[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44237-44239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22188]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 980805207-8210-02]
RIN 0648-ZA47


General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions of the Coastal 
Ocean Program

AGENCY: Coastal Ocean Program, National Oceanic and Atmopheric 
Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice for Financial Assistance for Project Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements.

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SUMMARY: It is the intent of the National Ocean Service (NOS), NOAA's 
Coastal Ocean Program (COP) to provide direct financial assistance in 
the form of Grants and Cooperative Agreements under its own program for 
the management of coastal ecosystems. Prior COP financial assistance 
was provided to non-profit organizations and educational institutions 
through joint participation in a Sea Grant omnibus vehicle.
    This notice does not solicit proposals; but rather introduces and 
describes the general grant administration terms and conditions of the 
COP program. It is the intent of COP to issue supplemental 
Announcements of Opportunities (AOs) to request proposals on specific 
projects throughout the year on an as-needed basis commencing with 
FY1999. Any Announcements of Funding Opportunities will be issued 
through the Federal Register, the COP Home Page, mass mailings and 
COP's e-mail list. Those announcements will provide specific program 
descriptions; criteria for proposal submission; technical evaluation of 
proposals and other details affecting that Announcement of Opportunity.
    Proposals solicited through supplemental notices will be part of a 
unique federal-academic partnership designed to provide predictive 
capability for managing coastal ecosystems. COP supports research on 
critical issues which exist in the Nation's estuaries, coastal waters 
and the Great Lakes; and translates its findings into accessible 
information for coastal managers, planners, lawmakers and the public. 
Historically, COP's projects are multi-disciplinary, large in scale and 
long in duration (usually three to five years). Multi-year funding will 
be funded incrementally on an annual basis. Therefore, each annual 
award shall require a Statement of Work that is clearly severable and 
can be easily separated into annual increments of meaningful work which 
represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made 
available.

DATES: Supplemental notices will be issued through the Federal Register 
and will provide critical information and dates specific for that each 
AO.

ADDRESSES: Coastal Ocean Program Office, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East West Highway, Room 9700, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie McDonald, COP Grants Office, 
(301) 713-3338/x137.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    (a) Program Authority(s): 33 U.S.C. 1121; 33 U.S.C. 883a et seq; 33 
U.S.C. 1442; 16 U.S.C. 1456c.
    (b) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): 11. 478 Coastal 
Ocean Program.
    (c) Program Description: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Ocean Program (COP) provides predictive 
capability for managing coastal ecosystems through sponsorship of 
research. COP seeks to deliver the highest quality science in a timely 
manner for important coastal decisions. It supports research on 
critical issues which exist in the Nation's estuaries, coastal waters, 
and Great Lakes and translates its findings into accessible information 
for coastal managers, planners, lawmakers, and the public.

Coastal Ecosystem Oceanography

    COP supports the conservation and management of marine ecosystems 
through sponsorship of improved ecological and oceanographic 
predictions for resource management. Studies focus on: (1) Identifying 
critical processes that control replenishment of fishery resources; (2) 
Determining critical habitat process that influence fishery ecosystems, 
including harmful algal blooms; and (3) Quantifying species 
interactions so models can be used in management decisions. Current 
efforts support fisheries studies dealing with Bering Sea pollack, cod 
and haddock on Georges Bank, and salmon in the Pacific Northwest. COP 
also leads an interagency research program on the ecology and 
oceanography of harmful algal blooms which are increasing in intensity 
and impact in coastal waters.

Cumulative Coastal Impacts

    COP sponsors improvements to the scientific basis for managing 
coastal ecosystems through a series of regional watershed projects on 
the causes and impacts of multiple stresses on coastal land and marine 
ecosystems. Studies focus on: (1) Developing indicators of physical, 
chemical, and biological stress; (2) predicting impacts of multiple 
stresses on living marine resources; (3) valuing natural resources in 
ecological and economical terms; and (4) predicting the outcomes of 
management strategies. Current efforts support coastal and natural 
resource managers dealing with multiple stressors in the Chesapeake 
Bay, Florida Bay and the Florida Keys, the Great Lakes and southeast 
coastal ecosystems.

Coastal Forecasting/Natural Hazards

    COP sponsors research to improve our ability to measure, understand 
and predict physical coastal ocean phenomena that impact the public, 
the economy and coastal resources. These forecasts are important to 
those living along the Nation's coasts, to the businesses and 
industries located there, and to myriad coastal resources at risk. In 
recent years, COP has sponsored and delivered new forecast capabilities 
to the operational parts of NOAA, including the satellite-based Coast/
Watch program, a Great Lakes Forecast System, a prototype Coastal Ocean 
Forecast System and improved storm surge and tsunami inundation 
predictions.

