[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26139-26142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12463]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Request For Proposals: Fiscal Year 1998 Funding Opportunity for
Research on Rural Cooperative Opportunities and Problems
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the
availability of approximately $1.9 million in competitive cooperative
agreement funds allocated from FY 1998 appropriations. RBS hereby
requests proposals from institutions of higher education or nonprofit
organizations interested in applying for competitively awarded
cooperative agreements for research related to agricultural and
nonagricultural cooperatives serving rural communities. The intent of
the funding is to encourage research on critical issues vital to the
development and sustainability of cooperatives as a means of improving
the quality of life in America's rural communities.
DATES: Cooperative agreement applications must be received on or before
June 30, 1998. Proposals received after June 30, 1998, will not be
considered for funding. Comments regarding the information collection
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 must be received
on or before July 13, 1998, to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Send Proposals and other required materials to Dr. Thomas H.
Stafford, Director, Cooperative Marketing Division, Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 3252, Room 4204, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-3252. Telephone: (202) 690-0368.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Thomas H. Stafford, Director,
Cooperative Marketing Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
USDA, Stop 3252, Room 4204, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
D.C. 20250-3252. Telephone: (202) 690-0368.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General Information
This solicitation is issued pursuant to the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1998 making appropriations for programs
administered by USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 1998. The Rural Business-Cooperative
Service (RBS) was established by the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994. The mission of RBS is to improve the
quality of life in rural America by financing community facilities and
businesses, providing technical assistance, and creating effective
strategies for rural development. RBS has authority to enter into
cooperative agreements pursuant to section 607(b)(4) of the Rural
Development Act of 1972, as amended by section 759A of the Federal
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
The primary objective of this funding is to encourage research
through cooperative agreements on critical issues vital to the
development and sustainability of cooperatives as a means of improving
the quality of life in America's rural communities. Among others, these
issues include:
(1) The appropriate role of cooperatives in fostering rural
development;
(2) The role of cooperatives in filling the farm income safety net
``void'' created by the reduction or elimination of price support
programs;
(3) The role of cooperatives in an increasingly global environment;
(4) The role of cooperatives in highly integrated agricultural
industries;
(5) Effective structures and operations for agricultural bargaining
associations;
(6) The role of cooperatives in low-resource areas.
(7) Barriers to small and new farmer membership in agricultural
marketing cooperatives.
[[Page 26140]]
(8) Cooperation as a tool for small-farmer use of farmers markets.
(9) Models for shared or cooperatively-owned agricultural
production inputs.
A Cooperative Agreement reflects a relationship between the United
States Government and an eligible recipient where (1) the principal
purpose of the relationship is the transfer of money, property,
services, or anything of value to the eligible recipient to carry out
research related to rural cooperatives; and (2) substantial involvement
is anticipated between RBS acting for the United States Government, and
the eligible recipient during the performance of the research in the
agreement. Cooperative agreements are to be awarded on the basis of
merit, quality, and relevance to advancing the purpose of federally
supported rural development programs which increase economic
opportunities in farming and rural communities.
To obtain an application kit containing instructions and all
required forms, please contact Cooperative Services Program; USDA/RBS,
at (202)690-0368 or FAX (202)690-2723. When calling Cooperative
Services, please indicate that you are requesting an application kit
for Fiscal Year 1998 (FY 1998) Research on Rural Cooperative
Opportunities and Problems (RRCOP). The application kit may also be
requested via Internet by sending a message with your name, mailing
address (not E-mail) and phone number to thomas.stafford@usda.gov''
which requests an application kit for FY 1998 funding for research on
rural cooperatives. The application kit will be mailed to you (not e-
mailed or faxed) as quickly as possible.
Use of Funds
Funds may be used to pay up to 75 percent of the costs for carrying
out relevant projects. Applicants' contribution may be in cash or in-
kind contribution and must be from nonfederal funds. Funds may not be
used to: (1) Pay more than 75 percent of relevant project or
administrative costs; (2) pay costs of preparing the application
package; (3) fund political activities; or (4) pay costs incurred prior
to the effective date of the cooperative agreement. Indirect costs may
not exceed current negotiated rates. If no rate has been negotiated, an
indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted for approval.
