[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 210 (Monday, November 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58817-58823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28574]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 991027290-9290-01]
RIN 0648-ZA74


Application of Marine Biotechnology to Assess the Health of 
Coastal Ecosystems: Request for Proposals for FY 2000

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 
preliminary proposals and subsequently full proposals for innovative 
research, education and outreach projects that develop and utilize 
molecular and cellular biology and its applications to assess the 
levels and effects of contaminants, and pathogens on the health of the 
coastal ecosystem. In FY 2000 and 2001, Sea Grant expects to make 
available about $1,500,000 per year to support projects which utilize 
marine biotechnology (molecular or cellular biology) to address 
environmental issues effecting the coast. Proposals may request up to 
$300,000 per year for a maximum of two years, and each proposals must 
include additional matching funds equivalent to at least 50% of the 
Federal funds requested.

DATES: Preliminary proposals must be received before 5 p.m. (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

[[Page 58818]]

before 5 p.m. (local time) on February 15, 2000 at the nearest state 
Sea Grant College Program or 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 on Sea Grant's home page 
(http://www.nsgo.seagrant.org/SGDirectors.html) or may also 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 NSGO at: National Sea Grant 
College Program, R/SG, ATTN: Mrs. Geri Taylor, Environmental Marine 
Biotechnology, Room 11841, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Linda E. Kupfer, Biotechnology 
Program Manager, National Sea Grant College Program, R/SG, NOAA, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or Mary Robinson, 
Secretary, NSGO, 301-713-2435; facsimile 301-713-0799; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Program Authority

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

II. Program Description

Background

    Preservation of coastal ecosystems is critically important to the 
American public. There are growing concerns with the status and health 
of vital marine resources. Increasing development of coastal areas and 
pollution from variety of sources now exert relentless pressure upon 
these environments. Recognition that widespread threats to coastal 
ecosystems impact human health as well as traditional and emerging 
economic interests resonates throughout the scientific and management 
communities. The National Research Council's Ocean Studies Board 
recently reported in ``Challenges on the Horizon,'' that improving the 
health of the coastal oceans and sustaining ocean ecology in the face 
of mounting anthropogenic impacts represent key challenges for ocean 
research. Realization of the close link between the oceans and human 
health has sparked interest and involvement from scientists, health 
care professional and other stakeholders as cited in the Ocean Studies 
Board's report, ``From Monsoons to Microbes.''
    There are numerous chemical and biological threats to the health of 
the marine environment, which can effect its potential to sustain 
essential biodiversity, its ability to fuel valuable economic interests 
and its effect on human health. These range from severe impacts of 
point-source contamination and diseases to far more subtle stress 
imposed by sublethal and non-point source contamination exposure over 
long time frames. Development of coastal areas and the associated 
changes in land use patterns apply additional impacts to the coastal 
ecosystem. The response of the biota to the cumulative stress is now 
evident in a variety of compelling ways. Specific examples of the 
widespread nature and ramifications of environmental stress in the 
coastal environment include:
    (1) 75% of U.S. commercial fisheries are dependent upon estuaries 
at some point in their life cycle; however, it is estimated that 40% of 
estuarine and coastal waters are unfit for swimming or fishing due to 
excess nutrients, wastewater discharge, viruses and bacteria.
    (2) Chemicals of anthropogenic origin have been found in coastal 
waters throughout the United States. In many areas, contaminants such 
as metals (cadmium, copper and mercury) and organic chemicals (PCBs, 
PAHs, pesticides) are found in sufficient concentrations to pose major 
concerns to managers.
    (3) Human diseases are increasing in part due to anthropogenic 
causes such as sewage disposal and farming practices.
    (4) It is estimated that currently 60% of the world population 
lives in the coastal zones. This is expected to increase significantly 
in the next decade.
    While these problems have continued to mount, our understanding of 
the concurrent biological and ecological ramifications have not 
followed in step. Consequently, we are poorly equipped to evaluate 
these problems and to adequately suggest and implement remedies. 
Historically, a number of factors have prevented this. We are using for 
the most part the tools of early twentieth century biology when better 
ones are available. Techniques with sufficient resolution to discern 
the mechanisms underlying these problems have rarely been applied 
within the context of the health of the marine environment. In 
addition, the highly interdisciplinary nature of these problems have 
been difficult to support by traditional funding paths. Also there is a 
significant lack of understanding in the public domain regarding 
biotechnology and its applications in the marine environment. An 
accelerated program of biotechnology education, communication and 
outreach is critical to public acceptance and trust in the use of 
marine biotechnology tools.
    Overcoming these barriers is the emphasis of this Request for 
Proposal (RFP). This RFP is meant to support the application of 
innovative, state of the art molecular and cellular biotechnology 
research, education and outreach, including interdisciplinary efforts, 
designed specifically to address tractable problems pertaining to the 
health of the marine ecosystem.
    The same innovative technology that has yielded such profound 
changes in the way that biomedical research is conducted and has become 
commonplace in virtually all modern biology laboratories will be 
applied in the critical area of environmental research. Techniques 
utilized in a typical molecular and cellular biology laboratory can now 
be viewed as an accessible biological toolbox that enables researchers 
to answer insightful questions relating to stress detection and 
monitoring methodologies. Marine biotechnology has become a mature and 
powerful driving force that is poised to lead to new developments in 
our understanding of how marine organisms and the coastal ecosystems 
respond to pollution, disease and environmental stress.
    This RFP builds upon the success of the first two marine 
biotechnology initiatives funded by Sea Grant. These programs were 
instrumental in focusing university molecular and cellular biology 
research on marine issues. The benefits of previously funded research 
in marine biotechnology include new natural products, new 
pharmaceuticals, and new tools for fisheries management as well as 
development of new research systems for fundamental research and new 
insights into ocean dynamics. This RFP will focus the considerable 
power of molecular and cellular biology on the marine area, an area of 
strategic importance that to date has been poorly represented despite 
its great national importance.

