27630 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices

Dated: May 14, 2001.

Faryar Shirzad,

Assistant Secretary for Import

Administration.

[FR Doc. 01–12597 Filed 5–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[Docket No. 010327081–1106–02]

RIN 0648

Request for Proposals for FY 2001—

NOAA Educational Partnership

Program With Minority Serving

Institutions: Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program

AGENCY: Office of Finance and

Administration (OFA), National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA). Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Finance and

Administration (OFA) in the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), United States

Department of Commerce, is soliciting

proposals for the NOAA Educational

Partnership Program with Minority

Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI)

Environmental Entrepreneurship

Program. The goal of the Program is to

strengthen the capacity of Minority

Serving Institutions to foster student

careers in environmental fields. The

Program will provide funds on a

competitive basis to eligible minority

serving institutions to support

education, training, research, and

outreach in environmental fields related

to NOAA’s mission. The term

‘‘environmental fields’’ is defined as

those environmental, natural and social

sciences and engineering, professional

and technical fields that are relevant to

NOAA’s mission which is to ‘‘describe

and predict changes in the Earth’s

environment, and conserve and manage

wisely the Nation’s coastal and marine

resources to ensure sustainable

economic opportunities.’’

Eligible Minority Serving Institutions

(MSIs) include educational institutions

identified by the Department of

Education as (i) Historically Black

Colleges and Universities, (ii) HispanicServing Institutions, and (iii) Tribal

Colleges and Universities (see Section

III. Eligibility.)

In Fiscal Year 2001, NOAA expects to

make available a total of $3,300,000 to

support the EPP/MSI Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program. The funds

will be allocated competitively to

support projects at eligible minority

serving institutions, of up to three years

duration, in the following two

categories:

(1) Program Development and

Enhancement Grants—approximately

six grants, each up to $250,000 total for

up to three years. These grants will

support the development of effective

academic education, training, and

research programs, at eligible MSIs,

focused on issues directly related to

NOAA’s environmental management,

assessment, and prediction mission. The

goal is to enhance education, training,

and research opportunities that will

strengthen developing environmental

programs at MSIs and facilitate the entry

of MSI students into careers in

environmental fields.

(2) Environmental Restoration

Demonstration Projects—approximately

six grants, each up to $300,000 total for

up to three years. These grants will

support the engagement of MSI faculties

and students in demonstration projects

that integrate education and training

opportunities with outreach and/or

research activities focused on the

application of sound methods and

technologies to environmental

restoration and ecosystem protection.

While partnerships, particularly with

NOAA programs and facilities, are

encouraged where appropriate, there is

no requirement for a partner or a

requirement for the applicant to provide

matching funds. NOAA retains the right

to allocate funds differently than

indicated above if the number of

proposals received is not balanced

across these two categories, or the

proposal quality does not warrant the

stated allocation. In such cases, funds

may be shifted between the two grant

categories.

DATES: A Letter of Intent is requested by

June 18, 2001. Proposals must be

received by 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight

Savings Time) on July 20, 2001. (See

Section VI. Instructions for Application:

Timetable)

ADDRESSES: Proposals should be

submitted to: Dr. Francis Schuler, EPP/

MSI Environmental Entrepreneurship

Program, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, Room

11837, SSMC3 (R/SG), 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Francis Schuler, EPP/MSI

Environmental Entrepreneurship

Program, NOAA, Room 11837 SSMC3

(R/SG), 1315 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Tel. (301) 713–2445

ext. 158; e-mail: msi@oar.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Program Authority

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1540, 49 U.S.C.

44720, 33 U.S.C. 883d, 33 U.S.C. 1442, 16

U.S.C. 1854(e), 16 U.S.C. 661, 16 U.S.C.

753(a), 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 1431,

33 U.S.C. 883a and Executive Orders 12876,

12900 and 13021. Catalog of Federal

Assistance Number: 11.481—Educational

Partnership Program with Minority Serving

Institutions.

II. Program Description

Background

To meet its principal goals of

environmental stewardship, assessment,

and prediction, NOAA provides science,

technology, and services to describe and

predict changes in the Earth’s

environment, and conserve and manage

wisely the Nation’s coastal and marine

resources to ensure sustainable

economic opportunities. NOAA has

made a commitment to expand and

strengthen its partnership with MSIs. In

accordance with NOAA’s overall

mission, and with the policy of NOAA

and the U.S. Department of Commerce

to increase education and training of

underrepresented minorities in NOAArelated sciences at MSIs, the purposes of

the NOAA EPP/MSI Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program are:

1. To provide opportunities for

undergraduate MSI students to gain

exposure to the fields related to NOAA’s

mission and to increase the number of

underrepresented minority students

pursuing professional environmentalrelated career fields.

2. To build the capacity of

educational programs in environmental

fields at MSIs in order to facilitate

entrance of well-prepared students into

environmental career fields or advanced

academic programs.

3. To accelerate the development of

strong partnerships, where appropriate,

with NOAA programs and facilities or

with other universities and research

institutions, industry, government

agencies, and organizations (public,

nonprofit, or private) that strengthen

cooperative education and training,

student experiential internships, and

faculty development opportunities in

environmental fields.

4. To design and encourage the

structuring and implementation of

curricula and training opportunities that

facilitate the integration of

environmental knowledge with

entrepreneurship for students interested

in pursuing careers in the field of

environmental restoration.

Rationale

The recruitment of minorities,

particularly underrepresented

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices 27631

minorities, in the fields of science and

engineering, lags behind expectations.

According to the National Science

Foundation (NSF), ‘‘Women, Minorities

and Persons with Disabilities in Science

and Engineering: 2000,’’ the percentage

of minority scientists and engineers in

the workforce ranges from 0.3 percent

for American Indians to about 3.0

percent each for African-Americans and

Hispanics.

The quality and nature of academic

experiences at each point of the

educational pipeline are crucial to

bringing more minorities into

environmental and engineering fields.

Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees

are the underpinnings of science career

achievement and employment. At both

the undergraduate and graduate levels,

Hispanics, African Americans, and

Native Americans complete fewer

degrees, relative to their demographic

composition in the population, than

majority ethnic groups. At the Bachelors

level, NSF data show that African

Americans received about 7.4 percent of

the Bachelors degrees in science and

engineering in 1996, Hispanics received

6.4 percent, and American Indians/

Alaskan Natives receive 0.6 percent. At

the Master’s level, African Americans

receive about 5.0 percent of the science

and engineering degrees, Hispanics

about 4.0 percent, and American

Indians 0.4 percent. In FY 1998, MSIs

received only 5.8 percent of Department

of Commerce grants to institutions of

higher education.

NOAA EPP/MSI Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program

Proposals should be firmly grounded

in ‘‘environmental fields’’ related to

NOAA’s mission. The term

‘‘environmental fields’’ is defined as

those environmental, natural and social

sciences and engineering, professional

and technical fields that are relevant to

NOAA’s mission which is to ‘‘describe

and predict changes in the Earth’s

environment, and conserve and manage

wisely the Nation’s coastal and marine

resources to ensure sustainable

economic opportunities.’’ (See http://

www.noaa.gov/)

The long-term, underlying objective of

the NOAA EPP/MSI Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program is to enhance

participation of MSI students and

faculty in environmental fields related

to NOAA’s mission. Broadening the

opportunity for eligible MSIs to

participate in NOAA’s missions will

also serve to increase understanding of

the role of environmental science and

technology among underrepresented

groups of the American population.

Proposals should identify mechanisms

to be employed that will encourage and

enable members of underrepresented

groups to enter and to remain in

environmental fields, particularly in the

NOAA-related sciences.

Proposals will be accepted that

address one of the following categories:

(1) Program Development and

Enhancement Grants—approximately

six grants, each up to $250,000 total for

up to three years. These grants will

support the development of effective

academic education, training, and

research programs, at eligible MSIs,

focused on issues directly related to

NOAA’s environmental management,

assessment, and prediction missions.

The goal is to enhance education,

training, and research opportunities that

will strengthen developing

environmental programs at MSIs and

facilitate the entry of MSI students into

careers as entrepreneurs, scientists,

resource managers, and community

leaders in environmental fields related

to NOAA’s mission. Developing and

enhancing education, training, and

research capabilities at MSIs is intended

to expand opportunities for students to

develop the technical skills, insights,

and experiences needed to equip them

for the task of environmentally sound

decision-making. Typical activities

funded under this element may include,

but are not limited to: Environmental

science courses and curriculum

enhancement; faculty exchange

opportunities; training and research

experiences and active learning

opportunities for students; and other

activities aimed at improving access to

and retention of students from

underrepresented groups in

environmental fields related to NOAA’s

mission.

(2) Environmental Restoration

Demonstration Project Grants—

approximately six grants, each up to

$300,000 total for up to three years.

These grants will support the

engagement of MSI faculty and students

in demonstration projects that apply

environmentally sound methods and

technologies to environmental

restoration and ecosystem protection.

Demonstration projects should integrate

education and training opportunities

with outreach and/or research to, among

other things, enhance and restore

coastal and estuarine habitats, prevent

marine pollution, reduce coastal

hazards, assess marine protected areas,

protect coral reefs, curb the spread of

invasive species, restore fisheries and

fisheries habitat, develop and expand

aquaculture, plan community waterfront

revitalization, mitigate and assess

impacts of climate variability, or employ

remotely sensed data and information

systems to support environmental

monitoring and prediction. Projects

should involve students with academic

training across the broad array of

environmental fields needed to

implement resource restoration projects.

Research to understand the nature and

extent of environmental degradation

within communities and to test and

monitor methods for preventing,

controlling, and reducing the

degradation of natural environments is

encouraged.

Partnerships: For both the (1) Program

Development and Enhancement Grants

and the (2) Environmental Restoration

Demonstration Project Grants, proposals

should build creatively on existing

expertise and research programs, as

appropriate. Innovative, imaginative

approaches to the issue are sought that

take maximum advantage of the

synergies of strong linkages and

collaborations with partners such as

other universities, research institutions,

industry, Federal, state, local, and tribal

government agencies, and other

organizations (public, nonprofit, or

private). While partnerships,

particularly with NOAA programs and

facilities, are encouraged where

appropriate, there is no requirement for

a partner or a requirement to provide

matching funds.

Proposals: Proposals must be

submitted by an eligible MSI and are

expected to have a rigorous work plan,

a strong rationale, and clearly identified

and achievable goals. Proposals should

emphasize innovative approaches to

encouraging, preparing, and graduating

MSI students trained in environmental

science and related professional career

fields. Projects should strive for

multiple-year participation by students

and include effective use of role models

and mentors. A plan for evaluating the

outcome of the project should be

included.

III. Eligibility

Minority Serving Institutions eligible

to submit proposals include institutions

of higher education identified by the

Department of Education as: (i)

Historically Black Colleges and

Universities, (ii) Hispanic-Serving

Institutions, (iii) Tribal Colleges and

Universities, on the ‘‘2001 United States

Department of Education Accredited

Post-Secondary Minority Institutions’’

list: http://www.ed.gov/ocr/

minorityinst.html

IV. Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria for proposals

submitted for support under the NOAA

EPP/MSI Environmental

27632 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices

Entrepreneurship Program are weighted

as follows:

(1) Technical and Educational Merit

(40 percent): The degree to which the

activity will advance or transfer

knowledge and understanding in

environmental science, education, or

professional fields as they relate to

NOAA’s mission; the qualifications of

the applicant (individual or team) to

conduct the project, including the

ability to involve individuals from the

MSI’s student population successfully

in the project; the degree to which the

activity explores creative and original

concepts; the overall design and

organization of the planned activity; the

strength of the proposed partnership, if

any, to help meet the goals of the

project; and the sufficiency of resources

for the plan of work.

(2) Impact of Proposed Project (60

percent): The contributions the project

will make to enhancing the capability of

the MSI to bring education and training

opportunities to its student population

in the environmental and professional

fields related to NOAA’s mission; the

benefit accruing to a faculty member

and the institution from participation in

the NOAA EPP/MSI Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program; the degree to

which the proposed activity develops

mechanisms that will broaden and

sustain the participation of MSIs in

NOAA-related environmental fields; the

extent to which the proposed activity

will enhance and improve education,

training, and research at MSIs; and the

adequacy of the plan for evaluating the

outcome of the project. For

environmental restoration

demonstration projects, the degree to

which the project is expected to help

prevent, control, and reduce

degradation to habitats will be

considered.

V. Selection Procedures

Reviews of the proposals will be

conducted by an independent peer

review panel. Proposals will be ranked

in accordance with the above evaluation

criteria (Section IV) by the panel

members. The panel members will

provide individual evaluations on

proposals, but there will be no

consensus recommendation. Their

recommendations and evaluations will

be considered by NOAA in the final

selection of proposals to be funded.

NOAA may also consider programmatic

or geographic balance and budget

availability in the final selection of

proposals to be funded. Investigators

may be asked to modify objectives, work

plans, budget levels, or project duration

prior to final approval of an award.

VI. Instructions for Application

Timetable

June 18, 2001—Letters of Intent: To

aid NOAA in planning the review,

potential Principal Investigators are

strongly encouraged to submit an

optional Letter of Intent by June 18,

2001. Letters of Intent should be emailed (no attachments) to

msi@oar.noaa.gov. Information

contained should include a brief

description of the scope of the work, the

parties involved, and an estimated

budget.

July 20, 2001—Proposals are due no

later than 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight

Savings Time), July 20, 2001. (See

Section VII. HOW TO SUBMIT for

further details.)

August, 2001—Successful applicants

can expect to be notified during the last

week of August, 2001. Successful

applicants may be asked to provide

revised narratives and/or budgets which

would be due the first week of

September, 2001.

October 1, 2001—Funds will be

awarded through a grant with an

expected start date of October 1, 2001.

Proposal Guidelines

All proposals should be typewritten

and may not exceed 20-pages. Tables

and visual materials, including charts,

graphs, maps, photographs and other

pictorial presentations are included in

the page limitation; literature citations

are not included in the page limitation.

All information needed for review of the

proposal should be included in the

main text; no appendices are permitted.

The following information should be

included:

(1) Signed title page: The title page

should be signed by the Principal

Investigator and the institutional

representative and should clearly

identify the program area being

addressed by starting the project title

with ‘‘NOAA EPP/MSI Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program’’ followed by

either ‘‘Program Development and

Enhancement’’ or ‘‘Environmental

Restoration Demonstration Project,’’

depending upon the particular type of

grant for which you are applying. The

Principal Investigator and institutional

representative should be identified by

full name, title, organization, telephone

number, e-mail and mailing address.

The total amount of Federal funds being

requested should be listed for each

budget period.

(2) Abstract: This information is very

important. It is critical that the abstract

accurately describe the essential

elements of the project being proposed.

The abstract should include: 1. Title:

Use the exact title as it appears in the

rest of the application. 2. Investigators:

List the names and affiliations of each

investigator who will significantly

contribute to the project. Start with the

Principal Investigator. 3. Funding

request for each year of the project as

well as total funding requested. 4.

Project Period: Start and completion

dates. Proposals should request a start

date of October 1, 2001. 5. Objectives,

Methodology, and Rationale: This

should include a concise statement of

the objectives of the project, the

scientific or educational methodology to

be used, and the rationale for the work

proposed.

(3) Project Description: (a)

Introduction/Background/Justification:

What is the problem or opportunity

being addressed and what is its

scientific, technical, educational, or

socioeconomic importance to the region

or nation?

(b) Technical Plan: What are the goals,

objectives, and anticipated approach of

the proposed project? While a detailed

work plan is not expected, the proposal

should present evidence that there has

been thoughtful consideration of the

approach to the problem under study. If

a partner is involved, what capabilities

does the partner possess that will

benefit the project, faculty member and

students?

(c) Output/Anticipated Benefits: What

measures will be used to evaluate the

outcome of the proposed project? Upon

completion of the project, what are the

anticipated benefits to the MSI and its

students?

(d) Literature Cited: Should be

included here, but does not count

against the page limit.

(4) Budget and Budget Justification:

Form SF424A Budget Information NonConstruction Programs and budget

justification narrative are required.

There should be an annual budget for

each year of the project as well as a

cumulative budget for the entire project.

Subcontracts should have a separate

budget. Each annual budget should

include a separate budget justification

page that itemizes all budget items in

sufficient detail to enable reviewers to

evaluate the appropriateness of the

funding requested. (Please see the

NOAA budget guidelines at http://

www.rdc.noaa.gov/grants/

BUDGTGUD.PDF).

(5) Current and Pending Support:

Applicants must provide information on

all their current and pending Federal

support for ongoing projects and

proposals, including potential

subsequent funding in the case of

continuing grants. The proposed project

and all other projects or activities using

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices 27633

Federal assistance and requiring a

portion of time of the principal

investigator or other senior personnel

should be included. The relationship

between the proposed project and these

other projects should be described, and

the number of person-months per year

to be devoted to the projects must be

stated.

(6) Vitae (two pages maximum per

investigator).

(7) Letters of commitment from

partnering organizations (if applicable).

Letters of commitment from partners

must be included as an attachment to

the application. The letters from

partnering organizations should

describe their commitment, identify key

participants, and state briefly their role

in the project.

(8) Standard Application Forms:

Proposals submitted in response to this

solicitation must be complete and

submitted in accordance with

instructions in the standard NOAA

Grants Application package. Applicants

may obtain all required application

forms through the NOAA internet site

http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/grants/pdf or

from Ms. Arlene Simpson Porter, NOAA

Grants Management Division, (301)

713–0962 ext. 152,

Arlene.S.Porter@noaa.gov.

(a) Standard Forms 424, Application

for Federal Assistance; SF424A Budget

Information Non-Construction

Programs; SF424B Assurances NonConstruction, (Rev 4–88). Please note

that both the Principal Investigator and

an administrative contact should be

identified in Section 5 of the SF424 or

Section 10, applicants should enter

‘‘11.481’’ for the CFDA Number and

‘‘Educational Partnership Program with

Minority Serving Institutions’’ for the

title. The form must contain the original

signature of an authorized

representative of the applying

institution.

(b) Primary Applicant Certifications.

All primary applicants must submit a

completed Form CD–511,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements and Lobbying,’’ and the

following explanations are hereby

provided:

(i) Non-Procurement 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;

(ii) Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as

defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 605)

are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart

F, ‘‘Government-wide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)’’ and the

related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies;

(iii) 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; and

(iv) 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.

(c) Lower Tier Certifications.

Recipients shall require applicants/

bidders for subgrants, contracts,

subcontracts, or other 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.’’

ORM CD–512 is intended for the use of

recipients and should not be transmitted

to the Department of Commerce (DOC).

SF–LLL submitted by any tier recipient

or subrecipient should be submitted to

DOC in accordance with the

instructions contained in the award

document.

VII. How To Submit

Although investigators are not

required to submit more than three

copies of the proposal, the normal

review process utilizes 15 copies.

Applicants are encouraged to submit

sufficient proposal copies for the full

review process if they wish all

reviewers to receive color, unusually

sized (not 8.5′′ × 11′′), or otherwise

unusual materials submitted as part of

the proposal. Only three copies of the

Federally required forms are needed.

Proposals must be received by 5 p.m.

(Eastern Daylight Savings Time) on July

20, 2001. The address is: Dr. Francis

Schuler, EPP/MSI Environmental

Entrepreneurship Program, NOAA,

Room11837 SSMC3 (R/SG), 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910.

Facsimile transmissions and

electronic mail submission of

applications will not be accepted.

VIII. Other Requirements

(A) Federal Policies and Procedures—

Recipients and subrecipients are subject

to all Federal laws and Federal and

Department of Commerce (DOC)

policies, regulations, and procedures

applicable to Federal financial

assistance awards.

(B) Past Performance—Unsatisfactory

performance under prior Federal awards

may result in an application not being

considered for funding.

(C) Pre-Award 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 or written assurance that may

have been received, there is no

obligation on the part of DOC to cover

pre-award costs.

(D) No Obligation for Future

Funding—If an application is selected

for funding, DOC has no obligation to

provide any additional future funding in

connection with that award. Renewal of

an award to increase funding or extend

the period of performance is at the total

discretion of DOC.

(E) Delinquent Federal Debts—No

award of Federal funds shall be made to

an applicant who has an outstanding

delinquent Federal debt until:

(1) The delinquent account is paid in

full,

(2) A negotiated repayment schedule

is established and at least one payment

is received, or

(3) Other arrangements satisfactory to

DOC are made.

(F) Name Check Review—All nonprofit 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.

(G) False Statements—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.

(H) Purchase of American-Made

Equipment and Products—Applicants

are hereby notified that they will be

encouraged, to the greatest extent

practicable, to purchase American-made

equipment and products with funding

provided under this program.

(I) For awards receiving funding for

the collection or production of

geospatial data (e.g., GIS data layers),

the recipient will comply to the

27634 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices

maximum extent practicable with E.O.

12906, Coordinating Geographic Data

Acquisition and Access, The National

Spatial Data Infrastructure, 59 FR 17671

(April 11, 1994). The award recipient

shall document all new geospatial data

collected or produced using the

standard developed by the Federal

Geographic Data Center, and make that

standardized documentation

electronically accessible. The standard

can be found at the following Internet

website: (http://www.fgdc.gov/

standards/standards/html).

Classification

Prior notice and an opportunity for

public comments are not required by the

Administrative Procedure Act or any

other law for this notice concerning

grants, benefits, and contracts.

Therefore, a regulatory flexibility

analysis is not required for purposes of

the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

This action has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of E.O.

12866.

This notice contains collection of

information requirements subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act. Standard

Forms 424, 424A, and 424B have been

approved under control numbers 0348–

0043, 0348–0044, and 0348–0040.

Notwithstanding any other provision of

the law, no person is required to

respond to, nor shall any 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 currently valid

OMB Control Number.

Dated: May 15, 2001.

Louisa Koch,

Chair, NOAA Minority Serving Institutions

Council.

[FR Doc. 01–12607 Filed 5–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

AGENCY: Federal Voting Assistance

Program (FVAP), DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with Section

3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, the Washington

Headquarters Services announces the

proposed extension of a public

information collection and seeks public

comment on the provisions thereof.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed information collection; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the information collection on

respondents, including through the use

of automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all

comments received by July 17, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

recommendations on the proposed

information collection should be sent to

the Department of Defense, Washington

Headquarters Services, Federal Voting

Assistance Program, 1155 Defense

Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–1155,

ATTN: Ms. Elaine Perna.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To

request more information on this

proposed information collection or to

obtain a copy of the proposal and

associated collection instruments,

please write to the above address, or call

the Federal Voting Assistance Program

at (703) 588–1584 or 1–(800) 438–8683.

Title and OMB Number: Post-election

Voting Survey of Overseas Citizens and

Post-election Voting Survey of Local

Election Officials; OMB Number 0704–

0125.

Needs and Uses: The information

collection requirement is necessary to

meet a requirement of the Uniformed

and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting

Act (UOCAVA) of 1986 (42 U.S.C.

1973ff). UOCAVA requires a report to

the President and Congress on the

effectiveness of assistance under the

Act, a statistical analysis of voter

participation, and a description of StateFederal cooperation.

Affected Public: Individuals or

Households: State or Local Government.

Annual Burden Hours: 401.

Number of Respondents: 2,403.

Responses Per Respondent: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 10

minutes.

Frequency: Quadrennially.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information

UOCAVA requires the states to allow

Uniformed Services personnel, their

family members, and overseas citizens

to use absentee registration procedures

and to vote by absentee ballot in

general, special, primary, and runoff

elections for Federal offices. The Act

covers members of the Uniformed

Services and the merchant marine to

include the commissioned corps of the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration and Public Health

Service, and their eligible dependents,

Federal civilian employees overseas,

and overseas U.S. citizens not affiliated

with the Federal Government. FVAP

conducts the post-election survey on a

statistically random basis to determine

participation rates that are

representative of all citizens covered by

the Act, measure State-Federal

cooperation, and evaluate the

effectiveness of the overall absentee

voting program. The information

collected is used for overall program

evaluation, management and

improvement, and to compile the

congressionally mandated reported to

the President and Congress.

Dated: May 10, 2001.

Patricia L. Toppings,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison

Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 01–12559 Filed 5–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5001–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Defense Intelligence Agency, Science

and Technology Advisory Board

Closed Panel Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Defense, Defense

Intelligence Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of

Subsection (d) of Section 10 Public Law

92–463, as amended by Section 5 of

Public Law 94–409, notice is hereby

given that a closed meeting of the DIA

Science and Technology Advisory

Board has been scheduled as follows:

DATES: 31 May 2001 (830 am to 1600

pm).

ADDRESSES: The Defense Intelligence

Agency, 200 MacDill Blvd, Washington,

DC 20340.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Victoria J. Prescott, Executive Secretary,

DIA Science and Technology Advisory

Board, Washington, DC 20340–1328

(202) 231–4930.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The entire

meeting is devoted to the discussion of

classified information as defined in

section 552b(c)(I), Title 5 of the U.S.

Code, and therefore will be closed to the

public. The Board will receive briefings

on and discuss several current critical

intelligence issues and advise the

Director, DIA, on related scientific and

technical matters.