NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Chronic Wasting Disease Research Projects; Request for Applications
[49 Pa.B. 6547]
[Saturday, November 2, 2019]The Department of Agriculture (Department), under funds appropriated to it under section 1718-J(3) of the Fiscal Code (72 P.S. § 1718-J(3)), is soliciting applications to conduct research on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). No less than $1 million has been appropriated to the Department for the purposes set forth in this Request for Applications.
The research must be conducted in one or more of the research topic areas established in this Request for Applications.
This notice establishes the procedures by which grant applications will be solicited and reviewed, and by which grants will be awarded.
1. Grant solicitation. The Department will accept grant applications for the purposes, in the form and according to the schedule set forth in this notice. Additional publication and dissemination of this notice shall be made to any individuals or entities who have requested notification from the Department of grant availability.
2. Research topic areas. The research topics the Department has been authorized to fund are as follows:
a. Diagnostic tests to detect CWD in cervids and prevent humans from consuming infected venison.
b. Development and testing of live animal tests for the detection of CWD.
c. Development and testing of injectable and oral vaccines for CWD.
d. Research of management, environmental or genetic factors, or both, that may play a role in disease occurrence and mitigation.
e. Research of biosecure, cost-effective disposal and cleaning and disinfection methods for CWD positive cervids.
f. Research to develop rapid in-field testing to detect CWD immediately after hunter harvest.
g. Other innovative research to better understand CWD, disease implications and best strategies for disease containment and control.
3. Required content for each grant proposal. All grant applications submitted shall set forth, in detail, the following information:
a. Research topic. The application shall clearly set forth and establish which approved research topic is to be explored.
b. Experimental design, work plan, deliverables and estimated date of deliverables. Refer to and complete the following ''Instructions and Format,'' as follows hereto and made apart hereof.
4. Application delivery and deadline. Interested applicants must submit a complete electronic research project proposal and grant application using the Department of Community and Economic Development's Electronic Single Application web site at https://www.esa.dced.state.pa.us/Login.aspx by 4 p.m. on November 30, 2019. Questions regarding this online application process may be directed to Sheila Strubhar, Chief of the Contracts and Procurement Division for the Department, at (717) 787-1467.
5. Notice of award. Applicants shall be notified by mail of the decision on their grant applications by the Department. Best efforts will be made to do so within 60 days of the application deadline.
6. Grant agreement. With the mailed grant award notice, the Department will provide applicants with a grant agreement for execution and return within 30 days. The Department will obtain the required Commonwealth signatures on the grant agreements and return a copy of the fully-executed grant agreement to the applicant. No grant agreement is effective, and work should not commence, until all required signatures have been applied to the grant agreement. Among the terms of the grant agreement shall be a requirement that the grant recipient provide the Department full and complete access to all records relating to the performance of the project and submit the information as the Department may require.
7. Nonmatching cost-reimbursable grant. Grants made hereunder do not require the applicant secure or devote a matching sum to the project, but outside funding may be considered as an evaluation criterion. Payment of grant funds will occur on a reimbursement basis, with the possibility upon the written submission of justification and subsequent approval of the Department of an advance payment option.
8. Indirect cost reimbursement. Grants made hereunder are subject to an indirect cost cap of 10% of total project costs. For the purpose of this research grant funding solicitation, indirect costs shall include administrative salaries and benefits, office supplies and equipment, facility related cost including maintenance and repairs, telephones, memberships/dues, freight/postage cost and any consultant related costs associated with the administration of this research grant.
9. Reporting requirements. Upon completion of research projects funded through this program, grant recipients will submit to the Department within 60 days a final report detailing the nature of the questions under study, an explanation of the research design and methods, findings of the research and recommendations for future study.
RUSSELL C. REDDING,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 19-1631. Filed for public inspection November 1, 2019, 9:00 a.m.]
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
