6208 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices

CSREES–661, and a ‘‘Budget,’’ Form

CSREES–55. To provide HEP with

sufficient information upon which to

evaluate the merits of the requests for a

special international study or thesis/

dissertation research travel allowance,

each application for a supplemental

grant must contain a narrative which

provides the following: (1) The specific

destination(s) and duration of the travel;

(2) the specific study or thesis/

dissertation research activities in which

the Fellow will be engaged; (3) how the

international experience will contribute

to the Fellow’s program of study; (4) a

budget narrative specifying and

justifying the dollar amount requested

for the travel; (5) summary credentials

of both the U.S. and international

faculty or other professionals with

whom the Fellow will be working

during the international experience

(summary credentials must not exceed

three pages per person; ‘‘Summary

Vita—Teaching Proposal,’’ Form

CSREES–708, may be used for this

purpose); (6) a letter from the dean of

the Fellow’s college or equivalent

administrative unit supporting the

Fellow’s travel request and certifying

that the travel experience will not

jeopardize the Fellow’s satisfactory

progress toward degree completion; and

(7) a letter from the fellowship grant

project director certifying the Fellow’s

eligibility, the accuracy of the Fellow’s

travel request, and the relevance of the

travel to the Fellow’s advanced degree

objectives.

The narrative portion of the

application must not exceed 10 pages,

excluding the summary vita/vitae.

F. Where and When To Submit

Applications for the special

international study or thesis/

dissertation research travel allowance

supplemental grants may be submitted

at any time prior to October 1, 2001.

However, to allow time for CSREES to

process the applications, proposals

should be submitted at least three

months prior to the proposed beginning

date of the international research

project. Applicants are urged to submit

their proposals early.

Note: Proposals for these special

supplemental awards should not be

submitted as part of the application for a FY

2001/2002 Graduate Fellowship grant.)

Hand-delivered proposals (brought in

person by the applicant or through a

courier service) must be received prior

to October 1, 2001, at the following

address: Special International Study or

Thesis/Dissertation Research

Supplemental Grant; c/o Proposal

Services Unit; Office of Extramural

Programs; Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service; U.S.

Department of Agriculture; Room 1307,

Waterfront Centre; 800 9th Street, SW.;

Washington, DC 20024. The phone

number is 202–401–5048. Proposals

transmitted via a facsimile (fax)

machine will not be accepted.

Proposals submitted through the U.S.

mail must be received prior to October

1, 2001. Proposals submitted through

the U.S. mail should be sent to the

following address: Graduate Fellowship

(International) Supplemental Grants

Program; c/o Proposal Services Unit;

Office of Extramural Programs;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service; U.S. Department

of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400

Independence Avenue, SW.;

Washington, DC 20250–2245.

G. Impact Reports

Awardees will be asked to submit an

impact report at the conclusion of the

international research experience. The

impact report describes the

accomplishments made by the Fellow as

a result of the international research

experience. This report should be

submitted to: Graduate Fellowship

Program; CSREES/SERD/HEP, USDA;

STOP 2251; 1400 Independence Ave.,

SW.; Washington, DC 20250–2251.

Done at Washington, DC, this 11th day of

January, 2001.

Colien Hefferan,

Administrator, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 01–1492 Filed 1–18–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service

Request for Proposals: Special

Research Grants Program, Citrus

Tristeza Research

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service,

Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals

and request for input.

SUMMARY: The Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service (CSREES) announces the

availability of grant funds and requests

proposals for the Special Research

Grants Program, Citrus Tristeza

Research for fiscal year (FY) 2001. The

purpose of the program is to support

research that focuses on problems

caused by Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV)

and the Brown Citrus Aphid. This

request for proposals (RFP) sets forth

procedures to be followed when

submitting grant proposals, rules

governing the evaluation of proposals,

the awarding of grants, and regulations

relating to the post-award

administration of such grants.

CSREES also is requesting comments

regarding this RFP from any interested

party. These comments will be

considered in the development of the

next RFP for this program. Such

comments will be used in meeting the

requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the

Agricultural Research, Extension, and

Education Reform Act of 1998.

DATES: All proposals must be received at

USDA on or before February 15, 2001.

Proposals not received on or before this

date will not be considered for funding.

User comments are requested within

six months from the issuance of this

RFP. Comments received after that date

will be considered to the extent

practicable.

ADDRESSES: Proposals should be

submitted to the following mailing

address: Special Research Grants

Program, Citrus Tristeza Research; 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.

The address for hand-delivered

proposals or proposals submitted using

an express mail or overnight courier

service is: Special Research Grants

Program, Citrus Tristeza Research; c/o

Proposal Services Unit; Cooperative

State Research, Education, and

Extension Service; U.S. Department of

Agriculture; Room 1307, Waterfront

Centre; 800 9th Street, SW.;

Washington, DC 20024. Telephone:

(202) 401–5048.

