[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6072-6074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2370]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 941257-4357]
RIN 0693-ZA03
Fire Research Grants Program--Availability of Funds
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to inform potential applicants
that the Fire Research Program, National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), is continuing its Fire Research Grants Program.
Previous notices of this research grant program were published in the
Federal Register on February 20, 1991 (46 FR 13250, November 19, 1984
(49 FR 45636), May 6, 1986 (51 FR 16730), June 5, 1987 (52 FR 21342)
June 6, 1988 (53 FR 20675), May 31, 1989 (54 FR 23243), July 23, 1990
(FR 90-17041), May 7, 1991 (FR 91-10717), April 22, 1992 (FR 57-14695),
March 17, 1993 (FR DoC. 93-6157), May 11, 1994 (FR DoC 94-11351), and
FR 58-14379.
DATES: Applications will be received through September 30, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Applicants must submit one signed original plus two (2)
copies of the proposal along with Standard Form 424 (Rev. 4/92) and
other required forms, as referenced under the provisions of OMB
Circular A-110 to: Building and Fire Research Laboratory, Attention:
Sonya Cherry, Building 226, Room B206, National Institute of Standards
and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Technical questions concerning the NIST Fire Research Grants Program
should be directed to Sonya Cherry at (301) 975-6854. Administrative
questions concerning the NIST Fire Research Grants Program may be
directed to the Grants Office at (301) 975-6329. Written inquiries
should be forwarded to the following address: Grants Office,
Acquisition and Assistance Division, Building 301, Room B129, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: Measurement
and Engineering Research and Standards; 11.609.
Authority: As authorized by Section 16 of the Act of March 3,
1901, as amended (15 U.S.C. 278f), the NIST Building and Fire
Research Laboratory conducts directly and through grants and
cooperative agreements, a basic and applied fire research grants
program. This program has been in existence for several years at
approximately $1.5 million per fiscal year. No increase in funds has
taken place. The Fire Research Grants Program is limited to
innovative ideas which [[Page 6073]] are generated by the proposal
writer on what research to be performed and how. All proposals
submitted must be in accordance with the programs and objectives
listed below. Grants awarded under the Fire Research Grants Program
will generally provide financial assistance to a recipient without
substantial NIST involvement in the projects. Cooperative Agreements
awarded for Fire Research Grants Program projects will generally
involve a close working relationship between a group of NIST experts
and the recipient.
Program Description
A. Fire Modeling and Applications: Performs research, develops, and
demonstrates the application of analytical models for the quantitative
prediction of the consequences of fires and the means to assess the
accuracy of those models. This includes: Developing methods to assess
fire hazard and risk; creating advanced, usable models for the
calculation of the effluent from building fires; modeling the ignition
and burning of furniture, contents, and building elements such as
walls; developing methods of evaluating and predicting the performance
of building safety design features; developing a protocol for
determining the accuracy of algorithms and comprehensive models; and
development data bases to facilitate use of fire models.
b. Large Fire Research: Performs research on and develops
techniques to measure, predict the behavior of, and mitigate large fire
events. This includes: Understanding the mechanisms of large fires that
control the gas phase combustion, burning rate, thermal and chemical
emissions, transport processes; developing techniques for computer
simulation; developing field measurement techniques to assess the near
and far field impact of large fires and their plumes; performing
research on the use of combustion for environmental cleanup; predicting
the performance and environmental impact of fire protection measures
and fire fighting systems and techniques; developing and operating the
Fire Research Grants Program large scale experiment facility.
c. Smoke Dynamics Research: Produces scientifically sound
principles, metrology, data, and predictive methods for the formation/
evolution of smoke components in flames for use in understanding and
predicting general fire phenomena. This includes: Research on the
effects of within-flame and post-flame fluid mechanics on the formation
and emission of smoke, including particulates, aerosols, and combustion
gases; understanding the mechanistic pathway for soot from chemical
inception to post-flame agglomerates; developing calculation methods
for the prediction of the yields of CO (and eventually other toxicant)
as a function of fuel type, availability of air, and fire scale.
d. Materials Fire Research: Performs research to understand
fundamentally the mechanisms that control the ignition, flame spread,
and burning rate of materials and the chemical and physical
characteristics that affect these aspects of flammability; develops
methods of measuring and predicting the response of a material to a
fire. This includes: Characterizing the burning rates of charring and
non-charring polymers and composites; delineating and modeling the
enthalpy and mass transfer mechanisms of materials combustion; and
developing computational molecular dynamics and other mechanistic
approaches to understand the relationships between polymer structure
and flammability.
e. Fire Sensing and Extinguishment: Develops understanding,
metrology, and predictive methods to enable high-performance fire
sensing and extinguishment systems; devises new approaches to
minimizing the impact of unwanted fires and the suppression process.
This includes: Research for the identification and in-situ measurements
of the symptoms of pending and nascent fires or explosions, and the
consequences of suppression; devising or adapting monitors for these
variables and creating the intelligence for timely interpretation of
the data; determining mechanisms for deflagration and detonation
suppression by advanced agents and principles for their optimal use;
modeling the extinguishment process; and developing performance
measures for the effectiveness of suppression system design.
Award Period: Proposals will be considered for research projects
from one to three years. When a proposal for a multi-year award is
approved, funding will be provided for only the first year of the
program. There is no definite commitment to fund future years of the
project. The work performed during the year being funded must represent
solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made available to
the applicant.
