Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The departments and agencies listed in this document propose revisions to modernize, strengthen, and make more effective the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects that was promulgated as a Common Rule in 1991. This NPRM seeks comment on proposals to better protect human subjects involved in research, while facilitating valuable research and reducing burden, delay, and ambiguity for investigators. This proposed rule is an effort to modernize, simplify, and enhance the current system of oversight. The participating departments and agencies propose these revisions to the human subjects regulations because they believe these changes would strengthen protections for research subjects while facilitating important research.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is publishing as a final rule one set of administrative requirements that contain elements common to all of the competitive and noncompetitive non-formula Federal assistance programs the Agency administers. In a relatively short period of time, this allows CSREES to apply basic rules to Federal assistance programs that had been operating without them, including new non-formula Federal assistance programs created by the enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) and to efficiently implement changes to programs with existing regulations as required by FCEA. The provisions in subparts A through E serve as a single Agency resource codifying current practices simply and coherently for almost all CSREES competitive and noncompetitive non-formula Federal assistance programs except the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). As specific rules are developed for each CSREES Federal assistance program, CSREES will propose adding a subpart for that Federal assistance program to this regulation. This final rule is published with a first set of program- specific Federal assistance regulations as subpart F for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, authorized under section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, as added by section 7311 of FCEA.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is publishing a set of specific administrative requirements for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) to supplement the Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-Formula Federal Assistance ProgramsGeneral Award Administrative Provisions for this program. The BFRDP is authorized undersection 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by section 7410 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

This interim final rule establishes the process and procedures for designating veterinarian shortage situations, specifically for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Service Act (NVMSA) and administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. CSREES will designate geographic and practice areas that have a shortage of food supply veterinarians in order to carry out the VMLRP goals of strengthening the nation's animal health infrastructure and supplementing the Federal response during animal health emergencies. CSREES will carry out NVMSA by entering into educational loan repayment agreements with veterinarians who agree to provide veterinary services in veterinarian shortage situations for a determined period of time. CSREES is establishing Subpart A for the designation of the veterinarian shortage situations and Subpart B for the administration of the VMLRP.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is announcing the release of the FY 2009 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) Request for Applications (RFA) via Grants.gov.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service published a document in the Federal Register on March 3, 2009, concerning request for stakeholder input regarding the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center Program. The document contained an incorrect e-mail address.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is requesting written stakeholder input on the establishment of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Institute) at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The establishment of the Institute is mandated in section 251(f) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971(f)) as added by section 7511(a)(4) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246). All programs and authorities currently delegated to CSREES will transfer to the Institute, no later than October 1, 2009. By this notice, CSREES has been designated to act on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) in soliciting public comment from interested parties regarding the establishment of the Institute.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, this notice announces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's intention to revise a currently approved information collection entitled, ``Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service Application Kit for Research and Extension Programs''.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is implementing a newly funded competitive grants program called the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. By this notice, CSREES is designated to act on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture in soliciting public comments and stakeholder input from persons who use or conduct research, extension or education, training, outreach and technical assistance regarding the implementing regulation to be developed for this newly funded program, as required under section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA).

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) published on August 1, 2008, an interim final rule concerning one set of administrative requirements that contain elements common to all of the competitive and noncompetitive non-formula grant programs the Agency administers. That document contained an invalid E- mail address for the submission of comments. This document adds a valid E-mail address and extends the comment period for 30 days.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is creating a new research, education, and extension program called the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). By this notice, CSREES is designated to act on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture in soliciting public comment from interested persons regarding the implementing regulation to be developed for this new program as required under section 7406 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, this notice announces the intent of the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) to request approval for revision of the currently approved information collection for the CSREES application review process.

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 1320) that implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES) intention to request approval for an extension of a currently approved information collection for Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR).

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is revising the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants Program Administrative Regulations to implement changes and be compliant with the Small Business Innovation Research Policy Directive (67 FR 60072, September 24, 2002).

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is updating and making technical corrections to the administrative provisions for the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP). In addition, CSREES is revising 7 CFR 3411.3(d), the ``Eligibility requirements'' for NRICGP Postdoctoral Fellowships, New Investigator Awards, and Strengthening Awards, and 7 CFR 3411.4(c)(8), the Agency instructions to applicants preparing project budgets for NRICGP conference grants and postdoctoral fellowships. CSREES anticipates the changes to the eligibility requirements will increase the impact of the Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards, while the changes to the budget instructions will facilitate additional conference and postdoctoral fellowship awards.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) proposes to update and make technical corrections to the administrative provisions for the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP). In addition, CSREES proposes substantive revisions to 7 CFR 3411.3(d), the ``Eligibility requirements'' for NRICGP Postdoctoral Fellowships, New Investigator Awards, and Strengthening Awards, and to 7 CFR 3411.4(c)(8), Agency instructions to applicants preparing project budgets for NRICGP conference grants and postdoctoral fellowships. CSREES anticipates the proposed changes to the eligibility requirements would increase the impact of the Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards, while the proposed changes to the budget instructions would facilitate additional conference and postdoctoral fellowship awards.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 1320) which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection (OMB No. 0524-0026) for Form CSREES-665, ``Assurance of Compliance with the Department of Agriculture Regulations Assuring Civil Rights Compliance,'' and Form CSREES-666, ``Organizational Information.''

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 1320) which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES) intention to revise and request an extension for a currently approved information collection (OMB No. 0524-0038) for Form CSREES-2103 ``Certification of Offset and Entitlement for 1890 Land-Grant Institutions.''

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, this notice announces the intent of the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) to request approval for an extension of the currently approved information collection for the CSREES proposal review process.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces solicitation for nominations to fill nine anticipated vacancies on the Forestry Research Advisory Council. The terms of nine members expired on December 31, 2004. Nominations for a three-year appointment for all nine positions are sought.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 1320) which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), this notice announces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Services (CSREES) intention to request approval to extend the currently approved information collection for Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR).