7 U.S.C. § 3319b: Joint requests for proposals

In carrying out any competitive agricultural research, education, or extension grant program authorized under this or any other Act, the Secretary may cooperate with 1 or more other Federal agencies (including the National Science Foundation) in issuing joint requests for proposals, awarding grants, and administering grants, for similar or related research, education, or extension projects or activities. The Secretary may delegate authority to issue requests for proposals, make grant awards, or administer grants, in whole or in part, to a cooperating Federal agency. The cooperating Federal agency may delegate to the Secretary authority to issue requests for proposals, make grant awards, or administer grants, in whole or in part. the post-award grant administration regulations applicable to recipients of grants from the Secretary; or the post-award grant administration regulations applicable to recipients of grants from the cooperating Federal agency. Subject to section 3129a of this title , the Secretary and a cooperating Federal agency may establish joint peer review panels for the purpose of evaluating grant proposals. to reduce the duplication of administrative functions relating to grant awards and administration among Federal agencies conducting similar types of research, education, and extension programs; to maximize the use of peer review resources in research, education, and extension programs; and to reduce the burden on potential recipients that may offer similar proposals to receive competitive grants under different Federal programs in overlapping subject areas.” The term ‘Department’ means the Department of Agriculture. The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Agriculture.”