Competitive Funding Opportunity: Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program, 63653-63658 [2020-22316]
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perform periodic brake equipment
maintenance on the RT–5A+ system
from 1,104 days to a total of 2,208 days
(6 years) for the RTDC MU locomotive
fleet.
A copy of the petition, as well as any
written communications concerning the
petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov.
Interested parties are invited to
participate in these proceedings by
submitting written views, data, or
comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in
connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a
hearing. If any interested parties desire
an opportunity for oral comment and a
public hearing, they should notify FRA,
in writing, before the end of the
comment period and specify the basis
for their request.
All communications concerning these
proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number and may be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Website: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Operations Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey
Ave. SE, Room W12–140, Washington,
DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
Holidays.
Communications received by
November 23, 2020 will be considered
by FRA before final action is taken.
Comments received after that date will
be considered if practicable.
Anyone can search the electronic
form of any written communications
and comments received into any of our
dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the
document, if submitted on behalf of an
association, business, labor union, etc.).
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better
inform its processes. DOT posts these
comments, without edit, including any
personal information the commenter
provides, to www.regulations.gov, as
described in the system of records
notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can
be reviewed at https://
www.transportation.gov/privacy. See
also https://www.regulations.gov/
privacyNotice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–22298 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA–2020–0080]
Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Under part 211 of title 49 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), this
document provides the public notice
that on September 23, 2020,
Colebrookdale Railroad petitioned the
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
for a waiver of compliance from certain
provisions of the Federal railroad safety
regulations contained at 49 CFR part
232, Brake System Safety Standards for
Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains
and Equipment; End-Of-Train Devices.
FRA assigned the petition Docket
Number FRA–2020–0080.
Colebrookdale Railroad is the operator
of a tourist train over 8.6 miles of track
owned by the Eastern Berks Gateway
Railroad. Colebrookdale Railroad
operates four historic passenger cars
with Westinghouse UC air brakes. The
UC valves are required to be clean,
repaired, lubricated, and tested every 15
months. See 49 CFR part 232, appendix
B; Association of American Railroads
Standard S–045. The petitioner seeks a
waiver to extend this requirement to
every 30 months to save costs and
extend the operating seasons.
The petitioner states that the UC
valves are inspected by a certified brake
shop in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania.
Further, the Colebrookdale Railroad has
never had a brake valve failure in seven
years of operation, nor experienced an
Initial Terminal Test or a Class III brake
test failure, in any weather conditions.
Additionally, improvements in gasket
material and lubrication have increased
the reliability of these older valves over
the years.
A copy of the petition, as well as any
written communications concerning the
petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov.
Interested parties are invited to
participate in these proceedings by
submitting written views, data, or
comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in
connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a
hearing. If any interested parties desire
an opportunity for oral comment and a
public hearing, they should notify FRA,
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63653
in writing, before the end of the
comment period and specify the basis
for their request.
All communications concerning these
proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number and may be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Website: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Operations Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey
Ave. SE, Room W12–140, Washington,
DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
Holidays.
Communications received by
November 23, 2020 will be considered
by FRA before final action is taken.
Comments received after that date will
be considered if practicable.
Anyone can search the electronic
form of any written communications
and comments received into any of our
dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the
document, if submitted on behalf of an
association, business, labor union, etc.).
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better
inform its processes. DOT posts these
comments, without edit, including any
personal information the commenter
provides, to www.regulations.gov, as
described in the system of records
notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can
be reviewed at https://
www.transportation.gov/privacy. See
also https://www.regulations.gov/
privacyNotice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–22299 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Competitive Funding Opportunity:
Public Transportation COVID–19
Research Demonstration Grant
Program
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity.
AGENCY:
The Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID–19) public health emergency
SUMMARY:
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has had a significant impact on transit
operations. During a series of FTA
listening sessions held over the last
three months, transit agencies asked
FTA to support research to identify
solutions to address the operational
challenges that they are facing as a
result of COVID–19. In response, FTA
makes available through this Notice of
Funding Opportunity (NOFO) funding
to support research demonstration
grants to public transit agencies to
develop, deploy, and demonstrate
innovative solutions that improve the
operational efficiency of transit
agencies, as well as enhance the
mobility of transit users affected by the
COVID–19 public health emergency.
Demonstration grants under this NOFO
are authorized under FTA’s Public
Transportation Innovation Program (49
U.S.C. 5312). Eligible projects will
demonstrate innovative solutions to
improve the operational efficiencies of
transit systems and enhance mobility for
their communities in four major areas:
(1) Vehicle, facility, equipment and
infrastructure cleaning and disinfection;
(2) exposure mitigation measures; (3)
innovative mobility such as contactless
payments; and (4) measures that
strengthen public confidence in transit
services. The total funding available for
awards under this NOFO is $10,000,000.
FTA may supplement this amount if
additional funding becomes available.
DATES: Applicants must submit
completed proposals for funding
opportunity FTA–2020–015–TRI
through the GRANTS.GOV ‘‘APPLY’’
function by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on
November 2, 2020. Prospective
applicants should register as soon as
possible on the GRANTS.GOV website
to ensure they can complete the
application process before the
submission deadline. Application
instructions are available on FTA’s
website at https://transit.dot.gov/
howtoapply and in the ‘‘FIND’’ module
of GRANTS.GOV. FTA will not accept
mail and fax submissions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Please send any questions on this notice
to Jamel El-Hamri email: Jamel.ElHamri@dot.gov phone: 2020–366–8985.
A Telecommunication Device for the
Deaf (TDD) is available for individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing at 1–
800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
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F. Federal Award Administration
Information
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact
Information
A. Program Description
The Public Transportation COVID–19
Research Demonstration Grant Program
is funded through the Public
Transportation Innovation Program (49
U.S.C. 5312), with the goal to develop,
deploy, and demonstrate innovative
solutions that improve the operational
efficiency of transit agencies, as well as
enhance the mobility of transit users
affected by the COVID–19 public health
emergency.
Eligible projects will propose to
develop and deploy innovative
solutions in four major areas: (1)
Vehicle, facility, equipment and
infrastructure cleaning and disinfection;
(2) exposure mitigation measures; (3)
innovative mobility such as contactless
payments; and (4) measures that
strengthen public confidence in transit.
