Federal Register, Volume 74 Issue 1 (Friday, January 2, 2009)

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72-89]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30851]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 0612242720-81597
RIN 0648-ZB55

Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2009

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: NOAA publishes this notice to supplement the agency's
solicitation

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for applications published on July 11, 2008 in an action entitled
``Omnibus Notice Announcing the Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal
Year 2009''. This notice announces 13 additional programs that are
soliciting applications for FY 2009 funding.

DATES: Proposals must be received by the date and time indicated under
each program listing in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
notice.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted to the addresses listed in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice for each program. The
Federal Register and Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) notices may be
found on the Grants.gov Web site. The URL for Grants.gov is http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the person listed
within this notice 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
entries below describes the basic information and requirements for
competitive grant/cooperative agreement programs offered by NOAA. These
programs are open to any applicant who meets the eligibility criteria
provided in each entry. To be considered for an award in a competitive
grant/cooperative agreement program, an eligible applicant must submit
a complete and responsive application to the appropriate program
office. An award is made upon conclusion of the evaluation and
selection process for the respective program.

Table of Contents

I. Background
II. Electronic Access
III. NOAA Project Competitions

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

1. 2010 Herring Research Set-Aside (RSA)
2. 2010 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside (RSA)
3. FY09 Hawaii Seafood Program
4. New Bedford Harbor Restoration Projects (IV)
5. Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund
6. Proactive Species Conservation Program

National Ocean Service (NOS)

1. Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program--FY 2010
Competition
2. Coral Reef NGO Partnership
3. FY09 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and
Community Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay

National Weather Service (NWS)

1. Hydrologic Research
2. Remote Community Alert Systems Program 2009

Office of the Under Secretary (USEC)

1. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
2. Environmental Literacy Grants: Science On a Sphere Network
Capacity Building

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

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, employment in near shore areas
is growing three times faster than 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. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program.
2. Coral Reef NGO Partnership.
3. Proactive Species Conservation Program.
4. FY09 Hawaii Seafood Program.
5. FY09 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and
Community Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay.
6. 2010 Herring Research Set-Aside (RSA).
7. 2010 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside (RSA).
8. Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program--FY 2010
Competition.
9. Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund.
10. New Bedford Harbor Restoration Projects (IV).

2. Understand Climate Variability and Change To Enhance Society's
Ability To Plan and Respond

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 Ni[ntilde]o, 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 or
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. Coral Reef NGO Partnership.
2. Proactive Species Conservation Program.
3. Hydrologic Research.

3. Serve Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information

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

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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. Remote Community Alert Systems Program 2009.
2. Hydrologic Research.

4. Provide Critical Support for NOAA's Mission

Strong, effective, and efficient support activities are necessary
for us to achieve our Mission Goals. Our facilities, ships, aircraft,
environmental satellites, data processing 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:
1. A dynamic workforce with competencies that support NOAA's
mission today and in the future.

Program Names

1. Environmental Literacy Grants: Science on a Sphere Network
Capacity Building.

5. Support the Nation's Commerce With Information for Safe, Efficient,
and Environmentally Sound Transportation

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.
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. No programs are currently soliciting proposals for this mission
goal.

I. Background

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.

II. Electronic Access

The full funding announcement for each program is available via the
Grants.gov Web site at: http://www.grants.gov. Electronic applications
for the NOAA Programs listed in this announcement may be accessed,
downloaded, and submitted to that Web site. The due dates and times for
paper and electronic submissions are

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identical. NOAA strongly recommends that you do not wait until the
application deadline to begin the application process through
Grants.gov. Your application must be received and validated by
Grants.gov no later than the due date and time.

Please Note: Validation or rejection of your application by
Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after your submission.
Please consider the Grants.gov validation/rejection process in
developing your application submission time line.

Grants.gov

Getting started with Grants.gov is easy. Users should note that
there are two key features on the Web site: Find Grant Opportunities
and Apply for Grants. The site is designed to support these two
features and your use of them.
While you can begin searching for grant opportunities immediately,
it is recommended that you complete the steps to Get Started (below)
ahead of time. This will help ensure you are ready to go when you find
an opportunity for which you would like to apply.

Applications From Individuals

In order for you to apply as an individual the announcement must
specify that the program is open to individuals and it must be
published on the Grants.gov Web site. Individuals must register with
the Credential Provider (see Step 3 below) and with Grants.gov (see
Step 4 below). Individuals do not need a DUNS number to register (see
Step 4 below) and submit their applications. The system will generate a
default value in that field.

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

This section provides the application submission and receipt
instructions for NOAA program applications. Please read the following
instructions carefully and completely.
1. Electronic Delivery. NOAA is participating in the Grants.gov
Initiative that provides the Grant Community a single site to find and
apply for grant funding opportunities. NOAA encourages applicants to
submit their applications electronically through: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp.
2. The following describes what to expect when applying on line
using Grants.gov/Apply:
a. Instructions. On the site, you will find step-by-step
instructions which enable you to apply for NOAA funds. The Grants.gov/Apply feature includes a simple, unified application process that makes
it possible for applicants to apply for grants online. There are six
``Get Started'' steps to complete at Grants.gov. The information
applicants need to understand and execute the steps can be found at:
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. Applicants should
read the Get Started steps carefully. The site also contains
registration checklists to help you walk through the process. NOAA
recommends that you download the checklists and prepare the information
requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and
assembling required information before beginning the registration
process will make the process fast and smooth and save time.
b. DUNS Requirement. All applicants applying for funding, including
renewal funding, must have a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Data
Numbering System (DUNS) number. The DUNS number must be included in the
data entry field labeled ``Organizational Duns'' on the form SF-424.
Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at the following
Web site: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
c. Central Contractor Registry and Credential Provider
Registration. In addition to having a DUNS number, applicants applying
electronically through Grants.gov must register with the Federal
Central Contractor Registry and with a Credential Provider. The http://www.grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp provides step-by-step instructions for registering in
the Central Contractor Registry and for registering with a credential
provider. All applicants filing electronically must register with the
Central Contractor Registry and receive credentials from the Grants.gov
credential provider in order to apply on line. Failure to register with
the Central Contractor Registry and credential provider will result in
your application being rejected by the Grants.gov portal.
The registration process is a separate process from submitting an
application. Applicants are, therefore, encouraged to register early.
The registration process can take approximately two weeks to be
completed. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to
ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required submission
deadlines. You will be able to submit your application online anytime
after you receive your e-authentication credentials.
d. Electronic Signature. Applications submitted through Grants.gov
constitute submission as electronically signed applications. The
registration and e-authentication process establishes the Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR). When you submit the application
through Grants.gov, the name of your authorized organization
representative on file will be inserted into the signature line of the
application. Applicants must register the individual who is able to
make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as the
Authorized Organization Representative.
3. Instructions on how to submit an electronic application to NOAA
via Grants.gov/Apply:
Grants.gov has a full set of instructions on how to apply for funds
on its Web site at: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. The following provides simple guidance on what you will
find on the Grants.gov/Apply site. Applicants are encouraged to read
through the page entitled, ``Complete Application Package'' before
getting started. Grants.gov allows applicants to download the
application package, instructions and forms that are incorporated in
the instructions, and work off line. In addition to forms that are part
of the application instructions, there will be a series of electronic
forms that are provided utilizing an Adobe Reader.

Note for the Adobe Reader: Grants.gov is only compatible with
versions 8.1.1 and above. Please do not use lower versions of the
Adobe Reader.

