Competitive, special, and facilities research grants

• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-13 (published on www.congress.gov on 08/07/2023)
• Citation: 7 U.S.C. § 3157

(a) Establishment of grant program

(1) In order to promote research in food, agriculture, and related areas, a research grants program is hereby established in the Department of Agriculture.

(2) SHORT TITLE.-This section may be cited as the "Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act".

(b) Agriculture and food research initiative

(1) Establishment

There is established in the Department of Agriculture an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative under which the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this subsection as "the Secretary") may make competitive grants for fundamental and applied research, extension, and education to address food and agricultural sciences (as defined under section 3103 of this title).

(2) Priority areas

The competitive grants program established under this subsection shall address the following areas:

(A) Plant health and production and plant products

Plant systems, including-

(i) plant genome structure and function;

(ii) molecular and cellular genetics and plant biotechnology;

(iii) conventional breeding, including cultivar and breed development, selection theory, applied quantitative genetics, breeding for improved food quality, breeding for improved local adaptation to biotic stress and abiotic stress, and participatory breeding;

(iv) plant-pest interactions and biocontrol systems;

(v) crop plant response to environmental stresses;

(vi) unproved nutrient qualities of plant products; and

(vii) new food and industrial uses of plant products.

(B) Animal health and production and animal products

Animal systems, including-

(i) aquaculture;

(ii) cellular and molecular basis of animal reproduction, growth, disease, and health;

(iii) animal biotechnology;

(iv) conventional breeding, including breed development, selection theory, applied quantitative genetics, breeding for improved food quality, breeding for improved local adaptation to biotic stress and abiotic stress, and participatory breeding;

(v) identification of genes responsible for improved production traits and resistance to disease;

(vi) improved nutritional performance of animals;

(vii) improved nutrient qualities of animal products and uses;

(viii) the development of new and improved animal husbandry and production systems that take into account production efficiency, animal well-being, and animal systems applicable to aquaculture;

(ix) the research and development of surveillance methods, vaccines, vaccination delivery systems, or diagnostic tests for pests and diseases, including-

(I) epizootic diseases in domestic livestock (including deer, elk, bison, and other animals of the family Cervidae); and

(II) zoonotic diseases (including bovine brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis) in domestic livestock or wildlife reservoirs that present a potential concern to public health; and

(x) the identification of animal drug needs and the generation and dissemination of data for safe and effective therapeutic applications of animal drugs for minor species and minor uses of such drugs in major species.

(C) Food safety, nutrition, and health

Nutrition, food safety and quality, and health, including-

(i) microbial contaminants and pesticides residue relating to human health;

(ii) links between diet and health;

(iii) bioavailability of nutrients;

(iv) postharvest physiology and practices; and

(v) improved processing technologies.

(D) Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment

Natural resources and the environment, including-

(i) fundamental structures and functions of ecosystems;

(ii) biological and physical bases of sustainable production systems;

(iii) soil health;

(iv) minimizing soil and water losses and sustaining surface water and ground water quality;

(v) the effectiveness of conservation practices and technologies designed to address nutrient losses and improve water quality;

(vi) global climate effects on agriculture;

(vii) forestry; and

(viii) biological diversity.

(E) Agriculture systems and technology

Engineering, products, and processes, including-

(i) new uses and new products from traditional and nontraditional crops, animals, byproducts, and natural resources;

(ii) robotics, energy efficiency, computing, and expert systems;

(iii) new hazard and risk assessment and mitigation measures;

(iv) water quality and management; and

(v) tools that accelerate the use of automation or mechanization for labor-intensive tasks in the production and distribution of crops.

(F) Agriculture economics and rural communities

Markets, trade, economics, and policy, including-

(i) strategies for entering into and being competitive in domestic and overseas markets;

(ii) farm efficiency and profitability, including the viability and competitiveness of small and medium-sized dairy, livestock, crop and other commodity operations;

(iii) new decision tools for farm and market systems;

(iv) choices and applications of technology;

(v) the economic costs, benefits, and viability of producers adopting conservation practices and technologies designed to improve water quality;

(vi) technology assessment;

(vii) new approaches to rural development, including rural entrepreneurship; and

(viii) barriers and bridges to entry and farm viability for young, beginning, socially disadvantaged, veteran, and immigrant farmers and ranchers, including farm succession, transition, transfer, entry, and profitability issues.

(3) Term

The term of a competitive grant made under this subsection may not exceed 10 years.

(4) General administration

In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall-

(A) seek and accept proposals for grants;

(B) determine the relevance and merit of proposals through a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 7613 of this title;

(C) award grants on the basis of merit, quality, and relevance;

(D) solicit and consider input from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education in accordance with section 7612(b) of this title;

(E) in seeking proposals for grants under this subsection and in performing peer review evaluations of such proposals, seek the widest participation of qualified individuals in the Federal Government, colleges and universities, State agricultural experiment stations, and the private sector; and

(F) establish procedures, including timelines, under which an entity established under a commodity promotion law (as such term is defined under section 7401(a) of this title) or a State commodity board (or other equivalent State entity) may directly submit to the Secretary for consideration proposals for requests for applications that specifically address particular issues related to the priority areas specified in paragraph (2).

(5) Allocation of funds

In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall allocate funds to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to ensure that, of funds allocated for research activities-

(A) not less than 60 percent is made available to make grants for fundamental research (as defined in subsection (f)(1) of section 6971 of this title), of which-

(i) not less than 30 percent is made available to make grants for research to be conducted by multidisciplinary teams; and

(ii) not more than 2 percent is used for equipment grants under paragraph (6)(A); and

(B) not less than 40 percent is made available to make grants for applied research (as defined in subsection (f)(1) of section 6971 of this title).

(6) Special considerations

In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary may assist in the development of capabilities in the agricultural, food, and environmental sciences by providing grants-

(A) to an institution to allow for the improvement of the research, development, technology transfer, and education capacity of the institution through the acquisition of special research equipment and the improvement of agricultural education and teaching, except that the Secretary shall use not less than 25 percent of the funds made available for grants under this subparagraph to provide fellowships to outstanding pre- and post-doctoral students for research in the agricultural sciences;

(B) to a single investigator or coinvestigators who are beginning research careers and do not have an extensive research publication record, except that, to be eligible for a grant under this subparagraph, an individual shall be within 5 years of the beginning of the initial career track position of the individual;

(C) to ensure that the faculty of small, mid-sized, and minority-serving institutions who have not previously been successful in obtaining competitive grants under this subsection receive a portion of the grants;

(D) to improve research, extension, and education capabilities in States (as defined in section 3103 of this title) in which institutions have been less successful in receiving funding under this subsection, based on a 3-year rolling average of funding levels;

(E) to eligible entities to carry out the specific proposals submitted under procedures established under paragraph (4)(F) only if such specific proposals are consistent with a priority area specified in paragraph (2); and

(F) to an institution to carry out collaboration in biomedical and agricultural research using existing research models.

(7) Eligible entities

The Secretary may make grants to carry out research, extension, and education under this subsection to-

(A) State agricultural experiment stations;

(B) colleges and universities;