[Federal Register: April 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 77)]
[Notices]
[Page 21318-21321]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21ap08-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 080415567-8568-01]
FY 2008 Broad Agency Announcement
AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to request proposals for special
projects and programs associated with the Agency's strategic plan and
mission goals, as well as to provide the general public with
information and guidelines on how NOAA will select proposals and
administer discretionary Federal assistance under this BAA. This BAA is
a mechanism to encourage research, education and outreach, innovative
projects, or sponsorships that are not addressed through our
competitive discretionary programs. It is not a mechanism for awarding
Congressionally directed funds. Funding for potential projects in this
notice is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2008 and
Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations. Applicants are hereby given notice
that funds have not yet been appropriated for any proposed activities
in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA
to review an application beyond an initial administrative review, or to
award any specific project, or to obligate any available funds.
DATES: Full applications can be submitted on a rolling basis starting
April 22, 2008, up to 5 PM Eastern Daylight Time September 30, 2009.
Applications received after this time will not be reviewed or
considered for funding.
ADDRESSES: Applications are available through grants.gov, and can be
searched for using Funding Opportunity Number NFA-NFA-2008-2001388. For
those
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applicants without internet access, application forms can be acquired
by contacting the individuals listed under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
National Environmental Satellite Data Information Service (NESDIS)
Ingrid Guch
301-763-8282
Hqtr. Route: E/RA1
Bldg: WWBG RM: 701
5200 Auth RD
Camp Springs MD 20746-4304
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
JoAnna Grable
301-713-1364
Hqtr. Route: F/MB2
Bldg: SSMC3 Rm: 14359
1315 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282
National Ocean Service (NOS)
Jane Piercy
301-713-3050
Hqtr. Route: N/MB3
Bldg: SSMC4 Rm: 13250
1305 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring MD 20910-3281
National Weather Service (NWS)
Youngnan Cohan
301-713-0420
NWS Hqtr Route: W/CFO2
Bldg: SSMC2 Rm: 18394
1325 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring MD 20910
Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR)
Sharon Schroeder
301-713-2474
Hqrt. Route: R/OM61
Bldg: SSMC3 Rm: 11464
1315 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring MD 20910-3282
NOAA Office of Education (OED)
Sarah Schoedinger
704-370-3528
Bldg: HCHB Room: 6863
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington DC 20230-0001
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this notice is to request
proposals for special projects and programs associated with the
Agency's strategic plan and mission goals, as well as to provide the
public with information and guidelines on how NOAA will select
proposals and administer discretionary Federal assistance under this
BAA. This BAA is a mechanism to encourage research, education and
outreach, innovative projects, or sponsorships that are not normally
funded through our competitive discretionary programs. It is not a
mechanism to award Congressionally directed funds.
ELECTRONIC ACCESS: The full text of the full funding opportunity
announcement for this program can be accessed via the Grants.gov web
site at http://www.grants.gov. The announcement will also be available
by contacting the program officials identified under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. Applicants must comply with all requirements
contained in the full funding opportunity announcement.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: The specific program authority will vary
depending on the nature of the proposed project. A list of the most
prevalent assistance authorities are 15 U.S.C. 1540; 15 U.S.C. 2901 et
seq.; 16 U.S.C. 661; 16 U.S.C. 1456c; 33 U.S.C. 883a-d; 33 U.S.C.
893a(a); 33 U.S.C. 1442; 49 U.S.C. 44720(b).
CFDA NUMBER: Multiple CFDA Numbers. The CFDA numbers can be found
in the Full Funding Opportunity.
FUNDING AVAILABILITY: There are no funds specifically appropriated
by Congress for this BAA. Funding for potential projects in this notice
is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2008, Fiscal Year
2009 and Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations. Applicants are hereby given
notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for any proposed
activities in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not
oblige NOAA to review an application beyond an initial administrative
review, award any specific project, or obligate any available funds.
ELIGIBILITY: Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher
education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or
foreign organizations or governments, individuals, state, local and
Indian tribal governments. Eligibility also depends on the statutory
authority that permits NOAA to fund the proposed activity. Refer to the
CFDA in order to determine an applicant's eligibility.
COST SHARING REQUIREMENTS: Cost sharing is not required unless it
is determined that a project can only be funded under an authority that
requires matching/cost sharing funds.
EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES: The general evaluation
criteria and selection factors that apply to full applications to this
funding opportunity are summarized below. The evaluation criteria for
full applications will have different weights and details. Further
information about the evaluation criteria and selection factors can be
found in the full funding opportunity announcement.
EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR PROJECTS: NOAA has standardized evaluation
criteria for all competitive assistance announcements. The criteria for
this BAA are listed below. Since proposals responding to this BAA may
vary significantly in their activities/objectives, assigning a set
weight for each evaluation criterion is not feasible but is based on a
total possible score of 100. The Program Office and/or Selection
Official will determine which of the following criteria and weights
will be applied. Some proposals, for example sponsorships, may not be
able to address all the criteria like technical/scientific merit.
