PART 3430—COMPETITIVE AND NONCOMPETITIVE NON-FORMULA FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS—GENERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS Authority: 7 U.S.C. 3316; Pub. L. 106-107 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) Source: 74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, unless otherwise noted. Subpart A—General Information § 3430.1 Applicability of regulations. (a) General. (b) Competitive programs. i.e., (c) Noncompetitive programs. (d) Federal assistance programs administered on behalf of other agencies. (e) Federal assistance programs administered jointly with other agencies. (f) Formula fund grants programs. et seq. et seq. et seq. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 79 FR 76000, Dec. 19, 2014] § 3430.2 Definitions. As used in this part: 1862 Land-Grant Institution et seq. 1890 Land-Grant Institution et seq. 1994 Land-Grant Institution Advisory Board Agricultural research Applied research Authorized Departmental Officer ADO Authorized Representative AR Award Budget period Cash contributions Center of Excellence see Certification of Non-Land-Grant College of Agriculture status see College university (1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate; (2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education; (3) Provides an educational program for which a bachelor's degree or any other higher degree is awarded; (4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and (5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association. Unless otherwise stated for a specific program, this term includes a research foundation maintained by such an institution. Cooperative agreement Department Director Education activity teaching activity Established and demonstrated capacity (1) Conducts any systematic study directed toward new or fuller knowledge and understanding of the subject studied; or, (2) Systematically relates or applies the findings of research or scientific experimentation to the application of new approaches to problem solving, technologies, or management practices; and (3) Has facilities, qualified personnel, independent funding, and prior projects and accomplishments in research or technology transfer. Extension Extension activity Food and agricultural sciences (1) Animal health, production, and well-being. (2) Plant health and production. (3) Animal and plant germ plasm collection and preservation. (4) Aquaculture. (5) Food safety. (6) Soil, water, and related resource conservation and improvement. (7) Forestry, horticulture, and range management. (8) Nutritional sciences and promotion. (9) Farm enhancement, including financial management, input efficiency, and profitability. (10) Home economics. (11) Rural human ecology. (12) Youth development and agricultural education, including 4-H clubs. (13) Expansion of domestic and international markets for agricultural commodities and products, including agricultural trade barrier identification and analysis. (14) Information management and technology transfer related to agriculture. (15) Biotechnology related to agriculture. (16) The processing, distributing, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products. Fundamental research Graduate degree Grant Grantee Insular area Integrated project Land-grant Institutions Matching or cost sharing Merit review Merit reviewers Methodology Mission-linked research National laboratories Non-citizen national of the United States Peer reviewers Prior approval Private research organization Private sector Program announcement Program Officer Project Project Director PD Project period Research Scientific peer review Secretary Under Secretary United States Units of State government i.e. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 76 FR 4813, Jan. 27, 2011; 79 FR 76000, Dec. 19, 2014; 81 FR 6413, Feb. 8, 2016; 82 FR 21109, May 5, 2017] § 3430.3 Deviations. Any request by the applicant or awardee for a waiver of or deviation from any provision of this part shall be submitted to the ADO identified in the agency specific requirements. NIFA shall review the request and notify the applicant/awardee, within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the deviation request, whether the request to deviate has been approved. If the deviation request is still under consideration at the end of 30 calendar days, NIFA shall inform the applicant/awardee in writing of the date when the applicant/awardee may expect the decision. § 3430.4 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 76000, Dec. 19, 2014] Subpart B—Pre-award: Solicitation and Application § 3430.11 Competition. (a) Standards for competition. (b) Exception. § 3430.12 Requests for applications. (a) General. i.e. (1) Contact information. (2) Directions for interested stakeholders or beneficiaries to submit written comments in a published program solicitation or RFA. (3) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number. (4) Legislative authority and background information. (5) Purpose, priorities, and fund availability. (6) Program-specific eligibility requirements. (7) Program-specific restrictions on the use of funds, if Applicable. (8) Matching requirements, if applicable. (9) Acceptable types of applications. (10) Types of projects to be given priority consideration, including maximum anticipated awards and maximum project lengths, if applicable. (11) Program areas, if applicable. (12) Funding restrictions, if applicable. (13) Directions for obtaining additional requests for applications and application forms. (14) Information about how to obtain application forms and the instructions for completing such forms. (15) Instructions and requirements for submitting applications, including submission deadline(s). (16) Explanation of the application evaluation Process. (17) Specific evaluation criteria used in the review Process. (18) Type of Federal assistance awards ( i.e. (b) RFA variations. (1) Award management guidelines. (2) Restrictions on the delegation of fiscal responsibility. (3) Required approval for changes to project plans. (4) Expected program outputs and reporting requirements, if applicable. (5) Applicable Federal statutes and regulations. (6) Confidential aspects of applications and awards, if applicable. (7) Regulatory information. (8) Definitions. (9) Minimum and maximum budget requests, and whether applications outside of these limits will be returned without further review. (c) Program announcements. Federal Register (d) If applicants choose to address center of excellence criteria, they must do so in their project narrative, subject to any page limitations on that section of the application. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 79 FR 76001, Dec. 19, 2014; 82 FR 21109, May 5, 2017] § 3430.13 Letter of intent to submit an application. (a) General. (b) Optional letter of intent. (c) Required letter of intent. § 3430.14 Types of applications; types of award instruments. (a) Types of applications. (1) New. (2) Resubmission. (3) Renewal. (4) Continuation. (5) Revision. (6) Resubmitted renewal. (b) Types of award instruments. (1) Standard. (2) Renewal. (3) Continuation. (4) Supplemental. (c) Obligation of the Federal Government. § 3430.15 Stakeholder input. Section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)) requires the Secretary to solicit and consider input on each program RFA from persons who conduct agricultural research, education, and extension for use in formulating future RFAs for competitive programs. NIFA will provide instructions for submission of stakeholder input in the RFA. NIFA will consider any comments received within the specified timeframe in the development of the future RFAs for the program. § 3430.16 Eligibility requirements. (a) General. (b) Foreign entities Awards to institutions. (2) Awards to individuals. (c) Responsibility determination. (d) Certification of NLGCA status. e.g., Federal Register (e) Center of Excellence. (i) State agricultural experiment stations; (ii) Colleges and universities; (iii) University research foundations; (iv) Other research institutions and organizations; (v) Federal agencies; (vi) National laboratories; (vii) Private organizations, foundations, or corporations; (viii) Individuals; or (ix) A group consisting of two or more of the entities described in paragraphs (e)(1)(i) through (viii) of this section. (2) Only standard grant and coordinated agricultural project (CAP) grant applicants may be considered for center of excellence designation. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6414, Feb. 8, 2016; 82 FR 21109, May 5, 2017] § 3430.17 Content of an application. (a) The RFA provides instructions on how to access a funding opportunity. The funding opportunity contains the application package, which includes the forms necessary for completion of an application in response to the RFA, as well as the application instructions. The application instructions document, “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for Preparation and Submission of NIFA Applications via Grants.gov,” is intended to assist applicants in the preparation and submission of applications to NIFA. It is also the primary document for use in the preparation of NIFA applications via Grants.gov. (b) Center of Excellence: (1) The ability of the center of excellence to ensure coordination and cost effectiveness by reducing unnecessarily duplicative efforts regarding research, teaching, and extension in the implementation of the proposed research and/or extension activity outlined in this application; (2) In addition to any applicable matching requirements, the ability of the center of excellence to leverage available resources by using public- private partnerships among agricultural industry groups, institutions of higher education, and the Federal Government in the implementation of the proposed research and/or extension activity outlined in this application. Resources leveraged should be commensurate with the size of the award; (3) The planned scope and capability of the center of excellence to implement teaching initiatives to increase awareness and effectively disseminate solutions to target audiences through extension activities in the implementation of the proposed research and/or extension activity outlined in this application; and (4) The ability or capacity of the center of excellence to increase the economic returns to rural communities by identifying, attracting, and directing funds to high-priority agricultural issues in support of and as a result of the implementation of the proposed research and/or extension activity outlined in this application. (5) Additionally, where practicable (not required), center of excellence applicants should describe proposed efforts to improve teaching capacity and infrastructure at colleges and universities (including land-grant colleges and universities, cooperating forestry schools, certified Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) (list of certified NLGCA is available at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/pdfs/nlgca_colleges.pdf [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 82 FR 21109, May 5, 2017] § 3430.18 Submission of an application. (a) When to submit. (b) What to submit. (c) Where to submit. i.e., § 3430.19 Resubmission of an application. (a) Previously unfunded