[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13306-13310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6487]



[[Page 13305]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part III





Department of Agriculture





_______________________________________________________________________



Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service



Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship 
Grants Program for Fiscal Year 1999: Request for Proposals and Request 
for Input; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 51 / Wednesday, March 17, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 13306]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship 
Grants Program for Fiscal Year 1999: Request for Proposals and Request 
for Input

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

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals and Request for Input.

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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service (CSREES) announces the availability of grant funds and requests 
proposals for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs 
Graduate Fellowship Grants Program for Fiscal Years (FY's) 1999 and 
2000, and for FY 1999 Supplemental Grants for Special International 
Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances. Proposals are 
hereby requested from eligible institutions as identified herein for 
competitive consideration of National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grant 
awards. Additionally, CSREES seeks proposals from recipients of 
currently active Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs 
Fellowship Grants for supplemental grants to support special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research experiences for 
current Fellows. By this notice CSREES additionally solicits 
stakeholder input from any interested party regarding the FY 1999 
request for proposals for this program.

DATES: Proposals for Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs 
Graduate Fellowship Grants must be received on or before June 7, 1999. 
Proposals received after the closing date will not be considered for 
funding. Proposals for supplemental grants to support special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research experiences for 
current Fellows must be received by February 16, 2000. Comments 
regarding this request for proposals are requested within six months 
from the issuance of this notice. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Written stakeholder comments should be submitted by first-
class mail to: Office of Extramural Programs; Competitive Research 
Grants and Awards Management; USDA-CSREES; STOP 2299; 1400 Independence 
Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20250-2299, or via e-mail to: RFP-
[email protected]. In your comments, please include the name of the 
program and the fiscal year solicitation of applications to which you 
are responding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard E. Sandberg, Ph.D., Higher 
Education Programs; Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; STOP 2251; 1400 
Independence Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20250-2251; telephone: 
(202) 720-2193; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

Stakeholder Input

Part I. Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate 
Fellowship Grants

Section A--General Information
    1. Administrative Provisions
    2. Legislative Authority
    3. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
    4. Eligibility
Section B--Program Description
    1. Purpose of the Program
    2. Targeted National Need Areas
    3. Degree Level Supported
    4. Proposal Submission Limitations
    5. Limitations on Number of Fellowships
    6. Availability Funding
    7. Stipend Level
Section C--How to Obtain Application Materials
Section D--Submission of a Proposal
    1. What to Submit
    2. Where and When to Submit
    3. Acknowledgment of Proposals
    4. Intent to Submit a Proposal
Section E--Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

Part II. 1999 Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation 
Research Travel Allowances

Section A--General Information
    1. Administrative Provisions
    2. Legislative Authority
    3. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
    4. Announcement of Availability of Supplemental Grants
    5. Eligibility
Section B--Program Description
    1. Purpose of the Program
    2. Available Funding
    3. Travel Allowances
Section C--How to Obtain Application Materials
Section D--Submission of a Proposal
    1. What to Submit
    2. Where and When to Submit
    3. Acknowledgment of Proposals
Section E--Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

Stakeholder Input

    CSREES is soliciting comments regarding this request for proposals 
from any interested party. These comments will be considered in the 
development of the next request for proposals for this program. Such 
comments will be forwarded to the Secretary or his designee for use in 
meeting the requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-
185). This section requires the Secretary to solicit and consider input 
on a current request for proposals from persons who conduct or use 
agricultural research, education, or extension for use in formulating 
the next year's request for proposals.
    In your comments, please include the name of the program and the 
fiscal year request for proposals to which you are responding. Comments 
are requested within six months from the issuance of the request for 
proposals. Comments received after that date will be considered to the 
extent practicable.

Part I. Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate 
Fellowship Grants

Section A--General Information

1. Administrative Provisions
    This Program is subject to the provisions found at 7 CFR Part 3402 
for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate 
Fellowship Grants Program. 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.
2. Legislative Authority
    The authority for this program is contained in Section 1417(b)(6) 
of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977, as amended (NARETPA) (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(6)). This program 
is subject to the provisions found at 7 CFR Part 3402.
    In accordance with the statutory authority, subject to the 
availability of funds, the Secretary of Agriculture, who has delegated 
the authority to the Administrator of CSREES, may make competitive 
grants, for periods not to exceed five years, to land-grant colleges 
and universities, to 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 
fellowship programs to help meet the Nation's needs for development of 
scientific and professional expertise in the food and agricultural 
sciences. For this program, the term ``food and agricultural sciences'' 
means basic, applied, and

