Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT): Closing Date, 74146-74148 [E8-28749]
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74146
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 235 / Friday, December 5, 2008 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
National Telecommunications and
Information Administration
U.S.-European Union (EU) Safe Harbor
Framework—Notice of Request for
Public Comment
Docket No. 0811251525–81526–01
Pan-Pacific Education and
Communications Experiments by
Satellite (PEACESAT): Closing Date
AGENCY: International Trade
Administration, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of request for public
comment.
SUMMARY: The Department of
Commerce’s International Trade
Administration (ITA) is proposing
implementation of a cost recovery
program to support the operation of the
U.S.-European Union (EU) Safe Harbor
Framework. The Framework allows U.S.
companies to satisfy the requirements of
the EU’s Directive on Data Protection
when transferring personal information
from the EU, thereby ensuring
uninterrupted data transfers worth
billions of dollars in trade between the
EU and the United States. As the
program has grown from 6 companies to
nearly 1,700, so too have the requests
from these U.S. companies for Safe
Harbor-related services, including
education, outreach, and counseling.
ITA is responsible for managing the
U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework for the
Administration. In order to better serve
ITA’s clients, ITA is proposing to
establish a two-tiered fee structure in
which new clients would be required to
pay a $200 registration (processing) fee
and existing clients who renew their
certification commitment to Safe Harbor
would pay $100 each year following
their initial certification.
DATES: Comments must be received by
December 16, 2008.
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
ADDRESSES: Input on or inquiries about
ITA’s proposed cost recovery program
for operation of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor
Framework should be addressed to the
contact below, and received by close of
business on December 16, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David A. Ritchie, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Office of Technology and
Electronic Commerce, 1401 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Room 2003, Washington,
DC 20230; Telephone: 202–482–4936.;
e-mail: david.ritchie@mail.doc.gov.
Dated: December 2, 2008.
Robin Layton,
Director, Office of Technology and Electronic
Commerce.
[FR Doc. E8–28906 Filed 12–4–08; 8:45 am]
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AGENCY: National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA),
U.S. Department of Commerce
ACTION: Notice of Closing Date for
Solicitation of Applications.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Consolidated
Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009,
Public Law 110–329 (2008), the 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, January 15, 2009. 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,
N.W., 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:
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Electronic Access
The full funding opportunity
announcement for the PEACESAT
Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 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
Issuance of grants is subject to the
availability of FY 2009 funds. At this
time, the Congress has passed the
Consolidated Security, Disaster
Assistance, and Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law
No. 110–329 (2008), to fund operations
from the Public Broadcasting, Facilities,
Planning and Construction Funds
account through March 6, 2009. Further
notice will be made in the Federal
Register about the final status of
funding for this program at the
appropriate time. Funding for the
PEACESAT Program is authorized by
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.’’
NTIA anticipates making a single
award for approximately $500,000 for
the PEACESAT Program in FY 2009. For
FY 2008, NTIA issued one award for the
PEACESAT project in the amount of
$499,677.
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
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 not subject to 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 235 / Friday, December 5, 2008 / Notices
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
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 Program
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
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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 Program’s 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; and
(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.
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74147
No grant will be awarded until
confirmation has been received from the
Federal Communications Commission
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
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)
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74148
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 235 / Friday, December 5, 2008 / Notices
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.
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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696), is
applicable to this solicitation.
Implementation of 2005 Base Closure
and Realignment (BRAC) Decision To
Realign the Army 7th Special Forces
Group (Airborne) to Eglin Air Force
Base, FL
Cost Sharing Requirements
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. These forms have
been approved under OMB Control Nos.
4040–0004, 4040–0006, 4040–007, and
0348–0046.
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 October 20, 2008,
Notice regarding the PTFP Program, see
73 FR 62258 (2008).
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 website
and at the Office of Management and
Budget’s home page at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/ omb/grants/
spoc.html.
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
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 17090) 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 at www.dnb.com/us/.
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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
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.
Dated: December 1, 2008.
Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of
Telecommunications and Information
Applications.
[FR Doc. E8–28749 Filed 12–4–08; 8:45 am]
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Department of the Air Force
ACTION: Record of Decision (ROD).
SUMMARY: On November 20, 2008, the
United States Air Force signed the ROD
for the Implementation of 2005 Base
Closure and Realignment (BRAC)
Decision to Realign the Army 7th
Special Forces Group (Airborne) to
Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The ROD
states the Air Force decision to
implement Cantonment Alternative 3
West of Duke Field (Preferred
Alternative) and Range Alternative 3
East and West Side (Preferred
Alternative). The decision was based on
matters discussed in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS),
inputs from the public and regulatory
agencies, and other relevant factors. On
October 17, 2008 the FEIS Notice of
Availability was published in the
Federal Register (Volume 73, Number
202, Page 61859) with a wait period
ending November 17, 2008. The ROD
documents only the decision of the Air
Force with respect to the proposed Air
Force actions for the Army 7th Special
Forces Group realignment analyzed in
the FEIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Mike Spaits, Eglin AFB Public Affairs,
96 ABW/PA, Eglin AFB, FL 32542–5000
or call (850) 882–2878.
Bao-Anh Trinh,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–28844 Filed 12–4–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Availability for Non-Exclusive,
Exclusive, or Partially Exclusive
Licensing of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Concerning Chest Tube
Clamp
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: Announcement is made of the
availability for licensing of the
invention set forth in U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Serial No.
61/043,242 entitled ‘‘Chest Tube
Clamp,’’ filed April 8, 2008. The United
States Government, as represented by
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 235 (Friday, December 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74146-74148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28749]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Docket No. 0811251525-81526-01
Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite
(PEACESAT): Closing Date
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce
ACTION: Notice of Closing Date for Solicitation of Applications.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance,
and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law 110-329 (2008), the
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, January 15, 2009. 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,
N.W., 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) 2009 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
Issuance of grants is subject to the availability of FY 2009 funds.
At this time, the Congress has passed the Consolidated Security,
Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, Public
Law No. 110-329 (2008), to fund operations from the Public
Broadcasting, Facilities, Planning and Construction Funds account
through March 6, 2009. Further notice will be made in the Federal
Register about the final status of funding for this program at the
appropriate time. Funding for the PEACESAT Program is authorized by
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.''
NTIA anticipates making a single award for approximately $500,000
for the PEACESAT Program in FY 2009. For FY 2008, NTIA issued one award
for the PEACESAT project in the amount of $499,677.
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 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 not subject to 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
[[Page 74147]]
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 Program 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 Program's 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; and
(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 Federal Communications Commission 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 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)
[[Page 74148]]
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 October 20, 2008, Notice regarding
the PTFP Program, see 73 FR 62258 (2008).
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 website 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 17090) 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 at www.dnb.com/us/.
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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696), 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. These forms
have been approved under OMB Control Nos. 4040-0004, 4040-0006, 4040-
007, and 0348-0046.
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.
Dated: December 1, 2008.
Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information
Applications.
[FR Doc. E8-28749 Filed 12-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-S
