[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 247 (Thursday, December 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73325-73335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-6224]
[[Page 73325]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 070817470-7855-03; I.D. 051906D]
RIN 0648-ZB83
Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2008
AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: NOAA publishes this notice to supplement the agency's
solicitation for applications published on July 2, 2007 in an action
entitled ``Omnibus Notice Announcing the Availability of Grant Funds
for Fiscal Year 2008''. This notice announces 11 additional programs
that are soliciting applications for FY 08 funding.
DATES: Proposals must be received by the date and time specified under
each program listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
document.
ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted to the program address listed in
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. NOAA's
discretionary grant fund notices may be found on the internet at
Grants.gov. The URL for Grants.gov is http://www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For those without Internet access
request a copy of the full funding opportunity announcement and/or
application kit, from the person listed as the information contact
under each program.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applicants must comply with all requirements
contained in the Federal Funding Opportunity announcement for each of
the programs listed in this omnibus notice. These Federal Funding
Opportunities are available at http://www.grants.gov.
The list of grant opportunities under NOAA Project Competitions
(below) describe the basic information and requirements for the
competitive grant/cooperative agreement programs offered by NOAA. These
programs are open to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
specified under each grant. To be considered for an award in a
competitive grant/cooperative agreement program, eligible applicants
must submit a complete and responsive application to the appropriate
address by the deadline specified in this notice. An award is made upon
conclusion of the evaluation and selection process for the respective
program.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. NOAA Project Competitions
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
1. FY08 Hawaii Seafood Program
2. Proactive Species Conservation Program
National Ocean Service (NOS)
1. FY 2008 Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governors' Action Plan
Implementation
2. FY08 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and
Community
Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay
3. NOAAs National Height Modernization Program
National Weather Service (NWS)
1. Hydrologic Research
2. National Weather Service MSI Program
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
1. 2008 Regional Research, Information Planning and Coordination
2. Ballast Water Management Demo (RDTE Facility)
3. Ballast Water Management Demonstration Program (Technologies
and Practices)
Office of the Under Secretary (USEC)
1. Environmental Literacy Grants for Formal K-12 Education
III. Classification
IV. NOAA Project Competitions Listed by NOAA Mission Goals
1. Protect, Restore and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources
Through Ecosystem-Based Management
Summary Description: Coastal areas are among the most developed in
the Nation.
More than half the population lives on less than one-fifth of the
land in the contiguous United States. Furthermore, the employment rate
in near shore areas is growing three times faster than the population.
Coastal and marine waters support over 28 million jobs and provide a
tourism destination for nearly 90 million Americans a year. The value
of the ocean economy to the United States is over $115 billion. The
value added annually to the national economy by the commercial and
recreational fishing industry alone is over $48 billion. U.S.
aquaculture sales total almost $1 billion annually. With its Exclusive
Economic Zone of 3.4 million square miles, the United States manages
the largest marine territory of any nation in the world.
Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
1. Healthy and productive coastal and marine ecosystems that
benefit society.
2. A well-informed public that acts as a steward of coastal and
marine ecosystems.
Program Names:
1. Ballast Water Management Demonstration Program (Technologies and
Practices).
2. 2008 Regional Research, Information Planning and Coordination.
3. Proactive Species Conservation Program.
4. FY08 Hawaii Seafood Program.
5. Ballast Water Management Demo (RDTE Facility).
6. NOAAs National Height Modernization Program.
7. FY08 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and
Community Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay.
2. Support the Nation's Commerce With Information for Safe, Efficient,
and Environmentally Sound Transportation
Summary Description: Safe and efficient transportation systems are
crucial to the U.S. economy. The U.S. marine transportation system
ships over 95 percent of the tonnage and more than 20 percent by value
of foreign trade through U.S. ports, including 48 percent of the oil
needed to meet America's energy demands. At least $4 billion is lost
annually due to economic inefficiencies resulting from weather related
air-traffic delays. Improved surface weather forecasts and specific
user warnings would reduce the 7,000 weather related fatalities and
800,000 injuries that occur annually from crashes on roads and
highways. The injuries, loss of life, and property damage from weather
related crashes cost an average of $42 billion annually. We provide
information, services, and products for transportation safety and for
increased commerce on roads, rails, and waterways. We will improve the
accuracy of our information for marine, aviation, and surface weather
forecasts, the availability of accurate and advanced electronic
navigational charts, and the delivery of real-time oceanographic
information. We seek to provide consistent, accurate, and timely
positioning information that is critical for air, sea, and surface
transportation. We will respond to hazardous material spills and
provide search and rescue routinely to save lives and money and to
protect the coastal environment. We will work with port and coastal
communities and with Federal and state partners to ensure that port
operations and development proceed efficiently and in an
environmentally sound manner. We will work with the Federal Aviation
Administration and the private sector to reduce the negative impacts of
weather on aviation without compromising safety. Because of increased
interest by the public and private sectors, we also will expand weather
information for marine and surface transportation to enhance safety and
efficiency.
[[Page 73326]]
Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
1. Safe, secure, efficient, and seamless movement of goods and
people in the U.S. transportation system.
2. Environmentally sound development and use of the U.S.
transportation system.
Program Names:
1. Ballast Water Management Demonstration Program (Technologies and
Practices).
2. 2008 Regional Research, Information Planning and Coordination.
3. Ballast Water Management Demo (RDTE Facility).
4. NOAAs National Height Modernization Program.
3. Serve Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information
Summary Description: Floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes,
tsunamis, wildfires, and other severe weather events cause $11 billion
in damages each year in the United States. Weather is directly linked
to public health and safety, and nearly one-third of the U.S. economy
(about $3 trillion) is sensitive to weather and climate. With so much
at stake, NOAA's role in understanding, observing, forecasting, and
warning of environmental events is expanding. With our partners, we
seek to provide decision makers with key observations, analyses,
predictions, and warnings for a range of weather and water conditions,
including those related to water supply, air quality, space weather,
and wildfires. Businesses, governments, and nongovernmental
organizations are getting more sophisticated about how to use this
weather and water information to improve operational efficiencies, to
manage environmental resources, and to create a better quality of life.
On average, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and other severe weather
events cause $11 billion in damages per year. Weather, including space
weather, is directly linked to public safety and about one-third of the
U.S. economy (about $3 trillion) is weather sensitive. With so much at
stake, NOAA's role in observing, forecasting, and warning of
environmental events is expanding, while economic sectors and its
public are becoming increasingly sophisticated at using NOAA's weather,
air quality, and water information to improve their operational
efficiencies and their management of environmental resources, and
quality of life.
Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
1. Reduced loss of life, injury, and damage to the economy.
2. Better, quicker, and more valuable weather and water information
to support improved decisions.
3. Increased customer satisfaction with weather and water
information and services.
Program Names:
1. FY 2008 Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governors' Action Plan
Implementation.
2. 2008 Regional Research, Information Planning and Coordination.
3. National Weather Service MSI Program.
4. Hydrologic Research.
5. NOAAs National Height Modernization Program.
4. Understand Climate Variability and Change To Enhance Society's
Ability To Plan and Respond
Summary Description: Climate shapes the environment, natural
resources, economies, and social systems that people depend upon
worldwide. While humanity has learned to contend with some aspects of
climate's natural variability, major climatic events, combined with the
stresses of population growth, economic growth, public health concerns,
and land-use practices, can impose serious consequences on society. The
1997-98 El Nino, for example, had a $25 billion impact on the U.S.
economy--property losses were $2.6 billion and crop losses approached
$2 billion. Long-term drought leads to increased and competing demands
for fresh water with related effects on terrestrial and marine
ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and even the spread of
infectious diseases. Decisions about mitigating climate change also can
alter economic and social structures on a global scale. We can deliver
reliable climate information in useful ways to help minimize risks and
maximize opportunities for decisions in agriculture, public policy,
natural resources, water and energy use, and public health. We continue
to move toward developing a seamless suite of weather and climate
products. The Climate Goal addresses predictions on time scales of up
to decades or longer.
Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
1. A predictive understanding of the global climate system on time
scales of weeks to decades with quantified uncertainties sufficient for
making informed and reasoned decisions.
2. Climate-sensitive sectors and the climate-literate public
effectively incorporating NOAA's climate products into their plans and
decisions.
Program Names:
1. 2008 Regional Research, Information Planning and Coordination.
2. National Weather Service MSI Program.
3. NOAAs National Height Modernization Program.
4. Environmental Literacy Grants for Formal K-12 Education.
5. Provide Critical Support for NOAA's Mission
Summary Description: Strong, effective, and efficient support
activities are necessary for us to achieve our Mission Goals. Our
facilities, ships, aircraft, environmental satellites, dataprocessing
systems, computing and communication systems, and our approach to
management provide the foundation of support for all of our programs.
This critical foundation must adapt to evolving mission needs and,
therefore, is an integral part of our strategic planning. It also must
support U.S. homeland security by maintaining continuity of operations
and by providing NOAA services, such as civil alert relays through NOAA
Weather Radio and air dispersion forecasts, in response to national
emergencies. NOAA ships, aircraft, and environmental satellites are the
backbone of the global Earth observing system and provide many critical
mission support services. To keep this capability strong and current
with our Mission Goals, we will ensure that NOAA has adequate access to
safe and efficient ships and aircraft through the use of both NOAA
platforms and those of other agency, academic, and commercial partners.
We will work with academia and partners in the public and private
sectors to ensure that future satellite systems are designed,
developed, and operated with the latest technology. Leadership
development and program support are essential for achieving our Mission
Goals. We must also commit to organizational excellence through
management and leadership across a ``corporate'' NOAA. We must continue
our commitment to valuing NOAA's diverse workforce, including effective
workforce planning strategies designed to attract, retain and develop
competencies at all levels of our workforce. Through the use of
business process re-engineering, we will strive for state-of-the-art,
value-added financial and administrative processes. NOAA will ensure
state-of-the-art and secure information technology and systems. By
developing long-range, comprehensive facility planning processes, NOAA
will be able to ensure right-sized, cost-effective, and safe
facilities.
Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
[[Page 73327]]
1. A dynamic workforce with competencies that support NOAA's
mission today and in the future.
Program Names:
1. No programs are currently soliciting proposals for this mission
goal.
I. Background
In this notice, NOAA announces that 11 programs are making funds
available for financial assistance awards. Each of the following grant
opportunities provide: A description of the program, funding
availability, statutory authority, catalog of federal domestic
assistance (CFDA) number, application deadline, address for submitting
proposals, information contacts, eligibility requirements, cost sharing
requirements, and intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372.
[Interested applicants should consult the July 2, 2007, in an action
entitled ``Omnibus Notice Announcing the Availability of Grant Funds
for Fiscal Year 2008'' (72 FR 36244) notice for the selection criteria,
evaluation criteria, and other requirements for submitting an
application.]
II. NOAA Project Competitions
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
FY08 Hawaii Seafood Program
Summary Description: NMFS is soliciting competitive applications
for the FY08 Hawaii Seafood Program. The Hawaii Seafood Program is
proposed for an effort to help strengthen and sustain the economic
viability of Hawaii's fishing and seafood industry through activities
that promote Hawaii fisheries products as high quality and safe
domestic seafood produced by a responsible and well-managed fishery.
Projects may request support for cooperative seafood safety research,
technical assistance, and/or seafood education.
Funding Availability: Total funding available under this notice is
anticipated to be approximately $700,000. Actual funding availability
for this program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2008 Congressional
appropriations. Proposals in any amount may be submitted, but awards in
excess of $250,000 are unlikely. Award amounts will be determined by
the number of proposals selected and the amount of available funds.
There is no set minimum or maximum amount, within the available
funding, for any award. There is also no limit on the number of
applications that can be submitted by the same applicant; however,
multiple applications submitted by the same applicant must clearly
identify different projects. If an application for a financial
assistance award is selected for funding, NOAA/NMFS has no obligation
to provide any additional funding in connection with that award in
subsequent years. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may
have been received, pre-award costs are not allowed under the award
unless approved by the NOAA Grants Officer.
Statutory Authority: The statutory authority for the Hawaii Seafood
Program is 15 U.S.C. 713c-3(d).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.452,
Unallied Industry Projects.
Application Deadline: Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Hawaii
Standard Time on January 30, 2008.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Proposals should be submitted
through Grants.gov. For those applicants without internet access,
proposals should be submitted to NOAA Federal Program Officer, Pacific
Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu,
Hawaii 96814.
Information Contacts: If you have any questions regarding this
proposal solicitation, please contact Scott W.S. Bloom at the NOAA/NMFS
Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii
96814, by phone at 808-944-2218, or by e-mail at Scott.Bloom@noaa.gov.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are individuals, institutions of
higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations,
international organizations, foreign governments, organizations under
the jurisdiction of foreign governments, and state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Federal agencies, or employees of Federal agencies
are not eligible to apply. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to
broadening the participation of historically black colleges and
universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and
universities, and institutions that work in undeserved areas. The
Hawaii Seafood Program encourages proposals involving any of the above
institutions.
Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing or matching is required
under this program.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs''.
Proactive Species Conservation Program
Summary Description: The Proactive Species Conservation Program
supports voluntary conservation efforts designed to conserve marine and
anadromous species before they reach the point at which listing as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) becomes
necessary. Such proactive conservation efforts can serve as an
efficient, non-regulatory, and cost-effective means of managing
potentially at-risk species. To raise awareness of potentially at-risk
species and to foster their proactive conservation, the NMFS created a
`species of concern' list in April 2004 (69 FR 19975). `Species of
concern' are species that are potentially at risk of becoming
threatened or endangered or may potentially require protections under
the ESA, yet for which sufficient data are lacking. The species-of-
concern status carries no procedural or regulatory protections under
the ESA. The list of species of concern and descriptions of each
species are available at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/concern/
#list). Under this solicitation, the NMFS is seeking to provide federal
assistance, in the form of grants or cooperative agreements, to support
conservation efforts for the current list of marine and anadromous
species of concern. Any state, territorial, Tribal or local entity that
has regulatory or management authority over one or more species of
concern is eligible to apply to this grant program. This document
describes how to submit proposals for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2007
and how the NMFS will determine which proposals will be funded.
Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that
approximately $500,000 may be available for distribution in FY 2008
under the PSCP; there are no restrictions on minimum or maximum funding
requests. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent
upon Fiscal Year 2008 Congressional appropriations. Applicants are
hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this
program. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available
to make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of this notice
does not oblige the NMFS to award any specific project or to obligate
any available funds; and, if an application is selected for funding,
the NMFS has no obligation to provide any additional funding in
connection with that award in subsequent years. Notwithstanding verbal
or written assurance that may have been received, pre-award costs are
not allowed under the award unless approved by the Grants Officer.
Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 661.
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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.472,
Unallied Science Program.
Application Deadline: Applications submitted through Grants.gov
must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on February 12, 2008. Hard copy
applications must be postmarked by February 12, 2008.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications should be submitted
online through the Grants.gov Web site at http://grants.gov. If online
submission is not possible, paper applications may be mailed to NOAA/
NMFS/Office of Protected Resources, Attn: Dwayne Meadows, NMFS Office
of Protected Resources F/PR3, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3, Silver
Spring, MD 20910.
Information Contacts: If you have any questions regarding this
proposal solicitation, please contact Dwayne Meadows at the NMFS Office
of Protected Resources F/PR3, Endangered Species Division, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, by phone at 301-713-1401 x199,
or by email at Dwayne.Meadows@noaa.gov. You may also contact one of the
following people in your region for further guidance: Kim Damon-
Randall, Northeast Regional Office (Kimberly.Damon-Randall@noaa.gov,
978-281-9300 x6535), Alex Meyer, Southeast Regional Office
(Alex.Meyer@noaa.gov, 727-824-5312), Krista Graham, Pacific Islands
Regional Office (Krista.Graham@noaa.gov, 808-944-2238), Melissa Neuman,
Southwest Regional Office (Melissa.Neuman@noaa.gov, 562-980-4115),
Scott Rumsey, Northwest Regional Office (Scott.Rumsey@noaa.gov, 503-
872-2791), Brad Smith, Alaska Regional Office (Brad.Smith@noaa.gov,
907-271-3023).
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are U.S. state, territorial,
tribal, or local governments that have regulatory or management
authority over one or more SOC or activities that affect one or more
SOC. A current list of SOC can be found at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/
species/concern/#list or obtained from the Office of Protected
Resources (see Full Funding Opportunity, section G, Agency Contacts).
Applicants are not eligible to submit a proposal under this program if
they are a federal employee; however, federal employees may serve as
Cooperators. In addition, NMFS employees are not allowed to actively
engage in the preparation of proposals or write letters of support for
any application. However, if applicable, NMFS employees can write a
letter verifying that they are collaborating with a particular project.
NMFS contacts (see Full Funding Opportunity, section G, Agency
Contacts) are available to provide information regarding programmatic
goals and objectives associated with the PSCP, other ongoing ESA
programs, regional funding priorities, and, along with other Federal
Program Officers, can provide information on application procedures and
completion of required forms.
Cost Sharing Requirements: There are no cost-sharing or matching
requirements under this solicitation.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications submitted by state and local
governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' Any applicant
submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 16
on SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact
(SPOC) established as a result of EO 12372. To find out about and
comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and
phone numbers of participating SPOC's are listed in the Office of
Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/
grants/spoc.html.
National Ocean Service (NOS)
FY 2008 Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governors' Action Plan Implementation
Summary Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit
proposals for cooperative agreements between NOAA and partnering
entities from Gulf of Mexico States to implement Action Blueprint Steps
identified in the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governors' Action Plan.
Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should contribute
to the beneficial public outcomes associated with the five priority
issues in the NOAA Plan: Water quality for healthy beaches and
shellfish beds; wetland and coastal conservation and restoration;
environmental education; identification and characterization of Gulf
habitats; and nutrient reduction as well as Coastal Community
Resiliency, a priority issue elevated by the Alliance since release of
the Plan. Beneficial public outcomes can include (among many other
possibilities) reduced social disruptions and storm resilient
economies; improved fisheries production, increased storm damages
reduction from wetland buffers, and improved water quality with the
natural filtering from wetland processes; less harmful algal blooms and
beach closures. This competition is focused on the geography of the
Gulf of Mexico in response to NOAAs development of the Gulf of Mexico
Alliance implementation plan and subsequent congressional
appropriations. The program priorities for this opportunity support
NOAAs mission support goal of: Weather and Water Serve Society's Needs
for Weather and Water Information.
Funding Availability: Total anticipated funding for all awards is
approximately $4,500,000 and is subject to the availability of FY 2008
appropriations. Multiple awards are anticipated from this announcement.
The anticipated federal funding per award (min-max) is approximately
$750,000 to $1,000,000 per year. The anticipated number of awards
ranges from five (5) to seven (7), approximately, and will be adjusted
based on available funding. The intent is to award a minimum of one
grant to each Gulf coast state.
Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is
provided under Coastal Zone Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1456c (Technical
Assistance); 33 U.S.C. 883d; and 33 U.S.C. 1442 (Research program
investigating possible long-range effects of pollution, overfishing,
and anthropogenically-induced changes of ocean ecosystems).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.473,
Coastal Services Center.
