after that date will be
considered to the extent practicable.

## STAKEHOLDER INPUT: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is requesting comments regarding this RFA from any interested party. These comments will be considered in the development of the next RFA for the program. Such comments will be used to meet the requirements of section 103(c) (2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)). This section requires the Secretary to solicit and consider input on a current RFA from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, education and extension for use in formulating future RFAs for competitive programs. Written stakeholder comments on this RFA should be submitted in accordance with the deadline set forth in the DATES portion of this Notice.

Written stakeholder comments should be submitted by mail to:  Policy,
Oversight, and Funds Management Branch; Office of Extramural Programs;
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; USDA; STOP
2299; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20250‑2299; or via
e‑mail to:  <RFP-OEP@csrees.usda.gov>. (This e-mail address is intended
only for receiving comments regarding this RFA and not requesting
information or forms.) In your comments, please state that you are
responding to the 1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity
Building Grants Program RFA.

**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: ** CSREES requests applications for the 1890
Institution Teaching and Research Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program
for FY 2008. The intent of this program is to build institutional
capacity through stimulating the development of high quality teaching
and research programs at the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, including
Tuskegee University and West Virginia State University, that will
produce baccalaureate and higher degree level graduates capable of
strengthening the Nation's food and agricultural scientists and
professionals.  CSREES anticipates the amount available for support of
this program in FY 2008 will be approximately \$12.3 million.

**Table of Contents**

**PART I-FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION**

[A. Legislative Authority and Background 7](#legislative)

[B. Purpose and Priorities 7](#purpose)

[C. Program Area Description 8](#program)

**PART II---AWARD INFORMATION**

[A. Available Funding 16](#a.-available-funding)

[B. Types of Applications 17](#types)

 

**PART III---ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION**

[A. Eligible Applicants 19](#eligible)

[B. Cost Sharing or Matching 19](#b.-cost-sharing-or-matching)

**PART IV---APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION**

[A. Electronic Application Package 20](#electronic)

[B. Content and Form of Application Submission 20](#content)

[C. Submission Dates and Times 30](#submission)

[D. Funding Restrictions 31](#funding)

[E. Other Submission Requirements 31](#other)

**PART V---APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS**

[A. General 32](#general)

[B. Evaluation Criteria 32](#evaluation)

[C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality 34](#coflicts)

[D. Organizational Management Information 34](#organizational)

**PART VI---AWARD ADMINISTRATION**

[A. General 36](#general1)

[B. Award Notice 36](#award)

[C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 37](#adminstrative)

[D. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements 38](#expected)

**PART VII---**[AGENCY CONTACT 40](#agency)

**PART VIII---OTHER INFORMATION**

[A. Access to Review Information 41](#access)

[B. Use of Funds; Changes 41](#use)

[C. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards 42](#confidential)

[D. Regulatory Information 42](#regulatory)

[E. Definitions 42](#definitions)

**PART I-FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION**

[]{#legislative .anchor}**A. Legislative Authority and Background**

Authority for this program is contained in section 1417 (b)(4) of the
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977, as amended (NARETPA) (7 U.S.C. 3152 (b)(4)) and pursuant to annual
appropriations made available specifically for the 1890 Capacity
Building Program. In accordance with the statutory authority, subject to
the availability of funds, the Secretary of Agriculture may make
competitive grants, for a period not to exceed five years, to design and
implement food and agricultural programs to build teaching and research
capacity at colleges and universities having significant minority
enrollments.

For purposes of this program, the term "food and agricultural sciences"
means basic, applied, and developmental research, extension, and
teaching activities in the food and fiber, agricultural, renewable
natural resources, forestry, and physical and social sciences, in the
broadest sense of these terms, including but not limited to, activities
relating to the production, processing, marketing, distribution,
conservation, utilization, consumption, research, and development of
food and agriculturally related products and services, and inclusive of
programs in agriculture, natural resources, aquaculture, forestry,
veterinary medicine, home economics, rural human ecology, rural
economic, community, or business development, and closely allied
disciplines.

(see Part VIII, E., Definitions).

[]{#purpose .anchor}**B. Purpose and Priorities**

The Department of Agriculture depends upon sound programs in the food
and agricultural sciences through partnership with the Nation's colleges
and universities to produce well trained professionals for careers in
the food and agricultural sciences.

The CBG Program is intended to stimulate development of quality
education and research programs at these institutions in order that they
may better assist USDA in its mission of providing a professional work
force in the food and agricultural sciences. This CBG Program is
competitive in nature and provides support to the 1890s for teaching and
research projects in targeted high-priority areas. It requires
cooperation with one or more USDA agency in developing a proposal and
carrying out a project, thereby strengthening departmental partnerships
and linkages with these important Land Grant institutions.

This program is designed specifically to build the institutional
teaching and research capacities of the eligible institutions through
cooperative programs with Federal and non-Federal entities. The program
is designed to achieve three major goals:

> 1\. To advance cultural diversity of the food and agricultural
> scientific and professional work force by attracting and educating
> more students from underrepresented groups;
>
> 2\. To strengthen linkages among the 1890 institutions, other colleges
> and universities, USDA, and private industry; and
>
> 3\. To enhance the quality of teaching and research programs at the
> 1890 institutions to more readily establish them as full partners in
> the U.S. food and agricultural sciences higher education system.

Definitions for 'capacity building' and 'food and agricultural sciences'
are listed in

Part VIII, E (Definitions).

**[Applications submitted must follow the format provided in Part IV, B.
and address all of the following five items]{.underline}**:

1.  Focus on at least one of the **Degree Levels -- Teaching only**
    (described in Part I, C.1.);

2.  Address at least one of the **Program Priority Areas** (described in
    Part I, C. 2.);

3.  Address at least one of the **Teaching or Research Need Areas**
    (described in Part I, C. 1. or C 2.);

4.  Document how project accomplishments (products, results and impacts,
    etc.) will be disseminated or otherwise published to the broadest
    extent throughout the academic or scientific community (described in
    Part IV, B.2.b.(2)(f), Dissemination Plans); and

5.  Provide a unique application title that is different from the
    program code name: \"1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity
    Building Grants Program.\"

[]{#program .anchor}**C. Program Area Description**

**Teaching Applications must focus upon at least one of the following:**

**1. Degree Levels:**

> **a) Baccalaureate degree-level** teaching improvement and research
> training projects in the food and agricultural sciences (Part VIII, E.
> Definitions); and/or
>
> **b) Graduate degree-level** teaching improvement and research
> training projects in the food and agricultural sciences.

**2. Program Priority Areas:**

All applications must address at least one of the following Program
Priority Areas:

a\) **[Program Priority Area \# 1]{.underline}**:

**1. Human health and obesity as it relates to nutrition**

**2. Bio-energy/fuel**

**3. Food safety**

**4. Water quality**

**5. Agricultural bio-security**

This Priority Area is for Teaching or Research applications that
**support single institution approaches** to local or regional problems
or opportunities in one of the selected areas listed above. The
application should have the potential to encourage regional or national
program delivery in one of the selected areas.

b\) **[Program Priority Area \# 2]{.underline}**:

**Joint Project Proposals**

This Priority Area is for Teaching or Research applications that
**support joint projects** (Part VIII, E. Definitions) **approaches** to
scientific investigations that are multidisciplinary and
interdisciplinary and that address critical U.S. food and agricultural
issues at the local, state, regional and national level(s). The
applications may address food and agricultural areas identified in
C.2.a) and C.2.c or other areas within the food and agricultural
sciences). **The applications for New Faculty & Investigator Enhancement
Initiatives are excluded from this Program Priority area.**

c\) **[Program Priority Area \# 3:]{.underline}**

**General Food & Agricultural Science Issues**

This Priority Area is for Teaching or Research applications **that**
**support single institution approaches** that address local, regional,
or national issues **in food and agricultural sciences (Part VIII, E.
Definitions).**

d\) **[Program Priority Area \# 4:]{.underline}**

**New Faculty & Investigator Enhancement Initiatives**

This Priority Area is for Teaching or Research applications that will
increase the number of quality new faculty and investigators from the
eligible institutions in food and agricultural sciences (Part I, C.,
3c). **The applications may address one of the areas cited in C.2.a and
C.2.c or other areas within the definition of food and agricultural
sciences.**

Applications that do not fit into one of the Priority Program Areas and
do not support one of the CSREES Strategic Goals (part I, C.4.) **will**
not be accepted **by the National Program Leader (NPL)** for inclusion
in the Application Review Panel.

**Funding allocation for each of the cited Priority Area is listed in
Part II.B.**

**3. Program Need Areas:**

**(a) Teaching**

Teaching applications must address one or more of the following Need
Areas identified below, **and also** offer for-credit, academic
coursework. Applicants are encouraged to design innovative projects that
have broad-based applicability beyond a single course or an individual
instructor and include a library enhancement or digital component. These
projects must be related to subject matter within the broadly defined
food and agricultural sciences (Part VIII, E., Definitions).

**Applications must demonstrate how their chosen Program Priority Area
is addressed when selecting a Need Area.**

i\) **Curricula Design and Materials Development:** This Need Area
promotes developing new (or adapting existing) curricula and related
materials to meet changes anticipated within the food and agricultural
sciences system. Projects should be integrated and multidisciplinary,
and possess learner-centered instruction which will demonstrate an
improvement in teaching and student learning against core course
objectives. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how the project will
reach large audiences efficiently and effectively, provide hands-on
learning experiences, extend learning beyond the classroom, reinforce
recent research on how to motivate students to learn, retain, apply, and
transfer knowledge, skills, and competencies, and integrate and
synthesize knowledge.

ii\) **Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching:** This Need
Area prepares academic faculty for sustainable change to address
emerging student clientele (demographic composition, learning styles,
digital applicability), improving teaching competency (subject matter
expertise and pedagogy), or developing student recruitment and advising
skills (career opportunities in emerging agricultural sciences fields).
It is envisioned that efforts under this area will allow faculty to be
better prepared to teach future courses related to building human
capital in the food and agricultural sciences.

