PART 3403—SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM Authority: 15 U.S.C. 638. Source: 72 FR 20703, Apr. 26, 2007, unless otherwise noted. Editorial Note: Nomenclature changes to part 3403 appear at 76 FR 4807, Jan. 27, 2011. Subpart A—General Information § 3403.1 Applicability of regulations. (a) The regulations of this part apply to small business innovation research grants awarded under the general authority of section 630 of the Act making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies' programs for fiscal year ending 1987, and for other purposes as made applicable by section 101(a) of Pub. L. 99-591, 100 Stat. 3341, and the provisions of the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638), and the Small Business Innovation Research Program Reauthorization Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-554, which extends the SBIR Program through September 30, 2008. The Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, as amended, mandates that each Federal agency with an annual extramural budget for research or research and development in excess of $100 million participate in a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program by reserving a statutory percentage of its annual extramural budget for award to small business concerns for research or research and development in order to stimulate technological innovation, use small business to meet Federal research and development needs, increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development, and foster and encourage the participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation. The Department will participate in this program through the issuance of competitive research grants which will be administered by NIFA. (b) The regulations of this part do not apply to research grants awarded by the Department under any other authority. [72 FR 20703, Apr. 26, 2007, as amended at 79 FR 75998, Dec. 19, 2014] § 3403.2 Definitions. As used in this part: Ad hoc reviewers Applicant Authorized departmental officer Authorized organizational representative Budget Period Commercialization Department Essentially equivalent work (1) Substantially the same research is proposed for funding in more than one grant application submitted to the same Federal agency; (2) Substantially the same research is submitted to two or more different Federal agencies for review and funding consideration; or (3) A specific research objective and the research design for accomplishing an objective are the same or closely related in two or more proposals or awards, regardless of the funding source. Funding agreement A grant Grantee Innovation (1) Development of new technologies; (2) Refinement of existing technologies; or (3) Development of new applications for existing technologies. Intellectual property Joint venture NIFA Outcomes Outputs Peer review group Principal investigator/project director Professional Employer Organization Program solicitation Project period Prototype Research or research and development (1) A systematic, intensive study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the subject studied; (2) A systematic study directed specifically toward applying new knowledge to meet a recognized need; or (3) A systematic application of knowledge toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements. Research project grant SBIR Participants SBIR Technical Data SBIR Technical Data Rights Small business concern (1) Is organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States, which operates primarily within the United States, or which makes a significant contribution to the United States economy through the payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor; (2) Is in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture, association, trust or cooperative, except that where the form is a joint venture, there can be no more than 49 percent participation by foreign business entities in the joint venture; (3) Is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, except in the case of a joint venture, where each entity in the venture must be 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in the United States; and (4) Has, including its affiliates, not more than 500 employees. The term “affiliates” is defined in greater detail in 13 CFR 121.103. The term “number of employees” is defined in 13 CFR 121.106. Socially and economically disadvantaged small business concern United States Women-owned small business concern [72 FR 20703, Apr. 26, 2007, as amended at 76 FR 4808, Jan. 27, 2011] § 3403.3 Eligibility requirements. (a) Eligibility of organization. (2) For Phase I, a minimum of two-thirds of the research or analytical effort, as measured by the budget, must be performed by the awardee. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur, and must be approved in writing by the ADO after consultation with the agency SBIR National Program Leader. (3) For Phase II, a minimum of one-half of the research or analytical effort, as measured by the budget, must be performed by the awardee. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur, and must be approved in writing by the ADO after consultation with the agency SBIR National Program Leader. (4) For both Phase I and Phase II, the primary employment of the principal investigator must be with the SBC at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project. Primary employment means that more than one-half of the principal investigator's time is spent in the employ of the SBC. This precludes full-time employment with another organization. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur, and must be approved in writing by the ADO after consultation with the agency SBIR National Program Leader. Further, an SBC may replace the principal investigator on an SBIR Phase I or Phase II award, subject to approval in writing by the ADO after consultation with the SBIR National Program Leader. For purposes of the SBIR Program, personnel obtained through a Professional Employer Organization or other similar personnel leasing company must be considered employees of the awardee. This is consistent with SBA's size regulations, 13 CFR 121.106—Small Business Size Regulations. (5) For both Phase I and Phase II, the R/R&D must be performed in the United States. However, based on a rare and unique circumstance, ADO approval may be granted to perform a particular portion of the research or research and development work outside of the United States, for example, if a supply of material or other item or project requirement is not available in the United States. The ADO, after consultation with the agency SBIR National Program Leader, must approve each such specific condition in writing. (b) [Reserved] Subpart B—Program Description § 3403.4 Three-phase program. The Small Business Innovation Research Grants Program is carried out in three separate phases described in this section. The first two phases are designed to assist USDA in meeting its research or research and development objectives and will be supported with SBIR Program funds. The purpose of the third phase is to pursue the commercial applications or objectives of the research carried out in Phases I and II through the use of private or Federal non-SBIR funds. (a) Phase I. (b) Phase II (c) Phase III Subpart C—Preparation of Proposals § 3403.5 Program solicitation. (a) Phase I. (b) Phase II. § 3403.6 Content of proposals. (a) The proposed research must be responsive to one of the USDA program interests stated in the research topic descriptions of the program solicitation. (b) Proposals must cover only scientific/technological research activities. A small business concern must not propose product development, technical assistance, demonstration projects, classified research, or patent applications. Many of the research projects supported by the SBIR program lead to the development of new products based upon the research results obtained during the project. However, projects that seek funding solely for product development where no research is involved, i.e. (c) A proposal must be limited to only one topic. The same proposal may not be submitted under more than one topic as defined in the solicitation. However, an organization may submit separate proposals on the same topic. Where similar research is discussed under more than one topic, the proposer should choose that topic whose description appears most relevant to the proposer's research concept. USDA will not consider funding duplicate (essentially equivalent work) proposals. In addition, essentially equivalent work funded by another entity will be returned to the applicant without review. § 3403.7 Proposal format for phase I applications. (a) The following items relate to Phase I applications. Further instructions or descriptions for these items as well as any additional items to be included will be provided in the annual solicitation, as necessary. (1) SF-424 R&R Cover. (2) Project Summary/Abstract. (3) Project Narrative. (i) Identification and significance of the problem or opportunity. (ii) Background and rationale. (iii) Relationship with future research or research and development. (iv) Phase I technical objectives. (v) Phase I work plan. (vi) Related research or research and development. (vii) References. For each reference cited in the Proposal, provide the complete name for each author, the date of publication, the full title of the article, name of the journal, etc. (4) Key personnel and bibliography. (5) Facilities and equipment. (6) Outside services. (7) Satisfying the public interest. (i) Develops sustainable agriculture production systems; (ii) Protects natural resources and the environment; (iii) Creates a safe, nutritious and affordable food supply; (iv) Develops value-added food and non-food products from agricultural materials; (v) Enhances global competitiveness; and (vi) Enhances economic opportunity and quality of life, especially for people in rural areas. (8) Potential post applications. (9) Similar Proposals or Awards. (A) Name and address of the agency(ies) to which the proposal was submitted, or will be submitted, or from which an award is expected or has been received. (B) Date of actual or anticipated proposal submission or date of award, as appropriate. (C) Title of proposal or award, identifying number assigned to the solicitation or proposal by the agency involved, and the date the proposal(s) were submitted or the award was received. (D) Applicable research topic area for each proposal submitted or award received. (E) Titles of research projects. (F) Name and title of principal investigator for each proposal submitted or award received. (ii) USDA will not make awards that duplicate research funded (or to be funded) by other Federal agencies. (10) Cost breakdown on proposal budget. (11) Special Considerations. (12) Proprietary information. (ii) USDA, by law, is required to make the final decision as to whether the information is required to be kept in confidence. Information contained in unsuccessful proposals will remain the property of the applicant. However, USDA will retain for three years one copy of all proposals received; extra copies will be destroyed. Public release of information for any proposal submitted will be subject to existing statutory and regulatory requirements. Any proposal which is funded will be considered an integral part of the award and normally will be made available to the public upon request through the Freedom of Information Act, except for designated proprietary information. (iii) The inclusion of proprietary information is discouraged unless it is necessary for the proper evaluation of the proposal. If proprietary information is