[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 15]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR3400.14]

[Page 307-308]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XXXIV--COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION 
                   SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 3400_SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
     Subpart B_Scientific Peer Review of Research Grant Applications
 
Sec. 3400.14  Proposal review.

    (a) All research grant applications will be acknowledged. Prior to 
technical examination, a preliminary review will be made for 
responsiveness to the request for proposals (e.g., relationship of 
application to research program area). Proposals which do not fall 
within the guidelines as stated in the annual request for proposals will 
be eliminated from competition and will be returned to the applicant. 
Proposals whose budgets exceed the maximum allowable amount for a 
particular program area as announced in the request for proposals may be 
considered as lying outside the guidelines.
    (b) All applications will be carefully reviewed by the 
Administrator, qualified officers or employees of the Department, the 
respective peer review group, and ad hoc reviewers, as required. Written 
comments will be solicited from ad hoc reviewers when required, and 
individual written comments and in-depth discussions will be provided by 
peer review group members prior to recommending applications for 
funding. Applications will be ranked and support levels recommended 
within the limitation of total available funding for each research 
program area as announced in the applicable request for proposals.
    (c) No awarding official will make a research project grant based 
upon an application covered by this part unless the application has been 
reviewed by a peer review group and/or ad hoc reviewers in accordance 
with the provisions of this part and said reviewers have made 
recommendations concerning the scientific merit of such application.
    (d) Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, such 
recommendations are advisory only and are not

[[Page 308]]

binding on program officers or on the awarding official.