For example, projects addressing this Area must enable teaching faculty
to: gain experience with recent developments or innovative technology
relevant to their teaching responsibilities; work under the guidance and
direction of experts who have substantial expertise in an area related
to project goals; work with professionals or peers in government,
industry, or colleges or universities to learn new applications in a
field; expand competence with new methods of information delivery
related to teaching; or increase understanding of the special needs of
non-traditional students or students from groups that are
underrepresented in the food and agricultural sciences workforce.

iii\) **Instruction Delivery Systems:** This Need Area encourages the
development and use of alternative methods of delivering instruction to
enhance the quality, effectiveness, and cost efficiency of teaching
programs. Examples of alternative methods of delivering instruction
include, but are not limited to: using state-of the-art digital
technology; faculty sharing, cross enrollments, joint degrees,
teleconferencing; networking via satellite communications; or utilizing
mobile classrooms and laboratories and individualized learning centers.
Multi-institutional, regional or national collaborations are encouraged.
Emphasis should be on improving the art of teaching by faculty.

iv\) **Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching:** This Need Area
provides students with the necessary experience with suitable,
up-to-date equipment to involve them in work central to understanding
advances in the food and agricultural sciences and to prepare them for
work or further graduate/professional training.

This program initiative will support the acquisition of instructional
laboratory and classroom equipment to assure the achievement and
maintenance of outstanding food and agricultural sciences higher
education programs. An application may request support for:  (1)
acquiring new, state-of-the-art instructional equipment; (2) upgrading
existing equipment; (3) replacing non-functional or obsolete equipment;
or (4) establishing equipment-sharing capabilities via consortia or
centers that develop innovative opportunities such as mobile
laboratories or satellite access to industry or government laboratories.

v\) **Student Experiential Learning:** This Need Area encourages the
development of new student learning opportunities where students are
placed in team-oriented, problem-solving, decision-making situations in
the context of real-world experiences. Experiential learning in
laboratory research or other internships with business and industry,
community organizations, federal agencies and other domains that provide
knowledge and skills for graduate study should be given priority.

Projects addressing this Area must: (1) demonstrate how the experience
will produce qualified and well trained graduates, (2) contain an
evaluation process involving both the faculty or mentor to assure that
students meet project objectives, and (3) document that the field of
science under consideration is experiencing a shortage of scientific and
professional personnel, and how the project plans to address this
deficiency. Individual students may be supported under this experiential
learning opportunity for up to three years (including summers,
semesters, or semester breaks). Requested grant funds may be used as
stipends for students while they are working in research/field settings.
Students should be required to prepare written and oral summaries of the
experiential learning gained through this opportunity. To attract
high-caliber students, stipends should be competitive with alternative
employment options. A modest amount of funds may be requested for
materials/supplies to facilitate a student's broad exposure to
research/field techniques and methodologies. Grant recipients are
encouraged to take advantage of any related paid internship
opportunities provided by state, county, federal, business and industry
sources.

vi\) **Student Recruitment and Retention:** This Need Area is to enhance
student recruitment and retention programs in order to strengthen the
Nation\'s scientific and professional workforce.

Examples of projects that address this Area include, but are not limited
to: special outreach programs for pipelining elementary and secondary
students as well as parents, counselors, and the general public to
broaden awareness of the extensive nature and diversity of career
opportunities for graduates in the food and agricultural sciences;
developing curriculum and learning modules for state Ag in the Classroom
teachers that establish more effective linkages with high school science
classes and promote general agricultural literacy. Unique or innovative
student recruitment activities, materials, and personnel; special
retention programs to assure student progression through and completion
of an educational program; development and dissemination of stimulating
career information materials; use of regional or national media to
promote food and agricultural sciences higher education; or provision of
financial incentives to enable and encourage students to pursue and
complete an undergraduate or graduate degree in an area of the food and
agricultural sciences. Recruitment and retention efforts should be
summarized quantitatively (i.e. numbers of students recruited against
those contacted) and qualitatively (i.e. lessons learned that improve
future recruitment strategies).

**(b) Research**

Research applications must address one or more of the following Need
Areas where there is a present or anticipated need for increased
science-based knowledge to address emerging state, regional, national
and global issues. Applicants are encouraged to include a library
enhancement component related to the Area in their applications. In
addition, these projects must be related to subject matter within the
broadly defined food and agricultural sciences (see Part VIII, E.,
Definitions).

**Applications must demonstrate how their chosen Program Priority Area
is addressed when selecting a Need Area.**

i\) **Studies and Experimentation in Food and Agricultural Sciences:**
The purpose of this Need Area is to advance the body of knowledge in
those basic and applied natural and social sciences that comprise the
food and agricultural sciences. Projects addressing this Area are
encouraged to focus on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research
activities addressing critical issues rather than single
discipline-specific research studies.

Examples of studies and experiments that address this Area include, but
are not limited to:  conceiving, designing, and evaluating new
bio-processing techniques for eliminating undesirable constituents from
or adding desirable ones to food products; development of
bio-energy/fuel alternatives, conducting plant or animal breeding
programs to develop higher yielding and improved quality products and
improved diseases resistance; proposing and evaluating methods to
enhance utilization of the capabilities and resources of food and
agricultural institutions to promote rural development (e.g.,
exploitation of new technologies by small rural businesses); identifying
control factors that influence consumer demand for agricultural
products; analyzing social, economic, and physiological aspects of
nutrition and health, food choices, and life-style choices, and
community strategies for meeting the changing needs of different
population groups; or advancing the body of knowledge in highly
important scientific, food and agriculture program areas such as human
nutrition, food safety, sustainable agriculture, biotechnology and
genomics, newly developed research areas, such as proteomics,
metabolimics, nano-technology, pharmaceutical qualities of medicinal
plants, agribusiness management and marketing, natural resources and the
environment, and pest management.

ii\) **Centralized Research Support Systems:   **The purpose of this
Need Area is to establish centralized research support systems that: (1)
meet national needs or serve regions or 1890 clientele that cannot
otherwise afford, or do not have access to such support; or (2) provide
research support more economically, thereby freeing up resources for
other research uses.  Applicants must demonstrate how their chosen
Program Priority Area is addressed when selecting this Area. Examples of
projects that address this Area include but are not limited to: 
storage, maintenance, characterization, evaluation and enhancement of
germplasm for use by animal and plant breeders, including those using
the techniques of biotechnology; establishment of computerized data
banks of important scientific information (e.g., human nutrition,
epidemiological, demographic, weather, economic, crop yields); or
establishment of expert service centers for sophisticated and highly
specialized methodologies (e.g., evaluation of organoleptic and
nutritional quality of foods, toxicology, taxonomic identifications,
consumer preferences demographics, and efficacy of medicinal plants).

iii\) **Technology Delivery Systems:** The purpose of this Need Area is
to promote innovation and improvement in the delivery of benefits of
food and agricultural sciences to producers and consumers, particularly
producers and consumers in underserved communities whose share in these
benefits is disproportionately low. Examples of innovations and
improvements in this Need Area include but are not limited to:
computer-based decision support systems to assist small-scale farmers in
taking advantage of relevant technologies, programs, policies, or
efficacious delivery systems for nutrition intervention information or
resource management assistance for low-income families and
individuals.  

**(c) New Faculty and Investigator Enhancement Initiative**

The primary intent of this initiative is to increase the number of
outstanding new faculty and investigators from the eligible institutions
in food and agricultural sciences. The new faculty and investigators,
who are in the beginning of their teaching and/or research careers, do
not have a strong research publication record, and are in a pre-tenure
position or equivalent are eligible.

The applicant PD may not have previous grant experience and must meet
all other eligibility requirements as described in this RFA. An
individual applicant may be involved in only one new faculty and
investigator enhancement initiative application.

In FY 2008, CSREES anticipates making up to 8 awards for teaching and 4
awards for research in this need area.

**Eligible Activities for the Teaching Applications:**

For teaching applications that propose targeted faculty with one-time
resources to undertake new and innovative initiatives that enhance their
ability to provide students with opportunities in the food and
agricultural sciences:

> i\) **Equipment and Instrumentation:** Funds under this area are
> intended to cover the costs of purchasing, installing and maintaining
> educational equipment or scientific instruments to be used to enhance
> classroom instruction and applied classroom related research.
>
> ii\) **Experimental Methodologies and Distance Education:** Funds
> under this area are intended to support new and creative ideas for
> classroom or out of classroom instruction and educational experiences
> that otherwise might not be available to new faculty. These can
> include but are not limited to educational software, field trips,
> conferences and workshops, payment for visiting faculty or experts.
>
> iii\) **Faculty or Student Strengthening:** Funds under this area are
> intended to support the training and educational opportunities of new
> faculty or students in support of CBG stated objectives. These can
> include but are not limited to courses or certificate programs,
> stipends, travel and registration for educational opportunities
> outside of the home institution, mini-sabbaticals to undertake
> educational opportunities.

**Eligible Activities for the Research Applications:**

The New Investigator Enhancement Initiative will provide targeted
investigators with one-time resources to undertake new and innovative
initiatives that enhance their research capacity. The eligible
activities for research applicants are limited to the following areas as
described in details under research (Part I. 3.b):

i\) **Studies and experimentation in food and agricultural sciences;
and/or**

ii\) **Technology delivery systems.**

**4. CSREES Strategic Plan**

All applications must support at least one of the CSREES Strategic
Goals. The CSREES Strategic Plan can be viewed and downloaded at:

**<http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/offices/pdfs/csrees_stratic_plan.pdf>.**

Goal 1 Enhance International Competitiveness of American Agriculture

> Goal 2 Enhance Competitiveness and Sustainability of Rural and Farm
> Economies
>
> Goal 3 Support Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Quality
> of Life in Rural America
>
> Goal 4 Enhance Protection and Safety of the Nation's Agriculture and
> Food Supply
>
> Goal 5 Improve the Nation's Nutrition and Health
>
> Goal 6 Protect and Enhance the Nation's Natural Resource Base and
> Environment

**5. Discipline Codes for 1890 Capacity Building Grants Program**

Eligible institutions may, within the Teaching Project and Research
Project Need Areas identified for support, propose projects in any
Discipline(s) or subject matter area(s) of the food and agricultural
sciences noted below:

  ---------- ----------------------------- ----------- ----------------------------
  **Code**   **Discipline -- For Teaching  **Code**    **Discipline -- For Research
             Proposals Only**                          Proposals Only**

  **EP.M**   Agribusiness Management &     **EQ.L**    Agribusiness Management &
             Marketing                                 Marketing

  **EP.E**   Agricultural Engineering      **EQ.E**    Agricultural Engineering

  **EP.A**   Animal Sciences               **EQ.Q**    Agricultural Social Sciences

  **EP.Q**   Aquaculture                   **EQ.A**    Animal Sciences

  **EP.T**   Entomology                    **EQ.P**    Aquaculture

  **EP.C**   Environmental Science &       **EQ.C**    Conservation and Renewable
             Natural Resource Conservation             Natural Resources

  **EP.F**   Food Science/Technology       **EQ.W**    Entomology-Animal

  **EP.G**   General Agricultural Science  **EQ.S**    Entomology-Plant

  **EP.H**   Home Economics                **EQ.J**    Environmental
                                                       Sciences/Management

  **EP.N**   Human Nutrition               **EQ.F**    Food Science/Technology

  **EP.I**   International Education       **EQ.G**    General Food and
                                                       Agricultural Sciences

  **EP.P**   Plant Sciences                **EQ.M**    Human Nutrition

  **EP.B**   Related Biological Sciences   **EQ.I**    International
                                                       Education/Research

  **EP.R**   Rural Development / Social    **EQ.N**    Plant Sciences
             Science                                   

  **EP.V**   Veterinary Science            **EQ.B**    Related Biological Sciences

                                           **EQ.O**    Soil Sciences

                                           **EQ.T**    Veterinary Medicine/Science

                                           **EQ.V1**   Water Science
  ---------- ----------------------------- ----------- ----------------------------

It is important that applicants indicate in the Project Summary which of
the CSREES Strategic Goals by code their proposed project addresses. In
the keywords portion of the application package, applicants should
include keywords that clearly designate which of the Goals, Program
Priority Areas, Need Area, and Discipline(s) are addressed in the
application.

