Solicitation of Applications for the FY 2010 University Center Economic Development Program Competition in EDA's Austin and Denver Regional Offices, 10219-10223 [2010-4591]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 43 / Friday, March 5, 2010 / Notices
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Emily Menashes,
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BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
[Docket No.: 100210082–0082–01]
Solicitation of Applications for the FY
2010 University Center Economic
Development Program Competition in
EDA’s Austin and Denver Regional
Offices
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AGENCY: Economic Development
Administration (EDA), Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for
applications.
SUMMARY: EDA is soliciting competitive
applications from accredited
institutions of higher education,
including community colleges, and from
consortia of accredited institutions of
higher education for FY 2010 University
Center Economic Development Program
funding in the geographic areas served
by its Austin and Denver regional
offices. EDA’s mission is to lead the
federal economic development agenda
by promoting innovation and
competitiveness, preparing American
regions for growth and success in the
worldwide economy. Institutions of
higher education have many assets and
are able to establish and operate
University Centers in partnership with
EDA. These EDA-sponsored University
Centers conduct research; provide
technical assistance to tribal entities,
local governments, and public and
private sector organizations; and
undertake other activities with the goal
of enhancing regional economic
development by promoting a favorable
business environment to attract private
capital investment and higher-skill,
higher-wage jobs.
DATES: The closing date and time for
receipt of applications for funding
under the FY 2010 University Center
Economic Development Program
competition is June 1, 2010 at 5 p.m.
CST for applicants in the Austin
regional office’s service area and 5 p.m.
MST for applicants in the Denver
regional office’s service area. The Austin
regional office will hold an
informational teleconference for
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prospective applicants on April 1, 2010
at 1 p.m. CST. The Denver regional
office will hold its informational
teleconference call on March 19, 2010 at
1 p.m. MST. For instruction regarding
these teleconferences, please see the
information provided below under
‘‘Informational Teleconferences.’’
Subject to the availability of funding,
successful applicants should expect to
receive grant awards within
approximately sixty days from the
application closing date and time(s) set
out in this notice and request for
applications. The anticipated initial
award will have a twelve-month
duration with an estimated start date on
or about August 1, 2010.
Application Submission
Requirements: Applicants are advised to
read carefully the instructions contained
in section IV of the Federal Funding
Opportunity (FFO) announcement for
this request for applications. To access
the FFO announcement, please see the
Web sites listed below under ‘‘Electronic
Access.’’
Applications may be submitted in two
formats: (i) Electronically in accordance
with the procedures provided on
www.grants.gov; or (ii) in paper format
to the addresses provided below. EDA
will not accept facsimile transmissions
of applications. The content of the
application is the same for paper
submissions as it is for electronic
submissions. A complete application
must contain all the items listed in the
Checklist of Application Materials,
which is attached as an Exhibit to the
FFO announcement.
You may obtain a paper application
package by contacting the designated
point of contact listed below under ‘‘For
Further Information Contact’’ for the
EDA regional office servicing your
geographic area. Applicants applying
electronically through www.grants.gov
may access the application package by
following the instructions provided on
www.grants.gov.
Paper Submissions: Applicants in
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma or Texas should submit paper
submissions (via postal mail, overnight
delivery, or hand-delivery) to: FY 2010
University Center Program Competition,
Economic Development Administration,
Austin Regional Office, 504 Lavaca,
Suite 1100, Austin, Texas 78701–2858.
Applicants in Colorado, Iowa
(excluding Muscatine and Scott
counties), Kansas, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Utah or Wyoming should submit paper
submissions (via postal mail, overnight
delivery, or hand-delivery) to: FY 2010
University Center Program Competition,
Economic Development Administration,
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10219
Denver Regional Office, 410 17th Street,
Suite 250, Denver, Colorado 80202.
Department of Commerce mail
security measures may delay receipt of
United States Postal Service mail for up
to two weeks. Therefore, applicants who
submit paper submissions are advised to
use a guaranteed overnight delivery
service.
Electronic Submissions: Applicants
may submit applications electronically
in accordance with the instructions
provided at www.grants.gov. EDA
strongly encourages that applicants not
wait until the application closing date to
begin the application process through
www.grants.gov. The preferred file
format for electronic attachments (e.g.,
the Project Narrative and attachments to
Form ED–900) is portable document
format (PDF); however, EDA will accept
electronic files in Microsoft Word,
WordPerfect, or Excel formats.
Applicants should access the
following link for assistance in
navigating www.grants.gov and for a list
of useful resources: https://
www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp. If you do
not find an answer to your question
under ‘‘Applicant FAQs,’’ try consulting
the ‘‘Applicant User Guide.’’ If you still
cannot find an answer to your question,
contact www.grants.gov via email at
support@grants.gov or telephone at 1–
800–518–4726. The hours of operation
for www.grants.gov are Monday-Friday,
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time (except for
federal holidays).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information or for a paper
copy of the application package, the
designated contact person in the Austin
regional office is Camille Osborne. Ms.
Osborne may be reached at
cosborne@eda.doc.gov or at
512.381.8145. The designated contact
person in the Denver regional office is
Forlesia S. Willis. Ms. Willis may be
reached at fwillis@eda.doc.gov or at
303.844.5452. EDA’s website at https://
www.eda.gov also has information on
EDA and its programs, including the
University Center Economic
Development Program.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Program Information: EDA’s mission
is to lead the federal economic
development agenda by promoting
innovation and competitiveness,
preparing American regions for growth
and success in the worldwide economy.
EDA fulfills its mission by helping our
partners across the nation create wealth
and minimize poverty by promoting a
favorable business environment to
attract private capital investment and
higher-skill, higher-wage jobs through
capacity-building, planning,
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infrastructure, research grants and
strategic initiatives. Institutions of
higher education have many assets that
can help address regional economic
problems and opportunities, such as
faculty, staff, students, libraries,
laboratories, facilities, and computer
systems. With funding from EDA,
institutions of higher education and
consortia of institutions of higher
education establish and operate
University Centers. These EDAsponsored University Centers conduct
applied research, provide technical
assistance to public and private sector
organizations, and conduct other
activities with the goal of enhancing
regional economic development.
EDA began administering the
University Center Economic
Development Program as a competitive
multi-year program in FY 2004. Under
this multi-year program designation,
EDA holds University Center Economic
Development Program competitions
each fiscal year in two of its six regional
offices. For example, in FY 2004 and
2007, EDA solicited applications under
a competition held in the Austin and
Denver regional offices, and in FY 2005
and 2008, EDA solicited applications in
the Philadelphia and Chicago regional
offices. In FY 2006 and 2009, EDA
solicited applications in the Atlanta and
Seattle regional offices. Pursuant to its
fiscal year schedule, for FY 2010, EDA
announces that it will hold the
competition in the Austin and Denver
regional offices.
EDA encourages the submission of
applications that will significantly
benefit regions with distressed
economies. Distress may exist in a
variety of forms, including high levels of
unemployment, low income levels, large
concentrations of low-income families,
and significant declines in per capita
income because of large numbers (or
high rates) of business failures, sudden
major layoffs or plant closures, military
base closures, natural or other major
disasters, depletion of natural resources
or reduced tax bases, and substantial
loss of population because of the lack of
employment opportunities. Under the
University Center Economic
Development Program, EDA seeks to
support university-based programs that
provide for regional, Statewide or multiState programs to help foster the
creation and retention of higher-skill,
higher-wage jobs; attract private capital
investment to the region served by the
proposed University Center; address
regional economic development
challenges and opportunities; and
enhance long-term regional and national
competitiveness in the worldwide
marketplace. EDA encourages projects
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that will collaborate with, interact with,
and benefit other EDA investment
partners, recipients, and stakeholders,
and create synergies with EDA’s Public
Works, Economic Adjustment, and
Planning programs.
To obtain the maximum effect of
available program funds, EDA will
strive to fund a portfolio of University
Centers that, as a group, offer the widest
possible coverage in the Austin and
Denver regional offices’ geographic
areas and offer a full range of services
tailored appropriately to the region’s
needs and each sponsoring institution’s
(or consortium’s) strengths. EDA will
strive to avoid funding duplicative
services wherever practicable.
EDA will not fund University Centers
that operate in isolation from other
resources at the institution of higher
education (or consortium) receiving the
award. University Center programs not
focused on economic development
activities that foster higher-skill, higherwage job creation and private sector
investments are encouraged to seek
financial support from other sources.
Electronic Access: The FFO
announcement for the FY 2010
University Center Economic
Development Program competition is
available at www.grants.gov and at
https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/
FFON.xml.
Statutory Authority: EDA’s
authorizing statute is the Public Works
and Economic Development Act of
1965, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3121 et
seq.) (PWEDA). The specific authority
for the University Center Economic
Development Program is section 207 of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3147), which
authorizes EDA to make grants for the
establishment of University Centers.
EDA’s regulations at 13 CFR parts 300–
302 and subpart B of 13 CFR part 306
set out the general and specific
regulatory requirements applicable to
the University Center Economic
Development Program.
EDA’s regulations are codified at 13
CFR chapter III. The regulations and
PWEDA are accessible on EDA’s website
at https://www.eda.gov/
InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml.
Funding Availability: Funding
appropriated under the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111–
117, 123 Stat. 3034 at 3114 (2009)) is
available for the economic development
assistance programs authorized by
PWEDA and for the Trade Adjustment
Assistance for Firms Program under the
Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19
U.S.C. 2341 et seq.). Funds in the
amount of $255,000,000 have been
appropriated for FY 2010 and shall
remain available until expended.
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The funding periods and funding
amounts referenced in this competitive
solicitation are subject to the availability
of funds at the time of award, as well
as to Department of Commerce and EDA
priorities at the time of award. The
Department of Commerce and EDA will
not be held responsible for application
preparation costs if the University
Center Economic Development Program
fails to receive funding or is cancelled
because of agency priorities. Publication
of this competitive solicitation does not
obligate the Department of Commerce or
EDA to award any specific grant or
cooperative agreement or to obligate all
or any part of available funds.
In accordance with Congressional
guidance, EDA hopes to be able to fund
at least one University Center grant in
each State. For FY 2010, EDA expects to
allocate $7,437,408 to the University
Center Economic Development Program.
The amount of University Center
funding available for competition in FY
2010 is expected to be $1,128,502 for
the Austin regional office and
$1,380,000 for the Denver regional
office. The remaining FY 2010
University Center Economic
Development Program funds will be
used to continue to support current
University Centers selected during the
FY 2008 and 2009 competitions in
EDA’s other four regional offices.
Annual awards for the University
Centers selected in past years generally
have been in the range of $80,000 to
$200,000, although regional offices may
choose to fund awards under this
competition outside of these ranges.
Subject to the availability of funding at
the time of award, the funds allocated
to the University Center Economic
Development Program are anticipated to
be available until expended.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.303,
Economic Development—Technical
Assistance.
Applicant Eligibility: An accredited
institution of higher education,
including a community college, or a
consortium of accredited institutions of
higher education is eligible to apply for
and to receive funding under the
University Center Economic
Development Program. See section 3(12)
of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3122(12)) and 13
CFR 300.3. A university-affiliated
research foundation also is eligible to
apply for and to receive funding under
this competitive solicitation, provided it
demonstrates that it maintains the full
and integral support of the university
with respect to its economic
development activities, through a letter
or other documentation from a
university President or Chancellor. For
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applicants applying as a consortium,
one accredited institution must be
identified as the lead agent that would
have lead responsibility to EDA and to
the other members of the consortium for
implementing an award. A non-profit
organization, in good standing and
participating in the institution’s
proposed project in connection with an
application under this competitive
solicitation, may partner with a
consortium provided that the
organization itself is affiliated with and
directed by an accredited institution of
higher education.
For FY 2010, the University Center
Economic Development Program
competition is open to eligible
applicants in the geographic areas
served by EDA’s Austin and Denver
regional offices. The Austin regional
office serves Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The
Denver regional office serves Colorado,
Iowa (excluding Muscatine and Scott
counties), Kansas, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Utah and Wyoming.