Available Funds and Award Limitations
The amount of funds available for cooperative agreements in FY 1998
is approximately $1.9 million. Up to one-quarter of the total funds
awarded will be allocated to research on nonagricultural cooperatives
serving rural areas. Nonagricultural cooperatives include, but are not
limited to housing, child care, health care, shared services, wholesale
or retail consumer cooperatives, and credit unions. Agricultural
cooperatives are grower-owned and controlled businesses which purchase
farm inputs, market farm products, or provide other services to their
members. The actual number of cooperative agreements funded will depend
on the quality of proposals received and the amount of funding
requested. Maximum amount of Federal funds awarded for any one proposal
will be $100,000. It is anticipated that a typical award would range
from $25,000 to $50,000.
Eligible Applicants
Proposals may be submitted by public or private colleges or
universities, research foundations maintained by a college or
university, or private nonprofit organizations. Under the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in section 501(c)(4)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)) which
engages in lobbying activities, is not eligible to apply.
Methods for Evaluating and Ranking Applications
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of RBS technical experts.
Applications will be evaluated competitively and points awarded as
specified in the Evaluation Criteria and Weights section of this
notice. After assigning points upon those criteria, applications will
be listed in rank order and presented, along with funding level
recommendations, to the Administrator of RBS, who will make the final
decision on awarding of agreements. Applications will then be funded in
rank order until all available funds have been expended.
RBS reserves the right to make selections out of rank order to
provide for a geographic distribution of funded projects. With respect
to any approved proposal, the amount of funding and the project period
during which the project may be funded and will be completed, are
subject to negotiation prior to finalization of the cooperative
agreement.
Evaluation Criteria and Weights
RBS will initially determine whether the submitting organization is
eligible and whether the application contains the information required
by this notice. Prior to technical examination, each proposal will be
reviewed for responsiveness to the funding solicitation. Submissions
which do not fall within the guidelines as stated in the solicitation
will be eliminated from the competition and will be returned to the
applicant.
After this initial screening, RBS will use the following criteria
to rate and rank proposals received in response to this notice of
funding availability. The maximum number of points is 100. Zero points
on any criteria will disqualify the proposal.
(1) Relevance: Focuses on an agricultural or nonagricultural
cooperatives serving rural areas and demonstrates a clear relationship
with the research topics contained in this notice (maximum 20 points);
(2) Demonstrates potential to contribute innovative ideas or
solutions to identified problems or issues (maximum 20 points);
(3) Shows capacity for broad applicability in facilitating new or
improved cooperative development or new or improved cooperative
approaches (maximum 15 points);
(4) Outlines a sound plan of work and appropriate methodology to
accomplish the stated objective of the research (maximum 15 points);
(5) Adequately documents the need for and clearly defines the
objectives of the research (maximum 10 points);
(6) Demonstrates cost effectiveness (maximum 10 points);
(7) Identifies qualified resources and personnel, including a
demonstrated track-record of similar research (maximum 10 points).
Deliverables
Upon completion of the project, recipients will deliver the results
of the research to RBS, in the form of a document of publishable
quality, accompanied by all applicable supporting data. Publishable
documents include, but are not limited to, manuscripts, videotapes, or
software, or other media, as may be identified in approved proposals.
RBS retains publishing rights to such documents, as well as rights to
any raw or preliminary data collected as part of the project.
Content of a Proposal
A proposal should contain the following:
(1) Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.''
(2) Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information--Non-Construction
Programs.''
(3) Form SF-424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.''
[[Page 26141]]
(4) Form AD-1047, ``Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension,
and Other Responsibility Matters.''
(5) Form AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace
Requirements.''