Matching Requirements: The Fire Research Grants Program does not
involve the payment of any matching funds and does not directly affect
any state or local government.
Eligibility: Academic institutions, non-Federal agencies, and
independent and industrial laboratories are eligible to apply.
Proposal Review Process: All proposals are assigned to the
appropriate group leader of the five programs listed above for review,
including external peer review, and recommendations on funding. Both
technical value of the proposal and the relationship of the work
proposed to the needs of the specific program are taken into
consideration in the group leader's recommendation to the Deputy
Director. Applicants should allow up to 60 days processing time.
Proposals are evaluated for technical merit by at least three
professionals from NIST, the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, or
technical experts from other interested government agencies; and
experts from the fire research community at large.
Evaluation Criteria:
a. Rationality: 0-20.
b. Qualification of Technical Personnel: 0-20.
c. Resources Availability: 0-20.
d. Technical Merit of Contribution: 0-40.
Selection Procedure: The results of the evaluations are transmitted
to the group leader of the appropriate research unit in the Building
and Fire Research Laboratory who prepares an analysis of comments and
makes a recommendation. The Building and Fire Research Laboratory will
also consider compatibility with programmatic goals and financial
feasibility.
Paperwork Reduction Act: The Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and
LLL mentioned in this notice are subject to the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act and have been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under Control Numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044,
0348-0040, and 0348-0046.
Application Kit: An application kit, containing all required
application forms and certifications is available by calling Sonya
Cherry, NIST Fire Research Grants Program (301) 975-6854. An
application kit includes the following:
SF-424 (Rev 4/92)--Application for Federal Assistance
SF-424A (Rev 4/92)--Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs
SF-424B (Rev 4/92)--Assurances--Non-Construction Programs
CD-511 (7/91)--Certification Regarding Debarment, suspension, and Other
Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and Lobbying
CD-512 (7/91)--Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension,
Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusions--Lower Tier Covered Transactions
and Lobbying
SF-LLL--Disclosure of Lobbying Activities [[Page 6074]]
SF-LLL-A--Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Continuation Sheet
Additional Requirements
Past Performance: Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal
awards may result in an application not being considered for funding.
Preaward Activities: Applicants that incur any costs prior to an
award being made do so solely at their own risk of not being reimbursed
by the Government. Applicants are also hereby notified that
notwithstanding any verbal assurance that they may have received, there
is no obligation on the part of DoC to cover preaward costs.
Primary Application Certification: All primary applicants must
submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace
Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby
provided:
1. Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension. Prospective
participants (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 105) are subject to
15 CFR Part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the
related section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
2. Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26,
Section 605) are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart F, ``Governmentwide
Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section
of the certification form prescribed above applies;
3. Anti-Lobbying. Persons (as defined at 15 CFR Part 28, Section
105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352,
``Limitation on use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal
contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of
the certification form prescribed above applies to applications/bids
for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than
$100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more than $150,000, or the
single family maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever
is greater, and
4. Anti-Lobbying Disclosure. Any applicant that has been paid or
will pay for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL,
``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' as required under 15 CFR Part
28, Appendix B.
5. Lower Tier Certifications. Recipients shall require applicants/
bidders for subgrants, contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier
covered transactions at any tier under the award to submit, if
applicable, a completed Form CD-512, ``Certification Regarding
Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier
Covered Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form, SF-LLL,
``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the
use of recipients and should not be transmitted to NIST. SF-LLL
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to
NIST in accordance with the instructions contained in the award
document.
Name Check Reviews: All for-profit and nonprofit applicants will be
subject to a name check review process. Name checks are intended to
reveal if any key individuals associated with the applicant have been
convicted of or are presently facing, criminal charges such as fraud,
theft, perjury, or other matters which significantly reflect on the
applicant's management honesty or financial integrity.
False Statements: Applicants are reminded that a false statement on
an application is grounds for denial or termination of funds and
grounds for possible punishment by fine or imprisonment as provided in
18 U.S.C. 1001.
Delinquent Federal Debts: No award of Federal funds shall be made
to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt until
either:
1. The delinquent account is paid in full;
2. A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one
payment is received or;
3. Other arrangements satisfactory to DoC are made.
No Obligation For Future Funding: If an application is accepted for
funding, DoC has no obligation to provide any additional future funding
in connection with that award. Renewal of an award, increased funding,
or extending the period of performance is at the total discretion of
NIST.
Federal Policies and Procedures: Recipients and subrecipients under
the Fire Research Grants Program are subject to all Federal laws and
Federal and Departmental policies, regulations, and procedures
applicable to Federal financial assistance awards. The Fire Research
Grants Program does not directly affect any state or local government.
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
Purchase of American-Made Equipment and Products--Applicants are
hereby notified that they are encouraged, to the greatest extent
practicable, to purchase American-made equipment and products with
funding provided under this program in accordance with Congressional
intent as set forth in the resolution contained in Public Law 103-317,
Sections 607 (a) and (b).
Indirect Costs: The total dollar amount of the indirect costs
proposed in an application under this program must not exceed the
indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal
agency prior to the proposed effective date of the award or 100 percent
of the total proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application,
whichever is less.
Executive Order 12866: This funding notice has been determined to
be ``not significant'' for purposes of E.O. 12866.
Dated: January 26, 1995.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 95-2370 Filed 1-31-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M