[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 115 (Tuesday, June 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32859-32864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-15887]


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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.

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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: 
duP<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#02706767426d65722c6c6d63632c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="01736464416e66712f6f6e60602f666e77">[email protected]</span></a>.

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 ocean-atmosphere-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.
    <bullet> 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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b777e6d625b747c6b3575747a7a357c746d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f8949d8e81b8979f88d696979999d69f978e">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Atmospheric Chemistry--The Atmospheric Chemistry Project 
focuses

[[Page 32860]]

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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#543831222d143b33247a3a3b35357a333b22"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f59990838cb59a9285db9b9a9494db929a83">[email protected]</span></a>; or Fred C. Fehsenfeld, NOAA/
Aeronomy Laboratory, Boulder, CO, 303-497-5819, Internet: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5a3c393c1a3b367434353b3b743d352c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7214111432131e5c1c1d13135c151d04">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> 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 Ocean-
Atmosphere-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) co-sponsored 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) co-
sponsored 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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2d40585f5f4c546d424a5d0343424c4c034a425b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ef3ebececffe7def1f9eeb0f0f1ffffb0f9f1e8">[email protected]</span></a>, Chris 
Miller, NOAA/NESDIS, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, 301-713-1264, Internet: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#69040005050c1b290c1a0d00044707060808470e061f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="49242025252c3b092c3a2d20246727262828672e263f">[email protected]</span></a>, Martha Maiden, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, 
Greenbelt, MD, 301-286-0012, Internet: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2a474b585e424b04474b434e4f446a4d594c4904444b594b044d455c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="016c60737569602f6c606865646f41667267622f6f6072602f666e77">[email protected]</span></a>, or 
Rick Petty, DOE/Environmental Sciences Division, Germantown, MD, 301-
903-5548, Internet: Rick.P<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a9ccddddd0e9c6ccdb87cdc6cc87cec6df"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2f4a5b5b566f404a5d014b404a01484059">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> 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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bfdaded4d6d1ffd0d8cf91d1d0dede91d8d0c9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e98c88828087a9868e99c787868888c78e869f">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> 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: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#95e6fcf8e5e6fafbd5faf2e5bbfbfaf4f4bbf2fae3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ed9e84809d9e8283ad828a9dc383828c8cc38a829b">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> Education--contact: Daphne Gemmill, NOAA/Office of Global 
Programs, Silver Spring, MD; 301-427-2089, ext. 20, Internet: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ec8b898181858080ac838b9cc282838d8dc28b839a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="82e5e7efefebeeeec2ede5f2acecede3e3ace5edf4">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> 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 build-up 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

[[Page 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: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4824293f2e273a2c08272f386626272929662f273e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="026e6375646d7066426d65722c6c6d63632c656d74">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> 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 Nino/
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 high-priority GOALS activities 
solicited in FY 1999, please contact: Michael Patterson, NOAA/Office of 
Global Programs, Silver Spring, MD; 301-427-2089, ext. 12, Internet: 
P<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#94f5e0e0f1e6e7fbfad4fbf3e4bafafbf5f5baf3fbe2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="137267677661607c7d537c74633d7d7c72723d747c65">[email protected]</span></a>. Scientists interested in submitting proposals 
to the proposals Pan-American Climate Studies (PACS) Program, a 
subprogram within GOALS focussing on seasonal-to-interannual climate 
variability over the Americas, are directed to the program description 
below.
    <bullet> Pan-American Climate Studies (PACS)--The principal goal of 
PACS is to extend the scope and improve the skill of operational 
seasonal-to-interannual 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 high-priority PACS activities solicited in FY 1999, 
please contact: Michael Patterson, NOAA/Office of Global Programs, 
Silver Spring, MD; 301-427-2089 ext. 12, Internet: 
P<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#06677272637475696846696176286869676728616970"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="26475252435455494866494156084849474708414950">[email protected]</span></a>.
    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.
    <bullet> 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 current-generation 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: P<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e08194948592938f8ea08f8790ce8e8f8181ce878f96"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5e3f2a2a3b2c2d31301e31392e7030313f3f70393128">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> Ocean-Atmosphere Carbon Exchange Study (OACES)--OACES 
focuses on global observations, process-oriented field studies and 
modeling to improve our ability to predict the fate of anthropogenic 
carbon dioxide (CO<INF>2</INF>). Over the years, OACES research has 
involved: (i) high-quality measurements of CO<INF>2</INF> system 
parameters that can be used to document the transient invasion of 
anthropogenic CO<INF>2</INF> into the ocean, (ii) time-series 
measurements of atmospheric <SUP>12</SUP>CO<INF>2</INF> and 
<SUP>13</SUP>CO<INF>2</INF> through NOAA's global cooperative flask 
sampling network to examine carbon sources and sinks, (iii) underway 
pCO<INF>2</INF> 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 OACES-funded cruises in support of the Global 
CO<INF>2</INF> Survey and (b) external participation in the NOAA/OGP-
supported 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: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6105080d0d080f06210e06114f0f0e00004f060e17"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="caaea3a6a6a3a4ad8aa5adbae4a4a5ababe4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a> or see the web at: <a href="http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/NPE/
OACES/OACES99info.html">http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/NPE/
OACES/OACES99info.html</a>.
    <bullet> 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

[[Page 32862]]

variability during the holocene. Research efforts should focus on the 
utilization of seasonally- to annually-dated 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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9df8fcf6f4f3ddf2faedb3f3f2fcfcb3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d3b6b2b8babd93bcb4a3fdbdbcb2b2fdb4bca5">[email protected]</span></a>; 
Jonathan Overpeck, NOAA/National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder, CO; 
303-497-6172, Internet: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#88e2fce7c8e5e9e1e4a6e6efeceba6e6e7e9e9a6efe7fe"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0f657b604f626e66632161686b6c2161606e6e21686079">[email protected]</span></a>; or Herman Zimmerman, 
NSF ESH/ATM Program, Arlington, VA; 703-306-1527, Internet: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c3426353131392e311c322f3a723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="264e5c4f4b4b43544b6648554008414950">[email protected]</span></a>.

Eligibility

    Extramural eligibility is not limited and is encouraged with the 
objective of developing a strong partnership with the academic 
community. Non-academic 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 highest-scored 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

[[Page 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 
Non-Profit 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

[[Page 32864]]

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


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