Virginia Sea Grant Institutional Program, 43448-43450 [E6-12286]
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43448
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 147 / Tuesday, August 1, 2006 / Notices
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
This notice describes funding
opportunities for the NOAA Office of
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
National Sea Grant College Program.
needed. Sea Grant requires that funds be
matched with at least one non-Federal
dollar for every two Federal dollars.
[Docket No. 060724199–6199–01]
Background
Virginia Sea Grant Institutional
Program
The National Sea Grant College
Program (NSGCP) was established by
Congress to promote responsible use
and conservation of the nation’s marine
and Great Lakes resources by
conducting integrated research and
outreach through a stable national
infrastructure of state Sea Grant
programs. The mission of the NSGCP is
to ‘‘Enhance the practical use and
conservation of coastal, marine and
Great Lakes resources to create a
sustainable economy and environment.’’
To accomplish this mission, the NSGCP
is soliciting applications for a new Sea
Grant institutional program for the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
Applications under this program are
not subject to Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.’’
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
AGENCY:
NOAA’s Office of Oceanic
and Atmospheric Research (OAR),
National Sea Grant College Program
invites applications to establish an
Institutional Sea Grant Program for the
Commonwealth of Virginia beginning in
FY 2007. Anticipated start date is
February 1, 2007. Applicants should
provide a four-year plan for an
institutional program that will be part of
the larger National Sea Grant network,
a partnership between the federal
government and universities to conduct
integrated research, education and
outreach in fields related to ocean,
coastal and Great Lakes resources.
Applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the full
funding opportunity announcement.
DATES: Proposals must be received no
later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time,
September 15, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Proposals should be
submitted through Grants.Gov,
following the directions in Electronic
Access, below. Proposals from those
that do not have access to Internet
should be sent to: Geraldine Taylor,
NOAA R/SG; 1315 East-West Highway,
Bldg SSMC 3, Room 11828, Silver
Spring, MD 20910–3283, tel. 301–713–
2435.
This Federal Register notice may be
found at the Grants.gov Web site, https://
www.grants.gov, and at the NOAA Sea
Grant Web site (https://
www.seagrant.noaa.gov) by clicking on
the ‘‘View Requests for Proposals’’
button.
No e-mail or facsimile proposal
submissions will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
a copy of the full funding opportunity
announcement and/or application kit,
access it at Grants.gov, via NOAA Sea
Grant’s Web site, or by contacting Ms.
Jamie Krauk, NOAA R/SG, 1315 East
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910–3283, telephone: 301–713–2431
x129, e-mail: jamie.krauk@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the full
funding opportunity announcement.
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SUMMARY:
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Electronic Access
As has been the case since October 1,
2004, applicants can access, download
and submit electronic grant applications
for NOAA Programs through the
Grants.gov Web site at https://
www.Grants.gov. Applicants without
Internet access may contact program
officials for applications and submission
instructions. The closing dates for
applications filed through Grants.gov
are the same as for the paper
submissions noted in this
announcement. For applicants filing
through Grants.gov, NOAA strongly
recommends that you do not wait until
the application deadline date to begin
the application process. Registration
may take up to 10 business days.
Funding Availability
NOAA expects that about $1.4M will
be available from the NSGCP to
establish a new Sea Grant institutional
program for the Commonwealth of
Virginia beginning in FY 2007. NOAA
anticipates continuing support at that
level from FY 2008–FY 2010 if funds are
available.
Funding Opportunity Number: OAR–
SG–2007–2000807.
Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1121–
1131.
CFDA: 11.417, Sea Grant Support.
Eligibility
Proposals may be submitted by
institutions of higher education, or
confederations of such institutions in
the state of Virginia.
