**ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY**

**[EXECUTIVE SUMMARY]{.underline}**

-   **Federal Agency Name:** Office of Education (OEd), National Oceanic
    and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

-   **Funding Opportunity Title:** Environmental Literacy Grants

-   **Announcement Type:** Initial Announcement

-   **Funding Opportunity Number:** SEC-OED-2006-2000467

-   **Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number:** 11.469,
    Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects

-   **Program Authorities:** 15 U.S.C. 1540; P.L. 109-108, Department of
    Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006

-   **Dates:** Letters of interest are required for all applications and
    must be received by 5:00 p.m., EST, January 25, 2006. The deadline
    for full applications is 5:00 p.m., EST on March 1, 2006.

-   **Overview Content:** The NOAA Office of Education (OEd) is issuing
    a request for applications for environmental literacy projects.
    Funded projects will be between one and five years in duration and
    will (1) further the use and incorporation of the Ocean Literacy
    Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts
    (<http://www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/documents/OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf>)
    in formal and informal education and/or measure ocean literacy among
    the public; or (2) strengthen the capacity to develop a workforce
    knowledgeable about weather and climate. All projects shall employ
    the strategies articulated in the NOAA Education Plan
    (<http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf>) **and** involve NOAA
    entities as partners. It is anticipated that final recommendations
    for funding under this announcement will be made by June 30, 2006,
    and that projects funded under this announcement will have a start
    date no earlier than September 1, 2006.

**[FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT]{.underline}**

**I. [Funding Opportunity Description]{.underline}**

A.  **Program Objective**

> The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA\'s
> Office of Education (OEd) is requesting applications for 1- to 5-year
> environmental literacy projects commencing no earlier than September
> 1, 2006. The purpose of these awards is to support formal and informal
> education projects aimed at building environmental literacy among the
> public. This program has two funding priorities in FY 2006. Within
> Priority 1, funded projects will further the use and incorporation of
> the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts
> (<http://www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/documents/OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf>)
> in formal and informal education and/or measure ocean literacy among
> the public. Within Priority 2, funded projects will strengthen the
> capacity to develop a workforce knowledgeable about weather and
> climate. All projects shall employ the strategies articulated in the
> NOAA Education Plan (<http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf>)
> **and** involve NOAA entities as partners.

B.  **Program Priorities**

> **Priority 1**
>
> Funded projects in this priority area will further the use and
> incorporation of the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and
> Fundamental Concepts
> (<http://www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/documents/OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf>)
> in formal and informal education and/or measure ocean literacy among
> the public. Such projects may provide field experiences for
> non-scientists; use environmental data in innovative ways; evaluate
> and re-align existing educational materials relative to the Ocean
> Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts; focus on
> methods for measuring ocean literacy; and/or provide teacher
> professional development to support integration of the Essential
> Principles and Fundamental Concepts into K-16 education. Priority 1
> projects will employ the strategies articulated in the NOAA Education
> Plan (<http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf>) **and** will
> involve NOAA entities as partners.
>
> **Priority 2**
>
> Funded projects in this priority area will strengthen the capacity to
> develop a workforce knowledgeable in weather and climate. Such
> projects may provide field experiences for non-scientists; use
> environmental data in innovative ways; evaluate and update existing
> educational materials on weather and climate processes; and/or provide
> teacher professional development in support of integration of weather
> and climate topics into K-16 education. Priority 2 projects will
> employ the strategies articulated in the NOAA Education Plan
> (<http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf>) **and** will involve
> NOAA entities as partners.

C.  **Program Authorities**

> Authority for the Environmental Literacy program is provided by the
> following: 15 U.S.C. 1540; P.L. 109-108, Department of Commerce and
> Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006

**II. [Award Information]{.underline}**

A.  **Funding Availability for FY 2006**

> NOAA announces the availability of approximately \$3,000,000 of
> Federal financial assistance in FY 2006 for Environmental Literacy
> projects. Approximately 5 to 10 awards in the form of grants or
> cooperative agreements will be made. NOAA will only consider projects
> that have a duration between 1 to 5 years. The total Federal amount
> for all years that may be requested from NOAA for the direct and
> indirect costs of the proposed project shall not exceed \$600,000. The
> minimum Federal amount that must be requested from NOAA for all years
> for the direct and indirect costs is \$100,000. **Applications
> requesting Federal support from NOAA of less than \$100,000 total or
> more than \$600,000 total will not be considered for funding.**
>
> 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 signed by an
> authorized NOAA Grants Officer, the applicant would do so solely at
> one's own risk of such costs not being included under the award.

