Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program; Fire Prevention and Safety Grants, 15234-15239 [2015-06547]

Agencies

• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 55 (Monday, March 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15234-15239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06547]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-FEMA-2014-0035]


Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program; Fire Prevention and 
Safety Grants

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of guidance.

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SUMMARY: This Notice provides guidelines that describe the application 
process for grants and the criteria for awarding Fire Prevention and 
Safety (FP&S) grants in the fiscal year (FY) 2014 Assistance to 
Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program year. It explains the differences, if 
any, between these guidelines and those recommended by representatives 
of the Nation's fire service leadership during the annual Criteria 
Development meeting, which was held October 27-28, 2014. The 
application period for the FY 2014 FP&S Grant Program year will be held 
March 16-April 17, 2015, and will be announced on the AFG Web site 
(www.fema.gov/firegrants), www.grants.gov, and U.S. Fire Administration 
Web site (www.usfa.fema.gov).

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 2229.


DATES: Grant applications for the FP&S Grant Program will be accepted 
electronically at https://portal.fema.gov, from March 16-April 17, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Assistance to Firefighters Grants Branch, Stop 3620, DHS/
FEMA, 800 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20472-3620.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Patterson, Chief, Assistance 
to Firefighters Grants Branch, 1-866-274-0960.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the AFG Program is to enhance 
the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and 
fire-related hazards. The FEMA Grant Programs Directorate administers 
the FP&S Grant Program as part of the AFG Program.
    FP&S Grants are offered to support projects in two activities:
    1. Activities designed to reach high-risk target groups and 
mitigate the incidence of death and injuries caused by fire and fire-
related hazards (``FP&S Activity'').
    2. Projects aimed at improving firefighter safety, health and 
wellness through research and development that reduces firefighter 
fatalities and injuries (``R&D Activity'').
    The grant program's authorizing statute requires that each year DHS 
publish in the Federal Register the guidelines that describe the 
application process and the criteria for grant awards. Approximately 
1,200 applications for FP&S Grant Program funding are anticipated to be 
submitted electronically, using the application submission form and 
process available at the AFG e-Grant application portal: https://portal.fema.gov. Specific information about the submission of grant 
applications can be found in the ``FY 2014 Fire Prevention and Safety

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Program Funding Opportunity Announcement,'' which will be available for 
download at www.fema.gov/firegrants and at www.regulations.gov under 
Docket ID FEMA-2014-0035.

Appropriations

    Congress appropriated $340,000,000 for AFG in FY 2014 pursuant to 
the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2014, Public 
Law 113-76. From this amount, $34,000,000 will be made available for 
FP&S Grant awards, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 2229(h)(5), which states that 
not less than 10 percent of available grant funds each year are awarded 
under the FP&S Grant Program. Funds appropriated for all FY 2014 AFG 
awards, pursuant to Public Law 113-76, will be available for obligation 
and award until September 30, 2015.
    From the approximately 1,200 applications that will be requesting 
assistance, FEMA anticipates that it will award approximately 150 FP&S 
Grants from available grant funding.

Background of the AFG Program

    DHS awards grants on a competitive basis to the applicants that 
best address the FP&S Grant Program's priorities and provide the most 
compelling justification. Applications that best address the Program's 
priorities will be reviewed by a panel composed of fire service 
personnel.

Award Criteria

    All applications for grants will be prepared and submitted through 
the AFG e-Grant application portal (https://portal.fema.gov).
    The FP&S Grant Program panels will review the applications and 
score them using the following criteria areas:

 Vulnerability
 Implementation
 Evaluation Plan
 Cost Benefit
 Sustainability
 Financial Need
 Funding Priorities
 Experience and Expertise

    The applications submitted under the R&D Activity will be reviewed 
first by a panel of fire service members to identify those applications 
most relevant to the fire service. The following evaluation criteria 
will be used for this review:

 Purpose
 Potential Impact
 Implementation by the fire service
 Partners
 Barriers

    The applications that are determined most likely to be implemented 
to enable improvement in firefighter safety, health, or wellness will 
be deemed to be in the ``competitive range'' and will be forwarded to 
the second level of application review, which is the scientific panel 
review process. This panel will be comprised of scientists and 
technology experts who have expertise pertaining to the subject matter 
of the proposal.
    The Scientific Technical Evaluation Panel for the R&D Activity will 
review the application and evaluate it using the following criteria:

 Project purpose(s), goals and objectives, and specific aims
 Literature Review
 Project Methods
 Project Measurements
 Project Analysis
 Dissemination and Implementation
 Cost vs. Benefit (additional consideration)
 Financial Need (additional consideration)

Eligible Applicants

    The following entities are eligible to apply directly to FEMA under 
this solicitation:
    1. Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Activity: Eligible applicants 
for this activity include fire departments, national, regional, state, 
local, Native American tribal, and nonprofit organizations that are 
recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and 
safety programs and activities. Both private and public non-profit 
organizations are eligible to apply for funding in this activity. For-
profit organizations, federal agencies, and individuals are not 
eligible to receive a FP&S Grant Award under the FP&S Activity.
    2. Firefighter Safety Research and Development (R&D) Activity: 
Eligible applicants for this activity include national, state, local, 
Native American tribal, and nonprofit organizations, such as academic 
(e.g., universities), public health, occupational health, and injury 
prevention institutions. Both private and public non-profit 
organizations are eligible to apply for funding in this activity.
    The aforementioned entities are encouraged to apply, especially 
those that are recognized for their experience and expertise in 
firefighter safety, health, and wellness research and development 
activities. Fire departments are not eligible to apply for funding in 
the R&D activity. Additionally, for-profit organizations, federal 
agencies, and individuals are not eligible to receive a grant award 
under the R&D Activity.

Statutory Limits to Funding

    Applications and awards are limited to a maximum federal share of 
$1.5 million dollars, regardless of applicant type.

Cost Sharing

    Grantees must share in the costs of the projects funded under this 
grant program as required by 15 U.S.C. 2229(k)(1) and in accordance 
with 44 CFR 13.24 and 2 CFR 215.23, but they are not required to have 
the cost-share at the time of application nor at the time of award. 
However, before a grant is awarded, FEMA will contact potential 
awardees to determine whether the grantee has the funding in hand or if 
the grantee has a viable plan to obtain the funding necessary to 
fulfill the cost-sharing requirement.
    In general, an eligible applicant seeking an FP&S grant to carry 
out an activity shall agree to make available non-federal funds to 
carry out such activity in an amount equal to, and not less than, five 
percent of the grant awarded. Cash match and in-kind matches are both 
allowable in the FP&S Grant Program. Cash (hard) matches include non-
federal cash spent for project-related costs. In-kind (soft) matches 
include, but are not limited to, the valuation of in-kind services. In-
kind is the value of something received or provided that does not have 
a cost associated with it. For example, where an in-kind match (other 
than cash payments) is permitted, then the value of donated services 
could be used to comply with the match requirement. Also, third party 
in-kind contributions may count toward satisfying match requirements 
provided the grantee receiving the contributions expends them as 
allowable costs in compliance with provisions listed above.
    Grantees under this grant program must also agree to a maintenance 
of effort requirement as required by 15 U.S.C. 2229(k)(3) (referred to 
as a ``maintenance of expenditure'' requirement in that statute). Per 
this requirement, a grantee shall agree to maintain during the term of 
the grant the grantee's aggregate expenditures relating to the 
activities allowable under the FP&S Funding Opportunity Announcement at 
not less than 80 percent (80%) of the average amount of such 
expenditures in the two (2) fiscal years preceding the fiscal year in 
which the grant amounts are received.
    In cases of demonstrated economic hardship, and on the application 
of the grantee, the Administrator of FEMA may waive or reduce certain 
grantees' cost share or maintenance of

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expenditure requirements. This policy applies to FP&S per Sec.  33 of 
the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-498, as 
amended) (15 U.S.C. 2229). For complete requirements concerning these 
waivers, including a description of how a grantee may demonstrate 
economic hardship and apply for a waiver, please refer to FEMA Policy 
FP 207-088-01, dated April 8, 2014, at: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1398109239435-ec23997d8351382710896fa77d02bc7d/AFG+Economic+/Hardship+Waiver+Policy.pdf. Per 15 U.S.C. 2229(k)(4)(C), 
FP&S Grantees that are not fire departments are not eligible to receive 
a waiver of their cost share or economic hardship requirements.