to be included, it should be limited, set apart from other text on a separate page, and keyed to the text by numbers. It should be confined to a few critical technical items which, if disclosed, could jeopardize the obtaining of foreign or domestic patents. Trade secrets, salaries, or other information which could jeopardize commercial competitiveness should be similarly keyed and presented on a separate page. Proposals or reports which attempt to restrict dissemination of large amounts of information may be found unacceptable by USDA. (13) Rights in data developed under SBIR funding agreement. (14) Patents and Inventions. (15) Organizational management information. (16) Documentation of commercialization record of firms with multiple phase II awards. (b) [Reserved] § 3403.8 Proposal format for phase II applications. (a) The following items relate to Phase II applications. Further instructions or descriptions for these items as well as any additional items to be included will be identified in the annual program solicitation as necessary. See § 3403.9. (1) SF-424 R&R cover sheet. (2) Project summary. (3) Phase I results. (4) Proposal. (5) Cost breakdown on proposal budget. (6) Organizational management information. (7) Commercialization Plan. (i) Company information. (ii) Customer and competition. (iii) Market. (iv) Intellectual property. (v) Financing. (vi) Assistance and mentoring. (8) Data Collection. http://technet.sba.gov (i) Any business concern or subsidiary established for the commercial application of a product or service for which an SBIR award is made; (ii) Revenue from the sale of new products or services resulting from the research conducted under each Phase II award; (iii) Additional investment from any source, other than Phase I or Phase II awards, to further the research and development conducted under each Phase II award; and (iv) Updates to information in the Tech-Net database for any prior Phase II award received by the small business concern. (b) [Reserved] Subpart D—Submission and Evaluation of Proposals § 3403.9 Submission of proposals. The SBIR program solicitation for Phase I proposals and the correspondence requesting Phase II proposals will provide the deadline date for submitting proposals, and instructions for submitting the proposal to NIFA for funding consideration. § 3403.10 Proposal review. (a) The receipt of all proposals will be acknowledged. (b) All Phase I and II proposals will be evaluated and judged on a competitive basis. Proposals will be initially screened to determine responsiveness. Proposals passing this initial screening will be technically evaluated by scientists to determine the most promising technical and scientific approaches. Each proposal will be judged on its own merit. USDA is under no obligation to fund any proposal or any specific number of proposals in a given topic. It also may elect to fund several or none of the proposed approaches to the same topic or subtopic. (c) Phase I and II proposal evaluation criteria will be published in the “Method of Selection and Evaluation Criteria” section of the program solicitation. (d) External peer reviewers may be used during the technical evaluation stage of this process. Selections will be made from among recognized specialists who are uniquely qualified by training and experience in their respective fields to render expert advice on the merit of proposals received. It is anticipated that such experts will include those located in universities, government, and nonprofit research organizations. If possible, USDA intends that peer review groups shall be balanced with minority and female representation and with an equitable age distribution. (e) Reviewers will base their conclusions and recommendations on information contained in the Phase I or Phase II proposal. It cannot be assumed that reviewers are acquainted with any experiments referred to within a proposal, with key individuals, or with the firm itself. Therefore, the proposals should be self-contained and written with the care and thoroughness accorded papers for publication. (f) Final decisions will be made by USDA based upon the rating assigned by reviewers in consideration of the technical and commercial potential of the application, duplication of research, any critical USDA requirements, resubmission and budget limitation. In the event that two or more proposals are of approximately equal merit, the existence of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with a USDA laboratory will be an important consideration. The existence of a follow-on funding commitment for continued development in Phase III will also be an important consideration. The value of any commitment will depend upon the degree of financial commitment made by investors, with the maximum value resulting from a signed agreement with reasonable terms for an amount at least equal to funding requested from USDA in Phase II. § 3403.11 Availability of information. Information regarding the peer review process will be made available to the extent permitted under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), the SBIR Policy Directive, and implementing Departmental and other Federal regulations. Implementing Departmental regulations are found at 7 CFR part 1. Subpart E—Supplementary Information § 3403.12 Terms and conditions of grant awards. Within the limit of funds available for such purposes, the Authorized Departmental Officer shall make research project grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose proposals are judged most meritorious in the announced program areas under the evaluation criteria and procedures set forth in the annual program solicitation. The beginning of the project period shall be no later than September 30 of the Federal fiscal year in which the project is approved for support. All funds granted under this part shall be