Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 781

Requests to address the Commission 

must be made in writing and should 

include the name, address, telephone 

number and business or professional 

affiliation of the interested party. 

Individuals or groups addressing similar 

issues are encouraged to combine 

comments and make their request to 

address the Commission through a 

single representative. The allocation of 

time for remarks will be adjusted to 

accommodate the level of expressed 

interest. Written requests must be 

mailed or faxed to The Office of the 

White House Initiative on AAPIs by 

January 14, 2005 (See ADDRESSES). 

Anyone who requires special assistance, 

such as sign language interpretation or 

other reasonable accommodations, 

should contact Mr. Erik Wang no later 

than January 7, 2005 (See FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT). This meeting is 

open to the public.

Ronald Marin, 

Financial Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 05–114 Filed 1–4–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–21–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

[Docket No.: 041220354–4354–01] 

Small Grants Programs; Availability of 

Funds

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards 

and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST) 

announces that the following programs 

are soliciting applications for financial 

assistance for FY 2005: (1) The 

Electronics and Electrical Engineering 

Laboratory Grants Program; (2) the 

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory 

Grants Program; (3) the Chemical 

Science and Technology Laboratory 

Grants Program; (4) the Physics 

Laboratory Grants Program; (5) the 

Materials Science and Engineering 

Laboratory Grants Program; (6) the 

Building Research Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements Program; and 

(7) the Fire Research Grants Program. 

Each program will only consider 

applications that are within the 

scientific scope of the program as 

described in this notice and in the 

detailed program descriptions found in 

the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

announcement for these programs. Prior 

to preparation of a proposal, it is 

strongly suggested that potential 

applicants contact the Program Manager 

for the appropriate field of research, as 

specified in the FFO announcement 

found at http://www.grants.gov, for 

clarification of the program objective 

and to determine whether their proposal 

is responsive to this notice.

DATES: See below.

ADDRESSES: See below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance Name and 

Number: Measurement and Engineering 

Research and Standards—11.609 

Electronics and Electrical Engineering 

Laboratory (EEEL) Grants Program:

Program Description: The Electronics 

and Electrical Engineering Laboratory 

(EEEL) Grants Program will provide 

grants and cooperative agreements for 

the development of fundamental 

electrical metrology and of metrology 

supporting industry and government 

agencies in the broad areas of 

semiconductors, electronic 

instrumentation, radio-frequency 

technology, optoelectronics, magnetics, 

video, electronic commerce as applied 

to electronic products and devices, the 

transmission and distribution of 

electrical power, national electrical 

standards (fundamental, generally 

quantum-based physical standards), and 

law enforcement standards.

DATES: All applications, paper and 

electronic, must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on 

September 30, 2005. Proposals received 

between July 1, 2005 and September 30, 

2005 be processed and considered for 

funding under this solicitation, but if 

selected, proposals may be funded in 

the next fiscal year, subject to the 

availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Paper applications must be 

submitted to: Sheilda Bryner, 

Electronics and Electrical Engineering 

Laboratory, National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 

Drive, Stop 8100, Gaithersburg, MD 

20899–8100. Electronic applications 

and associated proposal information 

should be uploaded to grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

complete information about this 

program and instructions for applying 

by paper or electronically, read the 

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

Notice at http://www.grants.gov. A 

paper copy of the FFO may be obtained 

by calling (301) 975–6328. Program 

questions should be addressed to 

Sheilda Bryner, Electronics and 

Electrical Engineering Laboratory, 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 

8100, Gaithersburg, MD 20899–8100, 

Tel.: (301) 975–2220, Fax: (301) 975–

4091. All grants related administration 

questions concerning this program 

should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, 

NIST Grants and Agreements 

Management Division, (301) 975–6328; 

joyce.brigham@nist.gov. For assistance 

with using Grants.gov contact 

support@grants.gov. 

Funding Availability: In fiscal year 

2004, the EEEL Grants Program made 

five new awards, totaling $184,490. The 

amount available each year fluctuates 

considerably based on programmatic 

needs. Individual awards are expected 

to range between $5,000 and $150,000. 

For the Electronics and Electrical 

Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, 

proposals will be considered for 

research projects from one to three 

years. When a proposal for a multi-year 

award is approved, funding will 

generally be provided for only the first 

year of the program. If an application is 

selected for funding, NIST has no 

obligation to provide any additional 

funding in connection with that award. 

Continuation of an award to increase 

funding or extend the period of 

performance is at the total discretion of 

NIST. Funding for each subsequent year 

of a multi-year proposal will be 

contingent upon satisfactory progress, 

continued relevance to the mission of 

the Electronics and Electrical 

Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, 

and the availability of funds. The multiyear awards must have scopes of work 

that can be easily separated into annual 

increments of meaningful work that 

represent solid accomplishments if 

prospective funding is not made 

available to the applicant, (i.e., the 

scopes of work for each funding period 

must produce identifiable and 

meaningful results in and of 

themselves).

Statutory Authority: As authorized by 

15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the NIST 

Electronics and Electrical Engineering 

Laboratory conducts a basic and applied 

research program directly and through 

grants and cooperative agreements to 

eligible recipients. 

Eligibility: The Electronics and 

Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants 

Program is open to institutions of higher 

education; hospitals; non-profit 

organizations; commercial 

organizations; state, local, and Indian 

tribal governments; foreign 

governments; organizations under the 

jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 

international organizations. 

Review and Selection Process: For the 

Electronics and Electrical Engineering 

Laboratory Grants Program, proposals 

will be distributed to the appropriate 

Division Chief or Office Director or 

designee based on technical area by one 

782 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 

or more technical professionals familiar 

with the programs of the Electronics and 

Electrical Engineering Laboratory. The 

proposals will be reviewed in a two-step 

process. First, at least three 

independent, objective individuals 

knowledgeable about the particular 

scientific area described in the Program 

Description section above that the 

proposal addresses will conduct a 

technical review of each proposal, based 

on the evaluation criteria described 

below. If non-Federal reviewers are 

used, the reviewers may discuss the 

proposals with each other, but scores 

will be determined on an individual 

basis, not as a consensus. 

Reviews will be conducted on a 

quarterly basis, and all proposals 

received during the quarter will be 

ranked based on the reviewers’ scores. 

Second, the Division Chief or Office 

Director will make application 

selections. In making application 

selections, the Division Chief or Office 

Director will take into consideration the 

results of the reviewers’ evaluations, the 

availability of funding, and relevance to 

the objectives of the Electronics and 

Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants 

Program, as described in the Program 

Description section above. The final 

approval of selected applications and 

award of financial assistance will be 

made by the NIST Grants Officer based 

on compliance with application 

requirements as published in this 

notice, compliance with applicable legal 

and regulatory requirements, 

compliance with Federal policies that 

best further the objectives of the 

Department of Commerce, and whether 

the recommended applicants appear to 

be responsible. Applicants may be asked 

to modify objectives, work plans, or 

budgets and provide supplemental 

information required by the agency 

prior to award. The decision of the 

Grants Officer is final. Applicants 

should allow up to 90 days processing 

time. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be 

notified in writing. The Program will 

retain one copy of each unsuccessful 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Evaluation Criteria: For the 

Electronics and Electrical Engineering 

Laboratory Grants Program, the 

evaluation criteria and weights to be 

used by the technical reviewers in 

evaluating the proposals are as follows: 

Proposal addresses specific program 

objectives as described in this notice 

(25%). 

Proposal provides evidence of 

applicant’s expertise in relevant 

technical area (20%). 

Proposal offers innovative approach 

(20%). 

Proposal provides realistic schedule 

with defined milestones (20%). 

Proposal provides adequate rationale 

for budget (15%). 

Cost Share Requirements: The 

Electronics and Electrical Engineering 

Laboratory Grants Program does not 

require any matching funds. 

Manufacturing Engineering 

Laboratory (MEL) Grants Program:

Program Description: The 

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory 

(MEL) Grants Program will provide 

grants and cooperative agreements in 

the following fields of research: 

Dimensional Metrology for 

Manufacturing, Mechanical Metrology 

for Manufacturing, Intelligent Systems, 

and Information Systems Integration for 

Applications in Manufacturing.

DATES: All applications, paper and 

electronic, must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on 

September 30, 2005. Proposals received 

between July 1, 2005 and September 30, 

2005 will be processed and considered 

for funding under this solicitation, but 

if selected, proposals may be funded in 

the next fiscal year, subject to the 

availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Paper applications must be 

submitted to: Mrs. Mary Lou Norris, 

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 

8200, Building 220, Room B322, 

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899–8200. 

Electronic applications and associated 

proposal information should be 

uploaded to grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

complete information about this 

program and instructions for applying 

by paper or electronically, read the 

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

Notice at http://www.grants.gov. A 

paper copy of the FFO may be obtained 

by calling (301) 975–6328. Program 

questions should be addressed to Mrs. 

Mary Lou Norris, Manufacturing 

Engineering Laboratory, National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, 

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8200, Building 

220, Room B322, Gaithersburg, 

Maryland 20899–8200, Tel: (301) 975–

3400, e-mail: mnorris@nist.gov. All 

grants related administration questions 

concerning this program should be 

addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST 

Grants and Agreements Management 

Division, (301) 975–6328; 

joyce.brigham@nist.gov. For assistance 

with using Grants.gov contact 

support@grants.gov.

Funding Availability: In fiscal year 

2004, the MEL Grants Program funded 

2 new awards, totaling $187,987. In 

fiscal year 2005 the MEL Grants 

Program anticipates funding of 

approximately $500,000, including new 

awards and continuing projects. 

Individual awards are expected to range 

from approximately $25,000 to 

$300,000. 

For the MEL Grants Program, 

proposals will be considered for 

research projects from one to five years. 

When a proposal for a multi-year award 

is approved, funding will generally be 

provided for only the first year of the 

program. If an application is selected for 

funding, NIST has no obligation to 

provide any additional funding in 

connection with that award. 

Continuation of an award to increase 

funding or extend the period of 

performance is at the total discretion of 

NIST. Funding for each subsequent year 

of a multi-year proposal will be 

contingent upon satisfactory progress, 

continued relevance to the mission of 

the MEL program, and the availability of 

funds. The multi-year awards must have 

scopes of work that can be easily 

separated into annual increments of 

meaningful work that represent solid 

accomplishments if prospective funding 

is not made available to the applicant, 

(i.e., the scopes of work for each funding 

period must produce identifiable and 

meaningful results in and of 

themselves). 

Statutory Authority: As authorized 

under 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the MEL 

conducts a basic and applied research 

program directly and through grants and 

cooperative agreements to eligible 

recipients. 

Eligibility: The MEL Grants Program is 

open to institutions of higher education; 

hospitals; non-profit organizations; 

commercial organizations; state, local, 

and Indian tribal governments; foreign 

governments; organizations under the 

jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 

international organizations. 

Review and Selection Process: For the 

MEL Grants Program responsive 

proposals will be assigned, as received 

on a rolling basis, to the most 

appropriate area for review. At least 

three independent, objective individuals 

knowledgeable about the particular 

scientific area described in the Program 

Description section above that the 

proposal addresses will conduct a 

technical review of proposals based on 

the evaluation criteria. If non-Federal 

reviewers are used, the reviewers may 

discuss the proposals with each other, 

but scores will be determined on an 

individual basis, not as a consensus. 

The Division Chief or Laboratory 

Director will make application 

selections. In making application 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 783

selections, the Division Chief or 

Laboratory Director will take into 

consideration the results of the 

reviewers’ evaluations, the availability 

of funds, and relevance to the objectives 

of the MEL Grants Program. These 

objectives are described above in the 

Program Description section above. The 

final approval of selected applications 

and award of financial assistance will be 

made by the NIST Grants Officer based 

on compliance with application 

requirements as published in this 

notice, compliance with applicable legal 

and regulatory requirements, 

compliance with Federal policies that 

best further the objectives of the 

Department of Commerce, and whether 

the recommended applicants appear to 

be responsible. Applicants may be asked 

to modify objectives, work plans, or 

budgets and provide supplemental 

information required by the agency 

prior to award. The decision of the 

Grants Officer is final. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be 

notified in writing. The Program will 

retain one copy of each unsuccessful 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The original 

application will be returned to the 

applicant.

Evaluation Criteria: For the MEL 

Grants Program, the evaluation criteria 

the technical reviewers will use in 

evaluating the proposals are as follows: 

1. Rationality. Reviewers will 

consider the coherence of the 

applicant’s approach and the extent to 

which the proposal effectively addresses 

scientific and technical issues. 

2. Technical Merit of Contribution. 

Reviewers will consider the potential 

technical effectiveness of the proposal 

and the value it would contribute to the 

field of manufacturing engineering and 

metrology research. 

3. Qualifications of Technical 

Personnel. Reviewers will consider the 

professional accomplishments, skills, 

and training of the proposed personnel 

to perform the work in the project. 

4. Resources Availability. Reviewers 

will consider the extent to which the 

proposer has access to the necessary 

facilities and overall support to 

accomplish project objectives. 

Each of these factors will be given 

equal weight in the evaluation process. 

Cost Share Requirements: The MEL 

Grants Program does not require any 

matching funds. 

Chemical Science and Technology 

Laboratory Grants Program:

Program Description: The Chemical 

Science and Technology Laboratory 

(CSTL) Grants Program will provide 

grants and cooperative agreements in 

the following fields of measurement 

science research, focused on reference 

methods, reference materials and 

reference data: Biotechnology, Process 

Measurements, Surface and 

Microanalysis Science, Physical and 

Chemical Properties, and Analytical 

Chemistry.

DATES: All applications, paper and 

electronic, must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on 

September 30, 2005. Proposals received 

between July 1, 2005 and September 30, 

2005 will be processed and considered 

for funding under this solicitation, but 

if selected, proposals may be funded in 

the next fiscal year, subject to the 

availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Paper applications must be 

submitted to: Dr. William F. Koch, 

Chemical Science and Technology 

Laboratory, National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 

Drive, Stop 8300, Gaithersburg, MD 

20899–8300. Electronic applications 

and associated proposal information 

should be uploaded to grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

complete information about this 

program and instructions for applying 

by paper or electronically, read the 

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

Notice at http://www.grants.gov. A 

paper copy of the FFO may be obtained 

by calling (301) 975–6328. Program 

questions should be addressed to Dr. 

William F. Koch, Chemical Science and 

Technology Laboratory, National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, 

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8300, 

Gaithersburg, MD 20899–8300, Tel (301) 

975–8301, e-mail: 

william.koch@nist.gov. All grants 

related administration questions 

concerning this program should be 

addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST 

Grants and Agreements Management 

Division, (301) 975–6328; 

joyce.brigham@nist.gov. For assistance 

with using Grants.gov contact 

support@grants.gov.

Funding Availability: No funds have 

been set aside specifically for support of 

the CSTL Grants Program. The 

availability of funds depends upon 

actual authorization of funds and other 

costs expected to be incurred by 

individual divisions within the 

laboratory. Where funds are identified 

as available for grants, those funds will 

be awarded to highly ranked proposals 

as determined by the process described 

in this notice. 

In fiscal year 2004, the CSTL Grants 

Program funded 2 new awards, totaling 

$343,184. In fiscal year 2005, the CSTL 

Grants Program anticipates funding of 

approximately $500,000. Individual 

awards are expected to range from 

approximately $5,000 to $100,000. 

For the Chemical Science and 

Technology Laboratory Grant Program, 

proposals will be considered for 

research projects from one to three 

years. When a proposal for a multi-year 

award is approved, funding will 

generally be provided for only the first 

year of the program. If an application is 

selected for funding, NIST has no 

obligation to provide any additional 

funding in connection with that award. 

Continuation of an award to increase 

funding or extend the period of 

performance is at the total discretion of 

NIST. Funding for each subsequent year 

of a multi-year proposal will be 

contingent upon satisfactory progress, 

continued relevance to the mission of 

the Chemical Science and Technology 

Laboratory program, and the availability 

of funds. The multi-year awards must 

have scopes of work that can be easily 

separated into annual increments of 

meaningful work that represent solid 

accomplishments if prospective funding 

is not made available to the applicant, 

(i.e. the scopes of work for each funding 

period must produce identifiable and 

meaningful results in and of 

themselves). 

Statutory Authority: As authorized 

under 15 U.S.C. 272 (b) and (c), the 

Chemical Science and Technology 

Laboratory conducts a basic and applied 

research program directly and through 

grants and cooperative agreements to 

eligible recipients. 

Eligibility: The Chemical Science and 

Technology Laboratory Grants Program 

is open to institutions of higher 

education; hospitals; non-profit 

organizations; commercial 

organizations; state, local, and Indian 

tribal governments; foreign 

governments; organizations under the 

jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 

international organizations. 

Review and Selection Process: For the 

Chemical Science and Technology 

Laboratory Grants Program, proposals 

will be reviewed in a three-step process. 

First, the Deputy Director of CSTL, or 

appropriate CSTL Division Chief, will 

determine the compatibility of the 

applicant’s proposal with CSTL Program 

Areas and the relevance to the 

objectives of the Chemical Science and 

Technology Laboratory Grants Program, 

described in the Program Description 

section above. If it is determined that 

the proposal is incomplete or nonresponsive to the scope of the stated 

objectives, the proposal will not be 

reviewed for technical merit. If it is 

determined that all funds available for 

the CSTL Grants Program for the given 

year have been exhausted, the proposal 

784 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 

will not be reviewed for technical merit. 

If a proposal is determined to be 

incomplete or non-responsive, or if it is 

determined that all available funds have 

been exhausted, the CSTL Grants 

Program will retain one copy of the 

proposal for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Second, at least three independent, 

objective individuals knowledgeable 

about the particular measurement 

science area described in the section 

above that the proposal addresses will 

conduct a technical review of each 

proposal, based on the evaluation 

criteria described below. Reviews will 

be conducted on a quarterly basis, and 

all responsive, complete proposals 

received and reviewed since the last 

quarter will be ranked based on the 

reviewers’ scores. If non-Federal 

reviewers are used, the reviewers may 

discuss the proposals with each other, 

but scores will be determined on an 

individual basis, not as a consensus. 

Third, the Division Chief will make 

application selections, taking into 

consideration the results of the 

reviewers’ evaluations, the availability 

of funds, and the relevance of the 

proposal to the program objectives 

described in the Program Description 

section above.

The final approval of selected 

applications and award of financial 

assistance will be made by the NIST 

Grants Officer based on compliance 

with application requirements as 

published in this notice, compliance 

with applicable legal and regulatory 

requirements, compliance with Federal 

policies that best further the objectives 

of the Department of Commerce, and 

whether the recommended applicants 

appear to be responsible. Applicants 

may be asked to modify objectives, work 

plans, or budgets and provide 

supplemental information required by 

the agency prior to award. The decisions 

of the Grants Officer are final. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be 

notified in writing. The Program will 

retain one copy of each unsuccessful 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Evaluation Criteria: For the Chemical 

Science and Technology Laboratory 

Grants Program, the evaluation criteria 

the technical reviewers will use in 

evaluating the proposals are as follows: 

1. Rationality. Reviewers will 

consider the coherence of the 

applicant’s approach and the extent to 

which the proposal effectively addresses 

scientific and technical issues. 

2. Qualifications of Technical 

Personnel. Reviewers will consider the 

professional accomplishments, skills, 

and training of the proposed personnel 

to perform the work in the project. 

3. Resources Availability. Reviewers 

will consider the extent to which the 

proposer has access to the necessary 

facilities and overall support to 

accomplish project objectives. 

4. Technical Merit of Contribution. 

Reviewers will consider the potential 

technical effectiveness of the proposal 

and the value it would contribute to the 

field of measurement science, especially 

as it pertains to reference methods, 

reference materials and reference data in 

Chemical Science and Technology. 

Each of these factors will be given 

equal weight in the evaluation process. 

Cost Share Requirements: The 

Chemical Science and Technology 

Laboratory Grants Program does not 

require any matching funds. 

Physics Laboratory Grants Program:

Program Description: The Physics 

Laboratory (PL) Grants Program will 

provide grants and cooperative 

agreements in the following fields of 

research: Electron and Optical Physics, 

Atomic Physics, Optical Technology, 

Ionizing Radiation, Time and 

Frequency, and Quantum Physics.

DATES: All applications, paper and 

electronic, must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on 

September 30, 2005. Proposals received 

between July 1, 2005 and September 30, 

2005 will be processed and considered 

for funding under this solicitation, but 

if selected, proposals may be funded in 

the next fiscal year, subject to the 

availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Paper applications must be 

submitted to: Ms. Anita Sweigert, 

Physics Laboratory, National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 

Drive, Stop 8400, Gaithersburg, MD 

20899–8400. Electronic applications 

and associated proposal information 

should be uploaded to grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

complete information about this 

program and instructions for applying 

by paper or electronically, read the 

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

Notice at http://www.grants.gov. A 

paper copy of the FFO may be obtained 

by calling (301) 975–6328. Program 

questions should be addressed to Ms. 

Anita Sweigert, Physics Laboratory, 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 

8400, Gaithersburg, MD 20899–8400, 

Tel (301) 975–4200, e-mail: 

anita.sweigert@nist.gov. It is strongly 

suggested to first confirm the program 

objectives with the Program Manager 

prior to preparing a detailed proposal. 

All grants related administration 

questions concerning this program 

should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, 

NIST Grants and Agreements 

Management Division, (301) 975–6328; 

joyce.brigham@nist.gov. For assistance 

with using Grants.gov contact 

support@grants.gov.

Funding Availability: In fiscal year 

2004, the PL Grants Program funded 17 

new awards, totaling $2,326,458. In 

fiscal year 2005, the PL Grants Program 

anticipates funding of approximately 

$1,700,000, including new awards and 

continuing projects. Funding 

availability will be apportioned by 

quarter. Individual awards are expected 

to range from approximately $5,000 to 

$300,000. 

For the Physics Laboratory Grants 

Program, proposals will be considered 

for research projects from one to three 

years. When a proposal for a multi-year 

project is approved, funding will 

generally be provided for only the first 

year of the program. If an application is 

selected for funding, NIST has no 

obligation to provide any additional 

funding in connection with that award. 

Continuation of an award to increase 

funding or extend the period of 

performance is at the total discretion of 

NIST. Funding for each subsequent year 

of a multi-year proposal will be 

contingent upon satisfactory progress, 

continued relevance to the mission of 

the Physics Laboratory program, and the 

availability of funds. The multi-year 

awards must have scopes of work that 

can be easily separated into annual 

increments of meaningful work that 

represent solid accomplishments if 

prospective funding is not made 

available to the applicant (i.e., the 

scopes of work for each funding period 

must produce identifiable and 

meaningful results in and of 

themselves). 

Statutory Authority: As authorized 

under 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the 

Physics Laboratory conducts a basic and 

applied research program directly and 

through grants and cooperative 

agreements to eligible recipients.

Eligibility: The Physics Laboratory 

Grants Program is open to institutions of 

higher education; hospitals; non-profit 

organizations; commercial 

organizations; state, local, and Indian 

tribal governments; foreign 

governments; organizations under the 

jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 

international organizations. 

Review and Selection Process: For the 

Physics Laboratory Grants Program, 

responsive proposals will be considered 

as follows: First, at least three 

independent, objective individuals 

knowledgeable about the particular 

scientific area described in the proposal 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 785

will conduct a technical review of each 

proposal, based on the evaluation 

criteria described below. Reviews will 

be conducted on a monthly basis within 

each division of the Physics Laboratory, 

and all proposals received during the 

month will be ranked based on the 

reviewers’ scores. If non-Federal 

reviewers are used, reviewers may 

discuss the proposals with each other, 

but scores will be determined on an 

individual basis, not as a consensus. 

Next, the Division Chief will make 

final application selections, taking into 

consideration the results of the 

reviewers’ evaluations, including rank; 

the compilation of a slate that, when 

taken as a whole, is likely to best further 

the program interests described in the 

Program Description section above; and 

the availability of funds. 

The final approval of selected 

applications and award of financial 

assistance will be made by the NIST 

Grants Officer based on compliance 

with application requirements as 

published in this notice, compliance 

with applicable legal and regulatory 

requirements, compliance with Federal 

policies that best further the objectives 

of the Department of Commerce, and 

whether the recommended applicants 

appear to be responsible. 

Applicants may be asked to modify 

objectives, work plans, or budgets and 

provide supplemental information 

required by the agency prior to award. 

The decisions of the Grants Officer are 

final. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be 

notified in writing. The Program will 

retain one copy of each unsuccessful 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Evaluation Criteria: For the Physics 

Laboratory Grants Program, the 

evaluation criteria the technical 

reviewers will use in evaluating the 

proposals are as follows: 

1. Rationality. Reviewers will 

consider the coherence of the 

applicant’s approach and the extent to 

which the proposal effectively addresses 

scientific and technical issues. 

2. Qualifications of Technical 

Personnel. Reviewers will consider the 

professional accomplishments, skills, 

and training of the proposed personnel 

to perform the work in the project.

3. Resources Availability. Reviewers 

will consider the extent to which the 

proposer has access to the necessary 

facilities and overall support to 

accomplish project objectives. 

4. Technical Merit of Contribution. 

Reviewers will consider the potential 

technical effectiveness of the proposal 

and the value it would contribute to the 

field of physics. 

Each of these factors will be given 

equal weight in the evaluation process. 

Cost Share Requirements: The Physics 

Laboratory Grants Program does not 

require any matching funds. 

MSEL Grants Program:

Program Description: The Materials 

Science and Engineering Laboratory 

(MSEL) Grants Program will provide 

grants and cooperative agreements in 

the following fields of research: 

Ceramics; Metallurgy; Polymer 

Sciences; Materials Reliability; and 

Neutron Scattering Research and 

Spectroscopy.

DATES: All applications, paper and 

electronic, must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on 

September 30, 2005. Proposals received 

between July 1, 2005 and September 30, 

2005 will continue to be processed and 

considered for funding under this 

solicitation, but if selected, proposals 

may be funded in the next fiscal year, 

subject to the availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Paper applications must be 

submitted to: Dr. Stephen W. Freiman, 

Materials Science and Engineering 

Laboratory, National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 

Drive, Stop 8500, Gaithersburg, 

Maryland 20899–8500. Electronic 

applications and associated proposal 

information should be uploaded to 

grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

complete information about this 

program and instructions for applying 

by paper or electronically, read the 

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

Notice at http://www.grants.gov. A 

paper copy of the FFO may be obtained 

by calling (301) 975–6328. Program 

questions should be addressed to Dr. 

Stephen W. Freiman, Materials Science 

and Engineering Laboratory, National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, 

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8500, 

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899–8500, 

Tel: (301) 975–5658, E-mail: 

stephen.freiman@nist.gov. All grants 

related administration questions 

concerning this program should be 

addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST 

Grants and Agreements Management 

Division, (301) 975–6328; 

joyce.brigham@nist.gov. For assistance 

with using Grants.gov contact 

support@nist.gov.

Funding Availability: In fiscal year 

2004, the MSEL Grants Program funded 

11 new awards, totaling $1,122,796. In 

fiscal year 2005, the MSEL Grants 

Program anticipates funding of 

approximately $4,500,000, including 

new awards and continuing projects. 

Most grants and cooperative agreements 

are expected to be in the $25,000 to 

$100,000 per year range. 

For the MSEL Grants Program, 

proposals will be considered for 

research projects from one to three 

years. When a proposal for a multi-year 

award is approved, funding will 

generally be provided for only the first 

year of the program. If an application is 

selected for funding, NIST has no 

obligation to provide any additional 

funding in connection with that award. 

Continuation of an award to increase 

funding or extend the period of 

performance is at the total discretion of 

NIST. Funding for each subsequent year 

of a multi-year proposal will be 

contingent upon satisfactory progress, 

continued relevance to the mission of 

the MSEL program, and the availability 

of funds. The multi-year awards must 

have scopes of work that can be easily 

separated into annual increments of 

meaningful work that represent solid 

accomplishments if prospective funding 

is not made available to the applicant, 

(i.e., the scopes of work for each funding 

period must produce identifiable and 

meaningful results in and of 

themselves). 

Statutory Authority: As authorized 

under 15 U.S.C. 272 (b) and (c), the 

MSEL conducts a basic and applied 

research program directly and through 

grants and cooperative agreements to 

eligible recipients. 

Eligibility: The MSEL Grants Program 

is open to institutions of higher 

education; hospitals; non-profit 

organizations; commercial 

organizations; state, local, and Indian 

tribal governments; foreign 

governments; organizations under the 

jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 

international organizations. 

Review and Selection Process: For the 

MSEL Grants Program proposals will be 

reviewed in a two-step process. First, at 

least three independent, objective 

individuals knowledgeable about the 

particular scientific area described in 

the Program Description section above 

that the proposal addresses will conduct 

a technical review of proposals, as they 

are received on a rolling basis, based on 

the evaluation criteria. If non-Federal 

reviewers are used, the reviewers may 

discuss the proposals with each other, 

but scores will be determined on an 

individual basis, not as a consensus. 

Second, the Division Chief or Center 

Director or Laboratory Deputy Director 

will make application selections. In 

making application selections, the 

Division Chief or Center Director or 

Laboratory Deputy Director will take 

into consideration the results of the 

reviewers’ evaluations, the availability 

786 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 

of funds, and relevance to the objectives 

of the MSEL Grants Program, described 

above in the Program Description 

section. The final approval of selected 

applications and award of financial 

assistance will be made by the NIST 

Grants Officer based on compliance 

with application requirements as 

published in this notice, compliance 

with applicable legal and regulatory 

requirements, compliance with Federal 

policies that best further the objectives 

of the Department of Commerce, and 

whether the recommended applicants 

appear to be responsible. Applicants 

may be asked to modify objectives, work 

plans, or budgets and provide 

supplemental information required by 

the agency prior to award. The decision 

of the Grants Officer is final. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be 

notified in writing. The Program will 

retain one copy of each unsuccessful 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Evaluation Criteria: For the MSEL 

Grants Program, the evaluation criteria 

the technical reviewers will use in 

evaluating the proposals are as follows: 

1. Rationality. Reviewers will 

consider the coherence of the 

applicant’s approach and the extent to 

which the proposal effectively addresses 

scientific and technical issues. 

2. Qualifications of Technical 

Personnel. Reviewers will consider the 

professional accomplishments, skills, 

and training of the proposed personnel 

to perform the work in the project. 

3. Resources Availability. Reviewers 

will consider the extent to which the 

proposer has access to the necessary 

facilities and overall support to 

accomplish project objectives.

4. Technical Merit of Contribution. 

Reviewers will consider the potential 

technical effectiveness of the proposal 

and the value it would contribute to the 

field of materials science and 

engineering and neutron research. 

Each of these factors will be given 

equal weight in the evaluation process. 

Cost Share Requirements: The MSEL 

Grants Program does not require any 

matching funds. 

Building Research Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements Program:

Program Description: The Building 

Research Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements Program will provide grants 

and cooperative agreements in the 

following fields of research: Structures, 

Construction Metrology and 

Automation, Inorganic Materials, 

Polymeric Materials, HVAC & R 

Equipment Performance, Mechanical 

Systems and Controls, Heat Transfer 

and Alternative Energy Systems, 

Computer Integrated Building Processes, 

and Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation.

DATES: All applications, paper and 

electronic, must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on 

September 30, 2005. Proposals received 

between July 1, 2005 and September 30, 

2005 will be processed and considered 

for funding under this solicitation, but 

if selected, proposals may be funded in 

the next fiscal year, subject to the 

availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Paper applications must be 

submitted to: Karen Perry, Building and 

Fire Research Laboratory, National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, 

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8602, 

Gaithersburg, MD 20899–8602. 

Electronic applications and associated 

proposal information should be 

uploaded to grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

complete information about this 

program and instructions for applying 

by paper or electronically, read the 

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

Notice at http://www.grants.gov. A 

paper copy of the FFO may be obtained 

by calling (301) 975–6328. Program 

questions should be addressed to Karen 

Perry, Building and Fire Research 

Laboratory, National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 

Drive, Stop 8602, Gaithersburg, MD 

20899–8602, Tel.: (301) 975–5910, Fax: 

(301) 975–4032, http://

www.bfrl.nist.gov. All grants related 

administration questions concerning 

this program should be addressed to: 

Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and 

Agreements Management Division, (301) 

975–6328; joyce.brigham@nist.gov. For 

assistance with using Grants.gov contact 

support@grants.gov.

Funding Availability: In fiscal year 

2004, the Building Research Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements Program 

funded 3 new awards, totaling $529,835. 

No funds have been set aside 

specifically for support of the Building 

Research Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements Program. The availability of 

funds depends upon actual 

authorization of funds and other costs 

expected to be incurred by the 

individual divisions. The amount 

available each year fluctuates 

considerably based on programmatic 

needs. Individual awards are expected 

to range between $5,000 and $150,000. 

For the Building Research Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements Program, 

proposals will be considered for 

research projects from one to three 

years. When a proposal for a multi-year 

award is approved, funding will 

generally be provided for only the first 

year of the program. If an application is 

selected for funding, NIST has no 

obligation to provide any additional 

funding in connection with that award. 

Continuation of an award to increase 

funding or extend the period of 

performance is at the total discretion of 

NIST. Funding for each subsequent year 

of a multi-year proposal will be 

contingent upon satisfactory progress, 

continued relevance to the mission of 

the Building Research Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements Program, and 

the availability of funds. The multi-year 

awards must have scopes of work that 

can be easily separated into annual 

increments of meaningful work that 

represent solid accomplishments if 

prospective funding is not made 

available to the applicant, (i.e., the 

scopes of work for each funding period 

must produce identifiable and 

meaningful results in and of 

themselves). 

Statutory Authority: As authorized by 

15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the NIST 

Building and Fire Research Laboratory 

conducts a basic and applied research 

program directly and through grants and 

cooperative agreements to eligible 

recipients. 

Eligibility: The Building Research 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements 

Program is open to institutions of higher 

education; hospitals; non-profit 

organizations; commercial 

organizations; state, local, and Indian 

tribal governments; foreign 

governments; organizations under the 

jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 

international organizations. 

Review and Selection Process: All 

applications received in response to this 

announcement will be reviewed to 

determine whether or not they are 

complete and responsive. Incomplete or 

non-responsive applications will not be 

reviewed for technical merit. The 

Program will retain one copy of each 

non-responsive application for three 

years for recordkeeping purposes. The 

remaining copies will be destroyed. 

Responsive proposals will be 

forwarded to the appropriate Division 

Chief, who will assign them to 

appropriate reviewers. At least three 

independent, objective individuals 

knowledgeable about the particular 

scientific area described in the Program 

Description section above that the 

proposal addresses will conduct a 

technical review of each proposal, based 

on the evaluation criteria described 

below. When non-Federal reviewers are 

used, reviewers may discuss the 

proposals with each other, but scores 

will be determined on an individual 

basis, not as a consensus. Reviews will 

be conducted no less than once per 

quarter, and all proposals since the last 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 787

review session will be ranked based on 

the reviewers’ scores. 

Next, the Division Chief, Laboratory 

Deputy Director, or Laboratory Director 

will make application selections. In 

making application selections, the 

Division Chief, Laboratory Deputy 

Director, or Laboratory Director will 

take into consideration the results of the 

evaluations, the scores of the reviewers, 

the availability of funds, and relevance 

to the objectives of the Building 

Research Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements Program, as described in 

the Program Description section above. 

The final approval of selected 

applications and award of financial 

assistance will be made by the NIST 

Grants Officer based on compliance 

with application requirements as 

published in this notice, compliance 

with applicable legal and regulatory 

requirements, compliance with Federal 

policies that best further the objectives 

of the Department of Commerce, and 

whether the recommended applicants 

appear to be responsible. Applicants 

may be asked to modify objectives, work 

plans, or budgets and provide 

supplemental information required by 

the agency prior to award. The award 

decision of the Grants Officer is final. 

Applicants should allow up to 90 days 

processing time. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be 

notified in writing. The Program will 

retain one copy of each unsuccessful 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Evaluation Criteria: The Divisions 

will score proposals based on the 

following criteria and weights: 

1. Technical quality of the research. 

Reviewers will assess the rationality, 

innovation and imagination of the 

proposal and the fit to NIST’s in-house 

building research programs. (0–35 

points)

2. Potential impact of the results. 

Reviewers will assess the potential 

impact and the technical application of 

the results to our in-house programs and 

the building industry. (0–25 points) 

3. Staff and institution capability to 

do the work. Reviewers will evaluate 

the quality of the facilities and 

experience of the staff to assess the 

likelihood of achieving the objective of 

the proposal. (0–20 points) 

4. Match of budget to proposed work. 

Reviewers will assess the budget against 

the proposed work to ascertain the 

reasonableness of the request. (0–20 

points) 

Cost Share Requirements: The 

Building Research Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements Program does 

not require any matching funds. 

Fire Research Grants Program:

Program Description: The Fire 

Research Grants Program will provide 

funding for innovative ideas in the fire 

research area generated by the proposal 

writer, who chooses the topic and 

approach.

DATES: All applications, paper and 

electronic, must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on 

September 30, 2005. Proposals received 

between May 1, 2005 and September 30, 

2005 be processed and considered for 

funding under this solicitation, but if 

selected, proposals may be funded in 

the next fiscal year, subject to the 

availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Paper applications must be 

submitted to: Ms. Wanda Duffin-Ricks, 

Building and Fire Research Laboratory 

(BFRL), National Institute of Standards 

and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 

8660, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899–

8660. Electronic applications and 

associated proposal information should 

be uploaded to grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

complete information about this 

program and instructions for applying 

by paper or electronically, read the 

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

Notice at http://www.grants.gov. A 

paper copy of the FFO may be obtained 

by calling (301) 975–6328. Program 

questions should be addressed to Ms. 

Wanda Duffin-Ricks, Building and Fire 

Research Laboratory (BFRL), National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, 

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8660, 

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899–8660, 

Tel: (301) 975–6863, e-mail: 

wanda.duffin@nist.gov, Web site: http:/

/www.bfrl.nist.gov. All grants related 

administration questions concerning 

this program should be addressed to: 

Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and 

Agreements Management Division, (301) 

975–6328; joyce.brigham@nist.gov. For 

assistance with using Grants.gov contact 

support@grants.gov.

Funding Availability: For the Fire 

Research Grants Program, the annual 

budget is approximately $1.0 to $1.5 

million. Because of commitments for the 

support of multi-year projects and 

because proposals may have been 

deferred from the previous year’s 

competition, only a portion of the 

budget is available to fund applications 

received in response to this notice. Most 

grants and cooperative agreements are 

in the $25,000 to $125,000 per year 

range, with a maximum requested 

duration of three years. In fiscal year 

2004, the Fire Research Grants Program 

funded 7 new awards, totaling $517,970. 

For the Fire Research Grants Program, 

proposals will be considered for 

research projects from one to three 

years. When a proposal for a multi-year 

project is approved, funding will 

normally be provided for only the first 

year of the program. If an application is 

selected for funding, DoC has no 

obligation to provide any additional 

future funding in connection with that 

award. Funding for each subsequent 

year of a multi-year proposal will be 

contingent on satisfactory progress, 

continuing relevance to the mission of 

the NIST Fire Research Program, and 

the availability of funds. 

Statutory Authority: As authorized by 

15 U.S.C. 278f, the NIST Building and 

Fire Research Laboratory conducts 

directly and through grants and 

cooperative agreements, a basic and 

applied fire research program. 

Eligibility: The Fire Research Grants 

Program is open to institutions of higher 

education; hospitals; non-profit 

organizations; commercial 

organizations; state, local, and Indian 

tribal governments; foreign 

governments; organizations under the 

jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 

international organizations.

Review and Selection Process:

Prospective proposers are encouraged to 

contact the group leaders listed in the 

FFO announcement to determine the 

extent of interest prior to preparation of 

a detailed proposal. Responsive 

proposals will be assigned, as received 

on a rolling basis, to the most 

appropriate group. Proposals are 

evaluated for technical merit based on 

the evaluation criteria described above 

by at least three reviewers chosen from 

NIST professionals, technical experts 

from other interested government 

agencies, and experts from the fire 

research community at large. When nonFederal reviewers are used, reviewers 

may discuss the proposals with each 

other, but scores will be determined on 

an individual basis, not as a consensus. 

The group leaders will make funding 

recommendations to the Division Chief 

based on the technical evaluation score 

and the relationship of the work 

proposed to the objectives of the 

program. 

In making application selections, the 

Division Chief will take into 

consideration the results of the 

evaluations, the scores of the reviewers, 

the group leader’s recommendation, the 

availability of funds, and relevance to 

the objectives of the Fire Research 

Grants Program, as described in the 

Program Description section above. The 

final approval of selected applications 

and award of financial assistance will be 

made by the NIST Grants Officer based 

on compliance with application 

requirements as published in this 

788 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 

notice, compliance with applicable legal 

and regulatory requirements, 

compliance with Federal policies that 

best further the objectives of the 

Department of Commerce, and whether 

the recommended applicants appear to 

be responsible. Applicants may be asked 

to modify objectives, work plans, or 

budgets and provide supplemental 

information required by the agency 

prior to award. The award decision of 

the Grants Officer is final. Applicants 

should allow up to 90 days processing 

time. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be 

notified in writing. The Program will 

retain one copy of each unsuccessful 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Evaluation Criteria: For the Fire 

Research Grants Program, the technical 

evaluation criteria are as follows: 

1. Technical quality of the research. 

Reviewers will assess the rationality, 

innovation and imagination of the 

proposal. (0–35 points). 

2. Potential impact of the results. 

Reviewers will assess the potential 

impact and the technical application of 

the results to the fire safety community. 

(0–25 points ) 

3. Staff and institution capability to 

do the work. Reviewers will evaluate 

the quality of the facilities and 

experience of the staff to assess the 

likelihood of achieving the objective of 

the proposal. (0–20 points) 

4. Match of budget to proposed work. 

Reviewers will assess the budget against 

the proposed work to ascertain the 

reasonableness of the request. (0–20 

points)

Cost Share Requirements: The Fire 

Research Grants Program does not 

require any matching funds. 

The following information applies to 

all programs announced in this notice: 

The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements:

The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements 

contained in the Federal Register notice 

of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 49917), as 

amended by the Federal Register notice 

published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 

66109), are applicable to this 

announcement. On the form SF–424, the 

applicant’s 9-digit Dun and Bradstreet 

Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number must be entered in the 

Applicant Identifier block (68 FR 

38402). 

Collaborations with NIST Employees:

All applications should include a 

description of any work proposed to be 

performed by an entity other than the 

applicant, and the cost of such work 

should ordinarily be included in the 

budget. 

If an applicant proposes collaboration 

with NIST, the statement of work 

should include a statement of this 

intention, a description of the 

collaboration, and prominently identify 

the NIST employee(s) involved, if 

known. Any collaboration by a NIST 

employee must be approved by 

appropriate NIST management and is at 

the sole discretion of NIST. Prior to 

beginning the merit review process, 

NIST will verify the approval of the 

proposed collaboration. Any 

unapproved collaboration will be 

stricken from the proposal prior to the 

merit review. 

Use of NIST Intellectual Property: If 

the applicant anticipates using any 

NIST-owned intellectual property to 

carry out the work proposed, the 

applicant should identify such 

intellectual property. This information 

will be used to ensure that no NIST 

employee involved in the development 

of the intellectual property will 

participate in the review process for that 

competition. In addition, if the 

applicant intends to use NIST-owned 

intellectual property, the applicant must 

comply with all statutes and regulations 

governing the licensing of Federal 

government patents and inventions, 

described at 35 U.S.C. sec. 200–212, 37 

CFR part 401, 15 CFR 14.36, and in 

section 20 of the Department of 

Commerce Pre-Award Notification 

Requirements, 66 FR 49917 (2001), as 

amended by the Federal Register notice 

published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 

66109). Questions about these 

requirements may be directed to the 

Counsel for NIST, 301–975–2803. 

Any use of NIST-owned intellectual 

property by a proposer is at the sole 

discretion of NIST and will be 

negotiated on a case-by-case basis if a 

project is deemed meritorious. The 

applicant should indicate within the 

statement of work whether it already 

has a license to use such intellectual 

property or whether it intends to seek 

one. 

If any inventions made in whole or in 

part by a NIST employee arise in the 

course of an award made pursuant to 

this notice, the United States 

government may retain its ownership 

rights in any such invention. Licensing 

or other disposition of NIST’s rights in 

such inventions will be determined 

solely by NIST, and include the 

possibility of NIST putting the 

intellectual property into the public 

domain. 

Initial Screening of all Applications:

All applications received in response to 

this announcement will be reviewed to 

determine whether or not they are 

complete and responsive to the scope of 

the stated objectives for each program. 

Incomplete or non-responsive 

applications will not be reviewed for 

technical merit. The Program will retain 

one copy of each non-responsive 

application for three years for record 

keeping purposes. The remaining copies 

will be destroyed. 

Paperwork Reduction Act: The 

standard forms in the application kit 

involve a collection of information 

subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. 

The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 

424B, SF–LLL, and CD–346 have been 

approved by OMB under the respective 

Control Numbers 0348–0043, 0348–

0044, 0348–0040, 0348–0046, and 0605–

0001. 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 subject to 

the requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, unless that collection of 

information displays a currently valid 

OMB Control Number. 

Research Projects Involving Human 

Subjects, Human Tissue, Data or 

Recordings Involving Human Subjects:

Any proposal that includes research 

involving human subjects, human 

tissue, data or recordings involving 

human subjects must meet the 

requirements of the Common Rule for 

the Protection of Human Subjects, 

codified for the Department of 

Commerce at 15 CFR part 27. In 

addition, any proposal that includes 

research on these topics must be in 

compliance with any statutory 

requirements imposed upon the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (DHHS) and other federal 

agencies regarding these topics, all 

regulatory policies and guidance 

adopted by DHHS, FDA, and other 

Federal agencies on these topics, and all 

Presidential statements of policy on 

these topics. 

On December 3, 2000, the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (DHHS) introduced a new 

Federal-wide Assurance of Protection of 

Human Subjects (FWA). The FWA 

covers all of an institution’s Federally 

supported human subjects research, and 

eliminates the need for other types of 

Assurance documents. The Office for 

Human Research Protections (OHRP) 

has suspended processing of multiple 

project assurance (MPA) renewals. All 

existing MPAs will remain in force until 

further notice. For information about 

FWAs, please see the OHRP Web site at 

http://ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/

humansubjects/assurance/fwas.htm

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2005 / Notices 789

In accordance with the DHHS change, 

NIST will continue to accept the 

submission of human subjects protocols 

that have been approved by Institutional 

Review Boards (IRBs) possessing a 

current, valid MPA from DHHS. NIST 

also will accept the submission of 

human subjects protocols that have been 

approved by IRBs possessing a current, 

valid FWA from DHHS. NIST will not 

issue a single project assurance (SPA) 

for any IRB reviewing any human 

subjects protocol proposed to NIST.

On August 9, 2001, the President 

announced his decision to allow Federal 

funds to be used for research on existing 

human embryonic stem cell lines as 

long as prior to his announcement (1) 

the derivation process (which 

commences with the removal of the 

inner cell mass from the blastocyst) had 

already been initiated and (2) the 

embryo from which the stem cell line 

was derived no longer had the 

possibility of development as a human 

being. NIST will follow guidance issued 

by the National Institutes of Health at 

http://ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/

humansubjects/guidance/stemcell.pdf

for funding such research. 

Research Projects Involving Vertebrate 

Animals: Any proposal that includes 

research involving vertebrate animals 

must be in compliance with the 

National Research Council’s ‘‘Guide for 

the Care and Use of Laboratory 

Animals’’ which can be obtained from 

National Academy Press, 2101 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20055. In addition, such proposals 

must meet the requirements of the 

Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et 

seq.), 9 CFR parts 1, 2, and 3, and if 

appropriate, 21 CFR part 58. These 

regulations do not apply to proposed 

research using pre-existing images of 

animals or to research plans that do not 

include live animals that are being cared 

for, euthanized, or used by the project 

participants to accomplish research 

goals, teaching, or testing. These 

regulations also do not apply to 

obtaining animal materials from 

commercial processors of animal 

products or to animal cell lines or 

tissues from tissue banks. 

Limitation of Liability: In no event 

will the Department of Commerce be 

responsible for proposal preparation 

costs if these programs fail to receive 

funding or are cancelled because of 

other agency priorities. Publication of 

this announcement does not oblige the 

agency to award any specific project or 

to obligate any available funds. 

Executive Order 12866: This funding 

notice was determined to be not 

significant for purposes of Executive 

Order 12866. 

Executive Order 13132 (Federalism):

It has been determined that this notice 

does not contain policies with 

federalism implications as that term is 

defined in Executive Order 13132. 

Executive Order 12372: Applications 

under this program are not subject to 

Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.’’

Administrative Procedure Act/

Regulatory Flexibility Act: Notice and 

comment are not required under the 

Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 

553) or any other law, for rules relating 

to public property, loans, grants, 

benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 553 (a)). 

Because notice and comment are not 

required under 5 U.S.C. 553, or any 

other law, for rules relating to public 

property, loans, grants, benefits or 

contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)), a Regulatory 

Flexibility Analysis is not required and 

has not been prepared for this notice, 5 

U.S.C. 601 et seq.

Dated: December 23, 2004. 

Hratch G. Semerjian, 

Acting Director, NIST.

[FR Doc. 05–183 Filed 1–4–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Availability of Seats for the Cordell 

Bank National Marine Sanctuary 

Advisory Council

AGENCY: National Marine Sanctuary 

Program (NMSP), National Ocean 

Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice and request for 

applications. 

SUMMARY: The Cordell Bank National 

Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS or 

Sanctuary) is seeking applicants for the 

following vacant seats on its Sanctuary 

Advisory Council (Council): Community 

At Large, Maritime Activities, Research, 

Education, Conservation. Applicants are 

chosen based upon their particular 

expertise and experience in relation to 

the seat for which they are applying; 

community and professional affiliations; 

philosophy regarding the protection and 

management of marine resources; and 

possibly the length of residence in the 

area affected by the Sanctuary. 

Applicants who are chosen as members 

should expect to serve 2–3 year terms, 

pursuant to the Council’s Charter.

DATES: Applications are due by January 

31, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Application kits may be 

obtained from Cordell Bank National 

Marine Sanctuary, Rowena Forest, P.O. 

Box 159, Olema, CA 94950. Completed 

applications should be sent to the same 

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rowena Forest/CBNMS, P.O. Box 159 

Olema, CA 94950, (415) 663–0314 x105, 

and Rowena.forest@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Advisory Council for Cordell Bank was 

established in 2002 to support the joint 

management plan review process 

currently underway for the CBNMS and 

its neighboring sanctuaries, Gulf of the 

Farallones and Monterey Bay National 

Marine Sanctuaries. The Council has 

members representing education, 

research, conservation, maritime 

activity, and community-at-large. The 

government seats are held by a 

representatives from the National 

Marine Fisheries Service, the United 

States Coast Guard, and the managers of 

the Gulf of the Farallones, Monterey Bay 

and Channel Islands National Marine 

Sanctuaries. The Council holds four 

regular meetings per year, and one 

annual retreat.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431, et seq.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 

Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program)

Dated: December 21, 2004. 

Daniel J. Basta, 

Director, National Marine Sanctuary Program, 

National Ocean Services, National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration.

[FR Doc. 05–132 Filed 1–4–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Availability of Seats for the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral 

Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory 

Council

AGENCY: National Marine Sanctuary 

Program (NMSP), National Ocean 

Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice and request for 

applications. 

SUMMARY: The Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve 

(Reserve) is seeking applicants for the 

following vacant seats on its Reserve 

Advisory Council (Council): (3) Native 

Hawaiian, (2) Conservation, (1) Research 

and (1) Commercial Fishing. Applicants 

are chosen based upon their particular 

expertise and experience in relation to