[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 43 (Friday, March 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10636-10640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5117]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 990125031-9031-01]
RIN 0648-ZA57


Sea Grant Industry Fellows Programs: Request for Proposals for FY 
1999

AGENCY: National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that the 
National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) is entertaining 
proposals for the Industry Fellowship program to fulfill its broad 
educational responsibilities and to strengthen ties between academia 
and industry. With required matching funds from private industrial 
sponsors, Sea Grant expects to support three new Industry Fellows in FY 
1999. Each fellow will be a graduate student selected through national 
competition, and will be known as a Company Name/

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Sea Grant Industry Fellow. Proposals must be submitted by academic 
institutions who have identified a graduate fellow and an industrial 
sponsor who will provide matching funds.

DATES: Proposals must be submitted before 5 pm (local time) on May 27, 
1999 to the nearest state Sea Grant Program.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted through the nearest state Sea 
Grant Program. The addresses of the Sea Grant College Program directors 
may be found on Sea Grant's home page (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/NSGO)/
index.html) or may also be obtained by contacting the Program Manager 
at the National Sea Grant Office (see below).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Vijay G. Panchang, Program Manager, National Sea Grant College 
Program, R/SG, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 
Tel. (301) 713-2435 ext. 142; e-mail: Vijay.P[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Program Authority

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1127(a).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 11.417, Sea Grant 
Support.)

II. Program Description

Background

    Today's global economy is putting unprecedented demands on the US 
industrial community for innovation and new technology. This situation 
presents challenges to industry and universities to develop new 
paradigms leading to more efficient utilization of available human, 
fiscal, and technical resources. This can be accomplished through the 
recruitment of graduates trained in technologies relevant to an 
industry's future and the creation of opportunities for collaboration 
between industrial and academic scientists and engineers. Academically 
well-trained students with exposure to advanced industrial issues 
constitute a critical component of success in that endeavor.
    To strengthen ties between academia and industry, Sea Grant 
developed the Industry Fellows Program in 1995. With required matching 
funds from private industrial sponsors, Sea Grant expects to support 
three new Industry Fellows in FY 1999. Each fellow will be a graduate 
student selected through national competition, and will be known as a 
Company Name/Sea Grant Industry Fellow.

Fellowship Program Objectives

    To enhance the education and training provided to top graduate 
students in US colleges and universities; to provide real-world 
experience of industrial issues to graduate students and to accelerate 
their career development; to increase interactions between the nation's 
top scientists and engineers and their industrial counterparts; to 
accelerate the exchange of information and technologies between 
universities and industry; to provide a mechanism for industry to 
influence Sea Grant research priorities and solve problems of 
importance to industry; and to forge long-term relationships between 
Sea Grant colleges and industrial firms.

Program Description

    The Sea Grant Industry Fellows Program provides, in cooperation 
with specific companies, support for highly-qualified graduate students 
who are pursuing research and development projects on topics of 
interest to a particular industry/company. In a true partnership, the 
student, the faculty advisor, the Sea Grant college or institute, and 
the industry representative work together on a project from beginning 
to end. Research facilities and the cost of the activity are shared. 
University faculty are the major source for identifying potential 
industrial collaborators and suitable research topics. However, other 
sources can be used to identify potential industrial partners including 
the Sea Grant Marine Advisory Services, university industrial relations 
offices, and the Sea Grant Review Panel. Sea Grant directors are 
encouraged to use a variety of sources in building successful 
partnerships with industry.

III. Eligibility

    Applications may be submitted by individuals affiliated with 
institutions of higher education in the United States.

IV. Evaluation Criteria

    The evaluation criteria for proposals submitted for support under 
the Sea Grant Industry Fellows Program are:
    A. The importance of the problem and the benefits expected to the 
industrial partner and the nation due to the advancement of technology 
(25%).
    B. The benefit accruing to the student from his or her 
participation as a Sea Grant Industry Fellow, including exposure to 
industrial methods and mentoring by the industrial partner (25%).
    C. The level of commitment of the industrial partner to the 
project, particularly student stipend support (25%).
    D. The caliber of the proposed Fellow, including special skills, 
past experiences, or training that render him/her especially qualified 
for the proposed project. Participation by the Fellow in proposal 
preparation will be viewed favorably (25%).

