Environmental Literacy Grants for Free-Choice Learning, 61724-61727 [E6-17535]

Download as PDF 61724 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 202 / Thursday, October 19, 2006 / Notices Dated: October 11, 2006. David M. Spooner, Assistant Secretary for Import Administration. [FR Doc. E6–17376 Filed 10–18–06; 8:45 am] Comments (Duty Drawback Issue Only) cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES to permit a full adjustment for duty drawback received should the foreign producer claiming such adjustment demonstrate that it can directly trace the particular imported duty–paid inputs through the subsequent production process and into particular finished goods that are exported to the United States. The Department welcomes comment on this proposed methodology. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS (on duty drawback): November 17, 2006. Environmental Literacy Grants for Free-Choice Learning Persons wishing to comment should file a signed original and six copies of each set of comments by the date specified above. The Department will consider all comments received before the close of the comment period. Comments received after the end of the comment period will be considered, if possible, but their consideration cannot be assured. The Department will not accept comments accompanied by a request that a part or all of the material be treated confidentially because of its business proprietary nature or for any other reason. The Department will return such comments and materials to the persons submitting the comments and will not consider them in development of any changes to its methodology. All comments responding to this notice will be a matter of public record and will be available for public inspection and copying at Import Administration’s Central Records Unit, Room B–099, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on business days. The Department requires that comments be submitted in written form. The Department recommends submission of comments in electronic form to accompany the required paper copies. Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted either by e–mail to the webmaster below, or on CD–ROM, as comments submitted on diskettes are likely to be damaged by postal radiation treatment. Comments received in electronic form will be made available to the public in Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the Import Administration Web site at the following address: https://ia.ita.doc.gov/. Any questions concerning file formatting, document conversion, access on the Internet, or other electronic filing issues should be addressed to Andrew Lee Beller, Import Administration Webmaster, at (202) 482–0866, e–mail address: webmaster– support@ita.doc.gov. VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:50 Oct 18, 2006 Jkt 211001 BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [Docket No. 050317077–6264–03; I.D. 101306D] Office of Education (OED), Office of the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (USEC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of funding availability. AGENCY: SUMMARY: NOAA’s Office of Education (OED) is requesting applications for environmental literacy projects in support of free-choice learning. The proposed projects should support NOAA’s vision which is: an informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the ocean, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions. Successful projects should reach significant segments of the U.S. population at a State, multi-state or national level. The environmental literacy messages should clearly convey how the Earth system influences a project’s target audience, how the target audience is influencing the Earth system and how an environmentally literate public can make informed decisions. The goal of these projects should be to provide adequate information to move the audience’s knowledge beyond basic awareness while reaching audiences sufficient in size with a message that promotes such a change. Funded projects will last between one and five years in duration and will create new, or capitalize on existing, networks of institutions, agencies and/or organizations to provide common messages about key concepts in Earth System Science, for example the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts (https:// www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/ documents/ OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf). Applications for exhibits involving construction of part or all of a building are not eligible for funding under this announcement. Formal education projects and projects whose main focus PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 is on development of new data visualizations and platforms will not be considered for funding through this announcement. Please visit https:// www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html for information on additional funding opportunities in those areas. This funding opportunity meets NOAA’s Mission Goal to protect, restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through ecosystems-based management. DATES: The deadline for preliminary proposals is 5 p.m., e.s.t., November 29, 2006. The deadline for full applications is 5 p.m., e.s.t. on March 21, 2007. ADDRESSES: Pre-proposals may be submitted through Grants.gov (https:// www.grants.gov), or if an applicant does not have Internet access, three copies must be mailed to Attn: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/NOAA, Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. Please note that hard copies submitted via the U.S. Postal Service can take up to 4 weeks to reach this office, therefore applicants are recommended to send hard copies via expedited shipping methods (e.g, Airborne Express, DHL, Fed Ex, UPS). Full applications may be submitted through Grants.gov (https:// www.grants.gov), or if an applicant does not have Internet access, one hard copy should be sent to Attn: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/NOAA Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. If submitting a hard copy, applicants are requested to provide a CD–ROM of the application, including scanned signed forms or forms with electronic signatures. This announcement will also be available at: https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/ funding_opps.html or by contacting the program official identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Schoedinger at sarah.schoedinger@noaa.gov, telephone 704–370–3528 or Alyssa Gundersen at Alyssa.Gundersen@noaa.gov, telephone 202–482–3739. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA’s Office of Education (OED) is requesting applications for environmental literacy projects in support of free-choice learning. The proposed projects should support NOAA’s vision which is: an informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the ocean, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions. Successful projects should reach significant segments of the U.S. E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 202 / Thursday, October 19, 2006 / Notices population at a State, multi-state or national level. The environmental literacy messages should clearly convey how the Earth system influences a project’s target audience, how the target audience is influencing the Earth system and how an environmentally literate public can make informed decisions. The goal of these projects should be to provide adequate information to move the audience’s knowledge beyond basic awareness while reaching audiences sufficient in size with a message that promotes such a change. The proposed mechanisms for delivery of these messages may include, but are not limited to, public literacy campaigns, kiosks or traveling exhibits, and/or the revision of existing programs that would be made available at multiple venues. Funded projects will last between one and five years in duration and will create new, or capitalize on existing, networks of institutions, agencies and/or organizations to provide common messages about key concepts in Earth System Science, for example the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts. (https://www.coexploration.org/ oceanliteracy/documents/ OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf). Applications for exhibits