[[Page 13307]]

developmental research, extension, and teaching activities in food and 
fiber, agricultural, renewable natural resources, forestry, and 
physical and social sciences, including activities related to subject 
areas defined in section 1404(8) of NARETPA, 7 U.S.C. 3103(8).
3. 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.
4. Eligibility
    Proposals may be submitted by institutions that confer a graduate 
degree in at least one area of the food and agricultural sciences 
targeted for national needs fellowships. For proposals involving more 
than one institution, all institutions must meet the eligibility 
requirement. Proposals may also be submitted by a research foundation 
maintained by an eligible college or university.

Section B--Program Description

1. Purpose of the Program
    This program seeks to award grants to colleges and universities 
which have notable teaching and research competencies in the food and 
agricultural sciences. The grants are specifically intended to support 
fellowship programs that encourage outstanding students to pursue and 
complete a Ph.D. degree at such institutions in an area of the food and 
agricultural sciences for which there is a national need for the 
development of scientific and professional expertise.
2. Targeted National Need Areas
    Food and agricultural sciences areas appropriate for fellowship 
grant applications are those in which shortages of expertise have been 
determined and targeted by CSREES for national needs graduate 
fellowship support. Beginning with FY 1997, CSREES supports six 
national need areas on a biennial basis and combines appropriations 
from two fiscal years into one competition to be held during odd-
numbered years. The targeted national need areas to be supported for 
the combined FY 1999/2000 competition are: (1) Biotechnology--Animal; 
(2) Biotechnology--Plant; (3) Engineering--Food, Forest Products, or 
Agricultural; (4) Human Nutrition and/or Food Science; (5) Marketing or 
Management--Food, Forest Products, or Agribusiness; and (6) Water 
Science.
3. Degree Level Supported
    In FY 1999/2000, only the doctoral level of study will be 
supported.
4. Proposal Submission Limitations
    A doctoral degree-granting institution may only submit a maximum of 
six proposals, and no more than one proposal may be submitted in any 
one national need area.
5. Limitations on Number of Fellowships
    For the FY 1999/2000 program, a proposal may request funding in 
only one national need area. A proposal may request a minimum of two 
fellowships and a maximum of four fellowships in the national need area 
for which funding is requested. While proposals must document 
institution willingness to recruit and train at least two, but not more 
than four, fellows in a national need area, CSREES may fund fewer 
fellows than requested in a proposal.
6. Available Funding
    CSREES anticipates that approximately $5,600,000 will be available 
for fellowship grants for the FY 1999/2000 combined competition, 
including $2.8 million from FY 1999 appropriations and $2.8 million in 
anticipated FY 2000 appropriations. Contingent on the availability of 
these funds, approximately $933,000 will be allocated to each of the 
six national needs areas. This program is highly competitive, and it is 
anticipated that available funding will support approximately 81 
doctoral fellows through approximately seven grants in each of the six 
targeted areas. No-year funds drawn from expired fellowship grants with 
unspent funds remaining may be used to fund additional fellows. Please 
note that Congress has not yet enacted a Fiscal Year 2000 
appropriations bill for the Department. Therefore, the $5.6 million 
cited for FY 1999/2000 grants is only tentative and USDA is not bound 
by this estimate. If Congress appropriates other than the anticipated 
amount, the combined appropriated FYs 1999 and 2000 funds will be 
allocated equally among all six national need areas.
7. Stipend Level
    Each institution funded will receive $69,000 for each doctoral 
fellowship awarded. However, it is anticipated that total program funds 
available will not be evenly divisible by $69,000. Therefore, one 
fellowship may be supported on a partial basis with a lesser amount of 
funds, or one fellowship may be supported fully by a combination of FY 
1999/2000 funds and unspent funds remaining from expired fellowship 
grants. Except in the case of a partially funded fellowship, fellowship 
monies must be used to: (1) support the same doctoral fellow for three 
years at $22,000 per year; and (2) provide for an institution annual 
cost-of-education allowance of $1,000, not to exceed a total of $3,000 
over the duration of the grant. Total funds awarded to an institution 
under the program in FY 1999/2000 shall not exceed $648,000.

Section C--How to Obtain Application Materials

    An Application Kit containing program application materials will be 
made available to eligible institutions upon request. These materials 
include the Administrative Provisions, Solicitation, forms, 
instructions, and other relevant information needed to prepare and 
submit grant proposals. Copies of the application kit 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. When 
contacting the Proposal Services Unit, please indicate that you are 
requesting forms for the FY 1999 National Needs Graduate Fellowship 
Grants Program.
    Application 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 to receive a copy of the 
application materials for the Fiscal Year 1999/2000 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.

Section D--Submission of a Proposal

1. What to Submit
    An original and seven (7) copies of a proposal must be submitted. 
Proposals should contain all requested information when submitted. Each 
proposal should be typed on 8\1/2\'' x 11'' white paper, double-spaced, 
and on one side of the page only. Please note that the text of the 
proposal should be prepared using a font no smaller than 12 point and 
one-inch margins. All copies of the proposal must be submitted in one 
package. Each copy of the proposal must be stapled securely in the 
upper left-hand corner (DO NOT BIND).
    The proposal should be paginated and a Table of Contents should be 
included

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preceding the proposal narrative. Applicants are cautioned to comply 
with the 20-page limitation for the narrative section of the proposal. 
Applicants also are cautioned to include summary faculty vitae through 
the use of Form CSREES-708.
2. Where and When to Submit
    Hand-delivered proposals (brought in person by the applicant or 
through a courier service) must be received on or before June 7, 1999, 
at the following address: National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants 
Program; 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. 
Proposals transmitted via facsimile (fax) machine will not be accepted.
    Proposals submitted through the U.S. mail must be received on or 
before June 7, 1999. Proposals submitted through the U.S. mail should 
be sent to the following address: National Needs Graduate Fellowship 
Grants Program; 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.
3. Acknowledgment of Proposals
    The receipt of all proposals will be acknowledged in writing and 
via the Internet (e-mail). Therefore it is important to include your e-
mail address on Form CSREES-712 when applicable. This acknowledgment 
will contain a proposal identification number. Once your proposal has 
been assigned a proposal number, please cite that number in future 
correspondence.
4. Intent to Submit a Proposal
    Submission of an Intent to Submit a Proposal form (Form CSREES-706) 
is neither required nor requested for the FY 1999/2000 competition.

Section E--Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

    Section 223(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Education Reform Act of 1998, Public Law 105-185, amended section 1417 
of NARETPA to require that certain priorities be given in awarding 
grants for teaching enhancement projects under section 1417(b) of 
NARETPA. This program is authorized under section 1417(b). CSREES 
considers all applications received in response to this solicitation as 
teaching enhancement project applications. To implement the new 
priorities for proposals submitted for the FY 1999/2000 competition, 
the evaluation criteria used to evaluate proposals, as provided in the 
Administrative Provisions for this program (7 CFR 3402.19), have been 
modified to include new criteria for proposals demonstrating enhanced 
coordination among eligible institutions and focusing on innovative, 
multidisciplinary education programs, material, or curricula. The 
following criteria and weights will be used to evaluate proposals 
submitted for funding to the FY 1999/2000 competition:
    (A) 30 points--The degree to which the proposal establishes clearly 
that the proposed program of graduate study will result in the 
development of outstanding scientific/professional expertise related to 
the national need area and will do so in a reasonable period of time.
    (B) 10 points--The degree to which the proposal contains any 
special features such as a focus on innovative, multidisciplinary 
education programs, material, or curricula; enhanced coordination among 
institutions eligible for grants under the Food and Agricultural 
National Needs Fellowship Grant Program; an inter-disciplinary, multi-
disciplinary, or cross-disciplinary approach, an unusual collateral 
specialization in a related discipline, experiential learning 
opportunities, unique mentoring programs, seminars, or a multi-
university collaborative approach.
    (C) 20 points--The degree to which the proposal substantiates 
clearly that the institution's faculty, facilities and equipment, 
instructional support resources, and other academic attributes are 
excellent for providing outstanding graduate study and research at the 
forefront of science and technology related to the chosen area of 
national need.
    (D) 20 points--The degree to which the institution's plans and 
procedures for recruiting and selecting academically outstanding 
Fellows and for advising and guiding Fellows through a program of study 
reflect excellence as documented in the proposal.
    (E) 10 points--The degree to which supplementary summary data 
substantiate program quality in the targeted need area.
    (F) 10 points--The quality of the proposal as reflected by its 
substantive content, organization, clarity, and accuracy.