Project Period: The Austin and
Denver regional offices will provide a
three-year project period for each
University Center selected for funding
under the FY 2010 University Center
Economic Development Program
competition, with the initial award
being made for the first year of the
project period. The selected University
Centers will not have to compete for the
second and third years of funding.
Funding beyond the initial year is
dependent upon the availability of
funds, satisfactory performance, and
satisfactory progress in achieving
milestones and program goals set forth
in the three-year scope of work, as
determined by EDA and expressed in
written notice.
Current University Center operators in
the service areas of EDA’s Atlanta,
Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle
regional offices will not have to compete
for continuation funding in FY 2010,
subject to the availability of funds,
satisfactory continuing performance,
and satisfactory progress in achieving
milestones and program goals set forth
in the three-year scope of work, as
determined by EDA and expressed in a
written notice. EDA regional offices will
contact current University Center
operators in those service areas
regarding the procedures for securing
FY 2010 continuation funding.
Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally,
the amount of the EDA grant may not
exceed fifty percent of the total cost of
the project. Projects may receive an
additional amount that shall not exceed
thirty percent, as determined by EDA,
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based on the relative needs of the region
in which the project will be located. See
section 204(a) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C.
3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(1). The
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Economic Development has the
discretion to establish a maximum EDA
investment rate of up to one-hundred
percent where the project (i) merits and
is not otherwise feasible without an
increase to the EDA investment rate; or
(ii) will be of no or only incidental
benefit to the recipient. See section
204(c)(3) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144)
and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(4).
In the application review process,
EDA will consider the nature of the
contribution (cash or in-kind) and the
amount of the matching share funds. Inkind contributions, fairly evaluated by
EDA, may provide the non-federal share
of the total project cost. See section
204(b) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) and
section III.B of the FFO announcement
for this request for applications. In-kind
contributions, which may include
assumptions of debt and contributions
of space, equipment, and services, are
eligible to be included as part of the
non-federal share of eligible project
costs if they meet applicable federal cost
principles and uniform administrative
requirements. Funds from other federal
financial assistance awards are
considered matching share funds only if
authorized by statute, which may be
determined by EDA’s reasonable
interpretation of the statute. See 13 CFR
300.3. The applicant must show that the
matching share is committed to the
project for the entire project period, will
be available as needed, and is not
conditioned or encumbered in any way
that precludes its use consistent with
the requirements of EDA investment
assistance. See 13 CFR 301.5.
Intergovernmental Review:
Applications for funding under the
University Center Economic
Development Program are subject to the
State review requirements imposed by
Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs,’’ where applicable.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures:
Staff in EDA’s Austin or Denver regional
office, as applicable, first will undertake
a technical review of each application to
ensure that all required forms,
signatures, and documentation are
present and that the application is in
compliance with the requirements of
this competitive solicitation.
Applications failing to meet the
technical requirements of this
competitive solicitation will not be
referred to the review panel for merit
review.
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Following the technical review, each
regional office will convene a panel to
review the merits of each application
based on the criteria provided under
‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ below. The review
panel will consist of federal employees
and may include others recommended
by the Regional Director of the
applicable regional office. At least three
members of the review panel will be
EDA staff members. The review panel
will evaluate and rate and rank
competitively all technically sufficient
applications based on the evaluation
criteria provided under ‘‘Evaluation
Criteria’’ below.
The review panel’s rating and ranking
of the applications then will be
presented to the regional office’s
Investment Review Committee (IRC).
Applications deemed eligible and
consistent with EDA’s mission and
funding priorities are referred to the
IRC, which is comprised of EDA staff, to
determine which applications for
funding are recommended to the
Regional Director. Under this notice and
request for applications, after reviewing
the panel’s process and
recommendations, the IRC may either (i)
forward the panel’s ranked list,
unaltered and in its entirety, to the
Selecting Official, who is the Regional
Director of the applicable regional
office; or (ii) identify any deficiencies in
the review process and direct the review
panel (or convene a new panel) to begin
the process anew. If the IRC directs the
panel to re-evaluate the applications,
the review panel will undertake the
process again and submit a revised
rating and ranking of the applications to
the IRC.
Evaluation Criteria: EDA will evaluate
applications based on the following
criteria. Each criterion is detailed below
with an assigned weight.
1. Responsiveness to Objectives of
Federal Funding Opportunity (35%).
This section shall assess the extent to
which the applicant is able to:
• Provide a wide geographic level of
service. Priority will be given to
applicants whose programs will offer
the widest possible coverage in the
Austin and Denver regional offices’
geographic service areas.
• Leverage other university assets.
Priority will be given to University
Center applicants whose proposed
activities outline specific information
on how they will leverage other
University assets (such as economic
analysis divisions, GIS capabilities,
planning specialists, etc.).
• Specifically articulate how the
proposed activities of the University
Center will address regional needs.
Priority will be given to applications
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that clearly articulate the regional needs
and propose activities which
specifically address those needs.
2. Alignment with Key Funding
Priorities (35%). In addition to meeting
the requirements set out in this FFO, all
EDA investments must satisfy at least
one of the following key funding
priorities. Applications that support
more than one of the following funding
priorities will receive higher priority.
• Support science and technology.
Priority will be given to applications
that propose to provide specific
technical assistance to information
technology industries (for example, high
technology industries or investments in
broadband and smart grid); scientific
industries; healthcare industries; or
environmental technologies, including
technology commercialization.
• Address sudden economic
dislocation. Priority will be given to
proposed activities in which the
University Center will engage to support
investments in communities that
experienced sudden or severe economic
dislocation and job loss due to either
auto-industry restructuring or natural
disasters.
• Support small and medium-size
businesses. Priority will be given to
applications that propose specific
activities that will support small and
medium-size businesses (e.g., ≤ 500
employees or ≤ $7 million in average
annual sales).
• Encourage collaborative regional
innovation. Priority will be given to
proposed activities that will cultivate
multi-jurisdictional solutions to regional
needs; encourage regional collaboration
among economic development
organizations; and identify and
implement programs that encourage
regional stakeholders to link to and
build upon unique assets of the region,
such as the development and support of
innovation clusters.