B.  **Project/Award Period**

> Full Applications should cover a project period of 12 to 60 months,
> with a start date no earlier than September 1, 2006.

C.  **Type of Funding Instrument**

> Project grants or cooperative agreements will be awarded to fund the
> successful projects. Cooperative agreements will be used when there is
> substantial involvement of NOAA oversight, personnel or assets (e.g.,
> collaboration, participation, or intervention by NOAA in the
> management of the project). A determination of whether cooperative
> agreements are required will be made after selection decisions are
> made.

**III. [Eligibility Information]{.underline}**

A.  **Eligible Applicants**

> Eligible applicants are accredited institutions of higher education,
> other nonprofits, commercial organizations and state, local and Indian
> tribal governments. Federal agencies are not eligible to receive
> Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project
> partners.
>
> Among those eligible applicants are K through 12 public and
> independent schools and school systems, and science centers and
> museums.
>
> 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 institutions.

B.  **Cost Sharing or Matching Requirements**

> There are no cost-sharing requirements.

C.  **Other**

> Applications with budgets in which the total Federal share requested
> of the NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants program is less than
> \$100,000 or more than \$600,000 for all years for the direct and
> indirect costs of the proposed project will not be considered for
> review.
>
> Applications that are lacking any of the required elements of the
> application or do not follow the format prescribed in IV.B will not be
> reviewed.
>
> Letters of interest are required. Full applications will not be
> reviewed if a corresponding letter of interest was not received on
> time.
>
> Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed.
>
> Individual applicants (i.e., principal investigators) may only apply
> once through this funding opportunity.
>
> This funding opportunity will not support installations or educational
> programming related to Science on a Sphere
> (<http://sos.noaa.gov/sosfaq.html>). A separate funding announcement
> will be issued in the event that funding for these purposes becomes
> available in FY 2006.

**IV. [Application and Submission Information]{.underline}**

###### To Request an Application Package

> There is no standardized application package for letters of interest.
> Refer IV.B for content and formatting instructions.
>
> The full application is available through Grants.gov APPLY except the
> CD-346, which is available at
> <http://www.osec.doc.gov/forms/pdf/cd346fll.pdf>.
>
> If an applicant does not have Internet access, application kits may be
> requested from Sarah Schoedinger at 202.482.2893.
>
> If an applicant has problems downloading the application package from
> Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or
> <support@grants.gov>.

A.  **Content and Format of Application Submission**

> This document requests letters of interest and full applications.
> **The provisions for proposal preparation are mandatory**.
> **Applications received after the published deadline (refer to IV.C,
> Submission Dates and Times) or applications that deviate from the
> prescribed format (refer to IV.B.2, Required Elements of Full
> Applications and IV.B.3, Proposal Format) will not be reviewed.**
> Additional guidance, including frequently asked questions (FAQ), is
> available online at
> [www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html](http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html).

1.  Required Elements for Letters of Interest

> Letters of interest are required for all applications and should
> briefly summarize the proposed project, identify the project\'s
> partners, explain how the project will address NOAA\'s education
> goals, and provide an estimate of the budget request. Letters of
> interest should not exceed three (3) pages of standard letter-size
> paper. Please see
> [www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html](http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html)
> for additional guidance
>
> **Failure to submit a letter of interest by the deadline will result
> in applicants being ineligible to submit full applications for this
> funding opportunity.**