However, it is in your best interest to prepare a proposal that can be
easily evaluated against these five criteria.
1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed
project to the mission goals: This ascertains whether there is
intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal,
regional, state, or local activities: i.e., How does the proposed
activity enhance NOAA's strategic plan and mission goals? Proposals
should also address significance/possibilities of securing productive
results, i.e., Does this study address an important problem?; If the
aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be
advanced?; What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or
methods that drive this field?; What effect will the project have on
improving public understanding of the role the ocean, coasts, and
atmosphere in the global ecosystem? Proposals may also be scored for
innovation, i.e., Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or
methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project
challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or
technologies?
2. Technical/scientific merit: This assesses whether the approach
is technically sound and if the methods are appropriate, and whether
there are clear project goals and objectives. Proposals should address
the approach/soundness of design: i.e., Are the conceptual framework,
design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated,
and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant
acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
This criterion should also address the applicants proposed methods for
monitoring, measuring, and evaluating the success or failure of the
project, i.e., What are they? Are they appropriate?
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3. Overall qualifications of applicants: This ascertains whether
the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training,
facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. If
appropriate, proposals should also address the physical environment and
collaboration, if any, i.e., Does the environment in which the work
will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed
experiments or activities take advantage of unique features of the
intended environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements?
4. Project costs: The Budget is evaluated to determine if it is
realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame.
5. Outreach and education: NOAA assesses whether this project
provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy
regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nations environmental
resources. For example, how will the outcomes of the project be
communicated to NOAA and the interested public to ensure it has met the
project objectives over the short, medium or long term? Does the
project address any of the goals or employ any of the strategies of the
NOAA Education Plan (http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf)?
REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS: Upon receipt of a full application by
NOAA, an initial administrative review will be conducted to determine
eligibility for award, compliance with requirements and completeness of
the application. This review includes determining whether:
1. Sufficient funds are available in the budget of the program
office receiving the application to support the proposed project;
2. Statutory authority exists to provide financial assistance for
the project or organization;
3. A complete application package has been submitted;
4. The Project Description/Narrative is consistent with one or more
of NOAA's mission goals; and,
5. The proposal falls within the scope of an existing NOAA
competitive announcement (Federal Register Notices can be found at
www.Grants.gov to find recent competitive announcements) or duplicates
an existing nondiscretionary project announced or awarded in FY08, FY09
or FY10 (if it does, it cannot be funded under this announcement); and,
6. The work in the proposal directly benefits NOAA (if it will, it
should be supported by a procurement contract, not a financial
assistance award which cannot be funded under this announcement, as
provided in 31 U.S.C. 6303). Applications not passing this initial
review will not be considered further for funding through this BAA.
NOAA will evaluate proposal(s) that are eligible that comply with all
the requirements, under this BAA individually (i.e., proposals will be
not compared to each other). A merit review will be conducted by mail
reviewers and/or peer panel reviewers. Each reviewer will individually
evaluate the proposal(s) using the evaluation criteria provided above.
A minimum of three merit reviewers per proposal is required. The
reviewers may be any combination of Federal and/or non-federal
personnel. The proposal(s) will be individually scored (i.e., a
consensus is not reached) unless all reviewers are Federal employees.
If all of the reviewers are Federal employees, the program officer has
the discretion to authorize a score based on consensus. NOAA selects
evaluators on the basis of their professional qualifications and
expertise as related to the unique characteristics of the proposal. The
NOAA Program Officer will assess the evaluations and make a fund or do-
not-fund recommendation to the Selecting Official based on the
evaluations of the reviewers. Any application considered for funding
may be required to address the issues raised in the evaluation of the
proposal by the reviewers, Program Officer, Selecting Official, and/or
Grants Officer before an award is issued. Applications not selected for
funding in FY2008 or FY2009 may be considered for funding from FY2010
funds but may be, in response to NOAA's request, required to revalidate
the terms of the original application or resubmit in the next BAA cycle
if one is published for FY2010. The Program Officer, Selecting Official
and/or Grants Officer may negotiate the final funding level of the
proposal with the intended applicant. The Selecting Official makes the
final recommendation for award to the NOAA Grants Officer who is
authorized to commit the Federal Government and obligate the funds.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW: Applications submitted under this notice
may be subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.'' Refer to the appropriate CFDA number listed on your
application for the applicability of this E.O. to your proposal.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: In no event will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these
proposed activities fail to receive funding or are cancelled because of
other agency priorities. Publication of this announcement does not
oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available
funds.
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 website: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/ , including our NOAA
Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_
6_TOC.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.
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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR
7696), are applicable to this solicitation.
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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, and SF-LLL and CD-346 has
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the
respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046,
and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is
required to, nor shall a 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
for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been
prepared.
Dated: April 16, 2008.
Helen Hurcombe
Director, Acquisition and Grants Office, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-8581 Filed 4-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-S