[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44237-44239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22188]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 980805207-8210-02]
RIN 0648-ZA47
General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions of the Coastal
Ocean Program
AGENCY: Coastal Ocean Program, National Oceanic and Atmopheric
Administration, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice for Financial Assistance for Project Grants and
Cooperative Agreements.
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SUMMARY: It is the intent of the National Ocean Service (NOS), NOAA's
Coastal Ocean Program (COP) to provide direct financial assistance in
the form of Grants and Cooperative Agreements under its own program for
the management of coastal ecosystems. Prior COP financial assistance
was provided to non-profit organizations and educational institutions
through joint participation in a Sea Grant omnibus vehicle.
This notice does not solicit proposals; but rather introduces and
describes the general grant administration terms and conditions of the
COP program. It is the intent of COP to issue supplemental
Announcements of Opportunities (AOs) to request proposals on specific
projects throughout the year on an as-needed basis commencing with
FY1999. Any Announcements of Funding Opportunities will be issued
through the Federal Register, the COP Home Page, mass mailings and
COP's e-mail list. Those announcements will provide specific program
descriptions; criteria for proposal submission; technical evaluation of
proposals and other details affecting that Announcement of Opportunity.
Proposals solicited through supplemental notices will be part of a
unique federal-academic partnership designed to provide predictive
capability for managing coastal ecosystems. COP supports research on
critical issues which exist in the Nation's estuaries, coastal waters
and the Great Lakes; and translates its findings into accessible
information for coastal managers, planners, lawmakers and the public.
Historically, COP's projects are multi-disciplinary, large in scale and
long in duration (usually three to five years). Multi-year funding will
be funded incrementally on an annual basis. Therefore, each annual
award shall require a Statement of Work that is clearly severable and
can be easily separated into annual increments of meaningful work which
represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made
available.
DATES: Supplemental notices will be issued through the Federal Register
and will provide critical information and dates specific for that each
AO.
ADDRESSES: Coastal Ocean Program Office, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East West Highway, Room 9700, Silver
Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie McDonald, COP Grants Office,
(301) 713-3338/x137.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
(a) Program Authority(s): 33 U.S.C. 1121; 33 U.S.C. 883a et seq; 33
U.S.C. 1442; 16 U.S.C. 1456c.
(b) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): 11. 478 Coastal
Ocean Program.
(c) Program Description: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Ocean Program (COP) provides predictive
capability for managing coastal ecosystems through sponsorship of
research. COP seeks to deliver the highest quality science in a timely
manner for important coastal decisions. It supports research on
critical issues which exist in the Nation's estuaries, coastal waters,
and Great Lakes and translates its findings into accessible information
for coastal managers, planners, lawmakers, and the public.
Coastal Ecosystem Oceanography
COP supports the conservation and management of marine ecosystems
through sponsorship of improved ecological and oceanographic
predictions for resource management. Studies focus on: (1) Identifying
critical processes that control replenishment of fishery resources; (2)
Determining critical habitat process that influence fishery ecosystems,
including harmful algal blooms; and (3) Quantifying species
interactions so models can be used in management decisions. Current
efforts support fisheries studies dealing with Bering Sea pollack, cod
and haddock on Georges Bank, and salmon in the Pacific Northwest. COP
also leads an interagency research program on the ecology and
oceanography of harmful algal blooms which are increasing in intensity
and impact in coastal waters.
Cumulative Coastal Impacts
COP sponsors improvements to the scientific basis for managing
coastal ecosystems through a series of regional watershed projects on
the causes and impacts of multiple stresses on coastal land and marine
ecosystems. Studies focus on: (1) Developing indicators of physical,
chemical, and biological stress; (2) predicting impacts of multiple
stresses on living marine resources; (3) valuing natural resources in
ecological and economical terms; and (4) predicting the outcomes of
management strategies. Current efforts support coastal and natural
resource managers dealing with multiple stressors in the Chesapeake
Bay, Florida Bay and the Florida Keys, the Great Lakes and southeast
coastal ecosystems.
Coastal Forecasting/Natural Hazards
COP sponsors research to improve our ability to measure, understand
and predict physical coastal ocean phenomena that impact the public,
the economy and coastal resources. These forecasts are important to
those living along the Nation's coasts, to the businesses and
industries located there, and to myriad coastal resources at risk. In
recent years, COP has sponsored and delivered new forecast capabilities
to the operational parts of NOAA, including the satellite-based Coast/
Watch program, a Great Lakes Forecast System, a prototype Coastal Ocean
Forecast System and improved storm surge and tsunami inundation
predictions.
[[Page 44238]]
Benefits of the COP
Continued population pressures on the Nation's coastal areas and
on-going changes in the environment will continue to stress our coastal
waters, bays and estuaries, and the Great Lakes. While the need for
data and information to address today's problems is pressing, COP has
also focused on developing information for longer-range management and
policy decisions at larger and more complex scales than are
traditional. COP research will help the U.S. respond to the major
challenges of the next century and to balance the needs of economic
growth with those of conserving the environment by: (1) Developing
ecosystem-level scientific projects that are multi-disciplinary, long
in duration, and evaluate the impact of multiple stressors on the
ecological functions; (2) sponsoring development and transfer of
predictive information to resource managers that will help conserve and
restore important marine resources; (3) protecting lives and property
as well as providing for sound, coastal development by sponsoring
improved coastal forecasting capabilities and (4) transitioning
successful research to NOAA operations.