Written user comments should be

submitted by mail to: Policy and

Program Liaison Staff; Office of

Extramural Programs; USDA–CSREES;

STOP 2299; 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250–

2299; or via e-mail to: RFPOEP@reeusda.gov. (This e-mail address

is intended only for receiving comments

regarding this solicitation and not for

requesting information or forms.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Tom Bewick, Manager, Citrus Tristeza

Research Program; Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture;

STOP 2220; 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250–

2220; telephone (202) 401–3356; fax

(202) 401–6869; e-mail:

tbewick@reeusda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices 6209

Table of Contents

Stakeholder Input

Part I—General Information

A. Legislative Authority

B. Definitions

C. Eligibility

Part II—Program Description

A. Purpose and Scope of the Program

B. Available Funds and Award Limitations

C. Applicant Peer Review Requirements

Part III—Preparation of a Proposal

A. Program Application Materials

B. Content of a Proposal

Part IV—Submission of a Proposal

A. What to Submit

B. Where and When to Submit

C. Acknowledgment of Proposals

Part V—Selection Process and Evaluation

Criteria

A. Selection Process

B. Evaluation Criteria

Part VI—Supplementary Information

A. Access to Review Information

B. Grant Awards

C. Use of Funds; Changes

D. Applicable Federal Statutes and

Regulations

E. Confidential Aspects of Proposals and

Awards

F. Regulatory Information

Stakeholder Input

CSREES is requesting comments

regarding the FY 2001 Special Research

Grants Program, Citrus Tristeza

Research RFP from any interested party.

In your comments, please include the

name of the program and the fiscal year

solicitation for applications to which

you are responding. These comments

will be considered in the development

of the next RFP for the program. Such

comments will be used 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). Comments should be submitted

as provided for in the ADDRESSES and

DATES portions of this notice.

Part I—General Information

A. Legislative Authority

The authority for this program is

contained in section (c)(1)(A) of the

Competitive, Special, and Facilities

Research Grant Act, section 2 of Pub. L.

89–106, as amended (7 U.S.C.

450i(c)(1)(A)). This program is subject to

the administrative regulations found in

7 CFR Part 3400.

In accordance with the statutory

authority, the Secretary may make

grants for the purpose of conducting

research to facilitate or expand

promising breakthroughs in areas of the

food and agricultural sciences of

importance to the United States.

B. Definitions

For the purpose of awarding grants

under this program, the following

definitions are applicable:

(1) Administrator means the

Administrator of the Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service and any other officer or

employee of the Department to whom

the authority involved may be

delegated.

(2) Authorized departmental officer or

awarding official means the Secretary or

any employee of the Department who

has the authority to issue or modify

grant instruments on behalf of the

Secretary.

(3) Authorized organizational

representative means the president,

director, chief executive officer, or other

designated official of the applicant

organization who has the authority to

commit the resources of the

organization.

(4) Budget period means the interval

of time (usually 12 months) into which

the project period is divided for

budgetary and reporting purposes.

(5) Department or USDA means the

United States Department of

Agriculture.

(6) Grantee means the organization or

entity designated in the grant award

document as the responsible legal entity

to which a grant is awarded.

(7) Peer review panel or group means

an assembled group of experts or

consultants qualified by training and

experience in particular scientific or

technical fields to give expert advice on

the scientific and technical merit of

grant applications in those fields. The

panel members will evaluate eligible

proposals submitted to this program in

their personal and professional area(s)

of expertise.

(8) Prior approval means written

approval evidencing prior consent by an

authorized departmental officer as

defined in (2) above.

(9) Project means the particular

activity within the scope of the program

supported by a grant award.

(10) Principal Investigator means the

single individual designated by the

grantee in the grant application and

approved by the Administrator who is

responsible for the scientific and

technical direction of the project.

(11) Project period means the total

length of time that is approved by the

Administrator for conducting the

research project as outlined in an

approved grant application.

(12) Secretary means the Secretary of

Agriculture and any other officer or

employee of the Department to whom

the authority involved may be

delegated.

C. Eligibility

Proposals may be submitted by State

agricultural experiment stations, all

colleges and universities, other research

institutions and organizations, Federal

agencies, private organizations or

corporations, and individuals. Although

an applicant may be eligible based on its

status as one of these entities, other

factors may exclude an applicant from

receiving Federal assistance under this

program (e.g., debarment or suspension,

a determination of non-responsibility

based on submitted organizational

management information).

Part II—Program Description

A. Purpose and Scope of the Program

Proposals are invited for competitive

grant awards under the Special Research

Grants Program, Citrus Tristeza

Research for fiscal year (FY) 2001. The

purpose of this grant program is to

support research that focuses on

problems caused by CTV and the Brown

Citrus Aphid. This research should aim

to facilitate promising breakthroughs in

this important area of the food and

agricultural sciences.

CTV is a pathogen of citrus vectored

by several aphid species. This disease

has been found in all the citrus

producing regions of the United States

and is of world-wide importance. The

virus strain complex can cause a variety

of symptoms, from mild to severe,

depending upon the host and its

environment. A new aphid vector, the

Brown Citrus Aphid was introduced in

Florida. This vector is capable of

transmitting a severe stem-pitting form

of the virus. The Brown Citrus Aphid

also occurs in Central America and the

Caribbean Basin and thus poses a threat

to citrus in other citrus producing areas

in the United States (e.g., Louisiana,

Texas, Arizona, and California).