(6) Table of Contents: For ease of locating information, each
proposal must contain a detailed Table of Contents immediately
following the required forms. The Table of Contents should include page
numbers for each component of the proposal. Pagination should begin
immediately following the Table of Contents.
(7) Project Summary. A summary of the Project Proposal, not to
exceed one-page should include the following: title of the project;
names of principal investigators and applicant organization; and a
description of the overall goals and relevance of the project.
(8) Project Proposal: The application must contain a narrative
statement describing the nature of the proposed research. The Proposal
must include at least the following:
(i) Project Title. The title of the proposed project must be brief,
yet represent the major thrust of the project.
(ii) Project Leaders. List the names and contact information for
the principal investigators. Minor collaborators or consultants should
be so designated and not listed as principal investigators.
(iii) Need for the Project. A concisely worded rationale for the
research must be presented. Included should be a summarization of the
body of knowledge (literature review) which substantiates the need for
the research. The need for the proposed research must be clearly and
directly related to the facilitation of new or improved cooperative
development or new or improved cooperative approaches.
(iv) Objectives of the Project. Discuss the specific objectives of
the project and the impact of the research on end-users.
(v) Procedures. Discuss the hypotheses or questions being asked and
the methodology or approach to be used in carrying out the proposed
research and accomplishing the objectives. A description of any
subcontracting arrangements to be used in carrying out the project must
be included.
(vi) Time Table. A tentative schedule for conducting the major
steps of the research must be included.
(vii) Expected Output. Describe how the results will be presented
and disseminated.
(viii) Coordination and Management Plan. Describe how the project
will be coordinated among various participants and the nature of the
collaborations. Describe plans for management of the project to ensure
its proper and efficient administration. Describe scope of RBS
involvement in the project.
(9) Personnel Support. To assist reviewers in assessing the
competence and experience of proposed principal investigators, the
following must be included for each:
(i) estimated time commitment to the project;
(ii) a one-page curriculum-vitae;
(iii) a chronological list of all publications during the past five
years.
What To Submit
An original and two copies must be submitted in one package.
When and Where To Submit
Proposals must be received by close of business on June 30, 1998.
Proposals must be sent to Dr. Thomas H. Stafford, Director, Cooperative
Marketing Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop
3252, Room 4204, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-
3252.
Other Federal Statutes and Regulations That Apply
Several other Federal statutes and regulations apply to proposals
considered for review and to cooperative agreements awarded. These
include but are not limited to:
7 CFR part 15, subpart A--USDA implementation of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
7 CFR part 3015--USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations.
7 CFR part 3018--USDA implementation of New Restrictions on
Lobbying.
7 CFR part 3019--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant
Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other
Nonprofit Organizations.
7 CFR part 3051--Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and
Other Nonprofit Institutions.
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Agency
announces its intention to seek Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
approval of new reporting and recordkeeping requirements. These
requirements have been approved by emergency clearance by OMB under OMB
Control Number 0570-0028.
Approximately $1.9 million in cooperative agreement funds has been
allocated from FY 1998 appropriations for programs administered by
USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) to encourage research
related to rural cooperatives. The funds will be available to
institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations for
research on critical issues vital to the development and sustainability
of cooperatives as a means of improving the quality of life in
America's rural communities. Among others, these issues include:
(1) The appropriate role of cooperatives in fostering rural
development;
(2) The role of cooperatives in filling the farm income safety net
``void'' created by the reduction or elimination of price support
programs;
(3) The role of cooperatives in an increasingly global environment;
(4) The role of cooperatives in highly integrated agricultural
industries;
(5) Effective structures and operations for agricultural bargaining
associations;
(6) The role of cooperatives in low-resource areas.
(7) Barriers to small and new farmer membership in agricultural
marketing cooperatives.
(8) Cooperation as a tool for small-farmer use of farmers markets.
(9) Models for shared or cooperatively-owned agricultural
production inputs.
The funds will be awarded on a competitive basis using specific
selection criteria.
