[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 63 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16366-16368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8654]



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Part VII





Department of Agriculture





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Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service



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Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship 
Grants Program; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 63 / Thursday, April 2, 1998 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship 
Grants Program

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
USDA.

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service (CSREES) is giving notice that a competition for new graduate 
fellowship grants will not be held during Fiscal Year (FY) 1998. CSREES 
is also announcing the availability of supplemental grants for Special 
International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances 
for FY 1998. Applications for supplemental grants are invited from 
recipients of currently active Food and Agricultural Sciences National 
Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants to support special international study 
or thesis/dissertation research experiences for current Fellows.

DATES: Supplemental grant proposals must be received by February 16, 
1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Howard Sandberg, USDA/Higher 
Education Programs, 202-720-2193, [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate 
Fellowships Grants/1998 Supplemental Grants for Special 
International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel 
Allowances Determination

    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 Administrative Provisions (7 CFR part 3402) for this program 
specify that, based on the amount of funds appropriated in any fiscal 
year, CSREES will determine whether a new competition for special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances 
will be held during that fiscal year, and publish that determination as 
part of the annual program announcement.
    CSREES has determined that a new competition for special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances 
will be held during FY 1998, and hereby solicits proposals for 
competitive supplemental grants.

Authority

    Under the authority contained in 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)), and in accordance with the 
Administrative Provisions for the Food and Agricultural Sciences 
National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants Program (7 CFR Part 
3402.5(e)), CSREES will award supplemental grants, on a competitive 
basis, for special international study or thesis/dissertation research 
travel allowances for existing USDA Graduate Fellows. Institutions 
eligible to receive supplemental grants are those that have active 
National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants (awarded in FY 1997 or 
earlier).

Eligibility

    Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to any current Fellow 
with sufficient time to complete the international experience before 
the termination date of the fellowship grant under which he/she is 
supported. Before the international study or thesis/dissertation 
research travel may commence, a Fellow must have completed one academic 
year of full-time study, as defined by the institution, under the 
fellowship appointment and arrangements must have been formalized for 
the Fellow to study and/or conduct research in the foreign location(s). 
All national needs areas previously supported under the Food and 
Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowships Grants 
Program are eligible for the supplementary grants for special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances.

Available Funding

    CSREES has determined that no FY 1998 appropriations will be 
targeted to supplemental grants supporting special international study 
or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances; rather, no-year 
funds drawn from expired fellowship grants with unspent funds remaining 
will be used to support such supplemental grants. Estimated funds for 
supplemental grants in FY 1998 are approximately $60,000.
    For each travel allowance, the institution may request up to 
$5,000. Travel allowance monies may be used only to pay travel and 
living expenses for the Fellow while the Fellow is on the specific 
international assignment as proposed in the application for the special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance. 
No limitation is placed on the number of applications an institution 
may submit. Awards will be made to the extent possible based on 
availability of funds. To the extent possible, all applications 
associated with one CSREES grant number should be submitted at the same 
time in order to facilitate the award of these supplemental grants and 
minimize accounting activity at the grantee institution.

Application Information

    A separate application must be submitted by a fellowship grant 
project director at an eligible institution on behalf of each Fellow 
for which a special international study or thesis/dissertation research 
travel allowance is requested. Applications for the special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance 
supplemental awards may be submitted on or any time prior to February 
16, 1999. 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 travel experience. 
Applicants are urged to submit their proposals early.
    Each application must include an ``Application for Funding,'' Form 
CSREES-661, and a ``Budget,'' Form CSREES-55. To provide the office of 
Higher Education Programs (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

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(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. The narrative should be typed on one 
side of the page only, using a font no smaller than 12 point, and 
double-spaced. All margins must be at least one inch.
    An application package containing the forms, instructions, and 
other relevant information needed by institutions to apply for the 
special international study or thesis/dissertation research travel 
allowances may be requested from the Proposal Services Unit; Office of 
Extramural Programs; Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400 
Independence Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20250-2245. The telephone 
number is 202-401-5048. These materials may also be requested via 
Internet by sending a message with your name, mailing address (not e-
mail) and phone number to [email protected] which states that you want a 
copy of the application materials for the FY 1998 Special International 
Study or Thesis/Dissertation Travel Allowances Supplemental Grants 
under the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate 
Fellowship Grants Program. The materials will then be mailed to you 
(not e-mailed) as quickly as possible.

