(a) General. Unless otherwise specified in the RFA or this subpart, eligible applicants for the grant program implemented under this subpart include:

1. (1) State agricultural experiment stations;
2. (2) Colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering an associate's degree);
3. (3) University research foundations;
4. (4) Other research institutions and organizations;
5. (5) Federal agencies;
6. (6) National laboratories;
7. (7) Private organizations or corporations;
8. (8) Individuals; and
9. (9) Any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in paragraphs (a)(1) through (8) of this section.

(b) Integrated projects. Eligible entities for the integrated component under this subpart include:

1. (1) Colleges and universities;
2. (2) 1994 Institutions; and
3. (3) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).

(2) Pre- and postdoctoral fellowships. The following eligibility requirements apply to applicants for pre- and postdoctoral fellowships.

1. (i) The doctoral degree of the applicant must be received not earlier than January 1 of the calendar year three years prior to the submission of the proposal and not later than nine months after the proposal due date; and
2. (ii) For pre-doctoral applications, the applicant must have advanced to candidacy by the application deadline.

(3) Strengthening grants. Eligibility for all strengthening categories includes:

1. (i) Small and mid-sized academic institutions that have had limited institutional success;
2. (ii) Degree-granting institutions and State agricultural experiment stations (SAES) in USDA Experimental Program for Stimulating Competitive Research (EPSCoR) states; and
3. (iii) Minority-serving institutions with limited institutional success.