---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 3319b"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "3319b"
heading: "Joint requests for proposals"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/3319b"
units:
  - "Chapter 64 — Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching"
  - "Subchapter X — Funding and Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §3319b. Joint requests for proposals

- (a) **In general—** In carrying out any competitive [agricultural research](/usc/7/3103.md?p=2), [education](/usc/7/3103.md?p=20), or [extension](/usc/7/3103.md?p=8) grant program authorized under this or any other Act, the [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) 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](/usc/7/3103.md?p=20), or [extension](/usc/7/3103.md?p=8) projects or activities.
- (b) **Administration—**
  - (1) **Secretary—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) may delegate authority to issue requests for proposals, make grant awards, or administer grants, in whole or in part, to a cooperating Federal agency.
  - (2) **Cooperating Federal agency—** The cooperating Federal agency may delegate to the [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) authority to issue requests for proposals, make grant awards, or administer grants, in whole or in part.
- (c) **Regulations—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) and a cooperating Federal agency may agree to make applicable to recipients of grants—
  - (1) the post-award grant administration regulations applicable to recipients of grants from the [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15); or
  - (2) the post-award grant administration regulations applicable to recipients of grants from the cooperating Federal agency.
- (d) **Joint peer review panels—** Subject to [section 3129a of this title](/usc/7/3129a.md), the [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) and a cooperating Federal agency may establish joint peer review panels for the purpose of evaluating grant proposals.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, § 1473B, as added Pub. L. 107–171, title VII, § 7403(b), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 456.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 3319b, Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, § 1473B, as added Pub. L. 99–198, title XIV, § 1427, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1553, provided for technology development for small- and medium-sized farming operations, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–624, title XVI, § 1601(f)(1)(E), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3704.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Purposes

Pub. L. 107–171, title VII, § 7403(a), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 456, provided that:

“The purposes of this section [enacting this section] are—

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.”

### Definitions

Pub. L. 107–171, title VII, § 7401, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 455, provided that: “In this subtitle [subtitle D (§ 7401–7412) of title VII of Pub. L. 107–171, enacting this section and sections [former] 3310a, [former] 3319f, 5925c, 5925d, and 7630 of this title and provisions set out as notes under this section and sections 3101, [former] 3319f, [former] 5925a, and 5925b of this title]: Department.—The term ‘Department’ means the Department of Agriculture. Secretary.—The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Agriculture.”