[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14742-14744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8139]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 960227052-6052-01]
RIN: 0693-ZA06


Continuation of Fire Research Grants Program--Availability of 
Funds

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Announcing NIST continuation of fire research grants program.

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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, is continuing its Fire Research Grants Program.

DATES FOR APPLICATION: September 30, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must submit one signed original and two (2) 
copies of the proposal along with the Application for Federal 
Assistance, Standard Form 424, (Rev. 4-92), as referenced under the 
provisions of OMB Circular A-110 to: Building and Fire Research 
Laboratory, Attention: Sonya Parham, 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 Parham, 
(301) 975-6854. Administrative questions concerning the NIST Fire 
Research Grants Program may be directed to the NIST Grants Office at 
(301) 975-6329.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: 
Measurement and Engineering Research 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 program. 
The annual budget for the Fire Research Program is approximately 
$1.4 million. Because of commitments for the support of multi-year 
programs, only a portion of the budget is available to initiate new 
programs, only a portion of the budget is available to initiate new 
programs in any one year. Most grants and cooperative agreements are 
in the $10,000 to $100,000 per year range. The Fire Research Program 
is limited to innovative ideas which are generated by the proposal 
writer on what research to carry out and how to carry it out. The 
issuance of awards is contingent upon the availability of funding.

    All grant proposals submitted must be in accordance with the 
programs and objectives listed below.

Program Objectives

    A. Fire Modeling and Applications: To perform research, develop, 
and demonstrate 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 developing data bases to facilitate use of fire models.
    B. Large Fire Research: To perform research on and develop 
techniques to measure, predict the behavior of, and mitigate large fire 
events. This includes: Understanding the mechanisms of large fires that 
control gas phase combustion, burning rate, thermal and chemical 
emissions, transport processes; developing field measurement

[[Page 14743]]

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; and developing and operating the Fire Research Program 
large-scale experimental facility.
    C. Smoke Dynamics Research: To produce 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; and developing calculation 
methods for the prediction of the yields of CO (and eventually other 
toxicants) as a function of fuel type, availability of air, and fire 
scale.
    D. Materials Fire Research: To perform 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. This 
involves developing methods of measuring and predicting the response of 
a material to a fire, including 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: To develop understanding, 
metrology, and predictive methods to enable high-performance fire 
sensing and extinguishment systems. This involves devising new 
approaches to minimizing the impact of unwanted fires and the 
suppression process, including 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 grant is 
approved, funding will be provided for only the first year of the 
program. If an application is selected for funding, DoC has no 
obligation to provide any additional future 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.
    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.
    Proposal Review Process: All proposals are assigned to the 
appropriate group leader of the five programs listed above. 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 90 days processing time. 
Proposals are evaluated for technical merit by at least three reviewers 
chosen from NIST professionals, technical experts from other interested 
government agencies and experts from the fire research community at 
large.
    Evaluation Criteria:
    a. Intrinsic value of the research--0-40.
    b. Qualifications--0-20.
    c. Utility of the research--0-20.
    d. Balance and financial feasibility--0-20.
    Selection Procedure: The results of these 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.
    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 0348-0006.
    Application Kit: An application kit, containing all required 
application forms and certifications is available by calling Sonya 
Parham, 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.

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 Federal 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 CRF Part 26, Section 605) are subject to 
15 CFR Part 26, Subpart F., ``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 application/bids for 
grants, cooperative agreements , and contracts for more than $100,000, 
and

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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 an tier recipients or subrecipient should be submitted to 
NIST in accordance with the instructions contained in the award 
document.
    Name Check Reviews: All for-profit and non-profit 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 
may be grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for 
possible punishment by fine or imprisonment.
    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 satisfactorily 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 & Procedures: Recipients and subrecipients under 
the Fire Research Grants Program are subject to all applicable Federal 
laws and Federal and Department policies, regulations, and procedures 
applicable to Federal financial assistance awards. The Fire Research 
Grant 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.
    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 cost 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: March 27, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-8139 Filed 4-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M