[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-20844]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 24, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 940831-4231]

 

GLOBE Joint Project Agreement(s)

AGENCY: NOAA, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice, solicitation of interest.

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SUMMARY: NOAA solicits indications of interest by one or more non-
profit, research or public organizations to participate in joint 
projects supporting the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to 
Benefit the Environment) Program. Under that program, students in 
grades K through 12 will carry out scientific experiments and conduct 
environmental observations which will be transmitted through Internet 
and satellite communications to a central processing site. At the 
central site, global environmental images will be created and relayed 
back to the students. The data acquired by the students will also 
support ongoing work of environmental scientists throughout the world.

DATES: Responses should be received no later than September 8, 1994.

ADDRESSES: All responses should be sent by mail to Thomas N. Pyke, 
Director, The GLOBE Program, 744 Jackson Place NW., Washington, DC 
20503 or delivered by express or courier service to Director, The GLOBE 
Program, The White House, New Executive Office Building, 725 17th 
Street NW., Room G-1, Washington, DC 20006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas N. Pyke, (202) 395-7600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a notice to solicit interest in 
joint project agreements in support of The GLOBE Program, which is an 
international environmental science and education program. Students 
throughout the world will participate in environmental science 
experiments by using personal computers connected to networks like the 
Internet. Their observational data will be shared with students at 
other schools through the creation of global environmental pictures of 
the world based on the student-acquired data. The data will also be 
employed to support environmental science research.
    The GLOBE Program will bring school children, educators, and 
scientists together to monitor the worldwide environment. Its goals are 
to enhance the collective awareness of individuals throughout the world 
concerning the environment and the impacts of human activities on it 
and to increase scientific understanding of the earth.
    Students in grades K through 12 or equivalent grades at schools 
throughout the world will conduct scientific experiments. Student 
environmental observations will be transmitted through the 
international Internet and direct satellite communications to a central 
processing site, at which global environmental images will be created 
and relayed back to the students. The data acquired by the students 
will also be made available through the Internet to environmental 
scientists throughout the world to support their research. GLOBE will 
begin operation in a number of schools throughout the world on April 
22, 1995, the 25th Earth Day. Over the following several years, 
thousands of schools are expected to participate in GLOBE.
    The GLOBE Program is managed by an interagency team that includes 
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Departments of Education and 
State. GLOBE Leadership also includes the White House Office on 
Environmental Policy and Office of Science and Technology Policy. NOAA, 
as the host agency for GLOBE, intends to enter into one or more joint 
project agreements with joint project partners as a part of The GLOBE 
Program as authorized under 15 U.S.C. 1525.
    An organization is eligible for consideration as a joint project 
partner under this authority if it is a nonprofit organization, 
research organization, or public organization or agency with a mutual 
interest in the project, and must agree to bear an equitable portion of 
the project's costs, as determined by NOAA. NOAA also intends to enter 
into a joint project agreement with a non-profit organization that will 
coordinate and encourage private sector participation in The GLOBE 
Program and support the application of private sector resources in 
implementing GLOBE in schools in the United States and throughout the 
world.
    The GLOBE Program is interested in establishing these agreements 
with eligible organizations through which GLOBE program goals are 
supported and the activity also benefits the goals of each partner. The 
GLOBE Program intends to build on environmental education activities 
and supporting computing and networking infrastructure that is in place 
or planned to the greatest extent possible, through the use of these 
agreements.
    For example, joint project agreements may be entered into with 
organizations that sponsor or carry out environmental education 
programs in one country or internationally, in which students 
participate in environmental science experiments and use personal 
computers connected to the Internet to share the data they acquire with 
students in other schools. The addition of GLOBE environmental 
measurements, scientific instruments, global environmental image 
viewing capability, and educational materials to a program at a school 
might enable it to broaden its hands-on Science program and, at the 
same time, actively support GLOBE program goals. This example is 
illustrative only, and respondents are encouraged to be creative in 
proposing possible areas for these agreements that may be of mutual 
benefit to The GLOBE Program and their organizations.
    As a guideline, organizations that may be considered as candidates 
for these agreements should have or plan to have some significant part 
of a national or international environmental education infrastructure 
having characteristics such as those described in the above example, 
and have members, employees or staff who possess substantial experience 
in setting up such programs in a large number of schools. Of special 
interest to the GLOBE Program may be organizations that have experience 
in setting up such programs in a diverse, multi-cultural environment, 
involving schools such as would be expected to participate in a program 
such as GLOBE, which will encompass many nations and a broad cross 
section of the United States. NOAA reserves the right to waive the use 
of the guideline stated above, to not select an organization even 
though it may meet this guideline, to rely on other criteria, and to 
select joint project partner(s) through means other than this notice 
process.
    All interested parties, including those organizations that respond 
to this notice, should be aware that NOAA, as host agency, and other 
Federal agencies participating in the GLOBE program may enter into 
contracts or financial assistance agreements in the future in addition 
to the agreements as solicited in this notice. Solicitations for 
applicants for contracts or financial assistance programs will be 
announced in a separate notice. Any organizations with whom these 
agreements are entered into relative to the GLOBE program would not be 
precluded solely as a result of their status as a party to the 
agreement from competing or otherwise being considered for such 
contracts or financial assistance agreements.
    In the interest of minimizing the burden on respondents to this 
notice and on the Government in considering such responses, respondents 
are requested to limit their response to no more than five single-
spaced, typed pages. Additional descriptive material about the 
responding organization or its programs may be attached, at the option 
of the respondent.

    Dated: August 19, 1994.
James W. Brennan,
Acting General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 94-20844 Filed 8-22-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-M