System for Award Management (SAM)

    On July 29, 2010, the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) was 
moved into the System for Award Management (SAM). The Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) issued guidance to federal agencies 
requiring all prime recipients of federal grants to register in SAM. 
SAM is the primary vendor database for the Federal Government to 
collect, validate, store, and disseminate data from a secure 
centralized system. SAM consolidated the capabilities found in CCR and 
other federal procurement systems into one new system.
    There is no charge to register in SAM.gov. Registrations must be 
completed on-line at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. The 
applicant organization is responsible for having a valid Dun and 
Bradstreet (DUNS) number at the time of registration. Organizations 
with an active record in CCR have an active record in SAM, but may need 
to validate their information. For registration, go to https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.

Application Process

    Applicants may only submit one (1) application, but may submit for 
up to three (3) projects under each activity (FP&S and R&D). Any 
applicant that submits more than one (1) application may have all 
applications for any duplicated request(s) deemed ineligible.
    Under the FP&S Activity, applicants may apply under the following 
categories:

 General Education/Awareness
 Fire & Arson Investigation
 Code Enforcement/Awareness
 National/State/Regional Programs and Studies

    Under the R&D Activity, applicants may apply under the following 
categories:

 Clinical Studies
 Technology and Product Development
 Database System Development
 Dissemination and Implementation Research
 Preliminary Studies

    Prior to the start of the FY 2014 FP&S Grant Program application 
period, FEMA will provide applicants with technical assistance tools 
(available at the AFG Web site: www.fema.gov/firegrants) and other 
online information to help them prepare quality grant applications. AFG 
will also staff a Help Desk throughout the application period to assist 
applicants with navigation through the automated application as well as 
assistance with any questions they have. Applicants can reach the AFG 
Help Desk through a toll-free telephone number (1-866-274-0960) or 
electronic mail (firegrants@dhs.gov).
    Applicants are advised to access the application electronically at 
https://portal.fema.gov. The application also will be accessible from 
the grants.gov Web site (https://www.grants.gov). New applicants are 
required to register and establish a username and password for secure 
access to their application. Applicants that applied to any previous 
AFG or SAFER funding opportunities were required to use their 
previously established usernames and passwords.
    In completing an application under this funding opportunity, 
applicants will be asked to provide relevant information on their 
organization's characteristics and existing capabilities. Those 
applicants are asked to answer questions about their grant request that 
reflect the funding priorities, described below. In addition, each 
applicant will complete narratives for each project or grant activity 
requested.
    The following are the funding priorities for each category under 
the FP&S Activity:

 General Education/Awareness--Under the General Education/
Awareness category there are two funding priorities:
    [cir] The first priority will be given to programs that target high 
risk population to conduct both door-to-door smoke alarm installations 
and provide home safety inspections (including sprinkler awareness), as 
part of a comprehensive home fire safety campaign.
    [cir] The second priority will be given to programs that include 
sprinkler awareness that affect the entire community, such as educating 
the public about residential sprinklers, promoting residential 
sprinklers, and demonstrating working models of residential sprinklers.
 Code Enforcement/Awareness--projects that focus on first time 
or reinstatement of code adoption and code enforcement.
 Fire & Arson Investigation--projects that aim to aggressively 
investigate every fire.
 National/State/Regional Programs and Studies--projects that 
focus on residential fire issues and/or firefighter behavior and 
decision-making.

    Under the R&D Activity, in order to identify and address the most 
important elements of firefighter safety, FEMA looked to the fire 
service for its input and recommendations. In June 2005, the National 
Fallen Firefighters' Foundation (NFFF) hosted a working group to 
facilitate the development of an agenda for the nation's fire service, 
and in particular for firefighter safety. In May 2011, the NFFF again 
hosted a working group to update the agenda with current priorities. A 
copy of the research agenda is available on the NFFF Web site at https://www.everyonegoeshome.com/symposium.html.
    Projects that meet the intent of this research agenda with respect 
to firefighter health and safety, as identified by the NFFF working 
group, will be given consideration under the R&D Activity. However, the 
applicant is not limited to these specific projects. All proposed 
projects, regardless of whether they have been identified by this 
working group, will be evaluated on their relevance to firefighter 
health and safety, and scientific rigor.
    The electronic application process will permit the applicant to 
enter and save the application data. The system does not permit the 
submission of incomplete applications. Except for the narrative 
textboxes, the application will use a ``point-and-click'' selection 
process or require the entry of data (e.g., name and address). 
Applicants will be encouraged to read the FP&S Funding Opportunity 
Announcement for more details.