Public Burden in this Notice
At this time, the Agency is requesting OMB clearance of the
following burden:
Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.''
This application is used by applicants as a required face sheet for
applications for federal funding.
Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information--Non Construction Programs''
This form must be completed by applicants to show the project's
anticipated budget breakdown in terms of expense categories and
division of Federal and non-Federal sources of funds.
Form SF-424B, ``Assurances Non-Construction Programs''
This form must be completed by the applicant to provide the Federal
government certain assurances of the applicant's legal authority to
apply for Federal assistance and financial capability to pay the non-
Federal share of project costs. The applicant also assures compliance
with various legal and regulatory requirements as described in the
form.
[[Page 26142]]
Project Proposal
The applicant must submit a project proposal containing the
elements described in the notice and in the format prescribed. The
elements of the proposal are:
(1) Table of Contents: For ease of locating information, each
proposal must contain a detailed Table of Contents immediately
following the required forms. The Table of Contents should include page
numbers for each component of the proposal. Pagination should begin
immediately following the Table of Contents.
(2) Project Summary. A summary of the Project Proposal, not to
exceed one-page should include the following: title of the project;
names of principal investigators and applicant organization; and a
description of the overall goals and relevance of the project.
(3) Project Proposal: The application must contain a narrative
statement describing the nature of the proposed research. The Proposal
must include at least the following:
(i) Project Title. The title of the proposed project must be brief,
yet represent the major thrust of the project.
(ii) Project Leaders. List the names and contact information for
the principal investigators. Minor collaborators or consultants should
be so designated and not listed as principal investigators.
(iii) Need for the Project. A concisely worded rationale for the
research must be presented. Included should be a summarization of the
body of knowledge (literature review) which substantiates the need for
the research. The need for the proposed research must be clearly and
directly related to the facilitation of new or improved cooperative
development or new or improved cooperative approaches.
(iv) Objectives of the Project. Discuss the specific objectives of
the project and the impact of the research on end-users.
(v) Procedures. Discuss the hypotheses or questions being asked and
the methodology or approach to be used in carrying out the proposed
research and accomplishing the objectives. A description of any
subcontracting arrangements to be used in carrying out the project must
be included.
(vi) Time Table. A tentative schedule for conducting the major
steps of the research must be included.
(vii) Expected Output. Describe how the results will be presented
and disseminated.
(viii) Coordination and Management Plan. Describe how the project
will be coordinated among various participants and the nature of the
collaborations. Describe plans for management of the project to ensure
its proper and efficient administration. Describe scope of RBS
involvement in the project.
(4) Personnel Support. To assist reviewers in assessing the
competence and experience of proposed principal investigators, the
following must be included for each:
(i) estimated time commitment to the project;
(ii) a one-page curriculum-vitae;
(iii) a chronological list of all publications during the past five
years.
Use of Funds
Changes in approved goals and objectives, project leadership, or
project time line must be submitted to the Deputy Administrator of
Cooperative Services and approved in writing.
Reporting Requirements
Funding recipients will be required to submit written project
performance reports on a quarterly basis. The project performance
reports will include, but are not limited to: (1) A comparison of
actual accomplishments to established objectives; (2) reasons
established objectives were not met; (3) problems, delays, or adverse
conditions which will materially affect attainment of planned project
objectives; (4) objectives for the next reporting period; and (5)
status of compliance with an special conditions on the use of awarded
funds.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated to range from 15 minutes to 15 hours per response.
Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,280 hours.
Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Michele
Brooks, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, Support Services
Division, at (202) 720-3158.
Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden to
collect the required information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
All responses to this notice will be summarized, included in the
request for OMB approval, and will become a matter of public record.
Comments may be sent to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, D.C. 20503, and to Michele Brooks, Regulations and
Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural
Housing Service, Stop 0743, Room 6345-S, 1400 Independence Avenue S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-0743.
Dated: April 28, 1998.
Dayton J. Watkins,
Administrator, Rural Business--Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 98-12463 Filed 5-11-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-U