applications. (i) The NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously submitted application. (ii) Summary of the previous reviewers' comments. (iii) Explanation of how the previous reviewers' comments or previous panel summary have been addressed in the current application. (2) Resubmitting an application that has been revised based on previous reviewers' critiques does not guarantee the application will be recommended for funding. (b) Previously funded applications. (2) An application may be submitted only once to NIFA. The submission of duplicative or substantially similar applications concurrently for review by more than one program will result in the exclusion of the redundant applications from NIFA consideration. § 3430.20 Acknowledgment of an application. The receipt of all letters of intent and applications will be acknowledged by NIFA. Applicants who do not receive an acknowledgement within a certain number of days (as established in the RFA, e.g., 15 and 30 days) of the submission deadline should contact the program contact. Once the application has been assigned a proposal number by NIFA, that number should be cited on all future correspondence. § 3430.21 Confidentiality of applications and awards. (a) General. (b) Identifying confidential and proprietary information in an application. (c) Disposition of applications. (d) Submission of proprietary information. Subpart C—Pre-award: Application Review and Evaluation § 3430.31 Guiding principles. The guiding principle for Federal assistance application review and evaluation is to ensure that each proposal is treated in a consistent and fair manner regardless of regional and institutional affiliation. After the evaluation process by the review panel, NIFA, through the program officer, ensures that applicants receive appropriate feedback and comments on their proposals, and processes the awards in as timely a manner as possible. § 3430.32 Preliminary application review. Prior to technical examination, a preliminary review will be made of all applications for responsiveness to the administrative requirements set forth in the RFA. Applications that do not meet the administrative requirements may be eliminated from program competition. However, NIFA retains the right to conduct discussions with applicants to resolve technical and/or budget issues, as deemed necessary by NIFA. § 3430.33 Selection of reviewers. (a) Requirement. (b) NIFA Peer Review System. (c) Relevant training and experience. (1) Level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, and extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities. (2) Need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, and extension fields. (3) Need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs. (4) Need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, State and Federal agencies, private profit and nonprofit organizations) and geographic locations. (5) Need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution. (6) Need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. (d) Confidentiality. (e) Conflicts of interest. § 3430.34 Evaluation criteria. (a) General. (b) Guidance for reviewers. (c) Center of Excellence status. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 82 FR 21109, May 5, 2017] § 3430.35 Review of noncompetitive applications. (a) General. (b) Requirements. § 3430.36 Procedures to minimize or eliminate duplication of effort. NIFA may implement appropriate business processes to minimize or eliminate the awarding of NIFA Federal assistance that unnecessarily duplicates activities already being sponsored under other awards, including awards made by other Federal agencies. Business processes may include the review of the Current and Pending Support Form; documented CRIS searches prior to award; the conduct of PD workshops, conferences, meetings, and symposia; and agency participation in Federal Government-wide and other committees, taskforces, or groups that seek to solve problems related to agricultural research, education, and extension and other activities delegated to the NIFA Director. § 3430.37 Feedback to applicants. Copies of individual reviews and/or summary reviews, not including the identity of reviewers, will be sent to the applicant PDs after the review process has been completed. Subpart D—Award § 3430.41 Administration. (a) General. (b) Notice of Award. i.e., (c) Center of Excellence. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 79 FR 76001, Dec. 19, 2014; 82 FR 21110, May 5, 2017; 85 FR 72913, Nov. 16, 2020] § 3430.42 Special award conditions. (a) General. (b) Notification of additional requirements. (c) Form NIFA-2009, Award Face Sheet. (d) Removal of additional requirements. Subpart E—Post-Award and Closeout § 3430.51 Payment. (a) General. (b) Reimbursement method. § 3430.52 Cost sharing and matching. (a) General. (1) A recipient of a NIFA competitive grant programs that are awarded under a covered law provided in section 3371 of under the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 must provide funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both, from sources other than funds provided through such grant in an amount that is at least equal to the amount awarded by NIFA unless an exception applies. NIFA will determine program applicability of this match and include in the RFA for those programs: The match requirement, exceptions, waivers, and any other information necessary to determine applicability of the match requirement. In accordance with section 1492 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3371), as added by section 7128 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), for grants awarded after October 1, 2014, the recipient of an award must provide funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both, from sources other than funds provided through such grant in an amount that is at least equal to the amount awarded by NIFA unless one of the exemptions described herein is applicable. (2) The matching funds requirement does not apply to grants awarded: (i) To a research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); or (ii) To an entity eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program (as defined in section 251(f)(1)(C) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, 7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C)), including a partner of such an entity. Entities eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program and exempt from the matching funds requirement include: (A) 1862 Land-grant Institutions, including State Agricultural Experiment Stations receiving funding under the Hatch Act of 1887; (B) 1890 Land-grant Institutions; (C) 1994 Land-grant Institutions; (D) Entities eligible to receive funds under the of Continuing Animal Health and Disease, Food Security, and Stewardship Research, Education, and Extension Program Funds—Capacity and Infrastructure Program (CIP); (E) Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU); (F) Insular Area Schools Eligible to Receive Funds from the Distance Education/Resident Instruction Grant Programs; (G) Entities eligible to receive funds under the of McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Program Funds; (H) Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA)—(for exemption from the new matching requirement, these applications must include NLGCA certification, see instructions for requesting certifications at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html, (I) Entities eligible to receive funds under a program established under section 1417(b) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)), including: ( 1 ( 2 ( 3 ( 4 (J) Individual public or private, nonprofit Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions of higher education (see 20 U.S.C. 1059d). (b) Indirect Costs as in-kind matching contributions. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6414, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.53 Program income. (a) General. (b) Addition method. (c) Award terms and conditions. § 3430.54 Indirect costs. Indirect cost rates for grants and cooperative agreements shall be determined in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, unless superseded by another authority. Any restriction on indirect costs is to be identified in the request for applications as appropriate. Use of indirect costs as in-kind matching contributions is subject to § 3430.52(b). [81 FR 6414, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.55 Technical reporting. (a) Requirement. (b) Initial Documentation in the CRIS Database. i.e. (c) Annual CRIS Reports. i.e. (d) CRIS Final Report. (e) CRIS Web Site Via Internet. http://cris.nifa.usda.gov. http://cwf.uvm.edu/cris. (f) Additional reporting requirements. § 3430.56 Financial reporting. (a) SF-269, Financial Status Report. i.e. (b) Awards with Required Matching. (c) Requests for an extension to submit a final SF-269, Financial Status Report Before the due date. (2) After the due date. (d) Overdue SF-269, Financial Status Reports. (e) SF-272, Federal Cash Transactions Report. (f) Additional reporting requirements. i.e. § 3430.57 Project meetings. In addition to reviewing (and monitoring the status of) progress and final technical reports and financial reports, NIFA Program Officers may use regular and periodic conference calls to monitor the awardee's performance as well as PD conferences, workshops, meetings, and symposia to not only monitor the awards, but to facilitate communication and the sharing of project results. These opportunities also serve to eliminate or minimize NIFA funding unneeded duplicative project activities. Required attendance at these conference calls, conferences, workshops, meetings, and symposia will be identified in the RFA and the awardee should develop a proposal accordingly. § 3430.58 Prior approvals. (a) Subcontracts. (b) No-cost extensions of time General. (2) Additional requests for no-cost extensions of time before expiration date. (3) Requests for no-cost extensions of time after expiration date. (4) Other requirements. § 3430.59 Review of disallowed costs. (a) Notice. (b) Awardee response. (c) Decision. (d) Demand for payment. (e) Review process. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 79 FR 76001, Dec. 19, 2014] § 3430.60 Suspension, termination, and withholding of support. (a) General. (b) Suspension. (c) Termination. (d) Withholding of support. § 3430.61 Debt collection. The collection of debts owed to NIFA by awardees, including those resulting from cost disallowances, recovery of funds, unobligated balances, or other circumstances, are subject to the Department's debt collection procedures as set forth in 7 CFR part 3, and, with respect to cost disallowances, § 3430.59. § 3430.62 Award appeals procedures. (a) General. i.e., (b) Appeal Procedures. (c) Decision. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 79 FR 76001, Dec. 19, 2014] § 3430.63 Expiring appropriations. (a) NIFA awards supported with agency appropriations. (b) NIFA awards supported with funds from other Federal agencies (reimbursable funds). Subpart F—Specialty Crop Research Initiative § 3430.200 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the program authorized under section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632). § 3430.201 Purpose. (a) Focus areas. (1) Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics, such as— (i) Product, taste, quality, and appearance; (ii) Environmental responses and tolerances; (iii) Nutrient management, including plant nutrient uptake efficiency; (iv) Pest and disease management, including resistance to pests and diseases resulting in reduced application management strategies; and (v) Enhanced phytonutrient content. (2) Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators. (3) Efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing). (4) New innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening. (5) Methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops, including fresh produce. (b) Other. (c) In addition to SCRI grants, NIFA will make competitive research and extension grants under the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension program (see § 3430.209). [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6414, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.202 Definitions. (a) The definitions applicable to the program under this subpart include: Integrated project Specialty crop Trans-disciplinary (b) The following definitions apply to § 3430.209: Citrus Citrus producer [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6414, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.203 Eligibility. Eligible applicants for the grant program implemented under this subpart include: Federal agencies, national laboratories; colleges and universities (offering associate's or higher degrees); research institutions and organizations; private organizations or corporations; State agricultural experiment stations; individuals; and groups consisting of 2 or more entities identified in this sentence. § 3430.204 Project types and priorities. (a) For each RFA, NIFA may develop and include the appropriate project types and focus areas (in addition to the five focus areas identified in § 3430.201) based on the critical needs of the specialty crop industry as identified through stakeholder input and deemed appropriate by NIFA. In making awards for this program, NIFA will give higher priority to projects that are multistate, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary; and include explicit mechanisms to communicate the results to producers and the public. (b) In awarding grants under § 3430.208, priority will be given to grants that address the research and extension priorities established pursuant to section 1408A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a). [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6414, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.205 Funding restrictions. (a) Prohibition against construction. (b) Indirect costs. § 3430.206 Matching requirements. (a) Requirement. (b) Indirect costs. § 3430.207 Duration of awards. The term of a grant under this subpart shall not exceed 10 years. [74 FR 45740, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6414, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.208 Review of applications. In addition to the scientific peer review ( see [81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.209 Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program. The purpose of this program is to award competitive grants to: (a) Conduct scientific research and extension activities, technical assistance, and development activities to combat citrus diseases and pests, both domestic and invasive, which pose imminent harm to the United States citrus production and threaten the future viability of the citrus industry, including huanglongbing and the Asian Citrus Psyllid; and (b) Provide support for the dissemination and commercialization of relevant information, techniques, and technologies discovered pursuant to research and extension activities funded through— (1) The emergency citrus disease research and extension program; or (2) Other research and extension projects intended to solve problems caused by citrus production diseases and invasive pests. [81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] Subpart G—Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Source: 75 FR 54761, Sept. 9, 2010, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.300 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) authorized under section 2(b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)). § 3430.301 Purpose. The purpose of this program is to make competitive grants for fundamental and applied research, extension, and education to address food and agricultural sciences, as defined under section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103). § 3430.302 Definitions. The definitions applicable to the competitive grant programs under this subpart include: Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) awards i.e., Limited institutional success Minority Minority-serving institution Higher Education Directory, Multidisciplinary project Small and mid-sized institutions Higher Education Directory, Strengthening grants USDA EPSCoR States § 3430.303 Eligibility. (a) General. (1) State agricultural experiment stations; (2) Colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering an associate's degree); (3) University research foundations; (4) Other research institutions and organizations; (5) Federal agencies; (6) National laboratories; (7) Private organizations or corporations; (8) Individuals; and (9) Any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in paragraphs (a)(1) through (8) of this section. (b) Integrated projects. (1) Colleges and universities; (2) 1994 Institutions; and (3) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103). (c) FASE Grants New investigator awards. (2) Pre- and postdoctoral fellowships. (i) The doctoral degree of the applicant must be received not earlier than January 1 of the calendar year three years prior to the submission of the proposal and not later than nine months after the proposal due date; and (ii) For pre-doctoral applications, the applicant must have advanced to candidacy by the application deadline. (3) Strengthening grants. (i) Small and mid-sized academic institutions that have had limited institutional success; (ii) Degree-granting institutions and State agricultural experiment stations (SAES) in USDA Experimental Program for Stimulating Competitive Research (EPSCoR) states; and (iii) Minority-serving institutions with limited institutional success. § 3430.304 Project Types and priorities. For each RFA, NIFA may develop and include the appropriate types of projects and focus areas to address the needs of scientists and educators in advanced or early stages of their careers and the differences in institutional capabilities. Types of projects will be revisited periodically based on stakeholder input and as deemed appropriate by NIFA. Types of projects under AFRI include, but are not limited to, the following. (a) Project Types Research projects. (2) Education projects. (3) Extension Projects. (4) Integrated Projects. i.e., (b) Grant Types Standard Grants. (2) Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) Grants. i.e., (3) Planning/Coordination Grants. (4) Conference grants. (5) FASE Grants. (i) General. (A) To an institution to allow for the improvement of the research, development, technology transfer, education, and extension capacity of the institution through the acquisition of special research equipment and the improvement of agricultural research, education, and extension; (B) To single investigators or coinvestigators who are beginning research, education, or extension careers and do not have an extensive publication record; (C) To ensure that the faculty of small, mid-sized, and minority-serving institutions who have not previously been successful in obtaining competitive grants under this subsection receive a portion of the grants; and (D) To improve research, extension, and education capabilities in USDA EPSCoR States, as defined in § 3430.302. (ii) Types of FASE Grants. (A) New Investigator Grant. (B) Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants. (C) Strengthening Grants. ( 1 Strengthening Standard and CAP Grant. ( 2 Equipment Grant. ( 3 Seed Grant. ( 4 Sabbatical grants. § 3430.305 Funding restrictions. (a) Construction. (b) Indirect costs. § 3430.306 Matching requirements. (a) General. (b) Indirect costs. (c) Equipment grants. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the amount of an equipment grant may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of the special research equipment or other equipment acquired using funds from the grant. (2) Waiver. 1/3 (d) Applied research grants. (1) Commodity-specific; and (2) Not of national scope. § 3430.307 Coordination and stakeholder input requirements. (a) Stakeholder input. (b) Allocation of funds to high-priority research. § 3430.308 Duration of awards. The Secretary may set award limits up to 10 years based on priorities and stakeholder input, subject to other statutory limitations. The duration of individual awards may vary as specified in the RFA and is subject to the availability of appropriations. § 3430.309 Priority areas. NIFA will award competitive grants in the following areas: (a) Plant health and production and plant products. Plant systems, including: (1) Plant genome structure and function; (2) Molecular and cellular genetics and plant biotechnology; (3) Conventional breeding, including cultivar and breed development, selection theory, applied quantitative genetics, breeding for improved food quality, breeding for improved local adaptation to biotic stress and abiotic stress, and participatory breeding; (4) Plant-pest interactions and biocontrol systems; (5) Crop plant response to environmental stresses; (6) Unproved nutrient qualities of plant products; and (7) New food and industrial uses of plant products. (b) Animal health and production and animal products. Animal systems, including: (1) Aquaculture; (2) Cellular and molecular basis of animal reproduction, growth, disease, and health; (3) Animal biotechnology; (4) Conventional breeding, including breed development, selection theory, applied quantitative genetics, breeding for improved food quality, breeding for improved local adaptation to biotic stress and abiotic stress, and participatory breeding; (5) Identification of genes responsible for improved production traits and resistance to disease; (6) Improved nutritional performance of animals; (7) Improved nutrient qualities of animal products and uses; (8) The development of new and improved animal husbandry and production systems that take into account production efficiency, animal well-being, and animal systems applicable to aquaculture; (9) The research and development of surveillance methods, vaccines, vaccination delivery systems, or diagnostic tests for pests and diseases, including— (i) Epizootic diseases in domestic livestock (including deer, elk, bison, and other animals of the family Cervidae); and (ii) Zoonotic diseases (including bovine brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis) in domestic livestock or wildlife reservoirs that present a potential concern to public health; and (10) The identification of animal drug needs and the generation and dissemination of data for safe and effective therapeutic applications of animal drugs for minor species and minor