Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship

 

Fellowships are intended to promote food security and economic growth in eligible countries by educating a new generation of agricultural scientists, increasing scientific knowledge and collaborative research to improve agricultural productivity, and extending that knowledge to users and intermediaries in the marketplace.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
10.777
Federal Agency/Office
Foreign Agricultural Service, Department of Agriculture
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants; C - Direct Payments For Specified Use
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY2022, 20 Fellows representing 14 countries conducted hands-on developmental research in plant and animal health, biotechnology, high-yield plant breeding, and other topics, improving the understanding of these fields in their home countries.
Authorization
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, as amended, Title VII, Part A, Section 7139, Public Law 110-234, 7 U.S.C. 3319j, Statute 122,1231
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
State cooperative institutions or other colleges and universities in the United States, as defined by 7 USC 3103
Beneficiary Eligibility
Fellows must hold a minimum of a Master's-level degree, be in the early or middle stage of their career, and represent a university, government agency or research entity in a low or middle-income country.
Credentials/Documentation
Not applicable.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applications should be submitted at https://grants.fms.usda.gov
Award Procedure
USDA/FAS will convene a review panel to review eligible applications against the evaluation criteria described in the NOFO. Reviewers will ensure that the applicant is capable of delivering the programs/activities as described in the announcement based on the applicant's project narrative and assign a score and provide summary comments based on the evaluation criteria identified below. The review panel will make a recommendation list to the selecting official (generally, the Senior Director for Fellowship Programs), who is not a member of the panel. The selecting official may select applications out of rank order in consideration of strategic program priorities, such as geographical distribution, incorporation of minority-serving institutions, or congressional directive. Selection determinations are final and cannot be appealed. Prior to selection, the agency may contact the highest-ranking applicants to seek clarification and to negotiate technical and programmatic aspects of the application. If an application includes a subaward, FAS may request to speak with all parties included in the application to ensure sufficient planning and coordination has taken place prior to making an award.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
From 30 to 60 days.
Appeals
Not applicable.
Renewals
Not applicable.
How are proposals selected?
Applicants will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which they demonstrate that they have the capabilities, staff, resources, and equipment to successfully perform the project. Scoring will also be based on the level of detail and how clearly the applicant's capacities to address these factors are outlined in the proposal. Specific selection criteria are identified in the corresponding Notice of Funding Opportunity, and generally include the scientific merit of the proposed activity; the anticipated impact of the activity; cost effectiveness; and quality of application.
How may assistance be used?
Assistance may be used to support the participating fellows (i.e. travel and subsistence expenses), related supplies and materials, reasonable host institution fees, and related travel by faculty mentors.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Not applicable.
Auditing
Not applicable.
Records
Grant records shall be retained for a period of 3 years from the day the recipient submits its final expenditure report. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, or other action involving the records has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records must be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. Grant records include financial and program/progress reports, support documents, statistical records, and other documents that support the activity and/or expenditure of the recipient or subrecipient under the award.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Agreements are generally for two years, to include the initial fellowships and appropriate follow-up; extensions may be authorized under certain circumstances. Where topically indicated (i.e. due to seasonality), agreements may be awarded for a longer period.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
None/Not specified.
Headquarters Office
Nicola Sakhleh
1400 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20250 USA
nicola.sakhleh@usda.gov
Phone: 202-720-4228
Website Address
http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/borlaug-fellowship-program
Financial Information
Account Identification
12-2900-0-1-352
Obligations
(Project Grants (Fellowships)) FY 22$70,598.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 est $1,950,000.00; FY 21$1,546,423.00; FY 20$1,743,347.00; FY 19$3,171,655.00; FY 18$2,079,340.00; FY 17$2,275,203.00; FY 16$2,275,203.00; - Fellowships delayed due to the coronavirus emergency are being undertaken in 2023, and the program anticipates resuming a normal schedule of awards in 2024.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Each award supports one fellow, and is up to $60,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Not applicable.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2022 In 2022, ten awards were made, supporting fellows from seven countries, in plant biotechnology, pesticide residues, agricultural economics, and other fields.

 



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