As required by 49 U.S.C. 5312(e)(4),
projects funded under this NOFO must
participate in an evaluation by an
independent outside entity that will
conduct a comprehensive evaluation of
the success or failure of the projects
funded under this subsection and any
plan for broad-based implementation of
the innovation promoted by successful
projects.
B. Federal Award Information
FTA makes available $10,000,000 in
fiscal year (FY) 2020 funds under the
Public Transportation Innovation
Program (49 U.S.C. 5312) to finance the
Public Transportation COVID–19
Research Demonstration Grant Program.
FTA may supplement the total funds
available if additional funding becomes
available at the time project selections
are made.
FTA will grant pre-award authority
starting on the date of the project award
announcement for selected projects and
should be completed within 24 months
from the date of award. Funds are
available only for eligible expenses
incurred after the announcement of
project selections.
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include State and
local governmental authorities, direct
recipients of Urbanized Area (49 U.S.C.
5307) and Rural Area (49 U.S.C. 5311)
formula funds, and Indian tribes.
Eligible applicants are limited to FTA
grantees or subrecipients who would be
the primary beneficiaries of the
innovative products and services that
are developed—typically public transit
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agencies. Except for projects proposed
by Indian tribes, proposals for projects
in rural (non-urbanized) areas must be
submitted as part of a consolidated State
proposal. States and other eligible
applicants also may submit
consolidated proposals for projects in
urbanized areas. The submission of the
Statewide application will not preclude
the submission and consideration of any
application from other eligible
recipients in an urbanized area in a
State. Proposals may contain projects to
be implemented by the recipient or its
subrecipients. Eligible subrecipients
include public agencies, private
nonprofit organizations, and private
providers engaged in public
transportation. Eligible applicants may
submit consolidated proposals for
projects.
(2) Cost Sharing or Matching
The maximum Federal share of
project costs is 100 percent. FTA may
give additional consideration to
applicants that propose a local share
and may view these applicants as more
competitive. The applicant must
document the source(s) of the local
match, if any, in the grant application.
For any applicants proposing match,
eligible local match sources include the
following:
• Cash from non-Government sources
other than revenues from providing
public transportation services;
• revenues derived from the sale of
advertising and concessions;
• revenues generated from value
capture financing mechanisms;
• funds from an undistributed cash
surplus;
• replacement or depreciation cash
fund or reserve;
• new capital; or
• in-kind contributions.
(3) Eligible Projects
Eligible projects will propose
innovative solutions to improve
operational efficiencies of transit
agencies and enhance the mobility of
transit users, through projects that
demonstrate innovative solutions for:
• Vehicle, facility, equipment and
infrastructure cleaning and disinfection;
• exposure mitigation measures such
a real-time notification of rail and bus
passenger loads;
• new multi-modal payment
innovative mobility systems such as
contactless payments; and
• measures that strengthen public
confidence in transit.
Each applicant may only submit one
proposal.
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D. Application and Submission
Information
(1) Address and Form of Application
Submission
Applications must be submitted
through GRANTS.GOV. Applicants can
find general information for submitting
applications through GRANTS.GOV at
www.fta.dot.gov/howtoapply, along with
specific instructions for the forms and
attachments required for submission.
Mail and fax submissions will not be
accepted.
(2) Content and Form of Application
Submission
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a. Proposal Submission
A complete proposal submission
consists of at least two forms:
1. The SF–424 Mandatory Form
(downloadable from GRANTS.GOV) and
2. the supplemental form for the FY
2020 COVID–19 Demonstration Program
(downloadable from GRANTS.GOV),
which is available on FTA’s website at
(placeholder for FTA COVID–19
Demonstration Program).
The application must include
responses to all sections of the SF–424
mandatory form and the supplemental
form unless a section is indicated as
optional. FTA will use the information
on the supplemental form to determine
applicant and project eligibility for the
program and to evaluate the proposal
against the selection criteria described
in part E of this notice. FTA will accept
only one supplemental form per SF–424
submission. FTA encourages applicants
to consider submitting a single
supplemental form that includes
multiple activities to be evaluated as a
consolidated proposal.
Applicants may attach additional
supporting information to the SF–424
submission, including but not limited to
letters of support, project budgets, or
excerpts from relevant planning
documents. Supporting documentation
must be described and referenced by file
name in the appropriate response
section of the supplemental form, or it
may not be reviewed.
Information such as applicant name,
Federal amount requested, local match
amount, description of areas served,
etc., may be requested in varying
degrees of detail on both the SF–424
form and supplemental form.
Applicants must fill in all fields unless
stated otherwise on the forms. If
applicants copy information into the
supplemental form from another source,
they should verify that the
supplemental form has fully captured
pasted text and that it has not truncated
the text due to character limits built into
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the form. Applicants should use both
the ‘‘Check Package for Errors’’ and the
‘‘Validate Form’’ validation buttons on
both forms to check all required fields.
Applicants should also ensure that the
Federal and local amounts specified are
consistent.
Addressing the deteriorating
conditions and disproportionately high
fatality rates on our rural transportation
infrastructure is of critical interest to the
Department, as rural transportation
networks face unique challenges in
safety, infrastructure condition, and
passenger and freight usage. Consistent
with the R.O.U.T.E.S. Initiative, the
Department encourages applicants to
consider how the project will address
the challenges faced by rural areas.
b. Application Content
The SF–424 Mandatory Form and the
supplemental form will prompt
applicants for the required information,
including:
i. Applicant Name
ii. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data
Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number
iii. Key contact information (contact
name, address, email address, and
phone number)
iv. Congressional district(s) where
project will take place
v. Project Information (title, executive
summary, and type)
vi. A detailed description of the need for
the project
vii. A detailed description of how the
project will support the Program
objectives
viii. Evidence that the applicant can
provide the local cost shares
ix. A description of the technical, legal,
and financial capacity of the applicant
x. A detailed project budget
xi. Details on the local matching funds
xii. A detailed project timeline
xiii. Whether the project impacts an
Opportunity Zone
(3) Unique Entity Identifier and System
for Award Management (SAM)
Each applicant is required to: (1) Be
registered in SAM before submitting an
application; (2) provide a valid unique
entity identifier in its application; and
(3) continue to maintain an active SAM
registration with current information at
all times during which the applicant has
an active Federal award or an
application or plan under consideration
by FTA. These requirements do not
apply if the applicant: (1) Is excepted
from the requirements under 2 CFR
25.110(b) or (c); or (2) has an exception
approved by FTA under 2 CFR
25.110(d). FTA may not make an award
until the applicant has complied with
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all applicable unique entity identifier
and SAM requirements. If an applicant
has not fully complied with the
requirements by the time FTA is ready
to make an award, FTA may determine
that the applicant is not qualified to
receive an award and use that
determination as a basis for making a
Federal award to another applicant. All
applicants must provide a unique entity
identifier provided by SAM.