Part II. 1999 Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation 
Research Travel Allowances

Section A--General Information

1. Administrative Provisions
    This Program is subject to the provisions found at 7 CFR Part 3402. 
These provisions set forth procedures to be followed when submitting 
grant proposals, rules governing the evaluation of proposals, the 
awarding of grants, and regulations relating to the post-award 
administration of such grants.
    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.
2. Legislative Authority
    The authority for this program is contained in Section 1417(b)(6) 
of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977, as amended (NARETPA) (7 U.S.C.
Sec. 3152(b)(6)).
    3. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
    This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.210.
4. Announcement of Availability of Supplemental Grants
    CSREES has determined that a new competition for special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances 
will be held during FY 1999, and hereby solicits proposals for 
competitive supplemental grants. In accordance with the Administrative 
Provisions for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs 
Graduate Fellowship Grants Program (7 CFR 3402.5(e)), CSREES will award 
supplemental grants, on a competitive basis, for special international 
study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances.
5. Eligibility
    Institutions eligible to receive supplemental grants are those that 
have active National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants (awarded in FY 
1998 or earlier). 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.

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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 need 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.

Section B--Program Description

1. Purpose of the Program
    These supplementary grants provide support for a fellow to conduct 
special international study thesis/dissertation research or to 
undertake studies at a site outside of the United States primarily for 
the pursuit of activities that are not generally available within the 
United States.
2. Available Funding
    Estimated funds for supplemental grants in FY 1999 are 
approximately $60,000. These funds are obtained from no-year funds 
drawn from expired fellowship grants with unspent funds remaining. 
CSREES has determined that no FY 1999 appropriations will be targeted 
to supplemental grants supporting special international study or 
thesis/dissertation research travel allowances.
3. Travel Allowance
    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.

Section C--How to Obtain Application Materials

    An Application Kit containing program application materials will be 
made available to eligible institutions upon request. These materials 
include the Administrative Provisions, Solicitation, forms, 
instructions, and other relevant information needed to prepare and 
submit a proposal. Copies of the Application Kit 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. When contacting 
the Proposal Services Unit, please indicate that you are requesting an 
Application Kit for the FY 1999 Special International Study or Thesis/
Dissertation Research Supplemental Grant.
    Application Kits may also be requested via Internet by sending a 
message with your name, mailing address (not e-mail) and telephone 
number to [email protected] which states that you wish to receive a copy 
of the Application Kit for the FY 1999 Special International Study or 
Thesis/Dissertation Research Supplemental Grant. The materials will 
then be mailed to you (not e-mailed) as quickly as possible.

Section D--Submission of a Proposal

1. What to Submit
    An original plus six copies of each application must be submitted. 
Proposals should contain all requested information when submitted. Each 
proposal should be typed on 8\1/2\'' x 11'' white paper, double-spaced, 
and on one side of the page only. Please note that the text of the 
proposal should be prepared using a font no smaller than 12 point and 
one-inch margins. Each copy of the application should be stapled 
securely in the upper left-hand corner (DO NOT BIND). All copies of the 
application must be submitted in one package. Applications transmitted 
via a facsimile (FAX) machine will not be accepted.
    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.
    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 (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.
2. Where and When to Submit
    Applications for the special international study or thesis/
dissertation research travel allowance supplemental grants may be 
submitted at any time prior to February 16, 2000. 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 research project. Applicants are urged to submit 
their proposals early.

    (Note: Proposals for these special supplemental awards should 
not be submitted as part of the application for a FY 1999/2000 
Graduate Fellowship grant.)

    Hand-delivered proposals (brought in person by the applicant or 
through a courier service) must be received on or before February 16, 
2000, at the following address: Special International Study or Thesis/
Dissertation Research Supplemental Grant; 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 phone

[[Page 13310]]

number is 202-401-5048. Proposals transmitted via a facsimile (fax) 
machine will not be accepted.
    Proposals submitted through the U.S. mail must be received on or 
before February 16, 2000. Proposals submitted through the U.S. mail 
should be sent to the following address: Special International Study or 
Thesis/Dissertation Research Supplemental Grant; 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.
3. Acknowledgment of Proposals
    The receipt of all proposals will be acknowledged in writing and 
via the Internet (e-mail). Therefore it is important to include your e-
mail address on Form CSREES-712 when applicable. This acknowledgment 
will contain a proposal identification number. Once your proposal has 
been assigned a proposal number, please cite that number in future 
correspondence.

Section E--Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

    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.

    Done at Washington, D.C., this 11th day of March 1999.
Colien Hefferan,
Acting Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service.
[FR Doc. 99-6487 Filed 3-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P