**PART II-AWARD INFORMATION**

## 

## A. Available Funding

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to
make a specific number of awards. CSREES anticipates approximately
\$12.3 million will be available to fund applications in FY 2008. 
CSREES plans to divide CBG Program funds equally between Teaching and
Research awards.

**1. Allocation of Funding**

CSREES plans to allocate available grant funds among the four Program
Priority Areas as follows:

> 1\. Approximately 20 percent of total CBG funds for Program Priority
> Area #1 - Human health and obesity as it relates to nutrition,
> bio-energy/fuel, food safety, water quality or agricultural
> bio-security;
>
> 2\. Approximately 30 percent of total CBG funds for Program Priority
> Area #2 -- Joint Project Proposals;
>
> 3\. Approximately 40 percent of total CBG funds for Program Priority
> Area #3 -- General Food and Agricultural Science Issues Projects; and
>
> 4\. Approximately 10 percent of total CBG funds for program Priority
> Area #4 -- New Faculty and Investigator Enhancement Initiative.

Applicants may use the above allocation plan in determining the type of
application(s) submitted. Nevertheless, the final allocation of funds
among Program Priority Areas is dependent upon the number, type and
merit of applications received. CSREES reserves the right to adjust the
final allocation accordingly.

**2. Funding and Award Restrictions**

> a\) Each application must be limited to be either a Teaching Project
> or a Research Project;
>
> b\) Eligible institutions may submit up to 8 applications per
> institution;
>
> c\) Eligible institutions will not receive more than four (4) new
> awards per institution in FY 2008;
>
> d\) Eligible institutions may receive both Teaching and Research
> awards up to a maximum of 10 percent of FY 2008 appropriated 1890 CBG
> funds. For each institution, a single award in Program Priority Areas
> #1, #2 and #4 will not be counted against the institutional maximum of
> 10 percent. In the case of multiple awards in these areas, CSREES will
> determine which awards will be exempt from the 10 percent maximum; and
>
> e\) Eligible institutions may be awarded no more than one teaching and
> one research award for the New Faculty and Investigator Enhancement
> Initiative.

[]{#types .anchor}**B. Types of Applications**

**In FY 2008, applications may be submitted to the CBG Program as one of
the following two types of requests:**

**1. New application:** A project application not previously submitted
to the CBG Program. All new applications will be reviewed competitively
using the selection process and evaluation criteria described in Part V.
B., Evaluation Criteria. 

**2. Resubmitted application:** This is an application that had
previously been submitted to the CBG Program but not funded. Project
Directors (PDs) must respond to the previous review panel summary (see
Response to Previous Review, Part IV, B.2.c.). Resubmitted applications
must be received by the relevant due dates, will be evaluated in
competition with other pending and new applications in the appropriate
area to which they are assigned, and will be reviewed according to the
same evaluation criteria as new applications.

**C. Project Types**

**Each application must be self-designated as either Teaching or
Research in the Project Summary (see Part IV, B2a)). Applications that
are not so designated with the codes below will be assigned to either
category by CSREES.**

-   **Program Code: EP ( Teaching )**

-   **Program Code: EQ ( Research )**

Project periods will be up to 36 months in duration. The New Faculty and
Investigator Enhancement Initiative awards will be up to 24 months in
duration.

**CSREES has limited the amount of funding for which Single and Joint
Project Proposals may apply.**

**Applicants may submit either:**

**1. Single Institution (Part VIII, E. Definitions):**

a)  Teaching applications may request up to a total of \$200,000

b)  Research applications may request up to a total of \$300,000 (except
    for New Faculty and Investigator Enhancement Initiative)

In a Single Institution application, grant funds are limited to the
applicant institution except for sub-contracts. A Project Director may
receive only one new award as the lead individual in a Need Area that
focuses on a single subject or discipline. Funds **do not** have to be
divided equally among project years.

**2. Joint Project Proposals (Part VIII, E. Definitions):**

a)  Teaching applications may request up to a total of \$300,000

b)  Research applications may request up to a total of \$500,000

In a Joint Project Proposals, the applicant institution will transfer at
least half of the awarded funds to the other institutions participating
in the project.

**Note: Joint Project Proposals must include a separate sub-award budget
for each of the identified eligible project partners. (Part IV, B.6)**

Either Single Institution or Joint Project applications may have
Partnering Entities who will be involved in conducting the proposed
work. CSREES encourages partnerships and collaborative efforts with
Partnering Entities (State government, federal agencies/offices, and
private sector organizations), in addition to eligible joint project
proposal partners. However, the intent of the CBG is to enhance the
research and teaching capabilities of 1890s for advancing student
learning and scientific expertise development. Consequently, the award
of grant funds is limited to the eligible applicant institutions and,
for joint project proposals and collaborating institutions. While
Partnering Entities may have a substantive role in a project, they may
only receive reimbursement for non-salary minor expenses such as
materials and supplies. (Part VIII, E. Partnering Entity)

**3. New Funding Category: New Faculty and Investigator Enhancement
Initiative, Part II. C. 3(c).**

a)  Teaching applications for new faculty addressing Program Priority
    Area \# 4 may request up to a total of \$50,000

b)  Research applications for new investigators addressing Program
    Priority Area \# 4 may request up to a total of \$100,000

**PART III-ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION**

[]{#eligible .anchor}**A. Eligible Applicants**

Applications may only be submitted by 1890 Land-Grant Institutions,
including Tuskegee University and West Virginia State University. The
eligible institutions are:

Alabama A&M University University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Delaware State University Florida A&M University

Fort Valley State University Kentucky State University

Alcorn State University Southern University and A&M College

University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Lincoln University (MO)

North Carolina A&T State University Langston University

South Carolina State University Tennessee State University

Prairie View A&M University Virginia State University

Tuskegee University West Virginia State University

An institution eligible to receive an award under this program includes
a research foundation maintained by an eligible institution.

Faculty and students receiving support for developmental activities or
educational costs must be eligible participants, as defined in Part
VIII, E., (Definitions). Students must be enrolled at institutions that
are eligible to receive CBG awards (see above paragraphs). Where student
or faculty eligibility is claimed under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22),
documentary evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service as
to such eligibility must be made available to CSREES upon request.

**Applicants who are already serving as Project Directors (PDs) on two
or more active CBGs are not eligible to apply for FY 2008 CBG.**

Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply
provided such organizations are necessary to conduct a successful
project. The subcontract must advance capacity building at the 1890
institution in the area of the submitted application.

## 

## B. Cost Sharing or Matching

CSREES does not require matching support for this program.

**PART IV-APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION**

[]{#electronic .anchor}**A. Electronic Application Package**

Only electronic applications may be submitted via Grants.gov to CSREES
in response to this RFA.

Prior to preparing an application, it is suggested that the PD first
contact an Authorized Representative (AR) (also referred to as
Authorized Organizational Representative or AOR) to determine if the
organization is prepared to submit electronic applications through
Grant.gov. If the organization is not prepared, the AR should see
<http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp> for steps for
preparing to submit applications through Grants.gov.

The steps to access application materials are as follows:

1.  Download and install PureEdge Viewer, a small, free program that
    provides access to the grant application. See
    <http://www.grants.gov/resources/download_software.jsp#pureedge>.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
2.  The application package must be obtained via Grants.gov, go to
    [http://www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/), click on "Apply for
    Grants" in the left-hand column, click on "**Step 1:** [Download a
    Grant Application Package and
    Instructions](https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html)**,"**
    enter the funding opportunity number USDA-CSREES-CBGP-001192 in the
    appropriate box and click "Download Package." From the search
    results, click "Download" to access the application package.

> Contained within the application package is the "[CSREES Grants.gov
> Application Guide: A Guide for Preparation and Submission of CSREES
> Applications via
> Grants.gov.](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/grant_forms/electronic_app_guide.pdf)"
> This Guide contains an introduction and general Grants.gov
> instructions, information about how to use a Grant Application Package
> in Grants.gov, and instructions on how to complete the application
> forms.
>
> **If assistance is needed to access the application package** (e.g.,
> downloading or navigating PureEdge forms, using PureEdge with a
> Macintosh computer) refer to resources available on the Grants.gov Web
> site first (<http://grants.gov/>). Grants.gov assistance is also
> available as follows:
>
> Grants.gov customer support\
> Toll Free: 1-800-518-4726\
> Business Hours: M-F 7:00 am -- 9 pm Eastern Standard Time\
> Email: <support@grants.gov>

See <http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/electronic.html> for additional
resources for applying electronically.