2.  Required Elements of Full Applications

> Each application must also include the following nine elements.
> **Failure to comply with the prescribed application format as
> described in this section and in section IV.B.3 will result in an
> application not being reviewed.**
>
> \(a\) [Required Forms]{.underline}. At time of application submission,
> all applicants anticipating direct funding shall submit the following
> forms with signatures of authorizing representative of the submitting
> institution (Note: submission through Grants.gov results in automatic
> electronic signatures on these forms, except the CD-346):
>
> \(i\) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance (9/2003 version)
>
> \(ii\) SF-424-A, Budget Information, Non-Construction Programs (7/1997
> version)
>
> \(iii\) SF-424-B, Assurances, Non-Construction Programs (7/1997
> version)
>
> \(iv\) CD-511, Certifications Regarding Lobbying (1/2005 version)
>
> \(v\) CD-346, Applicant for Federal Assistance (if
> applicable---required of individuals applying on behalf of
> organizations that are non-profit, sole proprietorships, partnerships,
> corporations, and joint ventures) (8/2003 version). This form is
> **only** available at <http://www.osec.doc.gov/forms/pdf/cd346fll.pdf>
> and must be uploaded into Grants.gov with other parts of the
> application)
>
> \(vi\) SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)
> (7/1997 version)
>
> \(b\) [Title Page]{.underline}. The title page identifies the
> project\'s title, the PI\'s and co-PI's names, affiliations, complete
> mailing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and fax numbers.
> The requested budget for each project-year must also be included on
> the title page. If a hard copy is submitted, the title page should be
> signed by the institutional authorized representative. Title page
> templates are available at
> <http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html>.
>
> \(c\) [One-page Abstract]{.underline}. The abstract is used to assist
> in comparing applications quickly. The abstract shall summarize the
> key points of the proposal including an introduction describing the
> project activities, the project partners involved, and the expected
> outcome(s).
>
> The abstract should appear **on a separate page**, headed with the
> proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total proposed cost,
> and budget period.
>
> \(d\) [Project Description]{.underline}**.** The project description
> section must not exceed fifteen pages and must follow the requirements
> in IV.B.3, Proposal Format. Page limits are inclusive of figures and
> other visual materials, but exclusive of references and the milestone
> chart. Each page of the project description should include page
> numbers and the PI's name in the header or footer.
>
> The proposed 1- to 5-year project must be completely described. The
> project description should clearly identify project implementation and
> management with an explanation of the functions of each applicant. It
> should provide a full justification for and explanation of the
> project. This section should also include:
>
> \(i\) The objective(s) for the period of proposed activity, expected
> outcomes, and an explanation for how the activity and outcomes
> supports program priorities (refer to I.B);
>
> \(ii\) The relationship to other ongoing environmental education
> activities and/or programs that are funded by NOAA, conducted by NOAA,
> or conducted by NOAA partners;
>
> \(iii\) A discussion of how the proposed project reflects or addresses
> components of the stated NOAA Education Plan and standards;
>
> \(iv\) A discussion of how the proposed project reflects or addresses
> the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts, if
> applicable;
>
> \(iv\) A discussion of how proposed project addresses relevant
> national or state science standards, if applicable;
>
> \(v\) Coordination with project partners, particularly NOAA entities
> (Note: letters of support articulating partners\' commitments should
> be submitted separately);
>
> \(vi\) A description of how project results will be disseminated
> beyond the audience immediately involved in the activities of the
> project;
>
> \(vii\) A description of how the project activities will be evaluated
> for their effectiveness in meeting stated project goals and objectives
> as well as the goals of the NOAA Education Plan. Although a range of
> budgets for the project evaluations will be accepted, it is not
> unreasonable for 10% of the budget to be allotted to a comprehensive
> evaluation of the project.
>
> \(e\) [References Cited]{.underline}. Reference information is
> required. Each reference must include the names of all authors in the
> same sequence in which they appear in the publication, the article
> title, publication or publication title, volume number, page numbers,
> and year of publication. While there is no established page limit,
> this section should include bibliographic citations only and should
> not be used to provide parenthetical information outside the 15-page
> project description. **If there are no references to cite, applicants
> must indicate that this is the case.**
>
> \(f\) [Milestone Chart]{.underline}. Provide time lines of major tasks
> and potential outcomes covering the duration of the proposed project,
> including project evaluation.
>
> \(g\) [Budget]{.underline}. All applications must include a budget
> narrative and a justification to support all proposed budget
> categories. This narrative and justification will provide enough
> detail to allow OEd staff and the review panel to evaluate the level
> of effort proposed by investigators and staff on a specific project.
> Specifically, the narrative must provide details on: personnel
> salaries and fringe benefits (broken out by percent time and number of
> months devoted to the project for each individual to be paid by
> project); travel including per person and per trip costs for
> transportation, lodging and meals; equipment; supplies; contractual
> costs, such as anticipated sub-awards; and other costs, including
> printing, publications and communication costs. Documentation
> regarding indirect-cost-rate agreements must also be included. For
> additional guidance on providing adequate budget justifications, visit
> [http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/BUDGTGUD.PDF](http://www.ago.noaa.gov.grants/BUDGTGUD.PDF).
>
> \(h\) [Brief Resumes]{.underline}. All principal investigators,
> co-principal investigators, and/or key personnel of project partners
> must provide summaries of no more than 3 pages per person that include
> the following:
>
> \(i\) A list of professional and academic credentials and contact
> information (mailing address, email address, phone, fax);
>
> \(ii\) A list of all persons (including their organizational
> affiliation) in alphabetical order, with whom the investigator has
> collaborated on a project or publication within the last 48 months,
> including collaborators on this proposal and persons listed in the
> publications. If no collaborators exist, this should be so indicated;
>
> The material presented in (h)(ii) is used to assist in identifying
> potential conflicts or bias in the selection of reviewers. **Failure
> to provide this information in the required format and within
> prescribed page limits will result in the proposal not being
> reviewed.**
>
> \(i\) [Current and Pending Support.]{.underline} Describe all current
> and pending Federal and non-Federal funding for all principal
> investigators (PIs) and co-PIs. The capability of the applicants (PIs
> and co-PIs) and their collaborators to complete the proposed work in
> light of present commitments to other projects must be assessable.
> Therefore, please discuss the percentage of time the applicant and
> collaborators have committed to other Federal or non-Federal projects,
> as compared to the time that will be committed to the project
> solicited under this notice. Also, provide the name and telephone
> contact for three references on contracts or grants that the PIs have
> held over the last 1 to 3 years. **If the applicants have no current
> or pending funding beyond this application, this must be clearly
> indicated under a heading "Current and Pending Support."**

