Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT): Closing Date, 20995-20997 [E7-8113]

Download as PDF cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 81 / Friday April 27, 2007 / Notices Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this application should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons why a hearing on this particular request would be appropriate. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301)427–2521, provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for providing e-mail comments is NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: File No. 814–1899. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Skidmore or Amy Sloan, (301)713–2289. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222–226). The North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management is requesting authorization to collect and transport tissues from subsistence-collected and/ or stranded (dead) marine mammals of the following species: bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), ringed seal (Phoca hispida), spotted seal (Phoca larga), and ribbon seal (Phoca fasciata), bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus). These collected tissues would be used to perform a variety of health-related analyses, including (but not limited to): tissue histology, contaminants analyses (elemental analyses, PAH/ organochlorine analyses etc.), infectious disease research (culture, PCR analyses), parasitology studies and stable isotope work. Additionally, tissues will be collected to augment the Alaskan Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project (AMMTAP). No animals will be killed for the purpose of providing samples under this permit.. Locations of VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:18 Apr 26, 2007 Jkt 211001 collections will be from the Northwest Arctic Borough (St. Lawrence Island, Diomede, Wales and Kivalina) and the North Slope Borough, Alaska. This effort will provide critical baseline data and will be part of a long-term monitoring project being undertaken by the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management in response to public concerns about the safety and health of their subsistence species. This permit is requested for five years. Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors. Dated: April 24, 2007. P. Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E7–8119 Filed 4–26–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 20995 However, if an application is received after the Closing Date due to (1) carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a guarantee for delivery by the Closing Date and Time, or (2) significant weather delays or natural disasters, NTIA will, upon receipt of proper documentation, consider the application as having been received by the deadline. ADDRESSES: To obtain a printed application package, submit completed applications, or send any other correspondence, write to: NTIA/PTFP, Room H-4812, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230. Application materials may be obtained electronically via the Internet at www.Grants.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Cooperman, Director, Public Broadcasting Division, telephone: (202) 482–5802; fax: (202) 482–2156. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic Access DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Telecommunications and Information Administration [Docket No. 070419094–7096–01] Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT): Closing Date National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of funds. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Pursuant to Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007, Pub. L. 110–5, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce, announces the solicitation of applications for a grant for the Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT) Program. Projects funded pursuant to this Notice are intended to support the PEACESAT Program’s acquisition of satellite communications to service Pacific Basin communities and to manage the operations of this network. Applications for the PEACESAT Program grant will compete for funds from the Public Broadcasting, Facilities, Planning and Construction Funds account. DATES: Applications must be received on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, May 29, 2007. Applications submitted by facsimile are not acceptable. NTIA will not accept applications received after the deadline. PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 The full funding opportunity announcement for the PEACESAT Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 grant cycle is available through www.Grants.gov or by contacting the PTFP office at the address noted above. Application materials may be obtained electronically via the Internet www.grants.gov. Funding Availability Funding for the PEACESAT Program is provided pursuant to Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007, Public Law 110–5, and Public Law 106–113, ‘‘The Consolidated Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2000.’’ Public Law 106–113 provides ‘‘That, hereafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT) Program is eligible to compete for Public Broadcasting Facilities, Planning and Construction funds.’’ The Congress has appropriated $20 million for FY 2007 Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) and PEACESAT awards. Of this amount, NTIA anticipates making a single award for approximately $500,000 for the PEACESAT Program in FY 2007. For FY 2006, NTIA issued one award for the PEACESAT project in the amount of $499,440. Statutory and Regulatory Authority The PEACESAT Program was authorized under Public Law 100–584 (102 Stat. 2970) and also Public Law 101–555 (104 Stat. 2758) to acquire satellite communications services to E:\FR\FM\27APN1.SGM 27APN1 20996 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 81 / Friday April 27, 2007 / Notices provide educational, medical, and cultural needs of Pacific Basin communities. The PEACESAT Program has been operational since 1971 and has received funding from NTIA for support of the project since 1988. Applications submitted in response to this solicitation for PEACESAT applications are exempt from the PTFP regulations at 15 CFR part 2301. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: N/A. Eligibility Eligible applicants will include any for-profit or non-profit organization, public or private entity, other than an agency or division of the Federal government. Individuals are not eligible to apply for the PEACESAT Program funds. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Evaluation and Selection Process Each eligible application is evaluated by three independent reviewers who have demonstrated expertise in the programmatic and technological aspects of the application. The reviewers will evaluate applications according to the criteria in the following section and provide individual written ratings of each application. No consensus advice will be provided by the reviewers. State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) offices, per Executive Order 12372, may provide recommendations on applications under consideration. The Public Broadcasting Division (PBD) administers the PEACESAT Program and places a summary of applications received on the Internet. Listing an application merely acknowledges receipt of an application to compete for funding with other applications. Listing does not preclude subsequent return of the application or disapproval of the application, nor does it assure that the application will be funded. The listing will also include a request for comments on the applications from any interested party. The reviewer’s ratings are provided to the PBD staff and a rank order is prepared according to score. The PBD program staff prepares summary recommendations for the Director of the Public Broadcasting Division. These recommendations incorporate the outside reviewers’ ratings and incorporate analysis based on the degree to which a proposed project meets the PEACESAT Program purposes and cost eligibility. Staff recommendations also consider (1) project impact, (2) the cost/ benefit of a project, and (3) whether the reviewers consistently applied the evaluation criteria. The analysis by program staff is provided to the Director VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:18 Apr 26, 2007 Jkt 211001 of the Public Broadcasting Division in writing. The Director considers the summary recommendations prepared by program staff in accord with the funding priorities and selection factors referenced in the next section and recommends the funding order of the applications for the PEACESAT Programs in three categories: ‘‘Recommended for Funding,’’ ‘‘Recommended for Funding If Funds Are Available,’’ and ‘‘Not Recommended for Funding.’’ The Director presents recommendations to the Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications (OTIA), for review and approval. Upon review and approval based on the funding priorities and selection factors referenced in the next section by the Associate Administrator of the Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications (OTIA), the Associate Administrator’s and the Director’s recommendations are presented to the Selecting Official, the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, who is the NTIA Administrator. The NTIA Administrator selects the applications to be negotiated for possible grant award, taking into consideration the outside reviewers’ ratings, the Director’s recommendations, and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the PEACESAT Programs’ stated purposes. The selected applications are negotiated between NTIA staff and the applicant. The negotiations are intended to resolve whatever differences might exist between the applicant’s original request and what NTIA is considering funding. Negotiation does not ensure that an award will be made. When the negotiations are completed, the Director recommends final selections to the NTIA Administrator, applying the same selection factors described above. The Administrator then makes the final award selections from the negotiated applications taking into consideration the Director’s recommendations and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the stated purposes for the PEACESAT Program. Funding Priorities and Selection Factors The PBD Director will consider the summary evaluations prepared by program staff, rank the applications, and present recommendations to the OTIA Associate Administrator for review and approval. The Director’s recommendations and the OTIA PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Associate Administrator’s review and approval will take into account the following selection factors: (1) The program staff evaluations, including the outside reviewers. (2) Whether the applicant has any current NTIA grants. (3) The geographic distribution of the proposed grant awards. (4) The availability of funds. Upon approval by the OTIA Associate Administrator, the Director’s recommendations will then be presented to the Selecting Official, the NTIA Administrator. The Administrator makes final award selections taking into consideration the Director’s recommendations and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the program’s stated purposes. No grant will be awarded until confirmation has been received from the FCC that any necessary authorization will be issued. After final award selections have been made, the Agency will notify the applicant of one of the following actions: (1) Selection of the application for funding, in whole or in part; (2) Deferral of the application for subsequent consideration; or (3) Rejection of the application with an explanation and the reason, if an applicant is not eligible or if the proposed project does not fall within the purposes of the PEACESAT program. Evaluation Criteria Each eligible application that is timely received, is materially complete, and proposes an eligible project will be considered under the evaluation criteria described here. The first three criteria— 1. Meeting the Purposes of the PEACESAT Program, 2. Extent of Need for the Project, and 3. Plan of Operation for the Project—are each worth 25 points. Criterion 4, Budget and Cost Effectiveness, is worth 20 points. Criterion 5, Quality of Key Personnel, is worth 5 points. Criterion 1. Meeting the Purposes of the PEACESAT Program, including (i) how well the proposal meets the objectives of the PEACESAT Program and (ii) how the objectives of the proposal further the purposes of the PEACESAT Program. Criterion 2. Extent of Need for the Project. The extent to which the project meets the needs of the PEACESAT Program, including consideration