Application Deadline: Letters of Intent (LOIs) must be received by
the Coastal Services Center by 4 p.m. ET on January 10, 2008. Full
proposals must be received no later than 4 p.m. ET, February 8, 2008.
An LOI must be submitted to be able to submit a full proposal.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Letters of intent (LOI) may be
sent via e-mail to GOMA.fy2008@noaa.gov. Insert ``FY 2008 Gulf of
Mexico Alliance Governors' Action Plan Implementation'' as the subject
line of the e-mail. If hard copy LOIs are submitted, an original and
two copies should be sent to the attention of James Lewis Free, NOAA
Coastal Services Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, South
Carolina 29405-2413. Full proposal application packages, including any
letters of support, should be submitted through Grants.gov. If an
applicant does not have Internet access, one set of originals (signed)
and two copies of the proposals and related forms should be mailed to
the attention of James Lewis Free, NOAA Coastal Services Center, 2234
South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina 29405-2413. No e-mail
or fax copies will be accepted.
Information Contacts: For administrative questions, contact James
Lewis Free, NOAA CSC; 2234 South
[[Page 73329]]
Hobson Avenue, Room B-119; Charleston, South Carolina 29405-2413, or by
phone at 843-740-1185, or by fax 843-740-1224, or via e-mail at
James.L.Free@noaa.gov. For technical questions regarding this
announcement, contact Todd Davison, NOAA CSC; 2234 South Hobson Avenue,
Charleston, South Carolina 29405-2413, or by phone at 770-486-0028
Extension 214, or by fax 770-486-0930, or via e-mail at
Todd.Davison@noaa.gov.
Eligibility: Because this competition is focused on the geography
of the Gulf of Mexico in response to NOAAs development of the Gulf of
Mexico Alliance implementation plan and subsequent congressional
appropriations, eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher
education, regional or watershed authorities, nonprofit organizations,
and state and Indian tribal governments from the Gulf States (Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas). Federal agencies
are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve
as collaborative project partners and may contribute services in kind.
Cost Sharing Requirements: N.A.
Intergovernmental Review: Funding applications under the Center are
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs. It is the state agency's responsibility to contact their
states Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with
the states process under EO 12372. To assist the applicant, the names
and addresses of the SPOCs are listed on the Office of Management and
Budget's Web site http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
FY08 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and Community
Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay
Summary Description: The California B-WET Program, Adult and
Community Watershed Education, is a competitively based program that
supports existing environmental education programs, fosters the growth
of new programs, and encourages the development of partnerships among
environmental education programs throughout the Monterey Bay watershed.
Funded projects provide meaningful watershed education to adults and
communities. The term meaningful watershed education is defined as
outcome-based programs that educate citizens about their role in
protecting water quality and demonstrate behavioral changes that
improve water quality and promote environmental stewardship.
Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that
approximately $100,000 may be available in FY 2008 in award amounts to
be determined by the proposals and available funds. The National Marine
Sanctuary Program anticipates that approximately 2-4 grants will be
awarded with these funds and that typical project awards will range
from $10,000 to $50,000. The California B-WET Program should not be
considered a long-term source of funds; applicants must demonstrate how
ongoing programs, once initiated, will be sustained. There is not
guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for
all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded
will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and
NOAA representatives. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA
to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If
applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so at
their own risk of not being reimbursed by the government.
Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been
received, there is no obligation on the part of NOAA to cover pre-award
costs unless approved by the Grants Officer as part of the terms when
the award is made.
Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1440, 15 U.S.C. 1540.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.429,
Marine Sanctuary Program.
Application Deadline: Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific
Standard Time on February 14, 2008. Both hard copy and electronic
proposals received after that time will not be considered for funding
and will be returned to the applicant.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Application packages should be
submitted through Grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet
access, the applicant should send the application package to: Seaberry
Nachbar, B-WET Program Manager, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Office, 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940.
Information Contacts: Please visit the National Marine Sanctuaries
B-WET website for further information at: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/
BWET or contact Seaberry Nachbar, Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary office; 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940, or by phone at
831-647-4204, or fax to 831-647-4250, or via Internet at
seaberry.nachbar@noaa.gov.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher
education, nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies,
and Indian tribal governments. The Department of Commerce/National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed
to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and
universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and
universities, and institutions that service underserved areas. The
National Marine Sanctuary Program encourages proposals involving any of
the above institutions.
Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this
program; however, the National Marine Sanctuary Program strongly
encourages applicants to share as much of the costs of the award as
possible. Funds from other Federal awards will not be accepted as
matching funds. The nature of the contribution (cash versus in-kind)
and the amount of matching funds will be taken into consideration in
the review process with cash being the preferred method of
contribution.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.
NOAA's National Height Modernization Program
Summary Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit
proposals for grants or cooperative agreements between NOAA and
partnering entities in the United States, implementing NOAA's National
Height Modernization Program (NHMP). Proposals submitted in response to
this announcement should contribute to the beneficial public outcomes
associated with the five priority issues in the NOAA Plan; enhancing
the vertical component of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS);
enabling users to access the vertical component of the NSRS; outreach
and education regarding geospatial issues and activities as they relate
to Height Modernization; capacity building and technology transfer as
they relate to Height Modernization; coordination, cooperation, and
collaboration with other entities to accomplish common goals as they
relate to Height Modernization. This competition is focused on the
geography of the United States and its territories in response to
NOAA's Height Modernization Regional Implementation Plan and subsequent
congressional appropriations. The program priorities for this
opportunity support NOAA's mission support goal of: Commerce and
Transportation; Enable safe, secure, and seamless movement of goods and
people
[[Page 73330]]
in the United States transportation system. Priorities addressing this
mission goal also are found frequently to support NOAA's other mission
goals: ``Improve protection, restoration, and management of coastal and
ocean resources through ecosystem-based management; increase
understanding of climate variability and change; and improve accuracy
and timeliness of weather and water information.''
Funding Availability: Total anticipated funding for all awards is
approximately $9,500,000 and is subject to the availability of FY 2008
appropriations. The anticipated federal funding per award (min-max) is
approximately $100,000 to $1,200,000 per year. The anticipated number
of awards ranges from 10 to 15, approximately, and will be adjusted
based on available funding and quantity of awards made by NOAA.
Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is
provided under 33 U.S.C. 883a and 33 U.S.C. 883d.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.400,
Geodetic Surveys and Services (Applications of the National Geodetic
Ref System).
Application Deadline: Letters of Intent (LOIs) must be received by
the National Ocean Service by 4 p.m. ET on January 10, 2008. Full
proposals must be received no later than 4 p.m. ET, February 11, 2008.