V. Selection Procedures

    Proposals will be received at the individual state Sea Grant 
Programs who will conduct the mail peer review of the proposed projects 
in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria listed above. All proposals 
sent to the National Sea Grant Office must be accompanied by copies of 
the peer reviews. Complete full proposals and their written reviews 
will be sent by the state Sea Grant programs to the National Sea Grant 
Office to be ranked in accordance with the assigned weights of the 
above evaluation criteria by an independent peer review panel 
consisting of government, academic, and industry experts with 
particular expertise in industry/academic interactions. These panel 
members will provide individual evaluations on each proposal, but there 
will be no consensus advice. Their recommendations and evaluations will 
be considered by the National Sea Grant Office in the final selection. 
Only those proposals rated by the panel as either Excellent, Very Good 
or Good will be eligible for funding. For those proposals, the National 
Sea Grant Office will: (a) ascertain which proposals best meet the 
program objectives, and do not substantially duplicate other projects 
that are currently funded or are approved for funding by NOAA and other 
federal agencies, hence, awards may not necessarily be made to the 
highest-scored proposals; (b) select the proposals to be funded; (c) 
determine which components of the selected projects will be funded; (d) 
determine the total duration of funding for each proposal; and (e) 
determine the amount of funds available for each proposal. 
Investigators may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets 
prior to final approval of the award. Subsequent grant administration 
procedures will be in accordance with current NOAA grants procedures. A 
summary statement of the scientific review by the peer panel will be 
provided to each applicant.

VI. Instructions for Application

Timetable

    May 27, 1999, 5 pm (local time)--Proposals due at state Sea Grant 
Program.
    July 7, 1999, 5 pm EST--Proposals due at NSGO.

[[Page 10638]]

    September 1, 1999 (approximate)--Funds awarded to selected 
recipients; projects begin.

General guidelines

    Interested members of U.S. institutions of higher education may 
submit a proposal through the nearest Sea Grant program for a grant to 
support up to two-thirds of the total budget. The fellowship can be for 
a maximum of two years, though funding will be in annual increments. No 
more than $30,000 of federal funds may be requested per year. Indirect 
costs on federal funds are limited to 10 percent of total modified 
direct costs. The proposal must include a written matching commitment, 
equal to at least half the federal request, from the industrial partner 
to support the budget for the proposed project. Allocation of matching 
funds must be specified in the budget. Use of the industrial matching 
funds for student stipend support will be looked on favorably.
    The budget should include adequate travel funds for the student, 
the industrial mentor, and the faculty advisor to meet at least twice 
per year during the fellowship period, preferably at the site of the 
industrial partner. The budget may also include up to one month of 
salary or stipend support for one project participant in addition to 
the selected Fellow who is affiliated to the academic institution. The 
selected Fellow may not be changed during the grant period. If the 
selected Fellow is no longer enrolled as a graduate student but 
continues to work on the project under the supervision of the grantee 
institution, federal funds may be used for the Fellow's support for no 
longer than three months beyond the date on which the Fellow's student 
status expires. This three-month latitude is meant to enable suitable 
conclusion of the ongoing phase of work. In other respects, the Fellow 
will be governed by the institution's rules for graduate research 
assistants.

Proposal Guidelines

    Each full proposal should include the items listed below. All pages 
should be single- or double-spaced, typewritten in at least a 10-point 
font, and printed on metric A4 (210 mm  x  297 mm) or 8\1/2\''  x  11'' 
paper. Brevity will assist reviewers and program staff in dealing 
effectively with proposals. Therefore, the Project Description may not 
exceed 10 pages. Tables and visual materials, including charts, graphs, 
maps, photographs and other pictorial presentations are included in the 
10-page limitation; literature citations are not included in the 10-
page limitation. Conformance to the 10-page limitations will be 
strictly enforced. All information needed for review of the proposal 
should be included in the main text; no appendices are permitted.
    (1) Signed Title Page: The title page should be signed by the 
Principal Investigator and the institutional representative and should 
clearly identify the program area being addressed by starting the 
project title with ``Sea Grant Industry Fellow.'' The Principal 
Investigator and institutional representative should be identified by 
full name, title, organization, telephone number and address. The total 
amount of Federal funds and matching funds being requested should be 
listed for each budget period.
    (2) Project Summary: This information is very important. Prior to 
attending to peer review panel meetings, some of the panelists may need 
only the project summary. Therefore, it is critical that the project 
summary accurately describe the research being proposed and convey all 
essential elements of the research. The project summary should include: 
1. Title: Use the exact title as it appears in the rest of the 
application. 2. Investigators: List the names and affiliations of each 
investigator who will significantly contribute to the project. Start 
with the Principal Investigator. 3. Funding request for each year of 
the project, including matching funds if appropriate. 4. Project 
Period: Start and completion dates. Proposals should request a start 
date of September 1, 1999. 5. Project Summary: This should include the 
rationale for the project, the scientific or technical objectives and/
or hypotheses to be tested, and a brief summary of work to be 
completed.
    (3) Project Description (10-page limit):
    (a) Introduction/Background/Justification: What is the problem 
being addressed and what is its scientific and economic importance to 
the advancement of technology, to the cooperating industrial partner, 
and to the region or nation?
    (b) Research and Technical Plan: What are the goals, objectives, 
and anticipated approach of the proposed project? While a detailed work 
plan is not expected, the proposal should present evidence that there 
has been thoughtful consideration of the approach to the problem under 
study. What capabilities does the industrial partner possess that will 
benefit the Fellow?
    (c) Output/Anticipated Economic Benefits: Upon successful 
completion of the project, what are the anticipated benefits to the 
student, the industrial partner, the university and its faculty, the 
sponsoring Sea Grant program, and the nation?
    (d) References and Literature Citations: Should be included but 
will not be counted in the 10 page project description limit.
    (4) Budget and Budget Justification: There should be a separate 
budget for each year of the project as well as a cumulative annual 
budget for the entire project. Applicants are encouraged to use the Sea 
Grant Budget Form 90-4, but may use their own form as long as it 
provides the same information as the Sea Grant form. Subcontracts 
should have a separate budget page. Matching funds must be indicated; 
failure to provide adequate matching funds will result in the proposal 
being rejected without review. Each annual that itemizes all budget 
items in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the 
appropriateness of the funding requested. Please pay special attention 
to any travel, supply or equipment budgets and provide details. The 
total dollar amount of indirect costs must not exceed 10 percent of the 
total proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application.
    (5) Current and Pending Support: Applicants must provide 
information on all current and pending support for ongoing projects and 
proposals, including subsequent funding in the case of continuing 
grants. All current project support from whatever source (e.g., 
Federal, State or local government agencies, private foundations, 
industrial or other commercial organizations) must be listed. The 
proposed project and all other projects or activities requiring a 
portion of time of the principal investigator and other senior 
personnel should be included, even if they receive no Federal salary 
support from the project(s). The number of person-months per year to be 
devoted to the projects must be stated, regardless of source of 
support. Similar information must be provided for all proposals already 
submitted or submitted concurrently to other possible sponsors, 
including those within NOAA.
    (6) Vitae of the student, the faculty advisor, and the company-
appointed research mentor (2 pages maximum per investigator).
    (7) Letter of commitment from the industrial partner.
    (8) A brief (one-page) description of the collaborating industrial 
firm.
    (9) Proposers are encouraged (but not required) to include a 
separate page suggesting reviewers that the proposers believe are 
especially well qualified to review the proposal. Proposers may also 
designate persons they would prefer not review the proposal, indicating 
why.