of: (i) The needs addressed by the project; (ii) how the applicant identifies those needs; (iii) how those needs will be met E:\FR\FM\27APN1.SGM 27APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 81 / Friday April 27, 2007 / Notices by the project; and (iv) the benefits to be gained by meeting those needs. Criterion 3. Plan of Operation for the Project, including (i) the quality of the design of the project; (ii) the extent to which the plan of management is effective and ensures proper and efficient administration of the project; (iii) how well the objectives of the project relate to the purposes of the PEACESAT Program; (iv) the quality of the applicant’s plan to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective; and (v) how the applicant will ensure that project participants who are otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or handicapped condition. Criterion 4. Budget and Cost Effectiveness. The extent to which (i) the budget is adequate to support the project; and (ii) costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project. Criterion 5. Quality of Key Personnel the applicant plans to use on the project, including (i) the qualifications of the project director if one is to be used; (ii) the qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be used in the project; (iii) the time that each person will commit to the project; and (iv) how the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or handicapped condition. In this section, ‘‘qualifications’’ refers to experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the project, and any other qualifications that pertain to the quality of the project. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Cost Sharing Requirements Grant recipients under this program will not be required to provide matching funds toward the total project cost. The costs allowable under this Notice are not subject to the limitation on costs contained in the March, 7, 2007 Notice regarding the PTFP Program. Intergovernmental Review PEACESAT applications are subject to Executive Order 12372, ‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,’’ if the state in which the applicant organization is located participates in the process. Usually submission to the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) needs to be only the first two pages of the Application Form, but applicants should contact their own SPOC offices to find out about and comply with its requirements. The names and addresses of the SPOC offices are listed on the PTFP Web site and at the Office of Management and VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:18 Apr 26, 2007 Jkt 211001 Budget’s home page at https:// www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/ spoc.html. Universal Identifier All applicants (nonprofit, state, local government, universities, and tribal organizations) will be required to provide a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number during the application process. See the October 30, 2002 (67 FR 66177) and April 8, 2003 (68 FR 17000) Federal Register notices for additional information. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line 1–866–705–5711 or via the Internet (www.dunandbradstreet.com). 20997 Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)). 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. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications. [FR Doc. E7–8113 Filed 4–26–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–60–P The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification of Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389) is applicable to this solicitation. Meeting of the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors Limitation of Liability In no event will the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if this program fails to receive funding or is cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige the agency to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. Paperwork Reduction Act Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), unless that collection displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The PEACESAT application package requires the use of the following forms: SF–424, SF–424A, SF–424B, SF–LLL, CD–346,and CD–511. These forms have been approved under OMB Control Nos. 4040–0004, 0348– 044, 4040–007, 0348–0046, and 0605– 0001. Executive Order 13132 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 opportunity for public comment are not required by the PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Office of the Secretary Department of Defense. Federal Advisory Committee Meeting Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Sunshine in the Government Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended) and 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 102–3.140 through 160, the Department of Defense announces the forthcoming public meeting: Name of Committee: President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors (hereafter referred to as the Commission). Date of Meeting: May 14, 2007. Time of Meeting: 10 a.m. to (To Be Determined). Place of Meeting: Main Conference Center, National Transportation Safety Board, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20594. Purpose of Meeting: To obtain, review, and evaluate information related to the Commission’s mission to examine the care provided to wounded service members. The Commission will receive briefings on topics relating to the care and rehabilitation of wounded service members. Agenda: 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Administrative Work Meeting (Not Open to the Public). 10 a.m.—(Public Session). Presentations (May Vary), DC—Veteran Administration System, System Issues, Public Comment. The Commission’s May 14, 2007 meeting at the Main Conference Center, National Transportation Safety Board, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20594 subject to the availability of seating, is open to the public. Interested persons or organizations may submit written statements for consideration E:\FR\FM\27APN1.SGM 27APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 81 (Friday, April 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20995-20997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8113]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket No. 070419094-7096-01]


Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite 
(PEACESAT): Closing Date

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 
2007, Pub. L. 110-5, the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce, announces the 
solicitation of applications for a grant for the Pan-Pacific Education 
and Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT) Program. 
Projects funded pursuant to this Notice are intended to support the 
PEACESAT Program's acquisition of satellite communications to service 
Pacific Basin communities and to manage the operations of this network. 
Applications for the PEACESAT Program grant will compete for funds from 
the Public Broadcasting, Facilities, Planning and Construction Funds 
account.

DATES: Applications must be received on or before 5 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time, May 29, 2007. Applications submitted by facsimile are 
not acceptable. NTIA will not accept applications received after the 
deadline. However, if an application is received after the Closing Date 
due to (1) carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a 
guarantee for delivery by the Closing Date and Time, or (2) significant 
weather delays or natural disasters, NTIA will, upon receipt of proper 
documentation, consider the application as having been received by the 
deadline.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a printed application package, submit completed 
applications, or send any other correspondence, write to: NTIA/PTFP, 
Room H-4812, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20230. Application materials may be obtained 
electronically via the Internet at www.Grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Cooperman, Director, Public 
Broadcasting Division, telephone: (202) 482-5802; fax: (202) 482-2156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    The full funding opportunity announcement for the PEACESAT Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2007 grant cycle is available through www.Grants.gov or by 
contacting the PTFP office at the address noted above. Application 
materials may be obtained electronically via the Internet 
www.grants.gov.

Funding Availability

    Funding for the PEACESAT Program is provided pursuant to Revised 
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007, Public Law 110-5, and 
Public Law 106-113, ``The Consolidated Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 
2000.'' Public Law 106-113 provides ``That, hereafter, notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the Pan-Pacific Education and 
Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT) Program is eligible 
to compete for Public Broadcasting Facilities, Planning and 
Construction funds.''
    The Congress has appropriated $20 million for FY 2007 Public 
Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) and PEACESAT awards. Of 
this amount, NTIA anticipates making a single award for approximately 
$500,000 for the PEACESAT Program in FY 2007. For FY 2006, NTIA issued 
one award for the PEACESAT project in the amount of $499,440.

Statutory and Regulatory Authority

    The PEACESAT Program was authorized under Public Law 100-584 (102 
Stat. 2970) and also Public Law 101-555 (104 Stat. 2758) to acquire 
satellite communications services to

[[Page 20996]]

provide educational, medical, and cultural needs of Pacific Basin 
communities. The PEACESAT Program has been operational since 1971 and 
has received funding from NTIA for support of the project since 1988.
    Applications submitted in response to this solicitation for 
PEACESAT applications are exempt from the PTFP regulations at 15 CFR 
part 2301.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: N/A.

Eligibility

    Eligible applicants will include any for-profit or non-profit 
organization, public or private entity, other than an agency or 
division of the Federal government. Individuals are not eligible to 
apply for the PEACESAT Program funds.