uses of such drugs in major species. (c) Food safety, nutrition, and health. Nutrition, food safety and quality, and health, including: (1) Microbial contaminants and pesticides residue relating to human health; (2) Links between diet and health; (3) Bioavailability of nutrients; (4) Postharvest physiology and practices; and (5) Improved processing technologies. (d) Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment. Natural resources and the environment, including: (1) Fundamental structures and functions of ecosystems; (2) Biological and physical bases of sustainable production systems; (3) Minimizing soil and water losses and sustaining surface water and ground water quality; (4) The effectiveness of conservation practices and technologies designed to address nutrient losses and improve water quality; (5) Global climate effects on agriculture; (6) Forestry; and (7) Biological diversity. (e) Agriculture systems and technology. Engineering, products, and processes, including: (1) New uses and new products from traditional and nontraditional crops, animals, byproducts, and natural resources; (2) Robotics, energy efficiency, computing, and expert systems; (3) New hazard and risk assessment and mitigation measures; and (4) Water quality and management. (f) Agriculture economics and rural communities. Markets, trade, economics, and policy, including: (1) Strategies for entering into and being competitive in domestic and overseas markets; (2) Farm efficiency and profitability, including the viability and competitiveness of small and medium-sized dairy, livestock, crop and other commodity operations; (3) New decision tools for farm and market systems; (4) Choices and applications of technology; (5) The economic costs, benefits, and viability of producers adopting conservation practices and technologies designed to improve water quality; (6) Technology assessment; and (7) New approaches to rural development, including rural entrepreneurship. [75 FR 54761, Sept. 9, 2010, as amended at 81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.310 Allocation of AFRI funds. (a) General. (b) Integrated programs. (c) FASE awards. (1) Each fiscal year, a percentage of AFRI funding (no less than 10 percent of the available funding) will be awarded as FASE awards. This percentage requirement may be adjusted by the Secretary based upon priorities and stakeholder input. (2) The Secretary shall use not less than 25 percent of the funds made available for FASE grants to provide fellowships to outstanding pre- and postdoctoral students for research in the agricultural sciences. (d) Rapid Response Food and Agricultural Science for Emergency Issues Awards. § 3430.311 Allocation of research funds. (a) Fundamental research. (1) Research by multidisciplinary teams. (2) Equipment grants. (b) Applied research. § 3430.312 Emphasis on sustainable agriculture. NIFA shall ensure that grants made under this subpart are, where appropriate, consistent with the development of systems of sustainable agriculture as defined in section 1404 of NARETPA. § 3430.313 Inclusion of research topics proposed by national and state commodity boards in request for applications. NIFA will solicit funding ideas under this subpart from statutorily defined national and state commodity boards for research topics that the commodity boards are willing to co-fund equally with NIFA under the AFRI competitive grant program. If the ideas are evaluated and found to be consistent with the AFRI statutory priorities and priorities noted in the President's budget request related to NIFA, the topics will be incorporated in existing program areas in the relevant AFRI Request for Applications (RFA(s)). Researchers wishing to submit a proposal on a topic suggested by a commodity board will be required to obtain a letter of support from the co-funding commodity board. The applications submitted in response to a commodity board co-funded topic will compete against all proposals submitted in the same RFA program area. Supported applications will receive no preference regarding the evaluation of their scientific merit. Letters of commodity board support will be used by NIFA solely to determine that the application fits within the commodity board co-funded topic and the commodity board is willing to co-fund that application, if it is evaluated by the review panel as being meritorious and recommended for award. [81 FR 58810, Aug. 26, 2016] Subpart H—Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative Source: 75 FR 54761, Sept. 9, 2010, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.400 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the program authorized under section 1672B of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (FACT Act), as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), Public Law 110-246 (7 U.S.C. 5925b). § 3430.401 Purpose. (a) The purpose of this program is to make competitive grants, in consultation with the Advisory Board, to support research, education and extension activities regarding organically grown and processed agricultural commodities. (b) Grants may be made for the following purposes: (1) Facilitating the development and improvement of organic agriculture production, breeding, and processing methods; (2) Evaluating the potential economic benefits of organic agricultural production and methods to producers, processors, and rural communities; (3) Exploring international trade opportunities for organically grown and processed agricultural commodities; (4) Determining desirable traits for organic commodities; (5) Identifying marketing and policy constraints on the expansion of organic agriculture; (6) Conducting advanced on-farm research and development that emphasizes observation of, experimentation with, and innovation for working organic farms, including research relating to production, marketing, food safety, socioeconomic conditions, and farm business management; (7) Examining optimal conservation and environmental outcomes relating to organically produced agricultural products; and (8) Developing new and improved seed varieties that are particularly suited for organic agriculture. [75 FR 54761, Sept. 9, 2010, as amended at 81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.402 [Reserved] § 3430.403 Eligibility. Unless otherwise specified in the RFA, eligible applicants for the grant program implemented under this subpart include: (a) State agricultural experiment stations; (b) Colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering an associate's degree); (c) University research foundations; (d) Other research institutions and organizations; (e) Federal agencies; (f) National laboratories; (g) Private organizations or corporations; (h) Individuals; and (i) Any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in paragraphs (a) through (i) of this section. § 3430.404 Project types and priorities. For each RFA, NIFA may develop and include the appropriate project types and priority areas based on stakeholder input and as deemed appropriate by NIFA. Duration and amount of grants may vary depending on the type of project. § 3430.405 Funding restrictions. (a) Construction. (b) Indirect costs. (c) Start-up businesses. § 3430.406 Matching requirements. (a) In general. (b) Indirect costs. (c) Waiver authority. (1) The results of the project, while of particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, are likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally; or (2) When all three of the following conditions are present: (i) The project involves a minor commodity, (ii) The project deals with scientifically important research, and (iii) The grant recipient is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement. § 3430.407 Program requirements. Following the completion of a peer review process for grant proposals received under this subpart, the Director may provide a priority for those proposals, found in the peer review process to be scientifically meritorious, that involve the cooperation of multiple entities. Subpart I—Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program Source: 75 FR 54761, Sept. 9, 2010, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.500 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the program authorized under section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA), 7 U.S.C. 7626, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), Public Law 110-246. § 3430.501 Purpose. The purpose of this subpart is to make competitive grants for integrated, multifunctional agricultural research, extension, and education activities. § 3430.502 Definitions. The definitions applicable to the competitive grant programs under this subpart include: Integrated program i.e., Integrated project i.e., § 3430.503 Eligibility. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive a grant under this subpart: (a) Colleges and universities; (b) 1994 Institutions; and (c) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103), and in the RFA). § 3430.504 Project types and priorities. For each RFA, NIFA may develop and include the appropriate project types and priority areas based on stakeholder input and as deemed appropriate by NIFA, in consultation with the Advisory Board, and that involve integrated research, extension, and education activities. Duration and amount of grants may vary depending on the type of project. § 3430.505 Funding restrictions. (a) Construction. (b) Indirect Costs. § 3430.506 Matching requirements. (a) General requirement. (b) Indirect costs. (c) Waiver authority. (1) The results of the project, while of particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, are likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally; or (2) When all three of the following conditions are present: (i) The project involves a minor commodity, (ii) The project deals with scientifically important research, and (iii) The grant recipient is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement. § 3430.507 Program requirements. (a) General. (b) Duration of awards. Subpart J—Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Source: 74 FR 45970, Sept. 4, 2009, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.600 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the program authorized under section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f). § 3430.601 Purpose. The purpose of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is to establish a beginning farmer and rancher development program that provides local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers. § 3430.602 Definitions. The definitions applicable to the program under this subpart include: Beginning farmer or rancher Clearinghouse Limited resource beginning farmers or ranchers Outcome-based reporting [74 FR 45970, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 76 FR 35323, June 17, 2011] § 3430.603 Eligibility. To be eligible to receive an award under this subpart, the recipient shall be a collaborative State, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities, including: (a) A State cooperative extension service; (b) A Federal, State, or tribal agency; (c) A community-based or nongovernmental organization; (d) A college or university (including a junior college offering an associate's degree) or foundation maintained by a college or