involving construction of part or all of a building are not eligible for funding under this announcement. Formal education projects and projects whose main focus is on development of new data visualizations and platforms will not be considered for funding through this announcement. Please visit https:// www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html for information on additional funding opportunities in those areas. All projects shall employ the relevant strategies articulated in the NOAA Education Plan (https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/ NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf). All projects should be implemented at a State, multi-state or national level and have evaluations that fully assess the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed project. It is anticipated that final recommendations for funding under this announcement will be made by June 30, 2007, and that projects funded under this announcement will have a start date no earlier than September 15, 2007. This funding opportunity meets NOAA’s Mission Goal to protect restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through ecosystems-based management. A detailed description of the program requirements may be found in the full funding opportunity announcement that can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web site, the NOAA Web site at https:// VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:50 Oct 18, 2006 Jkt 211001 www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html, or by contacting the program official identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Electronic Access The full text of the full funding opportunity announcement for this OED program can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web site. That announcement will also be available at the NOAA Web site: https:// www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html or by contacting the program officials identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Applicants must comply with all requirements contained in the full funding opportunity announcement. This Federal Register notice is available through the NOAA home page at: https://www.noaa.gov/. Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1540. CFDA: 11.469, Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects. Funding Availability NOAA announces the availability, contingent upon FY 2007 appropriations, of approximately $1,500,000 of Federal financial assistance in FY 2007 for free-choice learning projects. Approximately 2 to 5 awards in the form of grants or cooperative agreements will be made through this project solicitation. NOAA will only consider projects that have a duration of 1 to 5 years. The total Federal amount for all years that may be requested from NOAA for the direct and indirect costs of the proposed project shall not exceed $750,000. The minimum Federal amount that must be requested from NOAA for all years for the direct and indirect costs is $200,000. Applications requesting Federal support from NOAA of less than $200,000 total or more than $750,000 total will not be considered for funding. Publication of this notice does not oblige the Department of Commerce/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA Grants Officer, the applicant would do so solely at one’s own risk of such costs not being included under the award. Eligibility Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, and State, local and Indian tribal governments in the United States. Among those eligible applicants are K through 12 public and independent PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 61725 schools and school systems, and science centers and museums. For profit organizations, foreign institutions, foreign organizations and foreign government agencies are not eligible to apply. Federal agencies are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project partners. DOC/NOAA is strongly committed to increasing the participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), i.e., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and institutions that work in underserved communities. OED encourages applications that involve any of the above institutions. An individual may serve as a principal investigator (PI) in only one application for this funding opportunity, however individuals may serve as co-PIs or key personnel in an unlimited number of applications. Institutions may serve as a PI or co-PI in an unlimited number of applications. Cost Sharing Requirements There are no cost-sharing requirements. Preliminary Proposals and Full Application Requirements Applicants must submit pre-proposals for review to prevent the expenditure of effort on proposals that may not be successful. All applicants will receive a response to their pre-proposal via e-mail or letter indicating whether they are authorized to submit a full application. Only those who submit pre-proposals are eligible to submit a full application. The provisions for pre-proposal and full application preparation are mandatory. Additional guidance, including frequently asked questions (FAQ), is available online at https:// www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html. Evaluation and Selection Procedures The general evaluation criteria and selection factors that apply to both preproposals and full applications to this funding opportunity are summarized below. The evaluation criteria for preproposals and full applications will have different weights and details. Further information about the evaluation criteria and selection factors can be found in the full funding opportunity announcement. Evaluation Criteria for Projects 1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed project to the program goals: This ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1 61726 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 202 / Thursday, October 19, 2006 / Notices work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal, regional, State, or local activities. 2. Technical/scientific merit: This assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives. 3. Overall qualifications of applicants: This ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. 4. Project costs: The Budget is evaluated to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame. 5. Outreach and education: NOAA assesses whether this project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding NOAA’s mission to protect the Nation’s natural resources. Review and Selection Process Pre-Proposal Pre-proposals meeting the requirements listed in FFO will be evaluated by government and/or nongovernment representatives, each having relevant expertise. The individual reviewers’ ratings shall be averaged for each application to establish rank order for the Office of Education (OED) Program Officer. The review panel will provide no consensus advice. Decisions on whether to authorize or not authorize a full application will be based on the rank order of the pre-proposals, unless choosing out of rank order is justified by the selection factors below. The Office of Education anticipates asking up to 30 applicants to submit full applications. Full applications from applicants who were not asked to submit them will not be reviewed or considered for funding. advice will be given by the review panel. The Program Officer will neither vote nor score applications as part of the review panel nor participate in discussion of the merits of any proposal. The Program Officer will make his/ her recommendations for funding based on rank order and the selection factors listed below to the Selecting Official for the final funding decision. Selection Factors for Projects The panel review ratings shall establish the rank order that the Selecting Official will use for final recommendation to the NOAA Grants Officer. The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following factors: 1. Availability of funding. 2. Balance/distribution of funds: a. Geographically. b. By type of institutions. c. By type of partners. d. By research areas. e. By project types. 3. Whether this project duplicates other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA or other Federal agencies. 4. Program priorities and policy factors. 5. Applicant’s prior award performance. 