Cost Sharing Requirements
To be eligible for the NSGCP funds, a
match of 50% of the requested Federal
funds (direct and indirect costs) is
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Intergovernmental Review
Evaluation Criteria and Review and
Selection Procedures
A. Evaluation Criteria
Applicants must be rated highly (7 or
greater on a scale of 1–10) in each of the
following qualifying areas:
(1) Leadership. Is the candidate an
intellectual and practical leader in
marine science, engineering, education,
and advisory service in its state and
region? (10 points)
(2) Organization. Has the candidate
created the necessary management
organization to carry on a viable and
productive Sea Grant Program, and does
the candidate have backing of its
administration at a sufficiently high
level to fulfill its multidisciplinary and
multifaceted mandate? (10 points)
(3) Relevance. Is the candidate’s
program relevant to local, State,
regional, or National opportunities and
problems in the marine environment?
Important factors in evaluating
relevance are the presence of an
emphasis on marine resources, and the
extent to which capabilities have been
developed to be responsive to that need.
(10 points)
(4) Programmed team approach. Does
the candidate have a programmed team
approach to solving marine problems,
which includes relevant, high quality,
multidisciplinary research with
associated educational and advisory
services capable of producing
identifiable results? (10 points)
(5) Education and training. Is
education and training clearly relevant
to National, regional, State and local
needs in fields related to ocean, Great
Lakes, and coastal resources? (Education
may include pre-college, college, postgraduate, public and adult levels.) (10
points)
(6) Advisory services. Does the
candidate have a strong program
through which information, techniques
and research results from any reliable
source, domestic or international, are
communicated to, and utilized by, user
communities? In addition to the
educational and information
dissemination role, does the advisory
service program aid in the identification
and communication of user
communities’ research and educational
needs? (10 points)
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 147 / Tuesday, August 1, 2006 / Notices
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
(7) Relationships. Does the candidate
have close ties with Federal agencies,
State agencies and administrations,
local authorities, business and industry,
and other educational institutions? Do
these ties: (i) Ensure the relevance of its
programs, (ii) give assistance to the
broadest possible audience, (iii) involve
a broad pool of talent in providing
assistance and (iv) assist others in
developing research and management
competence? (The extent and quality of
an institution’s relationships are critical
factors in evaluating the institutional
program) (10 points)
(8) Productivity. Does the candidate
have substantial strength in the three
basic Sea Grant activities: Research,
education and training, and advisory
services? (10 points)
(9) Support. Does the candidate have
the ability to obtain matching funds
from non-Federal sources, such as state
legislatures, university management,
state agencies, business, and industry?
A diversity of matching fund sources is
encouraged as a sign of program vitality
and the ability to meet the Sea Grant
requirement that funds for the general
programs be matched with at least one
non-Federal dollar for every two Federal
dollars. (10 points)
(10) Continuity of high performance.
Does the candidate demonstrate the
ability to continue the pursuit of
excellence and sustain the following? (i)
high performance in marine research,
education, training, and advisory
services; (ii) leadership in marine
activities including coordinated
planning and cooperative work with
local, state, regional, and Federal
agencies, other Sea Grant programs, and
non-Sea Grant universities; (iii) effective
management framework and application
of institutional resources to the
achievement of Sea Grant objectives; (iv)
long-term plans for research, education,
training, and advisory services
consistent with Sea Grant goals and
objectives; (v) furtherance of the Sea
Grant concept and the full development
of its potential within the institution
and the state; (vi) adequate and stable
matching financial support for the
program from non-Federal sources; and
(vii) effective system to control the
quality of its Sea Grant programs. (10
points)
B. Review and Selection Process
An initial administrative review/
screening will be conducted to
determine compliance with
requirements/completeness. All
proposals will be evaluated and
individually ranked in accordance with
the assigned scale of the above
evaluation criteria by an independent
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peer panel review. At least three
experts, who may be Federal or nonFederal, will be used in this process. If
non-Federal experts participate in the
review process, all panelists will submit
individual reviews and not a consensus
opinion. The reviewers’ ratings will be
used to rank the proposals in order. The
Director of the NSGCP will make the
final selection after considering the
panel reviews. If an award is made, the
Director will award in rank order.
Universal Identifier
Applicants should be aware that they
are required to provide a Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number during the
application process. See the October 30,
2002 Federal Register, (69 FR 66177) for
additional information. Organizations
can receive a DUNS number at no cost
by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS
Number request line at 1–866–705–5711
or via the Internet https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com.
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)
NOAA must analyze the potential
environmental impacts, as required by
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), for applicant projects or
proposals that are seeking NOAA
federal funding opportunities. Detailed
information on NOAA compliance with
NEPA can be found at the following
NOAA NEPA Web site: https://
www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our
NOAA Administrative Order 216–6 for
NEPA, https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/
NAO216_6_TOC.pdf, and the Council
on Environmental Quality
implementation regulations, https://
ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/
toclceq.htm. Consequently, as part of an
applicant’s package, and under their
description of their program activities,
applicants are required to provide
detailed information on the activities to
be conducted, locations, sites, species
and habitat to be affected, possible
construction activities, and any
environmental concerns that may exist
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous
or toxic chemicals, introduction of nonindigenous species, impacts to
endangered and threatened species,
aquaculture projects, and impacts to
coral reef systems). In addition to
providing specific information that will
serve as the basis for any required
impact analyses, applicants may also be
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of
an environmental assessment, if NOAA
determines an assessment is required.
Applicants will also be required to
cooperate with NOAA in identifying
and implementing feasible measures to
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43449
reduce or avoid any identified adverse
environmental impacts of their
proposal. The failure to do so shall be
grounds for the denial of not selecting
an application. In some cases if
additional information is required after
an application is selected, funds can be
withheld by the Grants Officer under a
special award condition requiring the
recipient to submit additional
environmental compliance information
sufficient to enable NOAA to make an
assessment on any impacts that a project
may have on the environment.
Pre-Award 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 December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389), are
applicable to this solicitation.
Limitation of Liability
Funding for programs listed in this
notice is contingent upon the
availability of fiscal year 2007
appropriations. In no event will NOAA
or the Department of Commerce be
responsible for application preparation
costs if these programs fail to receive
funding or are cancelled because of
other agency priorities. Publication of
this announcement does not oblige
NOAA to award any specific project or
to obligate any available funds.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This document contains collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The
use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B,
SF–LLL, and CD–346 has been approved
by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under the respective
control numbers 0348–0043, 0348–0044,
0348–0040, 0348–0046, and 0605–0001.
Notwithstanding any other provision of
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.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been 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.
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43450
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 147 / Tuesday, August 1, 2006 / Notices
Administrative Procedure Act/
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Prior notice and an opportunity for
public comment are not required by the
Administrative Procedure Act or any
other law for rules concerning public
property, loans, grants, benefits, and
contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)).
Because notice and opportunity for
comment are not required pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the
analytical requirements of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601
et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore, a
regulatory flexibility analysis has not
been prepared.
20910–3225, or by telephoning the
contact listed here. A copy of the
application containing a list of
references used in this document may
be obtained by writing to this address,
by telephoning the contact listed here
(FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) or
online at: https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/
permits/incidental.htm. Documents
cited in this notice may be viewed, by
appointment, during regular business
hours, at the aforementioned address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jolie
Harrison, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, (301) 713–2289, ext 166.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: July 27, 2006.
Mark E. Brown,
Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E6–12286 Filed 7–31–06; 8:45 am]
Background
Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the
MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct
the Secretary of Commerce to allow,
upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking of marine mammals
by U.S. citizens who engage in a
specified activity (other than
commercial fishing) within a specified
geographical region if certain findings
are made and either regulations are
issued or, if the taking is limited to
harassment, a notice of a proposed
authorization is provided to the public
for review.
Authorization shall be granted if
NMFS finds that the taking will have a
negligible impact on the species or
stock(s), will not have an unmitigable
adverse impact on the availability of the
species or stock(s) for subsistence uses,
and if the permissible methods of taking
and requirements pertaining to the
mitigation, monitoring and reporting of
such takings are set forth. NMFS has
defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR
216.103 as ’’...an impact resulting from
the specified activity that cannot be
reasonably expected to, and is not
reasonably likely to, adversely affect the
species or stock through effects on
annual rates of recruitment or survival.’’
Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA
established an expedited process by
which citizens of the United States can
apply for an authorization to
incidentally take small numbers of
marine mammals by harassment. Except
with respect to certain activities not
pertinent here, the MMPA defines
‘‘harassment’’ as:
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[I.D. 050306A]
Small Takes of Marine Mammals
Incidental to Specified Activities;
Marine Geophysical Survey of the
Western Canada Basin, Chukchi
Borderland and Mendeleev Ridge,
Arctic Ocean, July – August, 2006
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of an
incidental harassment authorization.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA) regulations, notification is
hereby given that NMFS has issued an
Incidental Harassment Authorization
(IHA) to University of Texas at Austin
Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) for an
Incidental Harassment Authorization
(IHA) to take small numbers of marine
mammals, by Level B Harassment,
incidental to conducting a marine
seismic survey in the Arctic Ocean from
approximately July 15 – August 29,
2006.
DATES: Effective from July 15, 2006
through August 29, 2006.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the IHA and the
application are available by writing to
Michael Payne, Chief, Permits,
Conservation, and Education Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD
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20:04 Jul 31, 2006
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any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance
which (i) has the potential to injure a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild
[Level A harassment]; or (ii) has the potential
to disturb a marine mammal or marine
mammal stock in the wild by causing
disruption of behavioral patterns, including,
but not limited to, migration, breathing,
nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering
[Level B harassment].
Section 101(a)(5)(D) establishes a 45–
day time limit for NMFS review of an
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application followed by a 30–day public
notice and comment period on any
proposed authorizations for the
incidental harassment of marine
mammals. Within 45 days of the close
of the comment period, NMFS must
either issue or deny issuance of the
authorization.
Summary of Request
On March 8, 2006, NMFS received an
application from UTIG for the taking, by
harassment, of several species of marine
mammals incidental to conducting, with
research funding from the National
Science Foundation (NSF), a marine
seismic survey in the Western Canada
Basin, Chukchi Borderland and
Mendeleev Ridge of the Arctic Ocean
during July through August, 2006. The
seismic survey will be operated in
conjunction with a sediment coring
project, which will obtain data
regarding crustal structure. The purpose
of this study is to collect seismic
reflection and refraction data and
sediment cores that reveal the crustal
structure and composition of submarine
plateaus in the western Amerasia Basin
in the Arctic Ocean. Past studies have
led many researchers to support the idea
that the Amerasia Basin opened about a
pivot point near the Mackenzie Delta.
However, the crustal character of the
Chukchi Borderlands could determine
whether that scenario is correct, or
whether more complicated tectonic
scenarios must be devised to explain the
presence of the Amerasia Basin. These
data will assist in the determination of
the tectonic evolution of the Amerasia
Basin and Canada Basin which is
fundamental to such basic concerns as
sea level fluctuations and paleoclimate
in the Mesozoic era.
Description of the Activity
The Healy, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
Cutter ice-breaker, will rendezvous with
the science party off Barrow on or
around 15 July. The Healy will then sail
north and arrive at the beginning of the
seismic survey, which will start >150
km (93 mi) north of Barrow. The cruise
will last for approximately 40 days, and
it is estimated that the total seismic
survey time will be approximately 30
days depending on ice conditions.
Seismic survey work is scheduled to
terminate west of Barrow about 25
August. The vessel will then sail south
to Nome where the science party will
disembark.
The seismic survey and coring
activities will take place in the Arctic
Ocean. The overall area within which
the seismic survey will occur is located
approximately between 71°36′ and
79°25′ N., and between 151°57′ E. and
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43448-43450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12286]
[[Page 43448]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 060724199-6199-01]
Virginia Sea Grant Institutional Program
AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR),
National Sea Grant College Program invites applications to establish an
Institutional Sea Grant Program for the Commonwealth of Virginia
beginning in FY 2007. Anticipated start date is February 1, 2007.
Applicants should provide a four-year plan for an institutional program
that will be part of the larger National Sea Grant network, a
partnership between the federal government and universities to conduct
integrated research, education and outreach in fields related to ocean,
coastal and Great Lakes resources. Applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the full funding opportunity announcement.
