50438 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 186 / Thursday, September 25, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service

1890 Institution Teaching and

Research Capacity Building Grants

Program for Fiscal Year 1998;

Solicitation of Applications

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice of application.

SUMMARY: The Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service (CSREES) is announcing the

1890 Institution Teaching and Research

Capacity Building Grants Program for

Fiscal Year (FY) 1998. Proposals are

hereby requested from eligible

institutions as identified herein, for

competitive consideration of capacity

building awards.

The 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)). Under this authority, the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

through the Higher Education Programs

(HEP) of CSREES will award

competitive grants of eighteen months

to three-years duration, subject to the

availability of funds. These grants will

be made to the historically black 1890

Land-Grant Institutions and Tuskegee

University to strengthen their programs

in the food and agricultural sciences in

the targeted need areas as described

herein. The Capacity Building Grants

Program is designed specifically to

build the institutional capacities of the

eligible colleges and universities

through cooperative initiatives with

Federal and non-Federal entities. This

program addresses the need to (1)

Attract more minority students into the

food and agricultural sciences, (2)

expand the linkages among the 1890

Institutions and with other colleges and

universities, and (3) strengthen the

teaching and research capacity of the

1890 Institutions to more firmly

establish them as full partners in the

food and agricultural science and

education system. In addition, through

this program, USDA will strive to

increase the overall pool of qualified

applicants for the Department to make

significant progress toward achievement

of the Department’s goal of increasing

participation of under represented

groups in Departmental programs.

DATES: Project grant applications must

be received on or before January 26,

1998. Proposals received after January

26, 1998 will not be considered for

funding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard M. Hood, Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

STOP 2251, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–

2251; Telephone: (202) 720–1973; Email: rhood@reeusda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

program is subject to the provisions

found at 7 CFR part 3406, 62 FR 39330,

July 22, 1997. 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.

This program is listed in the Catalog

of Federal Domestic Assistance under

No. 10.216, 1890 Institution Capacity

Building Grants Program.

Eligibility

Proposals may be submitted by any of

the sixteen historically black 1890 LandGrant Institutions and Tuskegee

University. The 1890 Land-Grant

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; Southern University and

A&M College; University of Maryland—

Eastern Shore; Alcorn State University;

Lincoln University (MO); North

Carolina A&T State University; Langston

University; South Carolina State

University; Tennessee State University;

Prairie View A&M University; and

Virginia State University. An institution

eligible to receive an award under this

program includes a research foundation

maintained by an 1890 land-grant

institution or Tuskegee University.

Available Funds

The amount available for this program

in FY 1998 is $9.2 million. After

administrative and other deductions of

approximately 4 percent (including peer

panel and related costs), it is anticipated

that $8.8 million will be available for

project grants. Of this amount,

approximately $4.45 million will be

used to support teaching projects and

$4.35 million will be used to support

research projects. Awards will be based

upon peer review panel

recommendations; however, up to ten

percent of the funds allocated for

teaching and up to ten percent of the

funds allocated for research may be

used to support projects in either area

based upon administrative decision by

CSREES.

Program Areas

In FY 1998, the Capacity Building

Grants Program will support both

teaching and research projects.

Targeted Areas

The targeted need areas to be

supported by capacity building grants in

FY 1998 are:

For teaching project grants—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.

For research project grants—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.

In FY 1998, eligible institutions may

propose projects in any discipline(s) of

the food and agricultural sciences; there

are no limits on the specific subject

matter/emphasis areas to be supported.

Degree Levels Supported

In FY 1998, proposals may be directed

to the undergraduate or graduate level of

study leading to a baccalaureate or

higher degree in the food and

agricultural sciences.

Proposal Submission Limitations

In FY 1998, there is no limit on the

number of proposals an eligible

institution may submit. However, there

are funding limitations in FY 1998 that

will affect the number of awards eligible

institutions and individuals may

receive. Therefore, institutions are

encouraged to establish on-campus

quality control panels to ensure that

only high quality proposals having the

greatest potential for improving

academic and research programs are

submitted for consideration. Eligible

institutions may submit grant

applications for either category of grants

(teaching or research); however, each

application must be limited to either a

teaching project grant proposal or a

research project grant proposal.

Maximum Grant Size

In FY 1998, the following limitations

apply: A teaching proposal may request

a grant for up to $200,000. A research

proposal may request a grant for up to

$300,000.

Note: These maximums are for the duration

of the project, not per year.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 186 / Thursday, September 25, 1997 / Notices 50439

Project Duration

A regular, complementary, or joint

project proposal may request funding

for a period of eighteen months to threeyears duration.

Funding Limitations per Institution

In FY 1998, the following two

limitations will apply to the

institutional maximum: (1) No

institution may receive more than four

grants, and (2) no institution may

receive more than 10 percent of the total

funds available for grant awards

(approximately $880,000).

