[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 210 (Monday, November 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58812-58817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28573]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 990927267-9267-01]
RIN 0648-ZA71


 National Fisheries Habitat Program: Request for Proposals for FY 
2000

AGENCY: Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, 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 
preliminary proposals and subsequently full proposals for innovative 
research, education, and outreach projects that address critical and 
high priority problems related to Fisheries Habitat in U.S. coastal and 
Great Lakes waters. Preference will be given to proposals that involve 
collaboration with multiple investigators and various Federal agencies 
and focus on regional and national issues with broad application. 
Proposals with narrow focus from single investigators are not 
encouraged and will have a minimal likelihood of being funded. In FY 
2000 and 2001, Sea Grant expects to make available about $1,500,000 per 
year to support such projects. Proposals may request up to $300,000 per 
year for a maximum of two years, and each proposal must include 
additional matching funds equivalent to at least 50% of the Federal 
funds requested. Successful projects will be selected through national 
competitions.

DATES: Preliminary proposals must be received before 5 pm (local time) 
on December 1, 1999 by the nearest state Sea Grant College Program or 
the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO). After evaluation at the NSGO, 
some proposers will be encouraged to prepare full proposals, which must 
be received before 5 pm (local time) on February 15, 2000 by the 
nearest state Sea Grant College Program or the NSGO.

ADDRESSES: Preliminary proposals and full proposals must be submitted 
through the nearest state Sea Grant Program. The addresses of the Sea 
Grant College Program directors may be found at the following Internet 
website: 
(http://www.nsgo.seagrant.org/SGDirectors.html) or may be obtained by 
contacting the Program Manager at the NSGO (see below). Investigators 
from non-Sea Grant states may submit their preliminary proposals and 
proposals directly to the National Sea Grant Office at: National Sea 
Grant College Program, R/SG, Attn: Mrs. Geraldine Taylor, Fisheries 
Habitat Competition, Room 11732, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Emory D. Anderson, Program 
Director for Fisheries, National Sea Grant College Program, R/SG, NOAA, 
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Tel. (301) 713-2435 
ext. 144, facsimile (301) 713-0799, e-mail: ([email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Program Authority

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1121-1131. (Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance Number: 11.417, Sea Grant Support.)

[[Page 58813]]

II. Program Description

Background

    Human and non-anthropogenic activities threaten the environments of 
our marine and Great Lakes waters. Habitats important to stocks of 
finfish and shellfish species exist in riverine, estuarine, coastal, 
and offshore continental shelf waters within the U.S. Exclusive 
Economic Zone as well as in waters of the Great Lakes. A long-term 
threat to the viability of commercial and recreational fisheries is the 
continuing adverse impacts of various human activities and natural 
hazards on our marine and Great Lakes aquatic habitats.
    The U.S. Congress, in re-authorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act through the Sustainable Fisheries Act 
(SFA) (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) in October 1996, mandated the 
identification of habitats essential to Federally managed marine 
finfish and shellfish species and the identification of measures to 
conserve and enhance these habitats. The SFA defined essential fish 
habitat (EFH) as ``those waters and substrate necessary to fish for 
spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.'' This has been 
further interpreted by NOAA to include aquatic areas and their 
associated physical, chemical, and biological properties needed to 
support sustainable fisheries and healthy ecosystems involving managed 
species.
    Since Congressional intent in the SFA was to prevent further loss 
of marine, estuarine, and other aquatic habitats, the eight regional 
Fishery Management Councils (Councils) have had to amend their fishery 
management plans (FMPs) to describe and identify EFH for all life 
stages of managed species, provide information on fishing and non-
fishing activities that may adversely impact EFH, recommend measures to 
conserve and enhance EFH, and minimize, to the extent practicable, 
adverse impacts on EFH caused by fishing activities. The SFA also 
requires consultations between the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) and any Federal agency whose actions may adversely affect EFH.
    Although the EFH mandate in the SFA was directed towards the 
conservation and management of habitat for Federally managed fisheries, 
it has served to heighten awareness and stimulate similar efforts by 
state resource agencies and interstate Marine Fisheries Commissions 
responsible for near-shore and estuarine waters and by state, Federal, 
and international bodies responsible for Great Lakes waters.
    Huge gaps in knowledge exist regarding habitat preferences and 
requirements of the life stages of many finfish and shellfish species, 
the role played by various habitats in the fishery production process, 
and the impacts of various anthropogenic and natural activities on 
habitat structure and function. In order for Fishery Management 
Councils, NMFS, interstate Marine Fisheries Commissions, and other 
Federal and state regulatory bodies and agencies responsible for either 
marine or Great Lakes waters to adequately manage habitats, these gaps 
in knowledge must be filled through expanded research and extension 
efforts.
    The importance of addressing the requirement for and present 
deficiency in knowledge regarding fisheries habitat, and the need to 
consider habitat to a greater extent in fisheries management, has 
recently received considerable national attention in scientific 
symposia and conferences and popular and peer-reviewed publications. 
This new research initiative will help to address the lack in 
knowledge.

