[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13963-13967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6312]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 95-0222054-5054-01; I.D. 021495A]
RIN 0648-ZA15


Financial Assistance for Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessments to 
Encourage Research Projects for Improvement in the Stock Conditions of 
the Chesapeake Bay Fisheries

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: A total of $540,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 1995 funds is 
available through the NOAA/NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office to assist 
interested state fishery agencies, academic institutions, and other 
nonprofit organizations relating to cooperative research units, in 
carrying out research projects to provide information for Chesapeake 
Bay Stock Assessments through cooperative agreements. About $180,000 of 
the base amount is available to initiate new projects in FY 1995, as 
described in this announcement. NMFS issues this notice describing the 
conditions under which eligible applications will be accepted and how 
NMFS will determine which applications will be selected for funding.

DATES: Applications for funding under this program will be accepted 
until May 1, 1995, 6 p.m. eastern standard time. Applications received 
after that time will not be considered for funding. No applications 
will be accepted by facsimile machine submission.
    Successful applicants generally will be selected approximately 90 
days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of this 
notice. The earliest date for awards will be approximately 180 days 
after the date of publication in the Federal Register of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Send applications to: M. Elizabeth Gillelan, Division Chief, 
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, NMFS, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, 
Annapolis, MD 21403.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M. Elizabeth Gillelan, 410/267-5660.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    A. Authority. The Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, as amended, at 16 
U.S.C. 753 (a), authorizes the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), for 
the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research 
and training programs for fish and wildlife resources, to continue to 
enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, with 
game and fish departments of the several states, and with nonprofit 
organizations relating to cooperative research units. The Departments 
of Commerce (DOC), Justice, State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act of 1995 makes funds available to the Secretary.
    B. Catalog of Federal assistance. The research to be funded is in 
support of the Chesapeake Bay Studies (CFDA 11.457), under the 
Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC).
    C. Program description. The CBSAC was established in 1985 to plan 
and review Bay-wide resource assessments, coordinate relevant actions 
of state and Federal agencies, report on fisheries status and trends, 
and determine, fund and review research projects. The program 
implements a Bay-wide plan for the assessment of commercially, 
recreationally, and selected ecologically important species in the 
Chesapeake Bay. In 1988, CBSAC developed a Bay-wide Stock Assessment 
Plan, in response to provisions in the Chesapeake Bay Agreement of 
1987. The plan identified that key obstacles to assessing Bay stocks 
were the lack of consistent, Bay-wide, fishery-dependent and fishery-
independent data. Research projects funded since 1988 have focused on 
developing and improving fishery-independent surveys and catch 
statistics for key Bay species, such as striped bass, oysters, blue 
crabs, and alosids. Stock assessment research is essential, given the 
recent declines in harvest and apparent stock condition for many of the 
important species of the Chesapeake Bay.

