Cooperative Institute To Investigate the Use of Satellite Applications for Regional and Global-Scale Forecast Systems, 58563-58566 [E8-23661]
Download as PDF
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 7, 2008 / Notices
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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696), 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.
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.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:23 Oct 06, 2008
Jkt 217001
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.
Mary E. Kicza,
Assistant Adminstrator for Satellite and
Information Services.
[FR Doc. E8–23826 Filed 10–6–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
[Docket No. 0809181228–81232–01; I.D.
GF001]
Cooperative Institute To Investigate
the Use of Satellite Applications for
Regional and Global-Scale Forecast
Systems
OAR Cooperative Institutes
Program Office (CIPO), Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research (OAR), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NOAA Office of Oceans and
Atmospheric Research (OAR) invites
applications for a Cooperative Institute
(CI) that will collaborate with NOAA
scientists to improve weather forecast
and warning accuracy; contribute to
improvements in water resource
forecasting capabilities; provide
integrated weather information to meet
future aviation and surface
transportation needs; advance satellite
sensor technology; develop highperformance computing, visualization,
and scientific workstation technologies;
and enhance environmental literacy to
improve understanding. The CI would
also conduct research needed to develop
multiscale (global to local) data
assimilation techniques with a strong
satellite data emphasis, and provide the
scientific expertise and the necessary
computing infrastructure to help NOAA
move forward on these issues. Through
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58563
this competition, NOAA intends to
establish competitively a new CI
according to the policy and procedures
described in NOAA Administrative
Order 216–107 and the Cooperative
Institute Interim Handbook both
available at https://www.nrc.noaa.gov/
ci/. The proposed CI should be within
daily commuting distance of NOAA
facilities in Boulder and Fort Collins,
Colorado. NOAA has identified five
research themes that will address
identified needs within the NOAA
Weather and Water Goal that would
benefit from collaborations with the CI.
I. Satellite algorithm development,
training and education. Research
conducted under this theme is
associated with development of
satellite-based algorithms for weather
forecasting, with emphasis on regional
and mesoscale meteorological
phenomenon. This work includes
applications of basic satellite products
such as feature track winds,
thermodynamic retrievals, sea surface
temperature, etc., in combination with
model analyses and forecasts, as well as
in situ and other remote sensing
observations. Applications can be for
current or future satellites. Also under
this theme, satellite and related training
material will be developed and
delivered to a wide variety of users,
with emphasis on operational
forecasters. A variety of techniques can
be used, including distance learning
methods, Web-based demonstration
projects and instructor-led training.
II. Regional to Global Scale Modeling
Systems. Research conducted under this
theme is associated with the
improvement of weather/climate models
(minutes to months) that simulate and
predict changes in the Earth system.
Topics include atmospheric and ocean
dynamics, radiative forcing, clouds and
moist convection, land surface
modeling, hydrology, and coupled
modeling of the earth system.
III. Data Assimilation. Research
conducted under this theme will
develop and improve techniques to
assimilate environmental observations,
including satellite, terrestrial, oceanic,
and biological observations, to produce
the best estimate of the environmental
state at the time of the observations for
use in analysis, modeling, and
prediction activities associated with
weather/climate predications (minutes
to months) and analysis.
IV. Climate-Weather Processes.
Research conducted under this theme
will focus on using numerical models
and environmental data, including
satellite observations, to understand
processes that are important to creating
environmental changes on weather and
E:\FR\FM\07OCN1.SGM
07OCN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
58564
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 7, 2008 / Notices
short-term climate timescales (minutes
to months) and the two-way interactions
between weather systems and regional
climate.
V. Data Distribution. Research
conducted under this theme will focus
on identifying effective and efficient
methods of quickly distributing and
displaying very large sets of
environmental and model data using
data networks, using web map services,
data compression algorithms, and other
techniques.
This announcement provides
requirements for the proposed CI and
includes details for the technical
program, evaluation criteria, and
competitive selection procedures.
Applicants should review CI Interim
Handbook (available at https://
www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci) prior to preparing
a proposal for this announcement.