[]{#content .anchor}**B. Content and Form of Application Submission**

::: Definition-Term
Electronic applications should be prepared following Part V and VI of
the document entitled "[A Guide for Preparation and Submission of CSREES
Applications via
Grants.gov](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/grant_forms/electronic_app_guide.pdf)."
This guide is part of the corresponding application package (see Section
A. of this Part). **The following emphasizes the submission requirements
of the Guide, and provides additional information needed in order to
prepare an application in response to this RFA.** If there is
discrepancy between the two documents, the information contained in this
RFA is overriding.
:::

[Note]{.underline}: Some forms will contain a field with instructions to
attach additional information in a separate file. All such attachments
must be in PDF file format. **Note the attachment requirements (e.g.,
portable document format) in Part III section 3. of the Guide. [Any
proposals containing non-PDF documents will be AT RISK OF BEING EXCLUDED
FROM csrees REVIEW.]{.underline} Partial applications will be excluded
from CSREES review. With documented prior approval, resubmitted
applications will be accepted until close of business on the closing
date in the RFA.**

**[1. SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet]{.underline}**

Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in
detail in Part V, 2. of the CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide.

**[2. R&R Other Project Information Form]{.underline}**

Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in
detail in Part V, 3. of the CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide.

a**.** Field 6. Project Summary/Abstract. The summary **must** include:

-   Relevant CSREES Strategic Goal;

-   Program Priority Area(s) (See Part I, C.2.);

-   Degree level addressed for Teaching applications (See Part I, C.1.);

-   Need Area addressed (See Part I, C.3);

-   Discipline and **Discipline Code** (See Part I, C. 5) ;

-   Anticipated impact on the food and agricultural sciences higher
    education system.

The summary should not exceed **250 words**. It must succinctly describe
the objectives to be achieved and the activities to be undertaken in the
project. It should also designate which matter Discipline(s) is
supported by the project. If the applicant incorrectly designates a
project within a funding allocation category or no designation is made,
CSREES reserves the right to assign a discipline code.

b**)** Field 7. Project Narrative.

PLEASE NOTE: **The Project Narrative must be submitted as an attached
PDF file.** With the exception of narratives for the New Faculty and
Investigator Enhancement Initiative, the Project Narrative shall not
exceed 18 pages of written text and up to five additional pages for
figures and tables. This maximum (23 pages) has been established to
ensure fair and equitable competition. Please see page 25 for
requirements related to the New Faculty and Investigators Enhancement
Initiative proposals. Prepare the application using standard size (8
1/2\" x 11\") paper, one-inch margins, no type smaller than 12 point
font, and 1.5 line spacing. Use an easily readable font face (e.g.,
Arial, Times New Roman). To facilitate application review and
evaluation, the applicant is advised to include the following underlined
wording as headings in the Project Narrative, followed by the
applicant's response for each item. Note: The Project Narrative should
be written with the Evaluation Criteria (section V.B.) in mind.

The Project Narrative for Teaching or Research projects must include all
of the following:

\(1\) [Potential for Advancing the Quality of Education; Significance of
the Problem and Opportunity]{.underline}:

(a) **Institutional Long-range Goals:** Demonstrate how the institution
    attributes a high merit to the project, discuss how the project will
    contribute to the achievement of the institution's long-term
    (five-to-ten-year) goals or strategic plan or Plan of Work; explain
    how the project will help satisfy the institution's objectives that
    are of the most importance or Research Foci in the Plan of Work.
    Also, explain how the project supports one or more of the CSREES
    Strategic Goals. (Part I, C.4)

(b) **Identification of Educational or Research Problem and Project
    Impact:** Clearly identify and explain how the proposed project will
    address one of the chosen Program Priority Areas and at least one of
    the Need Areas described in Part I, C.3. Briefly explain the
    project's anticipated overall impact on improving the quality of
    food and agricultural sciences teaching or research.

(c) **Project Justification:** Clearly state the specific instructional
    or research problem or opportunity to be addressed and the
    connection(s) with the institutional goals or strategic plan or Plan
    of Work. Describe how and by whom the focus and scope of the project
    were determined. Summarize the body of knowledge justifying the need
    for the proposed project. Discuss how the project will be of value
    at the State, regional, national, or international level(s).
    Describe any ongoing or recently completed significant activities
    related to the proposed project for which previous funding was
    received under this program or other funding programs.

(d) **Innovation:**

> **Teaching applications** should clearly identify the discipline to be
> addressed, the core competencies that students will attain through new
> knowledge gained, the application's creative approach to improving the
> quality of food and agricultural sciences education, solving an
> education problem, or advancing educational equity.
>
> **Research applications** should describe the approach to improving
> the quality of food and agricultural sciences research, solving a
> scientific problem, or advancing a field of science, that address
> objective(s) that are of high importance at the 1890 institution, and
> identify potential results in institutional capacity building.

(e) Multidisciplinary and/or Problem-based Focus: Indicate how the
    teaching project is relevant to multiple disciplines in the food and
    agricultural sciences, or with other academic curricula. Indicate
    how the research project is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary,
    and/or involves integrated (teaching AND research) activities.
    Identify the field of science and the objective(s) that are of high
    importance at the 1890 institution to be addressed, where partners
    are included in the proposal. Provide a concise plan on how they
    will be managed and coordinated. Clearly identify potential results
    in 1890 institutional capacity building. Also, discuss whether the
    project may be adapted by, or serve as a model for other
    institutions.

\(2\) [Proposed Approach and Cooperative Linkages]{.underline}:

> \(a\) **Objectives:** Cite and discuss the specific project objectives
> to be accomplished.
>
> \(b\) **Plan of Operation and Methodology:** Describe procedures for
> accomplishing the objectives of the project. Describe plans for
> management of the project to ensure its proper and efficient
> administration. Clearly identify and describe the metrics for
> evaluating successful project management. Describe the way in which
> resources and personnel will be used to conduct the project. Discuss
> extent to which students from the 1890s will be involved in the
> teaching or research project. Identify responsibilities for key
> project personnel.
>
> \(c\) **Timetable:** Provide a timetable for conducting the project.
> Identify all important project milestones and dates as they relate to
> project start-up, execution, evaluation, dissemination, and closeout.
> Identify limitations that may impact the timetable and provide
> strategies to avoid or compensate for the limitations. For joint
> project proposals, include the responsibilities of all partners in the
> Project Timetable.
>
> \(d\) **Products, Results and Measurable Outcomes:** Explain,
> including metrics, the expected products and results, outcome, and
> their potential impact on strengthening food and agricultural sciences
> education and research in the United States. Metrics to assess
> products, outputs and outcomes are to be clearly delineated in the
> proposal, include clear identification of the role of the federal
> cooperator(s), other partners and the outcomes for the 1890
> institution. Describe the economic, environmental or social gains
> resulting from the project. Describe the significant benefits gained.
> (See Definitions, 'Outcomes' Part VIII, E).
>
> \(e\) **Evaluation Plans:** Provide a methodology and implementation
> plan for evaluating the accomplishment of stated objectives, results
> and measurable outcomes during the project and clearly identify the
> performance measure(s) by which the project success will be assessed.
> In the evaluation plan, indicate the criteria and corresponding weight
> of each to be used in the evaluation process. Describe any data to be
> collected and analyzed, and explain the methodology that will be used
> to determine the extent to which the needs underlying the project are
> met. Indicate how the evaluation will determine whether and to what
> degree the project had an impact on education and research capacity.
>
> \(f\) **Dissemination Plans:** The proposal must document how project
> accomplishments (products, results and impacts, etc.) will be
> published or otherwise disseminated to the broadest extent throughout
> the academic or scientific community and to policy makers and the
> public. Discuss the institution's commitment to disseminate project
> results and products. Identify target audiences and explain methods of
> communication.
>
> \(g\) **Partnerships and Collaborative Efforts:** Explain how the
> project will maximize partnership and collaborative efforts to
> strengthen food and agricultural sciences education (e.g., involvement
> of faculty in related disciplines at the same institution, joint
> projects with other educational institutions, or expand cooperative
> activities with business or industry) at the 1890 institution.
> **Provide evidence, via letters from the parties involved in the
> partnership or collaborative arrangement indicating the roles,
> responsibilities and anticipated outcomes from each member of the
> partnership.** As appropriate, describe the collaborative management
> plan to assure successful outcomes towards project goals.
>
> Summarize cooperative arrangement(s) between the applicant and a USDA
> collaborator. Clearly identify the role of the USDA collaborator and
> the expected outcome(s) for the 1890 institution. **(Part IV, 2.c.).**

\(3\) [Institutional Capability and Capacity Building]{.underline}:

> \(a\) **Institutional Capability:** Discuss the institution\'s
> commitment to the project. Explain how the project will help satisfy
> the institution\'s objectives that are of high importance and how the
> project is linked to and supported by the institution\'s goals.
>
> \(b\) **Institutional Resources:** Document that necessary
> institutional resources (administrative, facilities, equipment, and/or
> materials), and other appropriate resources, will be made available to
> the project. Demonstrate how the institutional resources to be made
> available, when combined with the support requested from USDA, will be
> adequate to carry out the activities of the project.
>
> \(c\) **Academic and/or Research Enhancement:** Discuss how this
> project will improve and strengthen teaching and/or research at the
> institution (including any partner institutions). Discuss how the
> project will impact scientific and technical resources, research
> environment, curriculum, student experiential learning, scientific
> instrumentation, library resources, faculty and student recruitment
> and retention programs. Keep in mind that some of these criteria are
> common between research and teaching and others are specific to either
> research or teaching (see Part I, C., 3).
>
> \(d\) **Continuation Plans:** Describe the likelihood of, or specific
> plans for, continuation or expansion of the project beyond the period
> of USDA support. Continuation Plans must indicate if the
> institution\'s long-range budget and academic plan or research foci
> provide for the realistic continuation or expansion of the initiative
> undertaken by this project after the end of the grant period. Must
> also indicate if eventual self-support is built into the project and
> if plans are being made to institutionalize the program if it meets
> with success. Also indicate any other non-federal sources of support.

\(4\) [Key personnel:]{.underline}

> In addition to completing an R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded)
> for each of the key individuals, clearly identify the roles and
> project responsibilities of each key person and outcomes for each
> member, describes the management plan to assure successful project
> outcomes associated with the project. Also include the background and
> qualifications of those personnel who will be responsible for
> assessing project results and administering the project evaluation and
> reporting process. **The biographical sketch for Key Personnel must be
> submitted as an attached PDF file. Each vita may not exceed two (2)
> pages. Applicant must attach the Current and Pending Support and
> Conflict of Interest Information as PDF files.** The biographical
> sketch and the Current and Pending Support Information are attachments
> to the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form
> (addressed in Part IV, B., 3).

**The Project Narrative for the New Faculty & Investigator Enhancement
Initiative must include all of the following as formatted below and may
not exceed eight pages in length.**

Please adhere to the guidelines listed below when you are preparing your
narrative section. If the number of pages exceeds the maximum of 8 extra
pages will not be reviewed.