Registration in SAM may take as little
as 3–5 business days, but there can be
unexpected steps or delays. For
example, the applicant may need to
obtain an Employer Identification
Number. FTA recommends allowing
ample time, up to several weeks, to
complete all steps. For additional
information on obtaining a unique
entity identifier, please visit
www.sam.gov.
(4) Submission Dates and Times
Project proposals must be submitted
electronically through GRANTS.GOV by
11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 2,
2020. Mail and fax submissions will not
be accepted.
FTA urges applicants to submit
applications at least 72 hours prior to
the due date to allow time to correct any
problems that may have caused either
GRANTS.GOV or FTA systems to reject
the submission. Proposals submitted
after the deadline will only be
considered under extraordinary
circumstances not within the
applicant’s control.
Deadlines will not be extended due to
scheduled website maintenance.
GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance
and outage times are announced on the
GRANTS.GOV website.
Within 48 hours after submitting an
electronic application, the applicant
should receive two email messages from
GRANTS.GOV: (1) Confirmation of
successful transmission to
GRANTS.GOV; and (2) confirmation of
successful validation by GRANTS.GOV.
If the applicant does not receive
confirmation of successful validation or
receives a notice of failed validation or
incomplete materials, the applicant
must address the reason for the failed
validation, as described in the email
notice, and resubmit before the
submission deadline. If making a
resubmission for any reason, applicants
must include all original attachments
regardless of which attachments were
updated and check the box on the
supplemental form indicating this is a
resubmission.
Applicants are encouraged to begin
the process of registration on the
GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of
the submission deadline. Registration is
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a multi-step process, which may take
several weeks to complete before an
application can be submitted. Registered
applicants may still be required to
update their registration before
submitting an application. Registration
in SAM is renewed annually and
persons making submissions on behalf
of the Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR) must be
authorized in GRANTS.GOV by the
AOR to make submissions.
criteria: (a) Project Innovation and
Impact; (b) Project Approach; (c)
National Applicability; (d)
Commercialization and/or Knowledge
Transfer; and (e) Technical, Legal and
Financial Capacity. FTA encourages
each applicant to demonstrate how a
project supports all criteria with the
most relevant information the applicant
can provide, regardless of whether such
information has been specifically
requested or identified in this notice.
(5) Funding Restrictions
a. Project Innovation and Impact
Funds may be used for post-award
expenditures only. Funds under this
NOFO cannot be used to reimburse
projects for otherwise eligible expenses
incurred prior to the date of project
award announcements.
i. Effectiveness of the project in
achieving and demonstrating the
specific objectives of this program.
ii. Demonstration of benefits in
addressing the needs of the transit
agency and industry and impacts to
infrastructure, equipment, transit
workforce, and riders.
iii. Degree of improvement over
current and existing technologies,
designs, and/or practices applicable to
the transit industry.
(6) Other Submission Requirements
FTA encourages applicants to identify
scaled funding options in case
insufficient funding is available to fund
a project at the full requested amount.
If an applicant indicates that a project
is scalable, the applicant must provide
an appropriate minimum funding
amount that will fund an eligible project
that achieves the objectives of the
program and meets all relevant program
requirements. The applicant must
provide a clear explanation of how a
reduced award would affect the project
budget and scope. FTA may award a
lesser amount whether or not the
applicant provides a scalable option.
E. Application Review Information
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(1) Project Evaluation Criteria
Addressing the deteriorating
conditions and disproportionately high
fatality rates on our rural transportation
infrastructure is of critical interest to the
Department, as rural transportation
networks face unique challenges in
safety, infrastructure condition, and
passenger and freight usage. Consistent
with the R.O.U.T.E.S. Initiative, the
Department will consider how the
project will address the challenges faced
by rural areas. In addition, the
Department will review and consider
applications for funding pursuant to this
Notice in accordance with the
President’s September 2, 2020
memorandum, entitled Memorandum
on Reviewing Funding to State and
Local Government Recipients of Federal
Funds that Are Permitting Anarchy,
Violence, and Destruction in American
Cities, consistent with guidance from
the Office of Management and Budget
and the Attorney General and with all
applicable laws.
FTA will evaluate proposals
submitted according to the following
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b. Project Approach
i. Quality of the project approach such
as existing partnerships, collaboration
strategies and level of commitment of
the project partners.
ii. Proposal is realistic in its approach
to fulfill the milestones/deliverables,
schedule and goals.
c. National Applicability
i. Degree to which the project could
be replicated by other transit agencies
regionally or nationally.
ii. Ability to evaluate technologies,
designs and/or practices in a wide
variety of conditions and locales.
iii. Degree to which the technology,
designs and/or practices can be
replicated by other transportation
modes.
d. Commercialization and/or Knowledge
Transfer
i. Demonstrates a realistic plan for
moving the results of the project into the
transit marketplace (patents,
conferences, articles in trade magazines,
webinar, site visits, etc.).
ii. How the project team plans to work
with the industry on improving best
practices, guidance and/or standards, if
applicable.
iii. Demonstrate a clear understanding
and robust approach to data collection,
access and management.
e. Technical, Legal and Financial
Capacity
Capacity of the applicant and any
partners to successfully execute the
project effort. There should be no
outstanding legal, technical, or financial
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issues with the applicant that would
make this a high-risk project.
(2) Review and Selection Process
An FTA technical evaluation
committee will evaluate proposals based
on the published project evaluation
criteria. Members of the technical
evaluation committee will rate the
applications and may seek clarification
about any statement in an application.
