Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2004/07/12/04-15779/food-and-agricultural-sciences-national-needs-graduate-and-postgraduate-fellowship-grants-program
Timestamp: 2016-08-28 16:40:35
Document Index: 65447535

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3402', 'art 3402', 'art 3402', 'art 3402', 'art 3402', 'ART 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', 'art 3015', 'art 15', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402', '§ 3402']

Federal Register | Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program
A Proposed Rule by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service on
Comments Close: 08/11/2004
-41768 (6 pages)
0524-AA30
Document Number: 04-15779
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/04-15779 Related Topics
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) proposes to revise administrative provisions for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants Program. The revisions would relax constraints that are causing grantees to return unexpended funds to CSREES and provide support to the training of students awarded Fellowships from grants of the Program.
Submit comments on or before August 11, 2004.
Written comments should be submitted by first-class mail to: Policy and Program Liaison Staff, Office of Extramural Programs, USDA-CSREES, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 2299, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-2299. Electronic comments should be submitted via e-mail to: RFP-OEP@csrees.usda.gov.
Jeffrey L. Gilmore, Ph.D.; Director, Higher Education Programs; phone: (202) 720-1973; fax: (202) 720-2030; e-mail: jgilmore@csrees.usda.gov.
On December 30, 1994, CSREES published in the Federal Register (59 FR 68072-68078) a final rule on the Administrative Provisions (7 CFR part 3402) for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants Program.
The current rule (7 CFR part 3402) requires that grantees refund all unexpended money to the Agency, if (1) Fellows are not appointed within 15 months of the effective date of the grant; or (2) Fellowships are prematurely terminated. The Agency uses refunded money to provide Fellows with supplemental grants for international travel and thesis/dissertation travel. Numerous stakeholders have expressed dissatisfaction with the requirement to refund unexpended grant funds. CSREES has concluded that the Fellowship Program's purpose would be better served by extending the amount of time for Fellowship appointment and permitting grantees to recruit and train replacement Fellows.
The existing rule requires that (1) new Graduate Fellows are newly recruited; and (2) have a strong interest in preparing for careers as food or agricultural scientists or professionals. Project Directors have indicated that the recruitment restriction limits their ability to gauge whether new Fellows have the requisite interest. To give Project Directors more time to interact with potential Graduate Fellows before recruiting them into the Program, the proposed rule would allow them to appoint students who have completed less than two semesters of full-time study as new Graduate Fellows.
Under the existing rule, a grantee may award a Fellowship to a student enrolled as a master's or doctoral degree candidate, but a grantee is prohibited from awarding a Fellowship to a postdoctoral candidate. Because of the new and multidisciplinary expertise required of the next generation of food and agricultural scientists, stakeholders and CSREES have concluded that postdoctoral training is an integral part of their preparation.
During the period of support, the existing rule restricts Fellows from accepting employment from their sponsoring institution or any other agency. Grantees have complained that this unfairly prohibits Fellows from participating in assistantships or other employment opportunities that include, as compensation, tuition waivers. At the discretion of sponsoring institutions, the proposed rule would allow Fellows to accept additional supplemental employment that positively contributes to their training or research and provides eligibility for tuition waivers.
The Agency proposes revising the existing rule for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants Program at 7 CFR part 3402 to address these problems. The proposed rule would allow grantees up to 18 months after award to appoint Fellows, and permit the recruitment and training of replacement Fellows under certain circumstances. The proposed rule would permit grantees to appoint as new Graduate Fellows students who have completed less than two semesters of full-time study. It would also permit the Agency to fund postdoctoral Fellows preparing for a career in agricultural research, teaching or extension. Finally, the proposed rule would authorize Fellows, at the discretion of their institutions, to accept additional supplemental employment that would contribute to their training or research and provide eligibility for tuition waivers (e.g., full or partial tuition waivers provided with research or teaching assignments).
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995—Information Collection Back to Top
List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 3402 Back to Top
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service proposes to revise 7 CFR part 3402 to read as set forth below:
PART 3402—FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Back to Top
3402.1 Applicability of regulations.
3402.2 Definitions
3402.3 Institutional eligibility.
3402.4 Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants Program support.
3402.5 Overview of National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants Program.
3402.6 Overview of the special international study and/or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance.
3402.7 Fellowship appointments.
3402.8 Fellowship activities.
3402.9 Financial provisions.
3402.10 Application package.
3402.11 Proposal cover page.
3402.12 Project summary.
3402.13 National need narrative.
3402.14 Budget and budget narrative.
3402.15 Faculty vitae.
3402.16 Appendix.
3402.17 Where to submit an application.
3402.18 Evaluation criteria.
3402.19 Terms and conditions of grant awards.
3402.20 Other Federal statutes and regulations that apply.
3402.21 Confidential aspects of applications and awards.
3402.22 Access to peer review information.
3402.23 Documentation of progress on funded projects.
3402.24 Evaluation of program.
7 U.S.C. 3316.
Subpart A—General Introduction Back to Top
§ 3402.1 Applicability of regulations.
(a) The regulations of this part apply to competitive grants awarded under the provisions of section 1417(b)(6) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(6). The Act designates the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the lead Federal agency for agricultural research, extension, and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences. Section 1417(b)(6) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, who has delegated the authority to the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), to make competitive grants to land-grant colleges and universities, colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments and a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences, and to other colleges and universities having a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences, to administer and conduct graduate and postdoctoral fellowship programs to help meet the Nation's needs for development of scientific and professional expertise in the food and agricultural sciences. The Graduate Fellowships are intended to encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete graduate degrees in the areas of food and agricultural sciences designated by CSREES through the Office of Higher Education Programs (HEP) as national needs. The postdoctoral Fellowships are intended to provide additional mentoring and training to outstanding USDA Graduate Fellows who completed their doctoral degrees no more than five (5) years before they begin the postdoctoral Fellowships.