Mandatory Fields on Adobe Reader Forms
In the Adobe forms you will note fields that appear with a yellow
background and red outline color. These fields are mandatory and must
be completed to successfully submit your application. The Adobe forms
are designed to fill in common required fields such as the applicant
name and address, DUNS number, etc., on all Adobe electronic forms. To
trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information
first. Once it is completed the information will transfer to the other
forms.
Customer Support
The Grants.gov Web site provides customer support via (800) 518-
4726 (this is a toll-free number) or through e-mail at
[email protected]. The Contact Center is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, to
address Grants.gov technology issues. For

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technical assistance to program related questions, contact the number
listed in the Program Section of the program you are applying for.

4. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

a. Electronic Submission. All applications must be received by
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp by the Time on
the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission
is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic time stamp is
generated within the system when the application is successfully
received by Grants.gov. The applicant will receive an acknowledgement
of receipt and a tracking number from Grants.gov with the successful
transmission of their application. Applicants should print this receipt
and save it, along with facsimile receipts for information provided by
facsimile, as proof of timely submission. When NOAA successfully
retrieves the application from Grants.gov, Grants.gov will provide an
electronic acknowledgment of receipt to the e-mail address of the AOR.
Proof of Timely submission shall be the date and time that Grants.gov
receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov, after
the established due date for the program will be considered late and
will not be considered for funding by NOAA.

NOAA suggests that applicants submit their applications during the
operating hours of Grants.gov, so that if there are questions
concerning transmission, operators will be available to walk you
through the process. Submitting your application during the Contact
Center hours will also ensure that you have sufficient time for the
application to complete its transmission prior to the application
deadline. Applicants using dial-up connections should be aware that
transmission may take some time before Grants.gov receives it.
Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received
transmission message. The Grants.gov program office reports that some
applicants abort the transmission because they think that nothing is
occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give
the system time to process the application. Uploading and transmitting
many files, particularly electronic forms with associated XML schemas,
will take some time to be processed.

Evaluation Criteria and Selection Procedures

NOAA has standardized the evaluation and selection process for its
competitive assistance programs. There are two separate sets of
evaluation criteria and selection procedures (see below), one for
project proposals, and the other for fellowship, scholarship, and
internship programs.

Project Proposals

Review and Selection Process: Some project proposals may include a
pre-application process that provides for feedback to applicants that
responded to a call for letters of intent or pre-proposals; however,
not all programs will include this pre-application. If a program has a
pre-application process, it will be described in the Summary
Description section of the announcement and the deadline will be
specified in the Application Deadline section.
Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an initial
administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance with
requirements and completeness of the application. A merit review will
also be conducted to produce a rank order of the proposals. The NOAA
Program Officer may review the ranking of the proposals and make
recommendations to the Selecting Official based on the administrative
and/or merit review(s) and selection factors listed below. The
Selecting Official selects proposals after considering the
administrative and/or merit review(s) and recommendations of the
Program Officer. In making the final selections, the Selecting Official
will award in rank order unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection
factors below. The Program Officer and/or Selecting Official may
negotiate the funding level of the proposal. The Selecting Official
makes final award recommendations to the Grants Officer authorized to
obligate the funds.

Evaluation Criteria

Each reviewer (each announcement will specify the number and type
of reviewers) will individually evaluate and rank proposals using the
following evaluation criteria:
1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of a proposed
project to the program goals: This ascertains whether there is
intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal
(other than NOAA), regional, state, or local activities.
2. Technical/scientific merit: This assesses whether the approach
is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate,
and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.
3. Overall qualifications of applicants: This ascertains whether
the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training,
facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.
4. Project costs: The project's budget is evaluated to determine if
it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and timeframe.
5. Outreach and education: NOAA assesses whether this project
provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy
regarding its mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

Selection Factors

The merit review ratings will be used to provide a rank order to
the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. A Program
Officer may first make recommendations to the Selecting Official
applying the selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official
shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following
factors:
1. Availability of funding.
2. Balance/distribution of funds:
a. Geographically,
b. By type of institutions,
c. By type of partners,
d. By research areas, and
e. By project types.
3. Whether the project duplicates other projects funded or
considered for funding by NOAA or other federal agencies.
4. Program priorities and policy factors.
5. Applicant's prior award performance.
6. Partnerships and/or participation of targeted groups.
7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA to make a National
Environmental Policy Act determination and draft necessary
documentation before funding recommendations are made to the Grants
Officer.

Fellowship, Scholarship and Internship Programs Review and Selection
Process

Some fellowship, scholarship and internship programs may include a
pre-application process that provides for feedback to the applicants
that have responded to a call for letters of intent or pre-proposals;
however, not all programs will include this pre-

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application. If a program has a pre-application process, the process
will be described in the Summary Description section of the
announcement and the deadline will be specified in the Application
Deadline section. Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an
initial administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance
with requirements and completeness of the application.
A merit review will also be conducted to produce a rank order of
the proposals. The NOAA Program Officer may review the ranking of the
proposals and make recommendations to the Selecting Official based on
the administrative and/or merit review(s) and selection factors listed
below. The Selecting Official selects proposals after considering the
administrative and/or merit review(s) and recommendations of the
Program Officer. In making the final selections, the Selecting Official
will award in rank order unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection
factors below. The Program Officer and/or Selecting Official may
negotiate the funding level of the proposal. The Selecting Official
makes final award recommendations to the Grants Officer authorized to
obligate the funds.

Evaluation Criteria

Each reviewer (each announcement will specify the number and type
of reviewers) will individually evaluate and rank proposals using the
following evaluation criteria.
1. Academic record and statement of career goals and objectives of
the student.
2. Quality of project and applicability to program priorities.
3. Recommendations and/or endorsements of the student.
4. Additional relevant experience related to diversity of
education; extra-curricular activities; honors and awards; and
interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills.
5. Financial need of the student.

Selection Factors

The merit review ratings will be used to provide a rank order by
the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. A Program
Officer may first make recommendations to the Selecting Official by
applying the selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official
shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following
factors:
1. Availability of funds.
2. Balance/distribution of funds:
a. Across academic disciplines,
b. By types of institutions, and
c. Geographically.
3. Program-specific objectives.
4. Degree in scientific area and type of degree sought.

III. NOAA Project Competitions

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

1. 2010 Herring Research Set-Aside (RSA)
Summary Description: NMFS, in cooperation with the New England
Fishery Management Council (Council), is soliciting 2010 Atlantic
Herring (herring) Research Set-Aside (RSA) proposals that address
research priorities concerning the herring fishery. The Herring RSA
Program was created by the Council as a vehicle to fund research
projects through the sale of research quota. Under this program, the
Council may set aside up to 3 percent of the total allowable landings
(TAL) to fund selected projects. Proceeds from the sale of research
quota are used to pay for research costs and to compensate fishing
vessels that harvest research quota. Participating vessels may be
authorized to harvest and land fish in excess of Federal possession
limits and/or during fishery closures. No Federal funds are provided
for research under this notification. NMFS and the Council will give
priority to funding proposals addressing the research needs identified
in Section I-B of this document.
Funding Availability: No Federal funds are provided for research
under this notification, but rather the opportunity to fish with the
catch sold to generate income. Individual research projects may apply
for the use of more than one herring research set-aside allocation from
the 2010 fishing year. The research compensation trips must be
conducted in the management area from which the set-aside was derived.
In addition, research quota must be harvested in the same fishing year
from which it was distributed. No more than 50 percent of an allocated
set-aside should be taken before the research begins. Research quota
does not need to be harvested during research activities. To establish
an approximate value on research quota, the value of herring when it is
harvested in 2010 must be estimated. This Federal Funding Opportunity
(FFO) uses an estimated price based on the average 2008 price of $248
per metric ton (mt), or $0.11 per lb, as established through herring
dealer reports. By requiring researchers to use this price in
requesting RSA quota, all proposals will relate herring catch to
research costs similarly. The Federal Government may issue an Exempted
Fishing Permit (EFP), which may provide special fishing privileges in
response to research proposals selected under this program. Funds
generated from RSA landings shall be used to cover the cost of the
research activities, including vessel costs, and to compensate vessels
for expenses incurred during the harvest of research quota. For
example, the funds may be used to pay for gear modifications,
monitoring equipment, additional provisions (e.g., fuel, ice, food for
scientists), or the salaries of research personnel.
The Federal Government is not liable for any costs incurred by the
researcher or vessel owner should the sale of research quota not fully
reimburse the researcher or vessel owner for their expenses. Any
additional funds generated through the sale of fish harvested under the
research quota above the cost of research activities shall be retained
by the vessel owner as compensation for the use of his/her vessel. If a
research project is terminated for any reason prior to completion, any
funds collected from the catch sold to pay for research expenses must
be turned over to the U.S. Treasury. RSA quota available to applicants
under the 2010 Herring RSA Program will be established through the 2010
quota specification rulemaking process. The Council is scheduled to
establish the 2010 herring quota, including the RSA quota, in 2009.
Based on Council recommendations, NMFS may choose to adopt less than 3
percent of TAL as a set-aside, or decide not to adopt any set-aside for
a given fishery. The value of RSA quota will be dictated by market
conditions prevailing at the time the compensation fishing trips are
conducted. To help researchers develop proposals and proposal budgets
for the 2010 Herring RSA Program, recent quota amount and quota value
information is listed below as an example. This information is for
guidance purposes only; it does not reflect actual RSA quota amounts or
quota values that will be in effect for the 2010 fishing year. RSA
quota amounts are based on 2008/2009 FMP specifications. RSA quota
values are based on NMFS dealer database landings information. This
information is listed below in the following format: Management Area/
RSA quota amount (mt/lbs)/RSA quota total value. Management Area 1A/
1350 mt/2,976,240 lbs/$334,800, Management Area 1B/300 mt/661,386 lbs/
$74,400, Management Area 2/900 mt/1,984,160

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lbs/$223,200, Management Area 3/1800 mt/3,968,320 lbs/$446,400.
Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is
provided under 303(b)(11), 402(e), and 404(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C.1853(b)(11), 16
U.S.C. 1881a(e), and 16 U.S.C. 1881(c), respectively. Statutory
authority for entering into cooperative agreements and other financial
agreements with non-profit organizations is found at 15 U.S.C. 1540.
Amendment 1 of the Herring FMP established the Herring RSA Program (72
FR 11251; March 12, 2007), codified at 50 CFR 648.207.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.454,
Unallied Management Projects.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on February 17, 2009.
Applications submitted through Grants.gov will have a date and time
indication on them. Hard copy applications will be date and time
stamped when they are received.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline.

Address for Submitting Proposals: To apply for this NOAA Federal
funding opportunity, please submit applications to http://www.grants.gov and use the following funding opportunity number NMFS-
NEFSC-2010-2001653. Applicants who do not have Internet access may
submit their application to Cheryl A. Corbett, NMFS, Northeast
Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543.
Information Contacts: Information may be obtained from Paul Howard,
Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council, by phone at
978-465-0492, or fax at 978-465-3116; or Cheryl A. Corbett, NMFS,
Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA
02543, or by phone at 508-495-2070, or fax at 508-495-2004, or via e-
mail at [email protected], or Ryan Silva, Cooperative Research
Liaison, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office by phone at 978-281-9326, or
via e-mail at [email protected].
Eligibility: 1. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher
education, hospitals, other nonprofits, commercial organizations,
individuals, and state, local, and Native American tribal governments.
Federal agencies and institutions are not eligible to receive Federal
assistance under this notice. Additionally, employees of any Federal
agency or Regional Fishery Management Council are ineligible to submit
an application under this program. However, Council members who are not
Federal employees may submit an application. 2. DOC/NOAA supports
cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority
individuals and groups to submit applications to the RSA program. In
addition, 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 underserved areas. DOC/NOAA encourages
proposals involving any of the above institutions. 3. DOC/NOAA
encourages applications from members of the fishing community and
applications that involve fishing community cooperation and
participation.
Cost Sharing Requirements: None required.
Intergovernmental Review: Applicants will need to determine if
their state participates in the intergovernmental review process. This
information can be found at the following Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. This information will assist
applicants in providing either a Yes or No response to Item 16 of the
Application Form, SF-424, entitled ``Application for Federal
Assistance.''

2. 2010 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside (RSA)

Summary Description: NMFS, in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council (Council), is soliciting proposals under the
2010 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program that address
research priorities concerning the summer flounder, scup, black sea
bass, Loligo squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish,
bluefish, and tilefish fisheries. The Mid-Atlantic RSA Program was
created by the Council as a vehicle to fund research projects through
the sale of research quota. Under this program, the Council may set
aside up to 3 percent of the total allowable landings (TAL) from the
above listed species to fund selected projects. Proceeds from the sale
of research quota are used to pay for research costs and to compensate
fishing vessels that harvest research quota.
Participating vessels may be authorized to harvest and land fish in
excess of Federal possession limits and/or during fishery closures. No
Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. NMFS
and the Council will give priority to funding proposals addressing the
research needs identified in Section I-B of this document.
Funding Availability: No Federal funds are provided for research
under this notification, but rather the opportunity to fish with the
catch sold to generate research funds and to provide compensation for
harvesting of RSA quota. The Federal Government may issue an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) to selected projects, which may provide special
fishing privileges, such as exemption from possession limits and
fishery closures. Funds generated from RSA landings shall be used to
cover the cost of the research activities, including vessel costs, and
to compensate boats for expenses incurred during the collection of the
set-aside species. For example, the funds may be used to pay for gear
modifications, monitoring equipment, additional provisions (e.g., fuel,
ice, food for scientists), or the salaries of research personnel. The
Federal Government is not liable for any costs incurred by the
researcher or vessel owner should the sale of RSA quota not fully
reimburse the researcher or vessel owner for his/her expenses. Any
additional funds generated through the sale of fish harvested under the
research quota above the cost of the research activities shall be
retained by the vessel owner as compensation for the use of his/her
vessel. If a research project is terminated for any reason prior to
completion, any funds collected from the catch sold to pay for research
expenses must be turned over to the U.S. Treasury. The Council, in
consultation with the Commission, will incorporate RSA quotas for each
of the set-aside species for the 2010 fishing year into the Council's
annual quota specification recommendations. NMFS will consider the
recommended level of RSA as part of the associated rulemaking process.
RSA quota available to applicants under the 2010 Mid-Atlantic RSA
Program will be established through the 2010 quota specification
rulemaking process. The Council is scheduled to establish quotas,
including RSA quotas, by the end of 2009. Based on Council
recommendations, NMFS may choose to adopt less than 3 percent of TAL as
a set-aside, or decide not to adopt any set-aside for a given fishery.
The value of RSA quota will be dictated by market conditions
prevailing at the time the compensation fishing trips are conducted. To
help researchers develop proposals and proposal budgets for the 2010
Mid-Atlantic RSA Program, recent quota amount and quota value
information is listed below. This information is for guidance purposes
only; it does not reflect actual RSA

[[Page 79]]

quota amounts or quota values that will be in effect for fishing year
2010. RSA quota amounts are based on 2009 FMP specifications proposed
by the Council. RSA quota values are based on landings data taken from
Fisheries of the United States, 2007. This information is listed below
in the following format: Species/RSA quota amount (lb)/RSA quota total
value/RSA value per pound. Summer flounder/553,500 lb/$1,311,795/$2.37
lb, Scup/220,200 lb/$195,978/$0.89 lb, Black sea bass/69,000 lb/
$195,270/$2.83 lb, Loligo squid/1,124,356 lb/$966,946/$0.86 lb,
Bluefish/743,965 lb/$260,388/$0.35 lb, Butterfish/33,069 lb/$15,542/
$0.47 lb, Illex squid/1,587,328 lb/$301,592/$0.19 lb (no Ilex squid was
requested), Atlantic mackerel/7,645,948 lb/$917,514/$0.12 (no Atlantic
mackerel was requested), Tilefish/0 lb/$0/$0 lb.
Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is
provided under sections 303(b)(11), 402(e), and 404(c) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1853(b)(11),
16 U.S.C. 1881a(e), and 16 U.S.C. 1881(c), respectively. Statutory
authority for entering into cooperative agreements and other financial
agreements with non-profit organizations is found at 15 U.S.C. 1540.
Framework Adjustment 1 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
FMP, Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP, Bluefish FMP, and
Tilefish FMP established the Mid-Atlantic RSA Program (66 FR 42156,
August 10, 2001), which is codified in regulations at 50 CFR 648.21(g).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.454,
Unallied Management Projects.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on March 3, 2009. Applications
submitted through Grants.gov will have a date and time indication on
them. Hard copy applications will be date and time stamped when they
are received.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline.

Address for Submitting Proposals: To apply for this NOAA Federal
Funding Opportunity, please submit applications to http://www.grants.gov and use the following funding opportunity number: NMFS-
NEFSC-2010-2001654. Applicants who do not have Internet access may
submit their application to Cheryl A. Corbett, NMFS, Northeast
Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543.
Information Contacts: Information may be obtained from Clay Heaton,
Fishery Management Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council,
by phone 302-674-2331 ext. 13, or via e-mail at [email protected]; or
Cheryl A. Corbett, Cooperative Programs Specialist, NMFS, Northeast
Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543, or by
phone at 508-495-2070, or fax at 508-495-2004, or via e-mail at
[email protected]; or from Ryan Silva, Cooperative Research
Liaison, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, by phone 978-281-9326, or via
e-mail at [email protected].
Eligibility: 1. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher
education, hospitals, other nonprofits, commercial organizations,
individuals, and state, local, and Native American tribal governments.
Federal agencies and institutions are not eligible to receive Federal
assistance under this notice. Additionally, employees of any Federal
agency or Regional Fishery Management Council are ineligible to submit
an application under this program. However, Council members who are not
Federal employees may submit an application. 2. DOC/NOAA supports
cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority
individuals and groups to submit applications to the RSA program. In
addition, 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 underserved areas. DOC/NOAA encourages
proposals involving any of the above institutions. 3. DOC/NOAA
encourages applications from members of the fishing community and
applications that involve fishing community cooperation and
participation.
Cost Sharing Requirements: None required.
Intergovernmental Review: Applicants will need to determine if
their state participates in the intergovernmental review process. This
information can be found at the following Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. This information will assist
applicants in providing either a Yes or No response to Item 16 of the
Application Form, SF-424, entitled ``Application for Federal
Assistance.''
3. FY09 Hawaii Seafood Program
Summary Description: The National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA/
NMFS) is soliciting competitive applications for the FY09 Hawaii
Seafood Program. The Hawaii Seafood Program is designed to help
strengthen and to 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 seek 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 FY09 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
proposals and 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: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on February 13,
2009. Applications submitted through Grants.gov will have a date and
time indication on them. Hard copy applications will be date and time
stamped when they are received.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline.

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

[[Page 80]]

Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96814,
by phone at 808-944-2218, or by e-mail at [email protected].
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 but is encouraged.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.
4. New Bedford Harbor Restoration Projects (IV)
Summary Description: The New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council
(Trustee Council or Council) is responsible for restoration of natural
resources injured through the release of polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) and other hazardous substances into the New Bedford Harbor
Environment. The Council consists of the: (1) Massachusetts Executive
Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; (2) U.S. Department of
Commerce, NOAA represented by the National Marine Fisheries Service;
and (3) U.S. Department of the Interior represented by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. Using settlement funds, the Council plans and
implements projects that restore, replace or acquire the equivalent of
the natural resources that have been injured. The Council intends to
fund up to $6.0 million for restoration projects addressing the natural
resource injury within the New Bedford Harbor Environment. Funding will
be provided through grants or cooperative agreements issued through
NOAA on behalf of the Council. Approved projects that involve
activities not eligible for NOAA Grants may receive funds through other
Trustee agencies.
Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that funding of
up to $6,000,000 is expected to be available for the Council's Round IV
restoration projects. Based upon previous rounds, the Council
anticipates that typical project awards will range from $20,000 to
$2,000,000. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be
available to make awards for all proposals. The number of awards to be
made as a result of this solicitation will depend on the number of
eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested for
initiating restoration projects by the applicants, and the merit and
ranking of the proposals.
Publication of this notice does not obligate NOAA to fund any
specific project or obligate all or any parts of any available funds.
Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 661-667e, 42 U.S.C. 9601-9626.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463,
Habitat Conservation.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on February 17, 2009.
Applications submitted through Grants.gov will have a date and time
indication on them. Hard copy applications will be date and time
stamped when they are received.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline.

Applications that are postmarked after the deadline date and time
will not be considered for funding. No facsimile or electronic mail
applications will be accepted.
Address for Submitting Proposals: Electronic submission online:
http://www.grants.gov. Paper submission: New Bedford Harbor Trustee
Council, c/o National Marine Fisheries Service, 1 Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930-2298, Attn: Jack Terrill, 978-281-9136.
Information Contacts: For further information, contact the Trustee
Council Coordinator: Jack Terrill, New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council,
c/o National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930-2298, telephone 978-281-9136, e-mail
[email protected].
Eligibility: Eligible applicants include state, local and Indian
tribal governments, institutions of higher education, other nonprofit
and commercial organizations and individuals whose projects have the
potential to benefit the impacted natural resources.
Applications from Federal agencies or employees of Federal agencies
can be submitted but cannot be considered for NOAA grants. Such
applications may be funded through the other Trustee Council agencies.
The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (DOC/NOAA) and the Council are strongly committed to
broadening the participation of historically black colleges and
universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and
universities, and institutions that work in underserved areas. The
Council encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.
Cost Sharing Requirements: One way of extending the fixed amount of
funds that the Council has to work with is through cost sharing (often
referred to as providing matching funds). While it is not required that
applications contain cost sharing, the Council strongly encourages
respondents to consider cost sharing, and if it is appropriate for a
project, to discuss within the application the degree to which cost
sharing may be possible. If cost sharing is proposed, applicants are
asked to account for both the Council and non-Council amounts. This
information will allow the Council to better plan for potential funding
awards and future expenditures.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program 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 SPOCs
are listed on the Office of Management and Budget's home page at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
5. Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund
Summary Description: NOAA announces the availability of Pacific
Coastal Salmon Recovery Funds (PCSRF), as authorized in the Northern
Boundary and Transboundary Rivers Restoration and Enhancement Fund and
Southern Boundary Restoration and Enhancement Fund (16 U.S.C. 3645), to
support the restoration and conservation of Pacific salmon and
steelhead populations and their habitat. The program provides funding
to the States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California for
salmon habitat restoration, salmon stock enhancement, sustainable
salmon fisheries and salmon

[[Page 81]]

research. It also provides funding to the Pacific Coastal tribes and
the Columbia River tribes as authorized in 16 U.S.C. 3645(d)(2)(B) for
salmon habitat restoration, salmon stock enhancement, salmon research
and supplementation activities.
Funding Availability: Up to $67,000,000 may be available in fiscal
year (FY) 2009 for projects as authorized under 16 U.S.C. 3645(d)(2).
There are no restrictions on minimum funding requests, but there is a
limit of $25,000,000 on a maximum amount requested by any recipient.
Award periods may be up to a maximum of 5 years. Actual funding
availability for this program is contingent upon FY 2009 Congressional
appropriations.
Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3645(d)(2).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.438,
Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery--Pacific Salmon Treaty Program.
Application Deadline: Pre-Applications are not mandatory, but
highly encouraged. They must be received no later than February 2, 2009
if the applicant expects to receive any feedback from NMFS on
completeness of package and initial determination of compliance with
requirements. Final Applications should be submitted via http://www.grants.gov and must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. PST on
February 17, 2009. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be
accepted. Paper applications must be postmarked by February 17, 2009.
Any application transmitted or postmarked, as the case may be, after
the deadline will be considered non-responsive and will not be
considered for funding in this competition. Applications submitted
through Grants.gov will have a date and time indication on them. Hard
copy applications will be date and time stamped when they are received.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline.

Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications should be submitted
online through the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov. If
online submission is not possible, paper applications may be mailed to
Barry Thom or Nicolle Hill at 7600 Sand Point Way, NE., Seattle, WA
98115-6349.
Information Contacts: For further information on PCSRF, please
contact Barry Thom, NMFS Northwest Region Deputy Regional
Administrator, at (503) 231-6266. Questions regarding this announcement
should be directed to Nicolle Hill, NMFS Northwest Region PCSRF Federal
Program Officer, at (206) 526-4358 or [email protected].
Eligibility: Eligible state applicants are the States of Alaska,
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. Eligible tribal applicants
are any federally recognized Pacific Coastal or Columbia River tribes
in Washington, Oregon, California or Idaho.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Applicants are required to match 33% of
received Federal funds. Indian tribes are exempt from any cost share
requirement.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program from
state or local governments are subject to the provisions of Executive
Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
6. Proactive Species Conservation Program
Summary Description: 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 under the Proactive Species Conservation Program. The 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, any state, territorial, tribal, or
local entity that has authority to manage or regulate these species or
activities that affect these species is eligible to apply to this grant
program. This document describes how to submit proposals for funding in
fiscal year (FY) 2009 and how the NMFS will determine which proposals
will be funded.
Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that
approximately $200,000 may be available for distribution in FY 2009
under the PSCP; there are no restrictions on minimum or maximum funding
requests. Applicants may apply for funds for up to 5 years (see below)
so the total amount requested over the life of the project may be more
than $200,000, but the limit for FY 2009 should be $200,000. Actual
funding availability for this program is contingent upon Fiscal Year
2009 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. There is also no limit on the number of applications
that can be submitted by the same applicant. Multiple applications
submitted by the same applicant must clearly identify distinct
projects, and single applications should not include multiple,
unrelated projects. 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 in accordance with 2 CFR part
225.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the Proactive Species
Conservation Program is provided by the following: 16 U.S.C. 661.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.472,
Unallied Science Program.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on February 12, 2009.
Applications submitted through Grants.gov will have a date and time
indication on them. Hard copy applications will be date and time
stamped when they are received. Hard copy applications must be
postmarked by February 12, 2009.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline.

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

[[Page 82]]

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 e-mail at [email protected]. You may also contact one of
the following people in your region for further guidance: Kim Damon-
Randall, Northeast Regional Office [email protected]
(978-281-9300 x 6535), Alex Meyer, Southeast Regional Office
[email protected] (727-824-5312), Krista Graham, Pacific Islands
Regional Office [email protected] (808-944-2238), Melissa Neuman,
Southwest Regional Office [email protected] (562-980-4115), Eric
Murray, Northwest Regional Office [email protected] (503-872-2791),
Brad Smith, Alaska Regional Office [email protected] (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 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 section G)
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 SPOCs 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)

1. Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP)--FY 2010
Competition
Summary Description: The purpose of this document is to advise
eligible coastal states and territories (requirements described below)
that OCRM is soliciting coastal and estuarine land conservation project
proposals for competitive funding under the CELCP. States and
territories must have submitted to NOAA a CELCP plan on or before
February 24, 2009, in order to be eligible to participate in the FY2010
funding opportunity (see Final Guidelines for Coastal and Estuarine
Land Conservation Program for more information on CELCP plan
requirements, available at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/CELCPfinal02Guidelines.pdf. Funding is contingent upon the
availability of FY 2010 Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that
projects funded under this announcement will have a grant start date
between March 1, 2010 and October 1, 2010. The program authority is 16
U.S.C. 1456d.
Funding Availability: NOAA anticipates that approximately 20-60
projects may be included on a competitively-ranked list of projects
that are ready and eligible for funding in FY 2010. Funding for
projects selected for the prioritized list is contingent upon
availability of Federal appropriations for FY 2010. Applicants are
hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this
program. The FY 2010 President's Request for the program is $15
million. Annual appropriated funding levels for the CELCP ranged from
$8-$50 million from FY 2002-2008. Eligible coastal states and
territories may select and submit up to three projects for this
competition, including subsequent phases of projects previously funded
by CELCP. Applicants may include multiple parcels in a project
proposal; however, please note that NOAA will evaluate project
readiness and feasibility for completion within the required 18 month
timeframe. For such projects, NOAA recommends that applicants limit the
scope to acquiring no more than 5 separate parcels (including parcels
that would be acquired directly with CELCP funds as well as those that
would be counted an in-kind match). See section III.C. for additional
details. The maximum amount that may be requested for the Federal share
of each project is $3,000,000. The amount of funding per award in
previous years has ranged from $380,000 to $3,000,000 for competitively
selected projects, depending on the amount requested, size, and type of
project. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available
to make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of this notice
and the list of projects deemed ready and eligible does not oblige NOAA
to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If a
state or territory incurs any costs prior to receiving an award
agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, they do so solely at
their own risk of these costs not being included under the award. In no
event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for
proposal preparation or other project costs if this program fails to
receive funding or is cancelled because of other agency priorities.
Recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all Federal laws and
agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal
financial assistance awards. NOAA is committed to continual improvement
of the grants process and accelerating the award of financial
assistance to qualified recipients in accordance with the
recommendations of the NOAA Program Review Team. If funding is
appropriated in FY 2010 for projects recommended through this
competition, NOAA will request final grant applications from successful
applicants as soon as feasible in order to expedite the grant process
(see VI. Award Administration Information). Applicants must be in good
standing with all existing NOAA grants in order to receive funds.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the CELCP is 16 U.S.C. 1456d.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.419,
Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 6 p.m. EST on March 31, 2009. Applications
submitted through Grants.gov will have a date and time indication on
them.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the

[[Page 83]]

application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission
timeline. Hard copy applications must be received at the OCRM Office
at the address listed in this announcement.