expended solely for the purpose for which funds are granted in accordance with the approved application and budget, the regulations of this part, the terms and conditions of award, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (48 CFR part 31), and 2 CFR part 200. [72 FR 20703, Apr. 26, 2007, as amended at 79 FR 75998, Dec. 19, 2014] § 3403.13 Notice of grant awards. (a) The grant award document may include the following: (1) Legal name and address of performing organization or institution; (2) Title of project; (3) Name and institution of Project Director's chosen to direct and control approved activities; (4) Identifying grant number assigned by the Department; (5) Project period, specifying the amount of time the Department intends to support the project; (6) Total amount of Departmental financial assistance approved for the project period; (7) Legal authority(ies) under which the grant is awarded; (8) Appropriate Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number; (9) Applicable award terms and conditions; (10) Approved budget plan for categorizing allocable project funds to accomplish the stated purpose of the grant award; and (11) Other information or provisions deemed necessary by NIFA to carry out its respective granting activities or to accomplish the purpose of a particular grant. (b) [Reserved] § 3403.14 Use of funds; changes. (a) Delegation of fiscal responsibility. (b) Changes in Project Plans. (2) Changes in approved goals or objectives shall be requested by the grantee and, in consultation with the NIFA SBIR National Program Leader, approved in writing by the ADO prior to effecting such changes. In no event shall requests for such changes be approved which are outside the scope of the original approved project. (3) Changes in approved project leadership or the replacement or reassignment of other key project personnel shall be requested by the grantee and, in consultation with the NIFA SBIR National Program Leader, approved in writing by the ADO prior to effecting such changes. (4) Transfers of actual performance of the substantive programmatic work in whole or in part and provisions for payment of funds, whether or not Federal funds are involved, shall be requested by the grantee and, in consultation with the NIFA SBIR National Program Leader, approved in writing by the ADO prior to effecting such transfers, unless prescribed otherwise in the terms and conditions of the grant. (c) Changes in Project Period. (d) Changes in approved budget. (e) Use of Change of Name and Novation Agreement. (i) A Change of Name Agreement is a legal instrument executed by the Awardee and the Government that recognizes a change of the legal name of the Awardee without disturbing the original rights and obligations of the parties. If only a change of the Awardee's name is involved and the Government's and Awardee's rights and obligations remain unaffected, the parties should execute an agreement to reflect the name change. (ii) In order to execute the actual Change of Name Agreement with USDA, the Awardee is required to submit the following information: (A) The document effecting the name change, authenticated by a proper official of the State having jurisdiction; (B) The opinion of the Grantee's legal counsel stating that the change of name was properly effected under applicable law and showing the effective date; (C) A list of all affected awards between the Grantee and NIFA. (iii) When NIFA is notified that a change of name has taken place, the ADO will request the aforementioned information from the Grantee. Upon receipt and review of this information, parties will properly execute a Change of Name Agreement and the appropriate changes will be made to the Agency's records. The following suggested format for an agreement may be adapted for specific cases: CHANGE OF NAME AGREEMENT THE ABC CORPORATION (Grantee), a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of ____________ (insert State), and theNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, USDA (Government) enter into this Agreement as of ____________ (insert date when the change of name became effective under applicable State law). (a) THE PARTIES AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING FACTS: 1. The Government, represented by the ADO, has entered into certain awards with XYZ CORPORATION, namely ____________ (insert award number or delete “namely” and insert “as shown in the attached list marked ‘Exhibit A’ and incorporated in this Agreement by reference.”) The term “the awards,” as used in this Agreement, means the above awards and all other awards, including all modifications, made by the Government and the Grantee before the effective date of this Agreement (whether or not performance and payment have been completed and releases executed if the Government or the Grantee has any remaining rights, duties, or obligations under these awards.) 2. The XYZ CORPORATION, by an amendment to its certificate of incorporation, dated ________, 20____, has changed its corporate name to ABC CORPORATION. 3. This amendment accomplishes a change of corporate name only and all rights and obligations of the Government and of the Grantee under the awards are unaffected by this change. 