[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6724-6726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3311]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 971201285-7285-01]
RIN 0693-ZA18


Precision Measurement Grants

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to inform potential applicants 
that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is 
continuing a program of research grants, formally titled Precision 
Measurement Grants, to faculty members of U.S. universities or colleges 
for significant, primarily experimental research in the field of 
fundamental measurement or the determination of fundamental constants. 
Applicants must submit an abbreviated proposal for preliminary 
screening. Based on the merit of the abbreviated proposal, applicants 
will be advised whether a full proposal should be submitted.

DATES: Abbreviated proposals must be received at the address listed 
above below no later than 5 p.m. EST March 12, 1998. The semi-finalists 
will be notified of their status by Monday, March 23, 1998, and will be 
requested to submit their full proposals to NIST by 5 p.m. EDT on 
Friday, May 8, 1998. Selection of the awards will be made by Friday, 
August 14, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Applicants are requested to submit an abbreviated proposal 
(original and two (2) signed copies), using Standards Form 424 (Rev. 4/
92) with a description of their proposed work of no more than five (5) 
double spaced pages. Standard Form 424A(4-92) and 424B(4-92) are also 
required. Copies should be sent to the following: Dr. Barry N. Taylor, 
Chairman, NIST Precision Measurement Grants Committee, Bldg. 225, Rm. 
B161, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical questions concerning the 
NIST Precision Measurement Grants Programs may be directed to the above 
address or to Dr. Taylor at 301-975-4220. Prospective applicants with 
general questions may contact Dr. Taylor before preparing their 
abbreviated proposal. Specific inquiries as to the usefulness or merit 
of any particular project, or other specific inquiries that deal with 
evaluation criteria, can potentially impede the competitive selection 
process and, therefore, cannot be answered.
    Administrative questions concerning the NIST Precision Measurement 
Grants Program may be directed to the Grants Office at 301-975-6329. 
Written inquiries should be forwarded to the following address: Grants 
Office, Acquisition and Assistance Division, Building 301/Room B129, 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-
0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number

    Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards 11.609

Authority

    As authorized by Section 2 of the Act of March 3, 1901 as amended 
(15 U.S.C. 272(b)(2) and (c)(3)), NIST conducts directly, and supports 
through grants and cooperative agreement, a basic and applied research 
program in the general area of fundamental measurement and the 
determination of fundamental constants of nature. The annual budget for 
Precision Measurement Grants is approximately $300,000. The annual 
awards must have scopes of work that are clearly severable that can be 
easily separated into annual increments of meaningful work which 
represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made 
available to the Applicant. Because of commitments for supporting 
multi-year programs, only a portion of the budget is available to 
initiate new program in any one year. The issuance of awards is 
contingent upon availability of funding. As part of this research 
program since 1970, NIST has awarded Precision Measurement Grants to 
faculty members of U.S. universities and colleges for significant, 
primarily experimental research in the field of fundamental measurement 
or the determination of fundamental constants.

[[Page 6725]]

Award Period

    NIST is now accepting applications for two new grants in the amount 
of $50,000 per year to be awarded for the period October 1, 1998, 
through September 30, 1999 (fiscal year 1999). Each grant may be 
renewed for up to two additional years; however, future or continued 
funding will be at the discretion of NIST based on such factors as 
satisfactory performance and the availability of funds.

Program Description

    NIST sponsors these grants to encourage basic, measurement-related 
research in U.S. universities and colleges and to foster contacts 
between NIST scientists and those faculty members of U.S. academic 
institutions who are actively enaged in such work. The Precision 
Measurement Grants are also intended to make it possible for such 
faculty members to pursue new, fundamental measurement ideas for which 
other sources of support may be difficult to find.

Matching Requirements

    The Precision Measurement Grants Program does not involve the 
payment of any matching funds and does not directly affect any state or 
local government.