The research priority areas that have

been identified are (1) characterization

and detection of CTV strains; (2) biology

and control of the Brown Citrus Aphid;

(3) host plant resistance, including scion

and rootstock development; (4)

epidemiology and crop loss assessment;

and (5) development of cross-protecting

CTV strains.

B. Available Funds and Award

Limitations

Funds will be awarded on a

competitive basis to support research

projects that focus on solving problems

caused by the CTV and Brown Citrus

Aphid. The total amount of funds

available in FY 2001 for support of this

program is approximately $595,000.

Each proposal submitted in FY 2001

shall request funding for a period not to

6210 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices

exceed two years. FY 2001 awardees

must submit new proposals and

recompete to receive additional funding

at the expiration of their current grant.

C. Applicant Peer Review Requirements

Subsection (c)(5)(A) of the

Competitive, Special, and Facilities

Research Grant Act, as amended (7

U.S.C. 450i(c)(5)(A)) requires applicants

to conduct a scientific peer review of a

proposed research project in accordance

with regulations promulgated by the

Secretary prior to the Secretary making

a grant award under this authority.

Regulations implementing this

requirement are set forth in 7 CFR

3400.20 and 3400.21. The regulations

impose the following requirements for

scientific peer review by applicants of

proposed research projects:

1. Credible and independent. Review

arranged by the grantee must provide for

a credible and independent assessment

of the proposed project. A credible

review is one that provides an appraisal

of technical quality and relevance

sufficient for an organizational

representative to make an informed

judgment as to whether the proposal is

appropriate for submission for Federal

support. To provide for an independent

review, such review may include USDA

employees, but should not be conducted

solely by USDA employees.

2. Notice of completion and retention

of records. A notice of completion of the

review shall be conveyed in writing to

CSREES either as part of the submitted

proposal or prior to the issuance of an

award, at the option of CSREES (see Part

III. B.(2)(i). The written notice

constitutes certification by the applicant

that a review in compliance with these

regulations has occurred. Applicants are

not required to submit results of the

review to CSREES; however, proper

documentation of the review process

and results should be retained by the

applicant.

3. Renewal and supplemental grants.

Review by the grantee is not

automatically required for renewal or

supplemental grants as defined in 7 CFR

3400.6. A subsequent grant award will

require a new review if, according to

CSREES, either the funded project has

changed significantly, other scientific

discoveries have affected the project, or

the need for the project has changed.

Note that a new review is necessary

when applying for another standard or

continuation grant after expiration of

the grant term.

Part III—Preparation of a Proposal

A. Program Application Materials

Program application materials will be

made available to interested entities

upon request. These materials include

information about the purpose of the

program, how the program will be

conducted, and the required contents of

a proposal, as well as the forms needed

to prepare and submit grant applications

under the program. The application kit

can be downloaded from the Internet at

the following website: http://

www.reeusda.gov/1700/funding/

ourfund.htm or may be obtained by

writing or calling the following office:

Proposal Services Unit; Office of

Extramural Programs; 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. When

contacting the Proposal Services Unit,

please indicate that you are requesting

application materials for the FY 2001

Special Research Grants Program, Citrus

Tristeza Research. 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

that states that you wish to receive a

copy of the application materials for the

FY 2001 Special Research Grants

Program, Citrus Tristeza Research. The

materials will then be mailed to you

(not e-mailed) as quickly as possible.

B. Content of a Proposal

(1) General

The proposal should follow these

guidelines, enabling reviewers to more

easily evaluate the merits of each

proposal in a systematic, consistent

fashion:

(a) The proposal should be prepared

on only one side of the page using

standard size (8 1⁄2′′ x 11′′) white paper,

one inch margins, typed or word

processed using no type smaller than 12

point font regardless of whether it is

single or double spaced. Use an easily

readable font face (e.g., Geneva,

Helvetica, CG Times). Once accepted for

review, your proposal will be read by at

least three expert reviewers. Thus it is

to your advantage to ensure that your

proposal is not difficult to read.

(b) Each page of the proposal,

including the Project Summary, budget

pages, required forms, and appendices,

should be numbered sequentially in the

upper right-hand corner.

(c) The proposal should be stapled in

the upper left-hand corner. Do not bind.

An original and 9 copies (10 total) must

be submitted in one package, along with

20 copies of the Project Summary as a

separate attachment.

(2) Cover Page

Complete Form CSREES–661,

Application for Funding, in its entirety.

This form is to be utilized as the Cover

Page. Form CSREES–661 serves as a

source document for the CSREES grant

database; it is therefore important that it

be completed accurately.

(a) In Block 6, complete the title of the

project. The project title must be brief

(80-character maximum), yet represent

the major thrust of the effort being

proposed. Project titles are read by a

variety of nonscientific people;

therefore, highly technical words or

phraseology should be avoided where

possible. In addition, introductory

phrases such as ‘‘investigation of’’ or

‘‘research on’’ should not be used.

(b) Blocks 7 and 8 should be

completed to read ‘‘Special Research

Grants Program, Citrus Tristeza

Research.’’

(c) In Block 13, the Type of Award

Request is ‘‘new.’’

(d) In Block 14, note the total amount

of Federal dollars being requested.

