18946 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices

Richard Strasser, Assistant Director, Division of

Market Regulation, Commission, dated February 25,

1998.

3Securities Exchange Act Release No. 39720

(March 4, 1998), 63 FR 11942 (March 11, 1998).

4 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

5 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).

6 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).

7 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

proposed rule change relating to market

order exposure requirements was

published for comment in the Federal

Register on March 11, 1998.3 No

comments were received on the

proposal. For the reasons discussed

below, the Commission is approving the

proposed rule change as amended.

II. Description of the Proposal

The CSE is proposing to amend its

Rule 11.9(u), Interpretation .01,

concerning customer market order

exposure requirements. Currently,

under Interpretation .01, with certain

exceptions, when the spread between

the national best bid and offer is greater

than the minimum price variation, a

member must either immediately

execute a market order at an improved

price or expose that order on the

exchange for a minimum of thirty

seconds in an attempt to improve the

price. The Exchange has determined,

based on its experience with specialists

quoting and trading in finer increments

(i.e., 1⁄16 point), that exposing a market

order for thirty seconds creates

additional risks to the specialists. The

Exchange therefore proposed to require

members, when the spread between the

national best bid and offer is greater

than the minimum price variation, to

either immediately execute a market

order at an improved price or expose the

market order on the Exchange for a

minimum of fifteen seconds (rather than

the current thirty seconds) in an attempt

to improve the price. The Exchange

believes that a fifteen second exposure

strikes a balance between the risks to

specialists and the need to provide

customers a meaningful opportunity for

price improvement.

III. Discussion

The Commission believes that the

proposed rule change is consistent with

the Act and the rules and regulations

thereunder applicable to a national

securities exchange, and, in particular

with Section 6(b)(5),4 which requires

that the rules of an exchange be

designed, among other things, to

promote just and equitable principles of

trade, to remove impediments to and

perfect the mechanism of a free and

open market and a national market

system, and, in general, to protect

investors and the public interest.

The Commission believes that,

although the Exchange is reducing the

amount of time a specialist must expose

an order for price improvement from

thirty seconds to fifteen seconds, the

proposal nevertheless benefits investors

by mandating that they receive price

improvement opportunities. The

Commission believes that providing

investors an opportunity for price

improvement facilitates order

interaction and enhances the execution

of customer orders, which is consistent

with Section 6(b)(5) of the Act.

IV. Conclusion

For the foregoing reasons, the

Commission believes that the proposed

rule change is consistent with the Act

and the rules and regulations

thereunder applicable to a national

securities exchange. In addition, in

approving this rule, the Commission

notes that it has also considered the

proposed rule’s impact on efficiency,

competition, and capital formation.5

It is therefore, ordered, pursuant to

Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,6 that the

proposed rule change (SR–CSE–97–13)

be, and hereby is, approved.

For the Commission, by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.7

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–10045 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Retirement Research Consortium

Request for Applications (RFA)

(Program Announcement No. SSA–

ORES–98–1)

AGENCY: The Office of Research,

Evaluation, and Statistics (ORES) of the

Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Request for applications for a

cooperative agreement to establish a

Retirement Research Consortium (RRC).

SUMMARY: As currently legislated, the

Old-Age and Survivors Insurance

(OASI) and Disability Insurance trust

funds are projected by the Social

Security Board of Trustees to be

insufficient by the year 2029 to pay all

benefits. Seventy-five percent of the

funds needed will be available but there

will be a shortfall of about twenty-five

percent of the funds needed to pay

benefits under present law. The manner

by which the Nation will react to or

avoid this shortfall is arguably the most

important policy decision of this

decade. As authorized under Section

1110 of the Social Security Act, SSA

announces the solicitation of

applications for a cooperative agreement

to create an RRC in order to inform the

public and policymakers about policy

alternatives and their consequences.

Initially, the Consortium will be

composed of two, university-based,

multi-disciplinary Centers. The Centers

will have a combined annual budget of

$2.5 million for the first year and $2

million for subsequent years. SSA

expects to fund these Centers for a

period of 5 years, contingent on an

annual review process and continued

funding availability.

Purpose

This announcement seeks

applications in support of the RRC that

will serve as a national resource

fostering high quality research,

communication, and education. The

Consortium’s program purpose is to

benefit the public through four tasks:

(1) Research and evaluation. The RRC

will be expected to plan, initiate, and

maintain a research program of high

caliber. There will be special emphasis

on retirement income policy and the

protection of low-income workers and

their families from economic loss due to

retirement, death, or disability as well

as issues related to long-range solvency.

The RRC will also describe and evaluate

retirement policies with an emphasis on

OASI-related programs.

(2) Dissemination. The RRC will

develop resources to inform the

academic community, policymakers,

and the public on issues concerning

retirement policy and economic security

during retirement.

(3) Training and education. The RRC

will develop a professional training

program including, but not limited to,

graduate and postgraduate education;

intramural exchanges; and formal

instruction of policymakers which

focuses on the issues of retirement

policy.

(4) Facilitation of data usage. The

RRC will facilitate research using SSA

administrative data.

DATES: The closing date for submitting

applications under this announcement

is July 15, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To

request an application kit, and for

general (nonprogrammatic) information

regarding the announcement or

application package contact: E. Joe

Smith, Grants Management Officer,

SSA, Office of Acquisition and Grants,

Grants Management Team, 1–E–4

Gwynn Oak Building, 1710 Gwynn Oak

Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21207–

5279. The fax number is (410) 966–
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices 18947

9310. The telephone numbers are E. Joe

Smith, (410) 965–9503 (e-mail:

joe.smith@ssa.gov), or Dave Allshouse,

(410) 965–9262 (e-mail:

dave.allshouse@ssa.gov).

