36268 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 110 / Wednesday, June 7, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service

Small Business Innovation Research

Grants Program for Fiscal Year 2001;

Request for Proposals and Request for

Input

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of

Program Solicitation and Request for

Proposals for Fiscal Year 2001 Small

Business Innovation Research Grants

Program and Request for Input.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

under the authority of the Small

Business Innovation Development Act

of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638) and

section 630 of the Act making

appropriations for Agriculture, Rural

Development, and Related Agencies

programs for the fiscal year ending

September 30, 1987, and for other

purposes, as made applicable by section

101(a) of Public Law Number 99–591,

100 Stat. 3341, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) expects to award

project grants for certain areas of

research to science-based small business

firms through phase I of its Small

Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Grants Program.

By this notice, the Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service (CSREES) additionally solicits

stakeholder input from any interested

party regarding the Fiscal Year 2001

SBIR Grants Program Request for

Proposals for use in the development of

the next request for proposals for this

program.

DATES: All phase I proposals must be

received at USDA on or before August

31, 2000. Proposals not received on or

before this date will not be considered

for funding.

ADDRESSES: All proposals must be

submitted to the following address:

Small Business Innovation Research

Program; c/o Proposal Services Unit;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service; U.S. Department

of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400

Independence Avenue, SW.;

Washington, DC 20250–2245.

Note: The address for hand-delivered

proposals or proposals submitted using

an express mail or overnight courier

service is: Small Business Innovation

Research Program; c/o Proposal Services

Unit; Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service; U.S.

Department of Agriculture; Room 303,

Aerospace Center; 901 D Street, SW.;

Washington, D.C. 20024. Telephone:

(202) 401–5048.

Written user input comments should

be submitted by mail to: Office of

Extramural Programs; Competitive

Research Grants and Awards

Management; USDA–CSREES; Stop

2299; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.;

Washington, DC 20250–2299; or via email to: RFP–OEP@reeusda.gov. In your

comments, please include the name of

the program and the fiscal year of the

request for proposals to which you are

responding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Charles F. Cleland; Director, SBIR

Program; Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service; STOP

2243; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.;

Washington, DC 20250–2243.

Telephone: (202) 401–4002. Facsimile:

(202) 401–6070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

program will be administered by the

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service. Firms with

strong scientific research capabilities in

the topic areas listed below are

encouraged to participate. Objectives of

the three-phase program include

stimulating technological innovation in

the private sector, strengthening the role

of small businesses in meeting Federal

research and development needs,

increasing private sector

commercialization of innovations

derived from USDA-supported research

and development efforts, and fostering

and encouraging participation of

women-owned and socially and

economically disadvantaged small

business concerns in technological

innovation.

The total amount expected to be

available for phase I of the SBIR

Program in fiscal year (FY) 2001 is

approximately $5,500,000. The

solicitation is being announced to allow

adequate time for potential recipients to

prepare and submit applications by the

closing date of August 31, 2000. The

research to be supported is in the

following topic areas:

1. Forests and Related Resources.

2. Plant Production and Protection.

3. Animal Production and Protection.

4. Air, Water and Soils.

5. Food Science and Nutrition.

6. Rural and Community

Development.

7. Aquaculture.

8. Industrial Applications.

9. Marketing and Trade.

The award of any grants under the

provisions of this program is subject to

the availability of appropriations.

This program is subject to the

provisions found at 7 CFR part 3403.

These provisions set forth procedures to

be followed when submitting grant

proposals, rules governing the

evaluation of proposals and the

awarding of grants, and regulations

relating to the post-award

administration of grant projects. In

addition, USDA Uniform Federal

Assistance Regulations (7 CFR part

3015), Governmentwide Debarment and

Suspension (Non-procurement) and

Governmentwide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)

regulations (7 CFR part 3017),

Restrictions on Lobbying regulations (7

CFR part 3018), and Debt Management

regulations (7 CFR part 3) apply to this

program. Copies of 7 CFR parts 3403,

3015, 3017, 3018, and 3 may be

obtained by writing or calling the office

indicated below.

The program solicitation, which

contains research topic descriptions and

detailed instructions on how to apply,

may be obtained by writing or calling

the following office: Proposal Services

Unit; Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service; U.S.

Department of Agriculture; STOP 2245;

1400 Independence Avenue, SW.;

Washington, DC 20250–2245.

Telephone: (202) 401–5048. Application

materials also may be requested via

Internet by sending a message with your

name, mailing address (not e-mail) and

telephone number to psb@reeusda.gov

which states that you wish to receive a

copy of the application materials for the

FY 2001 Small Business Innovation

Research Grants Program. The materials

will then be mailed to you (not emailed) as quickly as possible. Please

note that applicants who submitted

SBIR proposals for FY 2000 or who have

recently requested placement on the list

for FY 2001 will automatically receive

a copy of the FY 2001 program

solicitation.

Stakeholder Input

CSREES is soliciting comments

regarding this solicitation of

applications from any interested party.

These comments will be considered in

the development of the next request for

proposals for the program. Such

comments will be forwarded to the

Secretary or his designee for use in

meeting 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)). Written

comments should be submitted by mail

to: Policy and Program Liaison Staff;

Office of Extramural Programs; USDACSREES; STOP 2299; 1400

Independence Avenue, S.W.;

Washington, D.C. 20250–2299; or via email to: RFP–OEP@reeusda.gov. (This eVerDate 11<MAY>2000 14:22 Jun 06, 2000 Jkt 190000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\07JNN3.SGM pfrm07 PsN: 07JNN3
Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 110 / Wednesday, June 7, 2000 / Notices 36269

mail address is intended only for

receiving stakeholder input comments

regarding this RFP, and not for

requesting information or forms.)

In your comments, please indicate

that you are responding to the FY 2001

Small Business Innovation Research

Grants Program. Comments are

requested within six months from the

issuance of the solicitation of

applications. Comments received after

that date will be considered to the

extent practicable.

Done at Washington, DC, this 30th day of

May, 2000.

Charles W. Laughlin,

Administrator, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 00–14237 Filed 6–6–00; 8:45 am]

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