university; (e) A private for-profit organization; or (f) Any other appropriate partner, as determined by the Secretary. [74 FR 45970, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.604 Project types and priorities. (a) Standard BFRDP projects. (1) Basic livestock, forest management, and crop farming practices; (2) Innovative farm, ranch, and private, nonindustrial forest land transfer strategies; (3) Entrepreneurship and business training; (4) Financial and risk management training (including the acquisition and management of agricultural credit); (5) Natural resource management and planning; (6) Diversification and marketing strategies; (7) Curriculum development; (8) Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships; (9) Resources and referral; (10) Farm financial benchmarking; (11) Assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in acquiring land from retiring farmers and ranchers; (12) Agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training for veterans; (13) Farm safety and awareness; and (14) Other similar subject areas of use to beginning farmers or ranchers. (15) Basic livestock and crop farming practices, forestry and range management. (16) Acquisition and management of agricultural credit. (17) Environmental compliance. (18) Information processing. (19) Tax management, including record keeping and tax form preparation. (20) Basic agricultural law. (21) Other similar subject areas of use to beginning farmers or ranchers. NIFA may include additional activities or focus areas that further address the critical needs of beginning farmers and ranchers as defined in this subpart. Some of these activities or focus areas may be identified by stakeholder groups or by NIFA in response to emerging critical needs of the Nation's farmers and ranchers. (b) Other BFRDP Projects. (1) to establish beginner farmer and rancher educational enhancement projects that develop curricula and conduct educational programs and workshops for beginning farmers or ranchers in diverse geographical areas of the Unites States; and (2) to establish and maintain an online clearinghouse. [74 FR 45970, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 76 FR 35323, June 17, 2011; 81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.605 Funding restrictions. (a) Facility costs. (b) Indirect costs. (c) Participation by other farmers and ranchers. [74 FR 45970, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.606 Matching requirements. (a) Requirement. (b) Indirect costs. § 3430.607 Stakeholder input. NIFA shall seek and obtain stakeholder input through a variety of forums (e.g., public meetings, request for input and/or via Web site), as well as through a notice in the Federal Register, (a) Beginning farmers and ranchers. (b) National, State, tribal, and local organizations, community-based organizations, and other persons with expertise in operating beginning farmer and rancher programs. (c) The Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers established under section 5 of the Agricultural Credit Improvement Act of 1992 (7 U.S.C. 1929 note; Pub. L. 102-554). § 3430.608 Review criteria. (a) Evaluation criteria. (1) Relevancy. (2) Technical merit. (3) Achievability. (4) The expertise and track record of one or more applicants. (5) The adequacy of plans for the participatory evaluation process, outcome-based reporting, and the communication of findings and results beyond the immediate target audience. (6) Other appropriate factors, as determined by the Secretary. (b) Partnership and collaboration. (c) Regional balance. [74 FR 45970, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 81 FR 6415, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.609 Other considerations. (a) Set aside. (i) Limited resource beginning farmers or ranchers (see 3430.602); (ii) Socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers (as defined in section 355(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e)) who are beginning farmers or ranchers; and (iii) Farmworkers desiring to become farmers or ranchers. (2) Each fiscal year, NIFA shall set aside not less than 5 percent of the funds to support the standard BFRDP projects under this subpart to support programs and services that address the needs of veteran farmers and ranchers (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)). Recipients of these funds may coordinate with a recipient of an award under section 1680 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5933) in addressing the needs of veteran farmers and ranchers with disabilities. (b) Consecutive awards. (c) Duration of awards. (d) Amount of grants. [74 FR 45970, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 76 FR 35323, June 17, 2011; 81 FR 6416, Feb. 8, 2016] Subpart K—Biomass Research and Development Initiative Source: 75 FR 33498, June 14, 2010, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.700 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the Federal assistance awards made under the program authorized under section 9008 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8108), as amended by section 9001 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246). [76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.701 Purpose. In carrying out the program, NIFA, in cooperation with the Department of Energy, is authorized to make competitive awards under section 9008(e) of FSRIA (7 U.S.C. 8108(e)) to develop: (a) Technologies and processes necessary for abundant commercial production of biofuels at prices competitive with fossil fuels; (b) High-value biobased products— (1) To enhance the economic viability of biofuels and power, (2) To serve as substitutes for petroleum-based feedstocks and products, and (3) To enhance the value of coproducts produced using the technologies and processes; and (c) A diversity of economically and environmentally sustainable domestic sources of renewable biomass for conversion to biofuels, bioenergy, and biobased products. [75 FR 33498, June 14, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.702 Definitions. The definitions specific to BRDI are from the authorizing legislation, the National Program Leadership of NIFA, and the Department of Energy. The definitions applicable to the program under this subpart include: Advanced Biofuel (1) Biofuel derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, or lignin; (2) Biofuel derived from sugar and starch (other than ethanol derived from corn kernel starch); (3) Biofuel derived from waste material, including crop residue, other vegetative waste material, animal waste, food waste, and yard waste; (4) Diesel-equivalent fuel derived from renewable biomass, including algael oils, oil seed crops, re-claimed vegetable oils and animal fat; (5) Biogas (including landfill gas and sewage waste treatment gas) produced through the conversion of organic matter from renewable biomass; (6) Butanol or other alcohols produced through the conversion of organic matter from renewable biomass; and (7) Other fuel derived from cellulosic biomass. Advisory Committee Biobased Product (1) An industrial product (including chemicals, materials, and polymers) produced from biomass; or (2) A commercial or industrial product (including animal feed and electric power) derived in connection with the conversion of biomass to fuel. Bioenergy Biofuel Biomass Conversion Facility (1) Heat; (2) Power; (3) Biobased products; or (4) Advanced biofuels. Biorefinery (1) Converts renewable biomass into biofuels and biobased products; and (2) May produce electricity. Board BRDI Cellulosic Biofuel Demonstration DOE Institutions of higher education Intermediate Ingredient or Feedstock Life cycle assessment Life cycle cost Pilot Plant Private sector entities Recovered materials Recycling Renewable Biomass (1) Materials, pre-commercial thinnings, or invasive species from National Forest System land (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)) and public lands (as defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)) that— (i) Are byproducts of preventive treatments that are removed to reduce hazardous fuels; to reduce or contain disease or insect infestation; or to restore ecosystem health; (ii) Would not otherwise be used for higher-value products; and (iii) Are harvested in accordance with applicable law and land management plans; and the requirements for— (A) Old-growth maintenance, restoration, and management direction of paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (e) of section 102 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6512); and (B) Large-tree retention of subsection (f) of section 102 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6512); or (2) Any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis from non-Federal land or land belonging to an Indian or Indian tribe that is held in trust by the United States or subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States, including— (i) Renewable plant material, including feed grains; other agricultural commodities; other plants and trees; and algae; and (ii) Waste material, including crop residue; other vegetative waste material (including wood waste and wood residues); animal waste and byproducts (including fats, oils, greases, and manure); and food waste and yard waste. Research and development (R&D) projects Semi-works Transportation fuel [75 FR 33498, June 14, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.703 Eligibility. To be eligible to receive an award under this subpart, the recipient shall be— (a) An institution of higher education (as defined in § 3430.702); (b) A National Laboratory; (c) A Federal research agency; (d) A State research agency; (e) A private sector entity (as defined in § 3430.702 of this part); (f) A nonprofit organization; or (g) A consortium of two or more entities listed in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section. § 3430.704 Project types and priorities. (a) Technical Topic Areas. (1) Feedstocks Development. (2) Biofuels and Biobased Products Development. (i) The development of diverse cost-effective technologies for the use of cellulosic biomass in the production of biofuels and biobased products; and (ii) Product diversification through technologies relevant to production of a range of biobased products (including chemicals, animal feeds, and cogenerated power) that potentially can increase the feasibility of fuel production in a biorefinery. (3) Biofuels Development Analysis Strategic Guidance. (ii) Energy and Environmental Impact. (iii) Assessment of Federal Land. (b) Additional considerations. (1) Create continuously expanding opportunities for participants in existing biofuels production by seeking synergies and continuity with current technologies and practices; (2) Maximize the environmental, economic, and social benefits of production of biofuels and derived biobased products on a large scale; and (3) Facilitate small-scale production and local and on-farm use of biofuels, including the development of smallscale gasification technologies for production of biofuel from cellulosic feedstocks. [75 FR 33498, June 14, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.705 Funding restrictions. (a) Facility costs. (b) Indirect costs. (c) Minimum allocations. [76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.706 Matching