29900 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 104 / Monday, June 1, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service

Small Business Innovation Research

Grants Program for Fiscal Year 1999;

Request for Proposals

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of program

solicitation and request for proposals for

fiscal year 1999 Small Business

Innovation Research Grants Program.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

under the authority of the Small

Business Innovation Development Act

of 1982 (Pub. L. 97–219), 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 sciencebased small business firms through

phase I of its Small Business Innovation

Research (SBIR) Grants Program.

DATES: All phase I proposals must be

received at USDA by September 3, 1998.

Proposals not received by this date will

be returned to the proposing

organization without evaluation or

consideration for an award, with the

following exceptions. Proposals

received after September 3, 1998, will

be accepted provided they are

postmarked before or on (1) September

2, 1998, if sent by overnight courier; (2)

September 1, 1998, if sent by two-day

priority mail; or (3) August 27, 1998, if

sent by regular first class mail.

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, S.W.;

Washington, D.C. 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,

S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20024.

Telephone: (202) 401–5048.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Charles F. Cleland; Director, SBIR

Program; Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service; STOP

2243; 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.;

Washington, D.C. 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) 1999 is

approximately $4,800,000. The

solicitation is being announced to allow

adequate time for potential recipients to

prepare and submit applications by the

closing date of September 3, 1998. 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 3402, as

amended by 62 FR 26168, May 12, 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. In

addition, USDA Uniform Federal

Assistance Regulations (7 CFR Part

3015, as amended), Governmentwide

Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide

Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace

(Grants) (7 CFR Part 3017), Restrictions

on Lobbying (7 CFR Part 3018), and

Managing Federal Credit Programs (7

CFR Part 3) apply to this program.

Copies of 7 CFR Part 3403, 7 CFR Part

3015, 7 CFR Part 3017, 7 CFR part 3018,

and 7 CFR Part 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 office indicated below. 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 1999 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 1998 or who have

recently requested placement on the list

for FY 1999 will automatically receive

a copy of the FY 1999 program

solicitation.

Proposal Services Unit; Cooperative

State Research, Education, and

Extension Service; U.S. Department of

Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400

Independence Avenue, S.W.;

Washington, D.C. 20250–2245.

Telephone: (202) 401–5048.

Done at Washington, D.C., this 21st day of

May, 1998.

Colien Hefferan,

Acting Administrator, Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 98–14323 Filed 5–29–98; 8:45 am]

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