[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 105 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27050-27052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13573]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 960520140-6140-01]
RIN 0693-ZA 08
Announcement of Availability of Funding for General Competition--
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 General Competition 96-01 under the Advanced Technology Program
(ATP). This General Competition is open to all areas of technology,
including those previously included in focused areas. Only a General
Competition is planned this fiscal year; there are no plans to run
focused program competitions during fiscal year 1996. This notice
provides general information for this ATP competition for fiscal year
1996.
DATES: Proposal due date and other specific instructions for the
General Competition will be published in the Commerce Business Daily
(CBD) at the time the competition is announced. Date, time, and
location 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 A430,
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 atpmicf.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
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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 award funding instrument used to fund successful ATP proposals
is a ``cooperative agreement.'' Through the use of the cooperative
agreement funding instrument, the ATP fosters a government-industry
partnership to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation.
Under a cooperative agreement, NIST plays a substantial role in
providing technical assistance and monitoring the technical work and
business progress.
Funding Availability
An estimated $20 million to $25 million to first year funding will
be available for Competition 96-01. The ATP reserves the right to
utilize for this 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 over
a period not to exceed 3 years. Single companies do not have to provide
matching funds, but they are reimbursed for direct costs only. All
indirect costs must be paid for by the single companies.
(b) Joint Ventures can be funded up to a maximum of 5 years, with
no funding limit. Joint ventures must also share costs, but their cost-
share requirement is in the form of matching funds. A joint venture
must provide more than 50 percent of the total project costs (direct
plus indirect costs).
(c) Subcontractors funded under an ATP cooperative agreement may
not contribute towards the matching-fund requirement. However, they may
voluntarily reduce their subcontract costs.
Application Forms and Proposal Preparation Kit
The ATP Proposal Preparation Kit dated November 1994 and Supplement
dated May 1996 are available upon request from the ATP at the address
and phone numbers noted in this notice. 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 and Supplement.
Note that the ATP is mailing the new Supplement to the Kit to all
those individuals whose names are currently on the ATP mailing list.
Those individuals need not contact the ATP to request the Supplement to
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. Notwithstanding any verbal or written
assurance that may have been received, there is no obligation on the
part of 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 the 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 part 26, subpart F, ``Governmentwide Requirements
for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section of the
certification form prescribed above applies;
(3) Anti-Lobbying. Persons (as defined at 15 CFR part 28, section
105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352,
``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
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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 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 Number.
Dated: May 24, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-13573 Filed 5-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M
