[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 69 (Monday, April 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17613-17615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8974]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Request for Proposals: Fiscal Year 1999 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 $1.0 million in competitive cooperative 
agreement funds allocated from FY 1999 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, 1999. Proposals received after June 30, 1999, will not be 
considered for funding.

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, DC 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, DC 
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, 1999 making appropriations for programs 
administered by USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 1999. 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 user-owned cooperatives as a means of 
improving the quality of life in America's rural communities. Issue 
areas on which proposals should focus are:
    (1) Production cooperatives (including joint management of farm 
operations) as a tool for small farm operators, as recommended by the 
National Commission on Small Farms.
    (2) New generation cooperative equity management issues and their 
impact on the user-owned nature of the cooperative business.
    (3) Cooperative structure, conduct and performance in selected 
industries.
    (4) Can cooperatives compete for value-added markets?
    (5) Governance and control issues in evolving cooperative 
structures and environments.
    (6) The role of nonagricultural cooperatives in rural development.
    (7) Evaluation of group action strategies, dispute resolution 
mechanisms, and justifiable terms available to contract growers and 
cooperatives in an increasingly industrialized agriculture.
    (8) Assessment of farmer's markets organized as cooperatives. 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. A cooperative agreement is not a grant. Cooperative 
agreements are to be awarded on the basis of merit, quality, and 
relevance to advancing the purpose of federally supported rural 
development programs that increase economic opportunities in farming 
and rural communities.
    All forms required to apply are available from the Cooperative 
Services Program web-site at www.usda.gov/rbs/coops/rrcop.htm, by 
calling (202) 690-0368, or faxing (202) 690-2723. Forms may also be 
requested via Internet by sending a message with your name, mailing 
address (not E-mail) and phone number to ``[email protected]''. 
When calling or e-mailing Cooperative Services, please indicate that 
you are requesting forms for Fiscal Year 1999 (FY 1999) Research on 
Rural Cooperative Opportunities and Problems (RRCOP). Forms will be 
mailed to you (not e-mailed or faxed) as quickly as possible. Forms are 
also usually available from the local university grants office.

Use of Funds

    Funds may be used to pay up to 75 percent of the total cost 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

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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 1999 
is approximately $1.0 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 user-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. In 1998, a typical award ranged from $40,000 to 
$80,000 with an average award of $60,000.

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 or subject matter distribution of funded projects. In 
addition, timely completion of past cooperative agreements with RBS may 
be considered in awarding funds. 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. Proposals 
focusing on technical assistance, consulting, or problem solving for 
the benefit of a single cooperative are not encouraged. Submissions 
that 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. Failure to 
address any of the following 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.''
    (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 
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

[[Page 17615]]

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. Include who will be responsible for any published 
output.
    (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, 1999. 
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, DC 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-Nondiscrimination in Federally-Assisted 
Programs of the Department of Agriculture--Effectuation of Title VI of 
the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
7 CFR part 3015--USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations.
7 CFR part 3017--Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 
(Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Grants)
7 CFR part 3018--New Restrictions on Lobbying
7 CFR part 3019--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
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
7 CFR part 3052--Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit 
Organizations

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35), the collection of information requirements 
contained in this Notice have been approved under OMB control number 
0570-0028.

    Dated: April 1, 1999.
Dayton J. Watkins,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 99-8974 Filed 4-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-U