(a) The regulations of this part apply to small business innovation research grants awarded under the general authority of section 630 of the Act making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies' programs for fiscal year ending 1987, and for other purposes as made applicable by section 101(a) of Pub. L. 99-591, 100 Stat. 3341, and the provisions of the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638), and the Small Business Innovation Research Program Reauthorization Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-554, which extends the SBIR Program through September 30, 2008. The Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, as amended, mandates that each Federal agency with an annual extramural budget for research or research and development in excess of $100 million participate in a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program by reserving a statutory percentage of its annual extramural budget for award to small business concerns for research or research and development in order to stimulate technological innovation, use small business to meet Federal research and development needs, increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development, and foster and encourage the participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation. The Department will participate in this program through the issuance of competitive research grants which will be administered by NIFA.

(b) The regulations of this part do not apply to research grants awarded by the Department under any other authority.