[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 220 (Tuesday, November 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69917-69920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28592]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No.101101550-0550-01; I.D. GF001]


New NOAA Cooperative Institutes (CIs): (1) A Cooperative 
Institute To Improve Mesoscale and Stormscale High Impact Weather 
Forecasts, Watches, and Warnings Through the Use of, and Enhancement 
of, Weather Radar and (2) A Cooperative Institute To Support NOAA 
Northwest Research Facilities in the Area of Marine Resources

AGENCY: Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and 
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) invite applications for: 
(1) A cooperative institute (CI) to improve mesoscale and stormscale 
high impact weather forecasts, watches, and warnings through the use 
of, and enhancement of, weather radar and (2) a CI to support NOAA 
research facilities in the northwest U.S. in the area of marine 
resources. Applicants should review the CI Interim Handbook prior to 
preparing a proposal for this announcement (http://www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci).

DATES: Proposals must be received by OAR no later than February 11, 
2011, 5 p.m., E.T. For applications submitted through Grants.gov, a 
date and time receipt indication will form the basis for determining 
timeliness. Proposals must be validated by Grants.gov in order to be 
considered timely. For those applicants who do not have access to the 
Internet, one signed original and two hard copy applications must be 
received by NOAA at the following address: NOAA/OAR, Attn: Dr. John 
Cortinas, 1315 East West Highway, Room 11326, Silver Spring, Maryland 
20910. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented 
with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail proposal submissions 
will be accepted. Proposals submitted after 5 p.m., E.T., February 11, 
2011 will not be considered. (Note that late-arriving hard copy 
proposals provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m., E.T., 
February 11, 2011 will be accepted for review if the applicants can 
document that the proposals were provided to the guaranteed delivery 
service by the specified closing date and time and if the proposals are 
received by OAR no later than 5 p.m., two business days following the 
closing date.) October 1, 2011 should be used as the proposed start 
date on proposals.

ADDRESSES: The standard application package is available at http://www.grants.gov. For applicants without Internet access, an application 
package may be secured by contacting Dr. John Cortinas, 1315 East West 
Highway, Room 11326, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; telephone (301) 
734-1090.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Cortinas, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Room 11326, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; telephone (301) 
734-1090; E-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ac0e5e2e4a4c9e5f8fee3e4ebf9cae4e5ebeba4ede5fc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c58faaadabeb86aab7b1acaba4b685abaaa4a4eba2aab3">[email protected]</span></a>.

Request for Applications

    The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) invites applications for two 
cooperative institutes: (1) CI to improve mesoscale and stormscale high 
impact weather forecasts, watches, and warnings through the use of, and 
enhancement of, weather radar and (2) a CI to support NOAA research 
facilities in the northwest U.S. in the area of marine resources.
    Generally, a CI is a NOAA-supported, non-Federal organization that 
has established an outstanding research program in one or more areas 
that are relevant to the NOAA mission ``to understand and predict 
changes in the Earth's environment and conserve and manage coastal and 
marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and 
environmental needs.'' CIs are established at research institutions 
with outstanding graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences. CIs 
provide significant coordination of resources among all non-government 
partners and promote the involvement of students and post-doctoral 
scientists in NOAA-funded research.

[[Page 69918]]

    NOAA establishes a new CI competitively when it identifies a need 
to sponsor a long-term (5-10 years) collaborative partnership with one 
or more outstanding non-Federal, non-profit research institutions. For 
NOAA, the purpose of this long-term collaborative partnership is to 
promote research, education, training, and outreach aligned with NOAA's 
mission; to obtain research capabilities that do not exist internally; 
and/or to expand research capacity in NOAA-related sciences to:
    <bullet> Conduct collaborative, long-term research that involves 
NOAA scientists and those at the research institution(s) from one or 
more scientific disciplines of interest to NOAA;
    <bullet> Utilize the scientific, education, and outreach expertise 
at the research institution(s) that, depending on NOAA's research 
needs, may or may not be located near a NOAA facility;
    <bullet> Support student participation in NOAA-related research 
studies; and
    <bullet> Strengthen or expand NOAA-related research capabilities 
and capacity at the research institution(s) that complements and 
contributes to NOAA's ability to reach its mission goals.
    A CI may also partner with one or more research institutions that 
demonstrate outstanding performance within one or more established 
research programs in NOAA-related sciences, including Minority Serving 
Institutions that can contribute to the proposed activities of the CI. 
CIs conduct research under approved scientific research themes and 
Tasks (additional tasks can be proposed by the CI):
    <bullet> Task I activities are related to the management of the CI, 
as well as general education and outreach activities. This task also 
includes support of postdoctoral and visiting scientists conducting 
activities within the research themes of the CI that are approved by 
the CI Director, in consultation with NOAA, and are relevant to NOAA 
and the CI's mission goals;
    <bullet> Task II activities usually involve on-going direct 
collaboration with NOAA scientists. This collaboration typically is 
fostered by the collocation of Federal and CI employees; and
    <bullet> Task III activities require minimal collaboration with 
NOAA scientists.
    Generally, applications must include all relevant Federal Standard 
Forms, a project description that includes sufficient information to 
address all the evaluation criteria identified in the FFO announcement, 
a budget, and a budget justification. The project description must 
include a thorough explanation of all themes and Tasks. The application 
should also identify the capability and the capacity of the CI to 
conduct research in the themes described in the FFO announcement, as 
well as a summary of clearly stated goals to be achieved, reflecting 
NOAA's strategic goals and vision. Additional elements may also be 
requested. Applicants are directed to the FFO for all application 
information and requirements.