**New Faculty Enhancement Initiative - Teaching**

> \(1\) **Rationale and Opportunity Statement:** (up to 1 page)
> Summarize the context and background of the present opportunity and
> the specific rationale for the work proposed. Indicate how this award
> will support University strategic goals and add to the capacity of the
> institution to deliver better educational programs in the food and
> agricultural sciences.
>
> \(2\) **Specific Activities:** (up to 4 pages) Describe the specific
> activities to be undertaken in sufficient detail that gives a clear
> picture of how the funds will be used. Identify anticipated problems
> or issues and plans to overcome or circumvent difficulties that may
> arise. If collaboration is integral to the success of the project,
> describe how this will be achieved.
>
> \(3\) **Timeframe, Personnel and Target Groups:** (up to 2 pages)
> Provide a clear timeframe for accomplishing these activities in both
> narrative and table format. Indicate the personnel involved, their
> responsibilities and milestone completion dates. Indicate who will be
> served by this award and how institutional capacity will be enhanced
> by this activity.
>
> \(4\) **Career Development Plan:** (up to 1 page): Describe the PD's
> plan for developing a successful career in food and agricultural
> sciences. State the key goals that will define success. Indicate how
> this award will enhance the PD's ability to compete more successfully
> in full CBG or other USDA or Federal grant programs.

**2. New Investigator Enhancement Initiative - Research**

> a\) **Rationale and Significance:** (up to 1 page) Summarize the
> context and background of the present application and the specific
> rationale for the work proposed. Evaluate existing knowledge and
> specifically identify the gaps that the project is intended to fill.
> State how the proposed research meets CSREES strategic goals and state
> how this information will contribute to building research and teaching
> capacity of the department and school.
>
> b\) **Specific objectives:** (up to 1 page) Explain the objectives and
> the goal of the specific research proposed, e.g., to test a stated
> hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge
> an existing paradigm or practice, address a critical barrier to
> progress in the food , or develop new technology. Identify and
> enumerate each specific objective of the proposal in a concise and
> step-wise fashion, and describe how each objective will lead to the
> broad goal of this research.
>
> c\) **Research Design and Methods:** (up to 4 pages) Describe
> concisely, but in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the merit
> of the research, the experimental design, methods and techniques to be
> employed to achieve the objectives specified in the proposal. Identify
> anticipated pitfalls, and plans to overcome or circumvent difficulties
> that may arise. Describe the methods of analysis of results, including
> criteria for success of the proposed studies. If collaboration is
> integral to the success of the project, describe how this will be
> achieved. Provide a realistic timetable for completing each proposed
> specific objectives of the project within the 36 months; where
> appropriate, provide specific milestones for evaluating the
> achievement of each specific objective.
>
> d\) **Preliminary Results and Feasibility and** **References:** (up to
> 2 pages) Provide some preliminary data to support the concepts,
> hypotheses and/or approaches proposed in the application. Provide any
> information that will help to establish the experience and competence
> of the investigator to pursue the proposed project. List references
> used in the body of the proposal. Limit number of references to those
> essential to proposed research.
>
> e\) **Career Development Plan:** (no page limitation) Describe the
> PD's plan for developing a successful career in food and agricultural
> sciences. State the key goals that will define success, the milestones
> that must be reached, and potential obstacles to overcome. How will
> this award help the PD achieve these goals? The career development
> plan must justify the need for a two-year period of sustained research
> funding, and must be tailored to the individual needs of the
> candidate.

c\) Field 11 Other Attachments (PDF Attachment)

-   [Response to Previous Review.]{.underline} This requirement only
    applies to \"Resubmitted Applications" (Part II, B.2.), Applicants
    must respond to the previous review panel summary (one page only)
    titled \"RESPONSE TO PREVIOUS REVIEW.\"

-   [Cooperative Arrangement Letter(s).]{.underline} All FY 2008 CBG
    applications must demonstrate collaboration with at least one USDA
    agency. Documentation of USDA - 1890 Institution collaboration must
    be provided in the application (Part IV, B.2.b. (2) (g), Partnership
    and Collaborative Efforts. The collaboration should advance capacity
    building at the 1890 institution in the area of the submitted
    application. Provide a letter (PDF format) from the USDA cooperating
    office and **signed by the USDA Unit Director and the USDA
    collaborator** that clearly identifies the role and expected
    outcomes of their participation. Identify the person(s) at each
    agency or office who will serve as liaison or technical (i.e.,
    scientists, educator, etc.) contact for the project and provide
    their phone number and email address.

-   [Institution/School/Department Goals and Objectives]{.underline}.
    Include a summary of goals and objectives from your institution,
    school or department as they relate to the proposed project (not
    more than 1 page in PDF format).

-   [Collaborative Arrangements]{.underline}. If it is necessary to
    enter into formal consulting or collaborative arrangements with
    others, such arrangements should be fully explained and justified.
    If the consultant(s) or collaborator(s) are known at the time of the
    application, a vitae or resume should be provided. In addition,
    evidence (e.g., letter of support) should be provided that the
    collaborators involved have agreed to render these services. The
    applicant also will be required to provide additional information on
    consultants and collaborators in the budget portion of the
    application. (PDF Attachment. No Page Limit.)

**[3. R&R Senior/Key Personal Profile (Expanded)]{.underline}**

Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in
detail in Part V, 4. of the CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide.

Also, **you must attach** 'Current and Pending Support' information (see
CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide p. 30 & 31, item 4.3, for guidelines
and information format) for each senior/key person identified above.
**Note: Even if no other funding is currently reported under the
'Active' section of this attachment, you must still list information for
this grant application under the 'Pending' section of this attachment
for each senior/key person identified above.**

**[4. R&R Personal Data]{.underline}** As noted in Part V, 5. of the
CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide, the submission of this information
is voluntary and is not a precondition of award. If completing the
information, **do not enter any data in the field requesting the social
security number.**

**[5. R&R Budget]{.underline}**

[Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in
detail in Part V, 6. of the CSREES Grants.gov Application
Guide.]{.underline}

Budget Narrative: The Budget Narrative (no more than 5 pages) must be
attached as PDF file to the R&R Budget Form.

The Narrative must contain two parts and **must be labeled as
subheadings:**

-   **Justification** of budget line-items

-   **Cost-effectiveness** of overall budget

**Justification:** Discuss how the budget specifically supports the
proposed project activities. Explain how budget line-items such as
professional or technical staff time, salary, travel, equipment, etc.,
are necessary and reasonable to achieve project objectives. All
expenditures for the applicant and each collaborator must be itemized
and justified to indicate relevant capacity building at the 1890
institution(s). If the proposal addresses more than one Need Area (see
Part I, C. 2.), applicants should include estimates of the proportion of
the funds requested from USDA that will support each area. A
justification is required for all travel related to the proposed
project. **All costs must be fully explained and justified.**  

**Cost-effectiveness:** Discuss the project\'s cost-effectiveness. Show
how the project maximizes the use of limited resources, optimizes
educational value for the dollar, achieves economies of scale, or
leverages additional funds. For example, discuss how the acquisition of
diagnostic equipment will be cheaper in the long run than paying a
company to run the samples or how an initiative has the potential to
generate a critical mass of expertise and activity focused on a Need
Area, or to promote coalition building that could lead to future
ventures.

**[6. SF 424 (R&R) Subaward Budget Attachment]{.underline} (Only
required if submitting a Joint Project Proposal)**

Joint Project Proposals must include separate subcontract budgets (R&R
Sub-award Budget Attachment Form), budget narratives, and a signed
letters of support for each of the identified project partners.

**[7. CSREES Supplemental Information Forms]{.underline}**

[Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in
detail in Part VI, 1. of the CSREES Grants.gov Application
Guide.]{.underline}

a\. Field 2. Program Code (**Only** **Program** **Codes must be in ALL
UPPER CASE**): Program Code Name **"1890 CBG Program"** and Research
Program Code = **"EQ"** or Teaching Program Code = **"EP"**

b\. Field 8. Conflict of Interest List. A conflict of interest list is
required under this program.

Application Submission Checklist.

The following checklist contains suggested guidelines to verify prior to
application submission:

-   **Have all attachments been submitted in the portable document
    format (PDF)?** Only PDF attachments will be accepted. See Part III
    of the CSREES Application Guide.

    -   Do all submitted PDF documents have one-inch margins and are
        typed or word processed using no type smaller than 12 point
        regardless of line spacing? Are all PDF documents numbered
        sequentially on each page of the attachment? Are all page
        limitations for a given attachment followed? Submitted
        applications that do not meet these requirements for PDF
        attachments will be returned without review.

-   Have all five components of the SF 424 Research and Related (R&R)
    Application Package been completed? Did you use the "Check Package
    for Errors" feature of the PureEdge viewer (see section 1.8 of the
    CSREES Application Guide)?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet

-   SF 424 R&R Other Project Information

-   SF 424 R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded)

-   SF 424 R&R Personal Data (Optional)

-   SF 424 R&R Budget

-   SF 424 R&R Subaward Budget Attachment (Only if submitting a Joint
    Project Proposal)

-   Supplemental Information Form

� **[SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet]{.underline}**

-   Have all required fields been completed? Field 5 must contain the
    name of the eligible institution.

� **[SF 424 R&R Other Project Information]{.underline}**

-   Have the fields describing project potential or actual environmental
    impact been properly completed?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   [Project Summary/Abstract]{.underline}

    -   Has the Project Summary PDF been attached to this form in Field
        6?

    -   Does this section adhere to the format?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   [Project Narrative]{.underline}

    -   Has the Project Narrative PDF been attached to this form in
        Field 7?

    -   Does this section adhere to the format and page limitations?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **[Response to Previous Review]{.underline} (for resubmitted
    applications)**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Has the Response to Previous Review PDF been attached to this form
    in Field 11?

-   Has the application been clearly and meaningfully revised and are
    the revisions briefly described?

-   Are comments from the previous review addressed?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **[Collaborative Arrangements]{.underline}**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Has the Collaborative Arrangements PDF been attached to this form in
    Field 11?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   [Institution/School/Department Goals and Objectives]{.underline}

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Has summary of the goals and objectives PDF been attached to this
    form in Field 11?

� **[SF 424 R&R Senior/Key Person Profile]{.underline}**

-   **[Biographical Sketch]{.underline}**

    -   Has the biographical sketch (vitae) PDF for the PD, senior
        associate, and other professional personnel been attached?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **[Current and Pending Support]{.underline}**

    -   Has the current and pending support PDF for all PD(s) been
        attached?