Funding Availability and Priorities

    This RFP will fund a nationwide research, education and outreach 
program that is designed to foster innovative approaches to the study 
of health of the marine environment. It is designed to encourage 
collaboration among academics and key resource decision makers to 
insure that results are distributed in an appropriate fashion among a 
variety of key user groups ranging from the research and

[[Page 58819]]

management communities to the general public.
    The focus of the research conducted in this initiative addresses a 
topic of pressing national importance to better understand the marine 
ecosystem and the impact of contaminants and pathogens on this system. 
The overarching goal is to add new focus and direction to Sea Grant 
funded research and to enhance its impact through innovative research 
studies, interdisciplinary studies, educational programs and outreach 
efforts. Research proposals should focus on tractable problems and 
specific, identifiable outcomes which impact the problem. An advisory 
board of noted scientists, managers and industry representatives was 
convened to help refine the focus of this RFP.
    Research areas may include the application of cellular and 
molecular biological techniques for the:
    (1) Detection and Characterization of Pollutants and Disease on the 
coastal ecosystem.
    (a) Development of novel biosensors (including in situ biosensors) 
for major groups of pollutants and contaminants (toxics; heavy metals 
such as cadmium, copper and mercury; organics such as PCBs, PAHs, and 
pesticides; and endocrine disrupters).
    (b) Detection and characterization of sublethal effects of 
pollutants, contaminants, and pathogens (excluding effects of harmful 
algal blooms) in ecologically and economically important stocks in the 
natural environment (excluding aquacultured animals and oysters as 
these are covered under other competitions).
    (c) Identification and detection of biomarkers for the purpose of 
health and environmental quality assessment.

II. Education and Outreach

    (1) Public outreach, extension and educational support for 
understanding and applying marine biotechnology concepts and tools as 
they relate to sustaining the health of the marine environment through 
an informed citizenry.
    (2) Interdisciplinary workshops and meetings linking marine 
biotechnology science with scientists, managers, industry 
representatives and other stakeholders.
    About $1,500,000 is available from the National Sea Grant College 
Program to support these projects in FY2000; an additional $1,500,000 
may be available in FY 2001 depending on the overall funding 
appropriation for the National Sea Grant College Program. Researchers 
are encouraged to include outreach in their proposals as appropriate. 
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. Projects may request up to $150,000 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 $200,000 in 
Federal support for two years would have to include at least an 
additional $100,000 in matching funds. 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 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 NSGO.