(e) In Block 15, designate Principal

Investigator(s)/Project Directors(s) (PI/

PD). Listing multiple co-PIs beyond

those required for genuine collaboration

is discouraged. Note that providing a

Social Security Number is voluntary,

but is an integral part of the CSREES

information system and will assist in

the processing of the proposal.

(f) Type of Performing Organization

(Block 18). A check should be placed in

the box beside the type of organization

which actually will carry out the effort.

For example, if the proposal is being

submitted by an 1862 Land-Grant

institution but the work will be

performed in a department, laboratory,

or other organizational unit of an

agricultural experiment station, box

‘‘03’’ should be checked. If portions of

the effort are to be performed in several

departments, check the box that applies

to the individual listed as PI/PD #1 in

Block 15.a.

(g) In Block 22 list the names or

acronyms of all other public or private

sponsors including other agencies

within USDA and other programs

funded by CSREES to whom your

application has been or will be sent. In

the event you decide to send your

application to another organization or

agency at a later date, you must inform

the identified CSREES program manager

as soon as practicable. Submitting your

proposal to other potential sponsors will

not prejudice its review by CSREES;

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices 6211

however, duplicate support for the same

project will not be provided.

(h) The original copy of the

Application for Funding form must

contain the pen-and-ink signatures of

the PI/PD(s) and authorized

organizational representative for the

applicant organization.

(i) By signing the Application for

Funding form, the AOR of the applicant

institution is providing the required

certification that the full proposal has

received a credible and independent

peer review arranged by the institution

(see Part II. C.).

(j) Note that by signing the

Application for Funding form, the

applicant is also providing the required

certifications set forth in 7 CFR Part

3017, regarding Debarment and

Suspension and Drug-Free Workplace,

and 7 CFR Part 3018, regarding

Lobbying. The three certification forms

are included in this application package

for informational purposes only. It is not

necessary to sign and submit the forms

to USDA as part of the proposal.

(3) Table of Contents

For consistency and ease in locating

information, each proposal must contain

a detailed Table of Contents just after

the Cover Page. The Table of Contents

should include page numbers for each

component of the proposal. Page

numbers, shown in the upper right-hand

corner, should begin with the first page

of the Project Summary.

(4) Project Summary

The proposal must contain a Project

Summary of 250 words or less on a

separate page. The summary must be

self-contained and describe the overall

goals and relevance of the project. The

summary should also contain a listing of

the major organizations participating in

the project. The Project Summary

should immediately follow the Table of

Contents. In addition to the summary,

this page must include the title of the

project, the name of the applicant

organization, the authorized

organizational representative, and the

PI(s), followed by the summary.

(5) Project Narrative

Note: The Project Narrative shall not

exceed 10 pages. To ensure fair and

equitable competition, reviewers are

instructed that they need to read only

the first 10 pages of the Project Narrative

and to ignore information on additional

pages. The Project Narrative should

contain the following items:

(a) Objectives—Clear, concise,

complete, and logically arranged

statement(s) of the specific aims of the

proposed effort must be included in all

proposals.

(b) Procedures—The procedures or

methodology to be applied to the

proposed effort should be explicitly

stated. This section should include but

not necessarily be limited to a

description of the proposed

investigations and/or experiments in the

sequence in which it is planned to carry

them out; techniques to be employed,

including their feasibility; kinds of

results expected; means by which data

will be analyzed or interpreted; pitfalls

which might be encountered; and

limitations to proposed procedures.

(c) Justification—This section should

include in-depth information on the

magnitude of the problem and its

relevance to ongoing food and

agricultural research programs; the

importance of starting the work during

the current fiscal year, and reasons for

having the work performed by the

proposing institution.

(d) Cooperation and Institutional

Units Involved—Cooperative and multiState applications are encouraged.

Identify each institutional unit

contributing to the project. Identify each

State in a multiple-State proposal and

designate the lead State. When

appropriate, the project should be

coordinated with the efforts of other

State and/or national programs. Clearly

define the roles and responsibilities of

each institutional unit of the project

team, if applicable.

If it will be necessary to enter into

formal consulting or collaborative

arrangements with other individuals or

organizations, such arrangements

should be fully explained and justified.

For purposes of proposal development,

informal day-to-day contacts between

key project personnel and outside

experts are not considered to be

collaborative arrangements and thus do

not need to be detailed.

All anticipated subcontractual

arrangements also should be explained

and justified in this section. A proposed

statement of work, budget, and budget

narrative for each arrangement

involving the transfer of substantive

programmatic work or the providing of

financial assistance to a third party must

be provided. Agreements between

departments or other units of your own

institution and minor arrangements

with entities outside of your institution

(e.g., requests for outside laboratory

analyses) are excluded from this

requirement. If you expect to enter into

subcontractual arrangements, please

note that the provisions contained in 7

CFR Part 3019, USDA Uniform

Administrative Requirements for Grants

and Agreements with Institutions of

Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other

Non-Profit Organizations, and the

general provisions contained in 7 CFR

3015.205, USDA Uniform Federal

Assistance Regulations, flow down to

subcontractors. In addition, when

applicable, required clauses from 7 CFR

3019.40 through 3019.48 (‘‘Procurement

Standards’’) and appendix A (‘‘Contract

Provisions’’) should be included in final

contractual documents, and it is

necessary for the subcontractor to make

a certification relating to debarment/

suspension.