Address for Submitting Proposals: The proposal may be submitted
electronically through Grants.gov online at: http://www.grants.gov or
by mailing an original and four copies of each proposal to Attn: Elaine
Vaudreuil, NOAA, Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Policy
and Evaluation Division (N/ORM7), 1305 East-West Highway, SSMC4,
Station 10657, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Information Contacts: CELCP Program Manager: Elaine Vaudreuil
Phone: (301) 713-3155 ext 103 E-mail: [email protected] or
Elisabeth Morgan Phone: (301) 713-3155 ext 166 E-mail:
[email protected].
Eligibility: Only coastal states and territories with Coastal Zone
Management Programs or National Estuarine Research Reserves approved
under the CZMA that have submitted a draft CELCP plan to NOAA on or
before February 24, 2009, are eligible to participate in the FY 2010
CELCP competition. A list of the status of each state and territory's
CELCP plan including the states and territories eligible for this
competition, is available at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/CELCPplans_web.pdf, and will be updated as of as of February 24,
2009. The designated lead agency for implementing CELCP in each state
or territory (``lead agency'') is eligible to submit projects for
funding under this competition. The lead agency is presumed to be the
agency designated as lead for implementing the state or territory's
coastal management program, as approved under the CZMA, unless
otherwise designated by the Governor. A list of lead contacts for each
state and territory is available on the CELCP Web site at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/celcpstateleadcontacts.pdf. The
designated lead agency may solicit, and include in their application,
project proposals from additional eligible state or territorial
agencies, local governments as defined at 15 CFR 24.3, or entities
eligible for assistance under section 306A(e) of the CZMA (16 U.S.C.
1455a(e)), provided that each has the authority to acquire and manage
land for conservation purposes. As defined at 15 CFR 24.3, local
government means a county, municipality, city, town, township, local
public authority (including any public and Indian housing agency under
the United States Housing Act of 1937), school district, special
district, intrastate district, council of governments (whether or not
incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), any other
regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or
instrumentality of a local government. Under section 306A(e) of the
CZMA, an eligible entity may be a local government, an area-wide agency
designated under Chapter 41, Subchapter II, section 3334 of Title 42, a
regional agency, or an interstate agency. The public agencies/entities,
or types of entities, considered to be eligible within each state or
territory may be identified within the state or territory's CELCP plan.
A link to a list of Web sites for state or territory CELCP plans is
available on the CELCP Web site at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/CELCPplans_web.pdf. The lead agency will be responsible
for: Ensuring that projects are consistent with land conservation
priorities outlined in the state or territory's draft or approved CELCP
plan; reviewing proposals for completeness; prioritizing proposals
according to CELCP plan criteria; and nominating up to three proposals
to the national selection process at a requested funding level not to
exceed $3 million per proposal. For selected projects, NOAA may make
financial assistance awards to the lead agency, which will be
responsible for ensuring that allocated funds are used for the purposes
of and in a manner consistent with this program, including any funds
awarded to an eligible sub-applicant. NOAA may, with concurrence of the
state or territory's CELCP lead agency, make a grant directly to the
identified sub-applicant in order to expedite completion of an approved
project. In such cases, the sub-applicant (as the grant recipient) will
be responsible for ensuring that allocated funds are used for the
approved purposes and in a manner consistent with this program.
Interested parties should contact the appropriate CELCP lead in each
state or territory for additional information on their project
solicitation process.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Federal funds awarded under this program
must be matched with non-Federal funds at a ratio of 1:1, with the
following exception. In accordance with 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d), the 1:1
matching requirement is waived for any project under $200,000 for
Insular Areas, defined as the jurisdictions of the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands. For any project equal to or greater than $200,000, the
matching requirement would be waived for the portion under $200,000.
The 1:1 match requirement would apply to the portion equal to or above
$200,000.

Please note: Eligible applicants choosing to apply 48 U.S.C.
1469a(d) should note the use of the waiver and the total amount of
funds requested to be waived in the matching funds section of the
project proposal. Non-Federal matching funds may be derived from
state, local, non-governmental or private sources in the form of
cash or in-kind contributions. Cost-sharing requirements for the
CELCP are specified in Section 2.7 of the CELCP Guidelines. Sources
of matching funds must meet the eligibility criteria and ownership
and stewardship conditions of the Federal share, unless specified
otherwise. (Eligibility criteria, ownership and stewardship
conditions are further described below in section ``III.C. Other
Criteria that Affect Eligibility.'') The following costs may not be
counted toward the non-Federal matching share:--Costs expended prior
to the grant award, unless specifically allowed as ``banked match''
(see C.2, below), or qualified ``pre-award'' costs that were
incurred within 90 days before the start of a grant award.--Lands or
services previously used as non-Federal match. Any funds or in-kind
contributions, including the value of donated lands or services,
that have been previously used to satisfy the matching requirements
of this program or that that have been or will be used to satisfy
another Federal grant, may not be counted toward the non-Federal
matching share.--Lands or services acquired with Federal funds.
Unless otherwise provided by Federal law, the value of property,
interests in property or services acquired with Federal funding may
not be used as non-Federal match.--Cash contribution of Federal
funds. Unless otherwise provided by Federal law, funding that
originated from Federal sources may not be used as non-Federal
match.

Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.'' If the state participates in this process, a list of
participating states and the clearinghouse point of contacts can be
found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
2. Coral Reef NGO Partnership
Summary Description: The purpose of this notice is to invite Non-
Governmental Organizations with non-profit 501(c)(3) status, with
expertise and experience in supporting coral reef management in U.S.
and associated waters to submit a multi-year proposal for establishing
a partnership for up to four years with the NOAA CRCP at both a
national and international level to further the conservation of coral
reefs. This document describes the coral reef conservation partnership
that the CRCP envisions, identifies the qualities that NOAA desires in
a partner, and describes criteria under which

[[Page 84]]

applications will be evaluated for funding consideration. Partnerships
selected through this notice will be implemented through a multi-year
cooperative agreement of up to four years in length. CRCP funding of up
to $600,000 pursuant to section 6403 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act
(CRCA) (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is expected to be available for
initiating this partnership in FY 2009. Applications must include a
generalized four year work program and a more specific work plan and
budget for activities to be funded in FY 2009, in conformance with the
requirements in Section IV below. Annual federal CRCP funding is
anticipated to increase up to $1,000,000 for the subsequent three years
of the agreement. However, annual funding levels and any increases over
FY 2009 levels will be dependent upon future budgets appropriated by
Congress, partnership success, and CRCP annual priorities. The CRCP
requires the partnership to match NOAA cash contributions at a minimum
of a 1:1 level overall, and will give priority to those partnerships
that can provide cash match for project implementation funds.
Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that CRCP funding
of up to $600,000 is expected to be available for establishing this
partnership with a single NGO in 2009. NOAA anticipates that the
partnership award may increase up to $1,000,000 in FY 2010, 2011, and
2012; however annual funding levels and any increases over FY 2009
levels for successful applicants will be dependent upon future budget
appropriations provided by Congress, partnership success, and overall
CRCP priorities. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded and
specific tasks under each annual award will be determined in pre-award
negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives.
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to establish any
specific partnership proposed or to obligate all or any parts of the
available funds for partnership activities.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation
Program is provided by Section 6403 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act
of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.419,
Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards.
Application Deadline: Partnership applications for funding in 2009
must be received and validated by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on
February 27, 2009.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline. Hard copy applications must be
received at the Coral Conservation Division, Office of Ocean and
Coastal Resource Management 1305 East-West Highway, 11th floor,
Silver Spring, MD 20910 no later that 5 p.m. EST on February 27,
2009.