3\. Application Format

> The page margin on standard letter-size paper must be one inch (2.5
> cm) at the top, bottom, left, and right. The typeface must be standard
> 12-point size and must be clear and easily legible. Color or
> high-resolution graphics, unusually sized materials, or otherwise
> unusual materials submitted as part of the proposal are allowed, but
> should be employed only when necessary for adequate description of the
> proposed project. Applications should be single spaced and follow the
> requirements described in Section IV.B.2. **Failure to comply with the
> application format as described in this section or in section IV.B.2
> will result in a proposal not being reviewed.**

B.  **Submission Dates and Times**

> Letters of Interest are required for all applications and must be
> received by 5:00 p.m., EST, January 25, 2006. The deadline for full
> applications is 5:00 p.m., EST on March 1, 2006.
>
> Letters of Interest should be submitted by email to
> <sarah.schoedinger@noaa.gov> and are time and date stamped by the
> sender's server. Full applications submitted through Grants.gov APPLY
> will be accompanied by an automated receipt of the date and time of
> submission.
>
> If an applicant does not have Internet access, hard copies of the
> letter of interest and the application will be accepted and date and
> time stamped **when they are received** in the Office of Education
> (OEd). Facsimile transmissions of applications are not allowed.
> **Electronic or hard copies of the letter of interest or application
> received after the deadline will not be considered for review and will
> be destroyed.**

C.  **Intergovernmental Review**

> Applications under this program **are not** subject to Executive Order
> 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (refer to item 16
> on SF-424).

D.  **Funding Restrictions**

> There are no special restrictions.

E.  **Other Submission Requirements - Address**

> Letters of Interest should be submitted to Sarah Schoedinger at
> <sarah.schoedinger@noaa.gov>. If an applicant does not have Internet
> access, a hard copy of the letter of interest may be mailed to or
> Sarah Schoedinger, DOC/NOAA, Office of Education, 1401 Constitution
> Avenue NW, Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. Please note: Hard copies
> submitted via the US Postal Service can take up to 4 weeks to reach
> this office; applicants are recommended to send hard copies via
> expedited shipping methods (e.g, Airborne Express, DHL, Fed Ex, UPS).
>
> Full applications should be submitted through Grants.gov APPLY
> ([http://www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/)). If an applicant
> does not have Internet access, one hard copy should be sent to Sarah
> Schoedinger, DOC/NOAA Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue
> NW, Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. If submitting a hard copy,
> applicants are requested to provide a CD-ROM of the application,
> including scanned signed forms or forms with electronic signatures.