    -   Have all current and pending projects been listed and
        summarized, including this application?

**� [SF 424 R&R Personal Data (Optional)]{.underline} DO NOT PROVIDE THE
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OF THE PROJECT DIRECTOR/PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR.**

-   Have all fields been completed except for the social security
    number?

� **[SF 424 R&R Budget]{.underline}**

-   ::: Definition-Term
    Have all fields been completed?
    :::

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   [Budget Justification]{.underline}

    -   Has the Budget Justification PDF been attached to this form in
        Field K?

    -   Are budget items individually justified?

    -   For joint project proposals, has a budget justification been
        included for each institution involved?

� **[Supplemental Information Form]{.underline}**

-   Does Field 2 indicate the Program Code Name and Program Code to
    which you are applying?

-   Have you included the [required]{.underline} **Conflict of Interest
    List** (PDF) attachment? (See format in CSREES Grants.gov
    Application Guide, Section VI, 1.8, p.46, for instructions.) Include
    this one-page attachment even if your responses to the questions are
    "N.A.".

[]{#submission .anchor}**C. Submission Dates and Times**

**Instructions for submitting an application are included in Part IV,
Section 1.9 of the CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide.**

Applications must be received by Grants.gov by COB on February 15, 2008
(5:00 pm Eastern Time). Applications received after this deadline will
normally not be accepted for review.

The receipt of all applications will be acknowledged by e-mail.
Therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to provide accurate e-mail
addresses, where designated, on the SF-424 R&R Application for Federal
Assistance.

If the AR has not received a confirmation message from CSREES within 30
days of submission of the application, please contact the Program
Contact identified in Part VII of this RFA. **Failure to do so may
result in the application not being reviewed by the peer panel. Once the
application has been assigned a proposal number, this number should be
cited on all future correspondence.**

[]{#funding .anchor}**D. Funding Restrictions**

With prior approval, in accordance with the cost principles set forth in
OMB Circular No. A-21, some grant funds may be used for minor
alterations, 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, or repairs are incidental to the major purpose for which a
grant is issued.

For FY 2007, sections 101 (a) and (c) of the Revised Continuing
Appropriation Resolutions, 2007 (Pub. L. 110-5), limited indirect costs
to 20 percent of the total Federal funds provided under each award.
CSREES anticipates that the FY 2008 Appropriations Act will include a
similar limitation. Therefore, when preparing budgets, applicants should
limit their requests for recovery of indirect costs to the lesser of
their institution's official negotiated indirect cost rate or the
equivalent of 20 percent of total Federal funds awarded. Another method
of calculating the maximum allowable is 25 percent of the total direct
costs. This same indirect cost limitation applies to subcontracts.
Please note that if the 2008 Appropriations Act contains a different
indirect cost limitation, CSREES will contact each successful applicant
to apply the correct rate prior to the award of a grant.

[]{#other .anchor}**E. Other Submission Requirements**

The applicant should follow the submission requirements noted in the
document entitled "A Guide for Preparation and Submission of CSREES
Applications via Grants.gov."

**PART V-APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS**

[]{#general .anchor}**A. General**

Each application will be evaluated in a 2-part process. First, each
application will be screened to ensure that it meets the administrative
requirements as set forth in this RFA. Second, applications that meet
these requirements will be technically evaluated by a review panel.

Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in
relevant scientific, research or extension, or education fields, taking
into account the following factors: (a) the need to include experts from
various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education,
or extension fields as well as the extent to which experts are engaged
in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need
to include 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; (c) the need to
include 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; (d) the need to
maintain a diverse composition of reviewers; and (e) the need to include
reviewers who can judge the usefulness to producers and the general
public of each application.

[]{#evaluation .anchor}**B. Evaluation Criteria**

The evaluation criteria below will be used in reviewing applications
submitted in response to this RFA. The maximum score a teaching or
research proposal can receive is 150 points. The scores are distributed
between 6 categories identified in the administrative regulation of the
program. Further details can be found on the Code of Federal Regulations
website:

**<http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_05/7cfr3406_05.html>.**

**1. Potential for Advancing Quality of Education/Significance of the
Problem (50 points).**

This criterion is used to assess the likelihood that the project will
have an impact upon and advance the quality of food and agricultural
sciences by strengthening institutional capacities to meet clearly
delineated needs in the 1890 institutional objectives of high
importance, or the strategic goals or the Plan of Work. Elements
considered include institutional long-range goals, CSREES/USDA's
Strategic Goals and/or Objectives, identification of a problem or
opportunity to be addressed as one of the Program Priority Areas,
justification for the project, innovation, advancing educational equity,
multidisciplinary and/or problem-based focus, and potential for adoption
by other institutions. The points will be distributed as follow:

[]{.mark}

**Impact - 15, Continuation plans - 10, Innovations - 10, Products and
results - 15.**

**2. Overall Approach and Cooperative Linkages (40 points).**

This criterion relates to the soundness of the proposed approach
including: objectives that show a clear connection to the institutional
goals or strategic plan or Plan of Work; methodology, plan of operation,
timetable that describe limitations and strategies to avoid or
compensate for identified limitations; for joint project proposals a
timetable that includes the responsibilities of all partners in the
project timetable; expected products and results; an evaluation plan
that includes performance measures to assess project success; and
dissemination plans. For Teaching and Research proposals, emphasis is
placed on the identified core competencies that students will attain
through new knowledge, the quality of educational or research support
provided to the applicant institution through its partnerships and
collaborative initiatives, and on the potential cooperative linkages
likely to evolve as a result of this project clearly identifying the key
personnel responsibilities for products, outputs, outcomes and potential
impacts. Metrics to assess products, outputs and outcomes are to be
clearly delineated in the proposal, include clear identification of the
role of the federal cooperator(s), other partners and the outcomes for
the 1890 institution. The points will be distributed as follow:
[]{.mark}

[]{.mark}

**Teaching: Proposed approach - 15, Evaluation - 5, Dissemination - 5,
Partnership and collaborative efforts - 15.**

**Research: Proposed approach - 5, Evaluation - 5, Dissemination - 5,
Partnership and collaborative efforts - 15.**

**3. Institutional Capacity Building (30 points).**

This criterion relates to the institution\'s capability to perform the
project and the degree to which the project will strengthen its teaching
or research capacity. Explains how the project is linked to the
institution's objectives that are of high importance and indicates the
expected capability and capacity building at the 1890 institution that
will result. Elements include the institution\'s commitment to the
project, the adequacy of institutional resources (administrative,
facilities, equipment, and/or materials) available to carry out the
project, potential for academic or research enhancement, and plans for
project continuation or expansion beyond the period of USDA support. The
points will be distributed as follow:

**Institutional enhancement - 15, Institutional commitment - 15.**

**4. Personnel Resources (10 points).**

This criterion relates to the adequacy of the number and qualifications
of key persons who will develop and carry out the project, and the
qualifications of project personnel who will manage the successful
attainment of the identified, proposed outcomes, provide for the
assessment of project results and impacts and dissemination of these
findings. Clearly identifies the role of all key personnel,
responsibilities and outcomes for each member, describes the management
plan to assure successful project outcomes.

**5. Budget and Cost-Effectiveness (15 points).**

This criterion relates to the extent to which the total budget
adequately supports the project and is cost effective. Elements
considered include the necessity and reasonableness of costs to carry
out project activities and achieve project objectives; the
appropriateness of budget allocations between the applicant and any
collaborating institution(s); the adequacy of time committed to the
project by key project personnel; and the degree to which the project
maximizes the use of limited resources, optimizes educational value for
the dollar, achieves economies of scale, leverages additional funds, and
focuses expertise and activity on high-priority Educational or Research
Need Areas based on the 1890 institutional objectives or strategic plan
or Plan of Work. The points will be distributed as follow:

**Budget (including justification), Cost Effectiveness - 10.**

**6. Overall Quality of the Proposal (5 points).**

This criterion relates to the degree to which the proposal complies with
the application guidelines and is of high quality. The proposal is
enhanced by its adherence to instructions (table of contents,
organization, pagination, margin and font size, the specified page
limitation, appendices, etc.); accuracy of forms; clarity of budget
narrative; well prepared vitae for all key personnel associated with the
project; and presentation. How effectively ideas are presented, clearly
articulated, and thoroughly explained, etc.

**Please keep these evaluation criteria in mind throughout the process
of preparing your application. In many cases, the difference between the
funded and the unfunded grant is a couple of points.**

[]{#coflicts .anchor}**C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality**

During the peer evaluation process, extreme care will be taken to
prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may impact
review or evaluation. For the purpose of determining conflicts of
interest, the academic and administrative autonomy of an institution
shall be determined by reference to the current Higher Education
Directory, published by Higher Education Publications, Inc., 6400
Arlington Boulevard, Suite 648, Falls Church, Virginia 22042. Phone:
(703) 532-2300. Web site: [http://www.hepinc.com]{.underline}.

Names of submitting institutions and individuals, as well as application
content and peer evaluations, will be kept confidential, except to those
involved in the review process, to the extent permitted by law. In
addition, the identities of peer reviewers will remain confidential
throughout the entire review process. Therefore, the names of the
reviewers will not be released to applicants.

[]{#organizational .anchor}**D. Organizational Management Information**

Specific management information relating to an applicant shall be
submitted on a one time basis, with updates on an as needed basis, as
part of the responsibility determination prior to the award of a grant
identified under this RFA, if such information has not been provided
previously under this or another CSREES program. CSREES will provide
copies of forms recommended for use in fulfilling these requirements as
part of the pre-award process. Although an applicant may be eligible
based on its status as one of these entities there are factors which may
exclude an applicant from receiving Federal financial and nonfinancial
assistance and benefits under this program (e.g., debarment or
suspension of an individual involved or a determination that an
applicant is not responsible based on submitted organizational
management information).

**PART VI---AWARD ADMINISTRATION**

[]{#general1 .anchor}**A. General**

Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the awarding
official of CSREES shall make grants to those responsible, eligible
applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the
procedures set forth in this RFA. The date specified by the awarding
official of CSREES as the effective date of the grant shall be no later
than September 30 of the Federal fiscal year in which the project is
approved for support and funds are appropriated for such purpose, unless
otherwise permitted by law. It should be noted that the project need not
be initiated on the grant effective date, but as soon thereafter as
practical so that project goals may be attained within the funded
project period. All funds granted by CSREES under this RFA shall be
expended solely for the purpose for which the funds are granted in
accordance with the approved application and budget, the regulations,
the terms and conditions of the award, the applicable Federal cost
principles, and the Department\'s assistance regulations (parts 3015 and
3019 of 7 CFR).