DATES: Proposals must be received by
OAR no later than January 5, 2009 5
p.m., E.T. Proposals submitted after that
date will not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Applicants are strongly
encouraged to apply online through the
Grants.Gov Web site https://
www.grants.gov. Paper submissions are
acceptable only if internet access is not
available. Grants.gov requires applicants
to register with the system prior to
submitting an application. This
registration process can take several
weeks, involving multiple steps. In
order to allow sufficient time for this
process, you should register as soon as
you decide that you intend to apply,
even if you are not yet ready to submit
your proposal. If an applicant has
problems downloading the application
package from Grants.gov, contact
Grants.gov Customer Support at
(800)518–4726 or support@grants.gov.
For non-Windows computer systems,
please see https://www.grants.gov/
MacSupport for information on how to
download and submit an application
through Grants.gov. If a hard copy
application is submitted, the original
and two unbound copies of the proposal
should be included. Paper submissions
should be sent to: Mr. Philip L.
Hoffman, 1315 East West Highway,
Room 11308, Silver Spring, Maryland
20910; telephone (301) 734–1096. No email or facsimile proposal submissions
will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
a copy of the Federal Funding
Opportunity announcement and/or an
application package, please access
Grants.gov, the NOAA Cooperative
Institute Web site (www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci)
or contact Mr. Philip L. Hoffman, 1315
East West Highway, Room 11308, Silver
Spring, Maryland 20910; telephone
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:23 Oct 06, 2008
Jkt 217001
(301) 734–1096; e-mail:
Philip.Hoffman@noaa.gov.
The
purpose of this announcement is to
invite the submission of proposals to
establish a CI which will collaborate
with NOAA scientists to improve
weather forecast and warning accuracy;
contribute to improvements in water
resource forecasting capabilities;
provide integrated weather information
to meet future aviation and surface
transportation needs; advance satellite
sensor technology; develop highperformance computing, visualization,
and scientific workstation technologies;
and enhance environmental literacy to
improve understanding. This CI will
give NOAA the benefit of working with
complementary capabilities at one or
more research institutions that
contribute to meteorological research
and forecasting missions.
CI Concept/Program Background: A
CI is a NOAA-supported, non-Federal
organization that has established an
outstanding research program in one or
more areas that are relevant to the
NOAA mission ‘‘to understand and
predict changes in the Earth’s
environment and conserve and manage
coastal and marine resources to meet
our Nation’s economic, social, and
environmental needs.’’ CIs are
established at research institutions that
also have a strong education program
with established graduate degree
programs in NOAA-related sciences.
The CI provides significant coordination
of resources among all non-government
partners and promotes the involvement
of students and post-doctoral scientists
in NOAA-funded research. The CI
provides mutual benefits with value
provided by all parties. NOAA
establishes a new CI competitively
when it identifies a need to sponsor a
long-term (5–10 years) collaborative
partnership with one or more
outstanding non-Federal, non-profit
research institutions. For NOAA, the
purpose of this long-term collaborative
partnership is to promote research,
education, training, and outreach
aligned with NOAA’s mission; to obtain
research capabilities that do not exist
internally; and/or to expand research
capacity in NOAA-related sciences to:
• Conduct collaborative, long-term
research that involves NOAA scientists
and those at the research institution(s)
from one or more scientific disciplines
of interest to NOAA;
• Utilize the scientific, education,
and outreach expertise at the research
institution(s) that, depending on
NOAA’s research needs, may or may not
be located near a NOAA facility;
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• Support student participation in
NOAA-related research studies; and
• Strengthen or expand NOAArelated research capabilities and
capacity at the research institution(s)
that complements and contributes to
NOAA’s ability to reach its mission
goals.
A CI will consist of one or more
research institutions that demonstrate
outstanding performance within one or
more established research programs in
NOAA-related sciences. These
institutions may include Minority
Serving Institutions and universities
with strong departments that can
contribute to the proposed activities of
the CI. CIs conduct research under
approved scientific research themes (see
Section I.B of the full funding
opportunity announcement) and Tasks
(additional tasks can be proposed by the
CI):
i. Task I. Task I activities are related
to the management of the CI, as well as
general education and outreach
activities. This task also includes
support of postdoctoral and visiting
scientists conducting activities within
the research themes of the CI that are
approved by the CI Director, in
consultation with NOAA, and are
relevant to NOAA and the CI’s mission
goals.
ii. Task II. Task II activities usually
involve on-going direct collaboration
with NOAA scientists. This
collaboration typically is fostered by the
collocation of Federal and CI
employees.
iii. Task III. Task III activities require
minimal collaboration with NOAA
scientists and may include research
funded by other NOAA competitive
grant programs.
