[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26139-26142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12463]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Request For Proposals: Fiscal Year 1998 Funding Opportunity for 
Research on Rural Cooperative Opportunities and Problems

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the 
availability of approximately $1.9 million in competitive cooperative 
agreement funds allocated from FY 1998 appropriations. RBS hereby 
requests proposals from institutions of higher education or nonprofit 
organizations interested in applying for competitively awarded 
cooperative agreements for research related to agricultural and 
nonagricultural cooperatives serving rural communities. The intent of 
the funding is to encourage research on critical issues vital to the 
development and sustainability of cooperatives as a means of improving 
the quality of life in America's rural communities.

DATES: Cooperative agreement applications must be received on or before 
June 30, 1998. Proposals received after June 30, 1998, will not be 
considered for funding. Comments regarding the information collection 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 must be received 
on or before July 13, 1998, to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send Proposals and other required materials to Dr. Thomas H. 
Stafford, Director, Cooperative Marketing Division, Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 3252, Room 4204, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-3252. Telephone: (202) 690-0368.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Thomas H. Stafford, Director, 
Cooperative Marketing Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, 
USDA, Stop 3252, Room 4204, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 
D.C. 20250-3252. Telephone: (202) 690-0368.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General Information

    This solicitation is issued pursuant to the Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 1998 making appropriations for programs 
administered by USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 1998. The Rural Business-Cooperative 
Service (RBS) was established by the Department of Agriculture 
Reorganization Act of 1994. The mission of RBS is to improve the 
quality of life in rural America by financing community facilities and 
businesses, providing technical assistance, and creating effective 
strategies for rural development. RBS has authority to enter into 
cooperative agreements pursuant to section 607(b)(4) of the Rural 
Development Act of 1972, as amended by section 759A of the Federal 
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
    The primary objective of this funding is to encourage research 
through cooperative agreements on critical issues vital to the 
development and sustainability of cooperatives as a means of improving 
the quality of life in America's rural communities. Among others, these 
issues include:
    (1) The appropriate role of cooperatives in fostering rural 
development;
    (2) The role of cooperatives in filling the farm income safety net 
``void'' created by the reduction or elimination of price support 
programs;
    (3) The role of cooperatives in an increasingly global environment;
    (4) The role of cooperatives in highly integrated agricultural 
industries;
    (5) Effective structures and operations for agricultural bargaining 
associations;
    (6) The role of cooperatives in low-resource areas.
    (7) Barriers to small and new farmer membership in agricultural 
marketing cooperatives.

[[Page 26140]]

    (8) Cooperation as a tool for small-farmer use of farmers markets.
    (9) Models for shared or cooperatively-owned agricultural 
production inputs.
    A Cooperative Agreement reflects a relationship between the United 
States Government and an eligible recipient where (1) the principal 
purpose of the relationship is the transfer of money, property, 
services, or anything of value to the eligible recipient to carry out 
research related to rural cooperatives; and (2) substantial involvement 
is anticipated between RBS acting for the United States Government, and 
the eligible recipient during the performance of the research in the 
agreement. Cooperative agreements are to be awarded on the basis of 
merit, quality, and relevance to advancing the purpose of federally 
supported rural development programs which increase economic 
opportunities in farming and rural communities.
    To obtain an application kit containing instructions and all 
required forms, please contact Cooperative Services Program; USDA/RBS, 
at (202)690-0368 or FAX (202)690-2723. When calling Cooperative 
Services, please indicate that you are requesting an application kit 
for Fiscal Year 1998 (FY 1998) Research on Rural Cooperative 
Opportunities and Problems (RRCOP). The application kit 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 requests an application kit for FY 1998 funding for research on 
rural cooperatives. The application kit will be mailed to you (not e-
mailed or faxed) as quickly as possible.

Use of Funds

    Funds may be used to pay up to 75 percent of the costs for carrying 
out relevant projects. Applicants' contribution may be in cash or in-
kind contribution and must be from nonfederal funds. Funds may not be 
used to: (1) Pay more than 75 percent of relevant project or 
administrative costs; (2) pay costs of preparing the application 
package; (3) fund political activities; or (4) pay costs incurred prior 
to the effective date of the cooperative agreement. Indirect costs may 
not exceed current negotiated rates. If no rate has been negotiated, an 
indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted for approval.