The FTA Administrator will determine
the final selection and amount of
funding for each project after
consideration of the findings of the
technical evaluation committee.
Geographic diversity, diversity of the
project type, the amount of local match
to be provided, and the applicant’s
receipt and management of other
Federal transit funds may be considered
in FTA’s award decisions. Prior fare
payment innovation efforts may receive
priority consideration. The FTA
Administrator will consider the
following key DOT objectives:
a. Utilizing alternative funding
sources and innovative financing
models to attract non-Federal sources of
investment;
b. Whether the project is located in or
supports public transportation service
in a qualified opportunity zone
designated pursuant to 26.U.S.C.
1400Z–1; and
c. The extent to which the project
addresses challenges specific to the
provision of rural public transportation.
(3) FAPIIS Review
Prior to making a grant award, FTA is
required to review and consider any
information about the applicant that is
in the Federal Awardee Performance
and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS) accessible through SAM. An
applicant may review and comment on
information about itself that a Federal
awarding agency previously entered.
FTA will consider any comments by
the applicant, in addition to the other
information in FAPIIS, in making a
judgment about the applicant’s integrity,
business ethics, and record of
performance under Federal awards
when completing the review of risk
posed by applicants as described in 2
CFR 200.205 Federal Awarding Agency
Review of Risk Posed by Applicants.
F. Federal Award Administration
Information
(1) Federal Award Notices
FTA will announce the final project
selections on the FTA website. Project
recipients should contact their FTA
Regional Office for additional
information regarding allocations for
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projects. At the time project selections
are announced, FTA will extend preaward authority for the selected
projects. There is no blanket pre-award
authority for these projects before
announcement.
There is no minimum or maximum
grant award amount, but FTA intends to
fund as many meritorious projects as
possible. FTA only will consider
proposals from eligible recipients for
eligible activities. Due to funding
limitations, projects selected for funding
may receive less than the amount
originally requested. In those cases,
applicants must be able to demonstrate
that the proposed projects are still
viable and can be completed with the
amount awarded.
(2) Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
a. Pre-Award Authority
FTA will issue specific guidance to
recipients regarding pre-award authority
at the time of selection. FTA does not
provide pre-award authority for
competitive funds until projects are
selected, and there are Federal
requirements that must be met before
costs are incurred. For more information
about FTA’s policy on pre-award
authority, see the FY 2020
Apportionments Notice published on
June 3, 2020, at https://
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-202006-03/pdf/2020-11946.pdf.
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b. Grant Requirements
Selected applicants will submit a
grant application through FTA’s
electronic grant management system
and adhere to the customary FTA grant
requirements for research project (insert
Circular name). All competitive grants,
regardless of award amount, will be
subject to the Congressional notification
and release process. FTA emphasizes
that third-party procurement applies to
all funding awards, as described in FTA
Circular 4220.1F, ‘‘Third Party
Contracting Guidance.’’ However, FTA
may approve applications that include a
specifically identified partnering
organization(s) (2 CFR 200.302(f)).
When included, the application, budget,
and budget narrative should provide a
clear understanding of how the
selection of these organizations is
critical for the project and give
sufficient detail about the costs
involved.
c. Planning
FTA encourages applicants to engage
the appropriate State Departments of
Transportation, Regional Transportation
Planning Organizations, or Metropolitan
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Planning Organizations in areas to be
served by the project funds available
under this program.
d. Standard Assurances
The applicant assures that it will
comply with all applicable Federal
statutes, regulations, executive orders,
FTA circulars, and other Federal
administrative requirements in carrying
out any project supported by the FTA
grant. The applicant acknowledges that
it is under a continuing obligation to
comply with the terms and conditions
of the grant agreement issued for its
project with FTA. The applicant
understands that Federal laws,
regulations, policies, and administrative
practices might be modified from time
to time and may affect the
implementation of the project. The
applicant agrees that the most recent
Federal requirements will apply to the
project unless FTA issues a written
determination otherwise. The applicant
must submit the Certifications and
Assurances before receiving a grant if it
does not have current certifications on
file.
e. Free Speech and Religious Liberty
In connection with any program or
activity conducted with or benefiting
from funds awarded under this notice,
recipients of funds must comply with
all applicable requirements of Federal
law, including, without limitation, the
Constitution of the United States;
statutory, regulatory, and public policy
requirements, including without
limitation, those protecting free speech,
religious liberty, public welfare, the
environment, and prohibiting
discrimination; the conditions of
performance, non-discrimination
requirements, and other assurances
made applicable to the award of funds
in accordance with regulations of the
Department of Transportation; and
applicable Federal financial assistance
and contracting principles promulgated
by the Office of Management and
Budget. In complying with these
requirements, recipients must ensure
that no concession agreements are
denied or other contracting decisions
made on the basis of speech or other
activities protected by the First
Amendment. If the Department
determines that a recipient has failed to
comply with applicable Federal
requirements, the Department may
terminate the award of funds and
disallow previously incurred costs,
requiring the recipient to reimburse any
expended award funds.
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63657
(3) Reporting
The post-award reporting
requirements include submission of the
Federal Financial Report (FFR) and
Milestone Progress Report in TrAMS.
An evaluation of the grant will occur at
various points in the demonstration
process and at the end of the project. In
addition, FTA is responsible for
producing an Annual Report to
Congress that compiles evaluation of
selected projects, including an
evaluation of the performance measures
identified by the applicants. All
applicants must develop an evaluation
plan to measure the success or failure of
their projects and describe any plans for
broad-based implementation of
successful projects. FTA may request
data and reports to support the
evaluation and Annual Report.
a. Independent Evaluation
To achieve a comprehensive
understanding of the impacts and
implications of each proposed COVID–
19 Research Demonstration Program,
projects funded under this
announcement will require the recipient
to conduct a third party independent
evaluation of their project. Recipients
will be required to contract with a third
party independent evaluator to assist in
developing an evaluation plan, and
collecting, storing and managing data
required to fulfill the evaluation
requirement. No more than 10 percent
of the Federal share of the project may
be used to hire the third-party
independent evaluator and the
inclusion of a third-party independent
evaluation should be described in the
grant application. If the project duration
is more than two years, an interim
evaluation report would need to be
submitted to FTA, otherwise the
evaluation report should be included as
part of the final project report.
b. COVID–19 Research Demonstration
Grant Program Evaluation
Projects funded under this
announcement will be required to
establish a set of performance metrics
set by the third-party independent
evaluator and shared with FTA.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
Information
For questions about applying, please
contact Jamel El-Hamri email: Jamel.ElHamri@dot.gov phone: 202–366–8985.