4. Documentary evidence of this change of corporate name has been filed with the Government. (b) IN CONSIDERATION OF THESE FACTS, THE PARTIES AGREE THAT: 1. The awards covered by this Agreement are amended by substituting the name “ABC CORPORATION” for the name “XYZ CORPORATION” wherever it appears in the awards; and 2. Each party has executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, USDA BY: TITLE: ABC CORPORATION BY: TITLE: CERTIFICATE I, ____________, certify that I am the Secretary of ABC CORPORATION, that ____________ , who signed this Agreement for this corporation, was then ____________ of this corporation; and that this Agreement was duly signed for and on behalf of this corporation by authority of its governing body and within the scope of its corporation powers. WITNESS MY HAND, and the seal of this corporation, this ______ day of ____________, 20____. BY: (CORPORATE SEAL) (2) From time to time the legal entity performing the research under the award may have to be changed. In such instances, USDA will ensure that all parties properly execute a Novation Agreement (Successor in Interest Agreement). (i) A Novation Agreement is a legal instrument executed by the Grantee (transferor), the successor in interest (transferee), and the Government by which, among other things, the transferor guarantees performance of the award, the transferee assumes all obligations under the award, and the Government recognizes the transfer of the award and related assets. This occurs when the third party's interest in the award arises out of the transfer of all the Grantee's assets or the entire portion of the assets involved in performing the award. Examples include, but are not limited to: the sale of these assets with a provision for assuming liabilities; the transfer of these assets incident to a merger or corporate consolidation; and the incorporation of a proprietorship or partnership, or the formation of a partnership. (ii) When a Grantee asks the Government to recognize a successor in interest, the responsible ADO shall obtain the following from the Grantee: (A) An authenticated copy of the instrument effecting the transfer of assets; e.g., bill of sale, certificate of merger, contract, deed, agreement, or court decree; (B) A list of all affected awards; (C) A certified copy of each resolution of the corporate parties' boards of directors authorizing the transfer of assets; (D) A certified copy of the minutes of each corporate party's stockholder meeting necessary to approve the transfer of assets; (E) The opinion of legal counsel for the transferor and transferee stating that the transfer was properly effected under applicable law and the effective date of transfer; (F) An authenticated copy of the transferee's certificate and articles of incorporation, if a corporation was formed for the purpose of receiving the assets involved in performing the Government award; (G) Evidence of transferee's capability to perform the award; and (H) Balance sheets of the transferor and transferee as of the dates immediately before and after the transfer of assets, certified for accuracy by independent accountants. (iii) The ADO will review the Agency's financial records concerning the correct cash-on-hand balances held by the transferor to ensure that they are properly accounted for in the transfer process. If recognizing a successor in interest to a Government award is consistent with the Government's interest, the ADO will prepare a Novation Agreement for execution by all three parties. The agreement will provide that: (A) The transferee assumes all the transferor's obligations under the award(s); (B) The transferor waives all rights under the award against the Government; (C) The transferor guarantees performance of the award by the transferee (a satisfactory performance bond may be accepted instead of the guarantee); and (D) Nothing in the agreement shall relieve the transferor or transferee from compliance with any Federal law. (E) The following suggested format for an agreement may be adapted for specific cases: NOVATION AGREEMENT (SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST AGREEMENT) THE ABC CORPORATION (Transferor), a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of ____________ (insert state) with its principal office in ____________ (insert city); the XYZ CORPORATION (Transferee), a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of ____________ (insert state) with its principal office in ____________ (insert city); and theNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, USDA (Government) enter into this Agreement as of ____________ (insert the date transfer of assets became effective under applicable State law). (a) THE PARTIES AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING FACTS: 1. The Government, represented by the ADO has entered into certain awards with the Transferor, namely: ____________ (insert award number or delete “namely” and insert “as shown in the attached list marked ‘Exhibit A’ and incorporated in this Agreement by reference.”) The term “the awards,” as used in this Agreement, means the above awards and all other awards, including all modifications, made between the Government and Transferor before the effective date of this Agreement (whether or not performance and payment have been completed and releases executed if the Government or the Transferor has any remaining rights, duties, or obligations under these awards.) Included in the term “award” are also all modifications made under the terms and conditions of these awards between the Government and the Transferor, on or after the effective date of this Agreement. 2. As of ____________, 20____, the Transferor has transferred to the Transferee all the assets of the Transferor by virtue of a ____________ (insert terms or legal transaction involved) between the Transferor and the Transferee. 3. The Transferee has acquired all the assets of the Transferor by virtue of the above transfer. 4. The Transferee has assumed all obligations and liabilities of the Transferor under the awards by virtue of the above transfer. 5. The Transferee is in a position to fully perform all obligations that may exist under the awards. 6. It is consistent with the Government's interest to recognize the Transferee as the successor party to the awards. 7. Evidence of the above transfer has been filed with the Government. (b) IN CONSIDERATION OF THESE FACTS, THE PARTIES AGREE THAT BY THIS AGREEMENT: 1. The Transferor confirms the transfer to the Transferee, and waives any claims and rights against the Government that it now has or may have in the future in connection with the awards. 