[]{#award .anchor}**B. Award Notice**

The award document will provide pertinent instructions and information
including, at a minimum, the following:

1\. Legal name and address of performing organization or institution to
whom the Administrator has issued an award under the terms of this
request for applications;

2\. Title of project;

3\. Name(s) and institution(s) of PDs chosen to direct and control
approved activities;

4\. Identifying award number assigned by the Department;

5\. Project period, specifying the amount of time the Department intends
to support the project without requiring re-competition for funds;

6\. Total amount of Departmental financial assistance approved by the
Administrator during the project period;

7\. Legal authority under which the award is issued;

8\. Appropriate Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number;

9\. Applicable award terms and conditions (see Terms and Conditions - A
<http://www.csrees.usda.gov/business/awards/awardterms.html> to view
CSREES award terms and conditions);

10\. Approved budget plan for categorizing allocable project funds to
accomplish the stated purpose of the award; and

11\. Other information or provisions deemed necessary by CSREES to carry
out its respective awarding activities or to accomplish the purpose of a
particular award.

[]{#adminstrative .anchor}**C. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements**

Several Federal statutes and regulations apply to grant applications
considered for review and to project grants awarded under this program.
These include, but are not limited to:

7 CFR Part 1, subpart A**---**USDA implementation of the Freedom of
Information Act.

7 CFR Part 3**---**USDA implementation of OMB Circular No. A-129
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 331 and 9 CFR Part 121---USDA implementation of the
Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002.

7 CFR Part 3015**---**USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations,
implementing OMB directives (i.e., OMB Circular Nos. A-21 and A-122, now
codified at 2 CFR Parts 220 and 230) and incorporating provisions of 31
U.S.C. 6301-6308 (formerly the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement
Act of 1977, Pub. L. No. 95-224), as well as general policy requirements
applicable to recipients of Departmental financial assistance.

7 CFR Part 3017**---**USDA implementation of Governmentwide Debarment
and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and 7 CFR Part 3021**---**Governmentwide
Requirements for Drug Free Workplace (Grants).

7 CFR Part 3018**---**USDA implementation of Restrictions on Lobbying.
Imposes prohibitions and requirements for disclosure and certification
related to lobbying on recipients of Federal contracts, grants,
cooperative agreements, and loans.

7 CFR Part 3019**---**USDA implementation of OMB Circular A-110, Uniform
Administrative Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements With
Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit
Organizations.

7 CFR Part 3052**---**USDA implementation of OMB Circular No. A-133,
Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non profit Organizations.

7 CFR Part 3407**---**CSREES procedures to implement the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended.

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.

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).

[]{#expected .anchor}**D. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting
Requirements**

**1. Project Directors Conference**

During the tenure of a grant, Project Directors must attend at least one
National Project Directors\' meeting, if offered or indicated by CSREES.
The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss project and grant
management, opportunities for collaborative efforts, future directions
for research and education reform, and opportunities to enhance
dissemination of exemplary end products/results. Reasonable travel
expenses to attend this meeting may be included in the application\'s
budget under travel expenses.

**2. Annual Performance Report**

An Annual Performance Report must be submitted to the USDA program
contact person within 90 days after the completion of the first year of
the project, and annually thereafter during the life of the grant.
Generally, the Annual Performance Reports should include **a clear and
concise impact statement**, a summary of the overall progress toward
project objectives, current problems or unusual developments, the next
year\'s activities, and any other information that is pertinent to the
ongoing project or which may be specified in the terms and conditions of
the award. Annual Performance Reports are to be submitted through the
CRIS system described in Section 4, below.

**3. Final Performance Report**

A Final Performance Report must be submitted to the USDA program contact
person within 90 days after the expiration date of the project. The
expiration date is specified in the award documents and modifications
thereto, if any. Generally, the Final Performance Report should be a
summary of the completed project, including: a review of project
objectives and accomplishments; a description of any products and
outcomes resulting from the project; activities undertaken to
disseminate products and outcomes; partnerships and collaborative
ventures that resulted from the project; future initiatives that are
planned as a result of the project; the impact of the project on the
Project Director(s), students, the departments, the institution, and the
food and agricultural sciences higher education system; and data on
project personnel and beneficiaries. The report must document how
project accomplishments (products, results and impacts, etc.) have been
published or otherwise disseminated to the broadest extent throughout
the academic and scientific community. **The Final Performance Report is
to be submitted through the CRIS system described in Section 4, below.
However, some of the products such as CD, publication reprints,
pamphlet, books or book chapters, should be mailed directly to the
Agency Contact in Part VII of this RFA.**

**4. Current Research Information System (CRIS) Reports**

Grantees are required to submit initial project information and annual
and summary reports to CSREES\' Current Research Information System
(CRIS). The CRIS database contains narrative project information,
progress/impact statements, and final technical reports that are made
available to the public. For applications recommended for funding,
instructions on preparing and submission of project documentation will
be provided to the applicant by the agency contact. **Documentation must
be submitted to CRIS before CSREES funds will be released**. Project
reports will be requested by the CRIS office when required. For more
information about CRIS, visit [http://cris.csrees.usda.gov]{.underline}.

**5. Other Reports**

Grantees should be aware that CSREES may, as a part of its own program
evaluation activities, carry out in-depth evaluations of assisted
activities. Thus, grantees should be prepared to cooperate with CSREES
personnel, or persons retained by CSREES, in evaluating the
institutional context and the impact of any supported project. Grantees
may be asked to provide general information on any students and faculty
supported, in whole or in part, by a grant awarded under this program;
information that may be requested includes, but is not limited to,
standardized academic achievement test scores, grade point average,
academic standing, career patterns, age, race/ethnicity, gender,
citizenship, and disability.

[]{#agency .anchor}**PART VII-AGENCY CONTACT**

Applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to contact:

**Teaching:**

**Tim Grosser**; National Program Leader; Multicultural Alliances Unit;
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S.
Department of Agriculture;

Waterfront Centre; Room 3310; 800 9^th^ Street, SW; Washington, DC
20024;

telephone: 202-690-0402; fax: 202-720-3945; e-mail:
<tgrosser@csrees.usda.gov>.

**Research:**

**Ali Mohamed**; National Program Leader; Multicultural Alliances Unit;
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S.
Department of Agriculture;

Waterfront Centre; Room 3310; 800 9^th^ Street, SW; Washington, DC
20024;

telephone: 202-720-5229; fax: 202-720-3945; e-mail:
<amohamed@csrees.usda.gov>.

**PART VIII-OTHER INFORMATION**

[]{#access .anchor}**A. Access to Review Information**

Copies of reviews, excluding the identity of reviewers and final score,
and a summary of the panel comments will be sent to the applicant PD
after the review process has been completed.

[]{#use .anchor}**B. Use of Funds; Changes**

**1. [Delegation of Fiscal Responsibility]{.underline}**

Unless the terms and conditions of the award state otherwise, the
awardees may not in whole or in part delegate or transfer to another
person, institution, or organization the responsibility for use or
expenditure of award funds.

**2. [Changes in Project Plans]{.underline}**

a\) The permissible changes by the awardee, PD(s), or other key project
personnel in the approved project shall be limited to changes in
methodology, techniques, or other similar aspects of the project to
expedite achievement of the project\'s approved goals. If the awardee or
the PD(s) is uncertain as to whether a change complies with this
provision, the question must be referred to the Authorized Departmental
Officer (ADO) for a final determination. The ADO is the signatory of the
award document, not the program contact.

b\) Changes in approved goals or objectives shall be requested by the
awardee and approved in writing by the ADO prior to effecting such
changes. In no event shall requests for such changes be approved which
are outside the scope of the original approved project.

c\) Changes in approved project leadership or the replacement or
reassignment of other key project personnel shall be requested by the
awardee and approved in writing by the ADO prior to effecting such
changes.

d\) Transfers of actual performance of the substantive programmatic work
in whole or in part and provisions for payment of funds, whether or not
Federal funds are involved, shall be requested by the awardee and
approved in writing by the ADO prior to effecting such transfers, unless
prescribed otherwise in the terms and conditions of the award.

e\) Changes in Project Period: The project period may be extended by
CSREES without additional financial support, for such additional
period(s) as the ADO determines may be necessary to complete or fulfill
the purposes of an approved project, but in no case shall the total
project period exceed five years. Any extension of time shall be
conditioned upon prior request by the awardee and approval in writing by
the ADO, unless prescribed otherwise in the terms and conditions of
award.

f\) Changes in Approved Budget: Changes in an approved budget must be
requested by the awardee and approved in writing by the ADO prior to
instituting such changes if the revision will involve transfers or
expenditures of amounts requiring prior approval as set forth in the
applicable Federal cost principles, Departmental regulations, or award.

[]{#confidential .anchor}**C. Confidential Aspects of Applications and
Awards**

When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record
of CSREES transactions, available to the public upon specific request.
Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential,
privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the
extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant
wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary
should be clearly marked within the application. The original copy of an
application that does not result in an award will be retained by the
Agency for a period of three years. Other copies will be destroyed. Such
an application will be released only with the consent of the applicant
or to the extent required by law. An application may be withdrawn at any
time prior to the final action thereon.

[]{#regulatory .anchor}**D. Regulatory Information**

For the reasons set forth in the final Rule related Notice to 7 CFR part
3015, subpart V (48 FR 29114, June 24, 1983), this program is excluded
from the scope of the Executive Order 12372 which requires
intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. Under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter
35), the collection of information requirements contained in this Notice
have been approved under OMB Document No. 0524-0039.

[]{#definitions .anchor}**E. Definitions**

For the purpose of this program, the following definitions are
applicable:

[1890 Institution]{.underline} or [1890 land-grant
institution]{.underline} or [1890 colleges and universities]{.underline}
means one of those institutions eligible to receive funds under the Act
of August 30, 1890, (26 Stat. 417-419, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 321-326 and
328), including Tuskegee University and West Virginia State University.

[Administrator]{.underline} means the Administrator of the Cooperative
State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and any other
officer or employee of the Department to whom the authority involved is
delegated.