II. Areas of Special Emphasis

    A. Proposals should exhibit familiarity with related work that is 
completed or ongoing. Where appropriate, proposals should be 
multidisciplinary. Coordinated efforts involving multiple eligible 
applicants or persons are encouraged. Eligible women and minority owned 
and operated non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply.
    Consideration for funding will be given to applications that 
address the following stock assessment research and management 
priorities for the Chesapeake Bay. These are listed in priority order:
    1. Design and development of a Bay-wide recreational survey for 
blue crabs. This study should provide not only estimates of blue crab 
harvest by category (eg., hard, soft, peeler) and associated effort, 
but also biological [[Page 13964]] sample data on size or age 
distribution of the recreational harvest. This could be designed as a 
stand-alone survey, or as a supplement to the NMFS Marine Recreational 
Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS).
    A major impediment to understanding the status of the fishery 
resources in the Chesapeake Bay is the lack of knowledge of the total 
removals, by fishing, of important fish and shellfish species. While 
estimates of commercial catches from both Maryland and Virginia are 
available based on state reporting requirements, estimates of 
recreational blue crab harvest are not available for most years. A main 
concern to be addressed in the design of this survey is the difficulty 
in obtaining estimates of recreational blue crab catches since much of 
the harvest is landed at private, rather than public, docks and ramps.
    The recreational survey design should be consistent with the model 
of the NMFS MRFSS, with its two principal design components. First, a 
telephone survey instrument used to enumerate total period and seasonal 
directed fishing effort by mode. Secondly, an access intercept survey 
component to estimate period/seasonal mean catch-rate by mode and 
category, and the collection of biological characterization data.
    Proposals for this priority must address the following aspects of 
the survey design.
    a. Identification of the access-intercept sampling frame, 
including:
    (1) List of all access sites.
    (2) Detailed model for scheduling the temporal and geographic 
distribution of field interviews within the sampling frame, and the 
routing scheme among access sites.
    (3) Description of information to be obtained from interviews, 
specifically the interview survey questionnaire.
    (4) Description of the nature and manner of collection of 
biological samples which will minimally include size, sex, and category 
by mode.
    b. Identification of the telephone survey sampling frame, 
including:
    (1) Specifications of who is included in the sampling frame and how 
this was determined.
    (2) Complete description of the temporal distribution of telephone 
calls and associated sample size requirements.
    (3) Specification of the interview survey questionnaire.
    c. Completion of a pilot study, which will successfully demonstrate 
the effectiveness of the above two survey components for the estimation 
and characterization of blue crab recreational harvest. The pilot study 
should minimally address the following:
    (1) Comparisons of catch rates among the various fishing modes, 
methods, and times, etc. which will serve as the basis for determining 
the proportional sampling needed to provide unbiased estimates.
    (2) Identification and resolution of any deficiencies in the 
sampling frame.
    (3) Final estimates of the pilot study period recreational harvest 
by category, mode (with associated effort) and measures of percent 
standard error about the point estimates.
    Copies of a report of a workshop which discussed concerns specific 
to the design of a recreational blue crab survey may be obtained from 
the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.
    2. Design and conduct a study to determine the discard mortality 
and discard size frequencies in the commercial and recreational 
fisheries in Chesapeake Bay. This study should provide information on 
the reason for discard (e.g., minimum size regulation, lack of market, 
etc.), the length distribution of discards, and discard mortality 
rates, primarily for summer flounder and bluefish, as well as other 
important Bay species. This is to be a onetime study, not a design 
effort for future implementation.
    Discard information is limited and current assessments are forced 
to use analogous information from other species and limited areas. Data 
from this study would be a valuable improvement in coastwide 
assessments.
    3. Design of a cost-effective American shad mark-and-recapture 
(tagging) study which would provide abundance and mortality estimates 
for Chesapeake Bay stocks. There is currently a Bay-wide moratorium on 
the harvest of American shad, yet coastal intercept fisheries continue 
to harvest this species. This study should be designed to identify 
which fisheries harvest Bay stocks, and provide estimates of the 
abundance and mortality rates for those stocks.
    B. Applications addressing the priorities should build upon, or 
take into account, any related past or current work.