requirements. (a) Requirement for Research and/or Development Projects. (b) Requirement for Demonstration and Commercial Projects. (c) Indirect costs. [75 FR 33498, June 14, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.707 Administrative duties. (a) After consultation with the Board, NIFA, in cooperation with DOE, shall: (1) Publish annually one or more joint requests for proposals for Federal assistance under BRDI; and (2) Require that Federal assistance under BRDI be awarded based on a scientific peer review by an independent panel of scientific and technical peers. (b) NIFA, in cooperation with DOE, shall ensure that applicable research results and technologies from the BRDI are: (1) Adapted, made available, and disseminated, as appropriate; and (2) Included in the best practices database established under section 1672C(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925e(e)). [75 FR 33498, June 14, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.708 Review criteria. (a) General. (b) Additional Considerations. (1) Involve a consortium of experts from multiple institutions; (2) Encourage the integration of disciplines and application of the best technical resources; and (3) Increase the geographic diversity of demonstration projects. [75 FR 33498, June 14, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 38549, July 1, 2011] § 3430.709 Duration of awards. The term of a Federal assistance award made for a BRDI project shall not exceed 5 years. No-cost extensions of time beyond the maximum award terms will not be considered or granted. Subpart L—Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program Authority: 7 U.S.C. 3316; Pub. L. 106-107 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). Source: 81 FR 6416, Feb. 8, 2016, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.800 Applicability. The regulations in this subpart apply to the program authorized under section 1473F of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), as added by section 7138 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, (7 U.S.C. 3319i). § 3430.801 Purpose. The purpose of this program is to make competitive grants to Non Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) Institutions to assist the NLGCA Institutions in maintaining and expanding the capacity to conduct education, research, and outreach activities relating to agriculture, renewable resources, and other similar disciplines. § 3430.802 Definitions. The definitions applicable to the program under this subpart include: Capacity building Citizen or national of the United States (1) A citizen or native resident of a State; or, (2) A person defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a) (22), who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States. Eligible participant Food and agricultural sciences (1) Animal health, production, and well-being. (2) Plant health and production. (c) Animal and plant germ plasm collection and preservation. (3) Aquaculture. (4) Food safety. (5) Soil, water, and related resource conservation and improvement. (6) Forestry, horticulture, and range management. (7) Nutritional sciences and promotion. (8) Farm enhancement, including financial management, input efficiency, and profitability. (9) Home economics (Family and Consumer Sciences). (10) Rural human ecology. (11) Youth development and agricultural education, including 4-H clubs. (12) Expansion of domestic and international markets for agricultural commodities and products, including agricultural trade barrier identification and analysis. (13) Information management and technology transfer related to agriculture. (14) Biotechnology related to agriculture. (15) The processing, distributing, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products. (7 U.S.C. Section 3103). Joint project proposal (1) An application for a project: (i) Which will involve the applicant institution working in cooperation with one or more other entities not legally affiliated with the applicant institution, including other schools, colleges, universities, community colleges, junior colleges, units of State government, private sector organizations, or a consortium of institutions; and (ii) Where the applicant institution and each cooperating entity will assume a significant role in the conduct of the proposed project. (2) To demonstrate a substantial involvement with the project, the applicant institution/organization submitting a joint project proposal must retain at least 30 percent but not more than 70 percent of the awarded funds and no cooperating entity may receive less than 10 percent of awarded funds. Only the applicant institution must meet the definition of an eligible institution/organization as specified in this RFA; other entities participating in a joint project proposal are not required to meet the definition of an eligible institution/organization. Large-scale, Comprehensive Initiative (LCI) project proposal (1) An application for a project: (i) Which will involve the applicant institution/organization working in cooperation with two or more other entities not legally affiliated with the applicant institution, including other schools, colleges, universities, community colleges, junior colleges, units of State government, private sector organizations, or a consortium of institutions; and (ii) Where the applicant institution and each cooperating entity will assume a significant role in the conduct of the proposed project. (2) To demonstrate a substantial involvement with the project, the applicant institution/organization submitting a LCI proposal must retain at least 30 percent but not more than 70 percent of the awarded funds and no cooperating entity may receive less than 10 percent of awarded funds. Only the applicant institution must meet the definition of an eligible institution as specified in this RFA; other entities participating in a joint project proposal are not required to meet the definition of an eligible institution. LCI Project Proposals must support a multi-partner approach to solving a major state or regional challenge in agricultural sciences education at the postsecondary level. LCI Project Proposals are characterized by multiple partners (each providing a specific expertise) organized and led by a strong applicant with documented project management ability to organize and carry out the initiative. Non-land-grant college of agriculture (NLGCA) (1) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities; or (2) Any institution designated under: a. the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the “First Morrill Act”; 7 U.S.C. 301 et seq., (3) The Act of August 30, 1890 (commonly known as the “Second Morrill Act”) (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq., (4) The Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-382; 7 U.S.C. 301 note, or the `1994 or Tribal Colleges Land Grants'); or (5) Public Law 87-788 (commonly known as the “McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act”) (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq. Outcomes (1) Results are intended or unintended consequences of the project, ( e.g., (2) Products may be actual items or services acquired with funds, ( e.g., (3) Impacts are a measure of the results by comparing what might have happened in the absence of the funded project, ( e.g., Regular project proposal (1) Where the applicant institution will be the sole entity involved in the execution of the project; or (2) Which will involve the applicant institution and one or more other entities, but where the involvement of the other entity(ies) does not meet the requirements for a joint project proposal as defined in this section. Sustainable Agriculture (1) Satisfy human food and fiber needs; (2) Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends; (3) Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; (4) Sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and (5) Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. Teaching education § 3430.803 Eligibility. (a) Institution eligibility. (b) Teacher or student eligibility. eligible participant. § 3430.804 Project types and priorities. (a) For each RFA, NIFA may develop and include the appropriate project types and focus areas based on the critical needs identified through stakeholder input and deemed appropriate by NIFA. (b) The RFA will specify which of the following project types applicants may submit applications: (1) Regular project proposal (the applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners); (2) Conference/planning grant to facilitate strategic planning session(s); (3) Joint project proposal (the applicant executes the project with assistance from at least one additional partner and must share grant funds with the additional partner(s)); and (4) Large-scale (state or region) comprehensive initiatives (LCI) (Applicant + Two or more Partners). § 3430.805 Funding restrictions. (a) Prohibition against construction. Grant funds awarded under this authority may not be used for the renovation or refurbishment of research, education, or extension space; the purchase or installation of fixed equipment in such space; or the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of buildings or facilities. (b) Prohibition on tuition remission. Tuition remission, on-campus room and board, academic fees or other financial assistance (scholarships or fellowships) are not allowed. (c) Promotional items ( e.g., e.g., § 3430.806 Matching requirements. There are no matching requirements for grants under this subpart. § 3430.807 Duration of grant. The term of a Federal assistance award made for a NLGCA project shall not exceed 5 years. No-cost extensions of time beyond the maximum award terms will not be considered or granted. Subpart M—New Era Rural Technology Competitive Grants Program Source: 74 FR 45973, Sept. 4, 2009, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.900 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the program authorized under section 1473E of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319e), as amended. § 3430.901 Purpose. The purpose of this program is to make grants available for technology development, applied research, and training, with a focus on rural communities, to aid in the development of workforces for bioenergy, pulp and paper manufacturing, and agriculture-based renewable energy workforce. § 3430.902 Definitions. The definitions applicable to the program under this subpart include: Advanced Technological Center Bioenergy Biomass Community College (1) An institution of higher education that: (i) Admits as regular students persons who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution is located and who have the ability to benefit from the training offered by the institution; (ii) Does not provide an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's degree (or an equivalent degree); and (iii) (A) Provides an educational program of not less than 2 years in duration that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree; or (B) Offers a 2-year program in engineering, mathematics, or the physical or biological sciences, designed to prepare a student to work as a technician or at the semi-professional level in engineering, scientific, or other technological fields requiring the understanding and application