Electronic Access: The full text of the
full funding opportunity announcement
for this program can be accessed via the
Grants.gov Web site at https://
www.grants.gov. The announcement
will also be available by contacting the
program officials identified under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the full
funding opportunity announcement.
Statutory Authority:
• 15 U.S.C. 1540
• 33 U.S.C. 883 (d)
• 15 U.S.C. 313
• 49 U.S.C. 44720 (b)
• 15 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.
• 15 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.
• 118 Stat. 71 (Jan. 23, 2004)
CFDA: 11.432, OAR Joint and
Cooperative Institutes
Funding Availability: The award
period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for an additional 5 years based
E:\FR\FM\07OCN1.SGM
07OCN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 7, 2008 / Notices
on the outcome of a CI review in the
fourth year. All funding is contingent
upon the availability of Federal
appropriations. NOAA expects that
approximately $9M will be available for
the CI in the first year of the award. The
Task I budget should not exceed
$230,000. The final amount of funding
available for Task I will be determined
during the negotiation phase of the
award based on availability of funding.
Funding for subsequent years is
expected to increase by 6% per year
throughout the period and will depend
on the quality of the research, the
satisfactory progress in achieving the
stated goals described in the proposal,
continued relevance to program
objectives, and the availability of
funding.
Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to
non-Federal public and private nonprofit universities, colleges and research
institutions that offer accredited
graduate level degree-granting programs
in NOAA-related sciences.
Cost Sharing Requirements: To stress
the collaborative nature and investment
of a CI by both NOAA and the research
institution, cost sharing is required.
There is no minimum cost sharing
requirement; however, the amount of
cost sharing will be considered when
determining the level of the CI’s
commitment under NOAA’s standard
evaluation criteria for overall
qualifications of applicants. Acceptable
cost-sharing proposals include, but are
not limited to, offering a reduced
indirect cost rate against activities in
one or more Tasks, waiver of indirect
costs assessed against base funds and/or
Task I activities, waiver or reduction of
any costs associated with the use of
facilities at the CI, and full or partial
salary funding for the CI director,
administrative staff, graduate students,
visiting scientists, or postdoctoral
scientists.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures:
The general evaluation criteria and
selection factors that apply to full
applications to this funding opportunity
are summarized below. The evaluation
criteria for 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:
Proposals will be evaluated using the
standard NOAA evaluation criteria.
Various questions under each criterion
are provided to ensure that the
applicant includes information that
NOAA will consider important during
the evaluation, in addition to any other
information provided by the applicant.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:23 Oct 06, 2008
Jkt 217001
i. Importance and/or relevance and
applicability of proposed project to the
program goals (25 percent): This
criterion ascertains whether there is
intrinsic value in the proposed work
and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal,
regional, state, or local activities.
• Does the proposal include research
goals and projects that address the
critical issues identified in NOAA’s 5year Research Plan, NOAA’s Strategic
Plan, and the priorities described in the
program priorities (see Section I.B. of
the full funding opportunity
announcement)?
• Is there a demonstrated
commitment (in terms of resources and
facilities) to enhance existing NOAA
and CI resources to foster a long-term
collaborative research environment/
culture?
• Does the proposal meet the
geographical constraints described in
the announcement?
ii. Technical/scientific merit (30
percent): This criterion assesses whether
the approach is technically sound and/
or innovative, if the methods are
appropriate, and whether there are clear
project goals and objectives.
• Does the project description include
a summary of clearly stated goals to be
achieved during the five year period
that reflect NOAA’s strategic plan and
goals?
• Does the project description include
innovative approaches to meeting the
undersea technology development,
exploration and research goals of the
proposal?
• Does the CI involve partnerships
with other universities or research
institutions, including Minority Serving
Institutions and universities with strong
departments that can contribute to the
proposed activities of the CI?
iii. Overall qualifications of
applicants (30 percent): This criterion
ascertains whether the applicant
possesses the necessary education,
experience, training, facilities, and
administrative resources to accomplish
the project.