Criteria Development Process

    Each year, DHS convenes a panel of fire service professionals to 
develop the funding priorities and other implementation criteria for 
AFG. The Criteria Development Panel is comprised of representatives 
from nine major fire service organizations who are charged with making 
recommendations to FEMA regarding the creation of new funding 
priorities, the modification of existing funding priorities, and the 
development of criteria for awarding grants. The nine major fire 
service organizations represented on the panel are:


[[Page 15237]]


 Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI)
 International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
 International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
 International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI)
 National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)
 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
 National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)
 North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD)

    The FY 2014 criteria development panel meeting occurred January 8-
9, 2014. The content of the FY 2014 FP&S Funding Opportunity 
Announcement reflects the implementation of the Criteria Development 
Panel's recommendations with respect to the priorities, direction, and 
criteria for awards. All of the funding priorities for the FY 2014 FP&S 
Grant Program are designed to address the following:

 First responder safety
 Enhancing national capabilities
 Risk
 Interoperability

Changes for FY 2014

FY 2014 FP&S Funding Opportunity Announcement.

    (1) The ``Guidance and Application Kit'' has been reformatted to 
match the DHS Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) template.
    (2) Sprinkler awareness was added as a priority under the General 
Education/Awareness category.
    (3) The period of performance for applicants under the FP&S 
Activity was extended to up to 24 months. Applicants will now have the 
option to select either a 12 month period of performance or 24 month 
period of performance, based on the complexity of the project.

Application Review Process and Considerations

    The program's authorizing statute requires that each year DHS 
publish in the Federal Register a description of the grant application 
process and the criteria for grant awards. This information is provided 
below.
    DHS will review and evaluate all FP&S applications submitted using 
the funding priorities and evaluation criteria described in this 
document, which are based on recommendations from the AFG Criteria 
Development Panel.

Peer Review Process

Technical Evaluation Process--Fire Prevention and Safety Activity

    All eligible applications will be evaluated by a Technical 
Evaluation Panel (TEP). The TEP is comprised of a panel of Peer 
Reviewers. The TEP will assess each application's merits with respect 
to the detail provided in the Narrative Statement on the activity, 
including the evaluation elements listed in the Evaluation Criteria 
identified above.
    The panel of Peer Reviewers will independently score each project 
within the application, discuss the merits and/or shortcomings of the 
application, and document the findings. A consensus is not required. 
The highest ranked applications will receive further technical review 
to assess strengths and weaknesses, how readily weaknesses may be 
resolved, and the likely impact of the proposed activities on the 
safety of the target audience.

Technical Evaluation Process--Research and Development Activity

    R&D applications will go through a two-phase review process. First, 
all applications will be reviewed by a panel of fire service experts to 
assess relevance, meaning the likely impact of the proposed R&D 
application to enable improvement in firefighter safety, health, or 
wellness. They will also assess the need for the research results and 
the likelihood that the results would be implemented by the fire 
service in the U.S. Applications that are deemed likely to be 
implemented to enable improvement in firefighter safety, health, or 
wellness will then receive further consideration by a science review 
panel. This panel will be comprised of scientists and technology 
experts who have expertise pertaining to the subject matter of the 
proposal.
    Reviewers will independently score applications and, if necessary, 
discuss the merits or shortcomings of the application in order to 
reconcile any major discrepancies identified by the reviewers. A 
consensus is not required.
    With input from these panels, for the highest ranked applications, 
FEMA will review each application's strengths and weaknesses, how best 
the strengths fit the priorities of the FP&S Program, and how readily 
the weaknesses may be resolved to support likely impact of the project 
to improve firefighter safety, heath, or wellness.