III. How to Apply

    A. Eligible Applicants. Applications for cooperative agreements 
under the Chesapeake Bay Studies Program may be submitted, in 
accordance with the procedures set forth in this notice, by any state 
game and fish department, college or university, or other nonprofit 
organizations relating to cooperative research units. Other Federal 
agencies or institutions are not eligible to receive Federal assistance 
under this notice.
    DOC/NOAA/NMFS employees, including full-time, part-time, and 
intermittent personnel (or their spouses or blood relatives who are 
members of their immediate households) are not eligible to submit an 
application under this solicitation or aid in the preparation of an 
application, except to provide information on program goals, funding 
priorities, application procedures, and completion of application 
forms. Since this is a competitive program, assistance will not be 
provided in conceptualizing, developing, or structuring proposals.
    Eligible applicants outside the Chesapeake Bay region may submit 
proposals, as long as their objectives support the technical and 
management priorities of the Chesapeake Bay, as defined in section 
II.A. above. All solicited proposals received by the closing date will 
be considered by NMFS.
    B. Duration and terms of funding. Under this solicitation, NMFS 
will fund Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Research Projects for 1 year 
cooperative agreements. The cooperative agreement has been determined 
as the appropriate funding instrument because of the substantial 
involvement of NMFS in:
    1. Developing program research priorities;
    2. Evaluating the performance of the program for effectiveness in 
meeting regional goals for Chesapeake Bay stock assessments;
    3. Monitoring the progress of each funded project;
    4. Holding periodic workshops with investigators; and
    5. Working with recipients in preparation of annual reports 
summarizing current accomplishments of the Chesapeake Bay Stock 
Assessment Committee. Project dates should be scheduled to begin no 
later than 1 October 1995. Cooperative agreements are approved on an 
annual basis but may be considered eligible for continuation beyond the 
first project and budget period subject to the approved scope of work, 
satisfactory progress, and availability of funds at the total 
discretion of NMFS. However, there are no assurances for such 
continuation. Publication of this notice does not obligate NMFS to 
award any specific cooperative agreement or to obligate any part of the 
entire amount of funds available.
    C. Cost Sharing. Applications must reflect the total budget 
necessary to accomplish the project, including contributions and/or 
donations. Cost sharing is not required under the Chesapeake Bay Stock 
Assessment Research Program. However, cost sharing is encouraged to 
enhance the [[Page 13965]] value of a project, and in case of a tie in 
considering proposals for funding, cost sharing may affect the final 
decision. The appropriateness of all cost sharing will be determined on 
the basis of guidance provided in applicable Federal cost principles. 
If an applicant chooses to share costs, and if that application is 
selected for funding, the applicant will be bound by the percentage of 
cost sharing reflected in the award documents.
    The non-Federal share may include funds received from private 
sources or from state or local governments or the value of in-kind 
contributions. Federal funds may not be used to meet the non-Federal 
share of matching funds, except as provided by Federal statute. In-kind 
contributions are noncash contributions provided by the applicant or 
non-Federal third parties. In-kind contributions may be in the form of, 
but are not limited to, personal services rendered in carrying out 
functions related to the project, and permission to use real or 
personal property owned by others (for which consideration is not 
required) in carrying out the project. To support the budget, the 
applicant must describe briefly the basis for estimating the value of 
the non-Federal funds derived from in-kind contributions.
    The total cost of a project begins on the effective date of a 
cooperative agreement between the applicant and an authorized 
representative of the U.S. Government and ends on the date specified in 
the award. Accordingly, the time expended and costs incurred in either 
the development of a project or the financial assistance application, 
or in any subsequent discussions or negotiations prior to the award, 
are neither reimbursable nor recognizable as part of the recipient's 
cost share.
    D. Format. 1. Applications for project funding must be complete. 
Applicants must identify the specific research priority or priorities 
to which they are responding. For applications containing more than one 
project, each project component must be identified individually using 
the format specified in this section. If an application is not in 
response to a priority, it should be so stated. Applicants should not 
assume prior knowledge on the part of NMFS as to the relative merits of 
the project described in the application. Applications are not to be 
bound in any manner and should be one-sided. All incomplete 
applications will be returned to the applicant. Applicants must submit 
one signed original and two copies of the complete application.
    2. Applications must be submitted in the following format:
    a. Cover sheet: An applicant must use OMB Standard Form 424 
(revised 4-92) as the cover sheet for each project. Applicants may 
obtain copies of these forms from the NOAA Grants Management Division 
or the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (see ADDRESSES).
    b. Project summary: Each proposal must contain a summary of not 
more than one page that provides the following:
    (1) Project title.
    (2) Project status (new).
    (3) Project duration (beginning and ending dates).
    (4) Name, address, and telephone number of applicant.
    (5) Principal Investigator(s).
    (6) Project objectives.
    (7) Summary of work to be performed.
    (8) Total Federal funds requested.
    (9) Cost sharing to be provided from non-Federal sources, if any. 
Specify whether contributions are project-related cash or in-kind.
    (10) Total project cost.
    c. Project description: Each project must be completely and 
accurately described. Each project description may be up to 15 pages in 
length. If an application is awarded, NMFS will make all portions of 
