[Federal Register: August 29, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 169)]
[Notices]               
[Page 50926-50928]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29au08-25]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service 
Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Establishment of 
the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service (CSREES) is creating a new research, education, and extension 
program called the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). By 
this notice, CSREES is designated to act on behalf of the Secretary of 
Agriculture in soliciting public comment from interested persons 
regarding the implementing regulation to be developed for this new 
program as required under section 7406 of the

[[Page 50927]]

Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2008, from 
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. All comments must be received by close of business 
Wednesday, September 24, 2008, to be considered.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in Room 1410 A/B/C/D; Waterfront 
Centre Building; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service; United States Department of Agriculture; 800 9th Street, SW.; 
Washington, DC 20024. Meeting participants will need to provide photo 
identification to be admitted to the building. Please allow sufficient 
time to go through security.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Terri Joya, (202) 401-1761 
(phone), (202) 401-1782 (fax), or tjoya@csrees.usda.gov. You may submit 
comments, identified by CSREES-2008-0002 by any of the following 
methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    E-mail: afri@csrees.usda.gov. Include CSREES-2008-0002 in the 
subject line of the message.
    Fax: (202) 401-1782.
    Mail: Paper, disk or CD-ROM submissions should be submitted to 
AFRI; Competitive Programs (CP) Unit; Cooperative State Research, 
Education, and Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; STOP 
2240; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250-2240.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: AFRI; Competitive Programs (CP) Unit; 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S. 
Department of Agriculture; Room 2457, Waterfront Centre; 800 9th 
Street, SW.; Washington, DC 20024.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and CSREES-2008-0002. All comments received will be posted to http://
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional Meeting and Comment Procedures

    Because of the diversity of subjects, and to aid participants in 
scheduling their attendance, the following schedule is anticipated for 
the September 10, 2008, meeting:
    9:30 a.m.-10 a.m.-Introduction to AFRI.
    10 a.m.-3 p.m.-General administration of AFRI including 
solicitation of proposals, types of projects and awards, length of 
awards, evaluation criteria, and protocols to ensure the widest program 
participation. Allocation of funds including protocols to solicit and 
consider stakeholder input, determination of priority areas, and 
determination of activities to be supported--applied research, 
fundamental research, extension, education and integrated. A break is 
scheduled for 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
    Persons wishing to present oral comments at the September 10, 2008, 
meeting are requested to pre-register by contacting Ms. Terri Joya at 
(202) 401-1761, by fax at (202) 401-1782 or by e-mail to 
tjoya@csrees.usda.gov. Participants may reserve one 5-minute comment 
period. More time may be available, depending on the number of people 
wishing to make a presentation and the time needed for questions 
following presentations. Reservations will be confirmed on a first-
come, first-served basis. All other attendees may register at the 
meeting. Written comments may also be submitted for the record at the 
meeting. All comments must be received by close of business Wednesday, 
September 24, 2008, to be considered. All comments and the official 
transcript of the meeting, when they become available, may be reviewed 
on the CSREES Web page for six months. Participants who require a sign 
language interpreter or other special accommodations should contact Ms. 
Joya as directed above.

Background and Purpose

    Section 7406 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 
(Pub. L. 110-246) amends subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, 
and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)) to authorize the 
Secretary of Agriculture to establish a new competitive grant program 
to provide funding for fundamental and applied research, extension, and 
education to address food and agricultural sciences. Subject to the 
availability of appropriations to carry out this program, the Secretary 
may award grants to State agricultural experiment stations; colleges 
and universities; university research foundations; other research 
institutions and organizations; Federal agencies; national 
laboratories; private organizations or corporations; individuals; or 
any group consisting of two or more of the aforementioned entities. 
Grants shall be awarded to address priorities in United States 
agriculture in the following areas: (A) Plant health and production and 
plant products; (B) Animal health and production and animal products; 
(C) Food safety, nutrition, and health; (D) Renewable energy, natural 
resources, and environment; (E) Agriculture systems and technology; and 
(F) Agriculture economics and rural communities. To the maximum extent 
practicable, CSREES, in coordination with the Under Secretary for 
Research, Education, and Economics (REE), will make awards for high 
priority research, education, and extension, taking into consideration, 
when available, the determinations made by the National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board. The 
authority to carry out this program has been delegated to CSREES 
through the Undersecretary for REE.
    CSREES is holding a public meeting to obtain comments to use in 
developing the implementing rule for the new AFRI competitive grants 
program. The meeting is open to the public. Written comments and 
suggestions on issues that may be considered in the meeting may be 
submitted to the CSREES Docket Clerk at the address above.

Summary of Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

    The program authorizes for appropriation $700 million in grants for 
FY 2008-12, of which the Secretary may retain no more than 4% for 
administrative costs. Funds will be available for obligation for a two-
year period beginning in the fiscal year for which funds are first made 
available. Grants will be awarded on the basis of merit, quality, and 
relevance and may have terms of up to 10 years.
    Of the AFRI funds allocated to research activities, section 7406 
directs 60 percent toward grants for fundamental (or basic) research, 
and 40 percent toward applied research. Of the AFRI funds allocated to 
fundamental research, not less than 30 percent of AFRI grants will be 
directed toward research by multidisciplinary teams. In addition, the 
law specifies that of the total amount appropriated for AFRI, not less 
than 30 percent is to be used for integrated programs.

Implementation Plans

    CSREES plans to consider stakeholder input received from this 
public meeting as well as other written comments in developing an 
implementing regulation for this program. CSREES anticipates releasing 
a Request for Applications (RFA) by mid-January 2009.


[[Page 50928]]


    Done at Washington, DC, this 26th day of August 2008.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-20146 Filed 8-28-08; 8:45 am]

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