Technical Review Process

    Projects receiving the highest scores then will undergo a technical 
review by a subject matter specialist to assess the technical 
feasibility of the project and a programmatic review to assess 
eligibility and other factors.
    After the completion of the technical reviews, DHS will select a 
sufficient number of awardees from this application period to obligate 
all of the available grant funding. It will evaluate and act on 
applications within 90 days following the close of the application 
period. Award announcements will be made on a rolling basis until all 
available grant funds have been committed. Awards will not be made in 
any specified order. DHS will notify unsuccessful applicants as soon as 
it is feasible.

Evaluation Criteria for Projects--Fire Prevention and Safety Activity

    Funding decisions will be informed by an assessment of how well the 
application addresses the criteria and considerations listed below. 
Applications will be reviewed by the TEP using weighted evaluation 
criteria to score the project. These scores will impact the ranking of 
a project for funding.
    The relative weight of the evaluation criteria in the determination 
of the grant award is listed below.

 Vulnerability Statement (20%): The assessment of fire risk is 
essential in the development of an effective project goal, as well as 
meeting FEMA's goal to reduce risk by conducting a risk analysis as a 
basis for action. Vulnerability is a ``weak link'' demonstrating high 
risk behavior, living conditions or any type of high risk situation or 
behavior. The Vulnerability Statement should include a description of 
the steps taken to determine the vulnerability (weak link) and identify 
the target audience. The methodology for determination of vulnerability 
(how you found the weak link) should be discussed in-depth in the 
application's Narrative Statement.
    [cir] The specific vulnerability (weak link) that will be addressed 
with the proposed project can be established through a formal or 
informal risk assessment. FEMA encourages the use of local statistics, 
rather than national statistics, when discussing the vulnerability.
    [cir] The applicant should summarize the vulnerability (weakness) 
the project will address in a clear, to-the-point statement that 
addresses who is at risk, what the risks are, where the risks are, and 
how the risks can be prevented.
    [cir] For the purpose of the FY2014 FP&S FOA, formal risk 
assessments consist of the use of software

[[Page 15238]]

programs or recognized expert analysis that assess risk trends.
    [cir] Informal risk assessments could include an in-house review of 
available data (e.g., National Fire Incident Reporting System) to 
determine fire loss, burn injuries or loss of life over a period of 
time, and the factors that are the cause and origin for each 
occurrence.
 Implementation Plan (20%): Projects should provide details on 
the implementation plan which discusses the proposed project's goals 
and objectives. The following information should be included to support 
the implementation plan:
    [cir] Goals and objectives.
    [cir] Details regarding the methods and specific steps that will be 
used to achieve the goals and objectives.
    [cir] Timelines.
    [cir] Where applicable, examples of marketing efforts to promote 
the project, who will deliver the project (e.g., effective 
partnerships), and the manner in which materials or deliverables will 
be distributed.
    [cir] Requests for props (i.e., tools used in educational or 
awareness demonstrations), including specific goals, measurable 
results, and details on the frequency for which the prop will be 
utilized as part of the implementation plan. Applicants should include 
information describing the efforts that will be used to reach the high 
risk audience and/or the number of people reached through the proposed 
project.
 Evaluation Plan (20%): Projects should include an evaluation 
of effectiveness and should identify measurable goals. Applicants 
seeking to carry out awareness and educational projects, for example, 
should identify how they intend to determine that there has been an 
increase in knowledge about fire hazards, or measure a change in the 
safety behaviors of the audience. Applicants should demonstrate how 
they will measure risk at the outset of the project in comparison to 
how much the risk decreased after the project is finished. There are 
various ways to measure the knowledge gained including the use of 
surveys, pre- and post-tests or documented observations.
 Cost-Benefit (10%): Projects will be evaluated based on how 
well the applicant addresses the fire prevention needs of the 
department or organization in an economic and efficient manner. It 
should show how to maximize the level of funding that goes directly 
into the delivery of the project. The costs associated with the project 
must also be reasonable for the target audience that will be reached, 
and a description of how the anticipated benefit(s) of their projects 
outweighs the cost(s) of the requested item(s) should be included. 
Providing justification for costs assists the Technical Evaluation 
Panel with this review.
 Sustainability (15%): Each project will also be evaluated to 
determine whether the overall activity will be sustained (continued) 
beyond the grant performance period and whether it has a greater 
potential for long-term benefits. Examples of sustainable projects can 
be shown through the long-term benefits derived from the delivery of 
the project, the number of non-Federal partners likely to continue the 
effort, or the demonstrated long-term commitment of the applicant.
 Financial Need (10%): Applicants should provide details on the 
need for financial assistance to carry out the proposed project(s). 
Included in the description might be other unsuccessful attempts to 
acquire financial assistance or specific examples of the applicant's 
operational budget.
 Funding Priorities (5%): Applicants will be evaluated on 
whether or not the proposed project meets the stated funding priority 
(listed below) for the applicable category.
    [cir] General Education/Awareness Priority: Comprehensive home fire 
safety campaign with door-to-door smoke alarm installations or 
residential sprinkler awareness projects/activities.
    [cir] Fire/Arson Investigation Priority: Projects that aim to 
aggressively investigate every fire.
    [cir] Code Enforcement/Awareness Priority: Projects that focus on 
first time or reinstatement of code adoption and code enforcement.
    [cir] National/State/Regional Programs and Studies Priority: 
Projects that focus on residential fire issues, and/or firefighter 
safety projects or strategies that are designed to measurably change 
firefighter behavior and decision-making.
 Experience and Expertise (additional consideration): 
Applicants that demonstrate their experience and ability to conduct 
fire prevention and safety activities, and to execute the proposed or 
similar project(s), will receive additional consideration.