A Cooperative Institute To Improve Mesoscale and Stormscale High Impact 
Weather Forecasts, Watches, and Warnings Through the use of, and 
Enhancement of, Weather Radar

    The CI will focus on the themes of: (1) Weather radar research and 
development, (2) stormscale and mesoscale modeling research and 
development, (3) forecast improvements research and development, (4) 
impacts of climate change related to extreme weather events, and (5) 
social and socioeconomic impacts of high impact weather systems. The CI 
will be established at a research institution not only having 
outstanding graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences, but also 
located within a commuting distance to NOAA's facilities in Norman, 
Oklahoma that provides for direct interactions on a regular basis. The 
CI will provide significant coordination of resources among all non-
governmental partners and will promote the involvement of students and 
post-doctoral scientists in NOAA-funded research. If the CI is 
comprised of multiple member institutions, only the lead institution 
applying for the award and where the CI will be established must 
satisfy the commuting distance requirement.
    Funding Availibility: All funding is contingent upon the 
availability of appropriations. NOAA anticipates that up to 
approximately $15M will be available annually for this CI. Of that 
amount, approximately $300,000-$400,000 will be available per year for 
Task I. The final amount of funding available for Task I will be 
determined during the negotiation phase of the award based on 
availability of funding. The actual amount of annual funding that the 
CI receives may be more or less than the anticipated amount and will 
depend on the actual projects that are approved by NOAA, the 
availability of funding, the quality of the research, the satisfactory 
progress in achieving the stated goals described in project proposals, 
and continued relevance to program objectives.

A Cooperative Institute To Support NOAA Northwest Research Facilities 
in the Area of Marine Resources

    The CI to support NOAA research facilities in the northwest U.S. in 
the area of marine resources will focus on the themes of: (1) Seafloor 
processes, (2) marine mammal acoustics, (3) marine ecosystems, and (4) 
protection and restoration of marine resources. The CI will be 
established at a research institution not only having outstanding 
graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences, but also located 
within a commuting distance that allows direct interactions with CI and 
NOAA scientists at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, 
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Alaska Fisheries Science Center 
offices in Newport, Oregon, on a regular basis. The CI will provide 
significant coordination of resources among all non-governmental 
partners and will promote the involvement of students and post-doctoral 
scientists in NOAA-funded research. If the CI is comprised of multiple 
member institutions, only the lead institution applying for the award 
and where the CI will be established must satisfy the commuting 
distance requirement. This announcement provides requirements for the 
proposed CI and includes details for the technical program, evaluation 
criteria, and competitive selection procedures.
    Funding Availibility: All funding is contingent upon the 
availability of appropriations. NOAA anticipates that up to 
approximately $7M will be available annually for this CI. Of that 
amount, approximately $100,000 will be available per year for Task I. 
The final amount of funding available for Task I will be determined 
during the negotiation phase of the award and will be based on 
availability of funding. The actual annual funding that the CI receives 
may be less than the anticipated amount and will depend on the actual 
projects that are approved by NOAA, the availability of funding, the 
quality of the research, the satisfactory progress in achieving the 
stated goals described in project proposals, and continued relevance to 
program objectives.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Electronic Access: The full text of the FFO announcement for this 
program can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov. The announcement will also be available by contacting 
the program officials identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 
Applicants must comply with all requirements contained

[[Page 69919]]

in the full funding opportunity announcement.
    Proposals must include elements requested in the full Federal 
Funding Opportunity announcement on the Grants.gov portal. If a hard 
copy application is submitted, NOAA requests that the original and two 
unbound copies of the proposal be included. Proposals, electronic or 
paper, should be no more than 75 pages (numbered) in length, excluding 
budget, investigators, vitae, and all appendices. Federally mandated 
forms are not included within the page count. Facsimile transmissions 
and electronic mail submission of full proposals will not be accepted.
    Statutory Authorities: 15 U.S.C. 1540, 15 U.S.C. 313, 15 U.S.C. 
2901 et seq., 118 STAT. 71 (January 23, 2004).
    Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to public and private non-
profit universities, colleges and research institutions that offer 
accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-related 
sciences and that are within a commuting distance that provides for 
direct contact on a regular basis with scientists at the NOAA 
facilities in Norman, OK. If the proposed CI is comprised of multiple 
member institutions, only the lead institution applying for the award 
(and where the CI will be established) must satisfy the commuting 
distance requirement.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: To stress the collaborative nature and 
investment of a CI by both NOAA and the research institution, cost 
sharing is required. There is no minimum cost sharing requirement; 
however, the amount of cost sharing will be considered when determining 
the level of the CI's commitment under NOAA's standard evaluation 
criteria for overall qualifications of applicants. Acceptable cost-
sharing proposals include, but are not limited to, offering a reduced 
indirect cost rate against activities in one or more Tasks, waiver of 
any indirect costs assessed by the awardee on subawards, waiver of 
indirect costs assessed against base funds and/or Task I activities, 
waiver or reduction of any costs associated with the use of facilities 
at the CI, and full or partial salary funding for the CI director, 
administrative staff, graduate students, visiting scientists, or 
postdoctoral scientists.
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: The general evaluation 
criteria and selection factors that apply to full applications to this 
funding opportunity are summarized below. Further information about the 
evaluation criteria and selection factors can be found in the FFO 
announcement.
    Evaluation Criteria for Projects: Proposals will be evaluated using 
the standard NOAA evaluation criteria. Various questions under each 
criterion are provided to ensure that the applicant includes 
information that NOAA will consider important during the evaluation, in 
addition to any other information provided by the applicant.
    1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed 
project to the program goals (25 percent): This criterion ascertains 
whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance 
to NOAA, regional, state, or local activities.
    <bullet> Does the proposal include research goals and projects that 
address the critical issues identified in NOAA's 5-year Research Plan, 
NOAA's Strategic Plan, and the priorities described in the program 
priorities (see Section I.B.)?
    <bullet> Is there a demonstrated commitment (in terms of resources 
and facilities) to enhance existing NOAA and CI resources to foster a 
long-term collaborative research environment/culture?
    <bullet> Is there a strong education program with established 
graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences that also encourages 
student participation in NOAA-related research studies?
    2. Technical/scientific merit (30 percent): This criterion assesses 
whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the 
methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and 
objectives.
    <bullet> Does the project description include a summary of clearly 
stated goals to be achieved during the five year period that reflect 
NOAA's strategic plan and goals?
    <bullet> Does the CI involve partnerships with other universities 
or research institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions and 
universities that can contribute to the proposed activities of the CI?
    3. Overall qualifications of applicants (30 percent): This 
criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary 
education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative 
resources to accomplish the project.
    <bullet> If the institution(s) and/or Principal Investigators have 
received current or recent NOAA funding, is there a demonstrated record 
of outstanding performance working with NOAA and/or NOAA scientists on 
research projects?
    <bullet> Is there nationally and/or internationally recognized 
expertise within the appropriate disciplines needed to conduct the 
collaborative/interdisciplinary research described in the proposal?
    <bullet> Is there a well-developed business plan that includes 
fiscal and human resource management, as well as strategic planning and 
accountability?
    <bullet> Are there any unique capabilities in a mission-critical 
area of research for NOAA?
    <bullet> Has the applicant shown a substantial investment to the 
NOAA partnership, as demonstrated by the amount of the cost sharing 
contribution?
    4. Project costs (5 percent): The budget is evaluated to determine 
if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-
frame.
    5. Outreach and education (10 percent): NOAA assesses whether this 
project provides a focused and effective education and outreach 
strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural 
resources.
    Review and Selection Process: An initial administrative review/
screening is conducted to determine compliance with requirements/
completeness. All proposals will be evaluated and individually ranked 
in accordance with the assigned weights of the above-listed evaluation 
criteria by an independent peer review panel. At least three experts, 
who may be Federal or non-Federal, will be used in this process. If 
non-Federal experts participate in the review process, each expert will 
submit an individual merit review and there will be no consensus 
opinion. The merit reviewers' ratings are used to produce a rank order 
of the proposals. The Selecting Official selects proposals after 
considering the peer reviews and selection factors listed below. 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. The Selecting Official 
makes the final award recommendation to the Grants Officer authorized 
to obligate funds.
    Selection Factors for Projects: The merit review ratings shall 
provide a rank order to the Selecting Official for final funding 
recommendations. 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.

[[Page 69920]]

    3. Whether this project duplicates other projects funded or 
considered for funding by NOAA or other 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 makea 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) determination and draft 
necessary documentation before recommendations for funding are made to 
the Grants Officer.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of 
Programs.''
    Limitation of Liability: 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): 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.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation 
regulations, http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm.
    Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their 
description of their program activities, applicants are required to 
provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, 
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible 
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist 
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, 
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and 
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef 
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve 
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be 
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if 
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be 
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to 
reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their 
proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an 
application. In some cases if additional information is required after 
an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer 
under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit 
additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable 
NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on 
the environment.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: The Department of Commerce Pre-Award 
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
contained in the Federal Register notice of February 11, 2008 (73 FR 
7696), are applicable to this solicitation.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 has been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
respective control numbers 4040-0004, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, 
and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is 
required to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to 
comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of 
the PRA unless that collection of information displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that 
this notice does not contain policies with implications as that term is 
defined in Executive Order 13132.
    Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior 
notices and an opportunity for public comment are not required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning 
public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 
553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements 
for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are 
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been 
prepared.

    Dated: November 9, 2010.
Leon M. Cammen,
Acting, Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-28592 Filed 11-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KD-P


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