§ 3402.2 Definitions.
Citizen or national of the United States means (1) A citizen or native resident of a State; or, (2) A person defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22), who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.
College and university means an educational institution in any State which (1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate, (2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education, (3) Provides an educational program for which a bachelor's degree or any other higher degree is awarded, (4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution, and (5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.
§ 3402.3 Institutional eligibility.
Subpart B—Program Description Back to Top
§ 3402.4 Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants Program support.
§ 3402.5 Overview of National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants Program.
(4) The proportion of appropriations to be targeted for the cost-of-education institutional allowances for each respective degree level supported;
§ 3402.6 Overview of the special international study and/or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance.
(a) For each USDA Graduate Fellow who desires to be considered for a special international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance, the Project Director must apply to HEP for a supplemental grant in accordance with instructions published in the solicitation.
Postdoctoral Fellows are not eligible to receive the special international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance. Each application must include a “Proposal Cover Page” (Form CSREES-2002), “Project Summary” (Form CSREES-2003), “Budget” (Form CSREES-2004) and National Environmental Policy Act Exclusions Form (Form CSREES-2006).
§ 3402.7 Fellowship appointments.
(5)(i) A doctoral level Graduate Fellow who maintains satisfactory progress in his or her course of study is eligible for support for a maximum of 36 months within a 42-month period. A master(s level Fellow who maintains satisfactory progress in his or her course of study is eligible for support for a maximum of 24 months during a 30-month period. A postdoctoral Fellow who achieves his or her training objectives is eligible for support for a maximum of 36 months during a 60-month period. It is the intent of this program that Graduate Fellows pursue full-time uninterrupted study or thesis/dissertation research, including time spent pursuing USDA-funded special international study or thesis/dissertation research activities.
(ii) Postdoctoral Fellowship appointments may be held only by persons who pursue full-time traineeship in research, teaching, or extension in the national need area and are supervised by the mentor indicated in the grant application. However, during the period of support, USDA Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellows are permitted, at the discretion of their institutions, to accept additional supplemental employment that would positively contribute to their training or research and provide eligibility for tuition waivers (e.g., full or partial tuition waivers with research or teaching assignments).
(c) Only Fellows enrolled in master's programs of study may be supported under master's Fellowships grant. Master's degree level Fellows who complete their degree early may be supported under master's Fellowship grants, if they are enrolled in Ph.D. programs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences designated as national need areas. Only Fellows enrolled in doctoral programs of study may be supported under doctoral degree Fellowships grants. Only USDA Graduate Fellows who have completed their doctoral degrees may be supported under postdoctoral Fellowship grants.
§ 3402.8 Fellowship activities.
§ 3402.9 Financial provisions.
Subpart C—Preparation of an Application Back to Top
§ 3402.10 Application package.
Applications will be available at http://www.grants.gov and through the CSREES Web site. An application package will be made available to any potential grant applicant upon request. This package will include all necessary forms and instructions to apply for a grant under this program.
§ 3402.11 Proposal cover page.
§ 3402.12 Project summary.
§ 3402.13 National need narrative.
§ 3402.14 Budget and budget narrative.
§ 3402.15 Faculty vitae.
§ 3402.16 Appendix.
Subpart D—Submission and Evaluation of an Application Back to Top
§ 3402.17 Where to submit an application.
§ 3402.18 Evaluation criteria.
Subpart E—Supplementary Information Back to Top
§ 3402.19 Terms and conditions of grant awards.
§ 3402.20 Other Federal statutes and regulations that apply.
7 CFR part 3015, or any successor rule—USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations, as amended, implementing OMB directives (i.e., Circular Nos. A-21 and A-122) and incorporating provisions of 31 U.S.C. 6301-6308 (formerly the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977, 95), as well as general policy requirements applicable to recipients of Departmental financial assistance.
29 U.S.C. 794, section 504—Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and 7 CFR part 15b (USDA implementation of statute), prohibiting discrimination based upon physical or mental handicap in Federally assisted programs.
§ 3402.21 Confidential aspects of applications and awards.
When an application results in a grant, the application and supporting information become part of the record of CSREES transactions, and available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the application. The original copy of an application 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 an application will be released only with the consent of the applicant or to the extent required by law. An application may be withdrawn at any time prior to the final action thereon.
§ 3402.22 Access to peer review information.
§ 3402.23 Documentation of progress on funded projects.
(a) Fellowships/Scholarships Entry/Exit Forms (Form CSREES-2010) are available from CSREES upon request. Upon request by HEP, Project Directors awarded Graduate Fellowships (excluding supplemental international and postdoctoral) grants under the program shall complete and submit this form.
(3) Exit Information shall be completed and submitted to HEP by the Project Director for each Fellow supported by a grant as soon as a Fellow either: graduates; is officially terminated from the Fellowship or the academic program due to unsatisfactory academic progress; or voluntarily withdraws from the Fellowship or the academic program. If a Fellow has not completed all degree requirements at the end of the five-year grant duration, HEP may request a preliminary exit report. In such a case, a final exit report shall be required at a later date. When a final exit report for each Fellow supported by a grant has been accepted by HEP, the grantee institution will have satisfied the requirement of a final performance report for the grant. Additional follow-up reports to track Fellows' career patterns may be requested.
§ 3402.24 Evaluation of program.
Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of June, 2004.
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
[FR Doc. 04-15779 Filed 7-9-04; 8:45 am]