Grants and partnerships for international agricultural research, extension, and education

(a) In general Section 1458A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3292) is amended— (1) by amending the section heading to read as follows Grants and partnerships for international agricultural research, extension, and education; (2) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the following: (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Developing country The term developing country means a country that meets such criteria as determined by the Secretary, established using a gross national income per capita test selected by the Secretary. (2) Eligible institution The term eligible institution means— (A) a land-grant colleges or university; (B) a non-land-grant college of agriculture; (C) a Hispanic-serving agricultural college or university; and (D) a cooperating forestry school. (3) International partner institution The term international partner institution means a higher education institution in a developing country that is performing, or desiring to perform, activities similar to agricultural research, extension, and education activities carried out through eligible institutions in the United States. (b) Grants and partnerships (1) Grants The Secretary may make competitive grants to eligible institutions in order to strengthen United States economic competitiveness and to promote international market development through— (A) enhancing the international content of the curricula in colleges and universities so as to ensure that United States students acquire an understanding of the international dimensions and trade implications of their studies; (B) ensuring that United States scientists, extension agents, and educators involved in agricultural research and development activities outside of the United States have the opportunity to convey the implications of their activities and findings to their peers and students in the United States and to the users of agricultural research, extension, and teaching; (C) enhancing the capabilities of colleges and universities to do collaborative research with other countries, in cooperation with other Federal agencies, on issues relevant to United States agricultural competitiveness; (D) enhancing the capabilities of colleges and universities to provide cooperative extension education to promote the application of new technology developed in foreign countries to United States agriculture; and (E) enhancing the capability of United States colleges and universities, in cooperation with other Federal agencies, to provide leadership and educational programs that will assist United States natural resources and food production, processing, and distribution businesses and industries to compete internationally, including through the use of product market identification, international policies limiting or enhancing market production, the development of new or enhancement of existing markets, and production efficiencies. (2) Partnerships The Secretary may promote cooperation and coordination between eligible institutions and international partner institutions through— (A) improving extension by— (i) encouraging the exchange of research materials and results between eligible institutions and international partner institutions; (ii) facilitating the broad dissemination of agricultural research through extension; (iii) assisting with efforts to plan and initiate extension services in developing countries; and (iv) developing self-sustaining regional agricultural markets and promoting the application of new agricultural technologies and techniques; (B) improving agricultural research by— (i) in partnership with international partner institutions, encouraging research that addresses problems affecting food production and security, human nutrition, agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fisheries, including local challenges; and (ii) supporting and strengthening national agricultural research systems in developing countries; (C) improving agricultural teaching and education by— (i) in partnership with international partner institutions, supporting education and teaching relating to food and agricultural sciences, including technical assistance, degree training, research collaborations, classroom instruction, workforce training, and education programs; and (ii) assisting with efforts to increase student capacity, including to encourage equitable access for women and other underserved populations, at international partner institutions by promoting partnerships with, and improving the capacity of, eligible institutions; (D) assisting eligible institutions in strengthening their capacity for food, agricultural, and related research, extension, and teaching programs relevant to agricultural development activities in developing countries to promote the application of new technology to improve education delivery; (E) providing support for the internationalization of resident instruction programs of eligible institutions; (F) establishing a program, to be coordinated by the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, to place interns from eligible institutions in, or in service to benefit, developing countries; and (G) establishing a program to provide fellowships to students at eligible institutions to study at foreign agricultural colleges and universities.; (3) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking covered Institutions and inserting eligible institutions; and (4) in subsection (d), by striking 2023 and inserting 2031. (b) Conforming amendment Section 1459A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3292b) is repealed.