2. The Transferee agrees to be bound by and to perform each award in accordance with the conditions contained in the awards. The Transferee also assumes all obligations and liabilities of, and all claims against, the Transferor under the awards as if the Transferee were the original party to the awards. 3. The Transferee ratifies all previous actions taken by the Transferor with respect to the awards, with the same force and effect as if the action had been taken by the Transferee. 4. The Government recognizes the Transferee as the Transferor's successor in interest in and to the awards. The Transferee by this Agreement becomes entitled to all rights, titles, and interests of the Transferor in and to the awards as if the Transferee were the original party to the awards. Following the effective date of this Agreement, the term Grantee, as used in the awards, shall refer to the Transferee. 5. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, nothing in it shall be construed as a waiver of any rights of the Government against the Transferor. 6. All payments and reimbursements previously made by the Government to the Transferor, and all other previous actions taken by the Government under the awards, shall be considered to have discharged those parts of the Government's obligations under the awards. All payments and reimbursements made by the Government after the date of this Agreement in the name of or to the Transferor shall have the same force and effect as if made to the Transferee, and shall constitute a complete discharge of the Government's obligations under the awards, to the extent of the amounts paid or reimbursed. 7. The Transferor and the Transferee agree that the Government is not obligated to pay or reimburse either of them for, or otherwise give effect to, any costs, taxes, or other expenses, or any related increases, directly or indirectly arising out of or resulting from the transfer or this Agreement, other than those that the Government in the absence of this transfer or Agreement would have been obligated to pay or reimburse under the terms of the awards. 8. The Transferor guarantees payment of all liabilities and the performance of all obligations that the Transferee (i) assumes under this Agreement or (ii) may undertake in the future should these awards be modified under their terms and conditions. The Transferor waives notice of, and consents to, any such future modifications. 9. The awards shall remain in full force and effect, except as modified by this Agreement. Each party has executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, USDA BY: TITLE: ABC CORPORATION BY: TITLE: XYZ CORPORATION BY: TITLE: CERTIFICATE I, ____________, certify that I am the Secretary of ABC CORPORATION, that ____________, who signed this Agreement for this corporation, was then____________ of this corporation; and that this Agreement was duly signed for and on behalf of this corporation by authority of its governing body and within the scope of its corporation powers. WITNESS MY HAND, and the seal of this corporation, this ____________day of ____________, 20____ BY: (CORPORATE SEAL) CERTIFICATE I, ____________, certify that I am the Secretary of XYZ CORPORATION, that ____________, who signed this Agreement for this corporation, was then____________ of this corporation; and that this Agreement was duly signed for and on behalf of this corporation by authority of its governing body and within the scope of its corporation powers. WITNESS MY HAND, and the seal of this corporation, this ____________day of ____________, 20____ BY: (CORPORATE SEAL) § 3403.15 Other Federal statutes and regulations that apply. (a) The Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued guidance on Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 CFR part 200 on December 26, 2013. In 2 CFR 400.1, the Department adopted OMB's guidance in subparts A through F of 2 CFR part 200, as supplemented by 2 CFR part 400, as the Department's policies and procedures for uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards. As a result, this regulation contains references to 2 CFR part 200 as it has regulatory effect for the Department's programs and activities.” (b) Several other Federal statutes and/or regulations apply to grant proposals considered for review or to research project grants awarded under this part. These include but are not limited to: 2 CFR part 200—Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. 2 CFR part 180 and Part 417—OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Government-Wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and USDA Nonprocurement Debarment And Suspension 7 CFR part 1c—USDA Implementation of the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects. 7 CFR 1.1—USDA Implementation of Freedom of Information Act. 7 CFR part 3—USDA Implementation of OMB Circular A-129 Regarding Debt Collection. 7 CFR part 15, subpart A—USDA Implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 7 CFR part 3407—NIFA Procedures to Implement the National Environmental Policy Act; 29 U.S.C. 794 (section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973) and 7 CFR part 15B (USDA implementation of statute)—prohibiting discrimination based upon physical or mental handicap in Federally assisted programs; and 35 U.S.C. 200 et seq. [79 FR 75998, Dec. 19, 2014] § 3403.16 Other considerations. The Department may, with respect to any research project grant, impose additional conditions prior to or at the time of any award when, in the Department's judgment, such conditions are necessary to assure or protect advancement of the approved project, the interests of the public, or the conservation of grant funds.