Evaluation and Selection Process

    Each eligible application is evaluated by three independent 
reviewers who have demonstrated expertise in the programmatic and 
technological aspects of the application. The reviewers will evaluate 
applications according to the criteria in the following section and 
provide individual written ratings of each application. No consensus 
advice will be provided by the reviewers.
    State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) offices, per Executive Order 
12372, may provide recommendations on applications under consideration.
    The Public Broadcasting Division (PBD) administers the PEACESAT 
Program and places a summary of applications received on the Internet. 
Listing an application merely acknowledges receipt of an application to 
compete for funding with other applications. Listing does not preclude 
subsequent return of the application or disapproval of the application, 
nor does it assure that the application will be funded. The listing 
will also include a request for comments on the applications from any 
interested party.
    The reviewer's ratings are provided to the PBD staff and a rank 
order is prepared according to score. The PBD program staff prepares 
summary recommendations for the Director of the Public Broadcasting 
Division. These recommendations incorporate the outside reviewers' 
ratings and incorporate analysis based on the degree to which a 
proposed project meets the PEACESAT Program purposes and cost 
eligibility. Staff recommendations also consider (1) project impact, 
(2) the cost/benefit of a project, and (3) whether the reviewers 
consistently applied the evaluation criteria. The analysis by program 
staff is provided to the Director of the Public Broadcasting Division 
in writing.
    The Director considers the summary recommendations prepared by 
program staff in accord with the funding priorities and selection 
factors referenced in the next section and recommends the funding order 
of the applications for the PEACESAT Programs in three categories: 
``Recommended for Funding,'' ``Recommended for Funding If Funds Are 
Available,'' and ``Not Recommended for Funding.'' The Director presents 
recommendations to the Associate Administrator, Office of 
Telecommunications and Information Applications (OTIA), for review and 
approval.
    Upon review and approval based on the funding priorities and 
selection factors referenced in the next section by the Associate 
Administrator of the Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications (OTIA), the Associate Administrator's and the Director's 
recommendations are presented to the Selecting Official, the Assistant 
Secretary for Communications and Information, who is the NTIA 
Administrator. The NTIA Administrator selects the applications to be 
negotiated for possible grant award, taking into consideration the 
outside reviewers' ratings, the Director's recommendations, and the 
degree to which the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies 
the PEACESAT Programs' stated purposes.
    The selected applications are negotiated between NTIA staff and the 
applicant. The negotiations are intended to resolve whatever 
differences might exist between the applicant's original request and 
what NTIA is considering funding. Negotiation does not ensure that an 
award will be made. When the negotiations are completed, the Director 
recommends final selections to the NTIA Administrator, applying the 
same selection factors described above. The Administrator then makes 
the final award selections from the negotiated applications taking into 
consideration the Director's recommendations and the degree to which 
the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the stated 
purposes for the PEACESAT Program.

Funding Priorities and Selection Factors

    The PBD Director will consider the summary evaluations prepared by 
program staff, rank the applications, and present recommendations to 
the OTIA Associate Administrator for review and approval. The 
Director's recommendations and the OTIA Associate Administrator's 
review and approval will take into account the following selection 
factors:
    (1) The program staff evaluations, including the outside reviewers.
    (2) Whether the applicant has any current NTIA grants.
    (3) The geographic distribution of the proposed grant awards.
    (4) The availability of funds.
    Upon approval by the OTIA Associate Administrator, the Director's 
recommendations will then be presented to the Selecting Official, the 
NTIA Administrator.
    The Administrator makes final award selections taking into 
consideration the Director's recommendations and the degree to which 
the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the program's 
stated purposes.
    No grant will be awarded until confirmation has been received from 
the FCC that any necessary authorization will be issued.
    After final award selections have been made, the Agency will notify 
the applicant of one of the following actions:
    (1) Selection of the application for funding, in whole or in part;
    (2) Deferral of the application for subsequent consideration; or
    (3) Rejection of the application with an explanation and the 
reason, if an applicant is not eligible or if the proposed project does 
not fall within the purposes of the PEACESAT program.

