Identifies and describes specific government assistance opportunities such as loans, grants, counseling, and procurement contracts available under many agencies and programs.

Lists federal funding programs available to rural areas which were selected from the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 1997. Provides extensive listings of federal assistance programs; national, regional, and local office contacts; and grant application procedures, from: the Appalachian Regional Comm.; Depts. of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, and Energy; EPA; FEMA; Depts. of Health and Human Services, Justice, Labor, Interior, and Transportation; HUD; NEA; National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities; SBA; TVA; and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Transcending geographic boundaries and research disciplines, the Nat. Center for Research Resources (NCRR) supports unique and essential resources that help researchers funded through the NIH transform basic scientific discoveries into improved human health. The next 5 years will be pivotal for NCRR as it seeks to energize the discipline of clinical and translational research across the country. This ¿Strategic Plan¿ is intended to provide NCRR with a solid foundation for moving forward. It reflects extensive discussions and advice from a broad spectrum of individuals, including biomedical scientists, high-level administrators in research institutions, members of professional org., and NIH senior program staff. Illustrations.