A TDD is available at 1–800–877–8339
(TDDFIRS). To ensure that applicants
receive accurate information about
eligibility or the program, applicants are
encouraged to contact FTA directly with
questions, rather than through
intermediaries or third parties.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 196 / Thursday, October 8, 2020 / Notices
FTA staff also may conduct briefings
on the competitive grants selection and
award process upon request.
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
K. Jane Williams,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020–22316 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am]
Open Meeting of the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel’s Special Projects
Committee
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
AGENCY:
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
SUMMARY:
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
Internal Revenue Service
Open Meeting of the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel Joint Committee
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice of meeting.
An open meeting of the
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Joint
Committee will be conducted. The
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting
public comments, ideas, and
suggestions on improving customer
service at the Internal Revenue Service.
SUMMARY:
The meeting will be held
Thursday, November 19, 2020.
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gilbert Martinez at 1–888–912–1227 or
(737) 800–4060.
Notice is
hereby given pursuant to Section
10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988)
that an open meeting of the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel Joint Committee will be
held Thursday, November 19, 2020, at
1:30 p.m. Eastern Time via
teleconference. The public is invited to
make oral comments or submit written
statements for consideration. For more
information please contact Gilbert
Martinez at 1–888–912–1227 or (737–
800–4060), or write TAP Office 3651 S.
IH–35, STOP 1005 AUSC, Austin, TX
78741, or post comments to the website:
https://www.improveirs.org.
The agenda will include various
committee issues for submission to the
IRS and other TAP related topics. Public
input is welcomed.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: October 2, 2020.
Kevin Brown,
Acting Director, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.
[FR Doc. 2020–22246 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:48 Oct 07, 2020
Internal Revenue Service
An open meeting of the
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel’s Special
Projects Committee will be conducted.
The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is
soliciting public comments, ideas, and
suggestions on improving customer
service at the Internal Revenue Service.
DATES: The meeting will be held
Thursday, November 12, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Antoinette Ross at 1–888–912–1227 or
202–317–4110.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given pursuant to Section
10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988)
that an open meeting of the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel’s Special Projects
Committee will be held Thursday,
November 12, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.
Eastern Time. The public is invited to
make oral comments or submit written
statements for consideration. Due to
limited time and structure of meeting,
notification of intent to participate must
be made with Antoinette Ross. For more
information please contact Antoinette
Ross at 1–888–912–1227 or 202–317–
4110, or write TAP Office, 1111
Constitution Ave. NW, Room 1509,
Washington, DC 20224 or contact us at
the website: https://www.improveirs.org.
The agenda will include various IRS
issues.
Dated: October 2, 2020.
Kevin Brown,
Acting Director, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.
[FR Doc. 2020–22245 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
Open Meeting of the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel Taxpayer
Communications Project Committee
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
An open meeting of the
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel’s Taxpayer
Communications Project Committee will
be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy
SUMMARY:
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Panel is soliciting public comments,
ideas, and suggestions on improving
customer service at the Internal Revenue
Service.
DATES: The meeting will be held
Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cedric Jeans at 1–888–912–1227 or 901–
707–3935.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given pursuant to Section
10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988)
that a meeting of the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel Taxpayer
Communications Project Committee will
be held Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at
12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The public is
invited to make oral comments or
submit written statements for
consideration. Due to limited time and
structure of meeting, notification of
intent to participate must be made with
Cedric Jeans. For more information
please contact Cedric Jeans at 1–888–
912–1227 or 901–707–3935, or write
TAP Office, 5333 Getwell Road,
Memphis, TN 38118 or contact us at the
website: https://www.improveirs.org. The
agenda will include various IRS issues.
Dated: October 2, 2020.
Kevin Brown,
Acting Director, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.
[FR Doc. 2020–22242 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
Open Meeting of the Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel Taxpayer Assistance
Center Improvements Project
Committee
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
An open meeting of the
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel’s Taxpayer
Assistance Center Improvements Project
Committee will be conducted. The
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting
public comments, ideas, and
suggestions on improving customer
service at the Internal Revenue Service.
DATES: The meeting will be held
Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Matthew O’Sullivan at 1–888–912–1227
or (510) 907–5274.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given pursuant to Section
10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988)
that an open meeting of the Taxpayer
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\08OCN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 196 (Thursday, October 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63653-63658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22316]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Competitive Funding Opportunity: Public Transportation COVID-19
Research Demonstration Grant Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health
emergency
[[Page 63654]]
has had a significant impact on transit operations. During a series of
FTA listening sessions held over the last three months, transit
agencies asked FTA to support research to identify solutions to address
the operational challenges that they are facing as a result of COVID-
19. In response, FTA makes available through this Notice of Funding
Opportunity (NOFO) funding to support research demonstration grants to
public transit agencies to develop, deploy, and demonstrate innovative
solutions that improve the operational efficiency of transit agencies,
as well as enhance the mobility of transit users affected by the COVID-
19 public health emergency. Demonstration grants under this NOFO are
authorized under FTA's Public Transportation Innovation Program (49
U.S.C. 5312). Eligible projects will demonstrate innovative solutions
to improve the operational efficiencies of transit systems and enhance
mobility for their communities in four major areas: (1) Vehicle,
facility, equipment and infrastructure cleaning and disinfection; (2)
exposure mitigation measures; (3) innovative mobility such as
contactless payments; and (4) measures that strengthen public
confidence in transit services. The total funding available for awards
under this NOFO is $10,000,000. FTA may supplement this amount if
additional funding becomes available.