6. Partnerships and/or Participation of targeted groups. 7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA determination and draft necessary documentation before recommendations for funding are made to the Grants Officer. Intergovernmental Review Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, ‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.’’ cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Full Application Limitation of Liability Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an initial administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance with requirements and completeness of the application. All applications that meet the minimum eligibility requirements and that are ascertained to be complete will be evaluated and scored by independent reviewers. The reviews will be conducted by a panel of individuals, who may be government or nongovernment representatives, each having relevant expertise. The individual reviewers’ ratings will be averaged for each application to establish rank order. No consensus In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal 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. VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:50 Oct 18, 2006 Jkt 211001 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 which are seeking NOAA PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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/ toc_ceq.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 feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for 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. The Department of Commerce Preaward 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. Paperwork Reduction Act This document contains collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and 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. E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 202 / Thursday, October 19, 2006 / Notices Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to, nor shall a 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. 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 for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been prepared. Helen Hurcombe, Director, NOAA Acquisitions and Grants, U.S. Department of Commerce. [FR Doc. E6–17535 Filed 10–18–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–12–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [Docket No. 050317077–6265–04; I.D. 101306C] Environmental Literacy Grants for Formal K–12 Education Office of Education (OED), Office of the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (USEC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of funding availability. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The NOAA Office of Education (OED) is requesting applications for environmental literacy projects in support of K–12 education. Funded projects will last between one and five years in duration and will propose ways to expand the amount of Earth System Science taught in the VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:50 Oct 18, 2006 Jkt 211001 classroom to improve student learning of that subject. All projects shall employ the relevant strategies articulated in the NOAA Education Plan. All projects should be implemented at a State or multi-State level and have evaluations that fully assess the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed project. It is anticipated that final recommendations for funding under this announcement will be made by June 30, 2007, and that projects funded under this announcement will have a start date no earlier than September 15, 2007. This funding opportunity meets NOAA’s Mission Goal to understand climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan and respond. DATES: The deadline for preliminary proposals is 5 p.m., E.S.T., November 29, 2006. The deadline for full applications is 5 p.m., E.S.T. on March 21, 2007. ADDRESSES: Pre-proposals may be submitted through Grants.gov (https:// www.grants.gov), or if an application does not have Internet access, three copies may be mailed to ATTN: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/NOAA, Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. Please note hard copies submitted via the U.S. Postal Service can take up to 4 weeks to reach this office therefore applicants are recommended to send hard copies via expedited shipping methods (e.g, Airborne Express, DHL, Fed Ex, UPS). Full applications may be submitted through Grants.gov (https:// www.grants.gov) or, if an applicant does not have Internet access, one hard copy may be sent to ATTN: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/NOAA Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 6863, Washington, DC 20230. If submitting a hard copy, applicants are requested to provide a CD–ROM of the application, including scanned signed forms or forms with electronic signatures. This announcement will also be available at: https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/ funding_opps.html or by contacting the program official identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. The NOAA Education Plan may be accessed at: https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/ NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf. The document entitled Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts may be accessed at https:// www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/ documents/ OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Schoedinger at sarah.schoedinger@noaa.gov, telephone PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 61727 704–370–3528 or Alyssa Gundersen at Alyssa.Gundersen@noaa.gov, telephone 202–482–3739. The NOAA Office of Education (OED) is requesting applications for environmental literacy projects in support of K–12 education. Funded projects will last between one and five years in duration and will propose ways to expand the amount of Earth System Science taught in the classroom to improve student learning of that subject. Successful projects will catalyze change in K–12 education through development of new programs and/or materials, and/ or revision of existing programs and/or materials that result in the increased use of Earth System Science in K–12 classrooms. Projects are encouraged to further the use of Earth System Science concepts, such as the concepts articulated in the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts (See ADDRESSSES). Projects might focus on the education of preservice teachers or on the professional development for in-service teachers. Projects might also propose ways to create and/or support the retention of highly qualified teachers, e.g. creation of an Earth System Science certification program, or propose new, or modification to existing, K–12 curricula and related instructional materials. Projects focusing on pre-service education of teachers should involve post-secondary institutions or other entities that provide pre-service teacher education. Projects focusing on inservice teacher professional development should involve State or local governments, such as school districts, as appropriate. Projects focusing on the development of new, or modification to existing, curricula and related instructional materials should be able to demonstrate how they will address the relevant State standards, support State or national assessments, and be disseminated at the State or multi-State level. Projects that focus on free-choice learning or development of new data visualizations and platforms will not be considered for funding through this announcement. Please visit https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/ funding_opps.html for information on these additional funding opportunities. All projects shall employ the relevant strategies articulated in the NOAA Education Plan (See ADDRESSES). All projects should be implemented at a State or multi-State level and have evaluations that fully assess the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed project. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 202 (Thursday, October 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61724-61727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17535]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 050317077-6264-03; I.D. 101306D]