Evaluation of Applications

    Applications for the special international travel allowances will 
be evaluated as they are received until available funds for the 
supplemental grants are exhausted. Upon receipt of an application, 
CSREES staff will first determine the eligibility of the Fellow for 
whom the application was submitted for an international travel 
experience. Eligible and complete requests then will be reviewed, using 
the criteria and weights indicated below, by professional staff from 
USDA or other Federal agencies, as appropriate. Proposals judged to be 
worthy of funding will be eligible for supplemental awards. Since 
awards for supplemental grants will be made as reviews are completed, 
there is no assurance funds will be available late in the application 
period for every acceptable proposal.
    The evaluation criteria for special international study or thesis/
dissertation research travel allowance applications are indicated 
below. The points are provided as a guide to the relative importance of 
each criterion, but all criteria must be addressed satisfactorily.
    a. Destination and duration--the degree to which the destination 
and duration of the travel experience is appropriate for enhancing the 
Fellow's academic program--10 points.
    b. Travel experience activities--the degree to which the specific 
international experiences contribute to the Fellow's program of study--
30 points.
    c. Advance preparations--the degree to which the proposed study or 
research activities are well-planned, including the likelihood that 
these activities will come to fruition and that the participation of 
identified personnel will materialize--20 points.
    d. Budget--the degree to which the budget for the international 
experience is justified--10 points.
    e. Personnel--the degree to which the personnel, both U.S. and 
international, involved with the travel experience have the appropriate 
credentials and experience to direct the Fellow's international 
experience, and the likelihood that their participation as mentors, 
trainers, advisors, or teachers will contribute to the educational 
value of the travel experiences--20 points.
    f. Supporting documentation--the degree to which letters from the 
dean of the college (or equivalent administrative unit) and the 
fellowship grant project director support the application--10 points.

When and Where To Submit Applications

    An original plus six copies of each application must be submitted. 
Each copy of the application should be stapled securely in the upper 
left-hand corner. Please do not bind the original or the copies of the 
application. All copies of the application must be mailed in one 
package. Applications transmitted via a facsimile (FAX) machine will 
not be accepted. Applications submitted through the U.S. mail should be 
sent to the following address for delivery on or prior to February 16, 
1999: Special International Study; 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, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20250-2245. Hand-delivered 
proposals, including those submitted through an express mail or a 
courier service, should be brought to the following address on or any 
time prior to February 16, 1999: Special International Study; c/o 
Proposal Services Unit; Office of Extramural Programs; 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. The telephone number is 202-401-5048. 
Applications may be submitted on or any time prior to February 16, 
1999.

II. Applicable Regulations

    This program is subject to the administrative provisions found at 7 
CFR Part 3402, which set forth procedures to be followed when 
submitting grant proposals, rules governing the evaluation of 
proposals, the awarding of grants, and post-award administration of 
such grants.
    In addition, the USDA Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, 
and Other Nonprofit Organizations, 7 CFR Part 3019, as amended by 62 FR 
45934, August 29, 1997, apply to this program. Other Federal statutes 
and regulations that apply to this program are identified in the 
administrative provisions.

III. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

    This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.210, Food and Agricultural Sciences National 
Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants. For the reasons set forth in the 
Final Rule-related notice to 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V, 48 FR 29115, 
June 24, 1983, when the authority to administer this program resided in 
the Agricultural Research Service, this program is excluded from the 
scope of Executive Order 12372 which requires intergovernmental 
consultation with State and local officials.

IV. Paperwork Reduction

    Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), the collection of information requirements for this 
program have been approved under OMB Document Nos. 0524-0022 and 0524-
0024.

V. Program Contact

    If you have questions concerning the submission of proposals for FY 
1998 Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel 
Allowances under the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs 
Graduate Fellowship Grants Program, please contact Dr. Howard Sandberg, 
Higher Education Programs, Science and Education Resources Development,

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CSREES, USDA, at 202-720-2193 (voice), 202-720-2030 (fax), or 
[email protected] (Internet).

    Done at Washington, D.C., this 27th day of March, 1998.
Colien Hefferan,
Acting Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service.
[FR Doc. 98-8654 Filed 4-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P