Address for Submitting Proposals: Full proposals may be submitted
to Bill Millhouser, OCRM/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 11th floor, N/
ORM-3, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Information Contacts: Technical point of contact for this
announcement is Bill Millhouser at 301-713-3155, extension 189 or e-
mail at [email protected]. FAX: 301-713-4367. Address: OCRM/
NOAA, N/ORM-3, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; or Dana
Wusinich-Mendez, 301-713-3155 extension 159, [email protected].
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are limited to non-profit
organizations.
Cost Sharing Requirements: One of the overall principles of the
CRCP and the CRCA is to provide funding to individual projects that
leverage funds and other contributions from a broad public and private
sector to implement locally important habitat restoration to benefit
living marine resources. To this end, applicants are required to
contribute a minimum 1:1 non-Federal match overall for Federal funds
requested. Additionally, those organizations that propose to provide a
1:1 cash match for project implementation funds at the national or
regional level (before local, project-specific contributions are
included) will be likely to score higher in the evaluation of project
costs. While this is not a requirement, the CRCP strongly advises
applicants to leverage as much investment as possible. The match can
come from a variety of public and private sources and can include in-
kind goods and services. Federal funds may not be considered matching
funds. Applicants are permitted to combine non-federal contributions
from additional partners in order to meet the 1:1 match expected to
establish a partnership, as long as the matching funds are not already
being used to match other funding sources and are available within the
project period stated in the application. Applicants are also permitted
to apply federally negotiated indirect costs in excess of federal share
limits as described in Section IV. E. 2. ``Indirect Costs.'' Similarly,
proposals that limit administrative costs to 15% will likely score
higher on this criterion. The Applicant whose proposal is selected for
partnership funding will be bound by the percentage of cost sharing
reflected in the award document signed by the NOAA Grants Officer.
Successful applicants should be prepared to carefully document matching
contributions, including the number of volunteer or community
participation hours devoted to specific projects.
Intergovernmental Review: Funding applications under the Center are
not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.
3. FY09 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 $200,000 may be available in FY 2009 in award amounts to
be determined by the proposals and available funds. The National Marine
Sanctuary Program anticipates that approximately 3-6 grants will be
awarded with these funds and that typical project awards will range
from $20,000 to $60,000. 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 no
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

[[Page 85]]

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: 33 U.S.C. 893a(a).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.429,
Marine Sanctuary Program.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. PST on February 27, 2009.

Address for Submitting Proposals: Hard copy proposals may be
submitted to National Marine Sanctuary Program, attention Seaberry
Nachbar, 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940.
Information Contacts: Please visit the National Marine Sanctuaries
B-WET Web site 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
[email protected].
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.

National Weather Service (NWS)

1. 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. This Program addresses two NOAA goals: (1)
Understand Climate Variability and Change To Enhance Society's Ability
To Plan and Respond and (2) Serve Society's Needs for Weather and Water
Information. NOAA will give sole attention to individual proposals
addressing the following science priority: Use of weather observations
and weather and climate forecasts for the improvement of hydrologic and
water resources forecasts. The Office of Hydrologic Development is
interested in receiving proposals that demonstrate the use of in situ
and remote sensing techniques for weather, hydrologic and water
resources observations; numerical weather and climate forecasts; and
coupled surface and groundwater systems, to demonstrate how the
combination of those techniques could enhance hydrologic and water
resources forecasts. OHD is specifically interested in the use of cost-
effective observation techniques that are applicable at high spatial
resolution to large areas and that, in combination with land surface
models, allow the estimation of soil moisture profiles in areas subject
to artificial irrigation.
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. Proposals in this area should assume an annual budget of no
more than $125,000 per year for a period of 2 years.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the Hydrologic Research programs
is provided by the 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: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 3 p.m. EST March 3, 2009.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline. Both hard copy and electronic
proposals received after that time will not be considered for
funding and will be returned to the applicant. The submission date
on proposals submitted through Grants.gov will be the time and date
indicator in the Grants.gov submission. For proposals submitted by
hard copy, the submission date will be the time stamp on the
received documents.

Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications should be submitted
through http://www.grants.gov. Federal agencies or non-Federal
applicants without internet access must submit applications 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 e-mail to [email protected]. Questions requesting
clarifications on the current proposal must be made via e-mail to
[email protected]. All questions and NOAAs responses will be made
public by posting on the Web under the Current Announcement heading at
http://www.weather.gov/oh/src/.
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.

[[Page 86]]

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 funded through an
inter-agency 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.

2. Remote Community Alert Systems Program 2009

Summary Description: The Remote Community Alert Systems Program
2009 represents a NOAA/NWS effort to provide for outdoor alerting
technologies in remote communities effectively underserved by
commercial mobile service for the purpose of enabling residents of
those communities to receive emergency messages. These activities will
engage the private sector, academia, and States in opportunities and
technologies to further disseminate emergency messages. This program is
a contributing element of the Warning, Alert, and Response Network
(WARN) Act. NOAA's program is designed to complement other agency
contributions to that national effort. The Federal Communications
Commission has defined a ``remote'' area to consist of a county with a
population density of 100 persons per square mile or less, based on the
most recently available Census data. Also, ``commercial mobile
service'' means those services that are required to provide E911
services in accordance with Section 20.18 of the Commission's rules.
``Effectively underserved'' identifies ``remote communities'' that do
not receive ``commercial mobile service'' as demonstrated by coverage
maps, technical analysis, field tests, or any other reasonable means.
The program priorities for this opportunity support NOAA's mission
support goal of: Weather and Water--Serve Society's Needs for Weather
and Water Information.
Funding Availability: The total funding amount available for
proposals is anticipated to be approximately $2,130,000. We anticipate
making multiple awards, approximately 25, ranging from $50,000 to
$250,000.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the Remote Community Alert
Systems Program is provided by: 47 U.S.C. 1204.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.468,
Applied Meteorological Research.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST March 27, 2009.

Address for Submitting Proposals: Proposals should be submitted
through http://www.grants.gov. For those organizations without Internet
access, proposals may be sent to Craig Hodan, NOAA/NWS, 1325 East-West
Highway, Room 3348, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, Phone: 301-713-9480
x 187, e-mail: [email protected]. E-mail and fax submissions will
not be accepted.
Information Contacts: Craig Hodan, NOAA/NWS, 1325 East-West
Highway, Room 3348, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, Phone: 301-713-9480
x 187, e-mail: [email protected].
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are State Governments, U.S.
Territories or Possessions and Tribal Communities. This restriction is
needed to efficiently manage the potential number of applications.
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.

Office of the Under Secretary (USEC)

1. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
Summary Description: The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
provides support for independent graduate-level studies in
oceanography, marine biology or maritime archaeology (including all
science, engineering, and resource management of ocean and coastal
areas), particularly to women and minorities. Individuals who have been
accepted to a graduate program and are U.S. citizens may apply.
Scholarship selections are based on academic excellence, letters of
recommendation, research and career goals, and financial need.
Applicants must have and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average
each term cumulatively and maintain full-time student status for the
duration of the appointment. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships may provide,
subject to appropriations, yearly support of up to $32,000 per student
(a 12-month stipend of $20,000 in addition to a tuition allowance of up
to $12,000), and up to $20,000 support for a four to six week research
collaboration at a NOAA facility. A maximum of $84,000 may be provided
to masters students (up to 2 years of support and one research
collaboration opportunity) and up to $168,000 may be provided to
doctoral students (up to 4 years of support and two research
collaboration opportunities).
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recipients will travel to
Silver Spring, MD, for a NOAA Orientation and to meet with National
Marine Sanctuaries Program staff. Awards will include travel expenses
to attend the mandatory Scholarship Program orientation. Dr. Nancy
Foster Scholarship recipients will also be required to participate in a
research collaboration at a NOAA facility. Master`s candidates will be
supported for one research collaboration opportunity and Doctoral
candidates will be supported for up to two research collaboration
opportunities over the duration of the scholarship. The research
collaboration opportunity is designed to allow scholars to conduct
their research at a NOAA facility and on NOAA mission research for four
to six weeks. Support for the research opportunity may be used toward
allowable travel costs such as: Travel to and from the NOAA facility,
housing, and per diem while conducting research at the NOAA facility.
Applicants who are awarded the Nancy Foster Scholarship will identify
their research collaboration opportunity(s) topic and NOAA facility
during the initial scholarship year. Additional Information about the
scholarship can be obtained in the full announcement text of the
Federal Funding Opportunity.
Funding Availability: Subject to appropriations, approximately
$500,000 will be available for FY 2009. Up to 10 new awards may be
made, based on the availability of funds. The Dr. Nancy Foster
Scholarship Program provides

[[Page 87]]

yearly support of up to $32,000 per student (a 12-month stipend of
$20,000 in addition to a tuition allowance of up to $12,000) and up to
$20,000 support for a four to six week research collaboration at a NOAA
facility. A maximum of $84,000 may be provided to masters students (up
to 2 years of support and one research collaboration opportunity) and
up to $168,000 may be provided to doctoral students (up to 4 years of
support and up to two research collaboration opportunities).
Travel support will also be provided to Dr. Nancy Foster
Scholarship Program recipients to attend a NOAA orientation in Silver
Spring, MD, where they will also meet with National Marine Sanctuaries
Program leadership and staff.
Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1445c-1 and 16 U.S.C.A. 1445c.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.481,
Educational Partnership Program.
Application Deadline: Complete applications must be received and
validated by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST March 31, 2009.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline. Completed applications must be
received by the Program Manager between January 1, 2009, and March
31, 2009, at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, through Grants.gov.

