[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 46637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22490]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Deviation for the Research for Improving Vehicular 
Transportation, and Reducing Energy Consumption, and Pollution from 
Manufacturing Processes Program

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Class Deviation.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to 10 CFR 600.4, 
announces a deviation from its Financial Assistance Rules for the 
Research for Improving Vehicular Transportation, and Reducing Energy 
Consumption, and Pollution from Manufacturing Processes program. This 
program is a joint effort between DOE and the National Science 
Foundation (NSF) to further basic research involving vehicles of the 
future and environmental technologies. The approval of this deviation 
from the requirement of 10 CFR 600.26(b) permits coextensive budget and 
project periods for multi-year awards.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 19, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cherlyn D. Seckinger, Business and 
Financial Policy Division, [HR-51], U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-8246.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In this notice, the DOE announces that, 
pursuant to 10 CFR 600, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Procurement 
and Assistance Management has made a determination of the need for a 
deviation to the DOE Financial Assistance Rules. The determination 
document, dated August 26, 1996 provides for a deviation for 18 grants 
under the Improving Vehicular Transportation, and Reducing Energy 
Consumption and Pollution from Manufacturing Processes program.
    The deviation has been approved to achieve program objectives of 
uniformity of treatment among proposed awardees and between DOE and NSF 
in the administration of the resulting grants. By agreement with NSF, 
DOE released a Program Notice (96-05) under 10 CFR 605 for the subject 
program which has resulted in 35 applicants being selected for award. 
Awards will be of three types: totally DOE funded, totally NSF funded, 
and jointly funded. DOE will award all the grants. The proposed 
detailed research projects range in term from 12 to 39 months. Standard 
NSF grants are made for durations of 6 months to three years and are 
fully funded at the time of award. DOE multi-year grants are typically 
funded incrementally on an annual basis. Without the deviation, 
recipients funded totally by NSF funds could have budget periods longer 
than those which will be jointly funded by DOE and NSF or solely by 
DOE. Since DOE will award the grants and will oversee their 
administration, a consistent approach for handling award requirements 
for reporting, budgeting, and continuation/renewal purposes is needed 
to assure uniformity in administration of the program.
    The deviation waives the limitation of 600.26(b) that coextensive 
budget and project periods only be used when the period of performance 
for a DOE award will be twelve months or less. Multi- year awards are 
generally funded on an annual basis. In such awards, funding for each 
budget period within a project period is contingent on DOE approval of 
a continuation application submitted in accordance with a schedule 
specified by DOE. This deviation will allow both DOE and NSF funded 
awards under the program to have coextensive budget and project 
periods. This action is necessary to achieve program objectives [see 10 
CFR 600.4(b)(1)] in order to ensure consistency in award 
administration.

    Issued in Washington, DC, August 26, 1996.
Richard H. Hopf,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Assistance Management.
[FR Doc. 96-22490 Filed 9-3-96; 8:45 am]
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