Small Business Innovation Research Grants Program for Fiscal Year 2000; Request for Proposals

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that under the authority of the Small

Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-219), as

amended (15 U.S.C. 638) and section 630 of the Act making

appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies

programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1987, and for other

purposes, as made applicable by section 101(a) of Public Law Number 99-

591, 100 Stat. 3341, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects

to award project grants for certain areas of research to science-based

small business firms through phase I of its Small Business Innovation

Research (SBIR) Grants Program.

By this notice, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and

Extension Service (CSREES) additionally solicits stakeholder input from

any interested party regarding the Fiscal Year 2000 SBIR Grants

Program, Request for Proposals, for use in the development of the next

request for proposals for this program.

DATES: All phase I proposals must be received at USDA on or by

September 2, 1999. Proposals not received on or by this date will not

be considered for funding, with the following exceptions. Proposals

received after September 2, 1999, will be accepted provided they are

postmarked before or on (1) September 1, 1999, if sent by overnight

courier; (2) August 30, 1999, if sent by priority mail; or (3) August

26, 1999, if sent by regular first class mail.

User comments are requested within six months from the issuance of

this notice. Comments received after that date will be considered to

the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: All proposals must be submitted to the following address:

Small Business Innovation Research Program; c/o Proposal Services Unit;

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S.

Department of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW;

Washington, DC 20250-2245.

Note: The address for hand-delivered proposals or proposals

submitted using an express mail or overnight courier service is:

Small Business Innovation Research Program; c/o Proposal Services

Unit; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service;

U.S. Department of Agriculture; Room 303, Aerospace Center; 901 D

Street, SW; Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 401-5048.

Written user input comments should be submitted by first-class mail

to: Office of Extramural Programs; Competitive Research Grants and

Awards Management; USDA-CSREES; Stop 2299; 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW; Washington, DC 20250-2299; or via e-mail to: [email protected]

In your comments, please include the name of the program and the fiscal

year of the request for proposals to which you are responding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Charles F. Cleland; Director, SBIR

Program; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service;

STOP 2243; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250-2243.

Telephone: (202) 401-4002. Facsimile: (202) 401-6070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program will be administered by the

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Firms

with strong scientific research capabilities in the topic areas listed

below are encouraged to participate. Objectives of the three-phase

program include stimulating technological innovation in the private

sector, strengthening the role of small businesses in meeting Federal

research and development needs, increasing private sector

commercialization of innovations derived from USDA-supported research

and development efforts, and fostering and encouraging participation of

women-owned and socially and economically disadvantaged small business

concerns in technological innovation.

The total amount expected to be available for phase I of the SBIR

Program in fiscal year (FY) 2000 is approximately $5,000,000. The

solicitation is being announced to allow adequate time for potential

recipients to prepare and submit applications by the closing date of

September 2, 1999. The research to be supported is in the following

topic areas:

1. Forests and Related Resources

2. Plant Production and Protection

3. Animal Production and Protection

4. Air, Water and Soils

5. Food Science and Nutrition

6. Rural and Community Development

7. Aquaculture

8. Industrial Applications

9. Marketing and Trade

The award of any grants under the provisions of this program is

subject to the availability of appropriations.

This program is subject to the provisions found at 7 CFR part 3403.

These provisions set forth procedures to be followed when submitting

grant proposals, rules governing the evaluation of proposals and the

awarding of grants, and regulations relating to the post-award

administration of grant projects. In addition, USDA Uniform Federal

Assistance Regulations (7 CFR part 3015, as amended), Governmentwide

Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement) and Governmentwide

Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants) (7 CFR part 3017),

Restrictions on Lobbying (7 CFR part 3018), and Managing Federal Credit

Programs (7 CFR part 3) apply to this program. Copies of 7 CFR parts

3403, 3015, 3017, 3018, and 3 may be obtained by writing or calling the

office indicated below.

The program solicitation, which contains research topic

descriptions and detailed instructions on how to apply, may be obtained

by writing or calling the following office: Proposal Services Unit;

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S.

Department of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.;

Washington, DC 20250-2245. Telephone: (202) 401-5048. Application

materials also may be requested via Internet by sending a message with

your name, mailing address (not e-mail) and telephone number to

[email protected] which states that you wish to receive a copy of the

application materials for the FY 2000 Small Business Innovation

Research Grants Program. The materials will then be mailed to you (not

e-mailed) as quickly as possible. Please note that applicants who

submitted SBIR proposals for FY 1999 or who have recently requested

placement on the list for FY 2000 will automatically receive a copy of

the FY 2000 program solicitation.

Stakeholder Input

CSREES is soliciting comments regarding this request for proposals

from any interested party. These comments will be considered in the

development of the next request for proposals for the program. Such

comments will be forwarded to the Secretary or his designee for use in

meeting the requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural

Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, 7 U.S.C.

[[Page 27885]]

7613(c)(2). This section requires the Secretary to solicit and consider

input on a current request for proposals from persons who conduct or

use agricultural research, education, or extension for use in

formulating the next request for proposals for an agricultural research

program funded on a competitive basis.

Written user input comments should be submitted by first-class mail

to: Office of Extramural Programs; Competitive Research Grants and

Awards Management; USDA-CSREES; Stop 2299; 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW; Washington, DC 20250-2299; or via e-mail to: [email protected]

In your comments, please include the name of the program and the fiscal

year request for proposals to which you are responding. Comments are

requested within six months from the issuance of this notice. Comments

received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

Done at Washington, DC., this 17 day of May, 1999.

Colien Hefferan,

Acting Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and

Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 99-12883 Filed 5-20-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-22-P