Cochran Fellowship Program

Awards will enhance knowledge and skills to assist eligible countries to develop agricultural systems (which may include agricultural extension services) necessary to meet the food and fiber needs of their domestic populations; and strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and agricultural interests in the United States or
between agricultural interests in the United States and regulatory systems governing sanitary and phytosanitary standards for agricultural products that may enter the United States and may pose risks to human, animal, or plant life or health.

State Cooperative Institutions, Colleges and Universities, Private voluntary organizations, Nonprofit agricultural organizations or cooperatives, Nongovernmental organizations, or other private entities, which are registered, headquartered, and based in the United States.

n.b. Individual Notices of Funding Opportunity may be made available to a subset of these organizations.

Fellows are selected from the public and private sectors in eligible countries. In general, fellows are identified by USDA/FAS prior to award.

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, 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.