For information on the program

content of the announcement/

application, contact: Dr. Steven Sandell,

Director, Division of Policy Evaluation,

ORES, SSA, 500 E St., SW, 9th Floor,

Washington, DC, 20254–0001. The fax

number is (202) 358–6187. The

telephone number is (202) 358–6231 (email: ores.dpe@ssa.gov).

Table of Contents

Part I—SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Type of Award

C. Availability and Duration of Funding

D. Letter of Intent

Part II—Establishment of a Research

Consortium—Responsibilities of the Center

and the Federal Government

A. Center Responsibilities

1. Research and Evaluation

2. Dissemination

3. Training and Education

4. Facilitation of Data Usage

B. Cooperative Agreement Responsibilities

1. Center Responsibilities

2. SSA Responsibilities

3. Joint Responsibilities

C. Special Requirements

Part III—Application Preparation and

Evaluation Criteria

A. Content and Organization of Technical

Application

B. Review Process and Funding

C. Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

Part IV—Application Forms, Completion and

Submission

A. Availability of Application Forms

B. Components of a Complete Application

C. Application Submission

D. Notification

Part I—Supplementary Information

A. Eligible Applicants

SSA seeks applications from domestic

universities or other post-secondary

degree granting entities. For-profit

organizations may apply with the

understanding that no cooperative

agreement funds may be paid as profit

to any cooperative agreement recipient.

Profit is considered as any amount in

excess of the allowable costs of the

award recipient.

In accordance with an amendment to

the Lobbying Disclosure Act, popularly

known as the Simpson-Craig

Amendment, those entities organized

under section 501(c)4 of the Internal

Revenue Code that engage in lobbying

are prohibited from receiving Federal

cooperative agreement awards.

B. Type of Award

All awards made under this program

will be made in the form of cooperative

agreements. A cooperative agreement, as

opposed to a grant, anticipates

substantial involvement between SSA

and the awardee during the performance

of the project. A comprehensive annual

review process will allow SSA to

evaluate, recommend changes, and

approve each Center’s activities. This

involvement may include collaboration

or participation by SSA in the activities

of the Centers as determined at the time

of award. The terms of award are in

addition to, not in lieu of, otherwise

applicable guidelines and procedures.

C. Availability and Duration of Funding

1. ORES has available $2.5 million

($1.25 million for each of the two

Centers) to fund the initial 12-month

budget period of a proposed five-year

cooperative agreement pursuant to this

announcement. (Additional funding up

to $1.5 million per year for related

projects may become available for

further support of the Centers selected

under this announcement.)

2. Applicants must include separate

budget estimates for each of the five

years, if they expect funding levels to be

substantially different in subsequent

years.

3. The amount of funds available for

the cooperative agreement in future

years has not been established.

Legislative support for continued

funding of the Consortium cannot be

guaranteed and funding is subject to

future appropriations and approval by

the Commissioner. SSA expects,

however, that the Consortium will be

supported during future fiscal years at

an annual level of $2 million ($1 million

per Center).

4. Nothing in this announcement

precludes the possibility that the annual

funds will be divided

disproportionately between the two

Centers. However, each Center should

prepare a five-year proposal with a

maximum budget of $5.25 million.

5. Additional funds up to $1.5 million

per year may become available from

SSA and/or other Federal agencies in

support of Consortium projects.

6. Initial awards, pursuant to this

announcement, will be made on or

about October 13, 1998.

7. Awardee share of project cost—SSA

will not provide total funding to any

Center. Recipients of an SSA

cooperative agreement are required to

contribute a non-Federal match of at

least 5 percent toward the total

approved cost of each Center. The total

approved cost of the project is the sum

of the Federal share (maximum of 95

percent) and the non-Federal share

(minimum of 5 percent). The nonFederal share may be cash or in-kind

(property or services) contributions.

The amount awarded to a Center will

be dependent on the receipt of a

sufficient number of applications of

high scientific merit. Although two

awards are anticipated, nothing in this

announcement restricts SSA’s ability to

make more (or less) than two awards, to

make an award of lesser amount, or to

add additional Centers to the RRC in the

future.

D. Letter of Intent

Prospective applicants are asked to

submit by June 1, 1998, a letter of intent

that includes (1) This program

announcement number and title; (2) a

brief description of the proposed Center;

(3) the name, postal and e-mail

addresses, and the telephone and fax

numbers of the Center Director; and (4)

the identities of the key personnel and

participating institutions. The letter of

intent is not required, is not binding,

and does not enter into the review

process of a subsequent application. The

sole purpose of the letter of intent is to

allow SSA staff to estimate the potential

review workload and avoid conflicts of

interest in the review. The letter of

intent should be sent to: RRC Letter of

Intent, Division of Policy Evaluation,

Office of Research, Evaluation and

Statistics, Social Security

Administration, 500 E St., SW, 9th

Floor, Washington, D.C. 20254–0001.

