Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 115 /Tuesday, June 16, 1998 / Notices 32859

Dated: July 9, 1998.

Robert E. Hebner,

Acting Deputy Director.

[FR Doc. 98–15867 Filed 6–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[Docket No. 980413092–8092–1]

RIN 0648–ZA39

NOAA Climate and Global Change

Program, Program Announcement

AGENCY: Office of Global Programs,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Climate and Global

Change Program represents a National

Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) contribution to

evolving national and international

programs designed to improve our

ability to observe, understand, predict,

and respond to changes in the global

environment. This program builds on

NOAA’s mission requirements and

longstanding capabilities in global

change research and prediction. The

NOAA Program is a key contributing

element of the U.S. Global Change

Research Program (USGCRP), which is

coordinated by the interagency

Committee on Environmental and

Natural Resources. NOAA’s program is

designed to complement other agency

contributions to that national effort.

DATES: Strict deadlines for submission

to the FY 1999 process are: Letters of

intent must be received at OGP no later

than July 16, 1998. Full proposals must

be received at OGP no later than

September 30, 1998. Applicants who

have not received a response to their

letter of intent by August 21, 1998,

should contact the program office. The

time from target date to grant award

varies with program area. We anticipate

that review of full proposals will occur

during late 1998 and funding should

begin during the spring of 1999 for most

approved projects. May 1, 1999, should

be used as the proposed start date on

proposals, unless otherwise directed by

the appropriate Program Officer.

Applicants should be notified of their

status within 6 months. All proposals

must be submitted in accordance with

the guidelines below. Failure to heed

these guidelines may result in proposals

being returned without review.

ADDRESSES: Proposals may be submitted

to: Office of Global Programs, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, 1100 Wayne Avenue,

Suite 1225, Silver Spring, MD 20910–

5603.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irma

duPree at the above address, or at

phone: (301) 427–2089 ext. 17, fax: (301)

427–2073, Internet:

duPree@ogp.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Funding Availability

NOAA believes that the Climate and

Global Change Program will benefit

significantly from a strong partnership

with outside investigators. Current

Program plans assume that over 50% of

the total resources provided through

this announcement will support

extramural efforts, particularly those

involving the broad academic

community. Because of ongoing debates

on the Federal budget, it is uncertain

how much money will be available

through this announcement. Actual

funding levels will depend upon the

final FY 1999 budget appropriations.

This Program Announcement is for

projects to be conducted by

investigators both inside and outside of

NOAA, primarily over a one, two or

three year period. The funding

instrument for extramural awards will

be a grant unless it is anticipated that

NOAA will be substantially involved in

the implementation of the project, in

which case the funding instrument

should be a cooperative agreement.

Examples of substantial involvement

may include but are not limited to

proposals for collaboration between

NOAA or NOAA scientists and a

recipient scientist or technician and/or

contemplation by NOAA of detailing

Federal personnel to work on proposed

projects. NOAA will make decisions

regarding the use of a cooperative

agreement on a case-by-case basis.

Funding for non-U.S. institutions and

contractual arrangements for services

and products for delivery to NOAA are

not available under this announcement.

Matching share is not required by this

program.

Program Authority

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 44720 (b); 33 U.S.C.

883d, 883e; 15 U.S.C. 2904; 15 U.S.C. 2931

et seq.

(CFDA No. 11.431)—Climate and

Atmospheric Research: Program

Objectives

The long term objective of the Climate

and Global Change Program is to

provide reliable predictions of climate

change and associated regional

implications on time scales ranging

from seasons to a century or more.

NOAA believes that climate variability

across these time scales can be modelled

with an acceptable probability of

success and are the most relevant for

fundamental social concerns. Predicting

the behavior of the coupled oceanatmosphere-land surface system will be

NOAA’s primary contribution to a

successful national effort to deal with

observed or anticipate changes in the

global environment. NOAA has a range

of unique facilities and capabilities that

can be applied to Climate and Global

Change Investigations. Proposals that

seek to exploit these resources in

collaborative efforts between NOAA and

extramural investigators are encouraged.

Program Priorities

In FY 1999, NOAA will give priority

attention to individual proposals in the

areas listed below. Investigators are

asked to specify clearly which of these

areas is being pursed. The names,

affiliations and phone numbers of

relevant Climate and Global Change

Program Officers are provided. Funding

for some programs may be limited to

ongoing projects or may be used to fund

projects proposed in FY 1998 that were

unable to be funded due to budgetary

circumstances. Prospective applicants

should communicate with Program

Officers for information on priorities

within program elements and prospects

for funding. Applicants should sent

letters of intent and proposals to the

NOAA Office of Global Program rather

than to individual Program Officers.

• Aerosols—The Aerosols Project

focuses on research to improve the

predictive understanding of the role of

anthropogenic aerosols in climate

forcing. Due to limited funds

anticipated in FY 1999, all funding is

expected to be used to maintain support

for ongoing research activities.

Unfortunately, therefore, we are unable

to seek applications to fund new starts.

For further information contact: Joel M.

Levy, NOAA/Office of Global Programs,

301–427–2089 ext. 21, Internet:

levy@ogp.noaa.gov.

• Atlantic Climate Change Program

(ACCP)—NOAA/OGP is currently

developing a refocused, follow-on

program to ACCP that will address

modes of climate variability in the

Atlantic sector. This new program is

being developed in close collaboration

with the International Climate

Variability and Predictability Program

(CLIVAR). A science plan for the

emerging Atlantic program is in

preparation and it is anticipated that a

program announcement will be issued

later in FY 1999.

• Atmospheric Chemistry—The

Atmospheric Chemistry Project focuses
32860 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 115 /Tuesday, June 16, 1998 / Notices

on global monitoring, process-oriented

laboratory and field studies, and

theoretical modeling to improve the

predictive understanding of the

atmospheric trace gases that influence

the earth’s chemical and radiative

balance. FY 1999 grants in Atmospheric

Chemistry will focus on studies

associated with the International Global

Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) project

of the IGBP. Emphasis is placed on

research that focuses on the analysis

and interpretation of NARE-related field

studies and the development of related

modeling tools and airborne

instrumentation to support future such

studies. Proposals are also solicited for

investigations that improve upon global

warming potentials (or other indices) in

order to better relate responses to

greenhouse gases to regional radiative

forcing and associated regional climate

changes. For an information sheet

containing further details, contact: Joel

M. Levy, NOAA/Office of Global

Programs, 301–427–2089 ext. 21,

Internet: levy@ogp.noaa.gov; or Fred C.

Fehsenfeld, NOAA/Aeronomy

Laboratory, Boulder, CO, 303–497–5819,

Internet: fcf@al.noaa.gov.

• Climate Change Data and

Detection—the scientific goals of this

element include efforts to: (1) provide

data and information management

support activities needed to assure the

availability of critical data sets from a

variety of national and international

programs of primary interest to NOAA’s

Climate and Global Change Program,

e.g., the CLIVAR (Climate Variability

and Prediction) Program, GEWEX

(Global Energy & Water Cycle

Experiment), GOALS (Global OceanAtmosphere-Land-System), GCOS,

National and International Assessments,

etc.; (2) provide data and information

management support related to cross

cutting science efforts necessary to

assess seasonal, interannual, decadal,

and longer climate variations and

changes; (3) document the quantitative

character of observed climate variations

and changes; and (4) attribute changes

in the observed climate record to

specific climate forcings. Proposals are

sought that are clearly linked to these

scientific objectives and that are under

the direction of a scientific principal

investigator. Proposals that are directly

linked to major national and

international assessments, such as the

Inter-governmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC), are encouraged.

Proposals to enhance data system

infrastructure without firm science

driven objectives will not be considered.

NOAA/NASA Jointly Sponsored Project:

A number of new starts are anticipated

within the NOAA/National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA) cosponsored project that supports research

in the areas of data fusion and

enhancement of climate data sets

through the use of space and/or ground

based observations.

NOAA/DOE Jointly Sponsored

Project: A very limited number of new

starts are anticipated within the NOAA/

Department of Energy (DOE) cosponsored project that specifically

addresses all aspects of Climate Change

Detection and Attribution.

Additional details on the jointly

sponsored projects are provided on the

supplementary fact sheet included in

the Program Announcement mailing

(additional copies of the supplementary

fact sheet can be obtained from Irma

duPree at the Office of Global

Programs). For further information

contact: Bill Murray, NOAA/Global

Programs, Silver Spring, MD; 301–427–

2089 ext. 26, Internet:

murray@ogp.noaa.gov, Chris Miller,

NOAA/NESDIS, Silver Spring, MD,

20910, 301–713–1264, Internet:

miller@esdim.noaa.gov, Martha Maiden,

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center,

Greenbelt, MD, 301–286–0012, Internet:

martha.maiden@gsfc.nasa.gov, or Rick

Petty, DOE/Environmental Sciences

Division, Germantown, MD, 301–903–

5548, Internet: Rick.Petty@oer.doe.gov.

• Climate Dynamics and

Experimental Prediction—This program

will not accept applications to initiate

centers at new institutions, but will

accept renewal applications for ongoing

efforts or as part of ongoing

negotiations. For further information,

contact Mark Eakin, NOAA/Global

Programs, Silver Spring, MD; 301–427–

2089, ext. 19, Internet:

eakin@ogp.noaa.gov.

• Economics and Human Dimensions

of Climate Fluctuations—This program

element is aimed at understanding how

social and economic systems are

currently influenced by fluctuations in

climate (seasonal, interannual, and

decadal), and how human behavior can

be (or why it may not be) affected based

on information about variability in the

climate system. We are particularly

interested in the extent to which

probabilistic, early-warning climate

forecast information can be incorporated

into existing decision-making to affect

adjustment and adaptation. Projects

should be comprised of analyses of the

following: how decision processes are

sensitive to climate variability; how

decisions could incorporate climate

information, particularly forecasts; the

social and economic factors that

enhance or impede the use of climate

information; and the consequences of

people changing their decisions based

on climate information. Decision

processes can be investigated at the

individual, industry, sector or

institutional level, and the climate

information should be based on regional

climate influences driven by global

climate phenomena (e.g., ENSO events,

North Atlantic Oscillation, Pacific

Decadal Oscillation). For more

information and a detailed information

sheet, researchers are strongly

encouraged to contact: Caitlin Simpson,

1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, Silver

Spring, MD 20910; telephone: 301–427–

2089, ext 47; or email:

simpson@ogp.noaa.gov.

• Education—contact: Daphne

Gemmill, NOAA/Office of Global

Programs, Silver Spring, MD; 301–427–

2089, ext. 20, Internet:

gemmill@ogp.noaa.gov.

• GCIP (GEWEX Continental-Scale

International Project)—In research

funded through this component, NOAA

will direct its principal contribution for

the GEWEX Continental-scale

International Project to: (1) Improving

the representation of processes such as

cold season hydrometeorological

processes, subgrid scale precipitation

variability, evolving soil moisture fields

and their subgrid scale variability and

evolving vegetation covers in coupled

land/atmosphere models; (2) improving

the measurement and understanding of

heavy precipitation and runoff regimes

in the eastern part of the Mississippi

River Basin and their role in water and

energy budgets; (3) improving the

analysis of precipitation over a range of

time and space scales; (4) initiating

studies of critical physical processes in

the eastern part of the Mississippi River

Basin; and (5) undertaking studies and

model development to make the outputs

of climate forecasts and information

more relevant for water resource

manager. Emphasis will also be placed

on issues related to the scale integration

of hydrometeorological processes in

climate models and on the transfer of

representations of these processes into a

climate model either through a nested

model approach or improved land

surface schemes. As outline in its Major

Activities Plan for 1997, 1998 with

Outlook for 1999, GCIP anticipates that

researchers will use its comprehensive

in-situ, remote sensing and model

output data sets for diagnostic studies

and for model development and

validation. A number of GCIP initial

data sets have been prepared to provide

data services support during the buildup period before the five-year enhanced

observing period which started on 1

October 1995. The initial data sets are

compiled for on-line access by GCIP
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 115 /Tuesday, June 16, 1998 / Notices 32861

investigators to the extent that is

technically feasible. They have also

been published on a CD–ROM for wide

distribution. GCIP is interested in

proposals that utilize these data sets to

address the scientific problems outlined

above. Further information about the

GCIP data sets already compiled as well

as the plans and projected schedule for

future datasets can be accessed through

the GCIP ‘‘home page’’ on the World

Wide Web at the URL address: http://

www.ogp.noaa.gov/gcip. The focus for

the GEWEX Continental-scale

International Project (GCIP) is the

Mississippi River Basin. A more

detailed information sheet will be

provided to those who contact Rick

Lawford, NOAA/Office of Global

Programs, Silver Spring, MD; (301) 427–

2089, ext. 40, Internet:

lawford@ogp.noaa.gov.

• Global Ocean—Atmosphere—Land

System (GOALS)—The objectives of the

GOALS program element are to

understand global climate variability on

seasonal-to-interannual time scales, to

determine the extent to which this

variability is predictable, to develop the

observational, theoretical, and

computational means to predict this

variability, and to foster the

development of experimental

predictions within the limits of proven

feasibility. GOALS is intended to further

our understanding and improve

predictions of the El Nin ̃ o/Southern

Oscillation (ENSO) phenomena as well

as to extend our understanding of

predictability of seasonal to interannual

fluctuations beyond the tropical Pacific

to include the effects of the other

tropical oceans, higher latitude oceans,

and land surface processes. For an

information sheet outlining highpriority GOALS activities solicited in

FY 1999, please contact: Michael

Patterson, NOAA/Office of Global

Programs, Silver Spring, MD; 301–427–

2089, ext. 12, Internet:

Patterson@ogp.noaa.gov. Scientists

interested in submitting proposals to the

proposals Pan-American Climate

Studies (PACS) Program, a subprogram

within GOALS focussing on seasonal-tointerannual climate variability over the

Americas, are directed to the program

description below.

• Pan-American Climate Studies

(PACS)—The principal goal of PACS is

to extend the scope and improve the

skill of operational seasonal-tointerannual climate prediction over the

Americas. Particular emphasis is placed

on understanding the mechanisms

associated with warm season rainfall

and its potential predictability. In

addition to seasonal mean rainfall and

temperature, PACS is concerned with

the frequency of occurrence of

significant weather events over the

course of a season or seasons.

The scientific objectives of PACS are

to promote a better understanding and

more realistic simulation of: (1) The role

of boundary processes in forcing of

seasonal-to-interannual climate

variability over the Americas, (2) the

structure and evolution of tropical SST

fields, (3) the seasonally varying mean

climate over the Americas and adjacent

ocean regions, (4) the structure and

variability of the ITCZ/cold tongue

complex and subtropical stratus cloud

decks and their influence on climate

over the Americas, and (5) the relevant

land surface processes that shape the

distribution of continental precipitation.

Please refer to the PACS home page for

further information (http://

tao.atmos.washington.edu/pacs/). For an

information sheet outlining highpriority PACS activities solicited in FY

1999, please contact: Michael Patterson,

NOAA/Office of Global Programs, Silver

Spring, MD; 301–427–2089 ext. 12,

Internet: Patterson@ogp.noaa.gov.

Consistent with the above objectives,

PACS and GCIP have initiated an

integrated program focusing on warm

season rainfall over North America.

Please refer to the separate description

of this joint PACS/GCIP program below.

PACS intends to contribute to an

international field program in the

tropical eastern Pacific being planned

for the year 2000. Proposals contributing

to this effort will be solicited under a

separate PACS Field Program

Announcement to be issued later this

year.

• Joint PACS/GCIP Program on the

North American Monsoon System—In

response to recommendations from the

joint PACS/GCIP Modeling Workshop

held in October, 1997, NOAA and

NASA are initiating a joint PACS/GCIP

program to accelerate research on the

North American monsoon system. A

near-term priority for the program is to

address the difficulty that currentgeneration global and regional climate

models have in predicting the space and

time distribution of precipitation with

the accuracy necessary for hydrological

prediction and applications. Four

specific research areas are presently

identified: (1) the apparent link between

the summer monsoon in Northwest

Mexico and precipitation in the Great

Plains of the United States and its

potential for predictive value; (2) the

influence of regional

hydrometeorological land surface

processes on large-scale precipitation

over North America and the importance

this influence has on predictability; (3)

defining how processes of varying

spatial and temporal scales influence

seasonal-to-interannual predictability

over North America; (4) diagnostic

studies designed to determine the limits

of predictability in regional climate

variations. The workshop report may

provide helpful information to

researchers interested submitting

proposals to this new program area. For

a copy of the report and further

information about the program, please

contact: Michael Patterson, NOAA/

Office of Global Programs, Silver Spring,

MD; 301–427–2089 ext. 12, Internet:

Patterson@ogp.noaa.gov.

• Ocean-Atmosphere Carbon

Exchange Study (OACES)—OACES

focuses on global observations, processoriented field studies and modeling to

improve our ability to predict the fate of

anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2).

Over the years, OACES research has

involved: (i) high-quality measurements

of CO2 system parameters that can be

used to document the transient invasion

of anthropogenic CO2 into the ocean, (ii)

time-series measurements of

atmospheric 12CO2 and 13CO2 through

NOAA’s global cooperative flask

sampling network to examine carbon

sources and sinks, (iii) underway pCO2

measurements on ships of opportunity,

(iv) assimilation of oceanic and

atmospheric observations into general

circulation models to contribute

towards more accurate predictions of

future climate changes, and (v)

development of improved sensors for

determining ocean-atmosphere-land

carbon fluxes. In FY99, limited funds

are available for proposals addressing

the following areas: (a) synthesis of

ocean carbon data collected on OACESfunded cruises in support of the Global

CO2 Survey and (b) external

participation in the NOAA/OGPsupported Carbon Modeling

Consortium. For an information sheet

containing further details, please

contact Lisa Dilling, NOAA/Office of

Global Programs, Silver Spring, MD;

301–427–2089 ext. 16, Internet:

dilling@ogp.noaa.gov or see the web at:

http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/NPE/OACES/

OACES99info.html.

• Paleoclimatology—The NOAA

Paleoclimatology Program will entertain

proposals that support the joint IGBP

PAGES/WCRP CLIVAR Research

Initiative that is jointly supported by

NOAA and the National Science

Foundation (NSF). Proposals should be

submitted to the NSF Earth System

History Announcement of Opportunity

with an expected due date in January

1999. Proposals should address

seasonal- to annually-dated time series

to develop an understanding of the full

range of natural environmental
32862 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 115 /Tuesday, June 16, 1998 / Notices

variability during the holocene.

Research efforts should focus on the

utilization of seasonally- to annuallydated paleoclimate time series to

develop an understanding of the

seasonal to century scale variability and

predictability of: (1) the ENSO and

African/Asian monsoon systems, (2) the

ocean thermohaline system and its

relation to global change, and (3) the

hydrologic system at regional to global

scales, as it relates to the above.

Investigators from the paleoclimate and

modern climate dynamics communities

are encouraged to collaborate on

proposals that focus on understanding

the full range of natural variability and

how well this variability can be

represented by models. Particular

interest exists for work that illustrates

and explains abrupt shifts of climate

variability relevant to future climate

change. Proposals submitted in response

to this emphasis will be jointly

reviewed in accordance with

established NSF and NOAA procedures

for external merit review and will be

supported by the NSF/Earth Science

History (ESH) Program and/or the

NOAA/Office of Global Programs.

Letters of Intent are not required for this

program. For an information sheet or

more information, contact Mark Eakin,

NOAA/Global Programs, Silver Spring,

MD; 301–427–2089 ext. 19, Internet:

eakin@ogp.noaa.gov; Jonathan

Overpeck, NOAA/National Geophysical

Data Center, Boulder, CO; 303–497–

6172, Internet: jto@mail.ngdc.noaa.gov;

or Herman Zimmerman, NSF ESH/ATM

Program, Arlington, VA; 703–306–1527,

Internet: hzimmerm@nsf.gov.

Eligibility

Extramural eligibility is not limited

and is encouraged with the objective of

developing a strong partnership with

the academic community. Nonacademic proposers are urged to seek

collaboration with academic

institutions. Universities, non-profit

organizations, for profit organizations,

State and local governments, and Indian

Tribes, are included among entities

eligible for funding under this

announcement. While not a prerequisite

for funding, applicants are encouraged

to consider conducting their research in

one or more of the National Marine

Estuarine Research Reserve System or

National Marine Sanctuary sites. For

further information on these field

laboratory sites, contact Dr. Dwight

Trueblood, NOAA/NOS, 301–713–3145

ext. 174.

The NOAA Climate and Global

Change Program has been approved for

multi-year funding up to a three year

duration. Funding for non-U.S.

institutions is not available under this

announcement.

Letters of Intent

Letters of Intent (LOI): (1) Letters

should be no more than two page in

length and include the name and

institution of principal investigator(s), a

statement of the problem, brief summary

of work to be completed, approximate

cost of the project, and program

element(s) to which the proposal should

be directed. (2) Evaluation will be by

program management. (3) It is in the

best interest of applicants and their

institutions to submit letters of intent;

however, it is not a requirement. (4)

Facsimile and electronic mail are

acceptable for letters of intent only. (5)

Projects deemed unsuitable during LOI

review will not be encouraged to submit

full proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Consideration for financial assistance

will be given to those proposals which

address one of the Program Priorities

listed below and meet the following

evaluation criteria:

(1) Scientific Merit (20%): Intrinsic

scientific value of the subject and the

study proposed.

(2) Relevance (20%): Importance and

relevance to the goal of the Climate and

Global Change Program and to the

research areas listed above.

(3) Methodology (20%): Focused

scientific objective and strategy,

including measurement strategies and

data management considerations;

project milestones; and final products.

(4) Readiness (20%): Nature of the

problem; relevant history and status of

existing work; level of planning,

including existence of supporting

documents; strength of proposed

scientific and management team; past

performance record of proposers.

(5) Linkages (10%): Connections to

existing or planned national and

international programs; partnerships

with other agency or NOAA

participants, where appropriate.

(6) Costs (10%): Adequacy of

proposed resources; appropriate share of

total available resources; prospects for

joint funding; identification of long-term

commitments.

Selection Procedures

All proposals will be evaluated and

ranked in accordance with the assigned

weights of the above evaluation criteria

by (1) independent peer mail review,

and/or (2) independent peer panel

review; both NOAA and non-NOAA

experts in the field may be used in this

process. The program officer will not be

a voting member of an independent peer

panel. Their recommendations and

evaluations will be considered by the

Program Manager/Officer in final

selections. Those ranked by the panel

and program as not recommended for

funding will not be given further

consideration and will be notified of

non-selection. For the proposals rated

either Excellent, Very Good or Good, the

Program Manager will: (a) ascertain

which proposals meet the program

priorities, and do not substantially

duplicate other projects that are

currently funded by NOAA or are

approved for funding by other federal

agencies, hence, awards may not

necessarily be made to the highestscored proposals, (b) select the

proposals to be funded, (c) determine

the total duration of funding for each

proposal, and (d) determine the amount

of funds available for each proposal.

Unsatisfactory performance by a

recipient under prior Federal awards

may result in an application not being

considered for funding.

Proposal Submission

The guidelines for proposal

preparation provided below are

mandatory. Failure to heed these

guidelines may result in proposals being

returned without review.

(a) Full Proposals: (1) Proposals

submitted to the NOAA Climate and

Global Change Program must include

the original and two unbound copies of

the proposal. (2) Investigators are not

required to submit more than 3 copies

of the proposal, however, the normal

review process requires 20 copies.

Investigators are encouraged to submit

sufficient proposal copies for the full

review process if they wish all

reviewers to receive color, unusually

sized (not 8.5x11′′), or otherwise

unusual materials submitted as part of

the proposal. Only three copies of the

Federally required forms are needed. (3)

Proposals must be limited to 30 pages

(numbered), including budget,

investigators vitae, and all appendices,

and should be limited to funding

requests for one to three year duration.

Appended information may not be used

to circumvent the page length limit.

Federally mandated forms are not

included within the page count. (4)

Proposals should be sent to the NOAA

Office of Global Programs at the above

address. (5) Facsimile transmissions and

electronic mail submission of full

proposals will not be accepted.

(b) Required Elements: All proposals

should include the following elements:

(1) Signed title page: The title page

should be signed by the Principal

Investigator (PI) and the institutional

representative and should clearly
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 115 /Tuesday, June 16, 1998 / Notices 32863

indicate which project area is being

addressed. The PI and institutional

representative should be identified by

full name, title, organization, telephone

number and address. The total amount

of Federal funds being requested should

be listed for each budget period.

(2) Abstract: An abstract must be

included and should contain an

introduction of the problem, rationale

and a brief summary of work to be

completed. The abstract should appear

on a separate page, headed with the

proposal title, institution(s)

investigator(s), total proposed cost and

budget period.

(3) Results from prior research: The

results of related projects supported by

NOAA and other agencies should be

described, including their relation to the

currently proposed work. Reference to

each prior research award should

include the title, agency, award number,

PIs, period of award and total award.

The section should be a brief summary

and should not exceed two pages total.

(4) Statement of work: The proposed

project must be completely described,

including identification of the problem,

scientific objectives, proposed

methodology, relevance to the goal of

the Climate and Global Change Program,

and the program priorities listed above.

Benefits of the proposed project to the

general public and the scientific

community should be discussed. A

year-by-year summary of proposed work

must be included clearly indicating that

each year’s proposed work is severable

and can easily be separated into annual

increments of meaningful work. The

statement of work, including references

but excluding figures and other visual

materials, must not exceed 15 pages of

text. Investigators wishing to submit

group proposals that exceed the 15 page

limit should discuss this possibility

with the appropriate Program Officer

prior to submission. In general,

proposals from 3 or more investigators

may include a statement of work

containing up to 15 pages of overall

project description plus up to 5

additional pages for individual project

descriptions.

(5) Budget: Applicants must submit a

Standard Form 424 (4–92) ‘‘Application

for Federal Assistance’’, including a

detailed budget using the Standard

Form 424a (4–92), ‘‘Budget

Information—Non-Construction

Programs’’. The form is included in the

standard NOAA application kit. The

proposal must include total and annual

budgets corresponding with the

descriptions provided in the statement

of work. Additional text to justify

expenses should be included as

necessary.

(6) Vitae: Abbreviated curriculum

vitae are sought with each proposal.

Reference lists should be limited to all

publications in the last three years with

up to five other relevant papers.

(7) Current and pending support: For

each investigator, submit a list that

includes project title, supporting agency

with grant number, investigator months,

dollar value and duration. Requested

values should be listed for pending

support.

(8) List of suggested reviewers: The

cover letter may include a list of

individuals qualified and suggested to

review the proposal. It also may include

a list of individuals that applicants

would prefer to not review the proposal.

Such lists may be considered at the

discretion of the Program Officer.

(c) Other requirements:

(1) Applicants may obtain a standard

NOAA application kit from the Program

Office.

Primary applicant Certification—All

primary applicants must submit a

completed Form CD–511, ‘‘Certification

Regarding Debarment, Suspension and

Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free

Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying’’. Applicants are also hereby

notified of the following:

1. Nonprocurement Debarment and

Suspension—Prospective participants

(as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, section

105) are subject to 15 CFR Part 26,

‘‘Nonprocurement Debarment and

Suspension,’’ and the related section of

the certification form prescribed above

applies;

2. Drug Free Workpace—Grantees (as

defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 605)

are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart

F, ‘‘Governmentwide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)’’ and the

related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies;

3. Anti-Lobbying—Persons (as defined

at 15 CFR Part 28, section 105) are

subject to the lobbying provisions of 31

U.S.C. 1352, ‘‘Limitation on use of

appropriated funds to influence certain

Federal contracting and financial

transactions’’, and the lobbying section

of the certification form prescribed

above applies to applications/bids for

grants, cooperative agreements, and

contracts for more than $100,000, and

loans and loan guarantees for more than

$150,000, or the single family maximum

mortgage limit for affected programs,

whichever is greater; and

4. Anti-Lobbying Disclosures—Any

applicant that has paid or will pay for

lobbying using any funds must submit

an SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities,’’ as required under 15 CFR

part 28, appendix B.

Lower Tier Certifications

(1) Recipients must require

applicants/bidders for subgrants,

contracts, subcontracts, or lower tier

covered transactions at any tier under

the award to submit, if applicable, a

completed Form CD–512,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary

Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered

Transactions and Lobbying’’ and

disclosure form SF–LLL, ‘‘ Disclosure of

Lobbying Activities.’’ Form DC–512 is

intended for the use of recipients and

should not be transmitted to DOC. SF–

LLL submitted by any tier recipient or

subrecipent should be submitted to DOC

in accordance with the instructions

contained in the award document.

(2) Recipients and subrecipients are

subject to all applicable Federal laws

and Federal and Department of

Commerce policies, regulations, and

procedures applicable to Federal

financial assistance awards.

(3) Preaward Activities—If applicants

incur any costs prior to an award being

made, they do so solely at their own risk

of not being reimbursed by the

Government. Notwithstanding any

verbal assurance that may have been

received, there is no obligation to the

applicant on the part of Department of

Commerce to cover preaward costs.

(4) This program is subject to the

requirements of OMB Circular No. A–

110, ‘‘Uniform Administrative

Requirements for Grants and Other

Agreements with Institutions of Higher

Education, Hospitals, and Other NonProfit Organizations’’, and 15 CFR Part

24, ‘‘Uniform Administrative

Requirements for Grants and

Cooperative Agreements to State and

Local Governments’’, as applicable.

Applications under this program are not

subject to Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.’’

(5) All non-profit and for-profit

applicants are subject to a name check

review process. Name checks are

intended to reveal if any key individuals

associated with the applicant have been

convicted of, or are presently facing

criminal charges such as fraud, theft,

perjury, or other matters which

significantly reflect on the applicant’s

management, honesty, or financial

integrity.

(6) A false statement on an

application is grounds for denial or

termination of funds and grounds for

possible punishment by a fine or

imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C.

1001.

(7) No award of Federal funds shall be

made to an applicant who has an
32864 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 115 /Tuesday, June 16, 1998 / Notices

outstanding delinquent Federal debt

until either:

(i) The delinquent account is paid in

full,

(ii) A negotiated repayment schedule

is established and at least one payment

is received, or

(iii) Other arrangements satisfactory to

the Department of Commerce are made.

(8) Buy American-Made Equipment or

Products—Applicants are encouraged

that any equipment or products

authorized to be purchased with

funding provided under this program

must be American-made to the

maximum extent feasible.

(9) The total dollar amount of the

indirect costs proposed in an

application under this program must not

exceed the indirect cost rate negotiated

and approved by a cognizant Federal

agency prior to the proposed effective

date of the award or 100 percent of the

total proposed direct cost dollar amount

in the application, whichever is less.

(d) If an application is selected for

funding, the Department of Commerce

has no obligation to provide any

additional future funding in connection

with the award. Renewal of an award to

increase funding or extend the period of

performance is at the total discretion of

the Department of Commerce.

(e) In accordance with Federal

statutes and regulations, no person on

grounds of race, color, age, sex, national

origin or disability shall be excluded

from participation in, denied benefits of,

or be subjected to discrimination under

any program or activity receiving

financial assistance from the NOAA

Climate and Global Change Program.

The NOAA Climate and Global Change

Program does not have direct TDD

(Telephonic Device for the Deaf)

capabilities, but can be reached through

the State of Maryland supplied TDD

contact number 800–735–2258, between

the hours of 8:00 am–4:30 pm.

Notwithstanding any other provision

of law, no person is required to respond

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 Paperwork

Reduction Act unless that collection of

information displays a current valid

OMB control number.

Classification: The standard forms

have been approved by the Office of

Management and Budget pursuant to the

Paperwork Reduction Act under OMB

approval number 0348–0043, 0348–

0044, and 0348–0046. This notice has

been determined to be not significant for

purposes of Executive Order 12866.

Dated: June 10, 1998.

J. Michael Hall,

Director, Office of Global Programs, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–15887 Filed 6–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 060998B]

Marine Mammals; File No. 782–1438

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the National Marine Mammal

Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries

Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way,

BIN C15700, Building 1, Seattle, WA

98115–0070, has requested an

amendment to scientific research Permit

No. 782–1438.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments

must be received on or before July 16,

1998.

ADDRESSES: The amendment request

and related documents are available for

review upon written request or by

appointment in the following office(s):

Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713–

2289);

Regional Administrator, Northwest

Region, National Marine Fisheries

Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way,

NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA

98115–0070 (206/526–6150); and

Regional Administrator, Southwest

Region, National Marine Fisheries

Service, NOAA, 501 West Ocean

Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA

90802–4213 (562/980–4001).

Written comments or requests for a

public hearing on this request should be

submitted to the Chief, Permits and

Documentation Division, F/PR1, Office

of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315

East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

particular amendment request would be

appropriate.

Comments may also be submitted by

facsimile at (301) 713–0376, provided

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy

submitted by mail and postmarked no

later than the closing date of the

comment period. Please note that

comments will not be accepted by email or other electronic media.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Johnson or Sara Shapiro, 301/713–

2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject amendment to Permit No. 782–

1438, issued on May 8, 1998 (63 FR

27265) is requested under the authority

of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of

1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et

seq.), the Regulations Governing the

Taking and Importing of Marine

Mammals (50 CFR part 216), the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the

regulations governing the taking,

importing, and exporting of endangered

fish and wildlife (50 CFR 222.23), and

the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended

(16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).

Permit No. 782–1438 authorizes the

permit holder to conduct aerial surveys

of large and small cetaceans in the

waters off the coasts of Alaska,

Washington, Oregon, and California.

During the course of these surveys,

some pinniped species may be

inadvertently harassed. The permit

holder requests authorization to conduct

delphinid and pinniped vessel surveys,

and photo-identify and biopsy sample

large cetaceans, in order to estimate

abundance, distribution, identify

individuals, and determine stock

structure.

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial

determination has been made that the

activity proposed is categorically

excluded from the requirement to

prepare an environmental assessment or

environmental impact statement.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

Dated: June 9, 1998.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–15868 Filed 6–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F