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 enh

The Cochran Fellowship Program provides 2-3 weeks of U.S. agriculture training. Fellows work with U.S. universities, government agencies, and private companies. They receive hands-on training to enhance their technical knowledge and skills in areas related to agricultural trade, agribusiness development, management, policy, and marketing.

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.

Assistance may be used to support the participating fellows (i.e. travel and subsistence expenses), related supplies and materials, reasonable host institution fees, and related travel by trainers and logistical staff.

The initial period of performance is up to one year; extensions may be available under certain circumstances.

Applicants will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which they demonstrate that they have the capabilities, staff, resources, and equipment to successfully perform the project. Scoring will also be based on the level of detail and how clearly the applicant's capacities to address these factors are outlined in the proposal. Specific selection criteria are identified in the corresponding Notice of Funding Opportunity, and generally include the scientific merit of the proposed activity; the anticipated impact of the activity; cost effectiveness; and quality of application.

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.