(e) Literature Review—A summary of

pertinent publications with emphasis on

their relationship to the effort being

proposed should be provided and

should include all important and recent

publications from other institutions, as

well as those from the applicant

institution. The citations themselves

should be accurate, complete, and

written in an acceptable journal format.

(f) Current Work—Current

unpublished institutional activities to

date in the program area under which

the proposal is being submitted should

be described.

(g) Facilities and Equipment—All

facilities which are available for use or

assignment to the project during the

requested period of support should be

reported and described briefly. Any

potentially hazardous materials,

procedures, situations, or activities,

whether or not directly related to a

particular phase of the effort, must be

explained fully, along with an outline of

precautions to be exercised. Examples

include work with toxic chemicals and

experiments that may put human

subjects or animals at risk.

All items of major instrumentation

available for use or assignment to the

proposed project should be itemized. In

addition, items of nonexpendable

equipment not currently accessible and

needed to conduct and bring the project

to a successful conclusion should be

listed, including dollar amounts and, if

funds are requested for their acquisition,

justified.

(h) Project Timetable—The proposal

should outline all important phases as

a function of time, year by year, for the

entire project, including periods beyond

the grant funding period.

(6) Key Personnel

All senior personnel who are

expected to be involved in the effort

must be clearly identified. For each

person, the following should be

included:

(a) An estimate of the time

commitment involved; and

(b) vitae of all key persons who are

expected to work on the project,

6212 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices

whether or not CSREES funds are

sought for their support. Each vitae

should be limited to two (2) pages in

length, excluding publications listings.

A chronological list of the most

representative publications during the

past five (5) years must be provided for

each professional project member for

whom a vitae appears. Authors should

be listed in the same order as they

appear on each paper cited, along with

the title and complete reference as these

usually appear in journals.

(7) Conflict-of-Interest List

A separate Conflict-of Interest List

form (Form CSREES–1233) must be

submitted for each investigator for

whom a curriculum vitae is required.

This form is necessary to assist program

staff in excluding from proposal review

those individuals who have conflicts-ofinterest with the project personnel in

the grant proposal. The Program

Manager must be informed of additional

conflicts-of-interest that arise after the

proposal has been submitted.

(8) Budget

A detailed budget for each year of

requested support must be submitted. In

addition, a cumulative budget is

required detailing requested support for

the overall project period. The budget

form may be reproduced as needed by

applicants. Funds may be requested

under any of the categories listed on the

form, provided that the item or service

for which support is requested is

allowable under the authorizing

legislation, the applicable Federal cost

principles, and these program

guidelines, and can be justified as

necessary for the successful conduct of

the proposed project. Applicants must

also include a budget narrative to

explain and justify their budgets. The

following guidelines should be used in

developing the proposal budget(s):

(a) Salaries and Wages—Salaries and

wages are allowable charges and may be

requested for personnel who will be

working on the project in proportion to

the time such personnel will devote to

the project. If salary funds are requested,

the number of Senior and Other

Personnel and the number of CSREES

Funded Work Months must be shown in

the spaces provided. Grant funds may

not be used to augment the total salary

or rate of salary of project personnel or

to reimburse them for time in addition

to a regular full-time salary covering the

same general period of employment.

Salary funds requested must be

consistent with the normal policies of

the institution and with the applicable

OMB Cost Principles. Administrative

and clerical salaries are normally

classified as indirect costs. (See Item i.

below.) However, if requested under

A.2.e., they must be fully justified.

(b) Fringe Benefits—Funds may be

requested for fringe benefit costs if the

usual accounting practices of your

institution provide that institutional

contributions to employee benefits

(social security, retirement, etc.) be

treated as direct costs. Fringe benefit

costs may be included only for those

personnel whose salaries are charged as

a direct cost to the project. See, e.g.,

OMB Circular No. A–21, Cost Principles

for Educational Institutions, for further

guidance in this area.

(c) Nonexpendable Equipment—

Nonexpendable equipment means

tangible nonexpendable personal

property including exempt property

charged directly to the award having a

useful life of more than one year and an

acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per

unit. (However, institutions may

establish lower limits.) As such, items of

necessary instrumentation or other

nonexpendable equipment should be

listed individually by description and

estimated cost in the budget narrative.

This applies to revised budgets as well,

as the equipment item(s) and amount(s)

may change.

Note: For projects awarded under the

authority of subsection (c)(1)(A) of the

Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research

Grant Act, no funds will be awarded for the

renovation or refurbishment of research

spaces; the purchase or installation of fixed

equipment in such spaces; or for the

planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition,

or construction of a building or facility.

(d) Materials and Supplies—The types

of expendable materials and supplies

which are required to carry out the

project should be indicated in general

terms with estimated costs in the budget

narrative.

(e) Travel—The type and extent of

travel and its relationship to project

objectives should be described briefly

and justified. If travel is proposed,

provide the purpose, the destination,

method of travel, number of persons

traveling, number of days, and

estimated cost for each trip. If details of

a trip are not known at the time of

proposal submission, provide a basis for

determining the amount requested.