Available Funds and Award Limitations

    The amount of funds available for cooperative agreements in FY 1998 
is approximately $1.9 million. Up to one-quarter of the total funds 
awarded will be allocated to research on nonagricultural cooperatives 
serving rural areas. Nonagricultural cooperatives include, but are not 
limited to housing, child care, health care, shared services, wholesale 
or retail consumer cooperatives, and credit unions. Agricultural 
cooperatives are grower-owned and controlled businesses which purchase 
farm inputs, market farm products, or provide other services to their 
members. The actual number of cooperative agreements funded will depend 
on the quality of proposals received and the amount of funding 
requested. Maximum amount of Federal funds awarded for any one proposal 
will be $100,000. It is anticipated that a typical award would range 
from $25,000 to $50,000.

Eligible Applicants

    Proposals may be submitted by public or private colleges or 
universities, research foundations maintained by a college or 
university, or private nonprofit organizations. Under the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in section 501(c)(4) 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)) which 
engages in lobbying activities, is not eligible to apply.

Methods for Evaluating and Ranking Applications

    Applications will be evaluated by a panel of RBS technical experts. 
Applications will be evaluated competitively and points awarded as 
specified in the Evaluation Criteria and Weights section of this 
notice. After assigning points upon those criteria, applications will 
be listed in rank order and presented, along with funding level 
recommendations, to the Administrator of RBS, who will make the final 
decision on awarding of agreements. Applications will then be funded in 
rank order until all available funds have been expended.
    RBS reserves the right to make selections out of rank order to 
provide for a geographic distribution of funded projects. With respect 
to any approved proposal, the amount of funding and the project period 
during which the project may be funded and will be completed, are 
subject to negotiation prior to finalization of the cooperative 
agreement.

Evaluation Criteria and Weights

    RBS will initially determine whether the submitting organization is 
eligible and whether the application contains the information required 
by this notice. Prior to technical examination, each proposal will be 
reviewed for responsiveness to the funding solicitation. Submissions 
which do not fall within the guidelines as stated in the solicitation 
will be eliminated from the competition and will be returned to the 
applicant.
    After this initial screening, RBS will use the following criteria 
to rate and rank proposals received in response to this notice of 
funding availability. The maximum number of points is 100. Zero points 
on any criteria will disqualify the proposal.
    (1) Relevance: Focuses on an agricultural or nonagricultural 
cooperatives serving rural areas and demonstrates a clear relationship 
with the research topics contained in this notice (maximum 20 points);
    (2) Demonstrates potential to contribute innovative ideas or 
solutions to identified problems or issues (maximum 20 points);
    (3) Shows capacity for broad applicability in facilitating new or 
improved cooperative development or new or improved cooperative 
approaches (maximum 15 points);
    (4) Outlines a sound plan of work and appropriate methodology to 
accomplish the stated objective of the research (maximum 15 points);
    (5) Adequately documents the need for and clearly defines the 
objectives of the research (maximum 10 points);
    (6) Demonstrates cost effectiveness (maximum 10 points);
    (7) Identifies qualified resources and personnel, including a 
demonstrated track-record of similar research (maximum 10 points).

Deliverables

    Upon completion of the project, recipients will deliver the results 
of the research to RBS, in the form of a document of publishable 
quality, accompanied by all applicable supporting data. Publishable 
documents include, but are not limited to, manuscripts, videotapes, or 
software, or other media, as may be identified in approved proposals. 
RBS retains publishing rights to such documents, as well as rights to 
any raw or preliminary data collected as part of the project.

Content of a Proposal

    A proposal should contain the following:
    (1) Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.''
    (2) Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information--Non-Construction 
Programs.''
    (3) Form SF-424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.''