Part II—Establishment of a Research

Consortium—Responsibilities of the

Center and the Federal Government

A. Center Responsibilities

Priority Research Areas

The successful applicant shall

develop and conduct a research and

evaluation program that also

appropriately balances training and

dissemination activities directed toward

understanding retirement policy and its

current and future impact on the aged,

especially lower and middle income

Americans. Each Center should focus on

several themes or areas directly relevant

to retirement policy. SSA has identified

seven priority research areas within the

realm of retirement income policy on

which applicants should focus and

applications will be scored. These areas

include:

1. Social Security rules and

retirement. This includes incentives to

retire from Social Security program

rules and other factors; predicted actual

ages of retirement; interactions between

program features and work
18948 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices

disincentives; and the demographic,

social, and economic characteristics of

current and future retirees and their

dependents. This also includes effects of

changing the normal retirement age and

the early eligibility age (including

changes in the delayed retirement

credit, the earnings test, and the penalty

for early retirement) in particular,

examining the labor demand for older

workers; the health and functional

capacity of older workers, with a

specific emphasis on whether older

workers can work longer given their

greater life expectancy; the net fiscal

impact on the Old-Age, Survivors, and

Disability Insurance program; and the

impacts on the labor supply of older

workers.

2. The macroeconomic and financial

effects of changes in Social Security

policy on national saving, investment,

and economic growth. This includes,

but is not limited to, the intertemporal

effects on capital formation, retirement

savings, and the unified budget. This

also includes the research and analysis

of impacts related to the investment of

the trust fund balances in equities.

3. Social Security, private saving, and

other retirement income. This includes

examining income from Social Security

as currently legislated or as modified by

reform proposals such as mandating

savings; private savings including

employer-provided pensions; individual

assets; continued employment or other

sources of retirement income. This also

includes the analysis of the rates of

return on alternative investments;

measurements of risk; choice of

discount rates for analyzing equity

investments of varying risks; saving and

investment choices by population

subgroup; the effects of information on

individuals’ investment portfolio; and

the trends in retirement income.

4. Interactions of Social Security with

other public and private programs. This

includes the impact of current OASI

rules and potential reforms on the

Disability Insurance program, in

particular, and on public programs

including, but not limited to,

Supplemental Security Income,

Medicare, private retirement plans,

personal saving, and private insurance.

5. International research. This

includes cross-country comparisons of

social, demographic, and institutional

differences, and highlights the lessons

to be learned from other countries’

social insurance experience.

6. Distributional effects. This

encompasses differences in the effects of

Social Security policy alternatives

among workers and beneficiaries by age,

race, ethnicity, nativity, gender,

education, occupation, and income.

7. Demographic and social change.

This includes changes in mortality,

lifestyle, marital status, immigration,

public perceptions, political attitudes,

health, and labor force participation and

includes their implications for

retirement income policy.

Each Center will develop and

disseminate knowledge about these and

related issues. SSA realizes competent

analysis of all priority research areas

may be beyond the capacity of any one

Center and thus each Center may wish

to focus their individual resources and

expertise on a subset of the areas listed

above. Similarly, a Center may choose to

concentrate on a few aspects of the

priority research areas more strongly

than others. The goal of the Consortium

is to find two Centers which can

symbiotically address a range of

objectives discussed above without

compromising the overall quality of

research in the separate priority areas.

Tasks

Each Center will perform the

following tasks:

1. Research and evaluation. Each

Center will be expected to plan, initiate,

and maintain a research program of high

caliber. It must meet the tests of social

science rigor and objectivity. The

research will use state-of-the-art

research methodology and have

practical application to timely

retirement income policy issues. The

program will strive for respect from the

academic and policy communities (over

a broad range of the political spectrum)

for its scientific quality, fairness, and

policy relevance.

The research program should include

supporting the work of members of the

RRC staff and other affiliated

researchers. In addition, it should

provide intellectual leadership in the

national research community by

establishing links with a broad range of

other scholars and organizations,

through programs such as visiting and

postdoctoral appointments, research

assistantships, and a limited program of

nonresident grants, for example. Joint

research between Consortium and SSA

researchers is encouraged as is

collaboration with other organizations

interested in retirement income policy.

The research program should include

multi-disciplinary approaches to

increase understanding of the issues

beyond what is possible from analysis

within the framework of a single

discipline. The staff would include

competency relevant disciplines such as

economics, sociology, public policy/

administration, demography, law,

political science, finance, actuarial

science, etc.

Planning and execution of the

research program shall always consider

the policy implications of research

findings. However, it also is

appropriate, for example, to engage in

activities to make advances in research

techniques, where they are needed for

or related to primary objectives of the

Consortium.

A group of nationally recognized

scholars and practitioners (See Part II,

Joint Responsibilities) shall periodically

review the research agenda to assure its

policy relevance, utility, and scope.

2. Dissemination. Making knowledge

and information available to the

academic and policy communities as

well as the public (both beneficiaries

and contributors) is to be another

integral feature of each Center’s

responsibilities. The RRC will facilitate

the process of translating basic

behavioral and social research theories

and findings into practical policy

alternatives. The Centers will be

expected to maintain a dissemination

system of periodic newsletters, research

papers, policy briefs, academic or trade

journal articles, and occasional books.

In addition, the Centers will be expected

to organize conferences, workshops,

lectures, seminars, and/or other ways of

sharing current research activities, and

findings. An annual conference on

issues related to retirement income

policy will be held by the Consortium

with organizational responsibility

rotating between the Centers. The

hosting Center will also have the

responsibility for publishing a book

composed of papers delivered at the

annual conference.

Applicants are encouraged to propose

use of creative methods of

disseminating data and information,

such as using the Internet. Applications

should show sensitivity to alternative

dissemination strategies which may be

appropriate for different audiences—

such as policymakers, practitioners, the

public, advocates, and academics. The

research and dissemination will be

nonpartisan and of value to all levels of

policymaking. SSA reserves the right to

review all publications created using

Consortium funding.

3. Training and education. The RRC

is expected to both train new scholars

and educate academics and

practitioners on new techniques and

research findings on issues of retirement

policy that impact the economic

security of the aged, with special

emphasis on protection of lower income

workers and families. Each Center is

expected to develop and expand a

diverse corps of young scholars/

researchers who focus their analytical

skills on research and policy issues
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices 18949

central to the Consortium’s mission.