DATES: Applicants must submit completed proposals for funding
opportunity FTA-2020-015-TRI through the GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function
by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 2, 2020. Prospective applicants
should register as soon as possible on the GRANTS.GOV website to ensure
they can complete the application process before the submission
deadline. Application instructions are available on FTA's website at
https://transit.dot.gov/howtoapply and in the ``FIND'' module of
GRANTS.GOV. FTA will not accept mail and fax submissions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please send any questions on this
notice to Jamel El-Hamri email: [email protected] phone: 2020-366-
8985. A Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) is available for
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
F. Federal Award Administration Information
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact Information
A. Program Description
The Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant
Program is funded through the Public Transportation Innovation Program
(49 U.S.C. 5312), with the goal to develop, deploy, and demonstrate
innovative solutions that improve the operational efficiency of transit
agencies, as well as enhance the mobility of transit users affected by
the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Eligible projects will propose to develop and deploy innovative
solutions in four major areas: (1) Vehicle, facility, equipment and
infrastructure cleaning and disinfection; (2) exposure mitigation
measures; (3) innovative mobility such as contactless payments; and (4)
measures that strengthen public confidence in transit.
As required by 49 U.S.C. 5312(e)(4), projects funded under this
NOFO must participate in an evaluation by an independent outside entity
that will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the success or failure
of the projects funded under this subsection and any plan for broad-
based implementation of the innovation promoted by successful projects.
B. Federal Award Information
FTA makes available $10,000,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2020 funds
under the Public Transportation Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. 5312) to
finance the Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant
Program. FTA may supplement the total funds available if additional
funding becomes available at the time project selections are made.
FTA will grant pre-award authority starting on the date of the
project award announcement for selected projects and should be
completed within 24 months from the date of award. Funds are available
only for eligible expenses incurred after the announcement of project
selections.
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include State and local governmental
authorities, direct recipients of Urbanized Area (49 U.S.C. 5307) and
Rural Area (49 U.S.C. 5311) formula funds, and Indian tribes. Eligible
applicants are limited to FTA grantees or subrecipients who would be
the primary beneficiaries of the innovative products and services that
are developed--typically public transit agencies. Except for projects
proposed by Indian tribes, proposals for projects in rural (non-
urbanized) areas must be submitted as part of a consolidated State
proposal. States and other eligible applicants also may submit
consolidated proposals for projects in urbanized areas. The submission
of the Statewide application will not preclude the submission and
consideration of any application from other eligible recipients in an
urbanized area in a State. Proposals may contain projects to be
implemented by the recipient or its subrecipients. Eligible
subrecipients include public agencies, private nonprofit organizations,
and private providers engaged in public transportation. Eligible
applicants may submit consolidated proposals for projects.
(2) Cost Sharing or Matching
The maximum Federal share of project costs is 100 percent. FTA may
give additional consideration to applicants that propose a local share
and may view these applicants as more competitive. The applicant must
document the source(s) of the local match, if any, in the grant
application. For any applicants proposing match, eligible local match
sources include the following:
Cash from non-Government sources other than revenues from
providing public transportation services;
revenues derived from the sale of advertising and
concessions;
revenues generated from value capture financing
mechanisms;
funds from an undistributed cash surplus;
replacement or depreciation cash fund or reserve;
new capital; or
in-kind contributions.
(3) Eligible Projects
Eligible projects will propose innovative solutions to improve
operational efficiencies of transit agencies and enhance the mobility
of transit users, through projects that demonstrate innovative
solutions for:
Vehicle, facility, equipment and infrastructure cleaning
and disinfection;
exposure mitigation measures such a real-time notification
of rail and bus passenger loads;
new multi-modal payment innovative mobility systems such
as contactless payments; and
measures that strengthen public confidence in transit.
Each applicant may only submit one proposal.
[[Page 63655]]
D. Application and Submission Information
(1) Address and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be submitted through GRANTS.GOV. Applicants can
find general information for submitting applications through GRANTS.GOV
at www.fta.dot.gov/howtoapply, along with specific instructions for the
forms and attachments required for submission. Mail and fax submissions
will not be accepted.
(2) Content and Form of Application Submission
a. Proposal Submission
A complete proposal submission consists of at least two forms:
1. The SF-424 Mandatory Form (downloadable from GRANTS.GOV) and
2. the supplemental form for the FY 2020 COVID-19 Demonstration
Program (downloadable from GRANTS.GOV), which is available on FTA's
website at (placeholder for FTA COVID-19 Demonstration Program).
The application must include responses to all sections of the SF-
424 mandatory form and the supplemental form unless a section is
indicated as optional. FTA will use the information on the supplemental
form to determine applicant and project eligibility for the program and
to evaluate the proposal against the selection criteria described in
part E of this notice. FTA will accept only one supplemental form per
SF-424 submission. FTA encourages applicants to consider submitting a
single supplemental form that includes multiple activities to be
evaluated as a consolidated proposal.
Applicants may attach additional supporting information to the SF-
424 submission, including but not limited to letters of support,
project budgets, or excerpts from relevant planning documents.
Supporting documentation must be described and referenced by file name
in the appropriate response section of the supplemental form, or it may
not be reviewed.
Information such as applicant name, Federal amount requested, local
match amount, description of areas served, etc., may be requested in
varying degrees of detail on both the SF-424 form and supplemental
form. Applicants must fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the
forms. If applicants copy information into the supplemental form from
another source, they should verify that the supplemental form has fully
captured pasted text and that it has not truncated the text due to
character limits built into the form. Applicants should use both the
``Check Package for Errors'' and the ``Validate Form'' validation
buttons on both forms to check all required fields. Applicants should
also ensure that the Federal and local amounts specified are
consistent.
Addressing the deteriorating conditions and disproportionately high
fatality rates on our rural transportation infrastructure is of
critical interest to the Department, as rural transportation networks
face unique challenges in safety, infrastructure condition, and
passenger and freight usage. Consistent with the R.O.U.T.E.S.