the project description available to the public for review; therefore, 
NMFS cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any information submitted 
as part of any project, nor will NMFS accept for consideration any 
project requesting confidentiality of any part of the project.
    Each project must be described as follows:
    (1) Identification of problem(s): Describe the specific problem to 
be addressed and the area of emphasis to which the project responds 
(see section II above).
    (2) Project objectives: This is one of the most important parts of 
the Project Proposal. Use the following guidelines for stating the 
objective of the project.
    (a) Keep it simple and easily understandable.
    (b) Be as specific and quantitative as possible.
    (c) Specify the ``what and when;'' avoid the ``how and why.''
    (d) Keep it attainable within the time, money, and human resources 
available.
    (e) Use action verbs that are accomplishment oriented.
    (3) Need for Government financial assistance: Demonstrate the need 
for assistance. Any appropriate database to substantiate or reinforce 
the need for the project should be included. Explain why other funding 
sources cannot fund all the proposed work. List all other sources of 
funding that are or have been sought for the project.
    (4) Benefits or results expected: Identify and document the results 
or benefits to be derived from the proposed activities.
    (5) Project statement of work: The Statement of Work is the 
scientific or technical action plan of activities that are to be 
accomplished during each budget period of the project. This description 
must include the specific methodologies, by project job activity, 
proposed for accomplishing the proposal's objective(s). If the work 
described in this section does not contain sufficient detail to allow 
for proper technical evaluation, NMFS will not consider the application 
for funding and will return it to the applicant.
    Investigators submitting proposals in response to this announcement 
are strongly encouraged to develop inter-institutional, inter-
disciplinary research teams in the form of single, integrated proposals 
or as individual proposals that are clearly linked together. Such 
collaborative efforts will be factored into the final funding decision.
    Each Statement of Work must include the following information:
    (a) The applicant's name.
    (b) The inclusive dates of the budget period covered under the 
Statement of Work.
    (c) The title of the proposal.
    (d) The scientific or technical objectives and procedures that are 
to be accomplished during the budget period. Devise a detailed set of 
objectives and procedures to answer who, what, how, when, and where. 
The procedures must be of sufficient detail to enable competent workers 
to be able to follow them and to complete scheduled activities.
    (e) Location of the work.
    (f) A list of all project personnel and their responsibilities.
    (g) A milestone table that summarizes the procedures (from item 
III.D.2.c.(5)(d)) that are to be attained in each month covered by the 
Statement of Work.
    (6) Participation by persons or groups other than the applicant: 
Describe the level of participation required in the project(s) by NOAA 
or other government and non-government entities. Specific NOAA 
employees should not be named in the initial proposal.
    (7) Federal, state and local government activities: List any 
programs (Federal, state, or local government or activities, including 
Sea Grant, state Coastal Zone Management Programs, NOAA Oyster Disease 
Research Program, the state/Federal Chesapeake Bay Program, etc.) this 
project would affect and describe the relationship 
[[Page 13966]] between the project and those plans or activities.
    (8) Project management: Describe how the project will be organized 
and managed. Include resumes of principal investigators. List all 
persons directly employed by the applicant who will be involved with 
the project. If a consultant and/or subcontractor is selected prior to 
application submission, include the name and qualifications of the 
consultant and/or subcontractor and the process used for selection.
    (9) Monitoring of project performance: Identify who will 
participate in monitoring the project.
    (10) Project impacts: Describe the impact of the project in terms 
of anticipated increased production, sales, product quality and safety, 
improved management, or any other values that will be produced by this 
project. Describe how these products or services will be made available 
to the fisheries and management communities.
    (11) Evaluation of project: The applicant is required to provide an 
evaluation of project accomplishments at the end of each budget period 
and in the final report. The application must describe the methodology 
or procedures to be followed to determine technical feasibility, or to 
quantify the results of the project in promoting increased production, 
product quality and safety, management effectiveness, or other 
measurable factors.
    (12) Total project costs: Total project cost is the amount of funds 
required to accomplish what is proposed in the Statement of Work, and 
includes contributions and donations. All costs must be shown in a 
detailed budget. A standard budget form (SF-424A) is available from the 
offices listed (see ADDRESSES). NMFS will not consider fees or profits 
as allowable costs for grantees. Additional cost detail may be required 
prior to a final analysis of overall cost allowability, allocability, 
and reasonableness. The date, period covered, and findings for the most 
recent financial audit performed, as well as the name of the audit 
firm, the contact person, and phone number and address, must be also 
provided.
    d. Supporting documentation: Provide any required documents and any 
additional information necessary or useful to the description of the 
project. The amount of information will depend on the type of project 
proposed, but should be no more than 20 pages. The applicant should 
present any information that would emphasize the value of the project 
in terms of the significance of the problems addressed. Without such 
information, the merits of the project may not be fully understood, or 
the value of the project may be underestimated. The absence of adequate 
supporting documentation may cause reviewers to question assertions 
made in describing the project and may result in lower ranking of the 
project. Information presented in this section should be clearly 
referenced in the project description.

