Source: http://www.fedprogramsearch.com/cfda/fund_for_rural_america-research_education_and_extension_activities.htm
Timestamp: 2018-08-20 13:00:37
Document Index: 394894476

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3015', 'art 3017', 'art 3018', 'art 3019', 'art 3052', 'art 3407']

The funding for Rural America (FRA) provides funds for rural development programs and for a competitive grant program to support research, education, and extension activities. CSREES administers the competitive grant program for the research, education, and extension component of the Fund for Rural America. The competitive grant program supports unique, innovative, and highimpact research, education, and extension projects to aid farmers, ranchers, and rural communities to address changes and challenges facing agriculture and rural communities as a result of fundamental reforms to Federal farm programs. The broad range of purposes of these projects are to: increase international competitiveness, efficiency, and farm profitability; reduce economic and health risk; conserve and enhance natural resources; develop new crops, new crop uses, and new agricultural applications of biotechnology; enhance animal agricultural resources; preserve plant and animal germplasm; increase economic opportunities in farming and rural communities; and expand locally- owned, value-added processing. The information provided under this Catalog entry applies only to the competitive grant program administered by CSREES for research, education, and extension activities supported by the Fund for Rural America.
As indicated in the terms and conditions of any resulting grant award, the applicable regulations, guidelines, and literature include, but are not limited to: 7 CFR Part 3015 - USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations; 7 CFR Part 3017, as amended - USDA Implementation of Government wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government wide Requirements for Drug- Free Workplace (Grants); 7 CFR Part 3018 - USDA Implementation of New Restrictions on lobbying; 7 CFR Part 3019 - USDA Implementation of OMB Circular No. 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 (revised June 24, 1997) regarding audits of States, local governments, and nonprofit organizations; 7 CFR Part 3407 - CSREES procedures to implement the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended.
Deputy Administrator, Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: (202) 401-1761.
Planning for Native American Rural Development; Food Losses from the Farm to the Consumer; Competition for Land on the Urban-Rural Interface; Value- Added Composites from the Rural Southwestern United States.
Proposals are initially reviewed to ensure that they meet the requirements set forth in the program guidelines/proposal solicitations. Standard Project Grant proposals then undergo technical evaluations using the following criteria: (1) Merit - scientific, technical, or educational merit; well defined problem; clearly defined objectives; appropriateness of approach (including selection of proper approach to address systems, multifaceted, or multidisciplinary problems); demonstrated integration of components (such as research, education, and extension components); degree of feasibility; soundness and effectiveness of management plan; (2) Quality - creativity and innovativeness in addressing problems and issues; selection of most appropriate and qualified individuals to address problem; competence and experience of personnel; effective utilization of knowledge base in addressing problems; potential to contribute solutions to stated problem; identified potential for technology transfer and information dissemination; (3) relevance - proposal advances purposes for federallysupported research, education, and extension as referenced or stated in the solicitation; potential to contribute solutions to priority problems in agriculture; identification and involvement of stakeholders; involvement of communities of interest and stakeholders in the identification of problems set forth in the proposal; partnership with those affected by the outcome. FRA Center Planning Grant proposals will be judged using the following criteria: (1) Merits of the FRA Center concept; (2) relevance of the proposed FRA Center to the purposes of the Fund for Rural America; (3) appropriateness of planning activities in assembling a follow-on proposal for funding of the proposed FRA Center; and (4) competence of identified participants. Criteria used to judge FRA Center Grant proposals will be published in the FRA Center Grant solicitation.