To
support the activities of a consortia of Hispanic serving institutions
to enhance educational equity for underrepresented students; to
strengthen institutional educational capacities including libraries,
curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery
systems, and student recruitment and retention, in order to respond
to identified State, regional, national, or international educational
needs in the food and agricultural sciences; to attract and support
undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups
in order to prepare them for careers related to the food, agricultural
and natural resource systems of the United States, beginning with
the mentoring of students at the high school level and continuing
with the provision of financial support for students through their
attainment of a doctoral degree; and to facilitate cooperative initiatives
between 2 or more Hispanic serving institutions, or between Hispanic
serving institutions and units of State government or the private
sector, to maximize the development and use of resources, such as
faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve food and agricultural
sciences teaching programs.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Funds
may be used to support one or more of the following target areas
or additional target areas as identified in the annual program announcement:
Curricula design; materials development; library resources; faculty
preparation and enhancement for teaching; instruction delivery systems;
scientific instrumentation for teaching; student experiential learning;
and student recruitment and retention.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Hispanic serving institutions are
eligible to receive funds under this program. "Hispanic serving
institution" means an institution of higher education which, at
the time of application, has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time
equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students,
and which (1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate
of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the
recognized equivalent of such certificate; (2) is a public or other
nonprofit institution accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting
body; and (3) is legally authorized to provide a program of education
beyond the secondary level for which a 2-year associate, baccalaureate,
or higher degree is awarded.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Hispanic serving institutions,
as identified above, are eligible to receive funds under this
program.
Credentials/Documentation:
Each prospective grantee institution must furnish the information
and assurances specified in the proposal solicitation and/or the
administrative provisions for the program once they are developed.
These materials will be available from the CSREES, Office of Extramural
programs, at (202) 401-5050. This program is excluded from coverage
under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Pre-application
Coordination: To assist CSREES in preparing
for the review of proposals, institutions planning to submit proposals
may be requested to complete Form CSREES-711, "Intent to Submit
a Proposal," provided by CSREES in the grant application package.
CSREES will determine annually if "Intent to Submit a Proposal"
forms will be requested. This program is excluded from coverage
under E.O. 12372.
Application
Procedure: Formal proposals should be submitted
to the CSREES, Office of Extramural Programs, in accordance with
instructions provided in the program announcement. The program
announcement will be published in the Federal Register.
Award
Procedure: Proposals are reviewed and evaluated
by CSREES staff with the assistance and advice of a peer panel
of scientists, educators, representatives from the private sector,
and representatives from other Federal agencies. Proposals will
be supported in order of merit to the extent permitted by available
funds.
Deadlines:
For fiscal year 2002, the deadline for submission of proposals
was February 5, 2002.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 90 to 180
days.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
None.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: CSREES encourages
and may require nonfederal matching support under this program and
will disclose any matching requirements or incentives for providing
matching funds in its annual program announcement.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: From 1 to
3 years.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Quarterly financial reports, annual progress reports, final financial
reports, final summary progress reports, and other reports as specified
in the grant terms and conditions.
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 expected to maintain separate records for each grant
to ensure that funds are used for the purpose for which the grant
was made. Records are subject to inspection during the life of
the grant and for 3 years thereafter.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 12-1500-0-1-352.
Obligations:
FY 01 $3,352,608; FY 02 est $3,352,320; and FY 03 est $3,352,320.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance: $25,000 to $75,000. This is a newly funded program,
average not yet determined.
One community college developed an associate degree in Food and
Warehouse Management, and another community college developed an
associate degree in Food Technology.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Applicable regulations will be outlined in the program announcement
and/or the administrative provisions for the program once they are
developed, and in the terms and conditions of any resulting grant
award. Applicable regulations will include but not be limited to:
7 CFR Part 3015, USDA Uniform Administrative Regulations; 7 CFR
Part 3019, USDA Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and
Other Nonprofit Organizations; 7 CFR part 3017, Government wide
Debarment and Suspension and Drug-free Workplace Requirements; 7
CFR part 3018, New Restrictions on Lobbying; and 7 CFR part 3052,
USDA implementation of OMB Circular No. A-133 (revised June 24,
1997) regarding audits of States, local governments, and nonprofit
organizations.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters
Office: USDA, CSREES, Higher Education Programs,
Science and Education Resources Development, Room 3912-S, Washington,
DC 20250-2251. Telephone: (202) 720-7854.
Web
Site Address: http://www.reeusda.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
The Agriculture Education Implementation Outreach Project; Developing
Freshman's Interest in Agricultural Research and Careers; The Integration
of Research Internships into the Undergraduate Life Sciences Curriculum;
Enhancement of Genetics Lab Teaching Through Agricultural Biotechnology
Research; and Bridges to Careers as Urban Environmentalists.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Criteria are expected to include the following: (1) The likelihood
that the project will have a substantial impact upon and advance
the quality of higher education in the food and agricultural sciences
higher education by strengthening institutional capacities to meet
clearly delineated needs; (2) the soundness of the proposed approach,
including objectives, procedures, timetable, evaluation and dissemination
plans, and partnerships and collaborative efforts; (3) the qualifications
and the adequacy of the key personnel who will carry out the proposed
project; (4) the institution's commitment to the project and the
adequacy of institutional resources available to carry out the project;
(5) the extent to which the total budget adequately supports the
project and is cost effective; and (6) the degree to which the proposal
complies with the application guidelines and is of high quality.
