[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14128-14131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6533]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket Number: 100311136-0140-01]
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Postdoctoral
Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement Science and Engineering
Program; Availability of Funds
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is establishing a
financial assistance program for awardees to develop and implement with
the CNST a Postdoctoral Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement
Science and Engineering Program. This program is intended to promote
research, training, and practical experience in nanoscale science and
technology on-site at the CNST, and to advance the CNST's mission to
support the development of nanotechnology through research on
measurement and fabrication methods, standards and technology, and by
operating a state-of-the-art nanofabrication facility, the NanoFab.
DATES: All applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern
Daylight Savings Time on Friday, April 30, 2010. Please see
``Application Submission Information'' for more information.
ADDRESSES: Paper copies of full proposals must be submitted to the
address below. Paper submissions require an original and two copies:
Donna Lauren; Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology; National
Institute of Standards and Technology; 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 6200;
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6200. Electronic submissions of full
proposals must be submitted to: http://www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Lauren, Center for Nanoscale
Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 6200, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6200. Tel
(301) 975-3729, E-Mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic access: Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the
Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) available at http://www.grants.gov/
for complete information about this program, all program requirements,
and instructions for applying by paper or electronically.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), 15 U.S.C. 278g-1(a), (b),
15 U.S.C. 7501(b).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.609)
Program Description
Program Objectives
The CNST's mission is to support the development of nanotechnology
through research on measurement and fabrication methods, standards and
technology, and by operating a state-of-the-art nanofabrication
facility, the NanoFab. The primary program objectives of the Center for
Nanoscale Science and Technology Postdoctoral Researcher and Visiting
Fellow Measurement Science and Engineering Program are as follows:
1. To advance, through cooperative efforts with one or more
universities, research consistent with the mission of NIST, and CNST
specifically. See http://www.nist.gov/cnst/ and 15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.
2. To provide training for the next generation of nanotechnologists
by providing recent Ph.D. recipients postdoctoral positions
(``Postdoctoral Researchers'') to perform research at the CNST under
the mentorship of a CNST Project Leader. The Postdoctoral Researchers
must show promise as contributors to the mission of the CNST, and be
selected on the basis of ability and of the relevance of the proposed
work to the mission of the CNST.
3. To provide advanced training and access to the CNST's expertise
and instrumentation by providing practicing scientists and engineers in
the public and private sectors visiting senior research positions
(``Visiting Fellows'') to perform research at the CNST in collaboration
with a CNST Project Leader. The Visiting Fellows must be selected on
the basis of ability and on the relevance of the proposed work to the
mission of the CNST.
4. To provide Postdoctoral Researchers and Visiting Fellows under
this program with professional development opportunities, including
travel to relevant workshops and conferences.
5. To encourage U.S. industrial, university, and government
scientists to participate in research at the CNST, either in
collaboration with the CNST research program or by using the NanoFab,
by providing support for travel and local expenses for participants
traveling beyond a normal commuting distance to the CNST in
Gaithersburg, Maryland.
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The CNST intends this financial assistance program to address all
of these objectives through one or more Cooperative Agreements. An
eligible applicant is not prohibited from including any collaborating
subrecipients in its application.
Additional information about the CNST can be found at: http://www.nist.gov/cnst. Additional information about the CNST Postdoctoral
Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement Science and Engineering
Program may be found in the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) for this
program.
Funding Availability: NIST anticipates making 1-2 awards for a
period of performance of up to 5 years at $1,500,000 to $3,000,000 per
year per award.
Total Amount to be Awarded: Up to $15 million in Cooperative
Agreements.
The funding instrument used in this program will be a Cooperative
Agreement.
Proposals will be considered for Cooperative Agreements with
durations of up to five years, funded in one year increments, subject
to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress, and the continuing
relevance to the objectives of the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science
and Technology. The anticipated level of funding is up to $3,000,000
per year and one or more awards may be approved. Between one and three
awards are likely. Projects are expected to start by September 20,
2010.
NIST will determine whether to fund one award for the full amount;
to divide available funds into multiple awards of any size, and
negotiate scopes of work and budgets as appropriate; or not to select
any proposal for funding, upon completing the selection process
described below.
Cost Share Requirements: None.
Eligibility: This program is open to U.S. institutions of higher
education.
Application Requirements: In accordance with the requirements set
forth in the Content and Form of Application Submission section of the
FFO, all applicants must either submit a paper copy (original and 2
copies) to the addresses under the ADDRESSES heading or an electronic
application at http://www.grants.gov.
Evaluation Criteria
The applications will be evaluated and scored on the basis of the
following evaluation criteria:
1. Technical merit of the proposal: Assesses whether the proposal
accurately addresses the program goals and objectives. (40 pts)
2. Overall qualifications of the applicant: Assesses whether the
applicant possesses the necessary experience, training, facilities, and
administrative resources to accomplish the project. (40 pts)
3. Quality of the plan for providing support for travel and local
expenses for students and scientists to participate in research at the
CNST. (10 pts)
4. Project costs: The proposal budget is evaluated to determine if
it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame.