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These suggestions will be considered during the review process.
    (10) Standard Application Forms: Applicants may obtain all required 
application forms through the World Wide Web at http://
www.mdsg.umd.edu/NSGO/research/rfp/index.html, from the state Sea Grant 
Programs or from Dr. Vijay Panchang at the National Sea Grant Office 
(phone: 301-713-2435 x142 or e-mail: [email protected]). The 
following forms must be included:
    (a) Standard Forms 424, Application for Federal Assistance, 424A, 
Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs; and 424B, Assurances--
Non-Construction Programs, (Rev 4-88). Please note that both the 
Principal Investigator and an administrative contact should be 
identified in Section 5 of the SF424. For Section 10, applicants should 
enter ``11.417'' for the CFDA Number and ``Sea Grant Support'' for the 
title. The form must contain the original signature of an authorized 
representative of the applying institution.
    (b) Primary Applicant Certifications. 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 are hereby 
provided:
    (i) 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;
    (ii) Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as defines at 15 CFR Part 26, 
Section 605) are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart F, ``Government-
wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related 
section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
    (iii) 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; and
    (iv) 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.
    (c) 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, it 
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 the Department of 
Commerce (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.

VII. How to Submit

    Proposals must be submitted to the state Sea Grant Programs 
according to the schedule outlined above. Although investigators are 
not required to submit more than 3 copies of the proposal, the normal 
review process requires 10 copies. Investigators are encouraged to 
submit sufficient proposal copies for the full review process if they 
wish all reviewers to receive color, unusually sized (not 8.5 x 11''), 
or otherwise unusual materials, submitted as part of the proposal. Only 
three copies of the Federally required forms are needed. The addresses 
of the Sea Grant College Program directors may be found on Sea Grant's 
World Wide Web home page (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/NSGO/index.html) or 
may also be obtained by contacting the Program Manager, Dr. Vijay 
Panchang, at the National Sea Grant Office (phone: 301-713-2435 x142 or 
e-mail:[email protected]). Proposals sent to the National Sea 
Grant Office should be addressed to: National Sea Grant Office, R/SG, 
Attn: Sea Grant Industry Fellows Program Coordinator, NOAA, Room 11828, 
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (phone 301-713-2435 for 
express mail applications).
    Applications received after the deadline and applications that 
deviate from the format described above will be returned to the sender 
without review. Facsimile transmissions and electronic mail submission 
of applications will not be accepted.

VIII. Other Requirements

    (A) Federal Policies and Procedures--Recipients and subrecipients 
are sublet to all Federal laws and Federal and Department of Commerce 
(DOC) policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal 
financial assistance awards.
    (B) Past Performance--Unsatisfactory performance under prior 
Federal awards may result in an application not being considered for 
funding.
    (C) 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 or written 
assurance that may have been received, there is no objection on the 
part of DOC to cover preaward costs.
    (D) No Obligation for Future Funding--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.
    (E) 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.
    (F) 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.
    (G) 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.
    (H) Intergovernmental Review--Applications for support from the 
National Sea Grant College Program are not subject to Executive Order 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.
    (I) Purchase of American-Made Equipment and Products--Applicants 
are hereby notified that they will be encouraged to the greatest extent 
practicable, to purchase American-made equipment and products with 
funding provided under this program.

Classification

    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comments are not 
required by the

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Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this notice 
concerning grants, benefits, and contracts. Therefore, a regulatory 
flexibility analysis is not required for purposes of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act.
    This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of E.O. 12866.
    This notice contains collection of information requirements subject 
to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Sea Grant Budget Form and Standard 
Forms 424, 424a and 424b have been approved under control numbers 0648-
0362, 0348-0043, 0348-0044, and 0348-0040 with average responses 
estimated to take 15, 45, 180, and 15 minutes, respectively. These 
estimates include the time for reviewing instructions, searching 
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and 
completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments 
on these estimates or any other aspect of these collections to National 
Sea Grant College Program, R/SG, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910 (Attention: Francis S. Schuler) and to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC 20503 (Attention: NOAA Desk Officer). 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 
Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number.

    Dated: February 25, 1999.
Louisa Koch,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-5117 Filed 3-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KA-M