[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 15]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR3401.16]

[Page 328-329]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XXXIV--COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION 
                   SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 3401_RANGELAND RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart B_Scientific Peer Review of Research Applications for Funding
 
Sec. 3401.16  Proposal review.

    (a) All research Applications for Funding will be acknowledged. 
Prior to technical examination, a preliminary review will be made for 
responsiveness

[[Page 329]]

to the request for proposals (e.g., relationship of application to 
research program area). Proposals that 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 reviewed carefully by the 
Administrator, qualified officers or employees of the Department, the 
respective merit review panel, 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) 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.