of basic engineering, scientific, or mathematical principles of knowledge (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(6)). (2) For this grants program, such Community Colleges must be located within a rural area. Conference/Planning Grants Eligible institution/organization community college, advanced technological center, rural area. Eligible participant citizen or non-citizen national of the United States, Fiscal agent Joint project proposal (1) An application for a project: (i) Which will involve the applicant institution/organization working in cooperation with one or more other entities not legally affiliated with the applicant institution/organization, including other schools, colleges, universities, community colleges, units of State government, private sector organizations, or a consortium of institutions; and (ii) Where the applicant institution/organization and each cooperating entity will assume a significant role in the conduct of the proposed project. (2) To demonstrate a substantial involvement with the project, the applicant institution/organization submitting a joint project proposal must retain at least 30 percent but not more than 70 percent of the awarded funds, and no cooperating entity may receive less than 10 percent of awarded funds. Only the applicant institution/organization must meet the definition of an eligible institution/organization as specified in this RFA; other entities participating in a joint project proposal are not required to meet the definition of an eligible institution/organization. Outcomes plan of operation Plan of Operation outcomes. Regular project proposal (1) Where the applicant institution/organization will be the sole entity involved in the execution of the project; or (2) Which will involve the applicant institution/organization and one or more other entities, but where the involvement of the other entity(ies) does not meet the requirements for a joint proposal as defined in this section. Rural Area Technology Development Note: In general, technology is more than the development of a single product, but is instead a system of related products, procedures and services to ensure a systems approach to address a specific issue. Training [74 FR 45973, Sept. 4, 2009, as amended at 75 FR 59060, Sept. 27, 2010] § 3430.903 Eligibility. Applications may be submitted by either: (a) Public or private nonprofit community colleges, or (b) Advanced technological centers, either of which must: (1) Be located in a rural area see (2) Have been in existence as of June 18, 2008; (3) Participate in agricultural or bioenergy research and applied research; (4) Have a proven record of development and implementation of programs to meet the needs of students, educators, and business and industry to supply the agriculture-based, renewable energy or pulp and paper manufacturing fields with certified technicians, as determined by the Secretary; and (5) Have the ability to leverage existing partnerships and occupational outreach and training programs for secondary schools, 4-year institutions, and relevant nonprofit organizations. § 3430.904 Project types and priorities. For each RFA, NIFA may develop and include the appropriate project types and focus areas based on the critical needs identified through stakeholder input and deemed appropriate by NIFA. (a) In addition, priority in funding shall be given to eligible entities working in partnerships to: (1) Improve information-sharing capacity; (2) Maximize the ability to meet the requirements of the RFA; and (3) To address the following two RTP goals: (i) To increase the number of students encouraged to pursue and complete a 2-year postsecondary degree, or a certificate of completion, within an occupational focus of this grant program; and (ii) To assist rural communities by helping students achieve their career goals to develop a viable workforce for bioenergy, pulp and paper manufacturing, or agriculture-based renewable energy. (b) Applicants may submit applications for one of the three project types: (1) Regular project proposal (the applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners); (2) Joint project proposal (the applicant executes the project with assistance from at least one additional partner and must share grant funds with the additional partner(s)); and (3) Conference/planning grant to facilitate strategic planning session(s). § 3430.905 Funding restrictions. (a) Prohibition against construction. (b) Prohibition on tuition remission. (c) Indirect costs. § 3430.906 Matching requirements. There are no matching requirements for grants under this subpart. § 3430.907 Stakeholder input. NIFA shall seek and obtain stakeholder input through a variety of forums (e.g., public meetings, requests for input and/or Web site), as well as through a notice in the Federal Register, (a) Community college(s). (b) Advanced technological center(s), located in rural area, for technology development, applied research, and/or training. § 3430.908 Review criteria. Evaluation criteria. (a) Potential for Advancing Quality of Technology Development, Applied Research, and/or Training/Significance of the Program. (b) Proposed Approach and Cooperative Linkages. (c) Institution Organization Capability and Capacity Building. (d) Key Personnel. (e) Budget and Cost-Effectiveness. § 3430.909 Other considerations. (a) Amount of grants. (b) Duration of grants. Subpart N [Reserved] Subpart O—Sun Grant Program Source: 75 FR 70580, Nov. 18, 2010, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.1000 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the Federal assistance awards made under the program authorized under section 7526 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), Pub. L. 110-246 (7 U.S.C. 8114). § 3430.1001 Purpose. In carrying out the program, NIFA is authorized to make awards under section 7526 of the FCEA to eligible entities (as designated in section 7526(b)(1)(A)-(F) of the FCEA) to fund subgrants and activities that: (a) Enhance national energy security through the development, distribution, and implementation of biobased energy technologies; (b) Promote diversification in, and the environmental sustainability of, agricultural production in the United States through biobased energy and product technologies; (c) Promote economic diversification in rural areas of the United States through biobased energy and product technologies; and (d) Enhance the efficiency of bioenergy and biomass research and development programs through improved coordination and collaboration among the Department, other appropriate Federal agencies (as determined by the Secretary), and land-grant colleges and universities. [75 FR 70580, Nov. 18, 2010, as amended at 81 FR 6418, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.1002 Definitions. The definitions specific to the Sun Grant Program are from the authorizing legislation, the National Program Leadership of NIFA, and the Department of Energy. The definitions applicable to the program under this subpart include: Biobased product (1) An industrial product (including chemicals, materials, and polymers) produced from biomass; or (2) A commercial or industrial product (including animal feed and electric power) derived in connection with the conversion of biomass to fuel. Bioenergy Center Subcenter Technology development Technology implementation [75 FR 70580, Nov. 18, 2010, as amended at 81 FR 6418, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.1003 Eligibility. (a) Sun Grant Centers and Subcenter. (1) A North-Central Center for the region composed of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming; (2) A Southeastern Center for the region composed of the States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands; (3) A South-Central Center for the region composed of the States of Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas; (4) A Northeastern Center for the region composed of the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia; (5) A Western Center for the region composed of the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and insular areas (other than the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands); and (6) A Western Insular Pacific Subcenter (that receives Federal funds through the Western Center rather than directly from NIFA, in accordance with § 3430.1004(b)) for the region of Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. (b) Subawardees of the Centers and Subcenter. (1) Must be located in the region covered by the applicable Center or Subcenter; and (2) Must be one of the following: (i) State agricultural experiment station; (ii) College or university; (iii) University research foundation; (iv) Other research institution or organization; (v) Federal agency; (vi) National laboratory; (vii) Private organization or corporation; (viii) Individual; or (ix) Any group consisting of 2 or more entities described in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) through (viii) of this section. (c) Ineligibility. [75 FR 70580, Nov. 18, 2010, at 81 FR 6418, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.1004 Project types and priorities. (a) Project types. (1) Regional competitive research, extension, and education grant programs. (i) Requests for applications. (ii) Peer review of proposals. (2) Research, extension, and education activities conducted at the Centers and Subcenter. (b) Special provisions for the Western Center and Western Insular Pacific Subcenter. (c) Priorities. [75 FR 70580, Nov. 18, 2010, as amended at 81 FR 6418, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.1005 Funding restrictions. (a) Facility costs. (b) Indirect cost provisions for regional competitive research, extension, and education grant programs. (c) Indirect cost provisions for research, extension, and education activities conducted at the Centers and Subcenter. (d) Required allocations. [75 FR 70580, Nov. 18, 2010, as amended at 81 FR 6418, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.1006 Matching requirements. (a) Matching provisions for the Centers and Subcenter. (b) Matching provisions for subawards. (1) Exception for fundamental research. (2) Special matching provisions for applied research. § 3430.1007 Planning activities. (a) Required plan. (b) [Reserved] [75 FR 70580, Nov. 18, 2010, as amended at 81 FR 6418, Feb. 8, 2016] § 3430.1008 Sun Grant Information Analysis Center. The Centers and Subcenter shall maintain, at the North-Central Center, a Sun Grant Information Analysis Center to provide the Centers and Subcenter with analysis and data management support. Each Center and Subcenter shall allocate a portion of the funds available for administrative or indirect costs under § 3430.1005 to maintain the Sun Grant Information Analysis Center. § 3430.1009 Administrative duties. In addition to other reporting requirements agreed to in the terms and conditions of each award, not later than 90 days after the end of each Federal fiscal year, each Center and Subcenter shall submit to NIFA a report that describes the policies, priorities, and operations of the program carried out by the Center or Subcenter during the fiscal year, including the results of all peer and merit review procedures conducted as part of administering the regional competitive research, extension, and educational grant programs; and