Airfare allowances normally will not

exceed round-trip jet economy air

accommodations. U.S. flag carriers must

be used when available. See 7 CFR

3015.205(b)(4) for further guidance.

(f) Publication Costs/Page Charges—

Anticipated costs of preparing and

publishing results of the research being

proposed (including page charges,

necessary illustrations, and the cost of a

reasonable number of coverless reprints)

may be estimated and charged against

the grant.

(g) Computer (ADPE) Costs—

Reimbursement for the costs of using

specialized facilities (such as a

university or department-controlled

computer mainframe or data processing

center) may be requested if such

services are required for completion of

the work.

(h) All Other Direct Costs—

Anticipated direct project charges not

included in other budget categories

must be itemized with estimated costs

and justified in the budget narrative.

This applies to revised budgets as well,

as the item(s) and dollar amount(s) may

change. Examples include space rental

at remote locations, subcontractual

costs, charges for consulting services,

telephone, facsimile, e-mail, shipping

costs, and fees for necessary laboratory

analyses. You are encouraged to consult

the ‘‘Instructions for Completing Form

CSREES–55, Budget,’’ of the

Application Kit for detailed guidance

relating to this budget category.

(i) Indirect Costs—The recovery of

indirect costs under this program may

not exceed the lesser of the grantee

institution’s official negotiated indirect

cost rate or pursuant to section 1462 of

National Agricultural Research,

Extension, and Teaching Policy Act, 7

U.S.C. 3310, the equivalent of 19

percent of total Federal funds awarded.

(An alternative method to calculate this

limitation is to multiply total direct

costs by 23.456 percent.) This limitation

also applies to any subcontractor, and

should be reflected in the

subcontractor’s budget.

(j) Cost-sharing—Cost-sharing is

encouraged; however, cost-sharing is

not required.

(9) Budget Narrative

All budget categories for which

support is requested, must be

individually listed (with costs) and

justified on a separate sheet of paper

and placed immediately behind the

Budget Form.

(10) Current and Pending Support

All proposals must list any other

current public or private support

(including in-house support) to which

key personnel identified in the proposal

have committed portions of their time,

whether or not salary support for

person(s) involved is included in the

budget for each project. Analogous

information must be provided for any

pending proposals that are being

considered by, or that will be submitted

in the near future to, other possible

sponsors, including other USDA

programs or agencies. Concurrent

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices 6213

submission of identical or similar

proposals to other possible sponsors

will not prejudice proposal review or

evaluation by the Administrator for this

purpose. However, a proposal that

duplicates or overlaps substantially

with a proposal already reviewed and

funded (or that will be funded) by

another organization or agency will not

be funded under this program. The

application material includes Form

CSREES–663, Current and Pending

Support, which should be used for

listing current and pending support.

Note that the project being proposed

should be included in the pending

section of the form.

(11) Assurance Statement(s) (Form

CSREES–662)

A number of situations encountered

in the conduct of projects require

special assurance, supporting

documentation, etc., before funding can

be approved for the project. In addition

to any other situation that may exist

with regard to a particular project, it is

expected that some applications

submitted in response to these

guidelines will include the following:

(a) Recombinant DNA or RNA

Research. As stated in 7 CFR

3015.205(b)(3), all key personnel

identified in the proposal and all

endorsing officials of the proposing

organization are required to comply

with the guidelines established by the

National Institutes of Health entitled,

‘‘Guidelines for Research Involving

Recombinant DNA Molecules,’’ as

revised. If your project proposes to use

recombinant DNA or RNA techniques,

the application must so indicate by

checking the ‘‘yes’’ box in Block 19 of

Form CSREES–661 and by completing

Section A of Form CSREES–662. For

applicable proposals recommended for

funding, Institutional Biosafety

Committee approval is required before

CSREES funds will be released.

(b) Animal Care. Responsibility for

the humane care and treatment of live

vertebrate animals used in any grant

project supported with funds provided

by CSREES rests with the performing

organization. Where a project involves

the use of living vertebrate animals for

experimental purposes, all key project

personnel and all endorsing officials of

the proposing organization are required

to comply with the applicable

provisions of the Animal Welfare Act, as

amended (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) and the

regulations promulgated thereunder by

the Secretary in 9 CFR parts 1, 2, 3, and

4 pertaining to the care, handling, and

treatment of these animals. If your

project will involve these animals or

activities, you must check the ‘‘yes’’ box

in Block 20 of Form CSREES–661 and

complete Section B of Form CSREES–

662. In the event a project involving the

use of live vertebrate animals results in

a grant award, funds will be released

only after the Institutional Animal Care

and Use Committee has approved the

project.

(c) Protection of Human Subjects.

Responsibility for safeguarding the

rights and welfare of human subjects

used in any grant project supported

with funds provided by CSREES rests

with the performing organization.

Guidance on this issue is contained in

the National Research Act, Pub. L. 93–

348, as amended, and implementing

regulations established by the

Department under 7 CFR part 1c. If you

propose to use human subjects for

experimental purposes in your project,

you should check the ‘‘yes’’ box in

Block 21 of Form CSREES–661 and

complete Section C of Form CSREES–

662. In the event a project involving

human subjects results in a grant award,

funds will be released only after the

appropriate Institutional Review Board

has approved the project.

