[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: 7CFR3400.6]

[Page 304-305]
 
                          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 A_General
 
Sec. 3400.6  Grant awards.

    (a) General. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, 
the awarding official shall make research project grants to those 
responsible, eligible applicants whose proposals are judged most 
meritorious in the announced program areas under the evaluation criteria 
and procedures set forth in this part. The date specified by the 
Administrator as the beginning of the project period shall be no later 
than September 30 of the Federal fiscal year in which the project is 
approved for support and funds are appropriated for such purpose, unless 
otherwise permitted by law. All funds granted under this part shall be 
expended solely for the purpose for which the funds are granted in 
accordance with the approved application and budget, the regulations of 
this part, the terms and conditions of the award, the applicable Federal 
cost principles, and the Department's ``Uniform Federal Assistance 
Regulations'' (part 3015 of this title).
    (b) Grant award document and notice of grant award--(1) Grant award 
document. The grant award document shall include at a minimum the 
following:
    (i) Legal name and address of performing organization or institution 
to whom the Administrator has awarded a special research project grant 
under the terms of this part;
    (ii) Title of project;
    (iii) Name(s) and address(es) of principal investigator(s) chosen to 
direct and control approved activities;
    (iv) Identifying grant number assigned by the Department;
    (v) Project period, which specifies how long the Department intends 
to support the effort without requiring recompetition for funds;
    (vi) Total amount of Departmental financial assistance approved by 
the Administrator during the project period;
    (vii) Legal authority(ies) under which the research project grant is 
awarded to accomplish the purpose of the law;
    (viii) Approved budget plan for categorizing allocable project funds 
to accomplish the stated purpose of the research project grant award; 
and
    (ix) Other information or provisions deemed necessary by the 
Department to carry out its granting activities or to accomplish the 
purpose of a particular research project grant.
    (2) Notice of grant award. The notice of grant award, in the form of 
a letter, will be prepared and will provide pertinent instructions or 
information to the grantee that is not included in the grant award 
document.
    (c) Categories of grant instruments. The major categories of grant 
instruments shall be as follows:
    (1) Standard grant. This is a grant instrument by which the 
Department agrees to support a specified level of research effort for a 
predetermined project period without the announced intention of 
providing additional support at a future date. This type of research 
project grant is approved on the basis of peer review and recommendation 
and is funded for the entire project period at the time of award.
    (2) Renewal grant. This is a document by which the Department agrees 
to provide additional funding under a standard grant as specified in 
paragraph (c)(1) of this section for a project period beyond that 
approved in an original or amended award, provided that the cumulative 
period does not exceed the statutory limitation. When a renewal 
application is submitted, it should include a summary of progress

[[Page 305]]

to date under the previous grant instrument. Such a renewal shall be 
based upon new application, de novo peer review and staff evaluation, 
new recommendation and approval, and a new award instrument.
    (3) Continuation grant. This is a grant instrument by which the 
Department agrees to support a specified level of effort for a 
predetermined period of time with a statement of intention to provide 
additional support at a future date, provided that performance has been 
satisfactory, appropriations are available for this purpose, and 
continued support would be in the best interests of the Federal 
Government and the public. It involves a long-term research project that 
is considered by peer reviewers and Departmental officers to have an 
unusually high degree of scientific merit, the results of which are 
expected to have a significant impact on the food and agricultural 
sciences, and it supports the efforts of experienced scientists with 
records of outstanding research accomplishments. This kind of document 
will normally be awarded for an initial one-year period and any 
subsequent continuation research project grants will also be awarded in 
one-year increments. The award of a continuation research project grant 
to fund an initial or succeeding budget period does not constitute an 
obligation to fund any subsequent budget period. A grantee must submit a 
separate application for continued support for each subsequent fiscal 
year. Requests for such continued support must be submitted in duplicate 
at least three months prior to the expiration date of the budget period 
currently being funded. Such requests must include: an interim progress 
report detailing all work performed to date; a Grant Application; a 
proposed budget for the ensuing period, including an estimate of funds 
anticipated to remain unobligated at the end of the current budget 
period; and current information regarding other extramural support for 
senior personnel. Decisions regarding continued support and the actual 
funding levels of such support in future years will usually be made 
administratively after consideration of such factors as the grantee's 
progress and management practices and within the context of available 
funds. Since initial peer reviews were based upon the full term and 
scope of the original special research grant application, additional 
evaluations of this type generally are not required prior to successive 
years' support. However, in unusual cases (e.g., when the nature of the 
project or key personnel change or when the amount of future support 
requested substantially exceeds the grant application originally 
reviewed and approved), additional reviews may be required prior to 
approving continued funding.
    (4) Supplemental grant. This is an instrument by which the 
Department agrees to provide small amounts of additional funding under a 
standard, renewal, or continuation grant as specified in paragraphs 
(c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(3) of this section and may involve a short-term 
(usually six months or less) extension of the project period beyond that 
approved in an original or amended award, but in no case may the 
cumulative period of the project, including short term extensions, 
exceed the statutory time limitation. A supplement is awarded only if 
required to assure adequate completion of the original scope of work and 
if there is sufficient justification of need to warrant such action. A 
request of this nature normally does not require additional peer review.
    (d) Obligation of the Federal Government. Neither the approval of 
any application nor the award of any research project grant shall commit 
or obligate the United States in any way to make any renewal, 
supplemental, continuation, or other award with respect to any approved 
application or portion of an approved application.