[[Page 26141]]

    (4) Form AD-1047, ``Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, 
and Other Responsibility Matters.''
    (5) Form AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements.''
    (6) Table of Contents: For ease of locating information, each 
proposal must contain a detailed Table of Contents immediately 
following the required forms. The Table of Contents should include page 
numbers for each component of the proposal. Pagination should begin 
immediately following the Table of Contents.
    (7) Project Summary. A summary of the Project Proposal, not to 
exceed one-page should include the following: title of the project; 
names of principal investigators and applicant organization; and a 
description of the overall goals and relevance of the project.
    (8) Project Proposal: The application must contain a narrative 
statement describing the nature of the proposed research. The Proposal 
must include at least the following:
    (i) Project Title. The title of the proposed project must be brief, 
yet represent the major thrust of the project.
    (ii) Project Leaders. List the names and contact information for 
the principal investigators. Minor collaborators or consultants should 
be so designated and not listed as principal investigators.
    (iii) Need for the Project. A concisely worded rationale for the 
research must be presented. Included should be a summarization of the 
body of knowledge (literature review) which substantiates the need for 
the research. The need for the proposed research must be clearly and 
directly related to the facilitation of new or improved cooperative 
development or new or improved cooperative approaches.
    (iv) Objectives of the Project. Discuss the specific objectives of 
the project and the impact of the research on end-users.
    (v) Procedures. Discuss the hypotheses or questions being asked and 
the methodology or approach to be used in carrying out the proposed 
research and accomplishing the objectives. A description of any 
subcontracting arrangements to be used in carrying out the project must 
be included.
    (vi) Time Table. A tentative schedule for conducting the major 
steps of the research must be included.
    (vii) Expected Output. Describe how the results will be presented 
and disseminated.
    (viii) Coordination and Management Plan. Describe how the project 
will be coordinated among various participants and the nature of the 
collaborations. Describe plans for management of the project to ensure 
its proper and efficient administration. Describe scope of RBS 
involvement in the project.
    (9) Personnel Support. To assist reviewers in assessing the 
competence and experience of proposed principal investigators, the 
following must be included for each:
    (i) estimated time commitment to the project;
    (ii) a one-page curriculum-vitae;
    (iii) a chronological list of all publications during the past five 
years.

What To Submit

    An original and two copies must be submitted in one package.

When and Where To Submit

    Proposals must be received by close of business on June 30, 1998. 
Proposals must be sent to Dr. Thomas H. Stafford, Director, Cooperative 
Marketing Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 
3252, Room 4204, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-
3252.

Other Federal Statutes and Regulations That Apply

    Several other Federal statutes and regulations apply to proposals 
considered for review and to cooperative agreements awarded. These 
include but are not limited to:
    7 CFR part 15, subpart A--USDA implementation of Title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
    7 CFR part 3015--USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations.
    7 CFR part 3018--USDA implementation of New Restrictions on 
Lobbying.
    7 CFR part 3019--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant 
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other 
Nonprofit Organizations.
    7 CFR part 3051--Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and 
Other Nonprofit Institutions.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Agency 
announces its intention to seek Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval of new reporting and recordkeeping requirements. These 
requirements have been approved by emergency clearance by OMB under OMB 
Control Number 0570-0028.
    Approximately $1.9 million in cooperative agreement funds has been 
allocated from FY 1998 appropriations for programs administered by 
USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) to encourage research 
related to rural cooperatives. The funds will be available to 
institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations for 
research on critical issues vital to the development and sustainability 
of cooperatives as a means of improving the quality of life in 
America's rural communities. Among others, these issues include:
    (1) The appropriate role of cooperatives in fostering rural 
development;
    (2) The role of cooperatives in filling the farm income safety net 
``void'' created by the reduction or elimination of price support 
programs;
    (3) The role of cooperatives in an increasingly global environment;
    (4) The role of cooperatives in highly integrated agricultural 
industries;
    (5) Effective structures and operations for agricultural bargaining 
associations;
    (6) The role of cooperatives in low-resource areas.
    (7) Barriers to small and new farmer membership in agricultural 
marketing cooperatives.
    (8) Cooperation as a tool for small-farmer use of farmers markets.
    (9) Models for shared or cooperatively-owned agricultural 
production inputs.
    The funds will be awarded on a competitive basis using specific 
selection criteria.

