(a)

1. (1) Fellows must be identified and Fellowships must be awarded within 18 months of the effective date of a grant. Institutions failing to meet this deadline will be required to refund monies associated with any unawarded Fellowship(s). Graduate Fellowship appointments may be held only by persons who enroll and pursue full-time study in a graduate degree program in the national need area and at the degree level supported by the grant. Postdoctoral Fellowship appointments may be held only by persons who pursue full-time traineeship in research, teaching or extension in the national need area and are supervised by the mentor indicated in the grant application.
2. (2) It will be the responsibility of the grantee institution to award fellowships to students of superior academic ability.

3. (3) Graduate Fellows:

   1. (i) Must be appointed before completing two semesters or equivalent hours of full-time study, as defined by the institution, or immediately after passing of candidacy/qualifying examinations, whichever is later;
   2. (ii) Must be citizens or nationals of the United States as determined in accordance with Federal law; and
   3. (iii) Must have strong interest, as judged by the institution, in pursuing a degree in a targeted national need area and in preparing for a career as a food or agricultural scientist or professional.

4. (4) Postdoctoral Fellows:

   1. (i) Must have been USDA Graduate Fellows who successfully completed their doctoral degrees in areas of the food and agricultural sciences designated by NIFA as national need areas;
   2. (ii) Must not have obtained their doctoral degrees more than five years prior to beginning their postdoctoral Fellowships;
   3. (iii) Must have strong interest, as judged by the institution, in preparing for a career in agricultural research, teaching or extension.

5. (5)

   1. (i) A doctoral level Graduate Fellow who maintains satisfactory progress in his or her course of study is eligible for support for a maximum of 36 months within a 42-month period. A master's level Fellow who maintains satisfactory progress in his or her course of study is eligible for support for a maximum of 24 months during a 30-month period. A postdoctoral Fellow who achieves his or her training objectives is eligible for support for a maximum of 36 months during a 60-month period. It is the intent of this program that Graduate Fellows pursue full-time uninterrupted study or thesis/dissertation research, including time spent pursuing USDA-funded special international study or thesis/dissertation research activities.

   2. (ii) Postdoctoral Fellowship appointments may be held only by persons who pursue full-time traineeship in research, teaching, or extension in the national need area and are supervised by the mentor indicated in the grant application.

      However, during the period of support, USDA Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellows are permitted, at the discretion of their institutions, to accept additional supplemental employment that would positively contribute to their training or research and provide eligibility for tuition waivers (e.g., full or partial tuition waivers with research or teaching assignments).

   3. (iii) For graduate Fellows requiring additional time to complete a degree, it is expected that the institution will endeavor to continue supporting individuals originally appointed to Fellowships through such other institutional means as teaching assistantships and research assistantships. For postdoctoral Fellows who terminate the Fellowships prematurely, the institution must return all unexpended monies to USDA. For USDA Graduate Fellows who complete the program of study early (less than 24 months for master's degree or 36 months for doctoral degree) or terminate their Fellowships prematurely, the institution may use any unexpended monies, within the time remaining on the project grant, to support pursuit of a doctoral degree in a discipline in the food and agricultural sciences by a master's degree level Fellow at the grantee institution; or a replacement Graduate Fellow. Where less than one semester/quarter remains before the expiration date of the Graduate Fellowship grant, the institution must refund any unexpended monies to the granting agency. Such funds cannot be used to increase the annual stipend amounts for current USDA Graduate or Postdoctoral Fellows.