IV. Evaluation Criteria and Selection Procedures

    A. Initial evaluation of applications. Applications will be 
reviewed by NOAA to assure that they meet all requirements of this 
announcement, including eligibility and relevance to the Chesapeake Bay 
Stock Assessment Research Program.
    B. Consultation with experts in the field of stock assessment 
research. For applications meeting the requirements of this 
solicitation, NMFS will conduct a technical evaluation of each project 
prior to any other review. This review normally will involve experts 
from non-NOAA as well as NOAA organizations. All comments submitted to 
NMFS will be taken into consideration in the technical evaluation of 
projects. Technical evaluators will submit independent reviews to NMFS. 
Reviewers will be asked to comment on the following evaluation 
criteria:
    1. Problem description and conceptual approach for resolution, 
especially the applicant's comprehension of the problem(s), familiarity 
with related work that is completed or ongoing, and the overall concept 
proposed to resolve the problem(s) (30 points).
    2. Soundness of project design/technical approach, especially 
whether the applicant provided sufficient information to technically 
evaluate the project and, if so, the strengths and weaknesses of the 
technical design proposed for problem resolution (35 points).
    3. Project management and experience and qualifications of 
personnel, including organization and management of the project, and 
the personnel experience and qualifications (15 points).
    4. Justification and allocation of the budget in terms of the work 
to be performed (20 points).
    C. Review Panel. NMFS will convene a review panel consisting of at 
least three regionally recognized experts in the scientific and 
management aspects of stock assessment research who will conduct 
reviews as follows:
    1. Evaluate technical reviews.
    2. Provide independent review based on the same criteria as the 
technical review.
    3. Discuss all review comments as a panel.
    4. Provide individual panelist scores and suggestions for 
modifications (i.e., budget, personnel, technical approach, etc.).
    D. Funding decision. 1. Applications will be ranked by NMFS into 
two groups: (a) Recommended, and (b) not recommended. As previously 
stated (section III A.1.), collaborative proposals and applications 
which propose a cost share are strongly encouraged, and therefore will 
be given added weight in the selection process. Numeric ranking will be 
the major consideration for deciding which of the ``recommended'' 
proposals will be selected for funding.
    2. After projects have been ranked for funding, the Chief of the 
NOAA/NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office, in consultation with the Assistant 
Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, will determine the projects to be 
recommended for funding based upon the technical evaluations, panel 
review, and the evaluation factors; ascertain which projects do not 
substantially duplicate other projects that are currently funded by 
NOAA or are approved for funding by other Federal offices; and, 
determine the amount of funds available for the program. The exact 
amount of funds awarded to each project will be determined in preaward 
negotiations between the applicant, the Grants Office, and the NOAA/
NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office staff.