(d) Funding Availability--Typically, annual funding for each
Announcement of Opportunity is approximately $1,000,000. Each COP
project generally consists of several coordinated investigations with
separate awards, ranging from $5,000 to $200,000. Actual funding levels
will depend upon the final budget appropriations for the fiscal year.
Announcements of Opportunity (AO) will be released with specific
applicable dollar amounts. Financial History of COP Grants: FY97
$10.00M; FY98 est. $8.5M; FY99 est. $8.5M. Funding for non-U.S.
institutions and contractual arrangements for services and products for
delivery to NOAA are not available under this notice.
If an application for a financial assistance award is selected for
funding, COP has no obligation to provide any additional prospective
funding in connection with that award in subsequent years. There are no
matching fund requirements. Renewal of an award to increase funding or
extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the
Department of Commerce. Publication of this notice does not obligate
Commerce to any specific award or to obligate any part of the entire
amount of funds available.
(e) Matching Requirements: None.
(f) Type of Funding Instrument: Project Grants and Cooperative
Agreements.
(g) Eligibility Criteria: To be detailed in Announcements of
Funding Opportunities.
(h) Award Period: Typically, COP's projects are usually long in
duration, multi-disciplinary, averaging one to five years and will be
stated in Announcements of Funding Opportunities for each specific
project. Multi-year funding will be funded incrementally on an annual
basis. Therefore, each annual award shall require a Statement of Work
that is clearly severable and can be easily separated into annual
increments of meaningful work which represent solid accomplishments if
prospective funding is not made available.
(i) Indirect Costs: If Indirect costs are proposed, the following
statement applies: The total dollar amount of the indirect costs
proposed in an application under any Announcement of Opportunity must
not exceed the indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a
cognizant Federal agency prior to the proposed effective date of the
award or 100 percent of the total proposed direct costs dollar amount
in the application, whichever is less.
(j) Application Forms and Kit: As stated in supplemental notices.
When applying for financial assistance under a published Announcement
of Opportunity, applicants will be able to obtain a NOAA/COP
application kit from the COP office listed under the heading ADDRESSES
section of this notice, or directly from the NOAA/COP web site. The web
site is: http://www.cop.noaa.gov/cop-home.html. At time of submission,
the applicant shall follow the guidelines presented in the funding
announcement. Applications not adhering to those stated guidelines may
be returned to the applicant without further review.
(k) Project Funding Priorities: To be detailed in COP Announcements
of Funding Opportunities. However, priority consideration will be given
to proposals that promote balanced coverage of the science goals and
avoid duplication of completed or ongoing work and geographic areas.
(l) Evaluation Criteria: To be detailed in COP Announcements of
Funding. Criterion will provide an adequate basis for review of an
applicant's capabilities and performance under the award.
(m) Selection Procedures: To be detailed in COP Announcements of
Funding Opportunities. All proposals submitted will be evaluated and
ranked in accordance with the assigned weights of evaluation criteria
stated for that AO. Any additional factors considered by the selecting
official in making a selection will be published in that AO. COP
project grants and cooperative agreements will be awarded on a
competitive basis.
(n) Other Requirements:
(1) Federal Policies and Procedures: Recipients and subrecipients
are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and DOC policies,
regulations and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance
awards.
(2) Past Performance: Unsatisfactory performance by a recipient
under prior Federal awards may result in an application not being
considered for funding.
(3) Preaward Activities: If applicants incur any costs prior to an
award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not being
reimbursed by the Government. Notwithstanding any verbal assurance that
they may have received, there is no obligation on the part of
Department of Commerce to cover pre-award costs unless approved by the
Grants Officer as part of the terms when the award is made.
(4) No Obligation for Future Funding: If an application is selected
for funding, DOC/NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional
future funding in connection with that award. Amendment of an award to
increase funding or, unless the award specifically provides to the
contrary, to extend the period of performance is at the total
discretion of DOC/NOAA.
(5) Delinquent Federal Debts: No award of Federal funds shall be
made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt
until:
(i) The delinquent account is paid in full,
(ii) A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least
one payment is received, or
(iii) Other arrangements satisfactory to the Department of Commerce
are made.
(6) Name Check Review: All non-profit and for-profit applicants are
subject to a name check review process. Name checks are intended to
reveal if any key individuals associated with the applicant have been
convicted of, or are presently facing criminal charges such as fraud,
theft, perjury, or other matters which significantly reflect on the
applicant's management honesty or financial integrity.
(7) Debarment, Suspension, Drug-Free Workplace, and Lobbying
Provisions: All applicants must comply with the requirements of 15 CFR
part 26, ``Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (nonprocurement)
and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and
15 CFR part 28, ``New Restrictions on Lobbying,'' including the
submission of required forms and obtaining
[[Page 44239]]
certifications from lower tier applicants/bidders.
(8) False Statements: A false statement on an application is
grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible
punishment by a fine or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
(9) Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are
not subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.''
(10) This notice was determined to be not significant for purposes
of Executive Order 12866.
Dated: August 12, 1998.
Captain Evelyn J. Fields,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal
Zone Management.
[FR Doc. 98-22188 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JS-P
