FEDERAL AGENCY:
COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AUTHORIZATION:
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act of 1995; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1996; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and
Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1997; Public Laws 103-330
and 104-37, and 104-726.
OBJECTIVES:
This is a construction grants program designed to improve and modernize program
facilities to assist recipients in better responding to current challenges and
opportunities in the food and agricultural sciences.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants.
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Funds may be used for architectural- engineering, acquisition of land, construction,
repair, improvement, extension, alteration, or consolidation of program facilities, and
the acquisition and installation of fixed equipment. Funds may not be used to establish,
maintain, or enhance the research or education programs themselves; to purchase movable
equipment; to pay indirect costs of grant recipients; or to pay operating or maintenance
costs of completed facilities. Other unallowable costs are specified in the terms and
conditions of the grant award which accompany the individual grant.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: Specified by Congress in the
Conference Reports for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies for the fiscal years ending September 30, 1995, 1996, and 1997.
Beneficiary Eligibility: Specified by Congress in the
Conference Reports for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies for the fiscal years ending September 30, 1995, 1996, and 1997.
Credentials/Documentation: Each recipient receiving its first
grant award from Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
must furnish organizational management information.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:
Preapplication Coordination: This program is excluded from
coverage under E.O. 12372. A preconstruction environmental assessment is required.
Application Procedure: Program guidelines are developed and
forwarded to identified institutions annually. As directed in the covering letter,
institutional officials prepare either background materials or a formal grant application
according to instructions provided in the guidelines. An on-site study is conducted by a
team of subject-matter experts and the results are reported to Congress prior to
recommending an initial grant award. Any award of funds to begin architectural-engineering
or construction work is influenced by the panel's recommendations. In subsequent years, a
grant application is submitted to CSREES for evaluation and approval.
Award Procedure: Upon receipt in CSREES, the grant
application undergoes internal programmatic, financial, and administrative evaluation. If
the project is recommended for an award, a grant award document consisting of a cover
sheet, an approved budget, and the terms and conditions of the grant award is issued.
Deadlines: This program was not funded in fiscal year 2000.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: It takes between 60 and
120 days to review background materials, select review team members, conduct an on-site
study, submit the report to Congress, and make funding decisions relating to initial
project submissions. For all other proposals, it takes between 45 and 180 days to complete
the evaluation and award processes, depending upon the complexity of the project.
Appeals: None.
Renewals: Depending upon the size and complexity of the
construction project, it often takes several increments of funding assistance to complete
the project. The initial award is issued as a new grant, with second and subsequent
funding increments issued as renewals to existing grants. Projects remain active until
facility completion.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: All projects are funded on
a matching formula of not to exceed 50 percent Federal funds and not less than 50 percent
nonfederal funds. All project costs are subject to prior written approval by CSREES.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: There is no statutory
limit on the length of time an award may be in effect.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: A technical (i.e., performance) report is due 90
days after the first anniversary date of the grant award and annually thereafter during
the life of the project. Performance reports submitted with renewal proposals will satisfy
this requirement through the final increment of grant funding. Quarterly financial reports
are due 15 days after the close of each quarter throughout the life of the project. Final
technical and financial reports are due 90 days after the expiration date of the grant
award.
Audits: Audits will be conducted in accordance with
guidelines established in the revised OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States,
Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," and implemented in 7 CFR Part 3052.
Records: Grantees are required to maintain separate records
for each construction project to ensure that funds are expended for authorized purposes.
Grant-related records must be retained for a minimum of 3 years after the expiration date
of the grant award.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification: 12-1501-0-1-352.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 99 $998,498; FY 00 est $3,057,926;
and FY 01 est $0.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: $480,150 to
$4,850,000; $2,055,638.
PROGAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Not applicable.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Buildings and Facilities Program: Program Guidelines; 7 CFR 3407, Agency Procedures to
Implement the National Environmental Policy Act; 7 CFR 3015, and/or 7 CFR Part 3019 USDA
Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations; Federal Cost Principles; 7 CFR 3017, Government
wide Debarment and Suspension (nonprocurement) and Government wide Requirements for
Drug-free Workplace (grants); 7 CFR 3018, New Restrictions on Lobbying; and 7 CFR Part
3019, Uniform, Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of
Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office: None.
Headquarters Office: Deputy Administrator, Competitive
Research Grants and Awards Management, Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: (202)
401-1761.
Web Site Address: http://www.reeusda.gov.
RELATED PROGRAMS:
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Center for Arid Land Studies, Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Facility, Plant
Science Center, Soil and Water Research and Education Center, Regional Food Innovation
Center, and Poultry Science Facility.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Written criteria are used to evaluate projects during the on-site study. Each study is
conducted to: (1) Determine the need for and importance of the facility as it relates to
the agricultural interest in the requesting State, the region, and the Nation; (2)
determine the extent to which the facility is expected to contribute to the effectiveness
of agricultural research, teaching, and extension programs; (3) examine alternatives to
the facility proposed; (4) determine the local commitment to the facility and the programs
it is intended to house; (5) assure that the requestor is able to provide the required
matching support for the construction if Federal funding is forthcoming; and (6) assure
that the intended use of the facility lies within the mission of USDA. Reports prepared by
review teams are reviewed internally to ensure that they adequately address these issues.
Grant proposals submitted to CSREES after the on-site visit are reviewed by CSREES faculty
and staff for adherence to approved plans and Federal regulations, project
accomplishments, and allow ability of costs.
