32628 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 122 / Monday, June 24, 1996 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research Grants

Program for Fiscal Year 1997;

Solicitation of Applications

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 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. This program will be

administered by the Office of

Extramural Programs, 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 threephase 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 USDAsupported 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 1997 is

approximately $4,000,000. The

solicitation is being announced to allow

adequate time for potential recipients to

prepare and submit applications by the

closing date of September 5, 1996. 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 solicitation is subject

to the availability of appropriations.

This program is subject to the

provisions found at 7 CFR Part 3403, as

amended. 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, as amended (7

CFR Part 3915), Governmentwide

Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide

Requirements for Drug-free Workplace

(Grants) (7 CFR Part 3017), New

Restrictions on Lobbying (7 CFR Part

3018), and Managing Federal Gredit

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 solicitation, which contains

research topic descriptions and detailed

instructions on how to apply, may be

obtained by writing or calling the office

indicated below. Please note that

applicants who submitted SBIR

proposals for fiscal year 1996 or who

have recently requested placement on

the list for fiscal year 1997 will

automatically receive a copy of the

fiscal year 1997 solicitation.

Proposal Services, Grants Management

Branch, Office of Extramural

Programs, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, AG

Box 2245, Washington, DC 20250–

2245, Telephone: (202) 401–5048

Done at Washington, DC, this 18th day of

June 1996.

B.H. Robinson,

Administrator, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 96–16033 Filed 6–21–96; 8:45 am]

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