12 2 STA T . 2 0 10 PUBLIC LA W 110 – 2 46—J U NE 1 8, 2008 ‘ ‘ (i i )l i nksbetw een d iet a nd h ealth
‘‘(iii) bi o a v ailabilit y o f n u t r ients; ‘‘(iv) p ostharvest physiolo g y and pra c tices; and ‘‘(v) i m proved processing technologies . ‘‘( D ) REN E WABL E ENE RGY, NA TU RAL RE SO UR C ES, AN D EN VI RON M ENT. —N atural resources and the environment, including— ‘‘(i) fundamental structures and functions of eco - systems; ‘‘(ii) biological and physical bases of sustainable production systems; ‘‘(iii) minimi z ing soil and water losses and sus- taining surface water and ground water q uality; ‘‘(iv) global climate effects on agriculture; ‘‘(v) forestry; and ‘‘(vi) biological diversity. ‘‘( E ) A GRICULTURE SYSTEMS AND TEC H NOLOGY.— Engineering, products, and processes, including— ‘‘(i) new uses and new products from traditional and nontraditional crops, animals, byproducts, and nat- ural resources; ‘‘(ii) robotics, energy efficiency, computing, and e x pert systems; ‘‘(iii) new hazard and risk assessment and mitiga- tion measures; and ‘‘(iv) water quality and management. ‘‘( F ) AGRICULTURE ECONOMICS AND RURAL COMMU- NITIES.— M arkets, trade, and policy, including— ‘‘(i) strategies for entering into and being competi- tive in domestic and overseas markets; ‘‘(ii) farm efficiency and profitability, including the viability and competitiveness of small and medium- sized dairy, livestock, crop and other commodity oper- ations; ‘‘(iii) new decision tools for farm and market sys- tems; ‘‘(iv) choices and applications of technology; ‘‘(v) technology assessment; and ‘‘(vi) new approaches to rural development, including rural entrepreneurship. ‘‘( 3 ) T ERM.—The term of a competitive grant made under this subsection may not exceed 10 years. ‘‘( 4 ) G ENERAL ADMINISTRATION.— I n making grants under this subsection, the S ecretary shall— ‘‘(A) seek and accept proposals for grants; ‘‘( B ) determine the relevance and merit of proposals through a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1 9 9 8 ( 7U .S. C .7 6 13); ‘‘(C) award grants on the basis of merit, quality, and relevance; ‘‘(D) solicit and consider input from persons who con- duct or use agricultural research, extension, or education in accordance with section 10 2 (b) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7612(b)); and Grants.
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