**V. [Application Review Information]{.underline}**

A.  **Evaluation Criteria**

> \(1\) Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed
> project to the program goals (35 points): This ascertains whether
> there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to
> NOAA's Federal, regional, or local activities. The proposal should
> address how well the proposed project addresses NOAA's stated
> objectives and priorities. Reviewers will evaluate:

-   How well the project addresses the program priorities (refer to
    Section I.B) (10 points);

-   How well aligned the project is with NOAA education goals,
    strategies, and standards (5 points);

-   The likelihood that the project will increase awareness of NOAA and
    NOAA-related sciences (5 points);

-   The extent to which NOAA entities are partners of the project and
    whether or not these partnerships are articulated in letters of
    support. NOAA entities include programs, offices, and organizations,
    such as the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, National
    Marine Sanctuary Program, National Sea Grant College Program,
    National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices, NOAA Office of
    Ocean Exploration, NOAA Cooperative Institutes, and Regional
    Associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (10 points);
    and

-   The extent to which the project is aligned with appropriate
    national, state, or local learning standards (if applicable) (5
    points).

> \(2\) Technical/scientific merit (36 points): 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. Reviewers will evaluate:

-   The completeness and adequacy of detail in the project description
    including clearly stated goals and measurable objectives (6 points);

-   The overall technical feasibility of the project, including whether
    the proposed approach is educationally and technically sound and
    uses appropriate methods to achieve project outcomes (6 points);

-   The likelihood of meeting milestones and achieving anticipated
    results in the time proposed (6 points);

-   If project is a pilot or small-scale, has the applicant articulated
    a plan for expansion to a larger scale, e.g., regionally or
    nationally.  If project is regional to national in scale, has the
    applicant articulated a plan for long-term sustainability of the
    project. (6 points)

-   Whether there are appropriate mechanisms to evaluate the success of
    the project in meeting the anticipated outcomes (6 points); and

-   The innovativeness of the project approach (6 points).

> \(3\) Overall Qualifications of Applicants (10 points): This
> ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education,
> experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to
> accomplish the project. Reviewers will evaluate:

-   The qualifications and demonstrated ability within their areas of
    expertise of the applicants, of key personnel who would receive
    funds from this program, and of key personnel of project's partners
    (2 points);

-   The applicant's previous experience in managing or designing
    educational programs (2 points);

-   The likelihood that the participating institution(s) have the
    appropriate resources to carry out the proposed activities and that
    applicant(s) have the ability to complete the proposed project
    successfully (2 points);

-   The level of collaboration with other programs, minority-serving
    institutions (MSIs), or other educational, research, or management
    institutions (2 points); and

-   The extent to which all partners are contributing meaningfully to
    the project, including articulation of activities in letters of
    support (2 points).

> \(4\) Project Costs (10 points): The budget is evaluated to determine
> if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and
> time-frame. Reviewers will evaluate:

-   The adequacy of the proposed resources to accomplish the proposed
    work within the indicated time-frame (2 points);

-   The appropriateness of the requested funding with respect to the
    total available funds through this funding opportunity (2 points);

-   The likelihood of the project to result in appropriate outcomes for
    the proposed cost (2 points);

-   If funds are requested for partial support of a project, how does
    the overall project budget allow an informed determination of the
    project's readiness and cost-benefit ratio (2 points); and

-   How well justified are all costs associated with the project (2
    points).

> \(5\) Outreach and Education (9 points): This criterion ascertains
> whether this project provides a focused and effective education and
> outreach strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's
> natural resources. Reviewers will evaluate how the outcomes and
> results of the proposed project will be disseminated to audiences
> beyond those participating directly in the project. These may include
> publications, conferences, community events, media, etc.

B.  **Review and Selection Process**

> Upon receipt of a completed application by NOAA, an initial
> administrative review is conducted to determine compliance with
> requirements and completeness of the application. All applications
> that meet the minimum eligibility requirements and that are
> ascertained to be complete will be evaluated and scored by independent
> reviewers. The reviews will be conducted by a panel of individuals,
> who may be Federal or non-Federal experts, each having expertise in a
> separate area so that the panel as a whole covers the spectrum of
> environmental education relevant to NOAA-related sciences. The
> reviewers will score each proposal using the evaluation criteria
> provided above. The individual review panelist ratings shall be
> averaged for each application to establish rank order and presented to
> the Program Officer. No consensus advice will be given by the review
> panel.
>
> The Program Officer will neither vote nor score applications as part
> of the review panel nor participate in discussion of the merits of any
> proposal.
>
> The Program Officer will make his/her recommendations for funding
> based on rank order and the selection factors listed in the next
> paragraph to the Selecting Official, the Director of NOAA Education,
> for the final funding decision.