[[Page 44238]]

Benefits of the COP

    Continued population pressures on the Nation's coastal areas and 
on-going changes in the environment will continue to stress our coastal 
waters, bays and estuaries, and the Great Lakes. While the need for 
data and information to address today's problems is pressing, COP has 
also focused on developing information for longer-range management and 
policy decisions at larger and more complex scales than are 
traditional. COP research will help the U.S. respond to the major 
challenges of the next century and to balance the needs of economic 
growth with those of conserving the environment by: (1) Developing 
ecosystem-level scientific projects that are multi-disciplinary, long 
in duration, and evaluate the impact of multiple stressors on the 
ecological functions; (2) sponsoring development and transfer of 
predictive information to resource managers that will help conserve and 
restore important marine resources; (3) protecting lives and property 
as well as providing for sound, coastal development by sponsoring 
improved coastal forecasting capabilities and (4) transitioning 
successful research to NOAA operations.
    (d) Funding Availability--Typically, annual funding for each 
Announcement of Opportunity is approximately $1,000,000. Each COP 
project generally consists of several coordinated investigations with 
separate awards, ranging from $5,000 to $200,000. Actual funding levels 
will depend upon the final budget appropriations for the fiscal year. 
Announcements of Opportunity (AO) will be released with specific 
applicable dollar amounts. Financial History of COP Grants: FY97 
$10.00M; FY98 est. $8.5M; FY99 est. $8.5M. Funding for non-U.S. 
institutions and contractual arrangements for services and products for 
delivery to NOAA are not available under this notice.
    If an application for a financial assistance award is selected for 
funding, COP has no obligation to provide any additional prospective 
funding in connection with that award in subsequent years. There are no 
matching fund requirements. Renewal of an award to increase funding or 
extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the 
Department of Commerce. Publication of this notice does not obligate 
Commerce to any specific award or to obligate any part of the entire 
amount of funds available.
    (e) Matching Requirements: None.
    (f) Type of Funding Instrument: Project Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements.
    (g) Eligibility Criteria: To be detailed in Announcements of 
Funding Opportunities.
    (h) Award Period: Typically, COP's projects are usually long in 
duration, multi-disciplinary, averaging one to five years and will be 
stated in Announcements of Funding Opportunities for each specific 
project. Multi-year funding will be funded incrementally on an annual 
basis. Therefore, each annual award shall require a Statement of Work 
that is clearly severable and can be easily separated into annual 
increments of meaningful work which represent solid accomplishments if 
prospective funding is not made available.
    (i) Indirect Costs: If Indirect costs are proposed, the following 
statement applies: The total dollar amount of the indirect costs 
proposed in an application under any Announcement of Opportunity 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.
    (j) Application Forms and Kit: As stated in supplemental notices. 
When applying for financial assistance under a published Announcement 
of Opportunity, applicants will be able to obtain a NOAA/COP 
application kit from the COP office listed under the heading ADDRESSES 
section of this notice, or directly from the NOAA/COP web site. The web 
site is: http://www.cop.noaa.gov/cop-home.html. At time of submission, 
the applicant shall follow the guidelines presented in the funding 
announcement. Applications not adhering to those stated guidelines may 
be returned to the applicant without further review.
    (k) Project Funding Priorities: To be detailed in COP Announcements 
of Funding Opportunities. However, priority consideration will be given 
to proposals that promote balanced coverage of the science goals and 
avoid duplication of completed or ongoing work and geographic areas.
    (l) Evaluation Criteria: To be detailed in COP Announcements of 
Funding. Criterion will provide an adequate basis for review of an 
applicant's capabilities and performance under the award.
    (m) Selection Procedures: To be detailed in COP Announcements of 
Funding Opportunities. All proposals submitted will be evaluated and 
ranked in accordance with the assigned weights of evaluation criteria 
stated for that AO. Any additional factors considered by the selecting 
official in making a selection will be published in that AO. COP 
project grants and cooperative agreements will be awarded on a 
competitive basis.
    (n) Other Requirements:
    (1) Federal Policies and Procedures: Recipients and subrecipients 
are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and DOC policies, 
regulations and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance 
awards.
    (2) Past Performance: Unsatisfactory performance by a recipient 
under prior Federal awards may result in an application not being 
considered for funding.
    (3) Preaward Activities: If applicants incur any costs prior to an 
award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not being 
reimbursed by the Government. Notwithstanding any verbal assurance that 
they may have received, there is no obligation on the part of 
Department of Commerce to cover pre-award costs unless approved by the 
Grants Officer as part of the terms when the award is made.
    (4) No Obligation for Future Funding: If an application is selected 
for funding, DOC/NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional 
future funding in connection with that award. Amendment of an award to 
increase funding or, unless the award specifically provides to the 
contrary, to extend the period of performance is at the total 
discretion of DOC/NOAA.
    (5) Delinquent Federal Debts: No award of Federal funds shall be 
made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt 
until:
    (i) The delinquent account is paid in full,
    (ii) A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least 
one payment is received, or
    (iii) Other arrangements satisfactory to the Department of Commerce 
are made.
    (6) Name Check Review: All non-profit and for-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.
    (7) Debarment, Suspension, Drug-Free Workplace, and Lobbying 
Provisions: All applicants must comply with the requirements of 15 CFR 
part 26, ``Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (nonprocurement) 
and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and 
15 CFR part 28, ``New Restrictions on Lobbying,'' including the 
submission of required forms and obtaining

[[Page 44239]]

certifications from lower tier applicants/bidders.
    (8) False Statements: A false statement on an application is 
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.
    (9) Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
not subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of 
Federal Programs.''
    (10) This notice was determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866.

    Dated: August 12, 1998.
Captain Evelyn J. Fields,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal 
Zone Management.
[FR Doc. 98-22188 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JS-P