Environmental Literacy Grants for Free-Choice Learning

AGENCY: Office of Education (OED), Office of the Undersecretary of 
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (USEC), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NOAA's Office of Education (OED) is requesting applications 
for environmental literacy projects in support of free-choice learning. 
The proposed projects should support NOAA's vision which is: an 
informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of 
the ocean, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the 
best social and economic decisions. Successful projects should reach 
significant segments of the U.S. population at a State, multi-state or 
national level. The environmental literacy messages should clearly 
convey how the Earth system influences a project's target audience, how 
the target audience is influencing the Earth system and how an 
environmentally literate public can make informed decisions. The goal 
of these projects should be to provide adequate information to move the 
audience's knowledge beyond basic awareness while reaching audiences 
sufficient in size with a message that promotes such a change. Funded 
projects will last between one and five years in duration and will 
create new, or capitalize on existing, networks of institutions, 
agencies and/or organizations to provide common messages about key 
concepts in Earth System Science, for example the Ocean Literacy 
Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts (https://
www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/documents/OceanLitConcepts_
10.11.05.pdf). Applications for exhibits involving construction of part 
or all of a building are not eligible for funding under this 
announcement. Formal education projects and projects whose main focus 
is on development of new data visualizations and platforms will not be 
considered for funding through this announcement. Please visit https://
www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html for information on additional 
funding opportunities in those areas. This funding opportunity meets 
NOAA's Mission Goal to protect, restore and manage the use of coastal 
and ocean resources through ecosystems-based management.