DATES: Proposals must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time, September 15, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Proposals should be submitted through Grants.Gov, following
the directions in Electronic Access, below. Proposals from those that
do not have access to Internet should be sent to: Geraldine Taylor,
NOAA R/SG; 1315 East-West Highway, Bldg SSMC 3, Room 11828, Silver
Spring, MD 20910-3283, tel. 301-713-2435.
This Federal Register notice may be found at the Grants.gov Web
site, https://www.grants.gov, and at the NOAA Sea Grant Web site (http:/
/www.seagrant.noaa.gov) by clicking on the ``View Requests for
Proposals'' button.
No e-mail or facsimile proposal submissions will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the full funding
opportunity announcement and/or application kit, access it at
Grants.gov, via NOAA Sea Grant's Web site, or by contacting Ms. Jamie
Krauk, NOAA R/SG, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3283,
telephone: 301-713-2431 x129, e-mail: jamie.krauk@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applicants must comply with all requirements
contained in the full funding opportunity announcement. This notice
describes funding opportunities for the NOAA Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research, National Sea Grant College Program.
Background
The National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) was established by
Congress to promote responsible use and conservation of the nation's
marine and Great Lakes resources by conducting integrated research and
outreach through a stable national infrastructure of state Sea Grant
programs. The mission of the NSGCP is to ``Enhance the practical use
and conservation of coastal, marine and Great Lakes resources to create
a sustainable economy and environment.'' To accomplish this mission,
the NSGCP is soliciting applications for a new Sea Grant institutional
program for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Electronic Access
As has been the case since October 1, 2004, applicants can access,
download and submit electronic grant applications for NOAA Programs
through the Grants.gov Web site at https://www.Grants.gov. Applicants
without Internet access may contact program officials for applications
and submission instructions. The closing dates for applications filed
through Grants.gov are the same as for the paper submissions noted in
this announcement. For applicants filing through Grants.gov, NOAA
strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the application process. Registration may take up to 10
business days.
Funding Availability
NOAA expects that about $1.4M will be available from the NSGCP to
establish a new Sea Grant institutional program for the Commonwealth of
Virginia beginning in FY 2007. NOAA anticipates continuing support at
that level from FY 2008-FY 2010 if funds are available.
Funding Opportunity Number: OAR-SG-2007-2000807.
Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1121-1131.
CFDA: 11.417, Sea Grant Support.
Eligibility
Proposals may be submitted by institutions of higher education, or
confederations of such institutions in the state of Virginia.
Cost Sharing Requirements
To be eligible for the NSGCP funds, a match of 50% of the requested
Federal funds (direct and indirect costs) is needed. Sea Grant requires
that funds be matched with at least one non-Federal dollar for every
two Federal dollars.
Intergovernmental Review
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
Evaluation Criteria and Review and Selection Procedures
A. Evaluation Criteria
Applicants must be rated highly (7 or greater on a scale of 1-10)
in each of the following qualifying areas:
(1) Leadership. Is the candidate an intellectual and practical
leader in marine science, engineering, education, and advisory service
in its state and region? (10 points)
(2) Organization. Has the candidate created the necessary
management organization to carry on a viable and productive Sea Grant
Program, and does the candidate have backing of its administration at a
sufficiently high level to fulfill its multidisciplinary and
multifaceted mandate? (10 points)
(3) Relevance. Is the candidate's program relevant to local, State,
regional, or National opportunities and problems in the marine
environment? Important factors in evaluating relevance are the presence
of an emphasis on marine resources, and the extent to which
capabilities have been developed to be responsive to that need. (10
points)
(4) Programmed team approach. Does the candidate have a programmed
team approach to solving marine problems, which includes relevant, high
quality, multidisciplinary research with associated educational and
advisory services capable of producing identifiable results? (10
points)
(5) Education and training. Is education and training clearly
relevant to National, regional, State and local needs in fields related
to ocean, Great Lakes, and coastal resources? (Education may include
pre-college, college, post-graduate, public and adult levels.) (10
points)
(6) Advisory services. Does the candidate have a strong program
through which information, techniques and research results from any
reliable source, domestic or international, are communicated to, and
utilized by, user communities? In addition to the educational and
information dissemination role, does the advisory service program aid
in the identification and communication of user communities' research
and educational needs? (10 points)
[[Page 43449]]
(7) Relationships. Does the candidate have close ties with Federal
agencies, State agencies and administrations, local authorities,
business and industry, and other educational institutions? Do these
ties: (i) Ensure the relevance of its programs, (ii) give assistance to
the broadest possible audience, (iii) involve a broad pool of talent in
providing assistance and (iv) assist others in developing research and
