NASULGC's Farm Bill Provisions

463. Borlaug= International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program<= /b>

Summary<= /o:p>

Authorizes the “Borlaug International Agricult= ural Science and Technology Fellowship Program,” to provide fellowships = for study in the United States for scientific training to individuals from certain foreign countries who specialize in agricultural education, resea= rch and extension. Authorizes $5 million per year to carry out three programs= to assist fellowship recipients, including: (1) A Graduate Studies Program in Agriculture; (2) An Individual Career Improvement Program; and (3) The Borlaug Agricultural Policy Executive Leadership Course.

Legislative Language

SEC. 463. BORLAUG INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE= AND TECHNOLOGY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment.—

(1) In General.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a fellowship program to be known= as the “Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program,” to provide fellowships for scientific training= to individuals from eligible countries (as described under subsection (b)) w= ho specialize in agricultural education, research and extension for study in= the United States.

(2) Programs.—The Sec= retary shall carry out the program established under paragraph (1) through three programs designed to assist individual fellowship recipients as follows:<= o:p>

(A) A Graduate Studies Prog= ram in Agriculture to assist individuals who participate in graduate agricultural degree training at a U.S. institution;

(B) An Individual Career Improvement Program to assist agricultural scientists from developing countries to upgrade skills and understanding in agricultural science and technology; and

(C) The Borlaug Agricultural Policy Executive Leadership Course to assist senior agricultural policy makers from eligible countries with an initial focus on sub-Saharan Africa and from the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.

(b) Eligible countries.—Countries described in this subsection shall be eligible= to participate in the program established under this section:

(1) Low-income country.R= 12;A country with low per capita income that receives foreign aid assistance f= rom the United States to promote employment opportunities, increase income le= vels and levels of living, particularly in the rural areas, and to reduce rural poverty through increased agricultural productivity.

(2) Middle-income country.—A country that has developed economically to the point whe= re it no longer qualifies for bilateral foreign aid assistance from the Unit= ed States because its per capita income level exceeds the eligibility requirements of such assistance programs (hereafter referred to in this section as a “middle-income” country).

(3) Ongoing relationship.&#= 8212;A middle-income country that has never qualified for bilateral foreign aid assistance from the United States, but with respect to which an ongoing relationship with the United States, including technical assistance and training, would provide mutual benefits to such country and the United States.

(4) Type of government.R= 12;A country that is transforming its system of government from a non-representative type to a representative democracy and that is encoura= ging democratic institution building, and the cultural values, institutions, a= nd organizations of democratic pluralism.

(5) Independent States of t= he Former Soviet Union.—A country that is an independent state of the former Soviet Union as defined in section 102(8) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602 (8)), to the extent that the Secretary of Agriculture determines that the United States and the country could benef= it from the eligibility and participation of the country in the program established under this section.

(c) Purpose of fellowships.—Fellowships under this section shall promote food secu= rity 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 this knowled= ge to users and their intermediaries in the market place. Fellowships shall support:

(1) Training and collaborat= ive research opportunities through exchanges for entry-level international agricultural research scientists, faculty and policymakers from eligible countries.

(2) Collaborative research = to improve agricultural productivity;

(3) The transfer of new sci= ence and agricultural technologies to strengthen agricultural practice; and

(4) The reduction of barrie= rs to technology adoption.

(d) Fellowship Recipients.&= #8212;

(1) Eligible Candidates.—The Secretary may provide fellowships under the program authorized by this section to individuals from eligible countries who specialize in or have experience in agricultural education, research, extension, or related fields, including individuals from the public and private sectors, and private agricultural producers.

(2) Candidate Identificatio= n.—The Secretary shall utilize the expertise of U.S. land-grant and similar universities, international organizations working in agricultural research and outreach, and national agricultural research organizations to help identify program candidates for fellowships under this section from both = the public and private sectors of eligible countries.

(e) Use of Fellowships.—Fellowships shall promote collaborative programs betwe= en agricultural professionals of eligible countries with those of the United States and the international agricultural research system and, as appropriate, with U.S. entities conducting research. They will be used to support fellowship recipients through the Graduate Studies Program in Agriculture established under subsection (a)(2)(A).

(f) Program implementation.—The Secretary shall provide for the management, coordination, evaluation and monitoring of the overall Borlaug Internatio= nal Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program and for the indivi= dual programs described in subsection (a)(2), except that the Secretary may contract out to one or more collaborating universities the management of = one or more of the fellowship programs.

(g) Oversight Board.—= The Secretary shall establish an oversight board to oversee activities of the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Prog= ram. The board shall consist of—

(1) two representatives fro= m the Latin American region;

(2) two representatives fro= m the African region;

(3) two representatives fro= m the South Asian region;

(4) two representatives fro= m the East Asian region;

(5) two representatives fro= m United States land-grant universities;

(6) two representatives from development or donor organizations;

(7) two= representatives from agricultural industries.

The board will advise the office in the Foreign Agricultural Service of the Department of Agriculture responsible for managing the program on program priorities and related matters, including annual priority regions and countries, annual priority topics for exchang= es, and sources of complementary funding and other alternative funding.<= /o:p>

(h) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated without fiscal year limitation such sums as may be necessary= to carry out the program established under this section, except that the amo= unt of such funds in any fiscal year shall not exceed—

(1) for the Graduate Studies Program in Agriculture established under subsection (a)(2)(A), $1,250,000= ;

(2) for the Individual Care= er Improvement Program established under subsection (a)(2)(B), $2,500,000; a= nd

(3) for= the Borlaug Agricultural Policy Executive Leadership Course established u= nder subsection (a)(2)(C), $1,250,000.

(i) Complementary funds.—If the Secretary of Agriculture determines tha= t it is advisable in furtherance of the purposes of the program established un= der this section, the Secretary may accept money, funds, property, and servic= es of every kind by gift, devise, bequest, grant, or otherwise, and may, in = any manner, dispose of all such holdings and use the receipts generated from = such disposition as general program funds under this section. All funds so designated for the program established under this section shall remain available until expended.