Initiative, the Department encourages applicants to consider how the
project will address the challenges faced by rural areas.
b. Application Content
The SF-424 Mandatory Form and the supplemental form will prompt
applicants for the required information, including:
i. Applicant Name
ii. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number
iii. Key contact information (contact name, address, email address, and
phone number)
iv. Congressional district(s) where project will take place
v. Project Information (title, executive summary, and type)
vi. A detailed description of the need for the project
vii. A detailed description of how the project will support the Program
objectives
viii. Evidence that the applicant can provide the local cost shares
ix. A description of the technical, legal, and financial capacity of
the applicant
x. A detailed project budget
xi. Details on the local matching funds
xii. A detailed project timeline
xiii. Whether the project impacts an Opportunity Zone
(3) Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
Each applicant is required to: (1) Be registered in SAM before
submitting an application; (2) provide a valid unique entity identifier
in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM
registration with current information at all times during which the
applicant has an active Federal award or an application or plan under
consideration by FTA. These requirements do not apply if the applicant:
(1) Is excepted from the requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c); or
(2) has an exception approved by FTA under 2 CFR 25.110(d). FTA may not
make an award until the applicant has complied with all applicable
unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not
fully complied with the requirements by the time FTA is ready to make
an award, FTA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to
receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making a
Federal award to another applicant. All applicants must provide a
unique entity identifier provided by SAM. Registration in SAM may take
as little as 3-5 business days, but there can be unexpected steps or
delays. For example, the applicant may need to obtain an Employer
Identification Number. FTA recommends allowing ample time, up to
several weeks, to complete all steps. For additional information on
obtaining a unique entity identifier, please visit www.sam.gov.
(4) Submission Dates and Times
Project proposals must be submitted electronically through
GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 2, 2020. Mail and fax
submissions will not be accepted.
FTA urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior
to the due date to allow time to correct any problems that may have
caused either GRANTS.GOV or FTA systems to reject the submission.
Proposals submitted after the deadline will only be considered under
extraordinary circumstances not within the applicant's control.
Deadlines will not be extended due to scheduled website
maintenance. GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are
announced on the GRANTS.GOV website.
Within 48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the
applicant should receive two email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1)
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV; and (2)
confirmation of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV. If the applicant
does not receive confirmation of successful validation or receives a
notice of failed validation or incomplete materials, the applicant must
address the reason for the failed validation, as described in the email
notice, and resubmit before the submission deadline. If making a
resubmission for any reason, applicants must include all original
attachments regardless of which attachments were updated and check the
box on the supplemental form indicating this is a resubmission.
Applicants are encouraged to begin the process of registration on
the GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of the submission deadline.
Registration is
[[Page 63656]]
a multi-step process, which may take several weeks to complete before
an application can be submitted. Registered applicants may still be
required to update their registration before submitting an application.
Registration in SAM is renewed annually and persons making submissions
on behalf of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must be
authorized in GRANTS.GOV by the AOR to make submissions.
(5) Funding Restrictions
Funds may be used for post-award expenditures only. Funds under
this NOFO cannot be used to reimburse projects for otherwise eligible
expenses incurred prior to the date of project award announcements.
(6) Other Submission Requirements
FTA encourages applicants to identify scaled funding options in
case insufficient funding is available to fund a project at the full
requested amount. If an applicant indicates that a project is scalable,
the applicant must provide an appropriate minimum funding amount that
will fund an eligible project that achieves the objectives of the
program and meets all relevant program requirements. The applicant must
provide a clear explanation of how a reduced award would affect the
project budget and scope. FTA may award a lesser amount whether or not
the applicant provides a scalable option.
E. Application Review Information
(1) Project Evaluation Criteria
Addressing the deteriorating conditions and disproportionately high
fatality rates on our rural transportation infrastructure is of
critical interest to the Department, as rural transportation networks
face unique challenges in safety, infrastructure condition, and
passenger and freight usage. Consistent with the R.O.U.T.E.S.
Initiative, the Department will consider how the project will address
the challenges faced by rural areas. In addition, the Department will
review and consider applications for funding pursuant to this Notice in
accordance with the President's September 2, 2020 memorandum, entitled
Memorandum on Reviewing Funding to State and Local Government
Recipients of Federal Funds that Are Permitting Anarchy, Violence, and
Destruction in American Cities, consistent with guidance from the
Office of Management and Budget and the Attorney General and with all
applicable laws.
FTA will evaluate proposals submitted according to the following
criteria: (a) Project Innovation and Impact; (b) Project Approach; (c)
National Applicability; (d) Commercialization and/or Knowledge
Transfer; and (e) Technical, Legal and Financial Capacity. FTA
encourages each applicant to demonstrate how a project supports all
criteria with the most relevant information the applicant can provide,
regardless of whether such information has been specifically requested
or identified in this notice.
a. Project Innovation and Impact
i. Effectiveness of the project in achieving and demonstrating the
specific objectives of this program.
ii. Demonstration of benefits in addressing the needs of the
transit agency and industry and impacts to infrastructure, equipment,
transit workforce, and riders.
iii. Degree of improvement over current and existing technologies,
designs, and/or practices applicable to the transit industry.
b. Project Approach
i. Quality of the project approach such as existing partnerships,
collaboration strategies and level of commitment of the project
partners.
ii. Proposal is realistic in its approach to fulfill the
milestones/deliverables, schedule and goals.
c. National Applicability
i. Degree to which the project could be replicated by other transit
agencies regionally or nationally.
ii. Ability to evaluate technologies, designs and/or practices in a
wide variety of conditions and locales.
iii. Degree to which the technology, designs and/or practices can
be replicated by other transportation modes.
d. Commercialization and/or Knowledge Transfer
i. Demonstrates a realistic plan for moving the results of the
project into the transit marketplace (patents, conferences, articles in
trade magazines, webinar, site visits, etc.).
ii. How the project team plans to work with the industry on
improving best practices, guidance and/or standards, if applicable.
iii. Demonstrate a clear understanding and robust approach to data
collection, access and management.
e. Technical, Legal and Financial Capacity
Capacity of the applicant and any partners to successfully execute
the project effort. There should be no outstanding legal, technical, or
financial issues with the applicant that would make this a high-risk
project.