For a Joint Project Proposal

(submitted by an eligible institution and

involving two or more other colleges or

universities assuming major roles in the

conduct of the project), only that

portion of the award to be retained by

the grantee will be counted against the

grantee’s institutional maximum. Those

funds to be transferred to the other

colleges and universities participating

in the joint project will not be applied

toward the maximum funds allowed the

grantee institution. However, if any of

the other colleges and universities

participating in the joint project are

1890 Institutions or Tuskegee

University, the amount transferred from

the grantee institution to such

institutions will be counted toward their

institutional maximums. For

Complementary Project Proposals, only

those funds to be retained by the grantee

institution will be counted against the

grantee’s institutional maximum.

Funding Limitation per Individual

In FY 1998, the maximum number of

new awards that an individual (Project

Director or Principal Investigator) may

receive is two grants. This restriction

does not apply to joint projects.

Funding Limitation per Targeted Need

Area

In FY 1998, the maximum number of

new awards that an individual may

receive in a given fiscal year, in any one

targeted need area, that focuses on a

single subject matter area or discipline,

is one grant. This restriction would not

apply to proposals that address multiple

targeted need areas and/or multiple

subject matter areas.

Matching Funds

The Department strongly encourages

non-Federal matching support for the

program. For FY 1998, the following

incentive is offered to applicants for

committing their own institutional

resources or securing third-party

contributions in support of capacity

building projects:

Tie Breaker—The amount of cash and

non-cash matching support for each

proposal, will be used as the primary

criterion to break any ties (cases where

proposals are equally rated in merit)

resulting from the proposal review

process conducted by the peer review

panels. A grant awarded on this basis

will contain language requiring such

matching commitments as a condition

of the grant.

Please Note: Proposals must include

written verification from the donor(s) of any

actual commitments of matching support

(including both cash and non-cash

contributions) derived from the university

community, business and industry,

professional societies, the States, or other

non-Federal sources.

The cash contributions towards

matching from the institution should be

identified in the column ‘‘Applicant

Contributions to Matching Funds’’ of

the Higher Education Budget, Form

CSREES–713. The cash contributions of

the institution and third parties as well

as non-cash contributions should be

identified on Line N., as appropriate, of

Form CSREES–713.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria as provided in

the Administrative Provisions, 7 CFR

part 3406, will be used to evaluate

proposals for the FY 1998 competition.

Program Application Materials

An Application Kit containing

program application materials will be

made available to eligible institutions

upon request. These materials include

the Administrative Provisions, forms,

instructions, and other relevant

information needed to prepare and

submit grant applications. Copies of the

Application Kit may be requested from

the Proposal Services Unit; Grants

Management Branch; Office of

Extramural Programs; Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture;

STOP 2245; 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20250–

2245. The telephone number is (202)

401–5048. When contacting the

Proposal Services Unit, please indicate

that you are requesting forms for the FY

1998 1890 Institution Capacity Building

Grants Program.

Application materials may also be

requested via Internet by sending a

message with your name, mailing

address (not e-mail) and telephone

number to psb@reeusda.gov that states

that you wish to receive a copy of the

application materials for the FY 1998

1890 Institution Capacity Building

Grants Program. The materials will then

be mailed to you (not e-mailed) as

quickly as possible.

When and Where to Submit Proposals

An original and seven (7) copies of a

proposal must be submitted. Each copy

of the proposal must be stapled securely

in the upper left-hand corner (DO NOT

BIND). All copies of the proposal must

be submitted in one package. Proposals

submitted through the mail must be

received on or before January 26, 1998.

Proposals submitted through the U.S.

mail should be sent to the following

address: 1890 Institution Capacity

Building Grants Program; c/o Proposal

Services Unit; Grants Management

Branch; Office of Extramural Programs;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service; U.S. Department

of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400

Independence Avenue, S.W.;

Washington, D.C. 20250–2245. The

telephone number is (202) 401–5048.

Hand-delivered proposals (brought in

person by the applicant or through a

courier service) must be received on or

before January 26, 1998 at the following

address: 1890 Institution Capacity

Building Grants Program; c/o Proposal

Services Unit; Grants Management

Branch; Office of Extramural Programs;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service; U.S. Department

of Agriculture; Room 303, Aerospace

Center; 901 D Street, S.W.; Washington,

D.C. 20024. Proposals transmitted via a

facsimile (fax) machine will not be

accepted.

Note that in FY 1998, Form CSREES–

711, ‘‘Intent to Submit a Proposal,’’ is

not requested nor required for the 1890

Institution Capacity Building Grants

Program.

Program Contacts

The 1890 Institution Capacity

Building Grants Program is managed by

the CSREES Higher Education Programs.

For further information concerning the

FY 1998 program, contact Mr. Richard

Hood, National Program Leader, Higher

Education Programs, CSREES, USDA, at

(202) 720–1973; or via the Internet:

rhood@reeusda.gov. Dr. McKinley

Mayes, 1890 College Program

Coordinator, CSREES, USDA is also

available to assist you. He can be

reached at (202) 720–3511; or via the

Internet: mmayes@reeusda.gov.

Done at Washington, D.C., this 19th day of

September 1997.

Colien Hefferan,

Associate Administrator, Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 97–25408 Filed 9–24–97; 8:45 am]

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