Funding Availability and Priorities

    The National Sea Grant College Program encourages proposals that 
address the topical fisheries habitat issues listed below. Proposals 
are particularly encouraged that: (1) Involve collaboration with 
multiple investigators and various Federal agencies (e.g., National 
Marine Fisheries Service, National Undersea Research Program, 
Environmental Research Laboratories, National Ocean Service, U.S. 
Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency) in which the 
cooperating agencies provide additional funding, personnel, specialized 
equipment, research vessel time, and the like; (2) Address regional or 
national issues with broad application; (3) Demonstrate local and 
regional resource manager and stakeholder involvement in the planning 
and development process; (4) provide results in digital, metadata, GIS-
capable format; and (5) incorporate applied areas of education, 
outreach, socioeconomic, and management components and applications of 
direct benefit to stakeholders. Proposals with narrow focus from single 
investigators are not encouraged and will have a minimal likelihood of 
being funded.
    Proposals are requested that address the following issues, which 
are not listed in any implied order of priority:
    (1) Identification, quantification, synthesis of existing 
information, and understanding of the linkage between fisheries and 
their habitats: completion of life history inventories of managed 
species (e.g., distribution and abundance of egg, larval, and juvenile 
stages); habitat factors (e.g., temperature, salinity, flow regimes, 
currents, turbidity, habitat structure, habitat location or quality, 
prey abundance) influencing distribution, abundance, growth, species 
interactions, and survival for prediction of fisheries abundance trends 
and yields; development of conceptual ecosystem models and their 
functional attributes incorporating habitat; establish and quantify 
linkages between habitat and fisheries production.
    (2) The effects of anthropogenic activities on habitat of managed 
fisheries: fishing (e.g., gear-specific, spatial and geographic extent, 
mapping of fishing and non-fishing areas, intensity and frequency 
gradients, seasonality, differential habitat types, recovery rates 
following disturbance by gear, predictive models linking impacts with 
species population dynamics, gear design to minimize impacts); 
aquaculture and stock enhancement (e.g., physical, nutrient, 
contaminant, genetic, and disease impacts); point and non-point source 
pollution; coastal and urban development (e.g., land-use practices, 
water flow diversion, buffer zones, loss or alteration of habitat).
    (3) Impacts of natural hazards on fisheries habitat: relative 
scales of natural variability; global climate variation; storm 
activity, flooding, drought, and erosion.
    (4) Restoration of habitat: artificial reefs; estuarine dredging; 
salt marsh ecology; marine reserves; area management strategies (e.g., 
open and closed areas for commercial fisheries, rotational systems); 
wetland rehabilitation; shoreline and streambank stabilization; 
spawning habitat rehabilitation (e.g., anadromous finfish species).
    About $1,500,000 is available from the National Sea Grant College 
Program to support these projects in FY 2000; an additional $1,500,000 
may be available in FY 2001 depending on the overall funding 
appropriation for the National Sea Grant College Program. Project 
activities should include identified milestones for each project year, 
and the second year of funding is contingent upon availability of funds 
and submission of an annual report showing satisfactory progress. 
Proposals may request up to $300,000 per year for a maximum of two 
years, and each proposal must include additional matching funds 
equivalent to at least 50% of the Federal funds requested; for example, 
a proposal requesting a total of $300,000 in Federal support for two 
years would have to include at least an

