[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6132-6134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2823]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 6132]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship 
Grants Program for Fiscal Year 2000; Request for Proposals and Request 
for Input

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

ACTION:  Notice of request for proposals and request for input.

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SUMMARY:  The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service (CSREES) is giving notice that a competition for new graduate 
fellowship grants will not be held during Fiscal Year (FY) 2000. CSREES 
is also announcing the availability of supplemental grants for Special 
International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances 
for FY 2000. Applications for supplemental grants are invited from 
recipients of currently active Food and Agricultural Sciences National 
Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants to support special international study 
or thesis/dissertation research experiences for current Fellows. CSREES 
also 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, 7 U.S.C. 
7613(c)(2).

DATES:  Supplemental Grant proposals must be received by January 12, 
2001. User 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 (see Section G.).

ADDRESSES:  Hand-delivered proposals (brought in person by the 
applicant or through a courier service) must be received on or before 
January 12, 2001, at the following address: Graduate Fellowship 
(International) Supplemental 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, SW.; Washington, DC 20024. The 
telephone 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 January 12, 2001. Proposals submitted through the U.S. mail 
should be sent to the following address: Graduate Fellowship 
(International) Supplemental 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, SW; Washington, DC 20250-2245.
    Written user comments should be submitted by first-class mail to: 
Policy and Program Liaison Staff; Office of Extramural Programs; USDA-
CSREES; STOP 2299; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20250-
2299; or via e-mail to: [email protected]. (This address is only for 
user comments and not for requesting forms or information.) 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. Howard Sandberg, Higher Education 
Programs; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 2251, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW; Washington, DC 20250-2251; Telephone: (202) 720-2193; E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

A. Administrative Provisions and Legislative Authority
B. Program Description
C. Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria
D. How to Obtain Application Materials
E. What to Submit
F. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
G. Stakeholder Input

A. Administrative Provisions and Legislative Authority

    This Program is subject to the provisions found at 7 CFR part 3402. 
7 CFR 3402.5(e) sets forth procedures to be followed when submitting 
supplemental grant proposals for special international study or thesis/
dissertation research travel allowances, rules governing the evaluation 
of proposals and the awarding of such grants, and regulations relating 
to the post-award administration of grant projects.
    Legislative 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)).

B. Program Description

    CSREES has determined that a new competition for special 
international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances 
will be held during FY 2000, and hereby solicits proposals for 
competitive supplemental grants. Proposals may be submitted by 
universities or colleges who currently have active Food and 
Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants. 
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. These supplementary grants provide support for a Fellow to 
conduct 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. 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).
    Estimated funds for supplemental grants in FY 2000 are 
approximately $60,000. These funds are obtained from

[[Page 6133]]

no-year funds drawn from expired fellowship grants with unspent funds 
remaining. CSREES has determined that no FY 2000 appropriations will be 
targeted to supplemental grants supporting special international study 
or thesis/dissertation research travel allowances. 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 the review of the proposal and 
availability of funds.

C. 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 by 
professional staff from USDA or other Federal agencies, as appropriate. 
Since awards for supplemental grants will be awarded as reviews are 
completed, there is no assurance funds will be available late in the 
application period for every acceptable proposal.
    The six evaluation criteria are:
    1. 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.
    2. Travel experience activities--the degree to which the specific 
international experiences contribute to the Fellow's program of study--
30 points.
    3. 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.
    4. Budget--the degree to which the budget for the international 
experience is justified--10 points.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.

D. 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, Request for Proposals, Program 
Announcement, forms, instructions, and other relevant information 
needed to prepare and submit grant applications. 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, SW; Washington, DC 20250-2245. The telephone 
number is (202) 401-5048. When contacting the Proposal Services Unit, 
please indicate that you are requesting the Application Kit for the FY 
2000 Graduate Fellowship (International) Supplemental Grants Program.
    Application materials may also be requested via Internet by sending 
a message with your name, mailing address (not e-mail) and telephone 
number to [email protected] that states that you wish to receive a copy 
of the application materials for the FY 2000 Graduate Fellowship 
(International) Supplemental Grants Program. The materials will then be 
mailed to you (not e-mailed) as quickly as possible.

E. 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.

F. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

    This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.210.

G. 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 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 
(Pub. L. 105-185). Comments

[[Page 6134]]

should be submitted as provided for in the ADDRESSES and DATES portions 
of this Notice.

    Done at Washington, DC, this 28th day of January, 2000.
Charles W. Laughlin,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-2823 Filed 2-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P