V. Administrative Requirements

    A. Obligations of the applicant. 1. Deliverables--In addition to 
quarterly status and budget reports, and at the time of submission of 
the final report of results of funded projects, recipients must submit 
a four-to-five page summary of project work and results that will be 
compiled in a report of Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Research 
Program results. Projects that produce non-experimental data must have 
copies of these data transferred to the NOAA/NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office 
in both compiled, hard copy format, and as a verified, electronic data 
file. Full, clearly stated documentation of the contents of such data 
files must be submitted with these data.
    2. Periodic workshops--Investigators will be expected to attend one 
or two workshops with other Stock Assessment Research Program 
researchers to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and forge synthesis 
of results.
    3. Primary applicant certifications--All primary applicants must 
submit a [[Page 13967]] completed Form CD-511, ``Certifications 
Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-
Free Workplace Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following 
explanations are hereby provided:
    a. Nonprocurement debarment and suspension--Prospective 
participants (as defined at 15 CFR 26.105) are subject to 15 CFR part 
26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension,'' and the related 
section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
    b. Drug-free workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR 26.605) 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;
    c. Anti-lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 CFR 28.105) 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
    d. Anti-lobbying disclosure--Any applicant who has 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.
    4. 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, ``Certifications 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 DOC. SF-LLL 
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to 
DOC in accordance with the instructions contained in the award 
document.
    B. Other requirements. 1. Federal policies and procedures--
Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and 
Federal and DOC policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to 
Federal financial assistance awards.
    2. Indirect cost rates--The total dollar amount of the indirect 
costs proposed in an application under this program must not exceed the 
current indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant 
Federal agency. NOAA's acceptance of negotiated rates is subject to 
total indirect costs not to exceed 100% of total direct costs. This 
language is pursuant to the NOAA Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
Policy Manual, Chapter 3(B)(2).
    3. Past performance--Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal 
awards may result in an application not being considered for funding. 
In addition, any recipient and/or researcher who is past due for 
submitting acceptable progress reports on any previous project funded 
under this program may be ineligible to be considered for new awards 
until the delinquent reports are received, reviewed and deemed 
acceptable by NMFS.
    4. Financial management certifications/preaward accounting survey--
Successful applicants, at the discretion of the NOAA Grants Officer, 
may be required to have their financial management systems certified by 
an independent public accountant as being in compliance with Federal 
standards specified in the applicable OMB Circulars prior to execution 
of the award. Any first-time applicant for Federal grant funds may be 
subject to a preaward accounting survey by the DOC prior to execution 
of the award.
    5. Delinquent Federal debts--No award of Federal funds shall be 
made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt 
until either:
    a. The delinquent account is paid in full;
    b. A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one 
payment is received; or
    c. Other arrangements satisfactory to DOC are made.
    6. Name checks--Potential recipients may be required to submit an 
``Identification-Application for Funding Assistance'' (Form CD-346), 
which is used to ascertain background information on key individuals 
associated with the potential recipient. All non-profit and for-profit 
applicants are 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 that significantly reflect 
on the applicant's management honesty or financial integrity. 
Applicants will also be subject to credit check reviews.
    7. False statements--A false statement on the application is 
grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible 
punishment by a fine or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
    8. Preaward activities--If applicants incur any costs prior to an 
award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not being 
reimbursed by the Government. Notwithstanding any verbal or written 
assurance that may have been received, there is no obligation on the 
part of DOC to cover preaward costs.
    9. Purchase of American-made equipment and products--Applicants are 
hereby notified that they will be 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).
    10. Other--If an application is selected for funding, DOC has no 
obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that 
award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of 
performance is at the total discretion of DOC.
    Cooperative agreements awarded pursuant to pertinent statutes shall 
be in accordance with the Fisheries Research Plan (comprehensive 
program of fisheries research) in effect on the date of the award.

Classification

    This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of E.O. 12866.
    Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this notice 
concerning grants, benefits, and contracts. Therefore, a regulatory 
flexibility analysis is not required for purposes of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act.
    This notice contains collections of information subject to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, which have been approved by OMB under OMB 
control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, and 0605-0001.

    Dated: March 7, 1995.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-6312 Filed 3-14-95; 8:45 am]

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