A LOI must be submitted to be able to submit a full proposal.
Address for Submitting Proposals: A letter of intent (LOI) must be
sent via e-mail to Gilbert.Mitchell@noaa.gov. Applicants submitting a
LOI should reference the Funding Opportunity Title (FY 2008 NOAAs
National Height Modernization Program) as the subject line of the e-
mail containing the LOI. If an applicant does not have Internet access,
the applicant must submit through surface mail one original and two
copies of the LOI to the National Ocean Service. Any U.S. Postal
Service correspondence should be sent to the attention of James Gilbert
Mitchell at 1315 East-West Highway, N/NGS1, Room 9356, SSMC3, Silver
Spring, MD 20910. Full proposal application packages should be
submitted through Grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet
access, the applicant must submit through surface mail one set of
originals (signed) and two copies of the proposals and related forms to
the National Ocean Service. Any U.S. Postal Service correspondence
should be sent to the attention of Gilbert Mitchell at 1315 East-West
Highway, N/NGS1, Room 9356, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Information Contacts: For administrative questions, contact Gilbert
Mitchell, NOAA NOS, SSMC3; 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910, or by phone at 301-713-3228 extension 114, or by fax 301-713-
4176, or via e-mail at Gilbert.Mitchell@noaa.gov. For technical
questions regarding this announcement, contact Renee Shields, NOAA NOS
SSMC3; 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; or contact her
by phone at 301-713-3231 extension 115, or by fax 301-713-4176, or via
e-mail at Renee.Shields@noaa.gov.
Eligibility: Eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher
education, state, local and Indian tribal governments.
Cost Sharing Requirements: There is no requirement for cost
sharing.
Intergovernmental Review: Funding applications under the National
Ocean Service are subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental
Review of Federal Programs. It is the state agency's responsibility to
contact their state's Single Point of Contact (SPCO) to find out about
and comply with the state's process under EO 12372. To assist the
applicant, the names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed on the
Office of Management and Budget's web site http://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/grants/spoc.html.
National Weather Service (NWS)
Hydrologic Research
Summary Description: This program represents a NOAA/NWS effort to
create a cost-effective continuum of basic and applied research through
collaborative research between the Hydrology Laboratory of the NWS
Office of Hydrologic Development and academic communities or other
private or public agencies which have expertise in the
hydrometeorologic, hydrologic, and hydraulic routing sciences, as well
as those aspects of social sciences that apply to hydrologic and water
resources forecasting and how information on those forecasts is
distributed and assimilated by managers and the public. These
activities will engage researchers and students in basic and applied
research to improve the scientific understanding of river forecasting.
Ultimately these efforts will improve the accuracy of forecasts and
warnings of rivers and flash floods by applying scientific knowledge
and information to NWS research methods and techniques, resulting in a
benefit to the public. NOAA's program is designed to complement other
agency contributions to that national effort.
Funding Availability: Because of Federal budget uncertainties, it
has not been determined how much money will be available through this
announcement. It is also uncertain exactly when the funding from the
Federal budget will be available. It is expected that up to two awards
will be made, depending on availability of funds and quality of the
proposals.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the Hydrologic Research programs
is provided by Weather Service Organic Act, 15 U.S.C. 313, and 33
U.S.C. 883d.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.462,
Hydrologic Research.
Application Deadline: Proposals are due no later than 3 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time January 28, 2008. We anticipate that a review of
proposals will be completed during January and February, 2008, and
funding should begin during spring 2008 for most approved projects.
June 1, 2008, should be used as the proposed start date on proposals.
Applicants should be notified of their status within 3 months of the
closing date.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications should be submitted
through http://www.grants.gov. For applicants without internet access,
or Federal agencies without access to www.grants.gov, please submit
three copies to: Pedro Restrepo, NOAA/NWS 1325 East-West Highway, Room
8176; Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3283. No facsimile or e-mail copies
will be accepted.
Information Contacts: The point of contact is Pedro Restrepo, NOAA/
NWS/W-OHD1; 1325 East-West Highway, Room 8176; Silver Spring, Maryland
20910-3283, or by phone at 301-713-0640 ext. 210, or fax to 301-713-
0963, or via internet at Pedro.Restrepo@noaa.gov.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are Federal agencies; institutions
of higher education; other nonprofits; commercial organizations;
foreign governments; organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments; international organizations; state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Applications from non-Federal and Federal
applicants will be competed against each other. Proposals selected for
funding from non-Federal applicants will be funded through a project
grant or cooperative agreement under the terms of this notice.
Proposals selected for funding from NOAA scientists shall be effected
by an intra-agency fund transfer. Proposals selected for funding from a
non NOAA Federal agency will be
[[Page 73331]]
funded through an interagency transfer. PLEASE NOTE: Before non NOAA
Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have
legal authority to receive funds from another Federal agency in excess
of their appropriation. Because this announcement is not proposing to
procure goods or services from applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C.
1535) is not an appropriate legal basis.
Cost Sharing Requirements: A matching share is not required by this
program.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.''
National Weather Service MSI Program
Summary Description: The NWS is soliciting projects to be conducted
by university investigators for 1-year to 3-years, with an anticipated
start date of August 1, 2008. The NWS MSI Program represents an NOAA/
NWS effort to promote and increase diversity in the atmospheric and
related sciences through collaborative research between operational
forecasters and academic institutions which have expertise in the
environmental sciences in support of the NOAA Weather and water mission
goal. These activities will engage researchers and students in applied
research of interest to the operational meteorological community and
will result in the development of new educational opportunities for the
public.
Funding Availability: This funding opportunity announces that
approximately $50,000 will be available through this announcement for
fiscal year 2008. Proposals should be prepared assuming an annual
budget up to $50,000. No award less than $25,000 will be made. It is
expected that one to two awards will be made, depending on availability
of funds.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the MSI program is provided by
the following: 15 U.S.C. 313; 49 U.S.C. 44720(b); 33 U.S.C. 883d; 15
U.S.C. 2904; 15 U.S.C. 2934.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.468,
Applied Meteorological Research.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received by the NWS no
later than 5 p.m., EST on February 29, 2008.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Proposals must be submitted
through grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have internet access.
In that case, hard copy applications may be sent to Sam Contorno, 1325
East-West Highway, Room 15330, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Proposals may
not be e-mailed or faxed.
Information Contacts: Contact Sam Contorno, NOAA/NWS; 1325 East-
West Highway, Room 15330; Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3283, or by
phone at 301-713-3557 ext. 150, or fax to 301-713-1253, or via Internet
at samuel.contorno@noaa.gov.