[[Page 58814]]

additional $150,000 in matching funds. Proposals involving 
collaboration with any non-Sea Grant Federal agency or agencies must 
include documentation and verification of the nature and value of the 
support being provided by such agency or agencies. Any additional 
funding contributed by collaborating agencies could be provided either 
to the participating investigators from such agencies or directly to 
the participating university investigators. Regardless of any approved 
indirect cost rate applicable to the award, the maximum dollar amount 
of allocable indirect costs for which the Department of Commerce will 
reimburse the Recipient shall be the lesser of: (a) The Federal share 
of the total allocable indirect costs of the award based on the 
negotiated rate with the cognizant Federal agency as established by 
audit or negotiation; or (b) the line item amount for the Federal share 
of indirect costs contained in the approved budget of the award.

III. Eligibility

    The National Sea Grant College Program is a network of 29 
university-based programs in coastal and Great Lake states involving 
more than 300 institutions nationwide in research, outreach, and 
education. Applications may be submitted by individuals associated with 
these institutions and also by individuals, public or private 
corporations, partnerships, or other associations or entities 
(including non-Sea Grant institutions of higher education, institutes, 
or non-Federal laboratories), or any State, political subdivision of a 
State, or agency or officer thereof. Applications by individuals not 
affiliated with Sea Grant institutions should preferably be 
collaborative efforts with Sea Grant university investigators.
    Awards will be in the form of grants or cooperative agreements, the 
latter being the case if the project involves substantial involvement 
by investigators from a partnering Federal agency. Awards to successful 
applicants from Sea Grant institutions will be issued through the local 
Sea Grant Programs. Awards to successful applicants from institutions 
from non-Sea Grant states will be issued through the National Sea Grant 
Office.

IV. Evaluation Criteria

    The evaluation criteria for proposals submitted for support under 
the Fisheries Habitat Program are as follows:
    (1) Impact of Proposed Project (55%): Significance of the problem 
addressed or the effect this activity will have on improving the 
understanding and management of fisheries habitats; and the degree to 
which potential users of the results of the proposed activity have been 
involved in planning the activity and/or will be involved in the 
execution of the activity.
    (2) Scientific or Professional Merit (35%): Degree to which the 
activity will advance the state of the science or discipline through 
synthesis of existing information and use or extension of state-of-the-
art methods, employ new approaches to solving problems and exploiting 
opportunities in resource management or development or in public 
outreach, focus on new types of important or potentially important 
resources and issues, be executed by investigators qualified by 
education, training, and/or experience; and record of achievement with 
previous funding.
    (3) Collaboration (10%): Degree to which multiple investigators and 
other non-Sea Grant Federal agencies are involved in the activity.