Evaluation Criteria

    Each eligible application that is timely received, is materially 
complete, and proposes an eligible project will be considered under the 
evaluation criteria described here. The first three criteria--1. 
Meeting the Purposes of the PEACESAT Program, 2. Extent of Need for the 
Project, and 3. Plan of Operation for the Project--are each worth 25 
points. Criterion 4, Budget and Cost Effectiveness, is worth 20 points. 
Criterion 5, Quality of Key Personnel, is worth 5 points.
    Criterion 1. Meeting the Purposes of the PEACESAT Program, 
including (i) how well the proposal meets the objectives of the 
PEACESAT Program and (ii) how the objectives of the proposal further 
the purposes of the PEACESAT Program.
    Criterion 2. Extent of Need for the Project. The extent to which 
the project meets the needs of the PEACESAT Program, including 
consideration of: (i) The needs addressed by the project; (ii) how the 
applicant identifies those needs; (iii) how those needs will be met

[[Page 20997]]

by the project; and (iv) the benefits to be gained by meeting those 
needs.
    Criterion 3. Plan of Operation for the Project, including (i) the 
quality of the design of the project; (ii) the extent to which the plan 
of management is effective and ensures proper and efficient 
administration of the project; (iii) how well the objectives of the 
project relate to the purposes of the PEACESAT Program; (iv) the 
quality of the applicant's plan to use its resources and personnel to 
achieve each objective; and (v) how the applicant will ensure that 
project participants who are otherwise eligible to participate are 
selected without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, 
or handicapped condition.
    Criterion 4. Budget and Cost Effectiveness. The extent to which (i) 
the budget is adequate to support the project; and (ii) costs are 
reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project.
    Criterion 5. Quality of Key Personnel the applicant plans to use on 
the project, including (i) the qualifications of the project director 
if one is to be used; (ii) the qualifications of each of the other key 
personnel to be used in the project; (iii) the time that each person 
will commit to the project; and (iv) how the applicant, as part of its 
nondiscriminatory employment practices, will ensure that its personnel 
are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or handicapped condition. In this section, 
``qualifications'' refers to experience and training in fields related 
to the objectives of the project, and any other qualifications that 
pertain to the quality of the project.

Cost Sharing Requirements

    Grant recipients under this program will not be required to provide 
matching funds toward the total project cost.
    The costs allowable under this Notice are not subject to the 
limitation on costs contained in the March, 7, 2007 Notice regarding 
the PTFP Program.

Intergovernmental Review

    PEACESAT applications are subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' if the state in which 
the applicant organization is located participates in the process. 
Usually submission to the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) needs to 
be only the first two pages of the Application Form, but applicants 
should contact their own SPOC offices to find out about and comply with 
its requirements. The names and addresses of the SPOC offices are 
listed on the PTFP Web site and at the Office of Management and 
Budget's home page at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

Universal Identifier

    All applicants (nonprofit, state, local government, universities, 
and tribal organizations) will be required to provide a Dun and 
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number during the 
application process. See the October 30, 2002 (67 FR 66177) and April 
8, 2003 (68 FR 17000) Federal Register notices for additional 
information. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by 
calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line 1-866-705-5711 
or via the Internet (www.dunandbradstreet.com).

The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements

    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification of Requirements 
for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register 
notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389) is applicable to this 
solicitation.

Limitation of Liability

    In no event will the Department of Commerce be responsible for 
proposal preparation costs if this program fails to receive funding or 
is cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of this 
announcement does not oblige the agency to award any specific project 
or to obligate any available funds.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), unless that 
collection displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) control number. The PEACESAT application package requires the use 
of the following forms: SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, CD-346,and 
CD-511. These forms have been approved under OMB Control Nos. 4040-
0004, 0348-044, 4040-007, 0348-0046, and 0605-0001.

Executive Order 13132

    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 opportunity for public comment are not required by 
the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning 
grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)). 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.

Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications.
 [FR Doc. E7-8113 Filed 4-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P
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