(12) Compliance With the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

As outlined in 7 CFR part 3407 (the

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service regulations

implementing NEPA), the

environmental data for any proposed

project is to be provided to CSREES so

that CSREES may determine whether

any further action is needed. In most

cases, based on previously funded

projects, the preparation of

environmental data is not usually

required. Certain categories of actions

are excluded from the requirements of

NEPA.

In order for CSREES to determine

whether any further action is needed

with respect to NEPA, pertinent

information regarding the possible

environmental impacts of a particular

project is necessary; therefore, Form

CSREES–1234, NEPA Exclusions Form,

must be included in the proposal

indicating whether the applicant is of

the opinion that the project falls within

a categorical exclusion and the reasons

therefor. If it is the applicant’s opinion

that the proposed project falls within

the categorical exclusions, the specific

exclusion must be identified. Form

CSREES–1234 and supporting

documentation should be the last page

of the proposal.

Even though a project may fall within

the categorical exclusions, CSREES may

determine that an Environmental

Assessment or an Environmental Impact

Statement is necessary for an activity.

This will be the case if substantial

controversy on environmental grounds

exists or if other extraordinary

conditions or circumstances are present

which may cause such activity to have

a significant environmental effect.

However, this rarely occurs.

Part IV—Submission of a Proposal

A. What To Submit

An original and nine copies of the

complete proposal must be submitted.

Each copy of the proposal must be

stapled in the upper left-hand corner.

DO NOT BIND. In addition, submit 20

copies of the proposal’s Project

Summary. All copies of the proposal

and Project Summary must be submitted

in one package.

B. Where and When To Submit

Proposals must be received on or

before February 15, 2001. Proposals that

are hand-delivered, delivered by

courier, or sent via overnight delivery

services must be sent or delivered to:

Special Research Grants Program, Citrus

Tristeza Research; c/o Proposal Services

Unit; Office of Extramural Programs;

USDA/CSREES; Room 1307, Waterfront

Centre; 800 9th Street, SW.;

Washington, DC 20024; Telephone:

(202) 401–5048.

Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged

to submit their completed proposals via

overnight mail or delivery services to ensure

timely receipt by the USDA.

Proposals sent via the U.S. Postal

Service must be sent to the following

address: Special Research Grants

Program, Citrus Tristeza Research; c/o

Proposal Services Unit; Office of

Extramural Programs; USDA/CSREES;

STOP 2245; 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250–

2245; Telephone: (202) 401–5048.

C. Acknowledgment of Proposals

The receipt of all proposals will be

acknowledged by e-mail, therefore

applicants are encouraged to provide email addresses, where designated, on

the Form CSREES–661. The

acknowledgment will contain an

identifying proposal number. Once your

proposal has been assigned a proposal

number, please cite that number in

future correspondence.

Part V—Selection Process and

Evaluation Criteria

A. Selection Process

Applicants should submit fully

developed proposals that meet all the

requirements set forth in this RFP.

Each proposal will be evaluated in a

two-part process. First, each proposal

will be screened to ensure it meets the

6214 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices

requirements as set forth in this RFP.

Proposals not meeting the requirements

as set forth in this RFP will not be

considered for funding. However, USDA

retains the right to conduct discussions

with applicants to resolve technical

and/or budget issues as it deems

necessary. Second, each proposal that

meets the requirements will be

technically evaluated by a peer review

panel.

The individual peer panel members

will be selected from among those

recognized as specialists who are

uniquely qualified by training and

experience in their respective fields to

render expert advice on the merit of

proposals being reviewed. The

individual reviews of the panel

members will be used to determine

which proposals should be

recommended to the Administrator (or

his designee) for final funding

decisions.

There is no commitment by USDA to

fund any particular proposal or to make

a specific number of awards. Care will

be taken to avoid actual, potential, and/

or the appearance of conflicts of interest

among reviewers. Evaluations will be

confidential to USDA staff members,

peer reviewers, and the principal

investigator(s), to the extent permitted

by law.

The specificity of these organisms and

their host limits the areas in which

relevant research can be carried out. The

brown citrus aphid has recently been

introduced into the citrus growing areas

of Florida. Research on both the virus/

aphid and on field biology of the aphid

is largely conducted in the areas of

Florida and Puerto Rico where it is

established. CSREES anticipates that the

expertise necessary to review proposals

will be found at organizations in these

geographic areas. Therefore, conflict-ofinterest rules will be amended to allow

reviewers to evaluate submitted

proposals from their own university as

long as the applicant and reviewer do

not work on the same campus. Thus, for

this program, the scientists from the

University of Florida but from other

campuses (i.e., Research and Education

Centers) are not considered to be in

conflict.

B. Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of proposals will be

based on the following criteria,

weighted relative to each other as noted

in the parentheses following each

criterion listed.