• Foster global competitiveness.
Priority will be given to proposed
activities that will help strengthen
industry competitiveness through
innovation, entrepreneurship, global
trade, and rapid growth.
• Environmentally sustainable
development. Priority will be given to
proposed activities that will promote
renewable energy; energy efficiency; or
reuse, recycling, or natural resource
restoration efforts across the region.
3. Provides High Return on
Investment (20%). All applications will
be evaluated to determine whether they
represent a high return on investment,
as measured by the:
• Extent to which the proposed
University Center will leverage publicprivate partnerships. Priority will be
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given to proposed activities that will
generate strong public-private support
across the region and leverage private
funds.
• Degree to which the proposed
University Center and its activities build
upon other local, State, regional,
federal, and private sector development
initiatives. Priority will be given to
applications that clearly specify how the
proposed activities will build upon the
array of local, State, regional, federal,
and private sector development efforts
occurring in the region to more
effectively meet regional needs.
4. Significantly Benefits Regions with
Distressed Economies (10%). While all
applicants must show how the proposed
activities will benefit distressed regions
within the service area, EDA will give
additional consideration to those
applicants that provide concrete
evidence outlining how their proposed
programs are especially well designed to
significantly benefit distressed regions.
As outlined in section I.B of the FFO
announcement, distress may be defined
by areas experiencing high levels of
unemployment, low income levels, large
concentrations of low-income families,
or significant declines in per capita
income because of large numbers (or
high rates) of business failures, sudden
major layoffs or plant closures, military
base closures, natural or other major
disasters, depletion of natural resources,
reduced tax bases, or substantial loss of
population because of the lack of
employment opportunities.
Selection Factors: EDA expects to
fund the highest ranking applications.
The Selecting Official normally will
follow the recommendations of the
review panel. However, the Selecting
Official may decide not to make a
selection, or he may select an
application out of rank order for several
reasons, including: (i) A determination
that the application better meets the
overall objectives of sections 2 and 207
of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 and 3147);
(ii) availability of program funding; (iii)
geographic balance in distribution of
program funds; (iv) balanced funding for
a diverse group of institutions, to
include smaller and rural institutions,
which may form part of a broader
consortium to serve diverse populations
and areas within the regional office’s
territory; (v) the program objectives as
provided in section I of the FFO
announcement; (vi) the applicant’s
performance under previous federal
financial assistance awards; or (vii) the
overall mix of services, service areas,
and target audiences in the regional
office’s University Center portfolio. If
the Selecting Official makes a selection
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out of rank order, he will document the
rationale for the decision in writing.
Informational Teleconferences: For
prospective applicants, the Austin
regional office will hold an
informational teleconference on April 1,
2010, at 1 p.m. CST. The Denver
regional office will hold its
informational teleconference call on
March 19, 2010, at 1 p.m. MST. These
teleconferences will provide general
program information and information
regarding the preparation of
applications for funding under this
competitive solicitation. To ensure the
integrity of this competition, EDA will
not provide substantive information
regarding the competition to prospective
applicants outside of these scheduled
teleconferences.
To ensure that enough incoming lines
are available for each caller, the Austin
regional office requires interested
parties planning to participate on the
teleconference to register no later than
5 p.m. CST on March 25, 2010; the
Denver regional office requires
interested parties planning to
participate on the teleconference to
register no later than 5 p.m. MST on
March 16, 2010. To register, please send
an email with ‘‘FY 2010 University
Center Teleconference Registration’’ in
the subject line to the designated
contact person in the Austin or Denver
regional office as provided above under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. The
telephone number and pass code for
each teleconference will be provided
upon registration.
Please be advised that the
informational teleconferences may be
audio-taped and the actual recordings or
a transcript of the actual recording may
be made available online or otherwise
for the benefit of prospective applicants
unable to participate. Prospective
applicants who participate on the
teleconferences are deemed to consent
to the taping.
The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements:
Administrative and national policy
requirements for all Department of
Commerce awards are applicable to this
competitive solicitation. These
requirements may be found in the
Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements, which
was published in the Federal Register
on February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696). This
notice may be accessed by entering the
Federal Register volume and page
number provided in the previous
sentence at the following Web site:
https://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/
index.html.
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Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, no person is required to respond to,
nor shall any person be subject to a
penalty for failure to comply with, a
collection of information subject to the
requirements of the PRA unless that
collection of information displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
Executive Order 12866: This notice
has been determined to be not
significant for purposes of Executive
Order 12866.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism):
It has been determined that this notice
does not contain policies with
Federalism implications as that term is
defined in Executive Order 13132.
Administrative Procedure Act/
Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior notice
and an opportunity for public comments
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)(2)). Because
notice and opportunity for comment are
not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or
any other law, the analytical
requirements of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory
flexibility analysis has not been
prepared.
Dated: February 26, 2010.
Brian P. McGowan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Economic Development Economic
Development Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010–4591 Filed 3–4–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–24–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XN25
erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
Whaling Provisions; Aboriginal
Subsistence Whaling Quotas
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; notification of quota for
bowhead whales.
AGENCY:
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:26 Mar 04, 2010
Jkt 220001
SUMMARY: NMFS provides notification
of the aboriginal subsistence whaling
quota for bowhead whales that it has
assigned to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling
Commission (AEWC), and other
limitations deriving from regulations
adopted at the 59th Annual Meeting of
the International Whaling Commission
(IWC). For 2010, the quota is 75
bowhead whales struck. This quota and
other limitations govern the harvest of
bowhead whales by members of the
AEWC.
DATES: Effective March 5, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Office of International
Affairs, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ryan Wulff, (202) 482–3689.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Aboriginal
subsistence whaling in the United States
is governed by the Whaling Convention
Act (16 U.S.C. 916 et seq.). Regulations
that implement the Act, found at 50 CFR
230.6, require the Secretary of
Commerce (Secretary) to publish, at
least annually, aboriginal subsistence
whaling quotas and any other
limitations on aboriginal subsistence
whaling deriving from regulations of the
IWC.
At the 59th Annual Meeting of the
IWC, the Commission set catch limits
for aboriginal subsistence use of
bowhead whales from the BeringChukchi-Beaufort Seas stock. The
bowhead catch limits were based on a
joint request by the United States and
the Russian Federation, accompanied by
documentation concerning the needs of
two Native groups: Alaska Eskimos and
Chukotka Natives in the Russian Far
East.
This action by the IWC thus
authorized aboriginal subsistence
whaling by the AEWC for bowhead
whales. This aboriginal subsistence
harvest is conducted in accordance with
a cooperative agreement between NOAA
and the AEWC.
The IWC set a 5–year block quota of
280 bowhead whales landed. For each
of the years 2008 through 2012, the
number of bowhead whales struck may
not exceed 67, except that any unused
portion of a strike quota from any year,
including 15 unused strikes from the
2003 through 2007 quota, may be
carried forward. No more than 15 strikes
may be added to the strike quota for any
one year. At the end of the 2009 harvest,
there were 15 unused strikes available
for carry-forward, so the combined
strike quota for 2010 is 82 (67 + 15).
This arrangement ensures that the
total quota of bowhead whales landed
and struck in 2010 will not exceed the
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
10223
catch limits set by the IWC. Under an
arrangement between the United States
and the Russian Federation, the Russian
natives may use no more than seven
strikes, and the Alaska Eskimos may use
no more than 75 strikes.
Through its cooperative agreement
with the AEWC, NOAA has assigned 75
strikes to the Alaska Eskimos. The
AEWC will allocate these strikes among
the 11 villages whose cultural and
subsistence needs have been
documented, and will ensure that its
hunters use no more than 75 strikes.
Other Limitations
The IWC regulations, as well as the
NOAA regulation at 50 CFR 230.4(c),
forbid the taking of calves or any whale
accompanied by a calf.
NOAA regulations (at 50 CFR 230.4)
contain a number of other prohibitions
relating to aboriginal subsistence
whaling, some of which are summarized
here. For example:
• Only licensed whaling captains or
crew under the control of those captains
may engage in whaling. They must
follow the provisions of the relevant
cooperative agreement between NOAA
and a Native American whaling
organization.
• The aboriginal hunters must have
adequate crew, supplies, and
equipment. They may not receive
money for participating in the hunt.
• No person may sell or offer for sale
whale products from whales taken in
the hunt, except for authentic articles of
Native handicrafts.
• Captains may not continue to
whale after the relevant quota is taken,
after the season has been closed, or if
their licenses have been suspended.
They may not engage in whaling in a
wasteful manner.
Dated: March 1, 2010.
Rebecca Lent,
Director, Office of International Affairs,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–4684 Filed 3–2–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR
SEVERELY DISABLED
Procurement List Proposed Additions
and Deletions
AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From
People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Proposed additions to and
deletions from the Procurement List.
SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing
to add to the Procurement List products
E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM
05MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 43 (Friday, March 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10219-10223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4591]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
[Docket No.: 100210082-0082-01]
Solicitation of Applications for the FY 2010 University Center
Economic Development Program Competition in EDA's Austin and Denver
Regional Offices
AGENCY: Economic Development Administration (EDA), Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for applications.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EDA is soliciting competitive applications from accredited
institutions of higher education, including community colleges, and
from consortia of accredited institutions of higher education for FY
2010 University Center Economic Development Program funding in the
geographic areas served by its Austin and Denver regional offices.
EDA's mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by
promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions
for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Institutions of higher
education have many assets and are able to establish and operate
University Centers in partnership with EDA. These EDA-sponsored
University Centers conduct research; provide technical assistance to
tribal entities, local governments, and public and private sector
organizations; and undertake other activities with the goal of
enhancing regional economic development by promoting a favorable
business environment to attract private capital investment and higher-
skill, higher-wage jobs.
DATES: The closing date and time for receipt of applications for
funding under the FY 2010 University Center Economic Development
Program competition is June 1, 2010 at 5 p.m. CST for applicants in the
Austin regional office's service area and 5 p.m. MST for applicants in
the Denver regional office's service area. The Austin regional office
will hold an informational teleconference for prospective applicants on
April 1, 2010 at 1 p.m. CST. The Denver regional office will hold its
informational teleconference call on March 19, 2010 at 1 p.m. MST. For
instruction regarding these teleconferences, please see the information
provided below under ``Informational Teleconferences.''
Subject to the availability of funding, successful applicants
should expect to receive grant awards within approximately sixty days
from the application closing date and time(s) set out in this notice
and request for applications. The anticipated initial award will have a
twelve-month duration with an estimated start date on or about August
1, 2010.
Application Submission Requirements: Applicants are advised to read
carefully the instructions contained in section IV of the Federal
Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement for this request for
applications. To access the FFO announcement, please see the Web sites
listed below under ``Electronic Access.''
Applications may be submitted in two formats: (i) Electronically in
accordance with the procedures provided on www.grants.gov; or (ii) in
paper format to the addresses provided below. EDA will not accept
facsimile transmissions of applications. The content of the application
is the same for paper submissions as it is for electronic submissions.
A complete application must contain all the items listed in the
Checklist of Application Materials, which is attached as an Exhibit to
the FFO announcement.
You may obtain a paper application package by contacting the
designated point of contact listed below under ``For Further
Information Contact'' for the EDA regional office servicing your
geographic area. Applicants applying electronically through
www.grants.gov may access the application package by following the
instructions provided on www.grants.gov.
Paper Submissions: Applicants in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma or Texas should submit paper submissions (via postal mail,
overnight delivery, or hand-delivery) to: FY 2010 University Center
Program Competition, Economic Development Administration, Austin
Regional Office, 504 Lavaca, Suite 1100, Austin, Texas 78701-2858.
Applicants in Colorado, Iowa (excluding Muscatine and Scott
counties), Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Utah or Wyoming should submit paper submissions (via postal
mail, overnight delivery, or hand-delivery) to: FY 2010 University
Center Program Competition, Economic Development Administration, Denver
Regional Office, 410 17th Street, Suite 250, Denver, Colorado 80202.
Department of Commerce mail security measures may delay receipt of
United States Postal Service mail for up to two weeks. Therefore,
applicants who submit paper submissions are advised to use a guaranteed
overnight delivery service.
Electronic Submissions: Applicants may submit applications
electronically in accordance with the instructions provided at
www.grants.gov. EDA strongly encourages that applicants not wait until
the application closing date to begin the application process through
www.grants.gov. The preferred file format for electronic attachments
(e.g., the Project Narrative and attachments to Form ED-900) is
portable document format (PDF); however, EDA will accept electronic
files in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or Excel formats.
Applicants should access the following link for assistance in
navigating www.grants.gov and for a list of useful resources: https://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp. If you do not find an answer to your
question under ``Applicant FAQs,'' try consulting the ``Applicant User
Guide.'' If you still cannot find an answer to your question, contact
www.grants.gov via email at support@grants.gov or telephone at 1-800-
518-4726. The hours of operation for www.grants.gov are Monday-Friday,
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time (except for federal holidays).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or for a
paper copy of the application package, the designated contact person in
the Austin regional office is Camille Osborne. Ms. Osborne may be
reached at cosborne@eda.doc.gov or at 512.381.8145. The designated
contact person in the Denver regional office is Forlesia S. Willis. Ms.
Willis may be reached at fwillis@eda.doc.gov or at 303.844.5452. EDA's
website at https://www.eda.gov also has information on EDA and its
programs, including the University Center Economic Development Program.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Program Information: EDA's mission is to lead the federal economic
development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness,
preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide
economy. EDA fulfills its mission by helping our partners across the
nation create wealth and minimize poverty by promoting a favorable
business environment to attract private capital investment and higher-
skill, higher-wage jobs through capacity-building, planning,
[[Page 10220]]
infrastructure, research grants and strategic initiatives. Institutions
of higher education have many assets that can help address regional
economic problems and opportunities, such as faculty, staff, students,
libraries, laboratories, facilities, and computer systems. With funding
from EDA, institutions of higher education and consortia of
institutions of higher education establish and operate University
Centers. These EDA-sponsored University Centers conduct applied
research, provide technical assistance to public and private sector
organizations, and conduct other activities with the goal of enhancing
regional economic development.
EDA began administering the University Center Economic Development
Program as a competitive multi-year program in FY 2004. Under this
multi-year program designation, EDA holds University Center Economic
Development Program competitions each fiscal year in two of its six
regional offices. For example, in FY 2004 and 2007, EDA solicited
applications under a competition held in the Austin and Denver regional
offices, and in FY 2005 and 2008, EDA solicited applications in the
Philadelphia and Chicago regional offices. In FY 2006 and 2009, EDA
solicited applications in the Atlanta and Seattle regional offices.
Pursuant to its fiscal year schedule, for FY 2010, EDA announces that
it will hold the competition in the Austin and Denver regional offices.
EDA encourages the submission of applications that will
significantly benefit regions with distressed economies. Distress may
exist in a variety of forms, including high levels of unemployment, low
income levels, large concentrations of low-income families, and
significant declines in per capita income because of large numbers (or
high rates) of business failures, sudden major layoffs or plant
closures, military base closures, natural or other major disasters,
depletion of natural resources or reduced tax bases, and substantial
loss of population because of the lack of employment opportunities.
Under the University Center Economic Development Program, EDA seeks to
support university-based programs that provide for regional, Statewide
or multi-State programs to help foster the creation and retention of
higher-skill, higher-wage jobs; attract private capital investment to
the region served by the proposed University Center; address regional
economic development challenges and opportunities; and enhance long-
term regional and national competitiveness in the worldwide
marketplace. EDA encourages projects that will collaborate with,
interact with, and benefit other EDA investment partners, recipients,
and stakeholders, and create synergies with EDA's Public Works,
Economic Adjustment, and Planning programs.
To obtain the maximum effect of available program funds, EDA will
strive to fund a portfolio of University Centers that, as a group,
offer the widest possible coverage in the Austin and Denver regional
offices' geographic areas and offer a full range of services tailored
appropriately to the region's needs and each sponsoring institution's
(or consortium's) strengths. EDA will strive to avoid funding
duplicative services wherever practicable.
EDA will not fund University Centers that operate in isolation from
other resources at the institution of higher education (or consortium)
receiving the award. University Center programs not focused on economic
development activities that foster higher-skill, higher-wage job
creation and private sector investments are encouraged to seek
financial support from other sources.
Electronic Access: The FFO announcement for the FY 2010 University
Center Economic Development Program competition is available at
www.grants.gov and at https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/FFON.xml.
Statutory Authority: EDA's authorizing statute is the Public Works
and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3121 et
seq.) (PWEDA). The specific authority for the University Center
Economic Development Program is section 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3147),
which authorizes EDA to make grants for the establishment of University
Centers. EDA's regulations at 13 CFR parts 300-302 and subpart B of 13
CFR part 306 set out the general and specific regulatory requirements
applicable to the University Center Economic Development Program.
EDA's regulations are codified at 13 CFR chapter III. The
regulations and PWEDA are accessible on EDA's website at https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml.
Funding Availability: Funding appropriated under the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117, 123 Stat. 3034 at 3114
(2009)) is available for the economic development assistance programs
authorized by PWEDA and for the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms
Program under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2341 et
seq.). Funds in the amount of $255,000,000 have been appropriated for
FY 2010 and shall remain available until expended.
The funding periods and funding amounts referenced in this
competitive solicitation are subject to the availability of funds at
the time of award, as well as to Department of Commerce and EDA
priorities at the time of award. The Department of Commerce and EDA
will not be held responsible for application preparation costs if the
University Center Economic Development Program fails to receive funding
or is cancelled because of agency priorities. Publication of this
competitive solicitation does not obligate the Department of Commerce
or EDA to award any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to
obligate all or any part of available funds.