DATES: The deadline for preliminary proposals is 5 p.m., e.s.t., 
November 29, 2006. The deadline for full applications is 5 p.m., e.s.t. 
on March 21, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Pre-proposals may be submitted through Grants.gov (https://
www.grants.gov), or if an applicant does not have Internet access, 
three copies must be mailed to Attn: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/NOAA, 
Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863, 
Washington, DC 20230. Please note that hard copies submitted via the 
U.S. Postal Service can take up to 4 weeks to reach this office, 
therefore applicants are recommended to send hard copies via expedited 
shipping methods (e.g, Airborne Express, DHL, Fed Ex, UPS).
    Full applications may be submitted through Grants.gov (https://
www.grants.gov), or if an applicant does not have Internet access, one 
hard copy should be sent to Attn: ELG Competition Manager, DOC/NOAA 
Office of Education, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 6863, 
Washington, DC 20230. If submitting a hard copy, applicants are 
requested to provide a CD-ROM of the application, including scanned 
signed forms or forms with electronic signatures. This announcement 
will also be available at: https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html 
or by contacting the program official identified in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Schoedinger at 
sarah.schoedinger@noaa.gov, telephone 704-370-3528 or Alyssa Gundersen 
at Alyssa.Gundersen@noaa.gov, telephone 202-482-3739.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA's Office of Education (OED) is 
requesting applications for environmental literacy projects in support 
of free-choice learning. The proposed projects should support NOAA's 
vision which is: an informed society that uses a comprehensive 
understanding of the role of the ocean, coasts, and atmosphere in the 
global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions. 
Successful projects should reach significant segments of the U.S.

[[Page 61725]]

population at a State, multi-state or national level. The environmental 
literacy messages should clearly convey how the Earth system influences 
a project's target audience, how the target audience is influencing the 
Earth system and how an environmentally literate public can make 
informed decisions.
    The goal of these projects should be to provide adequate 
information to move the audience's knowledge beyond basic awareness 
while reaching audiences sufficient in size with a message that 
promotes such a change. The proposed mechanisms for delivery of these 
messages may include, but are not limited to, public literacy 
campaigns, kiosks or traveling exhibits, and/or the revision of 
existing programs that would be made available at multiple venues. 
Funded projects will last between one and five years in duration and 
will create new, or capitalize on existing, networks of institutions, 
agencies and/or organizations to provide common messages about key 
concepts in Earth System Science, for example the Ocean Literacy 
Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts.
(https://www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/documents/
OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf).
    Applications for exhibits involving construction of part or all of 
a building are not eligible for funding under this announcement. Formal 
education projects and projects whose main focus is on development of 
new data visualizations and platforms will not be considered for 
funding through this announcement. Please visit https://
www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html for information on additional 
funding opportunities in those areas. All projects shall employ the 
relevant strategies articulated in the NOAA Education Plan (https://
www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf). All projects should be 
implemented at a State, multi-state or national level and have 
evaluations that fully assess the strengths and weaknesses of the 
proposed project. It is anticipated that final recommendations for 
funding under this announcement will be made by June 30, 2007, and that 
projects funded under this announcement will have a start date no 
earlier than September 15, 2007. This funding opportunity meets NOAA's 
Mission Goal to protect restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean 
resources through ecosystems-based management.
    A detailed description of the program requirements may be found in 
the full funding opportunity announcement that can be accessed via the 
Grants.gov Web site, the NOAA Web site at https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/
funding_opps.html, or by contacting the program official identified in 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Electronic Access

    The full text of the full funding opportunity announcement for this 
OED program can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web site. That 
announcement will also be available at the NOAA Web site: https://
www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html or by contacting the program 
officials identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Applicants 
must comply with all requirements contained in the full funding 
opportunity announcement. This Federal Register notice is available 
through the NOAA home page at: https://www.noaa.gov/.

    Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1540.

    CFDA: 11.469, Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects.

Funding Availability

    NOAA announces the availability, contingent upon FY 2007 
appropriations, of approximately $1,500,000 of Federal financial 
assistance in FY 2007 for free-choice learning projects. Approximately 
2 to 5 awards in the form of grants or cooperative agreements will be 
made through this project solicitation. NOAA will only consider 
projects that have a duration of 1 to 5 years. The total Federal amount 
for all years that may be requested from NOAA for the direct and 
indirect costs of the proposed project shall not exceed $750,000. The 
minimum Federal amount that must be requested from NOAA for all years 
for the direct and indirect costs is $200,000. Applications requesting 
Federal support from NOAA of less than $200,000 total or more than 
$750,000 total will not be considered for funding.
    Publication of this notice does not oblige the Department of 
Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) to 
award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If an 
applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed 
by an authorized NOAA Grants Officer, the applicant would do so solely 
at one's own risk of such costs not being included under the award.

