[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 98 (Friday, May 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27884-27885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12883]



[[Page 27883]]

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Part III





Department of Agriculture





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Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service



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Small Business Innovation Research Grants Program for Fiscal Year 2000; 
Request for Proposals; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 98 / Friday, May 21, 1999 / Notices  

[[Page 27884]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Small Business Innovation Research Grants Program for Fiscal Year 
2000; Request for Proposals

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Program Solicitation and Request for 
Proposals for Fiscal Year 2000 Small Business Innovation Research 
Grants Program and Request for Input.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that under the authority of the Small 
Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-219), as 
amended (15 U.S.C. 638) and section 630 of the Act making 
appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies 
programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1987, and for other 
purposes, as made applicable by section 101(a) of Public Law Number 99-
591, 100 Stat. 3341, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects 
to award project grants for certain areas of research to science-based 
small business firms through phase I of its Small Business Innovation 
Research (SBIR) Grants Program.
    By this notice, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service (CSREES) additionally solicits stakeholder input from 
any interested party regarding the Fiscal Year 2000 SBIR Grants 
Program, Request for Proposals, for use in the development of the next 
request for proposals for this program.

DATES: All phase I proposals must be received at USDA on or by 
September 2, 1999. Proposals not received on or by this date will not 
be considered for funding, with the following exceptions. Proposals 
received after September 2, 1999, will be accepted provided they are 
postmarked before or on (1) September 1, 1999, if sent by overnight 
courier; (2) August 30, 1999, if sent by priority mail; or (3) August 
26, 1999, if sent by regular first class mail.
    User comments are requested within six months from the issuance of 
this notice. Comments received after that date will be considered to 
the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: All proposals must be submitted to the following address: 
Small Business Innovation Research Program; c/o Proposal Services Unit; 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S. 
Department of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW; 
Washington, DC 20250-2245.

    Note: The address for hand-delivered proposals or proposals 
submitted using an express mail or overnight courier service is: 
Small Business Innovation Research Program; c/o Proposal Services 
Unit; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; 
U.S. Department of Agriculture; Room 303, Aerospace Center; 901 D 
Street, SW; Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 401-5048.

    Written user input 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, 
SW; Washington, DC 20250-2299; or via e-mail to: [email protected]. 
In your comments, please include the name of the program and the fiscal 
year of the request for proposals to which you are responding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Charles F. Cleland; Director, SBIR 
Program; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; 
STOP 2243; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250-2243. 
Telephone: (202) 401-4002. Facsimile: (202) 401-6070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program will be administered by the 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Firms 
with strong scientific research capabilities in the topic areas listed 
below are encouraged to participate. Objectives of the three-phase 
program include stimulating technological innovation in the private 
sector, strengthening the role of small businesses in meeting Federal 
research and development needs, increasing private sector 
commercialization of innovations derived from USDA-supported research 
and development efforts, and fostering and encouraging participation of 
women-owned and socially and economically disadvantaged small business 
concerns in technological innovation.
    The total amount expected to be available for phase I of the SBIR 
Program in fiscal year (FY) 2000 is approximately $5,000,000. The 
solicitation is being announced to allow adequate time for potential 
recipients to prepare and submit applications by the closing date of 
September 2, 1999. The research to be supported is in the following 
topic areas:

1. Forests and Related Resources
2. Plant Production and Protection
3. Animal Production and Protection
4. Air, Water and Soils
5. Food Science and Nutrition
6. Rural and Community Development
7. Aquaculture
8. Industrial Applications
9. Marketing and Trade

    The award of any grants under the provisions of this program is 
subject to the availability of appropriations.
    This program is subject to the provisions found at 7 CFR part 3403. 
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. In addition, USDA Uniform Federal 
Assistance Regulations (7 CFR part 3015, as amended), Governmentwide 
Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement) and Governmentwide 
Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants) (7 CFR part 3017), 
Restrictions on Lobbying (7 CFR part 3018), and Managing Federal Credit 
Programs (7 CFR part 3) apply to this program. Copies of 7 CFR parts 
3403, 3015, 3017, 3018, and 3 may be obtained by writing or calling the 
office indicated below.
    The program solicitation, which contains research topic 
descriptions and detailed instructions on how to apply, may be obtained 
by writing or calling the following office: Proposal Services Unit; 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S. 
Department of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; 
Washington, DC 20250-2245. Telephone: (202) 401-5048. Application 
materials also may 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 materials for the FY 2000 Small Business Innovation 
Research Grants Program. The materials will then be mailed to you (not 
e-mailed) as quickly as possible. Please note that applicants who 
submitted SBIR proposals for FY 1999 or who have recently requested 
placement on the list for FY 2000 will automatically receive a copy of 
the FY 2000 program solicitation.

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 the 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, 7 U.S.C.

[[Page 27885]]

7613(c)(2). 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 request for proposals for an agricultural research 
program funded on a competitive basis.
    Written user input 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, 
SW; Washington, DC 20250-2299; or via e-mail to: [email protected]. 
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 this notice. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

    Done at Washington, DC., this 17 day of May, 1999.
Colien Hefferan,
Acting Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service.
[FR Doc. 99-12883 Filed 5-20-99; 8:45 am]
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