Training mechanisms should include

seminar series, conferences, graduate

courses, and mini-courses to be held in

both Washington D.C./Baltimore and the

RRC sites.

The Centers are expected to

financially support the development

and work of young scholars. For

example, funding should be allocated to

support graduate students, as research

assistants and through research grants;

Ph.D. candidates, through dissertation

grants; and other research scholars

through post-doctoral and visiting

appointments. Additionally, the Centers

will conduct training seminars for

government analysts and policymakers

on the Consortium’s research findings

and methodological advancements.

Training exchanges of Consortium and

government researchers should also be

anticipated.

To assure the quality of its research,

dissemination, and training, each Center

must establish and maintain a formal tie

with a university, including links with

appropriate departments within that

university. Each Center must have a

major presence at a single site

(university or city); however, alternative

arrangements among entities and with

individual scholars are encouraged and

may be proposed.

4. Facilitation of data usage. SSA has

been seeking ways to make

administrative and other data more

available to the research community.

Such efforts are resource intensive and

must adhere to clear privacy protection

requirements. The RRC will work as an

external resource to facilitate this

objective. Specific areas in which the

RRC should contribute include: Writing

papers that further efforts to combine

effectively data sharing and data

privacy; developing documentation for

administrative files; aiding researchers

in obtaining administrative extracts for

policy relevant research projects;

developing sophisticated statistical

techniques to mask micro data; aiding

SSA staff in developing methodology

and policy regarding linkages of

administrative data with outside data

sources; and providing, with SSA

assistance, public use files that rely on

data aggregates that cannot be used to

identify individuals. In addition, it is

SSA’s goal to increase the sites at which

outside researchers can use

administrative data. The Centers are

expected to work in conjunction with

SSA and other Federal agencies and

appropriate organizations to help

develop mechanisms that enable

additional sites to satisfy the legal and

privacy requirements for outside

researchers, who agree to specific

privacy protections, to be able to access

restricted-use data files.

B. Cooperative Agreement

Responsibilities

1. Center Responsibilities: The Centers

have the primary and lead responsibility

to define objectives and approaches; to

plan research, conduct studies, and

analyze data; and publish results,

interpretations, and conclusions of their

work.

Occasionally, Center staff will be

expected to comment on SSA research

plans, provide critical commentary on

research products, compose policy

briefs, perform statistical policy

analyses, and other quick-response

activities to inform SSA’s research,

evaluation, and policy analysis

function. In addition, Center Directors

may be asked to aid in the development

of SSA’s internal research priorities.

Funding for these as well as other

related activities should be included in

the budget narrative (Part III, Section A–

8).

Without compromising academic

freedom, Center staff will be expected to

comply with special requests for

administrative confidentiality in

specific sensitive situations. The

Centers shall make reasonable efforts to

provide other researchers appropriate

and speedy access to research data from

this project and establish public use

files of data developed under this

award.

2. SSA Responsibilities: SSA will be

involved with the Consortium in jointly

establishing broad research priorities,

planning strategies, and deliverable

dates to accomplish the objectives of

this announcement. SSA, or its

representatives, will provide the

following types of support to the

Consortium:

a. Consultation and technical

assistance in planning, operating and

evaluating the Consortium’s program

activities.

b. Information about SSA programs,

policies, and research priorities.

c. Assistance in identifying SSA

information and technical assistance

resources pertinent to the Centers’

success.

d. Review of Consortium activities

and collegial feedback to ensure that

objectives and award conditions are

being met.

e. SSA may suspend or terminate any

cooperative agreement in whole or in

part at any time before the date of

expiration, if the awardee materially

fails to comply with the terms and

conditions of the cooperative agreement,

if technical performance requirements

are not met, or if the project is no longer

relevant to the Agency. SSA will

promptly notify the awardee in writing

of the determination and the reasons for

suspension or termination together with

the effective date.

f. SSA reserves the right to suspend

funding for individual projects in

process or in previously approved

research areas or tasks after awards have

been granted.

SSA encourages cooperative

agreement applicants to become

knowledgeable about SSA’s operations

as well as entitlements under its

programs. Pamphlets and other public

information may be obtained from any

local Social Security field office or by

calling 1–800–772–1213.

3. Joint Responsibilities.

Jointly with SSA, each Center will

select approximately six nationally

recognized scholars and practitioners

who are unaffiliated with either Center

to provide assistance in formulating the

Center’s research agenda and advice on

implementation. Each Center shall

select three scholars/practitioners and

SSA will select three scholars/

practitioners. Efforts will be made in

selecting the scholars/practitioners to

assure a broad range of academic

disciplines and political viewpoints.

The SSA Project Officer or some other

SSA representative will participate in

all meetings. Funded under this

agreement, the scholars/practitioners

will meet once or twice a year rotating

between Washington, D.C., and the

Consortium locations. On occasion, both

Centers’ scholars/practitioners will meet

jointly to evaluate Consortium

objectives and progress.

C. Special Requirements

Each Center Director must have a

demonstrated capability to organize,

administer, and direct the Center. The

Director will be responsible for the

organization and operation of the Center

and for communication with SSA on

scientific and operational matters. The

Director must also have a minimum

time commitment of 30 percent to the

Consortium Cooperative Agreement.

Racial/ethnic minority individuals,

women, and persons with disabilities

are encouraged to apply as Directors. A

list of previous grants and cooperative

agreements held by the Director shall be

submitted including the names and

contact information of each grant’s and

cooperative agreement’s administrator.

In addition to the Director, skilled

personnel and institutional resources

capable of providing a strong research

and evaluation base in the priority areas

specified must be available. The

university and pertinent departments

must show a strong commitment to the
18950 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices

Consortium’s support. Such

commitment may be provided as

dedicated space, salary support for

investigators or key personnel,

dedicated equipment or other financial

support for the proposed Center.

Each Center should be conceptualized

and defined by its integrative, multidisciplinary nature and need not be

limited by geographical or departmental

boundaries. A research team may

consist of investigators or institutions

that are geographically distant, to the

extent that the research design requires

and accommodates such arrangements.

Nothing in this announcement

precludes non-academic entities from

being affiliated with an applicant.

Part III—Application Preparation and

Evaluation Criteria

This part contains information on the

preparation of an application for

submission under this announcement,

the forms necessary for submission and

the evaluation criteria under which the

applications will be reviewed. Potential

applicants should read this part

carefully in conjunction with the

information provided in Part II.

In general, SSA seeks organizations

with demonstrated capacity for

providing quality policy research and

evaluation, training, and working with

government policymakers. Applicants

should reflect, in the program narrative

section of the application, how they will

be able to fulfill the responsibilities and

the requirements described in the

announcement. The application should

specify in detail how administrative

arrangements will be made to minimize

start-up and transition delays.

Applications which do not address all

four major tasks discussed in Center

Responsibilities in Part II will not be

considered for an award.

It is anticipated that the applicant will

have access to additional sources of

funding for some projects and

arrangements with other organizations

and institutions. The applicant

(including the Center Director and other

key personnel) shall make all current

and anticipated related funding

arrangements (including contact

information for grant/contract/

cooperative agreement administrators)

explicit in an attachment to the

application (Part IV, Section B–12). As

part of the annual review process, this

information will be updated and

reviewed to limit duplicitous funding

for Center projects.

A. Content and Organization of

Technical Application (See

‘‘Components of a Complete

Application,’’ Part IV, Section B)

The application must begin with the

required application forms and a threepage (double spaced) overview and

summary of the application. Staff

resumes should be included in a

separate appendix. The core of the

application must contain eight sections,

presented in the following order:

(1) A brief (not more than 10 pages)

background analysis of the key

retirement policy issues and trends with

a focus on the primary research themes

of the proposed Center. The analysis

should discuss concisely, but

comprehensively, important priority

research issues and demonstrate the

applicant’s grasp of the policy and

research significance of recent and

future social, economic, political, and

demographic trends.

(2) A research and evaluation

prospectus for a five-year research

agenda, outlining the major research

themes to be investigated over the next

five years. In particular, the prospectus

will describe the activities planned for

the priority research areas and other

additional research topics proposed by

the applicant. The prospectus should

discuss the kind of research activities

that are needed to anticipate future

policy debates on OASI and the role of

the proposed Center in promoting those

activities. The prospectus should follow

from the background analysis section. It

may, of course, also discuss research

areas and issues that were not

mentioned in the analysis if the

author(s) of the application feel there

have been gaps in past research, or that

new factors have begun to affect or soon

will begin to affect national retirement

policy.

The prospectus shall include detailed

descriptions of individual research

projects that will be expected in the

Center’s first year of operation. It also

should be specific about long-term

research themes and projects. The lines

of research described in the prospectus

should be concrete enough that project

descriptions in subsequent research

plan amendments can be viewed as

articulating a research theme discussed

in the prospectus. An application that

contains simply an ad hoc

categorization of an unstructured set of

research projects—as opposed to a set of

projects which strike a coherent

theme—will be judged unfavorably.

Note: Once a successful applicant and the

outside scholars/practitioners have been

selected, they and SSA will review the

research agenda and determine research

priorities. This may include the addition,

limitation, or removal of proposed research

projects. After review, each Center will

submit to SSA a revised research plan that

summarizes the deliberations and priorities.

The research plan will be periodically

reviewed and revised as necessary. The

application should discuss a proposed

research planning process, including

involvements of the outside scholars/

practitioners, SSA, and other advisors and

participants in the Consortium.

(3) A prospectus for dissemination

should include proposed mechanisms

for reaching a broad audience of

academics and researchers,

policymakers, and the public.

Dissemination plans should detail

proposed publications, conferences,

workshops, and training seminars.

(4) A prospectus for training and

education should include proposed

training and educational strategies to

meet the goals described in Part II,

Section A, Task 3.

(5) A prospectus for facilitation of

data usage demonstrating a broad

knowledge of administrative data and

the legal and institutional constraints

facing public data release. In addition,

it should include a discussion of the

technical expertise of Center staff and

proposed mechanisms to facilitate the

sharing of data.

(6) A staffing and organization

proposal for the Center including an

analysis of the types of background

needed among staff members, the

Center’s organizational structure, and

linkages with the host university and

other organizations. In this section, the

applicant should specify how they will

assure a genuinely multi-disciplinary

approach to research, and where

appropriate, identify the necessary links

to university departments, other

organizations and scholars engaged in

research and government policy making.

The applicant should identify the

Center Director and key senior research

staff. Full resumes of proposed staff

members shall be included as a separate

appendix to the application. The time

commitment to the Center and other

commitments for each proposed staff

member shall be indicated. Note that

once the cooperative agreement has

been awarded, changes in key staff will

require approval from SSA. The kinds of

administrative and tenure arrangements,

if any, the Center proposes to make

should also be discussed in this section.

In addition, the author(s) of the

application and the role which he/she

(they) will play in the proposed Center

must be specified.

This section shall discuss the

financial arrangements for supporting

research assistants, dissertation
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices 18951

fellowships, affiliates, resident scholars,

etc. The discussion should include the

expected number and type of scholars to

be supported and the level of support

anticipated.

If the applicant envisions an

arrangement of several universities or

entities, this section should describe the

specifics about the relationships,

including leadership, management, and

administration. They should pay

particular attention to discussing how a

focal point for research, teaching, and

scholarship will be maintained given

the arrangement proposed.

The application also should discuss

the role, selection procedure, and

expected contribution of the outside

scholars/practitioners (See Part II, Joint

Responsibilities).

(7) An organizational experience

summary of past work at the university

or institution proposed as the location

(or the host) of the Center that relates

directly or indirectly to the research

priorities of this request. This

discussion should include more than a

listing of the individual projects

completed by the individuals who are

included in the application. It should

provide a sense of institutional

commitment to policy research on

issues involving retirement policy.

Where specific individuals are proposed

for the staff of the Center, it is legitimate

to discuss their past research, whether

or not it took place at the institution

proposed to be the location of the

Center. The application must list in an

appendix appropriate recent or current

research projects, with a brief research

summary, contact person references,

and address and telephone numbers of

references.

This section should also discuss the

experience of the research staff in

working with the government agencies

and their demonstrated capacity to

provide policy relevant support to these

agencies.

(8) A budget narrative which links the

research, training, dissemination, and

data-facilitation program to the Center’s

funding level. The budget should, to the

degree possible, offer separate cost

estimates for the individual research

areas and projects proposed in the

research prospectus. Funding should

also be allocated to address occasional

SSA requested activities (described in

Part II, Section B–1). This section

should also discuss how the five-year

budget supports proposed research,

training, dissemination, and datafacilitation activities and should link

the first year of funding to a five-year

plan. The discussion should include the

appropriateness of the level and

distribution of funds to the successful

completion of the research, training, and

dissemination plans.

The availability, potential availability

or expectation of other funds (from the

host university, other universities,

foundations, other Federal agencies,

etc.) and the uses to which they would

be put, should be documented in this

section. When additional funding is

contemplated, applicants shall note

whether the funding is being donated by

the host institution, is in-hand from

another funding source, or will be

applied for from another funding

source. Formal commitments for the 5

percent, non-federal, minimum budget

share should be highlighted in this

section.

Seeking additional support from other

sources is encouraged. However, funds

pertaining to this announcement must

not directly duplicate those received

from other funding sources.

B. Review Process and Funding

In addition to any other reviews, an

independent review panel consisting of

at least three qualified persons will be

formed. Each panelist will objectively

review and score the cooperative

agreement applications using the

evaluation criteria listed in Part III,

Section C below. The panel will

recommend to SSA two Centers based

on (1) the application scores; (2) the

feasibility and adequacy of the project

plan and methodology; and (3) how the

Centers would jointly meet the

objectives of the Consortium. The

Commissioner of Social Security will

consider the panel’s recommendations

when awarding the cooperative

agreements. Although the results from

the independent panel reviews are the

primary factor used in making funding

decisions, they are not the sole basis for

making awards. The Commissioner will

consider other factors as well (such as

duplication of internal and external

research effort) when making funding

decisions.

All applicants must use the guidelines

provided in the SSA application kit for

preparing applications requesting

funding under this cooperative

agreement announcement. These

guidelines describe the minimum

amount of required project information.

However, when completing Part III—

Program Narrative, Form SSA–96–BK,

please follow the guidelines under Part

III, Section A, above. Disregard

instructions provided on pages 3, 4, and

5 of the SSA Federal Assistance

Application Form SSA–96–BK.

All awardees must adhere to SSA’s

Privacy and Confidentiality Regulations

(20 CFR, part 401) as well as provide

specific safeguards surrounding client

information sharing, paper/computer

records/data, and other issues

potentially arising from administrative

data.

SSA reserves the option to discuss

applications with other Federal or State

staff, specialists, knowledgeable

persons, and the general public.

Comments from these sources, along

with those of the reviewers, will be kept

from inappropriate disclosure and may

be considered in making an award

decision.

C. Selection Process and Evaluation

Criteria

The evaluation criteria correspond to

the outline for the development of the

Program Narrative Statement of the

application described in Part III, Section

A, above. The application should be

prepared in the format indicated by the

outline described in The Components of

a Complete Application (i.e., Part IV,

Section B).

Selection of the successful applicants

will be based on the technical and

financial criteria laid out in this

announcement. Reviewers will

determine the strengths and weaknesses

of each application in terms of the

evaluation criteria listed below.

The point value following each

criterion heading indicates the

maximum numerical relative weight

that each section will be given in the

review process. An unacceptable rating

on any individual criterion may render

the application unacceptable.

Consequently, applicants should take

care that all criteria are fully addressed

in the applications. Applications will be

reviewed as follows:

(a) Quality of the background

analysis. (See Part III, Section A–1) (10

points)

Applications will be judged on

whether they provide a thoughtful and

coherent discussion of political,

economic, social, and demographic

trends influencing retirement.

Reviewers will judge applicants’

abilities to discuss the past, present, and

future role of government programs and

polices which affect these trends.

Applications should tie the trends and

influences discussed to their proposed

research agenda.

(b) Quality of the research and

evaluation prospectus. (See Part III,

Section A–2) (30 points)

Reviewers will judge this section on

whether the research agenda is

scientifically sound and policy relevant.

They also will consider whether the

applicant is likely to produce

significant/seminal contributions to

their proposed research areas and how

closely the proposed projects fit the
18952 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices

objectives for which the applications

were solicited.

The application will be judged on the

breadth and depth of the applicant’s

commitment to research and evaluation

of the priority areas described in Part II,

Section A. The discussion and research

proposed must address at least three

priority research areas. Applicants will

generally receive higher scores for

addressing more than three priority

research areas. However, a strong

proposal focusing on three areas will

outscore one which is broad and weakly

defined. Applicants with additional

insightful research proposals will also

score higher. Concise plans for research

projects in the near term (one or two

years) as well as a five-year agenda are

important.

Reviewers will rate applications on

the contents of the plans to conduct

policy relevant research. In addition,

they will be judged on their relevance

to government activities. Reviewers will

also take into consideration SSA

priorities and funded or anticipated

projects. In the first year, SSA is

particularly interested in research on

issues related to solvency included in

priority research areas 1–3 (Part II,

Section A).

(c) Dissemination; training and

education; and facilitation of data usage.

(See Part III, Section A–3, A–4, and A–

5) (20 points)

Reviewers will evaluate strategies for

dissemination of research and other

related information to a broad and

disparate set of academic, research, and

policy communities as well as to the

public. Reviewers will also evaluate

whether the appropriate dissemination

method is being proposed for targeted

audiences of academics and researchers,

policymakers, and the public. Proposed

strategies that increase dissemination

across Centers and other organizations

conducting retirement research will also

receive higher ratings.

The evaluation of the training and

evaluation prospectus will include an

assessment of plans to enhance the

training of graduate students and young

scholars through direct financial

support as well as exposure to policy

research. In addition, reviewers will

evaluate proposed strategies for

educating and training policymakers

and practitioners on issues of

retirement.

The scoring of the prospectus for

facilitation of data usage will include a

review of the activities planned as well

as staff and management expertise and

experience. Applicants should also

demonstrate an understanding of the

legal and institutional constraints

involved with SSA administrative,

earnings, and tax data.

(d) Quality of the staffing proposal

and proposed organizational

arrangements. (See Part III, Section A–

6 and A–7) (30 points)

Reviewers will judge the applicant’s

Center Director and staff on research

experience, demonstrated research

skills, administrative skills, public

administration experience, and relevant

policy making skills. An additional

criterion will be the Center’s

demonstrated potential to act as a

conduit between basic and applied

behavioral and social science research

and policy analysis/evaluation. Both the

evidence of past involvement in related

research and the specific plans for

seeking applied outcomes described in

the application shall be considered part

of that potential. Reviewers may

consider references from grant/

cooperative agreement administrators

on previous grants and cooperative

agreements held by the proposed Center

Director or other key personnel. Director

and staff time commitments to the

Center also will be a factor in

evaluation. Whether the applicant can

maintain a single location for research,

teaching, and scholarship is an

important consideration. Reviewers will

evaluate the affiliations of proposed key

personnel to ensure the required multidisciplinary nature of the Consortium is

being fulfilled. Higher scores will

generally be given to those Centers

which include active participation by a

multi-disciplinary research staff.

Furthermore, reviewers will rate the

applicant’s pledge and ability to work in

collaboration with other scholars and

government employees in search of

similar goals.

Applicants will be judged on the

nature and extent of the organizational

support for research, mentoring

scholars, dissemination, facilitation of

data usage, and in areas related to the

Center’s central priorities and this

request. Reviewers will evaluate the

commitment of the host university (and

the proposed institutional unit that will

contain the Center) to assess its ability

to support all four of the Center’s major

activities: (1) Scholarly, policy relevant

research; (2) dissemination; (3)

education and training; (4) facilitation of

data usage. Reviewers also will evaluate

the applicant’s demonstrated capacity to

work with a range of government

agencies.

(e) Appropriations of the budget to

carry out the planned staffing and

activities. [See Part III, Section A–8] (10

points)

Reviewers will consider whether (1)

the budget assures an efficient and

effective allocation of funds to achieve

the objectives of this solicitation, and (2)

the applicant has additional funding

from other sources, in particular, the

host university. Applications which

show funding from other sources that

supplement funds from this cooperative

agreement will be given higher marks

than those without financial support.

Panel Recommendations. Once each

application is scored and ranked, the

panel will then review the top

applicants and recommend two Centers

which, when combined, best

symbiotically address the range of

responsibilities described in Part II.

Although there may be significant

overlap between Centers, the panel will

choose two Centers which together

cover a broad range of the priority

research areas; and best address the

Consortium tasks of dissemination,

training and education, and facilitation

of data usage.

Part IV—Application Forms,

Completion and Submission

A. Availability of Application Forms

To obtain an application kit which

contains the prescribed forms for

funding projects under this

announcement, contact: Grants

Management Team, Office of

Acquisition and Grants, Social Security

Administration, 1–E–4 Gwynn Oak

Building, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue,

Baltimore, Maryland 21207–5279. The

fax number is (410) 966–9310. The

telephone numbers are E. Joe Smith

(410) 965–9503 (e-mail:

joe.smith@ssa.gov) or Dave Allshouse

(410) 965–9262 (e-mail:

dave.allshouse@ssa.gov).

When requesting an application kit,

the applicant should refer to the

program announcement number SSA–

ORES–98–1 and the date of this

announcement to ensure receipt of the

proper application kit.

B. Components of a Complete

Application

A complete application package

consists of one original, signed and

dated application, plus at least two

copies, which include the following

items in order:

1. Cover Sheet;

2. Project Abstract/Summary (not to

exceed three pages);

3. Table of Contents;

4. Part I (Face Sheet)—Application for

Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424);

5. Part II—Budget Information—

Sections A through G (Form SSA–96–

BK);

6. Budget Justification for Section B—

Budget Categories;
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices 18953

7. Proof of non-profit status, if

applicable;

8. Copy of the applicant’s approved

indirect cost rate agreement, if

appropriate;

9. Part III—Project (Program)

Narrative. Please disregard instructions

provided on pages 3, 4, and 5 of the SSA

Federal Assistance Application Form

SSA–96–BK. The program narrative

should be organized in seven sections:

(a) Background Analysis,

(b) Research and Evaluation

Prospectus,

(c) Dissemination Prospectus,

(d) Training and Education

Prospectus,

(e) Facilitation of Data Usage

Prospectus,

(f) Staffing Proposal Including Staff

Utilization, Staff Background, and

Organizational Experience

(g) Budget Narrative

10. Part IV—Assurances;

11. Required Certifications;

12. Any appendices/attachments; and

13. Supplement to Section II—Key

Personnel.

Staple each copy of the application

securely (front and back if necessary) in

the upper left corner. Please DO NOT

use or include separate covers, binders,

clips, tabs, plastic inserts, books,

brochures, videos, or any other items

that cannot be readily photocopied.

C. Application Submission

These guidelines should be followed

in submitting applications:

—All applications requesting SSA funds

for cooperative agreement projects

under this announcement must be

submitted on the standard forms

provided in the application kit.

NOTE: Facsimile copies will not be

accepted.

—The application shall be executed by

an individual authorized to act for the

applicant organization and to assume

for the applicant organization the

obligations imposed by the terms and

conditions of the cooperative

agreement award.

—Number of copies: The package

should contain one original, signed

and dated application plus at least

two copies. Ten additional copies are

optional and will expedite processing

of the application. A disk copy of the

Abstract and the Program Narrative

(in WordPerfect 5.2 format) would

also be helpful to SSA but are

optional.

—Length: Applications should be brief

and concise as possible, but assure

successful communication of the

applicant’s proposal to the reviewers.

The Project Narrative portion of the

application (Part III) may not exceed

150 double spaced pages (excluding

the resume and outside funding

appendices), typewritten on one side

using standard (81⁄2′ x 11′) size paper

and 12 point font. Attachments that

support the project narrative count

within the 150 page limit.

Attachments not applicable to the

project narrative do not count toward

this page limit.

—Attachments/Appendices, when

included should be used only to

provide supporting documentation.

Brochures, videos, etc., should not be

included because they are not easily

reproduced and are therefore

inaccessible to reviewers.

—In item 11 of the Face Sheet (SF 424),

the applicant must clearly indicate

the application submitted is in

response to this announcement (SSA–

ORES–98–1). The applicant also is

encouraged to select a SHORT

descriptive project title.

—On all applications developed jointly

by more than one organization, the

application must identify only one

university as the lead organization

and the official applicant. The other(s)

can be included as co-participants,

subgrantees or subcontractors.

Applications must be mailed or hand

delivered to: Grants Management Team,

Office of Acquisition and Grants,

DCFAM, Social Security

Administration, Attention: SSA–ORES–

98–1, 1–E–4 Gwynn Oak Building, 1710

Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD

21207–5279.

Hand delivered applications are

accepted between the hours of 8 a.m.

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. An

application will be considered as

meeting the deadline if it is either:

1. Received at the above address on or

before the deadline date; or

2. Mailed through the U.S. Postal

Service or sent by commercial carrier on

or before the deadline date and received

in time to be considered during the

competitive review and evaluation

process. Packages must be postmarked

by July 15, 1998. Applicants are

cautioned to request a legibly dated U.S.

Postal Service postmark or to obtain a

legibly dated receipt from a commercial

carrier as evidence of timely mailing.

Applications that do not meet the

above criteria are considered late

applications. SSA will not waive or

extend the deadline for any applicant

unless the deadline is waived or

extended for all applicants. SSA will

notify each late applicant that its

application will not be considered.

D. Notification

SSA will use Form SSA–3966 PC (a

double postcard) to acknowledge receipt

of application forms. Please complete

the top and bottom parts of the double

postcard which is included in the

application kit and, on the franked

sided of the postcard, enter the name

and address of the person to whom the

acknowledgment is to be sent. Include

Form SSA–3966 PC with the original

copy of the application forms. If you do

not receive acknowledgment of your

application within eight weeks after the

deadline date, please notify SSA.

Paperwork Reduction Act

This notice contains reporting

requirements. However, the information

is collected using a Federal Assistance

Application Form SSA–96–BK, which

has the Office of Management and

Budget clearance number 0960–0184.

Executive Order 12372 and 12416—

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs

This program is not covered by the

requirements of Executive Order 12372,

as amended by Executive Order 12416,

relating to the Federal policy for

consulting with State and local elected

officials on proposed Federal financial

assistance.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance:

Program No. 96.007, Social Security—

Research and Demonstration)

Dated: April 10, 1998.

Kenneth S. Apfel,

Commissioner of Social Security.

[FR Doc. 98–10206 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190–89–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice No. 2768]

Office of Defense Trade Controls;

Notifications to the Congress of

Proposed Commercial Export Licenses

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Department of State has forwarded

the attached Notifications of Proposed

Export Licenses to the Congress on the

dates shown on the attachments

pursuant to section 36(c) and in

compliance with section 36(e) of the

Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C.

2776).

EFFECTIVE DATE: As shown on each of

the eight letters.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

William J. Lowell, Director, Office of

Defense Trade Controls, Bureau of

Political-Military Affairs, Department of

State {(703) 875–6644}.