• If the institution(s) and/or Principal
Investigators have received current or
recent NOAA funding, is there a
demonstrated record of outstanding
performance working with NOAA and/
or NOAA scientists on research
projects?
• Is there nationally and/or
internationally recognized expertise
within the appropriate disciplines
needed to conduct the collaborative/
interdisciplinary research described in
the proposal?
• Is there a well-developed business
plan that includes fiscal and human
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58565
resource management, as well as
strategic planning and accountability?
• Are there any unique capabilities in
a mission-critical area of research for
NOAA?
• Does the CI possess the necessary
undersea technical expertise and
resources, and/or provide access to the
technical resources outlined in the
proposal?
• Has the applicant shown a
substantial investment to the NOAA
partnership, as demonstrated by the
amount of the cost sharing contribution?
iv. Project costs (5 percent): The
budget is evaluated to determine if it is
realistic and commensurate with the
project needs and time-frame.
v. Outreach and education (10
percent): 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.
• Is there a strong education program
with established graduate degree
programs in NOAA-related sciences that
also encourages student participation in
NOAA-related research studies?
Review and Selection Process: An
initial administrative review/screening
is conducted to determine compliance
with requirements/completeness. All
proposals will be evaluated and
individually ranked in accordance with
the assigned weights of the above-listed
evaluation criteria by an independent
peer review panel. 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, each expert will submit
an individual review and there will be
no consensus opinion. The merit
reviewers’ ratings are used to produce a
rank order of the proposals. The
Selecting Official selects proposals after
considering the peer reviews and
selection factors listed below. In making
the final selections, the Selecting
Official will award in rank order unless
the proposal is justified to be selected
out of rank order based upon one or
more of the selection factors.
Selection Factors for Projects: The
merit review ratings shall provide a rank
order to the Selecting Official for final
funding recommendations. 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:
i. Availability of funding.
ii. Balance/distribution of funds:
a. Geographically.
b. By type of institutions.
c. By type of partners.
d. By research areas.
E:\FR\FM\07OCN1.SGM
07OCN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
58566
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 7, 2008 / Notices
e. By project types.
iii. Whether this project duplicates
other projects funded or considered for
funding by NOAA or other Federal
agencies.
iv. Program priorities and policy
factors.
v. Applicant’s prior award
performance.
vi. Partnerships and/or participation
of targeted groups.
vii. Adequacy of information
necessary for NOAA staff to make a
National Environmental Policy Act
(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 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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:23 Oct 06, 2008
Jkt 217001
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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696), 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.
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Dated: October 1, 2008.
Mark E. Brown,
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative
Officer, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8–23661 Filed 10–6–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN: 0648–XJ28
Endangered Species; File No. 13330
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Issuance of permit.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
the Southeast Fisheries Science Center
(SEFSC), National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), 75 Virginia Beach
Drive Miami, Florida 33149, has been
issued a permit to take smalltooth
sawfish (Pristis pectinata) for purposes
of scientific research.
ADDRESSES: The permits and related
documents are available for review
upon written request or by appointment
in the following offices:
Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East–West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301)713–2289; fax (301)427–2521; and
Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th
Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701;
phone (727)824–5312; fax (727)824–
5309.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick Opay or Jennifer Skidmore,
(301)713–2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April
2, 2008, notice was published in the
Federal Register (73 FR 17955) that a
request for scientific research permit to
take smalltooth sawfish had been
submitted by the above–named
institution. The requested permit has
been issued under the authority of 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 parts 222–226).
The research will be conducted each
year over the course of a five-year
permit in coastal waters of Florida. Up
to 45 smalltooth sawfish will be taken
annually using nets and hook and line
gear. Researchers will conduct a variety
E:\FR\FM\07OCN1.SGM
07OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58563-58566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23661]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
[Docket No. 0809181228-81232-01; I.D. GF001]
Cooperative Institute To Investigate the Use of Satellite
Applications for Regional and Global-Scale Forecast Systems
AGENCY: OAR Cooperative Institutes Program Office (CIPO), Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NOAA Office of Oceans and Atmospheric Research (OAR) invites
applications for a Cooperative Institute (CI) that will collaborate
with NOAA scientists to improve weather forecast and warning accuracy;
contribute to improvements in water resource forecasting capabilities;
provide integrated weather information to meet future aviation and
surface transportation needs; advance satellite sensor technology;
develop high-performance computing, visualization, and scientific
workstation technologies; and enhance environmental literacy to improve
understanding. The CI would also conduct research needed to develop
multiscale (global to local) data assimilation techniques with a strong
satellite data emphasis, and provide the scientific expertise and the
necessary computing infrastructure to help NOAA move forward on these
issues. Through this competition, NOAA intends to establish
competitively a new CI according to the policy and procedures described
in NOAA Administrative Order 216-107 and the Cooperative Institute
Interim Handbook both available at https://www.nrc.noaa.gov/ ci/. The
proposed CI should be within daily commuting distance of NOAA
facilities in Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado. NOAA has identified
five research themes that will address identified needs within the NOAA
Weather and Water Goal that would benefit from collaborations with the
CI.
I. Satellite algorithm development, training and education.
Research conducted under this theme is associated with development of
satellite-based algorithms for weather forecasting, with emphasis on
regional and mesoscale meteorological phenomenon. This work includes
applications of basic satellite products such as feature track winds,
thermodynamic retrievals, sea surface temperature, etc., in combination
with model analyses and forecasts, as well as in situ and other remote
sensing observations. Applications can be for current or future
satellites. Also under this theme, satellite and related training
material will be developed and delivered to a wide variety of users,
with emphasis on operational forecasters. A variety of techniques can
be used, including distance learning methods, Web-based demonstration
projects and instructor-led training.
II. Regional to Global Scale Modeling Systems. Research conducted
under this theme is associated with the improvement of weather/climate
models (minutes to months) that simulate and predict changes in the
Earth system. Topics include atmospheric and ocean dynamics, radiative
forcing, clouds and moist convection, land surface modeling, hydrology,
and coupled modeling of the earth system.
III. Data Assimilation. Research conducted under this theme will
develop and improve techniques to assimilate environmental
observations, including satellite, terrestrial, oceanic, and biological
observations, to produce the best estimate of the environmental state
at the time of the observations for use in analysis, modeling, and
prediction activities associated with weather/climate predications
(minutes to months) and analysis.
IV. Climate-Weather Processes. Research conducted under this theme
will focus on using numerical models and environmental data, including
satellite observations, to understand processes that are important to
creating environmental changes on weather and
[[Page 58564]]
short-term climate timescales (minutes to months) and the two-way
interactions between weather systems and regional climate.
V. Data Distribution. Research conducted under this theme will
focus on identifying effective and efficient methods of quickly
distributing and displaying very large sets of environmental and model
data using data networks, using web map services, data compression
algorithms, and other techniques.
This announcement provides requirements for the proposed CI and
includes details for the technical program, evaluation criteria, and
competitive selection procedures. Applicants should review CI Interim
Handbook (available at https://www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci) prior to preparing a
proposal for this announcement.
DATES: Proposals must be received by OAR no later than January 5, 2009
5 p.m., E.T. Proposals submitted after that date will not be
considered.
ADDRESSES: Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online through
the Grants.Gov Web site https://www.grants.gov. Paper submissions are
acceptable only if internet access is not available. Grants.gov
requires applicants to register with the system prior to submitting an
application. This registration process can take several weeks,
involving multiple steps. In order to allow sufficient time for this
process, you should register as soon as you decide that you intend to
apply, even if you are not yet ready to submit your proposal. If an
applicant has problems downloading the application package from
Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at (800)518-4726 or
support@grants.gov. For non-Windows computer systems, please see http:/
/www.grants.gov/MacSupport for information on how to download and
submit an application through Grants.gov. If a hard copy application is
submitted, the original and two unbound copies of the proposal should
be included. Paper submissions should be sent to: Mr. Philip L.
Hoffman, 1315 East West Highway, Room 11308, Silver Spring, Maryland
20910; telephone (301) 734-1096. No e-mail or facsimile proposal
submissions will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the Federal Funding
Opportunity announcement and/or an application package, please access
Grants.gov, the NOAA Cooperative Institute Web site (www.nrc.noaa.gov/
ci) or contact Mr. Philip L. Hoffman, 1315 East West Highway, Room
11308, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; telephone (301) 734-1096; e-mail:
Philip.Hoffman@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this announcement is to
invite the submission of proposals to establish a CI which will
collaborate with NOAA scientists to improve weather forecast and
warning accuracy; contribute to improvements in water resource
forecasting capabilities; provide integrated weather information to
meet future aviation and surface transportation needs; advance
satellite sensor technology; develop high-performance computing,
visualization, and scientific workstation technologies; and enhance
environmental literacy to improve understanding. This CI will give NOAA
the benefit of working with complementary capabilities at one or more
research institutions that contribute to meteorological research and
forecasting missions.