Eligibility: Minority Serving Institutions eligible to submit
proposals include institutions of higher education identified by the
Department of Education as: (i) Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, (ii) Hispanic-Serving Institutions, (iii) Tribal Colleges
and Universities, or (iv) Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian Serving
Institutions on the most recent United States Department of Education
Accredited Post-Secondary Minority Institutions list (at the date of
publication of this announcement). Proposals will not be accepted from
non-profit organizations, foundations, auxiliary services or any other
entity on behalf of MSIs.
Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this
program.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
2008 Regional Research, Information Planning and Coordination
Summary Description: To continue the development of regional
research and information plans for U.S. coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes
areas, NOAA Sea Grant anticipates (depending on appropriations) making
available about $750,000 in FY 2008 for grants to regional planning
teams in the following three regions: the Greater New York Bight
region, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the Caribbean region. It is
expected that Sea Grant programs within each of these regions will work
together and submit one proposal per region that covers a 2-5 year
period. The objective is to use Sea Grant's university capabilities to
facilitate discussions among the broad range of regional ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes stakeholders to help identify and prioritize
critical resource management problems and associated research and
information needs necessary for practical solutions. Depending on
appropriations and the number and quality of applications received,
NOAA Sea Grant anticipates making three awards of between $250,000 and
$400,000 each.
Funding Availability: Depending on appropriations, a total of
$250,000 of federal Sea Grant funds will be made available for each
eligible region over two years to cover the completion of a regional
research and information plan (assuming appropriations are available).
Proposals may request up to an additional three years of staff support
(up to $50,000 per region per year) to help implement completed
regional plans. The maximum support requested for an individual
application is $400,000, of which no more than $250,000 can be for the
first two years of the proposed project. Additional support may be made
available in subsequent competitions for regional research and outreach
activities. Approximately three awards will be made in FY 2008. It is
expected that multiple Sea Grant Programs and institutions will be
involved in each region, and that they will designate in their
application a single managing Sea Grant Program, to whom the grant
award would be made. All other participating Sea Grant Programs and
institutions must be handled through subawards.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the Regional Research,
Information Planning and Coordination is provided by 33 U.S.C. 1121 et
seq., as amended. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
Number(s): 11.417, Sea Grant Support.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.417, Sea
Grant Support.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. EST,
February 5, 2008.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications are to be submitted
through grants.gov, under Federal Funding Opportunity number OAR-SG-
2008-2001255. Applicants without internet access may submit a hard copy
application, but must include documentation stating their lack of
internet access. Hard copy applications (one UNBOUND original and one
copy) should be submitted to: Mrs. Geri Taylor, National Sea Grant
College Program, R/SG, Attn: Regional Research Competition, Room 11841,
NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (phone number for
express mail applications is 301-734-1066.) Faxed or e-mailed
applications will not be accepted.
Information Contacts: Contact Dr. Leon M. Cammen, Director,
National Sea Grant College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, R/SG, Rm
11841, Silver Spring, MD 20910; tel: (301) 734-1088; e-mail:
oar.hq.nsgo.competitions@noaa.gov.
Eligibility: Proposals may be submitted only by the designated
[[Page 73332]]
managing Sea Grant College or Institutional Program.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Matching funds equal to at least 50
percent of the Federal funding must be provided to support the proposed
regional planning.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, `Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.'
Ballast Water Management Demo (RDTE Facility)
Summary Description: The Ballast Water Management Demonstration
Program supports projects to develop, test, and demonstrate ballast
water treatment methods in order to reduce the threat of introduction
of aquatic invasive species to U.S. waters through the discharge of
ballast water. THIS SOLICITATION IS ONLY FOR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS TO
ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TESTING AND EVALUATION
(RDTE) FACILITY. There is a separate FFO for technologies and practices
development (Funding Opportunity Number: OAR-SG20082001206).
Funding Availability: Depending on FY2008 appropriations and the
quality of proposals, NOAA expects to make available up to about $1
million in 2008 funds for four-year cooperative agreements to create
and operate ballast water RDTE facilities. We anticipate making 1 or 2
multiyear awards in FY2008. Depending on future year appropriations and
satisfactory execution of the terms of the cooperative agreement, NOAA
anticipates funding up to $1,250,000 over the next four years for each
successful award.
Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.; 33 U.S.C. 1121-1131.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.417, Sea
Grant Support.
Application Deadline: Preliminary proposals must be received by the
National Sea Grant Office by 4 p.m. EST February 21, 2008. Full
proposals must be received by 4 p.m. EDT April 24, 2008. Only those who
submit preliminary proposals meeting the preliminary proposal deadline
and other requirements of this notice are eligible to submit full
proposals.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Preliminary proposals should be
submitted by hardcopy (one unbound original and one copy) to Mrs. Geri
Taylor, National Sea Grant College Program, R/SG, Attn: Ballast Water
Competition, Room 11841, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,
MD 20910, telephone 301-734-1072. Full Proposals must be submitted
through Grants.gov unless the applicant does not have Internet access
or is a Federal agency without access to Grants.gov, in which case they
should be submitted to the above address. Any application that includes
an appendix B (oversize documents) must submit appendix B in hardcopy
to the above address.
Information Contacts: Dorn Carlson, National Sea Grant Office,
NOAA, Room 11828, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, or
via e-mail at ballast.water@noaa.gov. Prospective applicants with
questions about this announcement should ask the Agency Contact in
writing (e-mail preferred). All questions (without attribution) and any
answers provided will be made available to all applicants who request
to be kept informed, either by e-mail or by posting them on a Web site,
or, for applicants without e-mail access, by conventional mail. To be
kept informed of questions and responses prior to the preproposal
deadline, send an e-mail to ballast.water@noaa.gov, and ask to be kept
informed of all questions and responses concerning Federal Funding
Opportunity number OAR-SG-2008-2001279. Applicants without Internet
access please send your request by mail to the above mailing address.
After the preproposal deadline, all applicants who submitted
preproposals by the preproposal deadline will be informed of any
questions and responses, unless they ask not to be so informed.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are individuals, institutions of
higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations,
Federal, State, local and Indian tribal governments, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, and international organizations. Applications from non-
Federal and eligible Federal applicants (including NOAA employees) will
be evaluated in the same selection process. Note: Before non-NOAA
Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have
legal authority to receive funds from another Federal agency in excess
of their appropriation. Because this announcement is not proposing to
procure goods or services from applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C.