(10 pts)
Selection Factors: The Selecting Official shall recommend award
based upon the rank order and recommendations of the reviewers and upon
one or more of the following factors:
a. Availability of Federal funds;
b. Balance/distribution of funds to ensure research opportunities
for all types of Postdoctoral Researchers and Visiting Fellows and CNST
scientific research areas described in the Program Description section
of this Notice; and
c. Applicant's prior award performance.
Therefore, the highest scoring proposals may not necessarily be
selected for an award. If an award is made to an applicant that
deviates from the scores of the reviewers, the Selecting Official will
justify the selection in writing based on selection factors described
above.
Review and Selection Process: Initial Screening of all
Applications: All timely submitted applications received in response to
this announcement will be reviewed to determine whether they are
complete and responsive to the scope of the stated objectives of the
Program. Incomplete or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed
for technical merit. NIST will retain one copy of each incomplete or
non-responsive application for three years for record keeping purposes.
The remaining copies will be destroyed.
Each complete and responsive application will be reviewed by at
least three independent, objective NIST employees, who are
knowledgeable in the subject matter of this announcement and the
program objectives, and who are able to conduct a review based on the
Evaluation Criteria for the Program as described in this notice. The
reviewers will reach a consensus score resulting in a rank order of
applications and make recommendations for funding to the Selecting
Official. In making final selections, the Selecting Official (Deputy
Director, CNST) will select funding recipients based upon the rank
order of the proposals and the selection factors. The final award of
Cooperative Agreements will be made by the NIST Grants Officer in
Gaithersburg, Maryland, based on compliance with application
requirements as published in this notice, compliance with applicable
legal and regulatory requirements, and whether the recommended
applicants are determined to be responsible. Unsatisfactory performance
on any previous Federal award may result in an application not being
considered for funding. Applicants may be asked to modify objectives,
work plans, or budgets, and provide supplemental information required
by the agency prior to award. The decision of the Grants Officer is
final.
Application Submission Information: All applicants should be aware
that adequate time must be factored into applicant schedules for
delivery of the application for both electronic and paper submission.
Applicants who submit electronic applications are advised that volume
on Grants.gov may be extremely heavy, and if Grants.gov is unable to
accept applications electronically in a timely fashion, applicants are
encouraged to exercise their option to submit applications in paper
format.
Applications must be received on time, as the review process is
expected to begin shortly after the deadline.
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, which
are contained in the Federal Register Notice of February 11, 2008 (73
FR 7696), are applicable to this notice on the form SF-424 items 8.b.
and 8.c., the applicant's 9-digit Employer/Taxpayer Identification
Number (EIN/TIN) and 9-digit Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number must be consistent with the information
on the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) (http://www.ccr.gov) and
Automated Standard Application for Payment System (ASAP). For complex
organizations with multiple EIN/TIN and DUNS numbers, the EIN/TIN and
DUNS numbers MUST be the numbers for the applying organization.
Organizations that provide incorrect/inconsistent EIN/TIN and DUNS
numbers may experience significant delays in receiving funds if their
proposal is selected for funding. Please confirm that the EIN/TIN and
DUNS number are consistent with the information on the CCR and ASAP.
Collaborations with NIST Employees: Collaboration with NIST is
presumed in the Center for Nanoscale Science and
[[Page 14130]]
Technology Postdoctoral Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement
Science and Engineering Program. If any applicant proposes any
activities involving specific NIST employees, the statement of work
should include a statement of this intention, a description of the
collaboration, and prominently identify the NIST employee(s) involved.
Any collaboration by a NIST employee must be approved by appropriate
NIST management and is at the sole discretion of NIST. Prior to
beginning the merit review process, NIST will verify the approval of
the proposed collaboration. Any unapproved collaboration will be
stricken from the proposal prior to the merit review.
Use of NIST Intellectual Property: If the applicant anticipates
using any NIST-owned intellectual property to carry out the work
proposed, the applicant should identify such intellectual property.
This information will be used to ensure that no NIST employee involved
in the development of the intellectual property will participate in the
review process for that competition. In addition, if the applicant
intends to use NIST-owned intellectual property, the applicant must
comply with all statutes and regulations governing the licensing of
Federal government patents and inventions, described at 35 U.S.C. 200-
212, 37 CFR part 401, 15 CFR 4.36, and in Section B.21 of the
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements, 73 FR 7696
(Feb. 11, 2008). Questions about these requirements may be directed to
the Chief Counsel for NIST, 301-975-2803.
Any use of NIST-owned intellectual property by a proposer is at the
sole discretion of NIST and will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis
if a project is deemed meritorious. The applicant should indicate
within the statement of work whether it already has a license to use
such intellectual property or whether it intends to seek one.
