[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 251 (Monday, December 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68716-68717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-33133]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 961121324-6364-02]
RIN 0693-ZA14


Announcement of Availability of Funding for Focused Program 
Competitions--Advanced Technology Program (ATP)

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology 
Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Technology Administration's National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) announces the availability of funding 
for two Focused Program competitions under the Advanced Technology 
Program (ATP) for fiscal year 1997, targeted on specific technology 
areas. The two Focused Program competitions being held are: (1) Motor 
Vehicle Manufacturing Technology (97-02) and (2) Information 
Infrastructure for Healthcare (97-03). This notice provides general 
information for these Focused Program competitions.

DATES: Proposal due dates and other specific instructions will be 
published in the Commerce Business Daily (CBD) at the time the 
competitions are announced. Dates, times, and locations of Proposers' 
Conferences held for interested parties considering applying for 
funding will also be announced in the CBD.

ADDRESSES: Information on the ATP may be obtained from the following 
address: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Advanced 
Technology Program, Administration Building (Bldg. 101), Room A407, 
Quince Orchard & Clopper Roads, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001.
    Additionally, information on the ATP is available on the Internet 
through the World Wide Web (WWW) at http://www.atp.nist.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for ATP information, 
application materials, and/or to have your name added to the ATP 
mailing list for future mailings may also be made by:
    (a) Calling the ATP toll-free ``hotline'' number at 1-800-ATP-FUND 
or 1-800-287-3863. You will have the option of hearing recorded 
messages regarding the status of the ATP or speaking to one of our 
customer representatives who will take your name and address. If our 
representatives are all busy when you call, leave a message after the 
tone. To ensure that the information is entered correctly, please speak 
distinctly and slowly and spell the words that might cause confusion. 
Leave your phone number as well as your name and address;
    (b) Sending a facsimile (fax) to 301-926-9524 or 301-590-3053; or
    (c) Sending electronic mail to [email protected]. Include your name, 
full mailing address, and phone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The statutory authority for the ATP is Section 5131 of the Omnibus 
Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-418, 15 U.S.C. 
278n), as modified by Public Law 102-245. The ATP implementing 
regulations are published at 15 CFR Part 295. The Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number and program title for the ATP are 
11.612, Advanced Technology Program (ATP).
    The ATP is a rigorously competitive cost-sharing program designed 
to assist United States industry/businesses pursue high-risk, enabling 
technologies with significant commercial/economic potential. The ATP 
provides multi-year funding to single companies and to industry-led 
joint ventures to pursue research and development (R&D) projects with 
high-payoff potential for the nation. The ATP accelerates enabling 
technologies that, because they are risky, are unlikely to be developed 
in time to compete in rapidly changing world markets without such a 
partnership between industry and the Federal government. The ATP 
challenges industry to take on projects characterized by high technical 
risk but commensurately high potential payoff to the nation. Proposers 
must provide credible arguments as to the project feasibility.
    The funding instrument used in ATP awards is a ``cooperative 
agreement.'' Through the cooperative agreement, the ATP fosters a 
government-industry partnership to accomplish a public purpose of 
support or stimulation. NIST plays a substantial role in these awards 
by providing technical assistance and monitoring the technical work and 
business progress.

Funding Availability

    An estimated $10 million to $15 million in first year funding is 
available for each of the two Focused Program Competitions. The ATP 
reserves the right to utilize for any competition more or less funding 
than the amounts stated above. The actual number of proposals funded 
will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the amount of 
funding requested in the highest ranked proposals. Outyear funding 
beyond the first year is contingent on the approval of future 
Congressional appropriations and satisfactory project performance.

Eligibility Requirements, Selection Criteria, and Proposal Review 
Process

    The eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and the proposal 
review process are discussed in detail in the ATP implementing 
regulations published at 15 CFR Part 295.

Funding Amounts, Award Period and Cost Sharing (Matching) 
Requirements

    (a) Single companies can receive up to $2 million of ATP funds for 
up to 3 years. Single companies do not have to provide matching funds, 
but they are reimbursed for direct costs only. Single companies are 
responsible for securing funding for all overhead/indirect costs.
    (b) Joint ventures can receive a minority share of the total 
project costs for up to 5 years. Joint ventures must cost-share 
(matching funds) more than 50 percent of the total project costs 
(direct plus indirect costs) for each quarter that the ATP funds the 
project. Subcontractors funded under an ATP cooperative agreement may 
not contribute towards the matching-fund requirement.

Application Forms and Proposal Preparation Kit

    A new November 1996 version of the ATP Proposal Preparation Kit is 
available upon request from the ATP at the address and phone numbers 
noted in this notice. Note that the ATP mailed the Kit to all those 
individuals whose names are currently on the ATP mailing list. The Kit 
contains proposal cover sheets, other required forms, background 
material, and instructions for submission of proposals. All proposals 
must be prepared in accordance with the instructions in the Kit.

Submission of Revised Proposals

    An applicant may submit a full proposal that is a revised version 
of a

[[Page 68717]]

full proposal submitted to a previous ATP competition. NIST will 
examine such proposals to determine whether substantial revisions have 
been made. Where the revisions are determined not to be substantial, 
NIST reserves the right to score and rank, or where appropriate, to 
reject, such proposals based on reviews of the previously submitted 
proposal.

Other Requirements

    (a) Federal Policies and Procedures. Recipients and subrecipients 
are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and Department of Commerce 
policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial 
assistance awards as identified in the cooperative agreement award.
    (b) Past Performance. Unsatisfactory performance under prior 
Federal awards may result in a proposal not being considered for 
funding.
    (c) Pre-award Activities. If applicants incur any costs prior to an 
award being made, they do solely at their own risk of not being 
reimbursed by the Government. Only written authorization from the NIST 
Grants Officer will obligate NIST to cover pre-award costs.
    (d) No Obligation for Future Funding. If a proposal is selected for 
funding, NIST 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 NIST.
    (e) Delinquent Federal Debts. No award of Federal funds shall be 
made to an applicant or recipient who has an outstanding delinquent 
Federal debt until either the delinquent account is paid in full, a 
negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one payment 
is received, or other arrangements satisfactory to NIST are made.
    (f) Name Check Review. All for-profit and non-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 which significantly reflect on the 
applicant's management, honesty, or financial integrity.
    (g) Primary Applicant Certification. All primary applicants 
(including all joint venture participants) must submit a completed form 
CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other 
Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and 
Lobbying,'' and the following explanation is hereby provided:
    (1) Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension. Prospective 
participants, as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 105 are subject to 
15 CFR part 26, ``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 605) 
are subject to 15 CFR 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 USC 1352, 
``Limitations 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,
    (4) Anti-Lobbying Disclosures. Any applicant that 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.
    (h) Lower Tier Certification. 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 Form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure 
of Lobbying Activities.'' Although the CD-512 is intended for the use 
of primary recipients and should not be transmitted to NIST, the SF-LLL 
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be forwarded in 
accordance with the instructions contained in the award document.
    (i) False Statements. A false statement on any application for 
funding under ATP may be 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.
    (j) Intergovernmental Review. The ATP does not involve the 
mandatory payment of any matching funds from state or local government 
and does not affect directly any state or local government. 
Accordingly, the Department of Commerce has determined that Executive 
Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs'' is not 
applicable to this program.
    (k) 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 the funding 
provided under this program in accordance with Congressional intent.
    (l) Paperwork Reduction Act. This notice contains collection of 
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 
which have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB 
Control No. 0693-0009). Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, 
no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to 
a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information, 
subject to the requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of 
information displays a currently valid OMB Control No.

    Dated: December 23, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-33133 Filed 12-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P