1535) is not an appropriate legal basis. Only those who submit
preliminary proposals by the preliminary proposal deadline are eligible
to submit full proposals.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Applications for RDTE facility
cooperative agreements must include additional non-federal matching
funds equal to at least 20% of the total NOAA funds requested over the
duration of the cooperative agreement. In-kind contributions are
eligible to satisfy the match requirement. Matching funds for each
individual year need not equal a 20% match of that year's request, as
long as the total matching funds for the duration of the cooperative
agreement meet the 20% match requirements for the total request amount.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this Program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.''
Ballast Water Management Demonstration Program (Technologies and
Practices)
Summary Description: ``The Ballast Water Management Demonstration
Program supports projects to develop, test, and demonstrate ballast
water technologies and practices in order to reduce the threat of
introduction of aquatic invasive species to U.S. waters through the
discharge of ballast water. This FFO is for projects dealing with
technologies and practices necessary for successful ballast water
management. For example, this could include technologies or practices
that treat ballast water, or that make it possible to test, evaluate,
regulate or use ballast water treatment technologies or practices.
There is a separate FFO for establishing a Research, Development,
Testing and Evaluation (RDTE) Facility (Funding Opportunity Number:
OAR-SG-2008-2001279).''
Funding Availability: Depending on 2008 appropriations, NOAA
expects to make available up to $1 million in FY 2008, and the U.S.
Maritime Administration (MARAD) expects to make available several
vessels for use as test platforms, to support ballast water management
demonstration projects. Depending on the funding available and the
number and quality of proposals received, we anticipate between 3 and 6
grants with a median value of about $200,000 will be awarded, and about
one applicant will have certain expenses associated with verification
testing at an ETV facility paid for.
Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.; 33 U.S.C. 1121-1131;
46 U.S.C. App 1211 (2000); 50 U.S.C. App 1744 (2000).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.417, Sea
Grant Support.
Application Deadline: Letters of Intent must be received by the
National Sea Grant Office by 4 p.m. EST February 21, 2008. Full
proposals must be received by 4 p.m. EDT April 3, 2008. Only those
applicants who submit
[[Page 73333]]
Letters of Intent by the preliminary proposal deadline and who submit
LOIs that meet the other requirements of this notice are eligible to
submit full proposals.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Letters of Intent must be
submitted by hard copy to Mrs. Geri Taylor, National Sea Grant College
Program, R/SG, Attn: Ballast Water Competition, Room 11841, NOAA, 1315
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (phone number for express
mail LOIs is 301-734-1066). Full Proposals must be submitted through
grants.gov (Web site html://grants.gov) to Funding Opportunity Number:
OAR-SG-2008-2001206. Applicants without internet access may submit one
unbound original hard copy of the proposal, but must submit
documentation demonstrating their inability to use grants.gov.
Facsimile and electronic mail transmissions of proposals will not be
accepted for either Letters of Intent or Full Proposals.
Information Contacts: Dorn Carlson, NOAA National Sea Grant Office,
301-734-1080; via electronic mail at ballast.water@noaa.gov. Carolyn
Junemann, U.S. Maritime Administration, 202-366-1920; via electronic
mail at carolyn.junemann@dot.gov.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are individuals, institutions of
higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations,
Federal, State, local and Indian tribal governments, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, and international organizations. Applications from non-
Federal and eligible Federal applicants (including NOAA and MARAD
employees) will be evaluated in the same selection process. Note:
Before non-NOAA Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate
that they have legal authority to receive funds from another Federal
agency in excess of their appropriation. Because this announcement is
not proposing to procure goods or services from applicants, the Economy
Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) is not an appropriate legal basis. Only those who
submit Letters of Intent by the Letters of Intent deadline are eligible
to submit full proposals.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost sharing or matching funds is NOT
required. However, any such funding (direct or indirect) offered by the
Applicant will be considered in the Evaluation Criteria of Project
Costs.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.''
Office of the Under Secretary (USEC)
Environmental Literacy Grants for Formal K-12 Education
Summary Description: The NOAA Office of Education (OED) is issuing
a request for applications for environmental literacy projects in
support of K-12 education. Funded projects will be between one and five
years in duration and will promote changes in K-12 education to expand
the amount of Earth System Science taught in the classroom and improve
student learning of that subject. Successful projects will catalyze
change in K-12 education through development of new programs and
materials and/or revision of existing programs and materials by
supporting transformative methods: Those practices (which are not
necessarily new) that are likely to increase the environmental literacy
of K-12 teachers and their students by increasing the amount of Earth
System Science taught in grades K-12. This federal funding opportunity
meets NOAA's Mission Goal to understand climate variability and change
to enhance society's ability to plan and respond. For any questions
concerning this funding opportunity, please visit our FAQ Web site
www.oesd.noaa.gov/elg_faqs.html before contacting the Office of
Education.
Funding Availability: NOAA anticipates the availability of
approximately $4,000,000 of Federal financial assistance in FY 2009 and
FY2010 for K-12 education projects. Approximately 5 to 7 awards in the
form of grants or cooperative agreements will be made. NOAA will only
consider projects that have duration of 1 to 5 years. The total Federal
amount for all years that may be requested from NOAA for the direct and
indirect costs of the proposed project shall not exceed $750,000. The
minimum Federal amount that must be requested from NOAA for all years
for the direct and indirect costs is $200,000. Applications requesting
Federal support from NOAA of less than $200,000 total or more than
$750,000 total for the duration of the project will not be considered
for funding. The amount of funding available through this announcement
will be dependent upon the final FY09 and FY10 appropriations.
Publication of this announcement does not obligate NOAA to award any
specific project or to obligate all or any part of the available funds.
It is likely that there will be no additional solicitation issued for
these projects for FY10. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to
receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA Grants
Officer, the applicant would do so solely at one's own risk of such
costs not being included under the award. The exact amount of funds
that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations
between the applicant and NOAA representatives.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the Environmental Literacy
Grants for Formal K-12 Education program is provided by the following:
33 U.S.C. 892a(a).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.469,
Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects.
