[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