In accordance with Congressional guidance, EDA hopes to be able to
fund at least one University Center grant in each State. For FY 2010,
EDA expects to allocate $7,437,408 to the University Center Economic
Development Program. The amount of University Center funding available
for competition in FY 2010 is expected to be $1,128,502 for the Austin
regional office and $1,380,000 for the Denver regional office. The
remaining FY 2010 University Center Economic Development Program funds
will be used to continue to support current University Centers selected
during the FY 2008 and 2009 competitions in EDA's other four regional
offices. Annual awards for the University Centers selected in past
years generally have been in the range of $80,000 to $200,000, although
regional offices may choose to fund awards under this competition
outside of these ranges. Subject to the availability of funding at the
time of award, the funds allocated to the University Center Economic
Development Program are anticipated to be available until expended.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.303,
Economic Development--Technical Assistance.
Applicant Eligibility: An accredited institution of higher
education, including a community college, or a consortium of accredited
institutions of higher education is eligible to apply for and to
receive funding under the University Center Economic Development
Program. See section 3(12) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3122(12)) and 13 CFR
300.3. A university-affiliated research foundation also is eligible to
apply for and to receive funding under this competitive solicitation,
provided it demonstrates that it maintains the full and integral
support of the university with respect to its economic development
activities, through a letter or other documentation from a university
President or Chancellor. For
[[Page 10221]]
applicants applying as a consortium, one accredited institution must be
identified as the lead agent that would have lead responsibility to EDA
and to the other members of the consortium for implementing an award. A
non-profit organization, in good standing and participating in the
institution's proposed project in connection with an application under
this competitive solicitation, may partner with a consortium provided
that the organization itself is affiliated with and directed by an
accredited institution of higher education.
For FY 2010, the University Center Economic Development Program
competition is open to eligible applicants in the geographic areas
served by EDA's Austin and Denver regional offices. The Austin regional
office serves Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The
Denver regional office serves Colorado, Iowa (excluding Muscatine and
Scott counties), Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
Project Period: The Austin and Denver regional offices will provide
a three-year project period for each University Center selected for
funding under the FY 2010 University Center Economic Development
Program competition, with the initial award being made for the first
year of the project period. The selected University Centers will not
have to compete for the second and third years of funding. Funding
beyond the initial year is dependent upon the availability of funds,
satisfactory performance, and satisfactory progress in achieving
milestones and program goals set forth in the three-year scope of work,
as determined by EDA and expressed in written notice.
Current University Center operators in the service areas of EDA's
Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle regional offices will not
have to compete for continuation funding in FY 2010, subject to the
availability of funds, satisfactory continuing performance, and
satisfactory progress in achieving milestones and program goals set
forth in the three-year scope of work, as determined by EDA and
expressed in a written notice. EDA regional offices will contact
current University Center operators in those service areas regarding
the procedures for securing FY 2010 continuation funding.
Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally, the amount of the EDA grant
may not exceed fifty percent of the total cost of the project. Projects
may receive an additional amount that shall not exceed thirty percent,
as determined by EDA, based on the relative needs of the region in
which the project will be located. See section 204(a) of PWEDA (42
U.S.C. 3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(1). The Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Economic Development has the discretion to establish a
maximum EDA investment rate of up to one-hundred percent where the
project (i) merits and is not otherwise feasible without an increase to
the EDA investment rate; or (ii) will be of no or only incidental
benefit to the recipient. See section 204(c)(3) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C.
3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(4).
In the application review process, EDA will consider the nature of
the contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of the matching share
funds. In-kind contributions, fairly evaluated by EDA, may provide the
non-federal share of the total project cost. See section 204(b) of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) and section III.B of the FFO announcement for
this request for applications. In-kind contributions, which may include
assumptions of debt and contributions of space, equipment, and
services, are eligible to be included as part of the non-federal share
of eligible project costs if they meet applicable federal cost
principles and uniform administrative requirements. Funds from other
federal financial assistance awards are considered matching share funds
only if authorized by statute, which may be determined by EDA's
reasonable interpretation of the statute. See 13 CFR 300.3. The
applicant must show that the matching share is committed to the project
for the entire project period, will be available as needed, and is not
conditioned or encumbered in any way that precludes its use consistent
with the requirements of EDA investment assistance. See 13 CFR 301.5.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications for funding under the
University Center Economic Development Program are subject to the State
review requirements imposed by Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' where applicable.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures: Staff in EDA's Austin or
Denver regional office, as applicable, first will undertake a technical
review of each application to ensure that all required forms,
signatures, and documentation are present and that the application is
in compliance with the requirements of this competitive solicitation.
Applications failing to meet the technical requirements of this
competitive solicitation will not be referred to the review panel for
merit review.
Following the technical review, each regional office will convene a
panel to review the merits of each application based on the criteria
provided under ``Evaluation Criteria'' below. The review panel will
consist of federal employees and may include others recommended by the
Regional Director of the applicable regional office. At least three
members of the review panel will be EDA staff members. The review panel
will evaluate and rate and rank competitively all technically
sufficient applications based on the evaluation criteria provided under
``Evaluation Criteria'' below.
The review panel's rating and ranking of the applications then will
be presented to the regional office's Investment Review Committee
(IRC). Applications deemed eligible and consistent with EDA's mission
and funding priorities are referred to the IRC, which is comprised of
EDA staff, to determine which applications for funding are recommended
to the Regional Director. Under this notice and request for
applications, after reviewing the panel's process and recommendations,
the IRC may either (i) forward the panel's ranked list, unaltered and
in its entirety, to the Selecting Official, who is the Regional
Director of the applicable regional office; or (ii) identify any
deficiencies in the review process and direct the review panel (or
convene a new panel) to begin the process anew. If the IRC directs the
panel to re-evaluate the applications, the review panel will undertake
the process again and submit a revised rating and ranking of the
applications to the IRC.
Evaluation Criteria: EDA will evaluate applications based on the
following criteria. Each criterion is detailed below with an assigned
weight.
1. Responsiveness to Objectives of Federal Funding Opportunity
(35%). This section shall assess the extent to which the applicant is
able to:
Provide a wide geographic level of service. Priority will
be given to applicants whose programs will offer the widest possible
coverage in the Austin and Denver regional offices' geographic service
areas.