Application Deadline: Preliminary proposals (pre-proposals) are
required for submission of a full application and must be received by 5
p.m., EST, February 20, 2008. Applicants who submit a pre-proposal will
receive notification authorizing submission of a full application on or
about April 30, 2008. Please contact Stacey Rudolph if you have not
heard from the Office of Education by May 14, 2008. The full
applications must be received by 5 p.m., EDT, June 25, 2008.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Pre-proposals must be submitted
through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). It is strongly suggested
that Grants.gov be accessed using a PC and Internet Explorer for
maximum compatibility. If an applicant does not have Internet access,
one hard copy must be mailed to ATTN: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/
NOAA, Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863,
Washington, DC 20230; Telephone: 202-482-3384. Full applications must
be submitted through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). If an
applicant does not have Internet access, one hard copy should be sent
to ATTN: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/NOAA Office of Education, 1401
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230; Telephone:
202-482-3384. If submitting a hard copy, applicants are also requested
to provide a CD-ROM of the full application, including scanned signed
forms or forms with electronic signatures. Facsimile or e-mail
transmissions of full applications will not be accepted. Please note:
Hard copies of pre-applications or full applications submitted via the
U.S. Postal Service can take up to 4 weeks to reach this office;
applicants are recommended to send hard copies via expedited shipping
methods (e.g., Airborne Express, DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.). Facsimile or
e-mail transmissions of pre-proposals will not be accepted.
Information Contacts: Please visit the OEd Web site for further
information at
[[Page 73334]]
http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html or contact Sarah
Schoedinger at 704.370.3528 or Sarah.Schoedinger@noaa.gov or Stacey
Rudolph at 202.482.3739 or Stacey.Rudolph@noaa.gov. For those
applicants without Internet access, hard copies of referenced documents
may be requested from NOAA's Office of Education by contacting Stacey
Rudolph at 202.482.3739 or sending a letter to Stacey Rudolph, DOC/NOAA
Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863,
Washington, DC 20230.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher
education, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and state, local and
Indian tribal governments in the United States. Among those eligible
applicants are K through 12 public and independent schools and school
systems, and science centers and museums. Foreign institutions, foreign
organizations and foreign government agencies are not eligible to
apply. Federal agencies are not eligible to receive Federal assistance
under this announcement, but may be project partners. Individuals not
connected to an institution are ineligible to apply for funding under
this announcement. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to
increasing the participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs),
i.e., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving
institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaskan Native and
Native Hawaiian institutions, and institutions that work in underserved
communities. Applications are encouraged that involve any of the above
types of institutions. An applicant may serve only once as principal
investigator (PI) through this funding opportunity. However
institutions may submit more than one application and individuals may
serve as co-PIs or key personnel on more than one application.
Cost Sharing Requirements: There are no cost-sharing requirements.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs (refer to item 19 on the grants.gov version of the SF-424).
III. Classification
Limitation of Liability
Funding for potential projects in this notice is contingent upon
the availability of Fiscal year 2008 appropriations. Applicants are
hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for any
proposed activities in this notice. In no event will NOAA or the
Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs.
Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any
specific project or to obligate any available funds.
Universal Identifier
Applicants should be aware that, for programs which have deadline
dates on or after October 1, 2003, they may be required to provide a
Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number during
the application process. See the October 30, 2002 Federal Register,
Vol. 67, No. 210, pp. 66177-66178 for additional information.
Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the
dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or via
the Internet (http://www.dunandbradstreet.com).
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required
by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects
or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities.
Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the
following NOAA NEPA Web site: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our
NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/
NAO216-6-TOC.pdf, NEPA Questionnaire, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/
questionnaire.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality
implementation regulations, http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_
ceq.htm. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under
their description of their program activities, applicants are required
to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted,
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals,
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to
reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their
proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an
application. In some cases if additional information is required after
an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer
under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit
additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable
NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on
the environment.
Compliance With Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security
Export Administration Regulations
(a) This section applies to the extent that this BAA results in
financial assistance awards involving access to export-controlled
information or technology.
(b) In performing a financial assistance award, the recipient may
gain access to export-controlled information or technology. The
recipient will then be responsible for compliance with all applicable
laws and regulations regarding export-controlled information and
technology, including deemed exports. The recipient shall establish and
maintain throughout performance of the financial assistance award
effective export compliance procedures at non-NOAA facilities. At a
minimum, these export compliance procedures must include adequate
controls of physical, verbal, visual, and electronic access to export-
controlled information and technology.
(c) Definitions.
(1) Deemed export. The Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
define a deemed export as any release of technology or source code
subject to the EAR to a foreign national, both in the United States and
abroad. Such release is ``deemed'' to be an export to the home country
of the foreign national. 15 CFR 734.2(b)(2)(ii).
(2) Export-controlled information and technology. Export-controlled
information and technology is information and technology subject to the
EAR (15 CFR parts 730 et seq.), implemented by the DOC Bureau of
Industry and Security, or the International Traffic I Arms Regulations
(ITAR) (22 CFR parts 120-130), implemented by the Department of State,
respectively. This includes, but is not limited to, dual-us items,
defense articles and any related assistance, services, software or
technical data as defined in the EAR and ITAR.
[[Page 73335]]
(d) The recipient shall control access to all export-controlled
information and technology that it possesses or that comes into its
possession in performance of a financial assistance award, to ensure
that access is restricted, or licensed, as required by applicable
Federal laws, Executive Orders, and/or regulations.
(e) Nothing in the terms of this section is intended to change,
supersede, or waive any of the requirements of applicable Federal laws,
Executive Orders or regulations.
(f) The recipient shall include this clause, including this
paragraph (f), in all lower tier transactions (subawards, contracts,
and subcontracts) under the financial assistance award that may involve
access to export-controlled information technology.
NOAA Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive--12
If the performance of a financial assistance award, if approved by
NOAA, requires recipients to have physical access to Federal premises
for more than 180 days or access to a Federal information system, any
items or services delivered under a financial assistance award shall
comply with the Department of Commerce personal identity verification
procedures that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12,
FIPS PUB 201, and the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-05-
24. The recipient shall insert this clause in all subawards or
contracts when the subaward recipient or contractor is required to have
physical access to a Federally controlled facility or access to a
Federal information system.
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements.
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register
notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389) are applicable to this
solicitation.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This document contains collection-of-information requirements
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Standard Forms
424, 424A, 424B, SF LLL, CD-346, SF 424 Research and Related Family, SF
424 Short Organizational Family, SF 424 Individual Form family has been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the
respective control numbers 4040-0004, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046,
0605-0001, 4040-0001, 4040-0003, and 4040-0005. Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall
any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a
collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA unless
that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been determined to be not significant for purposes
of Executive Order 12866.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)
It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order
13132.
Administrative Procedure Act/ Regulatory Flexibility Act
Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules
concerning public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5
U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comment are not
required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
are inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not
been prepared.
Dated: December 18, 2007.
Helen Hurcombe,
Director, Acquisition and Grants Office, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 07-6224 Filed 12-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P