CI Concept/Program Background: A CI is a NOAA-supported, non-
Federal organization that has established an outstanding research
program in one or more areas that are relevant to the NOAA mission ``to
understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment and conserve
and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic,
social, and environmental needs.'' CIs are established at research
institutions that also have a strong education program with established
graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences. The CI provides
significant coordination of resources among all non-government partners
and promotes the involvement of students and post-doctoral scientists
in NOAA-funded research. The CI provides mutual benefits with value
provided by all parties. NOAA establishes a new CI competitively when
it identifies a need to sponsor a long-term (5-10 years) collaborative
partnership with one or more outstanding non-Federal, non-profit
research institutions. For NOAA, the purpose of this long-term
collaborative partnership is to promote research, education, training,
and outreach aligned with NOAA's mission; to obtain research
capabilities that do not exist internally; and/or to expand research
capacity in NOAA-related sciences to:
Conduct collaborative, long-term research that involves
NOAA scientists and those at the research institution(s) from one or
more scientific disciplines of interest to NOAA;
Utilize the scientific, education, and outreach expertise
at the research institution(s) that, depending on NOAA's research
needs, may or may not be located near a NOAA facility;
Support student participation in NOAA-related research
studies; and
Strengthen or expand NOAA-related research capabilities
and capacity at the research institution(s) that complements and
contributes to NOAA's ability to reach its mission goals.
A CI will consist of one or more research institutions that
demonstrate outstanding performance within one or more established
research programs in NOAA-related sciences. These institutions may
include Minority Serving Institutions and universities with strong
departments that can contribute to the proposed activities of the CI.
CIs conduct research under approved scientific research themes (see
Section I.B of the full funding opportunity announcement) and Tasks
(additional tasks can be proposed by the CI):
i. Task I. Task I activities are related to the management of the
CI, as well as general education and outreach activities. This task
also includes support of postdoctoral and visiting scientists
conducting activities within the research themes of the CI that are
approved by the CI Director, in consultation with NOAA, and are
relevant to NOAA and the CI's mission goals.
ii. Task II. Task II activities usually involve on-going direct
collaboration with NOAA scientists. This collaboration typically is
fostered by the collocation of Federal and CI employees.
iii. Task III. Task III activities require minimal collaboration
with NOAA scientists and may include research funded by other NOAA
competitive grant programs.
Electronic Access: The full text of the full funding opportunity
announcement for this program can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web
site at https://www.grants.gov. The announcement will also be available
by contacting the program officials identified under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. Applicants must comply with all requirements
contained in the full funding opportunity announcement.
Statutory Authority:
15 U.S.C. 1540
33 U.S.C. 883 (d)
15 U.S.C. 313
49 U.S.C. 44720 (b)
15 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.
15 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.
118 Stat. 71 (Jan. 23, 2004)
CFDA: 11.432, OAR Joint and Cooperative Institutes
Funding Availability: The award period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for an additional 5 years based
[[Page 58565]]
on the outcome of a CI review in the fourth year. All funding is
contingent upon the availability of Federal appropriations. NOAA
expects that approximately $9M will be available for the CI in the
first year of the award. The Task I budget should not exceed $230,000.
The final amount of funding available for Task I will be determined
during the negotiation phase of the award based on availability of
funding. Funding for subsequent years is expected to increase by 6% per
year throughout the period and will depend on the quality of the
research, the satisfactory progress in achieving the stated goals
described in the proposal, continued relevance to program objectives,
and the availability of funding.
Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to non-Federal public and
private non-profit universities, colleges and research institutions
that offer accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-
related sciences.