V. Selection Procedures

    Preliminary proposals must be submitted in order to be eligible to 
submit a full proposal. Preliminary proposals will be reviewed at the 
NSGO by a panel composed of government, academic, and industry experts 
according to the evaluation criteria listed above. The panel will make 
individual recommendations to the Director of the NSGO regarding which 
preliminary proposals may be suitable for further consideration. On the 
basis of the panel's recommendations, the Director of the NSGO will 
advise proposers whether or not the submission of full proposals is 
encouraged. Invitation to submit a full proposal does not constitute an 
indication that the proposal will be funded. Interested parties who are 
not invited to submit full proposals will not be precluded from 
submitting full proposals if they have submitted a preliminary proposal 
in accordance with the procedures described below.
    Full proposals will be received at the individual state Sea Grant 
Programs (or at the National Sea Grant Office, if from a non-Sea Grant 
state) and sent to peer reviewers for written reviews which will be 
based on the evaluation criteria listed above. The National Sea Grant 
Office will obtain the written reviews for proposals from non-Sea Grant 
states. 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. The panel members will provide 
individual evaluations on each proposal, but there will be no consensus 
advice. The National Sea Grant Office will consider their 
recommendations and evaluations in the final selection. Only those 
proposals rated by the panel as either Excellent, Very Good, or Good 
are eligible for funding. For those proposals, the National Sea Grant 
Office will: (a) Ascertain which proposals best meet the program 
priorities, giving consideration to geographical distribution and 
representation, 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

    December 1, 1999, 5 pm (local time)--Preliminary proposals due at 
state Sea Grant Programs or at NSGO for proposals from non-Sea Grant 
states.
    December 6, 1999, 5 pm EST--Preliminary proposals submitted to 
state Sea Grant Programs should be transmitted by those Programs to the 
NSGO so as to be received by the NSGO on this date.
    February 15, 2000, 5 pm (local time)--Full proposals due at state 
Sea Grant Programs or at NSGO for proposals from non-Sea Grant states.
    February 21, 2000, 5 pm EST--Full proposals submitted to state Sea 
Grant Programs should be transmitted by those Programs to the NSGO so 
as to be received by the NSGO on this date.
    March 29, 2000, 5 pm EST--Reviewed full proposals due at NSGO.
    July 1, 2000 (approximate)--Funds awarded to selected recipients; 
projects begin.

General Guidelines

    The ideal proposal attacks a well-defined problem that will be or 
is a significant societal issue. The organization or people whose task 
it

[[Page 58815]]

will be to make related decisions, or who will be able to make specific 
use of the projects results, will have been identified and contacted by 
the Principal Investigator(s). The project will show an understanding 
of what constitutes necessary and sufficient information for 
responsible decision-making or for applied use, and will show how that 
information will be provided by the proposed activity, or in concert 
with other planned activities.
    Research projects are expected to have: a rigorous, hypothesis-
based scientific work plan, or a well-defined, logical approach to 
address an engineering problem; a strong rationale for the proposed 
research; and a clear and established relationship with the ultimate 
users of the information. Research undertaken jointly with industry, 
business, multiple investigators, or other agencies with interest in 
the problem will be seen as being meritorious. Their contribution to 
the research may be in the form of collaboration, in-kind services, or 
dollar support. Projects with narrow focus from single investigators 
are not encouraged and will have a minimal likelihood of being funded. 
Projects that are solely monitoring efforts are not appropriate for 
funding.
    Proposals which incorporate educational, outreach, socioeconomic, 
and management components and applications will be seen as being 
meritorious.