(1) Overall scientific and technical

quality of the proposal (15 points);

(2) Scientific and technical quality of

the approach (10 points);

(3) Relevance and importance of

proposed research to solution of specific

areas of inquiry, and application of

expected results for States in which the

grantee resides and will perform the

work (30 points);

(4) Feasibility of attaining objectives;

adequacy of professional training and

experience, facilities and equipment (40

points);

(5) The appropriateness of the level of

funding requested (5 points).

Part VI—Supplementary Information

A. Access To Review Information

Copies of summary reviews will be

sent to the applicant principle

investigator automatically, as soon as

possible after the review process has

been completed. The identity of the

individual peer reviewers will not be

provided.

B. Grant Awards

(1) General

Within the limit of funds available for

such purpose, the awarding official of

CSREES shall make grants to those

responsible, eligible applicants whose

proposals are judged most meritorious

under the procedures set forth in this

RFP. The date specified by the

Administrator 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 RFP 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, 3016, and 3019

of 7 CFR).

(2) Organizational Management

Information

Specific management information

relating to an applicant shall be

submitted on a one-time basis as part of

the responsibility determination prior to

the award of a grant identified under

this part if such information has not

been provided previously under this or

another program for which the

sponsoring agency is responsible.

Copies of forms recommended for use in

fulfilling the requirements contained in

this section will be provided by the

sponsoring agency as part of the

preaward process.

(3) Grant Award Document and Notice

of Grant Award

The grant award document shall

include at a minimum the following:

(a) Legal name and address of

performing organization or institution to

whom the Administrator has awarded a

grant under the terms of this RFP;

(b) Title of project;

(c) Name(s) and address(es) of

principal investigator(s) chosen to direct

and control approved activities;

(d) Identifying grant number assigned

by the Department;

(e) Project period, specifying the

amount of time the Department intends

to support the project without requiring

recompetition for funds;

(f) Total amount of Departmental

financial assistance approved by the

Administrator during the project period;

(g) Legal authority(ies) under which

the grant is awarded;

(h) Approved budget plan for

categorizing allocable project funds to

accomplish the stated purpose of the

grant award; and

(i) Other information or provisions

deemed necessary by CSREES to carry

out its respective granting activities or

to accomplish the purpose of a

particular grant.

The notice of grant award, in the form

of a letter, will be prepared and will

provide pertinent instructions or

information to the grantee that is not

included in the grant award document.

CSREES will award standard grants to

carry out this program. A standard grant

is a funding mechanism whereby

CSREES agrees to support a specified

level of effort for a predetermined time

period without additional support at a

future date.

C. Use of Funds; Changes

(1) Delegation of Fiscal Responsibility

Unless the terms and conditions of

the grant state otherwise, the grantee

may not in whole or in part delegate or

transfer to another person, institution,

or organization the responsibility for use

or expenditure of grant funds.

(2) Changes in Project Plans

(a) The permissible changes by the

grantee, principal investigator(s), or

other key project personnel in the

approved project grant shall be limited

to changes in methodology, techniques,

or other aspects of the project to

expedite achievement of the project’s

approved goals. If the grantee and/or the

principal investigator(s) are uncertain as

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2001 / Notices 6215

to whether a change complies with this

provision, the question must be referred

to the CSREES Authorized Departmental

Officer (ADO) for a final determination.

(b) Changes in approved goals or

objectives shall be requested by the

grantee and approved in writing by the

CSREES 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

grantee and approved in writing by the

awarding official of CSREES prior to

effecting such changes.

D. Applicable Federal Statutes and

Regulations

This program is subject to the

administrative provisions for the

Special Research Grants Program found

in 7 CFR part 3400, which set forth

procedures to be followed when

submitting grant proposals, the

processes regarding the awarding of

grants, and regulations relating to the

post-award administration of such

grants. However, where there are

differences between this RFP and the

administrative provisions, this RFP

shall take precedence to the extent that

the administrative provisions authorize

such deviations.

Several other Federal statutes and

regulations apply to grant proposals

considered for review and to project

grants awarded under this program.

These include but are not limited to:

7 CFR part 3019—USDA

implementation of OMB Circular A–

110, Uniform Administrative

Requirements for Grants and

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.

E. Confidential Aspects of Proposals

and Awards

When a proposal results in a grant, it

becomes a part of the record of the

Agency’s transactions, available to the

public upon specific request.

Information that the Secretary

determines to be of a privileged nature

will be held in confidence to the extent

permitted by law. Therefore, any

information that the applicant wishes to

have considered as privileged should be

clearly marked as such and sent in a

separate statement, two copies of which

should accompany the proposal. The

original copy of a proposal that does not

result in a grant will be retained by the

Agency for a period of one year. Other

copies will be destroyed. Such a

proposal will be released only with the

consent of the applicant or to the extent

required by law. A proposal may be

withdrawn at any time prior to the final

action thereon.

F. Regulatory Information

For the reasons set forth in the final

Rule-related Notice to 7 CFR part 3015,

subpart V (48 FR 29115, 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, as amended (44 U.S.C.

chapter 35), the collection of

information requirements contained in

this Notice have been approved under

OMB Document No. 0524–0022.

Done at Washington, DC, this 11th day of

January 2001.

Colien Hefferan,

Administrator, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 01–1493 Filed 1–18–01; 8:45 am]

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