[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5977-5979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3430]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Timber Bridge Research Joint Venture Agreements; Solicitation of 
Applications and Application Guidelines

Program Description

Purpose

    The Federal Highway Administration and the USDA, Forest Service, 
Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), are working cooperatively under 
Public Law 102-240, The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency 
Act (ISTEA) of 1991, on Research for the development of wood in 
transportation structures.
    The FPL is now inviting proposals for specific areas of the 
research under the authority of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 
3318(b) and will award competitive Research Joint Venture Agreements 
for cooperative research related to wood in transportation structures. 
The specific research areas are stated within this announcement.

Eligibility

    Proposals may be submitted by any Federal Agency, university, 
private business, nonprofit organization, or any research or 
engineering entity.
    An applicant must qualify as a responsible applicant in order to be 
eligible for an award. To qualify as responsible, an applicant must 
meet the following standards:
    (a) Adequate financial resources for performance, the necessary 
experience, organizational and technical qualifications, and 
facilities, or a firm commitment, arrangement, or ability to obtain 
same (including any to be obtained through subagreement(s)) or 
contracts;
    (b) Ability to comply with the proposed or required completion 
schedule for the project;
    (c) Adequate financial management system and audit procedures that 
provide efficient and effective accountability and control of all 
funds, property, and other assets;
    (d) Satisfactory record of integrity, judgment, and performance, 
including, in particular, any prior performance under grants, 
agreements, and contracts from the Federal government; and
    (e) Otherwise be qualified and eligible to receive an award under 
the applicable laws and regulations.

Available Funding

    Available funding is shown under the specific research areas, 
below. The FPL will reimburse the cooperator not-to-exceed eighty 
percent (80%) of the total cost of the research. The proposing entity 
may contribute the indirect costs as its portion of the total cost of 
the research.
    Indirect costs will not be reimbursed to State Cooperative 
Institutions. State Cooperative Institutions are designated by the 
following:
    (a) The Act of July 2, 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 and the following), 
commonly known as the First Morrill Act;
    (b) The Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 and the following), 
commonly known as the Second Morrill Act, including the Tuskegee 
Institute;
    (c) The Act of March 2, 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361a and the following), 
commonly known as the Hatch Act of 1887;
    (d) The Act of May 8, 1914 (7 U.S.C. 341 and the following), 
commonly known as the Smith-Lever Act;
    (e) The Act of October 10, 1962 (16 U.S.C. 582a and the following), 
commonly known as the McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962; and
    (f) Sections 1429 through 1439 (Animal Health and Disease 
Research), sections 1474 through 1483 (Rangeland Research) of Public 
Law 95-113, as amended by Public Law 97-98.
    Definitions:
    (a) Grants, Agreements, and Licensing Officer means the Grants, 
Agreements, and Licensing Officer of the FPL and any other officer or 
employee of the Department of Agriculture to whom the authority 
involved may be delegated.
    (b) Awarding Official means the Grants, Agreements, and Licensing 
Officer and any other officer or employee of the Department of 
Agriculture to whom the authority to issue or modify awards has been 
delegated.
    (c) Budget Period means the interval of time (usually twelve 
months) into which the project period is divided for budgetary and 
reporting purposes.
    (d) Department of USDA means the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
    (e) Research Joint Venture Agreement means the award by the Grants, 
Agreements, and Licensing Officer or his/her designee to a cooperator 
to assist in meeting the costs of conducting, for the benefit of the 
public, an identified project which is intended and designed to 
establish, discover, elucidate, or confirm information or the 
underlying mechanisms relating to a research problem area identified 
herein.
    (f) Cooperator means the entity designated in the Research Joint 
Venture Agreement award document as the responsible legal entity to 
whom a Research Joint Venture Agreement is awarded.
    (g) Methodology means the project approach to be followed to carry 
out the project.
    (h) Peer review group means an assembled group of experts or 
consultants qualified by training and/or experience in particular 
scientific or technical field to give expert advice on the technical 
merit of grant applications in those fields.
    (i) Principal Investigator means an individual who is responsible 
for the scientific and technical direction of the project, as 
designated by the cooperator in the application and approved by the 
Grants, Agreements, and Licensing Officer.
    (j) Project means the particular activity within the scope of one 
or more of the research areas identified herein.
    (k) Project Period means the total time approved by the Grants, 
Agreements, and Licensing Officer for conducting the proposed project 
as outlined in an approved application or the approved portions 
thereof.
    (l) Research means any systematic study directed toward new or 
fuller knowledge of the subject field.

[[Page 5978]]

