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.
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. Place Cursor Here for Definition
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.
Pre-application 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
years 2000 or 2001.
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: In accordance with the provisions of OMB
Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that
expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a
single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal
entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No.
A-133.
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 01 $2,116,594; FY 02 est
$795,400; and FY 03 est $0.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance:
$480,150 to $4,850,000. Average: $2,055,638.
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 Nonprofit 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
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.
