[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7436-7438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3996]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 961121324-7019-03]
RIN 0693-ZA14
Announcement of Availability of Funding for Focused Program
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 the availability of funding
for four Focused Program competitions under the Advanced Technology
Program (ATP) for fiscal year 1997, targeted on specific technology
areas. The four Focused Program competitions being held are: (1) 97-04,
Digital Data Storage; (2) 97-05, Technologies for the Integration of
Manufacturing Applications (TIMA); (3) 97-06, Component-Based Software
(CBS); and (4) 97-07, Tissue Engineering. This notice provides general
information for these Focused Program competitions.
DATES: Proposal due dates and other specific instructions will be
published in the Commerce Business Daily (CBD) at the time the
competitions are announced. Dates, times, and locations of Proposers'
Conferences held for interested parties considering applying for
funding will also be announced in the CBD.
ADDRESSES: Information on the ATP may be obtained from the following
address: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Advanced
Technology Program, Administration Building (Bldg. 101), Room A407,
Quince Orchard & Clopper Roads, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001.
Additionally, information on the ATP is available on the Internet
through the World Wide Web (WWW) at http://www.atp.nist.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for ATP information, application materials, and/or to have
your name added to the ATP mailing list for future mailings may also be
made by:
(a) Calling the ATP toll-free ``hotline'' number at 1-800-ATP-FUND
or 1-800-287-3863. 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:
(b) Sending a facsimile (fax) to 301-926-9524 or 301-590-3053; or
(c) Sending electronic mail to atp@nist.gov. Include your name, full
mailing address, and phone number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The statutory authority for the ATP is Section 5131 of the Omnibus
Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-418, 15 U.S.C.
278n), as modified by Pub. L. 102-245. The ATP implementing regulations
are published at 15 CFR part 295. The Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) number and program title for the ATP are 11.612,
Advanced Technology Program (ATP).
The ATP is a rigorously competitive cost-sharing program designed
to assist United States industry/businesses pursue high-risk, enabling
technologies with significant commercial/economic potential. The ATP
provides multi-year funding to single companies and to industry-led
joint ventures to pursue research and development (R&D) projects with
high-payoff potential for the nation. The ATP accelerates enabling
technologies that, because they are risky, are unlikely to be developed
in time to compete in rapidly changing world markets without such a
partnership between industry and the Federal government. The ATP
challenges industry to take on projects characterized by high technical
risk but commensurately high potential payoff to the nation. Proposers
must provide credible arguments as to the project feasibility.
The funding instrument used in ATP awards is a ``cooperative
agreement.'' Through the cooperative agreement, the ATP fosters a
government-industry partnership to accomplish a public purpose of
support or stimulation. NIST plans a substantial role in these awards
by providing technical assistance and monitoring the technical work and
business progress.
Funding Availability
An estimated $15 million in first year funding is available for
each of the Focused Program Competitions 97-04, 97-05, and 97-06. An
estimated $12 million in first year funding is available for Focused
Program Competition 97-07. The ATP reserves the right to utilize for
any competition more or less funding than the amounts stated above. The
actual number of proposals funded will depend on the quality of the
proposals received and the amount of funding requested in the highest
ranked proposals. Outyear funding beyond the first year is contingent
on the approval of future Congressional appropriations and satisfactory
project performance.
Eligibility Requirements, Selection Criteria, and Proposal Review
Process
The eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and the proposal
review process are discussed in detail in the ATP implementing
regulations published at 15 CFR Part 295.
Funding Amounts, Award Period and Cost Sharing (Matching)
Requirements
(a) Single companies can receive up to $2 million of ATP funds for
up to 3
[[Page 7437]]
years. Single companies do not have to provide matching funds, but they
are reimbursed for direct costs only. Single companies are responsible
for securing funding for all overhead/indirect costs.
(b) Joint ventures can receive a minority share of the total
project costs for up to 5 years. Joint ventures must cost-share
(matching funds) more than 50 percent of the total project costs
(direct plus indirect costs) for each quarter that the ATP funds the
project. Subcontractors funded under an ATP cooperative agreement may
not contribute towards the matching-fund requirement.
Application Forms and Proposal Preparation Kit
A new November 1996 version of the ATP Proposal Preparation Kit is
available upon request from the ATP at the address and phone numbers
noted in this notice. Note that the ATP mailed the Kit to all those
individuals whose names are currently on the ATP mailing list. The Kit
contains proposal cover sheets, other required forms, background
material, and instructions for submission of proposals. All proposals
must be prepared in accordance with the instructions in the Kit.
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.
Other Requirements
(a) Federal Policies and Procedures. Recipients and subrecipients
are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and Department of Commerce
policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial
assistance awards as identified in the cooperative agreement award.
(b) Past Performance. Unsatisfactory performance under prior
Federal awards may result in a proposal not being considered for
funding.
(c) Pre-award Activities. If applicants incur any costs prior to an
award being made, they do solely at their own risk of not being
reimbursed by the Government. Only written authorization from the NIST
Grants Officer will obligate NIST to cover pre-award costs.
(d) No Obligation for Future Funding. If a proposal is selected for
funding, NIST 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 NIST.
(e) Delinquent Federal Debts. 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 NIST are made.
(f) Name Check Review. All for-profit and non-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) Primary Applicant Certification. All primary applicants
(including all joint venture participants) 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:
(1) Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension. Prospective
participants, as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 105 are subject to
15 CFR part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the
related section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
(2) Drug-Free 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;
(3) Anti-Lobbying. Persons (as defined at 15 CFR part 28, section
105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352,
``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,
(4) Anti-Lobbying Disclosures. Any applicant that has paid or will
pay for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities,'' as required under 15 CFR part 28, Appendix B.
(h) 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.
(i) False Statements. 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.
(j) Intergovernmental Review. 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.
(k) American-Made Equipment and Products. Applicants are hereby
notified that they are encouraged, to the greatest extent practicable,
to purchase American-made equipment and products with the funding
provided under this program in accordance with Congressional intent.
(l) Paperwork Reduction Act. This notice contains collection of
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
which have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB
Control No. 0693-0009). 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 PRA, unless that collection of
information displays a currently valid OMB Control No.
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Dated: February 12, 1997.
Elaine Bunten-Mines,
Director, Program Office.
[FR Doc. 97-3996 Filed 2-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M