Cost Sharing Requirements: To stress the collaborative nature and
investment of a CI by both NOAA and the research institution, cost
sharing is required. There is no minimum cost sharing requirement;
however, the amount of cost sharing will be considered when determining
the level of the CI's commitment under NOAA's standard evaluation
criteria for overall qualifications of applicants. Acceptable cost-
sharing proposals include, but are not limited to, offering a reduced
indirect cost rate against activities in one or more Tasks, waiver of
indirect costs assessed against base funds and/or Task I activities,
waiver or reduction of any costs associated with the use of facilities
at the CI, and full or partial salary funding for the CI director,
administrative staff, graduate students, visiting scientists, or
postdoctoral scientists.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures: The general evaluation
criteria and selection factors that apply to full applications to this
funding opportunity are summarized below. The evaluation criteria for
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: Proposals will be evaluated using
the standard NOAA evaluation criteria. Various questions under each
criterion are provided to ensure that the applicant includes
information that NOAA will consider important during the evaluation, in
addition to any other information provided by the applicant.
i. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed
project to the program goals (25 percent): This criterion ascertains
whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance
to NOAA, Federal, regional, state, or local activities.
Does the proposal include research goals and projects that
address the critical issues identified in NOAA's 5-year Research Plan,
NOAA's Strategic Plan, and the priorities described in the program
priorities (see Section I.B. of the full funding opportunity
announcement)?
Is there a demonstrated commitment (in terms of resources
and facilities) to enhance existing NOAA and CI resources to foster a
long-term collaborative research environment/culture?
Does the proposal meet the geographical constraints
described in the announcement?
ii. Technical/scientific merit (30 percent): This criterion
assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative,
if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project
goals and objectives.
Does the project description include a summary of clearly
stated goals to be achieved during the five year period that reflect
NOAA's strategic plan and goals?
Does the project description include innovative approaches
to meeting the undersea technology development, exploration and
research goals of the proposal?
Does the CI involve partnerships with other universities
or research institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions and
universities with strong departments that can contribute to the
proposed activities of the CI?
iii. Overall qualifications of applicants (30 percent): This
criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary
education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative
resources to accomplish the project.
If the institution(s) and/or Principal Investigators have
received current or recent NOAA funding, is there a demonstrated record
of outstanding performance working with NOAA and/or NOAA scientists on
research projects?
Is there nationally and/or internationally recognized
expertise within the appropriate disciplines needed to conduct the
collaborative/interdisciplinary research described in the proposal?
Is there a well-developed business plan that includes
fiscal and human resource management, as well as strategic planning and
accountability?
Are there any unique capabilities in a mission-critical
area of research for NOAA?
Does the CI possess the necessary undersea technical
expertise and resources, and/or provide access to the technical
resources outlined in the proposal?
Has the applicant shown a substantial investment to the
NOAA partnership, as demonstrated by the amount of the cost sharing
contribution?
iv. Project costs (5 percent): The budget is evaluated to determine
if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-
frame.
v. Outreach and education (10 percent): 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.
Is there a strong education program with established
graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences that also encourages
student participation in NOAA-related research studies?
Review and Selection Process: An initial administrative review/
screening is conducted to determine compliance with requirements/
completeness. All proposals will be evaluated and individually ranked
in accordance with the assigned weights of the above-listed evaluation
criteria by an independent peer review panel. 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, each expert will
submit an individual review and there will be no consensus opinion. The
merit reviewers' ratings are used to produce a rank order of the
proposals. The Selecting Official selects proposals after considering
the peer reviews and selection factors listed below. In making the
final selections, the Selecting Official will award in rank order
unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based
upon one or more of the selection factors.
Selection Factors for Projects: The merit review ratings shall
provide a rank order to the Selecting Official for final funding
recommendations. 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:
i. Availability of funding.
ii. Balance/distribution of funds:
a. Geographically.
b. By type of institutions.
c. By type of partners.
d. By research areas.
[[Page 58566]]
e. By project types.
iii. Whether this project duplicates other projects funded or
considered for funding by NOAA or other Federal agencies.
iv. Program priorities and policy factors.
v. Applicant's prior award performance.
vi. Partnerships and/or participation of targeted groups.
vii. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a
National Environmental Policy Act (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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR
7696), 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. 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.
Dated: October 1, 2008.
Mark E. Brown,
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer, Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-23661 Filed 10-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P