(2) Review and Selection Process
An FTA technical evaluation committee will evaluate proposals based
on the published project evaluation criteria. Members of the technical
evaluation committee will rate the applications and may seek
clarification about any statement in an application. The FTA
Administrator will determine the final selection and amount of funding
for each project after consideration of the findings of the technical
evaluation committee. Geographic diversity, diversity of the project
type, the amount of local match to be provided, and the applicant's
receipt and management of other Federal transit funds may be considered
in FTA's award decisions. Prior fare payment innovation efforts may
receive priority consideration. The FTA Administrator will consider the
following key DOT objectives:
a. Utilizing alternative funding sources and innovative financing
models to attract non-Federal sources of investment;
b. Whether the project is located in or supports public
transportation service in a qualified opportunity zone designated
pursuant to 26.U.S.C. 1400Z-1; and
c. The extent to which the project addresses challenges specific to
the provision of rural public transportation.
(3) FAPIIS Review
Prior to making a grant award, FTA is required to review and
consider any information about the applicant that is in the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)
accessible through SAM. An applicant may review and comment on
information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously
entered.
FTA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the
other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant's
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as
described in 2 CFR 200.205 Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed
by Applicants.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
(1) Federal Award Notices
FTA will announce the final project selections on the FTA website.
Project recipients should contact their FTA Regional Office for
additional information regarding allocations for
[[Page 63657]]
projects. At the time project selections are announced, FTA will extend
pre-award authority for the selected projects. There is no blanket pre-
award authority for these projects before announcement.
There is no minimum or maximum grant award amount, but FTA intends
to fund as many meritorious projects as possible. FTA only will
consider proposals from eligible recipients for eligible activities.
Due to funding limitations, projects selected for funding may receive
less than the amount originally requested. In those cases, applicants
must be able to demonstrate that the proposed projects are still viable
and can be completed with the amount awarded.
(2) Administrative and National Policy Requirements
a. Pre-Award Authority
FTA will issue specific guidance to recipients regarding pre-award
authority at the time of selection. FTA does not provide pre-award
authority for competitive funds until projects are selected, and there
are Federal requirements that must be met before costs are incurred.
For more information about FTA's policy on pre-award authority, see the
FY 2020 Apportionments Notice published on June 3, 2020, at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-06-03/pdf/2020-11946.pdf.
b. Grant Requirements
Selected applicants will submit a grant application through FTA's
electronic grant management system and adhere to the customary FTA
grant requirements for research project (insert Circular name). All
competitive grants, regardless of award amount, will be subject to the
Congressional notification and release process. FTA emphasizes that
third-party procurement applies to all funding awards, as described in
FTA Circular 4220.1F, ``Third Party Contracting Guidance.'' However,
FTA may approve applications that include a specifically identified
partnering organization(s) (2 CFR 200.302(f)). When included, the
application, budget, and budget narrative should provide a clear
understanding of how the selection of these organizations is critical
for the project and give sufficient detail about the costs involved.
c. Planning
FTA encourages applicants to engage the appropriate State
Departments of Transportation, Regional Transportation Planning
Organizations, or Metropolitan Planning Organizations in areas to be
served by the project funds available under this program.
d. Standard Assurances
The applicant assures that it will comply with all applicable
Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA circulars, and
other Federal administrative requirements in carrying out any project
supported by the FTA grant. The applicant acknowledges that it is under
a continuing obligation to comply with the terms and conditions of the
grant agreement issued for its project with FTA. The applicant
understands that Federal laws, regulations, policies, and
administrative practices might be modified from time to time and may
affect the implementation of the project. The applicant agrees that the
most recent Federal requirements will apply to the project unless FTA
issues a written determination otherwise. The applicant must submit the
Certifications and Assurances before receiving a grant if it does not
have current certifications on file.
e. Free Speech and Religious Liberty
In connection with any program or activity conducted with or
benefiting from funds awarded under this notice, recipients of funds
must comply with all applicable requirements of Federal law, including,
without limitation, the Constitution of the United States; statutory,
regulatory, and public policy requirements, including without
limitation, those protecting free speech, religious liberty, public
welfare, the environment, and prohibiting discrimination; the
conditions of performance, non-discrimination requirements, and other
assurances made applicable to the award of funds in accordance with
regulations of the Department of Transportation; and applicable Federal
financial assistance and contracting principles promulgated by the
Office of Management and Budget. In complying with these requirements,
recipients must ensure that no concession agreements are denied or
other contracting decisions made on the basis of speech or other
activities protected by the First Amendment. If the Department
determines that a recipient has failed to comply with applicable
Federal requirements, the Department may terminate the award of funds
and disallow previously incurred costs, requiring the recipient to
reimburse any expended award funds.
(3) Reporting
The post-award reporting requirements include submission of the
Federal Financial Report (FFR) and Milestone Progress Report in TrAMS.
An evaluation of the grant will occur at various points in the
demonstration process and at the end of the project. In addition, FTA
is responsible for producing an Annual Report to Congress that compiles
evaluation of selected projects, including an evaluation of the
performance measures identified by the applicants. All applicants must
develop an evaluation plan to measure the success or failure of their
projects and describe any plans for broad-based implementation of
successful projects. FTA may request data and reports to support the
evaluation and Annual Report.
a. Independent Evaluation
To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the impacts and
implications of each proposed COVID-19 Research Demonstration Program,
projects funded under this announcement will require the recipient to
conduct a third party independent evaluation of their project.
Recipients will be required to contract with a third party independent
evaluator to assist in developing an evaluation plan, and collecting,
storing and managing data required to fulfill the evaluation
requirement. No more than 10 percent of the Federal share of the
project may be used to hire the third-party independent evaluator and
the inclusion of a third-party independent evaluation should be
described in the grant application. If the project duration is more
than two years, an interim evaluation report would need to be submitted
to FTA, otherwise the evaluation report should be included as part of
the final project report.
b. COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program Evaluation
Projects funded under this announcement will be required to
establish a set of performance metrics set by the third-party
independent evaluator and shared with FTA.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts Information
For questions about applying, please contact Jamel El-Hamri email:
[email protected] phone: 202-366-8985. A TDD is available at 1-
800-877-8339 (TDDFIRS). To ensure that applicants receive accurate
information about eligibility or the program, applicants are encouraged
to contact FTA directly with questions, rather than through
intermediaries or third parties.
[[Page 63658]]
FTA staff also may conduct briefings on the competitive grants
selection and award process upon request.
K. Jane Williams,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-22316 Filed 10-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
