Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2018 / Notices 32619 

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USDA Non-Discrimination Statement 

No agency, officer, or employee of the 

USDA shall, on the grounds of race, 

color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity, sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, or political 

beliefs, exclude from participation in, 

deny the benefits of, or subject to 

discrimination any person in the United 

States under any program or activity 

conducted by the USDA. 

How To File a Complaint of 

Discrimination 

To file a complaint of discrimination, 

complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, which 

may be accessed online at http://

www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ 

docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_

12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you 

or your authorized representative. 

Send your completed complaint form 

or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email: 

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410, Fax: (202) 690–7442, 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

Paul Kiecker, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15015 Filed 7–12–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture 

Notice of Intent To Extend and Revise 

a Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the National Institute 

of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) 

intention to extend and revise a 

currently approved information 

collection entitled, ‘‘Reporting 

Requirements for State Plans of Work 

for Agricultural Research and Extension 

Formula Funds.’’ 

DATES: Written comments on this notice 

must be received by September 11, 2018 

to be assured of consideration. 

Comments received after that date will 

be considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments 

concerning this notice and requests for 

copies of the information collection may 

be submitted by any of the following 

methods: Email: rmartin@nifa.usda.gov; 

Fax: 202–720–0857; Mail: Office of 

Information Technology (OIT), NIFA, 

USDA, STOP 2216, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

2216. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Martin, eGovernment Program 

Leader; Email: rmartin@nifa.usda.gov; 

Phone: 202–401–5924. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Reporting Requirements for 

State Plans of Work for Agricultural 

Research and Extension Capacity 

Grants. 

OMB Number: 0524–0036. 

Expiration Date of Current Approval: 

January 1, 2019. 

Type of Request: Notice of intent to 

extend and revise the submission 

requirements for a currently approved 

information collection. The burden for 

this submission remains unchanged. 

Abstract: Type of Request: Intent to 

seek approval for the extension and 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection for three years. 

Abstract: The purpose of this 

collection of information is to continue 

implementing the requirements of 

sections 202 and 225 of the Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Education 

Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) which 

require that a plan of work must be 

submitted by each institution and 

approved by the National Institute of 

Food and Agriculture (NIFA) before 

formula funds may be provided to the 

1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions. 

The formula funds are authorized 

under the Hatch Act for agricultural 

research activities at the 1862 land-grant 

institutions, under the Smith-Lever Act 

for the extension activities at the 1862 

land-grant institutions, and under 

sections 1444 and 1445 of the National 

Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Teaching Policy Act of 1977 for research 

and extension activities at the 1890 

land-grant institutions. The plan of 

work must address critical agricultural 

issues in the State and describe the 

programs and projects targeted to 

address these issues using the NIFA 

formula funds. The plan of work also 

must describe the institution’s 

multistate activities as well as their 

integrated research and extension 

activities. 

This collection of information also 

includes the reporting requirements of 

section 102(c) of AREERA for the 1862 

and 1890 land-grant institutions. This 

section requires the 1862, 1890, and 

1994 land-grant institutions receiving 

agricultural research, education, and 

extension formula funds from NIFA of 

the Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

to establish and implement processes 

for obtaining input from persons who 

conduct or use agricultural research, 

extension, or education concerning the 

use of such funds effective October 1, 

1999. 

Section 102(c) further requires that 

the Secretary of Agriculture promulgate 

regulations that prescribe what the 

institutions must do to meet this 

requirement and the consequences of 

not complying with this requirement. 

The Stakeholder Input Requirements for 

Recipients of Agricultural Research, 

Education, and Extension Formula 

Funds (7 CFR part 3418) final rule (65 

FR 5993, Feb. 8, 2000) applies not only 

to the land-grant institutions receiving 

formula funds but also to the veterinary 

and forestry schools that are not landgrant institutions but receive forestry 

research funds under the McIntireStennis Act of 1962 and animal health 

and disease research funds under 

section 1433 of the National 

Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Teaching Policy Act of 1977 

(NARETPA). Failure to comply with the 

requirements of this rule may result in 

the withholding of a recipient 

institution’s formula funds and 

redistribution of its share of formula 

funds to other eligible institutions. The 

institutions are required to annually 

report to NIFA: (1) The actions taken to 

seek stakeholder input to encourage 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
32620 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2018 / Notices 

their participation; (2) a brief statement 

of the process used by the recipient 

institution to identify individuals and 

groups who are stakeholders and to 

collect input from them; and (3) a 

statement of how collected input was 

considered. There is no legislatively 

prescribed form or format for this 

reporting requirement. However, the 

1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions 

are required to report on their 

Stakeholder Input Process annually as 

part of their Annual Report of 

Accomplishments and Results. 