[Authorized departmental officer]{.underline} (ADO) means the Secretary
or any employee of the Department with delegated authority to issue or
modify grant instruments on behalf of the Secretary.

[Authorized representative]{.underline} (AR) means the president or
chief executive officer of the applicant organization or the official,
designated by the president or chief executive officer of the applicant
organization, who has the authority to commit the resources of the
organization.

[Budget period]{.underline} means the interval of time (usually 12
months) into which the project period is divided for budgetary and
reporting purposes.

[Capacity Building]{.underline} means enhancing and strengthening the
quality and depth of an institution's research and academic programs as
evidenced by its: faculty expertise, scientific and technical resources,
research environment, curriculum, student experiential learning
opportunities, scientific instrumentation, library resources, academic
standing and racial, ethnic, or gender diversity of its faculty and
student body, faculty and student recruitment and retention programs,
and organizational structures and reward systems for attracting and
retaining first-rate research faculty or students at the graduate and
post-doctorate levels. 

[Cash contributions]{.underline} means the applicant\'s cash outlay,
including the outlay of money contributed to the applicant by
non-Federal third parties.

[Citizen]{.underline} or [national of the United States]{.underline}
means: (1) a citizen or native resident of a State, the District of
Columbia, or any Insular Area; or, (2) a person defined in the
Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22), who, though not a
citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United
States. Where eligibility is claimed solely on the basis of permanent
allegiance, documentary evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization
Service as to such eligibility must be made available to CSREES upon
request.

[College]{.underline} or [University]{.underline} means an educational
institution in any State 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 a certificate;
(2) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of
education beyond secondary education; (3) provides an educational
program for which a baccalaureate degree or any other higher degree is
awarded; (4) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and (5) is
accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association,
or if not so accredited, is an institution that has been granted
pre-accreditation status by such an agency or association that has been
recognized by the Secretary of Education for the granting of
pre-accreditation status, and the Secretary of Education has determined
that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the
accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a
reasonable time.

[Department]{.underline} or [USDA]{.underline} means the United States
Department of Agriculture.

[Education activity]{.underline} means formal classroom instruction,
laboratory instruction, and practicum experience in the food and
agricultural sciences and other related matters such as faculty
development, student recruitment and services, curriculum development,
instructional materials and equipment, and innovative teaching
methodologies.

[Educational Need Area]{.underline} (also see Teaching project grant)
means the specific area(s) of educational focus identified in the annual
Request for Applications and addressed by the applicant's proposal. This
is a grant in support of a project that addresses one or more of the
identified educational need areas or specific subject matter/emphasis
areas derived from statutory language authorizing the grants program
related to strengthening teaching programs including, but not limited
to, such initiatives as:  curricula design and materials development,
faculty preparation and enhancement for teaching, instruction delivery
systems, scientific instrumentation for teaching, student experiential
learning, and student recruitment and retention.

[Eligible applicant.]{.underline} See 1890 Institution.

[Eligible participant]{.underline} means, for purposes the Program Need
Areas "Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching", "Student
Recruitment and Retention" and "New Faculty and Investigator Enhancement
Initiative", an individual who is a citizen or national of the United
States as defined in this section.

[Food and agricultural sciences]{.underline} means basic, applied, and
developmental research, extension, and teaching activities in the food
and fiber, agricultural, renewable natural resources, forestry, and
physical and social sciences, in the broadest sense of these terms,
including but not limited to, activities relating to the production,
processing, marketing, distribution, conservation, utilization,
consumption, research, and development of food and agriculturally
related products and services, and inclusive of programs in agriculture,
natural resources, aquaculture, forestry, veterinary medicine, home
economics, rural human ecology, rural economic, community, or business
development, and closely allied disciplines.

[Grant]{.underline} means the award by the Secretary of funds to an
eligible organization or individual to assist in meeting the costs of
conducting, for the benefit of the public, an identified project which
is intended and designed to accomplish the purpose of the program as
identified in these guidelines.

[Grantee]{.underline} means the organization designated in the grant
award document as the responsible legal entity to which a grant is
awarded.

[Insular Area]{.underline} means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands,
the Republic of Palau, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

[Integrated]{.underline} means to bring the three components of the
agricultural knowledge system (research, education, and extension)
together around a problem area or activity.

[Joint project application]{.underline} means a proposal for a project,
which will involve the applicant 1890 Institution and two or more other
colleges, universities, community colleges, junior colleges, or

other institutions, each of which will assume a major role in the
conduct of the proposed project, and for which the applicant institution
will transfer at least one-half of the awarded funds to

the other institutions participating in the project. Only the applicant
institution must meet the definition of ''1890 Institution'' as
specified in this section; the other institutions participating

in a joint project proposal are not required to meet the definition of
''1890 Institution'' as specified in this section, nor required to meet
the definition of ''college'' or ''university'' as

specified in this section.

[Outcomes]{.underline} means specific, measurable project results and
benefits that, when assessed and reported; indicate the project's plan
of operation has been achieved.

Measurable outcomes include:

> [Results]{.underline} are intended or unintended consequences of the
> project, e.g., "\...additional course materials now available online
> to reinforce student learning during non-classroom hours";
>
> [Products]{.underline} may be actual items or services acquired with
> funds, e.g., "...mechanisms and content to transition existing
> course(s) or elements of course(s) for Web-based access" or "created
> new and innovative prevention and intervention initiatives"; and
>
> [Impacts]{.underline} are a measure of the results by comparing what
> might have happened in the absence of the funded project.

[Partnering entity]{.underline} means a unit of State government,
federal agency/office, or private sector organization that may only
receive reimbursement for non-salary minor expenses such as materials
and supplies but is nevertheless partnered with, and committed to,
assisting an eligible institution in building capacity in teaching or
research at the applicant 1890 institution.

[Peer reviewers]{.underline} means experts or consultants qualified by
training and experience to give expert advice on the scientific and
technical merit of grant applications or the relevance of those
applications to one or more of the application evaluation criteria. Peer
reviewers may be ad hoc or convened as a panel.

[Plan of Operation]{.underline} means a detailed, step-by-step
description of how the applicant intends to accomplish the project's
[outcomes]{.underline}. At a minimum, the plan should include a
timetable indicating how outcomes are achieved, a description of
resources to be used or acquired, and the responsibilities expected of
all project personnel.

[Prior approval]{.underline} means written approval evidencing prior
consent by an authorized departmental officer.

[Project]{.underline} means the particular activity within the scope of
the program supported by a grant award.

[Project Director]{.underline} (PD) means the single individual
designated by the grantee in the grant application and approved by the
Authorized Departmental Officer who is responsible for the direction and
management of the project \[also known as a principal investigator for
research activities\].

[Project period]{.underline} means the total length of time, as stated
in the award document and modifications thereto, if any, during which
Federal sponsorship begins and ends.

[Regular project application]{.underline} means an application for a
project: (1) where the applicant institution will be the sole entity
involved in the execution of the project; or (2) which may involve the
applicant institution and one or more other Partnering Entities, but
where the involvement of the Partnering Entity(ies) does not meet the
requirements for a joint application as defined in this section.

[Research]{.underline} means any systematic study directed toward new or
fuller knowledge and understanding of the subject studied.

[Research activity]{.underline} means a scientific investigation or
inquiry that results in the generation of knowledge.

[Research capacity]{.underline} means the quality and depth of an
institution\'s research infrastructure as evidenced by its:  faculty
expertise in the natural or social sciences, scientific and technical
resources, research environment, library resources, and organizational
structures and reward systems for attracting and retaining first-rate
research faculty or students at the graduate and post-doctorate levels.

[Research project grant]{.underline} means a grant in support of a
project that addresses one or more of the Research Need Areas or
specific subject matter/emphasis areas identified in the annual Request
for Applications related to strengthening research programs including,
but not limited to, such initiatives as:  studies and experimentation in
food and agricultural sciences, centralized research support systems,
technology delivery systems, and other creative projects designed to
provide needed enhancement of the Nation\'s food and agricultural
research system.

[Secretary]{.underline} means the Secretary of Agriculture and any other
officer or employee of the Department to whom the authority involved may
be delegated.

[Single Institution]{.underline} any application with a single budget
with no Subaward budget attachment.

[State]{.underline} means any one of the fifty States, the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Marianas, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the District of
Columbia.

[Teaching]{.underline} means formal classroom instruction, laboratory
instruction, and practicum experience in the food and agricultural
sciences and matters related thereto (such as faculty development,
student recruitment and services, curriculum development, instructional
materials and equipment, and innovative teaching methodologies)
conducted by colleges and universities offering baccalaureate or higher
degrees.

[Teaching capacity]{.underline} means the quality and depth of an
institution\'s academic programs infrastructure as evidenced by its: 
curriculum, teaching faculty, instructional delivery systems, student
experiential learning opportunities, scientific instrumentation for
teaching, library resources, academic standing and racial, ethnic, or
gender diversity of its faculty and student body as well as faculty and
student recruitment and retention programs provided by a college or
university in order to achieve maximum results in the development of
scientific and professional expertise for the Nation\'s food and
agricultural system.

[Teaching project grant]{.underline} (also see [Educational Need
Area]{.underline}) means a grant in support of a project that addresses
one or more of the Educational Need Areas or specific subject
matter/emphasis areas identified in the annual Request for Applications
and addressed by the applicant's proposal. The areas are derived from
statutory language authorizing the grants program related to
strengthening teaching programs including, but not limited to, such
initiatives as:  curricula design and materials development, faculty
preparation and enhancement for teaching, instruction delivery systems,
scientific instrumentation for teaching, student experiential learning,
and student recruitment and retention.

[Third party in-kind contributions]{.underline} means non‑cash
contributions of property or services provided by non‑Federal third
parties, including real property, equipment, supplies and other
expendable property, directly benefiting and specifically identifiable
to a funded project or program.

[USDA agency cooperator]{.underline} means any agency or office of the
Department which has reviewed and endorsed an applicant\'s request for
support, and indicates a willingness to make available non-monetary
resources or technical assistance throughout the life of a project to
ensure the accomplishment of the objectives of a grant awarded under
this program.

[United States]{.underline} means the several States, the territories
and possessions of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the
Virgin Islands of the United States, and the District of Columbia.

[USDA and CSREES Strategic Plans]{.underline}: Go to
<http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/offices/pdfs/csrees_stratic_plan.pdf>
to view the CSREES Strategic Plan. Go to
<http://www.ocfo.usda.gov/usdasp/usdasp.htm> to view the USDA Strategic
Plan.