Leverage other university assets. Priority will be given
to University Center applicants whose proposed activities outline
specific information on how they will leverage other University assets
(such as economic analysis divisions, GIS capabilities, planning
specialists, etc.).
Specifically articulate how the proposed activities of the
University Center will address regional needs. Priority will be given
to applications
[[Page 10222]]
that clearly articulate the regional needs and propose activities which
specifically address those needs.
2. Alignment with Key Funding Priorities (35%). In addition to
meeting the requirements set out in this FFO, all EDA investments must
satisfy at least one of the following key funding priorities.
Applications that support more than one of the following funding
priorities will receive higher priority.
Support science and technology. Priority will be given to
applications that propose to provide specific technical assistance to
information technology industries (for example, high technology
industries or investments in broadband and smart grid); scientific
industries; healthcare industries; or environmental technologies,
including technology commercialization.
Address sudden economic dislocation. Priority will be
given to proposed activities in which the University Center will engage
to support investments in communities that experienced sudden or severe
economic dislocation and job loss due to either auto-industry
restructuring or natural disasters.
Support small and medium-size businesses. Priority will be
given to applications that propose specific activities that will
support small and medium-size businesses (e.g., <= 500 employees or <=
$7 million in average annual sales).
Encourage collaborative regional innovation. Priority will
be given to proposed activities that will cultivate multi-
jurisdictional solutions to regional needs; encourage regional
collaboration among economic development organizations; and identify
and implement programs that encourage regional stakeholders to link to
and build upon unique assets of the region, such as the development and
support of innovation clusters.
Foster global competitiveness. Priority will be given to
proposed activities that will help strengthen industry competitiveness
through innovation, entrepreneurship, global trade, and rapid growth.
Environmentally sustainable development. Priority will be
given to proposed activities that will promote renewable energy; energy
efficiency; or reuse, recycling, or natural resource restoration
efforts across the region.
3. Provides High Return on Investment (20%). All applications will
be evaluated to determine whether they represent a high return on
investment, as measured by the:
Extent to which the proposed University Center will
leverage public-private partnerships. Priority will be given to
proposed activities that will generate strong public-private support
across the region and leverage private funds.
Degree to which the proposed University Center and its
activities build upon other local, State, regional, federal, and
private sector development initiatives. Priority will be given to
applications that clearly specify how the proposed activities will
build upon the array of local, State, regional, federal, and private
sector development efforts occurring in the region to more effectively
meet regional needs.
4. Significantly Benefits Regions with Distressed Economies (10%).
While all applicants must show how the proposed activities will benefit
distressed regions within the service area, EDA will give additional
consideration to those applicants that provide concrete evidence
outlining how their proposed programs are especially well designed to
significantly benefit distressed regions. As outlined in section I.B of
the FFO announcement, distress may be defined by areas experiencing
high levels of unemployment, low income levels, large concentrations of
low-income families, or significant declines in per capita income
because of large numbers (or high rates) of business failures, sudden
major layoffs or plant closures, military base closures, natural or
other major disasters, depletion of natural resources, reduced tax
bases, or substantial loss of population because of the lack of
employment opportunities.
Selection Factors: EDA expects to fund the highest ranking
applications. The Selecting Official normally will follow the
recommendations of the review panel. However, the Selecting Official
may decide not to make a selection, or he may select an application out
of rank order for several reasons, including: (i) A determination that
the application better meets the overall objectives of sections 2 and
207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 and 3147); (ii) availability of program
funding; (iii) geographic balance in distribution of program funds;
(iv) balanced funding for a diverse group of institutions, to include
smaller and rural institutions, which may form part of a broader
consortium to serve diverse populations and areas within the regional
office's territory; (v) the program objectives as provided in section I
of the FFO announcement; (vi) the applicant's performance under
previous federal financial assistance awards; or (vii) the overall mix
of services, service areas, and target audiences in the regional
office's University Center portfolio. If the Selecting Official makes a
selection out of rank order, he will document the rationale for the
decision in writing.
Informational Teleconferences: For prospective applicants, the
Austin regional office will hold an informational teleconference on
April 1, 2010, at 1 p.m. CST. The Denver regional office will hold its
informational teleconference call on March 19, 2010, at 1 p.m. MST.
These teleconferences will provide general program information and
information regarding the preparation of applications for funding under
this competitive solicitation. To ensure the integrity of this
competition, EDA will not provide substantive information regarding the
competition to prospective applicants outside of these scheduled
teleconferences.
To ensure that enough incoming lines are available for each caller,
the Austin regional office requires interested parties planning to
participate on the teleconference to register no later than 5 p.m. CST
on March 25, 2010; the Denver regional office requires interested
parties planning to participate on the teleconference to register no
later than 5 p.m. MST on March 16, 2010. To register, please send an
email with ``FY 2010 University Center Teleconference Registration'' in
the subject line to the designated contact person in the Austin or
Denver regional office as provided above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT. The telephone number and pass code for each teleconference
will be provided upon registration.
Please be advised that the informational teleconferences may be
audio-taped and the actual recordings or a transcript of the actual
recording may be made available online or otherwise for the benefit of
prospective applicants unable to participate. Prospective applicants
who participate on the teleconferences are deemed to consent to the
taping.
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: Administrative and national policy
requirements for all Department of Commerce awards are applicable to
this competitive solicitation. These requirements may be found in the
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements, which was published in the Federal Register
on February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696). This notice may be accessed by
entering the Federal Register volume and page number provided in the
previous sentence at the following Web site: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.
[[Page 10223]]
Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains the following
collections of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): (i) Form ED-
900 (OMB Control No. 0610-0094); (ii) Form SF-424 (OMB Control No.
4040-0004); (iii) Form SF-424A (OMB Control No. 4040-0006); (iv) Form
SF-424B (OMB Control No. 4040-0007); (v) Form SF-LLL (OMB Control No.
0348-0046). Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the PRA unless that collection of information displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior
notice and an opportunity for public comments 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)(2)). Because notice
and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553
or any other law, the analytical requirements of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore, a
regulatory flexibility analysis has not been prepared.
Dated: February 26, 2010.
Brian P. McGowan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
Economic Development Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-4591 Filed 3-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-24-P
