Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Grant Programs-General Grant Administrative Provisions and Program-Specific Administrative Provisions for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is publishing one set of administrative requirements that contain elements common to all of the competitive and noncompetitive non-formula grant programs the Agency administers as an interim rule. Although this interim rule becomes effective on the date of publication, CSREES is requesting comments for a 60-day period as identified below. In a relatively short period of time, this will allow CSREES to apply basic rules to grant programs that are currently operating without them, including new non-formula grant programs created by the passage of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) (Pub. L. 110-234) and to efficiently implement changes to programs with existing regulations as required by FCEA. The provisions in subparts A through E will serve as a single Agency resource codifying current practices simply and coherently for almost all CSREES competitive and noncompetitive non-formula grant programs except the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. As specific rules are developed for each CSREES grant program, CSREES will propose adding a subpart for that Federal assistance program to this regulation. This interim rule is being published with a first set of program-specific grant regulations as subpart F for the Specialty Research Crop Initiative, authorized under section 7311 of FCEA.