Section 103(e) of AREERA requires 

that the 1862, 1890, and 1994 land-grant 

institutions establish a merit review 

process, prior to October 1, 1999, in 

order to obtain agricultural research and 

extension funds. Section 104 of 

AREERA also stipulated that a scientific 

peer review process be established for 

research programs funded under section 

3(c)(3) of the Hatch Act (commonly 

referred to as Hatch Multistate Research 

Funds). 

This notice also revises the Plan of 

Work to include Extension Program 

Initiations and Annual Reports in the 

REEport platform in place of the current 

Planned Programs and make the current 

REEport Hatch and Evans-Allen 

approved Research Project Initiations 

and Annual Progress Reports as a part 

of the Plan of Work and Annual Report 

of Accomplishments. This will reduce 

the overall burden for Hatch and EvansAllen research grant recipients. The 

burden for Extension Grant recipients is 

estimated to remain the same. 

The revised Plan of Work will have 

the following sections: 

(1). Institutional Profile and Executive 

Summary 

(2). Merit Review Process 

(3). Stakeholder Input 

(4). Multistate Extension and 

Integrated Research and Extension 

(5). Critical Issues 

(6). Extension Program Initiations and 

Research Project Initiations in the 

REEport Platform 

I. Initial 5-Year Plan of Work 

Estimate of Burden: The Initial 5-Year 

Plan of Work as revised will submitted 

for the FY 2020–2024 Plan of Work in 

2019. The total reporting and record 

keeping requirements for the 

submission of the ‘‘Initial 5-Year Plan of 

Work’’ is estimated to average 64 hours 

per response. There are six components 

of this ‘‘5-Year Plan of Work’’: ‘‘Critical 

Issues,’’ ‘‘Extension Program and 

Research Project Initiations in the 

REEport Platform,’’ ‘‘Stakeholder Input 

Process,’’ ‘‘Merit Review Process,’’ 

‘‘Multi state Activities,’’ and ‘‘Integrated 

Activities.’’ 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

75. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 150. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 9,600 hours. 

Frequency of Responses: Annually. 

II. Annual Update to 5-Year Plan of 

Work 

Estimate of the Burden: The total 

reporting and record keeping 

requirements for the submission of the 

‘‘Annual Update to the 5-Year Plan of 

Work’’ is estimated to average 64 hours 

per response. There are six components 

of this ‘‘5-Year Plan of Work’’: ‘‘Critical 

Issues,’’ ‘‘Extension Program and 

Research Project Initiations in the 

REEport Platform,’’ ‘‘Stakeholder Input 

Process,’’ ‘‘Merit Review Process,’’ 

‘‘Multi state Activities,’’ and ‘‘Integrated 

Activities.’’ 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

75. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 150. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 9,600 hours. 

Frequency of Responses: Annually. 

III. Annual Report of Accomplishments 

and Results 

Estimate of the Burden: The total 

annual reporting and record keeping 

requirements of the ‘‘Annual Report of 

Accomplishments and Results’’ is 

estimated to average 260 hours per 

response. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

75. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 150. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 39,000 hours. 

Frequency of Responses: Annually. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the Agency’s 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

to OMB for approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2018. 

Thomas G. Shanower, 

Acting Director, National Institute of Food 

and Agriculture. 

[FR Doc. 2018–14997 Filed 7–12–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture 

Announcement of Requirements and 

Registration for U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) Innovations in 

Food and Agricultural Science and 

Technology (I–FAST) Prize 

Competition 

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The National Institute of Food 

and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA, is 

announcing the I–FAST prize 

competition (the ‘‘I–FAST Competition’’ 

or the ‘‘Competition’’) to develop and 

implement the Innovations in Food and 

Agricultural Science and Technology (I– 

FAST) Program. NIFA will partner with 

the National Science Foundation (NSF) 

Innovation Corps (I-Corps) to provide 

entrepreneurship training to NIFA 

grantees under this I–FAST pilot 

program. The goals are to identify 

valuable product opportunities that can 

emerge from NIFA supported academic 

research. Selected NIFA I–FAST project 

teams will participate in the educational 

programs with NSF I-Corps Program. 

Over a period of six months the NIFA 

supported teams in the I–FAST program 

will learn what it will take to achieve an 

economic impact with their particular 

innovation. The final goal of the I–FAST 

Competition is to facilitate technology 

transfer of innovations that can make an 

impact in the marketplace and the 

global economy. 

DATES: Competition Submission 

Period—Pre-Application and Evaluation 

Interviews: 

• Pre-Application Open Period: July 

10, 2018 to August 3, 2018. 

• Pre-Application Evaluation and 

Interviews: August 6, 2018 to August 9, 

2018. 

• Full Application Open Period: 

August 10, 2018 to August 17, 2018. 

• Final Evaluation and Judging—Full 

Application: August 20, 2018 to August 

22, 2018. 

• Verification of Winners: August 23, 

2018. 

• Announcement of Winner(s): 

August 24, 2018. 

NSF I-Corps Training for Winner(s): 

Winning team(s) will need to be 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES