[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 207 (Thursday, October 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26658]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 27, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket Number 940980-4280]
Announcement of Available Funding for Competitions-Advanced
Technology Program (ATP)
agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology
Administration, Commerce.
action: Notice.
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summary: The Technology Administration's National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) announces available funding for various
competitions under the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). During 1995,
the ATP will hold the following competitions:
(1) General Competition 95-01 in which proposals in all areas of
technology meeting the ATP criteria are solicited, and,
(2) Several Program Competitions focused on specific technology or
technology application areas.
This notice provides general information for all the competitions
planned for 1995. Proposal due dates, program competition topics, and
other competition-specific instructions for the General Competition and
each of the Program Competitions will be published in the Commerce
Business Daily (CBD) at a later date.
Those interested in applying for ATP funding must contact the ATP
at the address shown later in this notice to obtain application
materials. The Proposal Preparation Kit available upon request from the
ATP contains the application forms, background material, and
instructions referenced in this notice. The new ATP Proposal
Preparation Kit may be used either for General Competitions or Program
Competitions. The Advanced Technology Program is Program Number 11.612
in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
Due dates for the general and program competition will be published
in the CBD at the time each competition is announced. Should there ever
be an extension of the due date for any ATP competition, that
information will be provided via a notice published in the CBD as well
as a recorded message on the ATP toll-free ``Hotline'' number (1-800-
ATP-FUND). For this reason, we recommend that applicants check this
recorded message prior to the closing date.
The specific date and location will be announced in the CBD
regarding a public meeting for parties considering applying for funding
in the ATP General Competition 95-01. Attendance at this public meeting
is not required of potential proposers. The purpose of the meeting is
to provide general information regarding the ATP procedures, selection
process, and proposal preparation to potential applicants unfamiliar
with the ATP. No discussion of specific proposals will occur at this
meeting. Dates and times of analogous public meetings for the program
competitions will be announced in the CBD, transmitted to those on the
ATP mailing list, and described on the ATP toll-free Hotline.
for further information contact: To request a copy of the ATP Proposal
Preparation Kit and to have your name added to the ATP mailing list for
future mailings use whichever of these four options is the most
convenient for you:
(1) Call the ATP toll-free number, 1-800-ATP-FUND. You will have
the option of hearing recorded messages regarding the status of the ATP
or speaking to one of our customer representatives who will take your
name and address. If our representatives are all busy when you call,
leave a message after the tone. To ensure that the information is
entered correctly, please speak distinctly and slowly and spell the
words that might cause confusion. Leave your phone number as well as
your name and address.
(2) Contact ATP via fax at (301) 926-9524. A backup fax number is
(301) 869-1150.
(3) Contact ATP via electronic mail at atp@micf.nist.gov. Include
your name, full mailing address and phone number.
(4) Write to the ATP at the address shown below:
Advanced Technology Program, Administration Building (101), Room
A430, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Quince Orchard at
Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001.
Note that the ATP is mailing new Proposal Preparation Kits to all
those individuals whose names are currently in the ATP computer data
base. Such individuals need not contact the ATP to request a kit. The
anticipated mailing date is sometime this winter. The ATP toll-free
Hotline message stated above will report when this mailing is made.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The ATP is managed by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, an element of the Technology Administration (TA) of the
Department of Commerce. ATP was established by section 5131 of the
Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-418, 15
U.S.C. 278n), as modified by Public Law 102-245.
The ATP works with U.S. industry to advance the nation's
competitiveness--and economy--by helping to fund the development of
high-risk but powerful new technologies that underlie a broad spectrum
of potential new applications, commercial products, and services.
Through cooperative agreements with individual companies or groups of
companies, large and small, the ATP invests in industrial projects to
develop technologies with high-payoff potential for the nation. The ATP
accelerates technologies that--because they are risky--are unlikely to
be developed in time to compete in rapidly changing world markets
without such a partnership of industry and government. By sharing the
cost of such projects, the ATP catalyzes industry to pursue promising
technologies. The Proposal Preparation Kit expands on the goals of the
ATP and describes in detail what constitutes a good ATP proposal.
The ATP operates under program procedures published at part 295,
title 15, of the Code of Federal Regulations. These procedures were
updated (59 FR, page 663, January 6, 1994). A copy of the updated
version of these procedures is provided in the ATP Proposal Preparation
Kit.
Cooperative research agreements rather than grants are the funding
instruments used for ATP awards. A cooperative research agreement
differs from a grant with respect to the amount of interaction between
the Federal Government and the recipient, and is used to provide
financial assistance when substantial involvement is anticipated
between the government and the recipient.
Invitation for Proposals
The ATP CBD notices to be published later will invite applications
for funding from:
(1) Individual United States businesses in amounts not to exceed $2
million (federal share) over three years. Single applicants must fund
all indirect costs associated with the project.
(2) Industry-led joint research and development ventures, where ATP
support will serve as a catalyst for the proposed joint venture
project, and provided, however, that the ATP share is a minority share
of the cost of the venture for up to five years.
Applicant eligibility is discussed in detail in the ATP Proposal
Preparation Kit.
All awards are subject to the availability of appropriations.
Future or continued funding for multi-year projects will be at the
discretion of NIST and will be contingent on such factors as
satisfactory performance and the availability of funds.
Abbreviated Proposals
ATP reserves the right to use abbreviated proposal for any general
or program competition. Information regarding the use of abbreviated
proposals will be included in the CBD announcement of that specific
competition. The purpose of abbreviated proposals is to provide
applicants with limited resources early feedback regarding whether the
proposed project falls within the scope of the ATP and whether the
project proposed appears sufficiently promising relative to the
selection criteria to warrant preparation of a full proposal. In
competitions where abbreviated proposals are accepted, applicants who
submit such proposals will be notified in writing whether or not ATP
recommends submission of a full proposal.
ATP may provide feedback to proposers in one of the following three
ways:
(1) (Used for abbreviated proposals only); A written transmittal
giving a yes/no recommendation regarding preparation of a full
proposal;
(2) A checklist noting concerns regarding the proposal or
abbreviated proposal. This transmittal may be accompanied by a
statement summarizing common shortcomings noted in the proposals
submitted to that competition;
(3) An oral debriefing by telephone summarizing the strengths and
weaknesses of the proposal.
Which of these feedback mechanisms is used will depend on the
competition and may depend on the number of proposals received.
Proprietary information is abbreviated and full proposals will be
protected. If your proposal contains proprietary information, mark it
accordingly; however, the title page must not include proprietary
information. We recommend including the following legend on the title
page: ``Proposal contains proprietary information. Title page
nonproprietary.''
Full proposals must be prepared in accordance with the instructions
in the ATP Proposal Preparation Kit. In competitions involving
abbreviated proposals, heed the general advice provided in the ATP
Proposal Preparation Kit, but follow the specific instructions
announced in the specific CBD announcements.
Funds Available for Cooperative Research Agreements
An estimated $20 to $25 million in first-year funding will be
available for General Competition 95-01. The number of awards will
depend on the quality of the proposals received and the amount of
funding requested by the proposals under consideration for awards.
Based on ATP's experience the number of awards is unlikely to exceed
30. An estimated $100 to $125 million in first-year funding will be
available for the several program competition to be announced. For
every ATP competition, NIST reserves the right to fund proposals
totalling more or less than the amount of funding tentatively allocated
to that competition if the number of high quality proposals received is
judged to be greater or fewer respectively than anticipated.
Preparation of Full Proposal and Reporting Requirements
The ATP Proposal Preparation Kit, available from the ATP, contains
background material on the ATP, detailed contents and formatting
guidelines for the preparation of full proposals, and the required
forms. Also included is information of reporting and audit requirements
for recipients. To be accepted for review, full proposals must meet all
of the requirements outlined in the Kit. Full proposals that fail to
meet one or more of those requirements will be considered non-
responsive to the solicitation.
Award Criteria and Proposal Review Process
The criteria used to evaluate proposals submitted to the ATP and
the proposal review process are documented in the Proposal Preparation
Kit.
Negotiation of Cooperative Agreements
NIST reserves the right to negotiate project scope and funding
levels with ATP cooperative research agreement recipients.
Submission of Revised Proposals
An applicant may submit a full proposal that is a revised version
of a full proposal submitted to a previous ATP competition. NIST will
examine such proposals to determine whether substantial revisions have
been made. Where the revisions are determined not to be substantial,
NIST reserves the right to score and rank, or where appropriate, to
reject, such proposals based on reviews of the previously-submitted
proposal.
Transfer of Proposals
NIST reserves the right to transfer a full proposal received in
response to a General Competition invitation to a Program Competition
underway in the same general timeframe if the subject matter of the
proposal clearly falls within the scope of the Program Competition.
NIST will not transfer proposals from Program Competitions to General
Competitions. Applicants will be notified if and when a proposal is
transferred from a General Competition to a Program Competition.
Other Requirements, Requests, and Provisions
No award of Federal funds shall be made to an applicant or
recipient who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt until either
the delinquent account is paid in full, a negotiated repayment schedule
is established and at least one payment is received, or other
arrangements satisfactory to the Department are made.
All for-profit and nonprofit 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.
Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in
an application not being considered for funding.
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 the Department of
Commerce to cover pre-award costs.
Primary Applicant Certification
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 explanation is hereby provided:
a. Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension--Prospective
participants, as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 105 are subject to
15 CFR part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the
related section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
b. Drug-Free Workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR part 605)
are subject to 15 CFR 26, subpart F, ``Governmentwide Requirements for
Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section of the
certification form prescribed above applies;
c. Anti-Lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 CFR part 28, section
105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 USC 1352,
``Limitations on use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal
contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of
the certification form prescribed above applies to applications/bids
for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than
$100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more than $150,000, or the
single family maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever
is greater; and,
d. Anti-Lobbying Disclosures--Any applicant that has paid or will
pay for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities,'' as required under 15 CFR part 28, Appendix B.
Lower Tier Certification--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 Form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure
of Lobbying Activities.'' Although the CD-512 is intended for the use
of primary recipients and should not be transmitted to NIST, the SF-LLL
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be forwarded in
accordance with the instructions contained in the award document.
A false statement on any application for funding under ATP may be
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. The
ATP does not involve the mandatory payment of any matching funds from
state or local government and does not affect directly any state or
local government. Accordingly, the Department of Commerce has
determined that Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs'' is not applicable to this program. Recipients and
subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and
Department of Commerce policies, regulations and procedures applicable
to financial assistance awards.
Applicants are hereby notified that any equipment or products
authorized to be purchased with funding provided under this program
must be American-made to the maximum extent feasible in accordance with
Public Law 103-317, section 607 (a) and (b). Adequate justification
will be required for any proposed purchase of equipment or products
that are not American-made.
Dated: October 21, 1994.
Arati Prabhakar,
Director, NIST.
[FR Doc. 94-26658 Filed 10-26-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M