Evaluation Criteria for Projects--Firefighter Safety Research and 
Development Activity

    Funding decisions will be informed by an assessment of how well the 
application addresses the criteria and considerations listed below.
    All applications will reviewed by a fire service expert panel using 
weighted evaluation criteria, and those applications deemed to be in 
the ``competitive range'' will then be reviewed by a scientific peer 
review panel evaluation using weighted evaluation criteria to score the 
project. Scientific evaluations will impact the ranking of the project 
for funding.
    In addition, other Science Panel considerations are indicated in 
the list below:

Fire Service Evaluation Criteria

 Purpose (25%): Applicants should clearly identify the benefits 
of the proposed research project to improve firefighter safety, health, 
or wellness, and identify specific gaps in knowledge that will be 
addressed.
 Implementation by Fire Service (25%): Applicants should 
discuss how the outcomes/products of this research, if successful, are 
likely to be widely/nationally adopted and accepted by the fire service 
as changes that enhance firefighter safety, health, or wellness.
 Potential Impact (15%): Applicants should discuss the 
potential impact of the research outcome/product on firefighter safety 
by quantifying the possible reduction in the number of fatal or non-
fatal injuries, or on wellness by significantly improving the overall 
health of firefighters.
 Barriers (15%): Applicants should recognize that all research 
contains some level of risk and that the proposed outcomes may not be 
realized. The applicant needs to identify and discuss potential fire 
service and other barriers to successfully complete the study on 
schedule, including contingencies and strategies to deal with barriers 
if they materialize. This may include barriers that could inhibit the 
proposed fire service participation in the study or the adoption of 
successful results by the fire service when the project is completed.
 Partners (20%): Applicants should recognize that participation 
of the fire service as a partner in the research, from development to 
dissemination, is regarded as an essential part of all projects. 
Applicants should describe the fire service partners and contractors 
that will support the

[[Page 15239]]

project to accomplish the objectives of the study. The specific roles 
and contributions of the partners should be described. Partnerships may 
be formed with local and regional fire departments, and also with 
national fire-related organizations. Letters of support and letters of 
commitment to actively participate in the project should be included in 
the appendix of the application. Generally, participants of a diverse 
population, including both career and volunteer firefighters, are 
expected to facilitate acceptance of results nationally. In cases where 
this is not practical, due to the nature of the study or other 
limitations, these circumstances should clearly be explained.

