FEDERAL AGENCY:

COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

AUTHORIZATION:

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended, Section 1455, 7 U.S.C. 3241.

OBJECTIVES:

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:  
If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive project grant or cooperative agreement are established, these will be announced in the annual program announcement or Request for Application (RFA).

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, NIFA, National Program Leader, Institute of Youth, Family, and Community, Division of Community and Education, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 2250, Washington , District of Columbia 20250-2250 Email: Policy@nifa.usda.gov Phone: (202) 720-2324 Fax: (202) 720-2030

Web Site Address:  
http://nifa.usda.gov/program/hispanic-serving-institutions-education-grants-program

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.