If any inventions made in whole or in part by a NIST employee arise
in the course of an award made pursuant to this notice, the United
States government may retain its ownership rights in any such
invention. Licensing or other disposition of NIST's rights in such
inventions will be determined solely by NIST, and include the
possibility of NIST putting the intellectual property into the public
domain.
Collaborations making use of Federal Facilities: All applications
should include a description of any work proposed to be performed using
Federal Facilities. If an applicant proposes use of NIST facilities,
the statement of work should include a statement of this intention and
a description of the facilities. Any use of NIST facilities must be
approved by appropriate NIST management and is at the sole discretion
of NIST. Prior to beginning the merit review process, NIST will verify
the availability of the facilities and approval of the proposed usage.
Any unapproved facility use will be stricken from the proposal prior to
the merit review. Examples of some facilities that may be available for
collaborations are listed on the NIST Technology Services Web site,
http://ts.nist.gov/.
Paperwork Reduction Act: The standard forms in the application kit
involve a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction
Act. The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, 424 (R&R), SF-LLL, and
CD-345 have been approved by OMB under the respective Control Numbers
0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 4040-0001, 0348-0046, and 0605-0001.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the 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 Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information
displays a valid OMB Control Number.
Research Projects Involving Human Subjects, Human Tissue, Data or
Recordings Involving Human Subjects: Any proposal that includes
research involving human subjects, human tissue, data or recordings
involving human subjects must meet the requirements of the Common Rule
for the Protection of Human Subjects (Common Rule), codified for the
Department of Commerce at 15 CFR Part 27. In addition, any proposal
that includes research on these topics must be in compliance with any
statutory requirements imposed upon the Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) and other federal agencies regarding these topics, all
regulatory policies and guidance adopted by DHHS, the Food and Drug
Administration, and other Federal agencies on these topics, and all
Presidential statements of policy on these topics. NIST will accept the
submission of human subjects protocols that have been approved by
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) possessing a current registration
filed with DHHS and to be performed by institutions possessing a
current, valid Federal-wide Assurance (FWA) from DHHS. NIST will not
issue a single project assurance (SPA) for any IRB reviewing any human
subjects protocol proposed to NIST.
President Obama has issued Executive Order No. 13,505 (74 FR 10667,
March 9, 2009), revoking previous Executive Orders and Presidential
statements regarding the use of human embryonic stem cells in research.
On July 30, 2009, President Obama issued a memorandum directing that
agencies that support and conduct stem cell research adopt the
``National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell
Research'' (NIH Guidelines), which became effective on July 7, 2009,
``to the fullest extent practicable in light of legal authorities and
obligations.'' On September 21, 2009, the Department of Commerce
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a statement of
compliance with the NIH Guidelines. In accordance with the President's
memorandum, the NIH Guidelines, and the Department of Commerce
statement of compliance, NIST will support and conduct research using
only human embryonic stem cell lines that have been approved by NIH in
accordance with the NIH Guidelines and will review such research in
accordance with the Common Rule, as appropriate. NIST will not support
or conduct any type of research that the NIH Guidelines prohibit NIH
from funding. NIST will follow any additional polices or guidance
issued by the current Administration on this topic.
Research Projects Involving Vertebrate Animals: Any proposal that
includes research involving vertebrate animals must be in compliance
with the National Research Council's ``Guide for the Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals'' which can be obtained from National Academy Press,
2101 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20055. In addition, such
proposals must meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act (7
U.S.C. 2131 et seq.), 9 CFR Parts 1, 2, and 3, and if appropriate, 21
CFR Part 58. These regulations do not apply to proposed research using
pre-existing images of animals or to research plans that do not include
live animals that are being cared for, euthanized, or used by the
project participants to accomplish research goals, teaching, or
testing. These regulations also do not apply to obtaining animal
materials from commercial processors of animal products or to animal
cell lines or tissues from tissue banks.
Limitation of Liability: Funding for the programs listed in this
notice is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2010
appropriations. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NIST
or the Department of
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Commerce to award any specific project or to obligate any available
funds.
Executive Order 12866: This funding notice was 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.
Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs)
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Notice and
comment are not required under the Administrative Procedure Act (5
U.S.C. 553) or any other law, for rules relating to public property,
loans, grants, benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 553 (a)). Because notice
and comment are not required under 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other law, for
rules relating to public property, loans, grants, benefits or contracts
(5 U.S.C. 553(a)), a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required
and has not been prepared for this notice, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
Reporting: Successful finalists will be required to submit, on a
semi-annual basis, for the periods ending March 31 and September 30 of
each year, a technical progress report and a SF-269, Financial Status
Report. From time to time, and in accordance with the Uniform
Administrative Requirements and other terms and conditions governing
the award, the recipient may need to submit property and patent
reports.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Date
NIST plans to make awards by September 20, 2010.
Dated: March 18, 2010.
Marc G. Stanley,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-6533 Filed 3-23-10; 8:45 am]
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