Science Panel Evaluation Criteria

 Project goals, objectives, and specific aims (15%): Applicants 
should address how the purpose, goals, objectives, and aims of the 
proposal will lead to results that will improve firefighter safety, 
health, or wellness. For multi-year projects, greater detail should be 
given for the first year.
 Literature Review (10%): Applicants should provide a 
literature review that is relevant to the project's goals, objectives, 
and specific aims. The citations should be placed in the text of the 
narrative statement, with references listed at the end of the Narrative 
Statement (and not in the Appendix) of the application. The review 
should be in sufficient depth to make it clear that the proposed 
project is necessary, adds to an existing body of knowledge, is 
different from current and previous studies, and offers a unique 
contribution.
 Project Methods (20%): Applicants should provide a description 
of how the project will be carried out, including demonstration of the 
overall scientific and technical rigor and merit of the project. This 
includes the operations to accomplish the purpose, goals and 
objectives, and the specific aims of the project. Plans to recruit and 
retain human subjects, where applicable, should be described. Where 
human subjects are involved in the project, the applicant should 
describe plans for submission to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) 
(for further guidance and requirements, see Appendix A--Application 
Guidelines and Program Priorities, Section IX. Human Subjects 
Research).
 Project Measurements (20%): Applicants should provide evidence 
of the technical rigor and merit of the project, such as data 
pertaining to validity, reliability, and sensitivity (where 
established) of the facilities, equipment, instruments, standards, and 
procedures that will be used to carry out the research. The applicant 
should discuss the data to be collected to evaluate the performance 
methods, technologies, and products proposed to enhance firefighter 
safety, health, or wellness. The applicant should demonstrate that the 
measurement methods and equipment selected for use are appropriate and 
sufficient to successfully deliver the proposed project objectives.
 Project Analysis (20%): The applicant should indicate the 
planned approach for analysis of the data obtained from measurements, 
questionnaires, or computations. The applicant should specify within 
the plan what will be analyzed, the statistical methods that will be 
used, the sequence of steps, and interactions as appropriate. It should 
be clear that the Principal Investigator (PI) and research team have 
the expertise to perform the planned analysis and defend the results in 
a peer review process.
 Dissemination and Implementation (15%): Applicants should 
indicate dissemination plans for scientific audiences (such as plans 
for submissions to specific peer review publications) and for 
firefighter audiences (such as Web sites, magazines, and conferences). 
Also, assuming positive results, the applicant should indicate future 
steps that would support dissemination and implementation throughout 
the fire service, where applicable. These steps are likely to be beyond 
the current study, so those features of the research activity that will 
facilitate future dissemination and implementation should be discussed. 
All applicants should specify how the results of the project, if 
successful, might be disseminated and implemented in the fire service 
to improve firefighter safety, health, or wellness. It is expected that 
successful R&D Activity Projects may give rise to future programs 
including FP&S Activity Projects.
 Cost vs. Benefit (additional consideration): Cost vs. benefit 
in this evaluation element refers to the costs of the grant for the 
research and development project as it relates to the benefits that are 
projected for firefighters who would have improved safety, health, or 
wellness. Applicants should demonstrate a high benefit for the cost 
incurred, and effective utilization of federal funds for research 
activities.
 Financial Need (additional consideration): In the Applicant 
Information section of the application, applicants should provide 
details on the need for federal financial assistance to carry out the 
proposed project(s). Applicants may include a description of 
unsuccessful attempts to acquire financial assistance. Applicants 
should provide detail about the organization's operating budget, 
including a high-level breakdown of the budget; describe the 
department's inability to address financial needs without federal 
assistance; and discuss other actions the department has taken to meet 
their staffing needs (e.g., state assistance programs, other grant 
programs, etc.).

Other Selection Information

    Awards will be made using the results of peer-reviewed applications 
as the primary basis for decisions, regardless of activity. However, 
there are some exceptions to strictly using the peer review results. 
The applicant's prior AFG, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency 
Response (SAFER), and FP&S grant management performance will also be 
taken into consideration when making recommendations for award. All 
final funding determinations will be made by the Administrator of FEMA, 
or the Administrator's delegate.
    Fire departments and other eligible applicants that have received 
funding under the FP&S program in previous years are eligible to apply 
for funding in the current year. However, DHS may take into account an 
applicant's performance on prior grants when making funding decisions 
on current applications.
    Once every application in the competitive range has been through 
the technical evaluation phase, the applications will be ranked 
according to the average score awarded by the panel.
    The ranking will be summarized in a Technical Report prepared by 
the AFG Program Office. A Grants Management Specialist will contact the 
applicant to discuss and/or negotiate the content of the application 
and SAM.gov registration before making final award decisions.

    Dated: March 3, 2015.
W. Craig Fugate,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2015-06547 Filed 3-20-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-12-P