Eligibility

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other 
nonprofits, and State, local and Indian tribal governments in the 
United States. Among those eligible applicants are K through 12 public 
and independent schools and school systems, and science centers and 
museums. For profit organizations, foreign institutions, foreign 
organizations and foreign government agencies are not eligible to 
apply. Federal agencies are not eligible to receive Federal assistance 
under this announcement, but may be project partners. DOC/NOAA is 
strongly committed to increasing the participation of Minority Serving 
Institutions (MSIs), i.e., Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and 
universities, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and 
institutions that work in underserved communities. OED encourages 
applications that involve any of the above institutions. An individual 
may serve as a principal investigator (PI) in only one application for 
this funding opportunity, however individuals may serve as co-PIs or 
key personnel in an unlimited number of applications. Institutions may 
serve as a PI or co-PI in an unlimited number of applications.

Cost Sharing Requirements

    There are no cost-sharing requirements.

Preliminary Proposals and Full Application Requirements

    Applicants must submit pre-proposals for review to prevent the 
expenditure of effort on proposals that may not be successful. All 
applicants will receive a response to their pre-proposal via e-mail or 
letter indicating whether they are authorized to submit a full 
application. Only those who submit pre-proposals are eligible to submit 
a full application. The provisions for pre-proposal and full 
application preparation are mandatory. Additional guidance, including 
frequently asked questions (FAQ), is available online at https://
www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html.

Evaluation and Selection Procedures

    The general evaluation criteria and selection factors that apply to 
both pre-proposals and full applications to this funding opportunity 
are summarized below. The evaluation criteria for pre-proposals and 
full applications will have different weights and details. Further 
information about the evaluation criteria and selection factors can be 
found in the full funding opportunity announcement.

Evaluation Criteria for Projects

    1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed 
project to the program goals: This ascertains whether there is 
intrinsic value in the proposed

[[Page 61726]]

work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal, regional, State, or local 
activities.
    2. Technical/scientific merit: This assesses whether the approach 
is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, 
and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.
    3. Overall qualifications of applicants: This ascertains whether 
the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, 
facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.
    4. Project costs: The Budget is evaluated to determine if it is 
realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame.
    5. Outreach and education: NOAA assesses whether this project 
provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy 
regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

Review and Selection Process

Pre-Proposal

    Pre-proposals meeting the requirements listed in FFO will be 
evaluated by government and/or non-government representatives, each 
having relevant expertise. The individual reviewers' ratings shall be 
averaged for each application to establish rank order for the Office of 
Education (OED) Program Officer. The review panel will provide no 
consensus advice. Decisions on whether to authorize or not authorize a 
full application will be based on the rank order of the pre-proposals, 
unless choosing out of rank order is justified by the selection factors 
below. The Office of Education anticipates asking up to 30 applicants 
to submit full applications. Full applications from applicants who were 
not asked to submit them will not be reviewed or considered for 
funding.

Full Application

    Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an initial 
administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance with 
requirements and completeness of the application. All applications that 
meet the minimum eligibility requirements and that are ascertained to 
be complete will be evaluated and scored by independent reviewers. The 
reviews will be conducted by a panel of individuals, who may be 
government or non-government representatives, each having relevant 
expertise. The individual reviewers' ratings will be averaged for each 
application to establish rank order. No consensus advice will be given 
by the review panel. The Program Officer will neither vote nor score 
applications as part of the review panel nor participate in discussion 
of the merits of any proposal.
    The Program Officer will make his/her recommendations for funding 
based on rank order and the selection factors listed below to the 
Selecting Official for the final funding decision.

Selection Factors for Projects

    The panel review ratings shall establish the rank order that the 
Selecting Official will use for final recommendation to the NOAA Grants 
Officer. The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless 
the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon 
one or more of the following factors:
    1. Availability of funding.
    2. Balance/distribution of funds:
    a. Geographically.
    b. By type of institutions.
    c. By type of partners.
    d. By research areas.
    e. By project types.
    3. Whether this project duplicates other projects funded or 
considered for funding by NOAA or other Federal agencies.
    4. Program priorities and policy factors.
    5. Applicant's prior award performance.
    6. Partnerships and/or Participation of targeted groups.
    7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA 
determination and draft necessary documentation before recommendations 
for funding are made to the Grants Officer.

Intergovernmental Review

    Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

Limitation of Liability

    In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible 
for proposal 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.

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 which 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/toc_
ceq.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 feasible measures to 
reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their 
proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for 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.

The Department of Commerce 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.

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, and 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.

[[Page 61727]]

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to, nor shall a 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.

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 for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) 
are inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not 
been prepared.

Helen Hurcombe,
Director, NOAA Acquisitions and Grants, U.S. Department of Commerce.
 [FR Doc. E6-17535 Filed 10-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P
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