Address for Submitting Proposals: Except for transcripts and
letters of recommendation, as discussed in Sections IV.B.7. and IV.B.8.
of the full Federal funding opportunity, applications must be submitted
through Grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet access to
complete the application through Grants.gov, hard copy applications may
be submitted in one envelope to: Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program,
ATTN: Dr. Priti Brahma, NOAA Office of Education, 1315 East-West
Highway, SSMC3, Room 10725, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Failure to submit
all application items, except transcripts and letters of
recommendation, in one envelope will result in disqualification of the
application.
Information Contacts: Send requests for information to
[email protected] or mail requests to Dr. Nancy Foster
Scholarship Program, ATTN: Dr. Priti Brahma, Office of Education, 1315
East-West Highway, SSMC3, Room 10725, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Eligibility: Only individuals who are United States citizens
currently pursuing a masters or doctoral level degree in oceanography,
marine biology or maritime archaeology (including all science,
engineering, and resource management of ocean and coastal areas) at a
U.S. accredited graduate institution are eligible for an award under
this scholarship program. In addition, students must have and maintain
a minimum cumulative and term grade point average of 3.0 and maintain
full-time student status for every term and for the duration of their
award. Universities or other organizations may not apply on behalf of
an individual.
Prospective scholars do not need to be enrolled, but must be
admitted to a graduate level program in order to apply for this
scholarship. Eligibility must be maintained for each succeeding year of
support and annual reporting requirements, to be specified at a later
date, will apply.
Cost Sharing Requirements: There are no matching requirements for
this award.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.
2. Environmental Literacy Grants: Science On a Sphere Network Capacity
Building
Summary Description: The NOAA Office of Education (OEd) is issuing
a request for applications for projects designed to build capacity
within NOAA's Science On a Sphere (SOS) Users Collaborative Network
(Network) to enhance the educational use of spherical display systems
as public exhibits. There are two goals for this program: (1) To
improve the understanding of how spherical display systems can be used
to enhance informal science education learning, and (2) to build
environmental literacy among the general public through increased use
of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate data in informal
education institutions. This FFO meets NOAA's Mission Goal to provide
Critical Support for NOAA's Mission. It is required that the Principal
Investigator (PI) for any application submitted to this opportunity be
affiliated with a Network member institution. Members of the Network
are those institutions that have received funding from NOAA related to
spherical display systems or have purchased NOAA's SOS system to
display in a public education setting. More information on the Network
and an up-to-date list of members is available at: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/network. It is anticipated that recommendations for
funding under this announcement will be made by May 29, 2009, and that
projects funded under this announcement will have a start date no
earlier than August 1, 2009. Note: An MS Word-formatted version of this
announcement is available at http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html.
Funding Availability: NOAA anticipates the availability of
approximately $500,000 of total Federal financial assistance from FY09
and FY10 for Environmental Literacy Grants for Science On a Sphere
Network Capacity Building. NOAA will only consider projects that have
an award period of one to three years. The total Federal amount that
may be requested from NOAA shall not exceed $100,000 including direct
and indirect costs.
Applications requesting Federal support from NOAA of more than
$100,000 total for all years of the award will not be considered for
funding through this announcement. The amount of funding available
through this announcement will be dependent upon the final FY09 and
FY10 appropriation. Publication of this notice does not oblige DOC/NOAA
to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If an
applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement from
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.
Statutory Authority: Authority for this program is provided by the
following 33 U.S.C. 893a(a).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.469,
Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects.
Application Deadline: The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m.
e.s.t. on February 19, 2009. Applications submitted through Grants.gov
will have a date and time indication on them. Hard copy applications
will be date and time stamped when they are received.

Please Note: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days
to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in
developing your submission timeline.

Address for Submitting Proposals: For non-Federal applicants,
application should be submitted through grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). For Federal applicants, please contact NOAA's Office
of Education by contacting Carrie McDougall at
[email protected] or (202) 482-0875 or John McLaughlin at
[email protected] or (202) 482-2893 for application submission
instructions. If an applicant does not have Internet access, paper
applications will be accepted. Paper applications must be submitted
with completed,

[[Page 88]]

signed, original forms and one printed copy of the rest of the
application. Applicants are also asked to provide a CD of the
application, including scanned signed forms or forms with electronic
signatures. Paper applications should be delivered to: Carrie
McDougall, Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Office of Education, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW., Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. See the
Office of Education's frequently asked questions site http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/dataviz_faqs.html for more details. Please note:
Paper applications submitted via the U.S. Postal Service can take up to
4 weeks to reach this office; therefore applicants are recommended to
send paper applications via expedited shipping methods (e.g., Airborne
Express, DHL, Fed Ex, UPS).
Information Contacts: Please visit the OEd Web site for further
information at http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html or contact
Carrie McDougall at (202) 482-0875 or [email protected]; or
John McLaughlin at (202) 482-2893 or [email protected]. For
those applicants without Internet access, hard copies of referenced
documents may be requested from NOAA's Office of Education by
contacting Carrie McDougall at (202) 482-0875 or John McLaughlin at
(202) 482-2893 or sending a letter to Carrie McDougall, DOC/NOAA Office
of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 6863, Washington, DC
20230.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are U.S. institutions of higher
education, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and state, local,
and Indian tribal governments and Federal agencies in the United
States. Foreign institutions, foreign organizations and foreign
government agencies are not eligible to apply. Individuals not
affiliated with an eligible institution are not eligible to apply for
funding under this announcement.

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. 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 individual may serve as Principal
Investigator (PI) on only one application through this funding
opportunity. However, individuals may serve as co-PIs or key personnel
on more than one application.
Cost Sharing Requirements: There are no cost-sharing requirements.
Applicant resource commitment will, however, be considered in the
competitive selection process (see the Federal Funding Opportunity
Notice, section V.A.4. Evaluation Criteria, Project Costs).
Intergovernmental Review: Applications submitted to this funding
opportunity are not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental
Review of Federal Programs.

Limitation of Liability

Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the
availability of Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations. Applicants are hereby
given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for the programs
listed in this notice. In no event will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these
programs 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.

Universal Identifier

Applicants should be aware that they are required to provide a Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number during the
application process. See the October 30, 2002 Federal Register (67 FR
66177) 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 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 clause applies to the extent that this financial
assistance award involves access to export-controlled information or
technology.
(b) In performing this financial assistance award, the recipient
may gain access to export-controlled information or technology. The
recipient is 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

[[Page 89]]

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 In 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.
(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 financial assistance award 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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696) 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 and 424A, 424B, 424C, 424D, and SF-LLL has been approved by OMB
under the respective control numbers 4040-0004, 0348-0044, 4040-0007,
0348-0041, 4040-0009, and 0348-0046. 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 22, 2008.
Maureen E. Wylie,
Acting Director, Acquisition and Grants Office.
[FR Doc. E8-30851 Filed 12-31-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P