What to Submit

Preliminary Proposal Guidelines
    To prevent the expenditure of effort that may not be successful, 
proposers must first submit preliminary proposals. Preliminary 
proposals must be single-or double-spaced, typewritten in at least a 
10-point font, and printed on metric A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) or 8.5''  x  
11'' paper. The following information should be included:
    (1) Signed Title Page: The title page should be signed by the 
Principal Investigator and should clearly identify the program area 
being addressed by starting the project title with ``Fisheries 
Habitat''. Principal Investigators and collaborators should be 
identified by affiliation and contact information. The total amount of 
Federal funds and matching funds being requested should be listed for 
each budget period, as well as the source of the matching funds; the 
total should include all subrecipient's budgets on projects involving 
multiple institutions. Preliminary proposals must include matching 
funds equivalent to at least 50% of the Federal funds requested.
    (2) A concise (2-page limit) description of the project, its 
expected output or products, the anticipated users of the information, 
and its anticipated impact. Proposers may wish to use the Evaluation 
Criteria for additional guidance in preparing the preliminary 
proposals.
    (3) Resumes (1-page limit) of the Principal Investigators.
    (4) 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. These suggestions will be considered during the review process.
Full Proposal Guidelines
    Each full proposal should include the first six items listed below; 
the standard forms indicated under Item 7 will only be required for 
proposals selected for funding. 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 8.5''  x  11'' paper. Brevity will assist 
reviewers and program staff in dealing effectively with proposals. 
Therefore, the Project Description may not exceed 15 pages. Tables and 
visual materials, including figures, charts, graphs, maps, photographs, 
and other pictorial presentations are included in the 15-page 
limitation; literature citations and support letters, if any, are not 
included in the 15-page limitation. Conformance to the 15-page 
limitation will be strictly enforced. All information needed for review 
of the proposal should be included in the main text; no appendices, 
other than support letters, if any, are permitted. Failure to adhere to 
the above limitations will result in the proposal being rejected 
without review.
    (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 ``Fisheries Habitat''. The Principal Investigator and 
institutional representative should be identified by full name, title, 
organization, telephone number, and address. The total amount of 
Federal funds being requested should be listed for each budget period; 
the total should include all subrecipient's budgets on projects 
involving multiple institutions.
    (2) Project Summary: This information is very important. Prior to 
attending the peer review panel meetings, some of the panelists may 
read only the project summary. Therefore, it is critical that the 
project summary accurately describes the research being proposed and 
conveys all essential elements of the research. Applicants are 
encouraged to use the Sea Grant Project Summary Form 90-2, but may use 
their own form as long as it provides the same information as the Sea 
Grant form. 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 July 1, 
2000, or later. 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 (15-page limit):
    (a) Introduction/Background/Justification: Subjects that the 
investigator(s) may wish to include in this section are: (i) Current 
state of knowledge; (ii) Contributions that the study will make to the 
particular discipline or subject area; and (iii) Contributions the 
study will make toward addressing the problem of fisheries habitat.
    (b) Research or Technical Plan: (i) Objectives to be achieved, 
hypotheses to be tested; (ii) Plan of work--discuss how stated project 
objectives will be achieved; and (iii) Role of project personnel.
    (c) Output: Describe the project outputs that will enhance the 
Nation's ability to understand and manage fisheries habitat.
    (d) Coordination with other Program Elements: Describe any 
coordination with other agency programs or ongoing research efforts. 
Describe any other proposals that are essential to the success of this 
proposal.
    (e) Literature Cited: Should be included here, but does not count 
against the 15-page 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. Successful 
applicants whose awards would be made through a state Sea Grant Program 
must consult with that state Sea Grant Program budget office to ensure 
that all necessary

[[Page 58816]]

overhead costs are included. Subcontracts should have a separate budget 
page. Matching funds must be indicated if required; failure to provide 
adequate matching funds will result in the proposal being rejected 
without review. Applicants should provide justification for all budget 
items in sufficient detail to enable the reviewers to evaluate the 
appropriateness of the funding requested. For all applications, 
regardless of any approved indirect cost rate applicable to the award, 
the maximum dollar amount of allocable indirect costs for which the 
Department of Commerce will reimburse the Recipient shall be the lesser 
of: (a) the Federal share of the total allocable indirect costs of the 
award based on the negotiated rate with the cognizant Federal agency as 
established by audit or negotiation; or (b) the line item amount for 
the Federal share of indirect costs contained in the approved budget of 
the award.
    (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 (2 pages maximum per investigator).
    (7) Standard Application Forms: Applicants may obtain all required 
application forms at the following Internet website: (http://
www.nsgo.seagrant.org/research/rfp/index.html#3), from the state Sea 
Grant Programs, or from Dr. Emory D. Anderson at the National Sea Grant 
Office (phone: 301-713-2435 x144 or e-mail: [email protected]). 
For proposals selected for funding, the following forms must also be 
submitted:
    (a) Standard Forms 424, Application for Federal Assistance, and 
424B, Assurances--Non-Construction Programs, (Rev 4-88). Applications 
should clearly identify the program area being addressed by starting 
the project title with ``Fisheries Habitat''. Please note that both the 
Principal Investigator and an administrative contact should be 
identified in section 5 of the SF-424. 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) Non-Procurement Debarment and Suspension. Prospective 
participants (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 105) are subject to 
15 CFR part 26, ``Non-Procurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the 
related section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
    (ii) Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as defined 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, or the 
single family maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever 
is greater; 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, if 
applicable, a completed Form CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding 
Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier 
Covered Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form, S-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