    Areas: Proposals are currently being solicited in the following 
areas:
    (a) Problem Area I: Stress-Laminated Wood T and Box Beam Bridge 
Superstructures: To complete an independent evaluation of stress-
laminated wood T and box beam bridge research and field performance and 
to formulate recommendations as to the technical and economical 
feasibility of these bridge systems and additional research needs. 
Total estimated cost of the research: $81,250; estimated Federal 
funding: $65,000.
    (b) Problem Area II: LRFD Calibration for Wood Bridges: To refine 
the LRFD design criteria for wood bridges currently given in the AASHTO 
LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. Total estimated cost of the 
research: $112,500; estimated Federal funding: $90,000.
    (c) Problem Area III: Environmental Effects of Wood Preservatives: 
To develop recommendations and guidelines on the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the use of wood preservatives in 
transportation structures. Total estimated cost of the research: 
$243,750; estimated Federal funding: $195,000.
    (d) Problem Area IV: Moisture Protection for Timber Members: To 
develop, refine, and/or evaluate a variety of coatings and coverings 
for protecting bridge members from moisture. total estimated cost of 
the research: $52,500; estimated Federal funding: $42,000.
    (e) Problem Area V: Development of Nondestructive Evaluation 
Methods and Equipment for Wood Transportation Structures: To develop 
one or more advanced NDE techniques and equipment for the inspection, 
condition evaluation, and in-situ strength assessment of wood 
transportation structure components which provides a reliable 
evaluation procedure through enhanced information display and image 
processing technology. Total estimated cost of the research: $237,500; 
estimated Federal funding: $190,000.
    (f) Problem Area VI: Remedial Treatments for Bridge Applications: 
To investigate new and current remedial treatments that will stop 
internal decay in bridge structural components, and to provide 
guidelines on their use, application, and effectiveness for 
applications involving wood bridge members. Total estimated cost of the 
research: $118,750; estimated Federal funding: $95,000.
    For additional information, contact John G. Bachhuber, USDA, Forest 
Service, Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, 
Madison, WI 53705-2398.

Proposal Preparation

Application Materials

    An Application Kit and a copy of this solicitation will be made 
available upon request. The kit contains detailed information on each 
Problem Area, required forms, certifications, and instructions for 
preparing and submitting agreement applications. Copies of the 
Application Kit and this solicitation may be requested from: Joanne M. 
Bosch, Grants and Agreements, USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products 
Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705-2398, 
Telephone Number (608) 231-9205.

Proposal Submission

What to Submit

    An original and seven copies of a proposal must be submitted. Each 
copy of each proposal must be stapled securely in the upper left-hand 
corner (Do not bind). All copies of the proposal must be submitted in 
one package.

Where and When to Submit

    Proposals must be received by the Grants, Agreements, and Licensing 
Officer by 2:00 p.m., May 3, 1996, and should be sent or delivered to 
the following address: Grants, Agreements, and Licensing Officer, USDA, 
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, 
Madison, WI 53705-2398, Telephone (608) 231-9282.

Proposal Review, Evaluation, and Disposition

Proposal Review

    All proposals received will be acknowledged. Prior to technical 
examination, a preliminary review will be made for responsiveness to 
this solicitation. Proposals that do not fall within solicitation 
guidelines will be eliminated from competition; one copy will be 
returned the applicant and the remainder will be destroyed. All 
accepted proposals will be reviewed by the Grants, Agreements, and 
Licensing Officer, qualified officers or employees of the Department, 
and by peer panel(s) of scientists or others who are recognized 
specialists in the areas covered by the proposals. Peer panels will be 
selected and organized to provide maximum expertise and objective 
judgment in the evaluation of proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

    The peer review panel(s) will take into account the following 
criteria in carrying out its review of responsive proposals submitted:
    (a) Scientific merit of proposal.
    (1) Conceptual adequacy of hypothesis;
    (2) Clarity and delineation of objectives;
    (3) Adequacy of the description of the undertaking and suitability 
and feasibility of methodology;
    (4) Demonstration of feasibility through preliminary data;
    (5) Probability of success of project;
    (6) Novelty, uniqueness, and originality.
    (b) Qualifications of proposed project personnel and adequacy of 
facilities.
    (1) Training and demonstrated awareness of previous and alternative 
approaches to the problem identified in the proposal and performance 
record and/or potential for future accomplishments;
    (2) Time allocated for specific attainment of objectives;
    (3) Institutional experience and competence in subject area; and
    (4) Adequacy of available or obtainable support personnel, 
facilities, and instrumentation. January

Proposal Disposition

    When the peer review panel(s) has completed its deliberations, the 
USDA program staff, based on the recommendations of the peer review 
panel(s), will recommend to the Awarding Official that the project be 
(a) approved for support from currently available funds or (b) declined 
due to insufficient funds or unfavorable review.
    USDA reserves the right to negotiate with the Principal 
Investigator and/or the submitting entity regarding project revisions 
(e.g., reduction in scope of work), funding level, or period of support 
prior to recommending any project for funding.
    A proposal may be withdrawn at any time before a final funding 
decision is made. One copy of each proposal that is not selected for 
funding (including those that are withdrawn) will be retained by USDA 
for one year, and remaining copies will be destroyed.

Supplementary Information

Grant Awards

    Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the awarding 
official shall make awards to those responsible eligible applicants 
whose proposals are judged most meritorious under the evaluation 
criteria and procedures set forth in this solicitation and application 
guidelines.
    The date specified by the awarding official as the beginning of the 
project period shall not be later than September 1, 1995.

[[Page 5979]]

    All funds awarded shall be expended only for the purpose for which 
the funds are awarded in accordance with the approved application and 
budget, the terms and conditions of any resulting award, and the 
applicable Federal cost principles.

Obligation of the Federal Government

    Neither the approval of any application nor the award of any 
Research Joint Venture Agreement commits or obligates the United States 
in any way to provide further support of a project or any portion 
thereof.

Other Conditions

    The FPL may, with respect to any class of awards, impose additional 
conditions prior to or at the time of any award, when, in the FPL's 
judgment, such conditions are necessary to assure or protect 
advancement of the approved project, the interests of the public, or 
the conservation of Research Joint Venture Agreement funds.

    Done at Madison, WI, on February 5, 1996.
Thomas E. Hamilton,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-3430 Filed 2-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M