a description of progress made in facilitating the plan described in § 3430.1007. § 3430.1010 Review criteria. Panel reviewers conducting merit reviews on proposals submitted by the Centers will be instructed to ensure that proposals adequately address the plan developed in accordance with § 3430.1007 for consideration of the relevance and merit of proposals. § 3430.1011 Duration of awards. The term of a Federal assistance award made under the Sun Grant Program shall not exceed 5 years. No-cost extensions of time beyond the maximum award terms will not be considered or granted. Subpart P—Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program Source: 80 FR 64310, Oct. 23, 2015, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.1100 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grants program authorized under section 4405 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7517), as added by section 4208 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79). § 3430.1101 Purpose. The primary goal of the FINI grants program is to fund and evaluate projects intended to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by providing incentives at the point of purchase. § 3430.1102 Definitions. The definitions applicable to the FINI grants program under this subpart include: Community food assessment Emergency feeding organization Exemplary practices Expert reviewers Food security Fruits and vegetables i.e. Logic model Outcomes Process evaluation (1) The age, sex, race, occupation, or other demographic variables of the target population; (2) The program's organization, funding, and staffing; and (3) The program's location and timing. Process evaluation focuses on program activities rather than outcomes. PromiseZone https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/promise-zones/. Nonprofit organization (1) The public; (2) A specific group of individuals; or (3) The membership of the nonprofit. StrikeForce http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) et seq. Value chain § 3430.1103 Eligibility. (a) In general. (1) An emergency feeding organization; (2) An agricultural cooperative; (3) A producer network or association; (4) A community health organization; (5) A public benefit corporation; (6) An economic development corporation; (7) A farmers' market; (8) A community-supported agriculture program; (9) A buying club; (10) A SNAP-authorized retailer; and (11) A State, local, or tribal agency. (b) Further eligibility requirements Related to projects. (i) Have the support of the State SNAP agency; (ii) Would increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers participating in SNAP by providing incentives at the point of purchase; (iii) Operate through authorized SNAP retailers and comply with all relevant SNAP regulations and operating requirements; (iv) Agree to participate in the FINI comprehensive program evaluation; (v) Ensure that the same terms and conditions apply to purchases made by individuals with SNAP benefits and with incentives under the FINI grants program as apply to purchases made by individuals who are not members of households receiving benefits as provided in § 278.2(b) of this title; and (vi) Include effective and efficient technologies for benefit redemption systems that may be replicated in other States and communities. (2) Related to experience and other competencies. (i) Have experience: (A) In efforts to reduce food insecurity in the community, including food distribution, improving access to services, or coordinating services and programs; or (B) With the SNAP program; (ii) Demonstrate competency to implement a project, provide fiscal accountability, collect data, and prepare reports and other necessary documentation; (iii) Secure the commitment of the State SNAP agency to cooperate with the project; and (iv) Possess a demonstrated willingness to share information with researchers, evaluators (including the independent evaluator for the program), practitioners, and other interested parties, including a plan for dissemination of results to stakeholders. (c) Other, non-eligibility considerations. (1) To propose projects that will provide employees with important job skills; and (2) To have experience the following areas: (i) Community food work, particularly concerning small and medium-size farms, including the provision of food to people in low-income communities and the development of new markets in low-income communities for agricultural producers; and (ii) Job training and business development activities for food-related activities in low-income communities. (d) Partnerships. § 3430.1104 Project types and priorities. (a) FINI Pilot Projects (FPP). (b) FINI Projects (FP). (c) FINI Large Scale Projects (FLSP). § 3430.1105 Funding restrictions. (a) Construction. (b) Indirect costs. § 3430.1106 Matching requirements. (a) In general. (b) Source and type. (c) Limitation. (d) Indirect costs. § 3430.1107 Program requirements. The term of a grant under this subpart may not exceed 5 years. No-cost extensions of time beyond the maximum award terms will not be considered or granted. § 3430.1108 Priorities. (a) In general. (1) Maximize the share of funds used for direct incentives to participants; (2) Use direct-to-consumer sales marketing; (3) Demonstrate a track record of designing and implementing successful nutrition incentive programs that connect low-income consumers and agricultural producers; (4) Provide locally or regionally produced fruits and vegetables; (5) Are located in underserved communities; or (6) Address other criteria as established by NIFA and included in the requests for applications. (b) Exception. Subpart Q—Veterinary Services Grant Program Source: 82 FR 15114, Mar. 27, 2017, unless otherwise noted. § 3430.1200 Applicability of regulations. The regulations in this subpart apply to the Veterinary Services Grant Program authorized under section 7104 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79). § 3430.1201 Purpose. The purpose of VSGP is to administer a competitive grant program to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations (see § 3430.1202 for definition) in the U.S., which includes insular areas (see § 3430.1202 for a definition of “insular area”). A qualified entity may use funds provided by a grant awarded under this section to relieve veterinarian shortage situations and support veterinary services for any of the following purposes: (a) To promote recruitment (including for programs in secondary schools), placement, and retention of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students of veterinary medicine, and students of veterinary technology. (b) To allow veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technician students to cover expenses (other than the types of expenses described in 7 U.S.C. 3151a(c)(5)) to attend training programs in food safety or food animal medicine. (c) To establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs (including faculty recruitment and retention), veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. (d) To provide continuing education and extension, including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety. (e) To provide technical assistance for the preparation of applications submitted to the Secretary for designation as a veterinarian shortage situation under 7 U.S.C. 3151a. § 3430.1202 Definitions. The definitions applicable to the VSGP grants under this subpart include: Citizen or national of the United States (1) A citizen or national of the United States, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1401; or, (2) A national of the United States, as defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22), who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States. Practice of veterinary medicine (1) The prescription, dispensing, administration, or application of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or medical or surgical technique, or (2) The use of complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies, or (3) The use of any manual or mechanical procedure for reproductive management, or (4) The rendering of advice or recommendation by any means including telephonic and other electronic communications with regard to any of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this definition. Qualified entity (1) Substantially relieve veterinarian shortage situations; (2) Support or facilitate private veterinary practices engaged in public health activities; or (3) Support or facilitate the practices of veterinarians who are providing or have completed providing services under an agreement entered into with the Secretary under 7 U.S.C. 3151a(a)(2). Rural area Veterinarian Veterinarian Shortage Situation (1) Geographical areas that the Secretary determines have a shortage of food supply veterinarians; and (2) Areas of veterinary practice that the Secretary determines have a shortage of food supply veterinarians, such as food animal medicine, public health, animal health, epidemiology, and food safety. Veterinary medicine Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program or VMLRP § 3430.1203 Eligibility. (a) For Education, Extension, and Training projects, eligible entities are: (1) A State, national, allied, or regional veterinary organization or specialty board recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association; (2) A college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association; (3) A university research foundation or veterinary medical foundation; (4) A department of veterinary science or department of comparative medicine accredited by the Department of Education; (5) A State agricultural experiment station; or (6) A State, local, or tribal government agency. (b) For Rural Practice Enhancement projects, eligible entities are: (1) A for-profit or nonprofit entity located in the United States that, or individual who, operates a veterinary clinic providing veterinary services, in a rural area, as defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)), and in a veterinarian shortage situation designated under the VMLRP. Eligible veterinarian shortage situation years will be specified in the request for application (RFA). (2) [Reserved]. § 3430.1204 Project types and priorities. (a) Education, Extension, and Training. (b) Rural practice enhancement. (1) Equipping veterinary offices; (2) Sharing in the reasonable overhead costs of such veterinary practices, as determined by the Secretary; or (3) Establishing mobile veterinary facilities in which a portion of the facilities will address education or extension needs. § 3430.1205 Funding restrictions. (a) Construction. (b) Indirect costs. § 3430.1206 Matching requirements. There are no matching requirements for grants under this subpart. § 3430.1207 Coordination preference. In selecting recipients of Education, Extension and Training grants, preference will be given to applications providing documentation of coordination with other qualified entities. § 3430.1208 Special requirements for Rural Practice Enhancement grants. (a) Terms of service requirement. (b) Breach. (c) Waiver. § 3430.1209 Duration of awards. The term of a grant under this subpart may not exceed 5 years. The duration of individual awards may vary as specified in the RFA and is subject to the availability of appropriations.