[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: 7CFR3411.14]

[Page 402-403]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XXXIV--COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION 
                   SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 3411_NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM
--Table of Contents
 
     Subpart B_Scientific Peer Review of Research Grant Applications
 
Sec. 3411.14  Proposal review.

    (a) All grant applications will be acknowledged. Prior to technical 
examination, a preliminary review will be made for responsiveness to the 
program solicitation (e.g., relationship of application to announced 
program area). Proposals which do not fall within the guidelines as 
stated in the program solicitation will be eliminated from competition 
and will be returned to the applicant.
    (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 indepth discussions will be provided by 
peer review group members prior to recommending applications for 
funding. Applications will be ranked and support levels recommended with

[[Page 403]]

the limitation of total available funding for each research program area 
as announced in the program solicitation.
    (c) No awarding official will make a 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 
merit of such application.
    (d) Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, such 
recommendations are advisory only and are not binding on program 
officers or on the awarding official.