Public Burden in this Notice

    At this time, the Agency is requesting OMB clearance of the 
following burden:

Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.''

    This application is used by applicants as a required face sheet for 
applications for federal funding.

Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information--Non Construction Programs''

    This form must be completed by applicants to show the project's 
anticipated budget breakdown in terms of expense categories and 
division of Federal and non-Federal sources of funds.

Form SF-424B, ``Assurances Non-Construction Programs''

    This form must be completed by the applicant to provide the Federal 
government certain assurances of the applicant's legal authority to 
apply for Federal assistance and financial capability to pay the non-
Federal share of project costs. The applicant also assures compliance 
with various legal and regulatory requirements as described in the 
form.

[[Page 26142]]

Project Proposal

    The applicant must submit a project proposal containing the 
elements described in the notice and in the format prescribed. The 
elements of the proposal are:
    (1) Table of Contents: For ease of locating information, each 
proposal must contain a detailed Table of Contents immediately 
following the required forms. The Table of Contents should include page 
numbers for each component of the proposal. Pagination should begin 
immediately following the Table of Contents.
    (2) Project Summary. A summary of the Project Proposal, not to 
exceed one-page should include the following: title of the project; 
names of principal investigators and applicant organization; and a 
description of the overall goals and relevance of the project.
    (3) Project Proposal: The application must contain a narrative 
statement describing the nature of the proposed research. The Proposal 
must include at least the following:
    (i) Project Title. The title of the proposed project must be brief, 
yet represent the major thrust of the project.
    (ii) Project Leaders. List the names and contact information for 
the principal investigators. Minor collaborators or consultants should 
be so designated and not listed as principal investigators.
    (iii) Need for the Project. A concisely worded rationale for the 
research must be presented. Included should be a summarization of the 
body of knowledge (literature review) which substantiates the need for 
the research. The need for the proposed research must be clearly and 
directly related to the facilitation of new or improved cooperative 
development or new or improved cooperative approaches.
    (iv) Objectives of the Project. Discuss the specific objectives of 
the project and the impact of the research on end-users.
    (v) Procedures. Discuss the hypotheses or questions being asked and 
the methodology or approach to be used in carrying out the proposed 
research and accomplishing the objectives. A description of any 
subcontracting arrangements to be used in carrying out the project must 
be included.
    (vi) Time Table. A tentative schedule for conducting the major 
steps of the research must be included.
    (vii) Expected Output. Describe how the results will be presented 
and disseminated.
    (viii) Coordination and Management Plan. Describe how the project 
will be coordinated among various participants and the nature of the 
collaborations. Describe plans for management of the project to ensure 
its proper and efficient administration. Describe scope of RBS 
involvement in the project.
    (4) Personnel Support. To assist reviewers in assessing the 
competence and experience of proposed principal investigators, the 
following must be included for each:
    (i) estimated time commitment to the project;
    (ii) a one-page curriculum-vitae;
    (iii) a chronological list of all publications during the past five 
years.

Use of Funds

    Changes in approved goals and objectives, project leadership, or 
project time line must be submitted to the Deputy Administrator of 
Cooperative Services and approved in writing.

Reporting Requirements

    Funding recipients will be required to submit written project 
performance reports on a quarterly basis. The project performance 
reports will include, but are not limited to: (1) A comparison of 
actual accomplishments to established objectives; (2) reasons 
established objectives were not met; (3) problems, delays, or adverse 
conditions which will materially affect attainment of planned project 
objectives; (4) objectives for the next reporting period; and (5) 
status of compliance with an special conditions on the use of awarded 
funds.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated to range from 15 minutes to 15 hours per response.
    Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,280 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Michele 
Brooks, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, Support Services 
Division, at (202) 720-3158.

Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden to 
collect the required information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized, included in the 
request for OMB approval, and will become a matter of public record. 
Comments may be sent to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, D.C. 20503, and to Michele Brooks, Regulations and 
Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural 
Housing Service, Stop 0743, Room 6345-S, 1400 Independence Avenue S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20250-0743.

    Dated: April 28, 1998.
Dayton J. Watkins,
Administrator, Rural Business--Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 98-12463 Filed 5-11-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-U