[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 167 (Monday, August 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47161-47165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22381]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Applications for FY 2000 National Research Initiative Competitive 
Grants Program

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Program Description and Solicitation 
for Applications for Fiscal Year 2000 National Research Initiative 
Competitive Grants Program.

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SUMMARY: Applications are invited for competitive grant awards in

[[Page 47162]]

agricultural, forest, and related environmental sciences under the 
National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program 
administered by the Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management 
Division, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service 
(CSREES), for fiscal year (FY) 2000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USDA/CSREES/NRI, Stop 2241, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-2241. Phone: (202) 401-
5022. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

Stakeholder Input
Authority and Applicable Regulations
Conflicts of Interest
Project Types and Eligibility Requirements
    I. Conventional Projects
    II. Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards
Funding Categories for FY 2000
Research Opportunities
Application Materials
Materials Available on Internet
Electronic Subscription to NRI Documents
NRI Deadline Dates

Stakeholder Input

    CSREES is soliciting comments regarding this solicitation of 
applications from any interested party. These comments will be 
considered in the development of the next solicitation of applications 
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 (Pub. L. 105-185). Written 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: 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. 
Comments are requested within six months from the issuance of the 
solicitation of applications. Comments received after that date will be 
considered to the extent practicable.

Authority and Applicable Regulations

    The authority for this program is contained in 7 U.S.C. 450i(b). 
Under this program, subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary 
may award competitive research grants, for periods not to exceed five 
years, for the support of research projects to further the programs of 
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
    Regulations applicable to this program include the following: (a) 
The regulations governing the NRI, 7 CFR part 3411, which 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; (b) the USDA Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants 
and Agreements with Institutions of Higher-Education, Hospitals, and 
Other Non-Profit Organizations, 7 CFR part 3019; (c) the USDA Uniform 
Federal Assistance Regulations, 7 CFR part 3015; (d) the USDA Uniform 
Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to 
State and Local Governments, 7 CFR part 3016; and (e) 7 U.S.C. 3103, 
which defines ``sustainable agriculture.''

Conflicts of Interest

    For the purpose of determining conflicts of interest in accordance 
with 7 CFR part 3411.12, the academic and administrative autonomy of an 
institution shall be determined by reference to the February 1999 issue 
of the Codebook for Compatible Statistical Reporting of Federal Support 
to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions, prepared by 
Quantum Research Corporation for the National Science Foundation. 
Copies may be obtained through the Internet at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/
srs/sfsucni/method98/codebook/codebook.htm.

Project Types and Eligibility Requirements

    The project types for which proposals are solicited include:

I. Conventional Projects

    (a) Standard Research Grants: Research will be supported that is 
fundamental or mission-linked, and that is conducted by individual 
investigators, co-investigators within the same discipline, or 
multidisciplinary teams. Any State agricultural experiment station, 
college, university, other research institution or organization, 
Federal agency, national laboratory, private organization, corporation, 
or individual may apply. Proposals submitted by non-United States 
organizations will not be considered for support.
    (b) Conferences: Scientific meetings that bring together scientists 
to identify research needs, update information, or advance an area of 
research are recognized as integral parts of research efforts. Any 
State agricultural experiment station, college, university, other 
research institution or organization, Federal agency, national 
laboratory, private organization, corporation, or individual is an 
eligible applicant in this area. Proposals submitted by non-United 
States organizations will not be considered for support.

II. Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards

    To contribute to the enhancement of research capabilities in the 
research program areas described herein, applications are solicited for 
Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards. Such applications may be 
submitted by any State agricultural experiment station, college, 
university, other research institution or organization, Federal agency, 
national laboratory, private organization, corporation, or individual; 
however, further eligibility requirements are defined in 7 CFR part 
3411.3(d) and restated in the FY 2000 NRI Program Description. 
Applications submitted by non-United States organizations will not be 
considered for support. However, United States citizens applying as 
individuals for Postdoctoral Fellowships may perform all or part of the 
proposed work at a non-United States organization. Agricultural 
Research Enhancement Awards are available in the following categories:
    (a) Postdoctoral Fellowships
    (b) New Investigator Awards
    (c) Strengthening Awards: Institutions in USDA EPSCoR entities are 
eligible for strengthening awards. For FY 2000, USDA EPSCoR states 
consist of the following:

Alaska
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Kentucky
Maine
Mississippi
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming

    For FY 2000, other USDA-EPSCoR entities consist of the following:

American Samoa
District of Columbia
Guam

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Micronesia
Northern Marianas
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands

    Investigators at small and mid-sized institutions (total enrollment 
of 15,000 or less) may also be eligible for Strengthening Awards. An 
institution in this instance is an organization that possesses a 
significant degree of autonomy. Significant degree of autonomy is 
defined by being independently accredited as determined by reference to 
the 1999 Higher Education Directory, published by Higher Education 
Publications, Inc., 6400 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 648, Falls Church, 
Virginia 22042. Phone: (703) 532-2305.
    Institutions which are among the most successful universities and 
colleges for receiving Federal funds for science and engineering 
research, except those in USDA EPSCoR entities, are ineligible for 
strengthening awards. The top 100 institutions excluding those in USDA 
EPSCoR entities are as follows:

Baylor College of Medicine
Boston University
California Institute of Technology
Carnegie-Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Colorado State University
Columbia University
Cornell University
CUNY Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Duke University
Emory University
Florida State University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Indiana University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Medical College of Wisconsin
Michigan State University
New York University
North Carolina State University
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
Oregon Health Sciences University
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rockefeller University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Scripps Research Institute
Stanford University
State University of New York at Stony Brook
State University of New York at Buffalo
Texas A&M University College Park
Thomas Jefferson University
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of Alabama Birmingham
University of Arizona
University of California Berkeley
University of California Davis
University of California Irvine
University of California Los Angeles
University of California San Diego
University of California San Francisco
University of California Santa Barbara
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Maryland Baltimore Prof Sch
University of Maryland College Park
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
University of Miami
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Missouri Columbia
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
University of Southern California
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
University of Texas Health Sci. Center San Antonio
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston
University of Texas SW Medical Center Dallas
University of Utah
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin Madison
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wake Forest University
Washington University
Wayne State University
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Yeshiva University, New York

    See the FY 2000 NRI Program Description for complete details on 
programs and eligibility.

Funding Categories for FY 2000

    CSREES is soliciting proposals, subject to the availability of 
funds, for support of high priority research of importance to 
agriculture, forestry, and related environmental sciences, in the 
following research categories (ANTICIPATED FY 2000 (FY00) funding and 
ACTUAL FY 1999 (FY99) funding, rounded to the $0.1M, follows in 
parentheses):
     Natural Resources and the Environment (FY00: $19.1M, FY99: 
$19.1M).
     Nutrition, Food Quality, and Health (FY00: $14.9M, FY99: 
$14.9M).
     Plant Systems (FY00: $38.2M, FY99: $38.2M).
     Animal Systems (FY00: $27.0M, FY99: $27.0M).
     Markets, Trade, and Policy (FY00: $4.3M, FY99: $4.3M).
     New Products and Processes (FY00: $7.6M, FY99: $7.6M).
    Support for research opportunities listed below may be derived from 
one or more of the above funding categories based on the nature of the 
scientific topic to be supported.
    Pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(10), no less than 10 percent (FY00: 
$11.1M, FY99: $11.1M) of the available funds listed above will be made 
available for Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards (excluding New 
Investigator Awards), and no more than 2 percent (FY00: $2.2M, FY99: 
$2.2M) of the available funds listed above will be made available for 
equipment grants. Further, no less than 30 percent (FY00: $33.4M, FY99: 
$33.4M) of the funds listed above shall be made available for grants 
for research to be conducted by multidisciplinary teams, and no less 
than 40 percent (FY00: $44.5M, FY99: $44.5M) of the funds listed above 
shall be made available for grants for mission-linked systems research.
    CSREES is prohibited from paying indirect costs exceeding 19 per 
centum of the total Federal funds provided under each award on 
competitively awarded research grants (7 U.S.C. 3310).

Research Opportunities

    The funds appropriated as listed above will be used to support 
research grants in the following areas:

NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
    Plant Responses to the Environment
    Ecosystem Science
    Soils and Soil Biology
    Watershed Processes and Water Resources
NUTRITION, FOOD SAFETY, AND HEALTH
    Improving Human Nutrition for Optimal Health
    Food Safety
    Epidemiological Approaches for Food Safety
ANIMALS
    Animal Reproductive Efficiency
    Animal Growth, Development, and Nutrient Utilization
    Animal Genome and Genetic Mechanisms
    Animal Health and Well-Being
BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF PESTS AND BENEFICIAL ORGANISMS.
    Entomology and Nematology
    Biologically Based Pest Management.
    Biology of Plant-Microbe Associations
    Biology of Weedy and Invasive Plants
PLANTS

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    Plant Genome
    Plant Genetic Mechanisms
    Plant Growth and Development
    Agricultural Plant Biochemistry
MARKETS, TRADE, AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
    Markets and Trade
    Rural Development
ENHANCING VALUE AND USE OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST PRODUCTS
    Value-Added Products Research
    Food Characterization/Process/Product Research
    Non-Food Characterization/Process/Product Research
    Improved Utilization of Wood and Wood Fiber
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH (integrated, multidisciplinary research 
on agricultural systems)

Application Materials

    The FY 2000 NRI Program Description, which contains research topic 
descriptions, and the NRI Application Kit, which contains detailed 
instructions on how to apply and the requisite forms, are available 
through the NRI home page, www.reeusda.gov/nri. Paper copies of these 
application materials may be obtained by sending an e-mail with your 
name, complete mailing address (not e-mail address), phone number, and 
materials that you are requesting to [email protected]. Materials will be 
mailed to you (not e-mailed) as quickly as possible. Alternatively, 
paper copies may be obtained by writing or calling the office indicated 
below. Proposal Services Unit, Office of Extramural Programs, 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, STOP 2245, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-2245, Telephone: (202) 401-5048.

