[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 147 (Wednesday, August 2, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35927-35928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16262]



[[Page 35927]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Solicitation of Input From Stakeholder and Public Listening 
Session Regarding: Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges 
of Agriculture (NLGCA); The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary 
Education and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants 
Program (SPECA); The Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program (WAMS); The Higher 
Education Challenge Grants Program (HEC)

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of web-based listening session and request for 
stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: As part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's 
(NIFA) strategy to successfully meet the needs of its stakeholders, 
NIFA will host a virtual listening session. The focus of the listening 
session is to gather stakeholder input regarding capacity building 
grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA); The 
Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Agriculture 
in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA); The Women and 
Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields 
Program (WAMS); The Higher Education Challenge Grants Program (HEC). 
NIFA is particularly interested in achieving the most impact and 
identifying suggested priorities in these programs.

DATES: The listening session will be held on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 
from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). All written 
comments must be received by 5 p.m. EDT on August 15, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The web-based listening session will be hosted using Adobe 
Connect and audio conference call. On August 15th, please access the 
following Web site, https://zoom.us/j/735656274. The audio conference 
call capabilities can be accessed at 1-888-844-9904, participant code 
7923533#.
    Registration: You may submit comments, identified by NIFA-2017-
0003, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. Include NIFA-2017-0003 in the 
subject line of the message.
    Mail: Paper, disk or CD-ROM submissions should be submitted to Dr. 
Joyce Parker, Division of Community and Education; Institute of Youth, 
Family and Community (IYFC), National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 2201, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2220.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and reference to NIFA-2017-0003. All comments received will be posted 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Joyce Parker, Program Specialist, 
NIFA at (202) 401-4512 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Persons wishing to present during the web-
based listening session on Tuesday, August 15, 2017, are requested to 
pre-register by contacting Dr. Joyce Parker at 
[email protected]. Participants may reserve one 5-minute 
comment period. More time may be available, depending on the number of 
people wishing to make a presentation. Reservations will be confirmed 
on a first-come, first-served basis. All other participants may provide 
comments during the listening session if time permits, or by the listed 
means.

Background and Purpose: Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant 
Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA)

    The purpose of this program is to assist the NLGCA Institutions in 
maintaining and expanding their capacity to conduct education, 
research, and outreach activities relating to agriculture, renewable 
resources, and other similar disciplines. NLGCA Institutions may use 
the funds to maintain and expand capacity: (A) To successfully compete 
for funds from Federal grants and other sources to carry out 
educational, research, and outreach activities that address priority 
concerns of national, regional, State, and local interest; (B) to 
disseminate information relating to priority concerns to--(i) 
interested members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other 
relevant communities; (ii) the public; and (iii) any other interested 
entity; (C) to encourage members of the agriculture, renewable 
resources, and other relevant communities to participate in priority 
education, research, and outreach activities by providing matching 
funding to leverage grant funds; and, (D) through (i) the purchase or 
other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure (not including 
alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings); (ii) the 
professional growth and development of the faculty of the NLGCA 
Institution; and (iii) the development of graduate assistantships.

Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture 
in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA)

    The SPECA Challenge Grants Program is a NIFA-administered 
competitive grants program focused on improving formal, K-14 food, 
agricultural, natural resource, and human (FANH) sciences education. 
SPECA-funded projects ensure a competent and qualified workforce will 
exist to serve the FANH sciences system. At the same time, SPECA-funded 
projects improve the economic health and viability of communities 
through the development of degree programs emphasizing new and emerging 
employment opportunities. Finally, SPECA projects address the national 
challenge to increase the number and diversity of students entering the 
food, agricultural, natural resource, and human (FANH) sciences (i.e., 
having a FANH sciences workforce representative of the Nation's 
population).

Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics Fields Program (WAMS)

    The purpose of this program is to support research and extension 
projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented 
minorities from rural areas in STEM. NIFA intends this program to 
address educational needs, as determined by each institution, within 
broadly defined areas of food and agricultural sciences and related 
disciplines. Applications recommended for funding must highlight and 
emphasize a competent and qualified workforce to guide the food and 
agricultural sciences system. WAMS-funded projects should improve the 
economic health and viability of rural communities by developing 
research and extension initiatives that focus on new and emerging 
employment opportunities in STEM occupations. Hence, the goal of WAMS 
projects is to meet the national challenge to increase the number and 
diversity of students entering food and agriculture-related STEM 
disciplines (i.e. having a food and agricultural sciences workforce 
representative of the nation's population). Projects that contribute to 
the economic viability of rural communities are also encouraged.

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Higher Education Challenge Grants Program (HEC)

    The Higher Education Challenge Grants Program (HEC) is a NIFA-
administered competitive grants program focused on improving formal, 
baccalaureate or master's degree level food, agricultural, natural 
resources, and human sciences (FANH) education and first professional 
degree-level education in veterinary medicine (DVM). HEC projects 
provide funding to eligible applicants to help ensure a competent, 
qualified and diverse workforce will exist to serve the FANH sciences 
system. At the same time, HEC-funded projects improve the economic 
health and viability of communities through the development of degree 
programs emphasizing new and emerging employment opportunities. 
Finally, HEC projects address the national challenge to increase the 
number and diversity of students entering the FANH sciences (i.e., 
having a FANH sciences workforce representative of the Nation's 
population).

Implementation Plans

    All comments and the official transcript of the listening session, 
once available, may be reviewed on the NIFA Web page, https://nifa.usda.gov/stakeholder-feedback-education. NIFA plans to consider 
stakeholder input received from this listening session as well as other 
written comments in developing the Fiscal Year 2018-19 solicitations 
for these programs.

    Done at Washington, DC this 26th day of July, 2017.
Sonny Ramaswamy,
Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2017-16262 Filed 8-1-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P