    Preliminary proposals and proposals must be submitted to the state 
Sea Grant Programs or, for investigators in non-Sea Grant states, 
directly to the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO), according to the 
schedule outlined above. Although investigators are not required to 
submit more than 3 copies of either pre-proposals or full proposals, 
the normal review process requires 10 copies. Investigators are 
encouraged to submit sufficient 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 
at the following Internet website: (http://www.nsgo.seagrant.org/
SGDirectors.html) or may be obtained by contacting the Program Manager, 
Dr. Emory D. Anderson, at the National Sea Grant Office (phone: 301-
713-2435 x144 or e-mail: [email protected]). Pre-proposals and 
proposals sent to the National Sea Grant Office should be addressed to: 
National Sea Grant Office, R/SG, Attn: Mrs. Geraldine Taylor, Fisheries 
Habitat Competition, Room 11732, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910 (phone number for express mail applications is 301-
713-2445).
    Applications received after the December 1, 1999 and February 15, 
2000 deadlines and applications that deviate from the format described 
above will be returned to the sender without review. Facsimile 
transmissions and electronic mail submission of preliminary and full 
proposals will not be accepted.

VIII. Other Requirements

    (A) Federal Policies and Procedures--Recipients and subrecipients 
are subject 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) Pre-Award Activities--If applicants incur any costs prior to an 
award being made, they do so solely at

[[Page 58817]]

their own risk of not being reimbursed by the Government. 
Notwithstanding any verbal or written assurance that may have been 
received, there is no obligation on the part of DOC to cover pre-award 
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.
    (J) Pursuant to Executive Orders 12876, 12900, and 13021, the 
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to broadening the participation of 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving 
Institutions (HSI), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) in its 
educational and research programs. The DOC/NOAA vision, mission, and 
goals are to achieve full participation by Minority Serving 
Institutions (MSI) in order to advance the development of human 
potential, to strengthen the nation's capacity to provide high-quality 
education, and to increase opportunities for MSIs to participate in and 
benefit from Federal Financial Assistance programs. DOC/NOAA encourages 
all applicants to include meaningful participation of MSIs. 
Institutions eligible to be considered HBCU/MSIs are listed at the 
following Internet website: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/99minin.html.
    (K) For awards receiving funding for the collection or production 
of geospatial data (e.g., GIS data layers), the recipient will comply 
to the maximum extent practicable with E.O. 12906 ``Coordinating 
Geographic Data Acquisition and Access'' The National Spatial Data 
Infrastructure'', 59 Fed. Reg. 17671 (April 11, 1994). The award 
recipient shall document all new geospatial data collected or produced 
using the standard developed by the Federal Geographic Data Center, and 
make that standardized documentation electronically accessible. The 
standard can be found at the following Internet website: (http://
www.fgdc.gov/standards/standards/html).
Classification
    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comments are not 
required by the 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 (90-4), Sea 
Grant Project Summary Form (90-2), and Standard Forms 424 and 424B have 
been approved under control numbers 0648-0362, 0648-0362, 0348-0043, 
and 0348-0040, respectively, with average responses estimated to take 
15, 20, 45, 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: October 27, 1999.
Louisa Koch,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-28573 Filed 10-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KA-P