C.  **Selection Factors**

> The panel review ratings shall provide a rank order to the Selecting
> Official for final recommendation to the NOAA Grants Officer. 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
>
> e\. By project types
>
> 3\. Whether this 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 staff to make a NEPA
> determination and draft necessary documentation before recommendations
> for funding are made to the Grants Officer.
>
> Selected applicants may be asked to modify objectives, project plans
> or budgets, and provide supplemental information required by the
> agency prior to the award. When a decision has been made (whether an
> award or declination), verbatim anonymous copies of reviews and
> summaries of review panel deliberations, if any, will be made
> available to the applicant.
>
> In anticipation of additional funding, declined applications scoring
> may be retained for up to 1 year and then destroyed.

D.  **Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates**

> Subject to the availability of funds, review of applications will
> occur during Spring 2006. September 1, 2006, should be used as the
> proposed start date on applications, unless otherwise directed by the
> Program Officer.

**VI. [Award Administration Information]{.underline}**

A.  **Award Notice**

> Successful applicants will receive notification (either hard copy or
> electronically) from OEd that the application has been recommended for
> funding to the NOAA Grants Management Division. This notification is
> not an authorization to begin performance of the project. Official
> notification of funding, signed by a NOAA Grants Officer, is the
> authorizing document that allows the project to begin. Notifications
> may be issued electronically or through postal mail to the Authorizing
> Official of the project.
>
> Unsuccessful applicants will be notified that their reviewed
> application was not recommended for funding (declined) or was not
> reviewed because it did not meet the minimum requirements prescribed
> in Sections IV.B and IV.C.

B.  **Administrative and National Policy Requirements**

> [The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
> Grants and Cooperative Agreements]{.underline}
>
> The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
> Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register
> notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389) is applicable to this
> funding opportunity.
>
> [Limitation of Liability]{.underline}
>
> 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.
>
> [National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)]{.underline}
>
> NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required by
> the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects
> or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities.
> Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the
> following NOAA NEPA website: <http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/>, including
> our NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA,
> <http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6_TOC.pdf>, and the Council on
> Environmental Quality implementation regulations,
> <http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm>. Consequently, as
> part of an applicant\'s package, and under their description of their
> program activities, applicants are required to provide detailed
> information on the activities to be conducted, locations, sites,
> species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities,
> and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and
> disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of
> non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species,
> aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). In addition
> to providing specific information that will serve as the basis for any
> required impact analyses, applicants may also be requested to assist
> NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if NOAA determines an
> assessment is required. Applicants will also be required to cooperate
> with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to reduce or avoid any
> identified adverse environmental impacts of their proposal. The
> failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an application. In
> some cases if additional information is required after an application
> is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a
> special award condition requiring the recipient to submit additional
> environmental compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make
> an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the
> environment.

C.  **Reporting**

> Recipients will be required to submit the following financial and
> performance (technical) reports. These reports are to be submitted
> electronically unless the recipient does not have Internet access, in
> which case hard copy submissions will be accepted.
>
> A Federal Cash Transaction Report (SF-272) is required semi-annually
> in April and October. A final Financial Status Report (SF-269) and a
> final SF-272 is required within 90 days of the end of the grant.
>
> Performance or progress reports are required to be submitted to the
> NOAA Program Officer semi-annually. These reports will be due no later
> than 30 days following the end of each 6-month period from the start
> date of an award. The final report is due 90 days after the award
> expiration.

**VII. [Agency Contacts ]{.underline}**

Please visit the OEd website for further information at
<http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html> or contact Sarah
Schoedinger (202) 482-2893 or <Sarah.Schoedinger@noaa.gov>.

For those applicants without Internet access, hard copies of referenced
documents may be requested from NOAA's Office of Education by contacting
Sarah Schoedinger at (202) 482-2893 or sending a letter to Sarah
Schoedinger, DOC/NOAA Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW,
Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. **Please note:** Hard copies submitted
via the US Postal Service can take up to 4 weeks to reach this office;
applicants are recommended to send hard copies via expedited shipping
methods (e.g, Airborne Express, DHL, Fed Ex, UPS).