Materials Available on Internet

    The following are among the materials available on the NRI home 
page (www.reeusda.gov/nri).

NRI Program Description

    This document is available for the current fiscal year, and 
describes all of the NRI funding programs. To apply for a grant, it is 
also necessary to obtain the NRI Application Kit.

NRI Application Kit

    This document contains guidelines for proposal preparation and the 
requisite forms.

NRI Abstracts of Funded Research

    The abstracts available on this searchable database are 
nontechnical abstracts written by the principal investigator of each 
individual grant, starting with FY 1993. Each entry also includes the 
title, principal investigator(s), awardee institution, dollar amount, 
and proposal number for each grant. The first two digits of the 
proposal number indicate the fiscal year in which the proposal was 
submitted.

NRI Annual Report

    The NRI Annual Reports starting with FY 1995 are available. These 
reports include descriptions of the program concept, the authorization, 
policy, inputs to establish research needs, program execution, and 
outcomes, including relevant statistics. Also included are examples of 
recent research funded by the NRI.

Electronic Subscription to NRI Documents

    The NRI has set up a mailserver which will notify subscribers when 
publications such as its Program Description or Abstracts of Funded 
Research are available electronically on the World Wide Web. 
Subscribers will not receive the document itself, but instead will 
receive an e-mail containing an announcement regarding the document's 
availability on the NRI home page.
    To subscribe:
    Send an e-mail message to: [email protected]
    In the body of the message, include only the words: subscribe nri-
epubs
    To unsubscribe:
    Send an e-mail message to: [email protected]
    In the body of the message, include only the words: unsubscribe 
nri-epubs
    Please note that this is not a forum. Messages, other than those 
related to subscription, can not be posted to this address.

NRI Deadline Dates

    The following fixed dates have been established for proposal 
submission deadlines within the NRI. To be considered for funding in 
any fiscal year, proposals must be transmitted by the date listed below 
(as indicated by postmark or date on courier bill of lading). When the 
deadline date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, transmission must 
be made by the following business day.
    Programs offered in any fiscal year depend on availability of funds 
and deadlines may be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Consult 
the pertinent NRI solicitation in the Federal Register, the NRI Program 
Description, or the NRI home page (www.reeusda.gov/nri) for up-to-date 
information.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Program
       Postmarked dates           codes             Program areas
------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 15...................       22.1  Plant Responses to the
                                            Environment.
                                     23.0  Ecosystem Science.
                                     25.0  Soils and Soil Biology.
                                     26.0  Watershed Processes and Water
                                            Resources.
                                     31.0  Improving Human Nutrition for
                                            Optimal Health.
                                     51.9  Biology of Weedy and Invasive
                                            Plants.
                                     80.1  Research Career Enhancement
                                            Awards.
                                     80.2  Equipment Grants.
                                     80.3  Seed Grants.
December 15...................      52.11  Plant Genome.
                                     52.2  Plant Genetic Mechanisms.
                                     53.0  Plant Growth and Development.
                                     61.0  Markets and Trade.
                                     62.0  Rural Development.
                                     71.1  Food Characterization/Process/
                                            Product Research.
                                     71.2  Non-Food Characterization/
                                            Process/Product Research.
January 15....................       32.0  Food Safety.
                                     32.1  Epidemiological Approaches
                                            for Food Safety.

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                                     41.0  Animal Reproductive
                                            Efficiency.
                                     44.0  Animal Health and Well-Being.
                                     51.2  Entomology and Nematology.
                                     51.7  Biologically Based Pest
                                            Management.
                                     51.8  Biology of Plant-Microbe
                                            Associations.
                                     73.0  Improved Utilization of Wood
                                            and Wood Fiber.
February 15...................       42.0  Animal Growth, Development,
                                            and Nutrient Utilization.
                                     43.0  Animal Genome and Genetic
                                            Mechanisms.
                                     54.3  Agricultural Plant
                                            Biochemistry.
                                    100.0  Agricultural Systems
                                            Research.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Please note: Starting in fiscal year 2001, the submission deadline 
for the Agricultural Systems Research (100.0) will be November 15.

    Done at Washington, DC, this 19th day of August 1999.
Charles W. Laughlin,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-22381 Filed 8-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P