[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55537-55538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25854]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders on the Tribal Colleges 
Research Grants Program, Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants 
Program and Tribal Colleges Extension Services Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Request for written stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is 
requesting written stakeholder input on the following NIFA grant 
programs: (1) Tribal College Research Grants Program, (2) Tribal 
Colleges Education Equity Grants Program, and (3) Tribal Colleges 
Extension Services Program. The programs are authorized under Sections 
534(a), 534(b), and 536 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status 
Act of 1994.

Tribal College Research Grants Program

    Authority for this program is contained in section 536 of the 
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 
note), as amended (hereinafter ``the Act''). In accordance with the 
statutory authority, subject to the availability of funds, the 
Secretary of Agriculture may award competitive grants to assist the 
1994 Land-Grant Institutions (hereinafter ``1994 Institutions'') in 
conducting agricultural research that addresses high priority concerns 
of Tribal, national or multi-State significance.

Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants Program

    Authority for this program is contained in section 534(a) of the 
Act. Subject to the availability of appropriations, the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA), through the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture (NIFA), will award grants to the thirty-four 1994 
Institutions as defined in section 532 of the Act. This Act, in Section 
533(a), requires that each 1994 Institution be accredited or making 
progress towards accreditation to receive funding under this and the 
other programs. The purpose of this program is to enhance educational 
opportunities for Native Americans by strengthening instructional 
programs in the food and agricultural sciences at the thirty-four 
colleges or universities designated as 1994 Institutions.

Tribal Colleges Extension Services Program

    Authority for this program is contained in section 534(b) of the 
Act. This section amends section 3 of the Act of May 8, 1914 (Smith-
Lever Act) (7 U.S.C. 343). Under this authority, appropriated funds are 
to be awarded to the 1994 Institutions for Extension work and funds are 
to be distributed on the basis of a competitive application process.
    By this notice, NIFA is soliciting public comment and stakeholder 
input from interested parties regarding the future design and 
implementation of the 1994 Tribal College Grant Programs described 
above.

DATES: All written comments must be received by November 27, 2009.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by NIFA-2009-0008, 
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Include NIFA-2009-0008 
in the subject line of the message.
    Fax: (202) 401-7752.
    Mail: Paper, disk or CD-ROM submissions should be submitted to 
Office of Extramural Programs Unit, National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mail Stop 2299, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-2299.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: Joanna Moore, Office of Extramural Programs 
Unit, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Room 2250, Waterfront Centre, 800 9th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20024.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Title, 
``1994 Tribal Colleges'' and NIFA-2009-0008. All comments received will 
be posted to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joan Gill, 202-720-6487 (phone), 202-
720-2030 (fax), [email protected] or Saleia Afele-Faamuli, 202-720-
0384 (phone), 202-720-2030 (fax), [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 1, 2009, all programs and 
authorities delegated to the Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service (CSREES) were transferred to the NIFA per section 
7511 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-
246).

Background and Summary

Purpose

    NIFA is considering releasing the Request for Applications (RFAs) 
for all three Tribal College Programs on the same day in mid December 
2009 with the due date for application submission on the same day in 
early March 2010. The peer review panel for each of the programs will 
be conducted during early May 2010. For existing grantees, the RFA will 
request all applicants provide evidence of a college plan or roadmap 
showing that active projects funded through any of the three 1994 
Tribal Colleges programs are being utilized in a coordinated manner 
within the college's land grant office or mission area. In addition, 
existing grantees will be asked to numerically indicate any recruiting, 
retention, course or degree enrollments, internships, outreach clients 
or graduation rates, or other indicators of program activity in the 
food and agriculture initiatives supported by active grants from the 
aforementioned programs.
    The purpose of the grant programs is designed to build the land-
grant capability in institutional teaching, research, and extension 
capacities of the eligible institutions in the following three major 
goals:
    (1) To advance cultural diversity of the food and agricultural 
scientific and professional work force by attracting and educating more 
students from underrepresented groups;
    (2) To strengthen linkages among the 1994 Institutions, other 
colleges and universities, USDA, and private industry; and
    (3) To enhance the quality of teaching, research, and extension 
programs at the 1994 Institutions to enable them to better serve their 
students and communities by building capacity to provide science based 
information and decision making to solve problems and take advantage of 
opportunities--thus establishing them as relevant partners in the U.S. 
food and agricultural sciences higher education system.
    In developing the FY 2010 1994 Tribal College RFAs, NIFA plans to 
consider all stakeholder input and the written comments received in 
response to this notice.


[[Page 55538]]


    Done at Washington, DC, this 22nd day of October, 2009.
Ralph Otto,
Associate Administrator, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
[FR Doc. E9-25854 Filed 10-27-09; 8:45 am]
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