management competence? (The extent and quality of an institution's
relationships are critical factors in evaluating the institutional
program) (10 points)
(8) Productivity. Does the candidate have substantial strength in
the three basic Sea Grant activities: Research, education and training,
and advisory services? (10 points)
(9) Support. Does the candidate have the ability to obtain matching
funds from non-Federal sources, such as state legislatures, university
management, state agencies, business, and industry? A diversity of
matching fund sources is encouraged as a sign of program vitality and
the ability to meet the Sea Grant requirement that funds for the
general programs be matched with at least one non-Federal dollar for
every two Federal dollars. (10 points)
(10) Continuity of high performance. Does the candidate demonstrate
the ability to continue the pursuit of excellence and sustain the
following? (i) high performance in marine research, education,
training, and advisory services; (ii) leadership in marine activities
including coordinated planning and cooperative work with local, state,
regional, and Federal agencies, other Sea Grant programs, and non-Sea
Grant universities; (iii) effective management framework and
application of institutional resources to the achievement of Sea Grant
objectives; (iv) long-term plans for research, education, training, and
advisory services consistent with Sea Grant goals and objectives; (v)
furtherance of the Sea Grant concept and the full development of its
potential within the institution and the state; (vi) adequate and
stable matching financial support for the program from non-Federal
sources; and (vii) effective system to control the quality of its Sea
Grant programs. (10 points)
B. Review and Selection Process
An initial administrative review/screening will be conducted to
determine compliance with requirements/completeness. All proposals will
be evaluated and individually ranked in accordance with the assigned
scale of the above evaluation criteria by an independent peer panel
review. At least three experts, who may be Federal or non-Federal, will
be used in this process. If non-Federal experts participate in the
review process, all panelists will submit individual reviews and not a
consensus opinion. The reviewers' ratings will be used to rank the
proposals in order. The Director of the NSGCP will make the final
selection after considering the panel reviews. If an award is made, the
Director will award in rank order.
Universal Identifier
Applicants should be aware that they are required to provide a Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number during the
application process. See the October 30, 2002 Federal Register, (69 FR
66177) for additional information. Organizations can receive a DUNS
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number
request line at 1-866-705-5711 or via the Internet https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required
by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects
or proposals that are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities.
Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the
following NOAA NEPA Web site: https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our
NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/
NAO216_6_TOC.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality
implementation regulations, https://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/
toclceq.htm. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under
their description of their program activities, applicants are required
to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted,
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals,
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying and implementing
feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse
environmental impacts of their proposal. The failure to do so shall be
grounds for the denial of not selecting an application. In some cases
if additional information is required after an application is selected,
funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a special award
condition requiring the recipient to submit additional environmental
compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make an assessment
on any impacts that a project may have on the environment.
Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative
Agreements
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register
Notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389), are applicable to this
solicitation.
Limitation of Liability
Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the
availability of fiscal year 2007 appropriations. In no event will NOAA
or the Department of Commerce be responsible for application
preparation costs if these programs fail to receive funding or are
cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of this
announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to
obligate any available funds.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This document contains collection-of-information requirements
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Standard Forms
424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under the respective control numbers 0348-
0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding
any other provision of 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.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been 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.
[[Page 43450]]
Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act
Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules
concerning public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5
U.S.C. 553(a)(2)).
Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been
prepared.
Dated: July 27, 2006.
Mark E. Brown,
Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-12286 Filed 7-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