Research Topics

    There is some latitude in the kind of research projects that will 
be considered for support under the Precision Measurement Grants 
Program. The key requirement is that they are consistent with NIST's 
mission in the field of basic measurement science, for example.
    1. Experimental and theoretical studies of fundamental physical 
phenomena which test the basic laws of physics or which may lead to new 
or improved fundamental measurement methods and standards.
    2. The determination of important fundamental physical constants.
    3. The development of new standards for physical measurement of the 
highest possible precision and accuracy.
    In general, proposals for experimental research will be given 
preference over proposals for theoretical research because of the 
greater expense of experimental work. Proposals from workers at the 
assistant and associate professor level who have some record of 
accomplishment are especially encouraged in view of the comparative 
difficulty aspiring researchers have in obtaining funds.
    Typical projects which have been funded through the NIST Precision 
Measurement Grants Program include:

``Fine-Structure constant determination using precision Stark 
spectroscopy,'' Michael G. Littman, Princeton University.
``Eotvos experiment-cryogenic version,'' D.F. Bartlett, University of 
Colorado.
``A test of local Lorentz invariance using polarized 21Ne 
nuclei,'' T.E. Chupp, Harvard University.
``A new method to search for an electric dipole moment of the 
elctron,'' L.R. Hunder, Amherst College.
``High precision timing of millisecond pulsars,'' D.R. Stinebring, 
Princeton University.
``Precision optical spectroscopy of positronium,'' S. Chu, Stanford 
University.
``Spectroscopy of Francium: Towards a precise parity non-conservation 
measurement in a laser trap,'' L. Orozco, State University of New York 
at Stony Brook.
``Measurement of the magnetically-induced birefrigence of the vacuum,'' 
S.A. Lee, Colorado State University.

Eligibility

    Eligible applicants under the Precision Measurement Grants Program 
are limited to U.S. universities and colleges.

Selection Procedure

    To simplify the proposal writing and evaluation process, the 
following selection procedure will be used:
    On the basis of the abbreviated proposals, four to eight 
semifinalist candidates will be selected by the NIST Precision 
Measurements Grants Committee and the Outside Review Committee and 
requested to submit full proposals. The same committees will evaluate 
the detailed proposals and, on the basis of their evaluation, the two 
grantees for fiscal year 1999 will be selected.

Evaluation Criteria

    The criteria to be used in evaluating the preapplication proposals 
and full proposals include:
    1. Importance of the proposed research to science--does it have the 
potential of answering some currently pressing question or of opening 
up a whole new area of activity?
    2. The relationship of the proposed research to measurement 
science--is there a possibility that it will lead to a new or improved 
fundamental measurement method or to a better understanding of 
important, but already existing, measurement methods or physical 
standards?
    3. The feasibility of the research--is it likely that significant 
progress can be made in a three year time period with the funds and 
personnel available?
    4. The past accomplishments of the applicant--is the quality of the 
research previously carried out by the prospective grantee such that 
there is a high probability that the proposed research will be 
successfully carried out?
    Each of these factors is given equal weight in the selection 
process.

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 
(PRA) and have been cleared by the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) under control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, and 0348-
0046. 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, subject to the requirements of 
the PRA, unless that collection of information displays a currently 
valid OMB Control Number.

Application Kit

    An application kit, containing all required application forms and 
certifications, is available by calling Michelle Hane, NIST Precision 
Measurement Grants Committee, 301-975-4397. 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)--Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other 
Responsibility Matters; Drug-free Workplace Requirements and Lobbying
CD-512 (7/91)--Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, 
Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions 
and Lobbying
SF-LLL--Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Additional Requirements

Past Performance

    Unsatifactory 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 Government. 
Applicants are also hereby notified that, notwithstanding

[[Page 6726]]

any verbal assurance that they may have received, there is no 
obligation on the part of DoC to cover pre-award costs.

Primary Application Certification

    All primary applicants must submit a completed Form CD-511, 
``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other 
Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and 
Lobbying,'' and the following explanations must be 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 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 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 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. Grant 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 disclosure form, SF-LLL, 
``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the 
use of recipients and should not be transmitted to DoC. SF-LLL 
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to 
DoC in accordance with the instructions contained in the award 
document.

Name Check Reviews

    All for-profit and nonprofit 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.

Executive Order Statement

    This funding notice was determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.

False Statements

    Applicants are reminded that a false statement on an application is 
grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible 
punishment by fine or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

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 satisfactory to DoC are made.

No Obligation for Future Funding

    In 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 and Procedures

    Recipients and subrecipients under the Precision Measurement Grants 
Program are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and Departmental 
policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial 
assistance awards. The Precision Measurement Grants 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.''

Buy American-Made Equipment or 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 costs dollar amount in the application, whichever is 
less.

    Dated: February, 4, 1998.
Robert E. Hebner,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 98-3311 Filed 2-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M