IV. Evaluation Criteria

    The evaluation criteria for proposals submitted for support under 
the ``Application of Marine Biotechnology to Assess the Health of the 
Coastal Ecosystems'' are as follows:
    (1) Impact of Proposed Project (50%): Significance of the problem 
addressed or the effect and impact the proposal will have on 
understanding or solving this problem and supporting the health of the 
coastal environment; or the need for this activity as a necessary step 
for the assessment and understanding of the health of the coastal 
ecosystem; and the degree to which potential users of the results of 
the proposed activity have been involved in planning the activity and 
will be involved in the execution of the activity as appropriate.
    (2) Scientific or Professional Merit (50%): Degree to which the 
activity will advance the state of the science or discipline through 
synthesis of existing information and use and extension of cutting edge 
as well as state-of-the-art methods; degree to which new approaches to 
solving problems and exploiting opportunities in resource management or 
development, or in public outreach on such issues will be employed; 
degree to which the activity will focus on new types of important or 
potentially important resources and issues; degree to which 
investigators are qualified by education, training and/or experience to 
execute the proposed activity; and record of achievement with previous 
funding.

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 NSGO, 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 NSGO 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 NSGO to be ranked in accordance with the assigned 
weights of the above evaluation criteria by an independent peer review 
panel

[[Page 58820]]

consisting of government, academic, and industry experts. Panel members 
will provide individual evaluations on each proposal, but there will be 
no consensus advice. The NSGO will consider their recommendations and 
evaluations in the final selection. Only those proposal rated by the 
panel as either Excellent, Very Good or Good are eligible for funding. 
For those proposals, the NSGO will: (a) Ascertain which proposals best 
meet the program priorities, as described in Section II under Funding 
Availability and Priorities, giving consideration to geographic 
distribution and representation, maintaining a balanced program of 
research, and not substantially duplicating 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 proposal; (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 (EST)--Preliminary proposals due at state 
Sea Grant Program or at NSGO for proposals from non Sea Grant states.
    December 6, 1999, 5 pm (EST)--Preliminary proposals that were 
submitted to the state Sea Grant Programs should be transmitted by 
those programs to the NSGO so as to be received on this date.
    February 15, 2000, 5 pm (EST)--Full proposals due at state Sea 
Grant Program or at NSGO for proposals from non Sea Grant states.
    February 21, 2000, 5 pm (EST)--Full proposals submitted to state 
Sea Grant Program should be transmitted by those programs to the NSGO 
so as to be received on this date.
    March 29, 2000, 5 pm (EST)--Reviewed full proposals due at NSGO.
    July 1, 2000, PM EST (approximate)--Funds awarded to selected 
recipients projects begin.

General Guidelines

    The ideal proposal attacks a well-defined, tractable problem that 
will be or is a significant societal issue. Ideally the outcome of the 
proposal will make a tangible impact on that issue. The organization or 
people whose task it 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 a problem; a strong rationale for the proposed research; and a 
clear and established relationship with the ultimate users of the 
information. Projects that are solely monitoring efforts using existing 
technologies are unlikely to be funded.

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\1/2\'' 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 ``Environmental 
Marine Biotechnology''. 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 must include the first six items listed below: 
the standard forms included as 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\1/2\'' 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 letters of support, 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 ``Environmental Marine Biotechnology''. 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 Sea Grant Project Summary Form 90-2, but may use 
their own form as long as it provides the same information as the

[[Page 58821]]

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: 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; (iii) Contributions and impacts 
the study will make toward addressing the health of the marine 
ecosystem utilizing marine biotechnology; and (iv) As appropriate, 
contributions of investigator's previously funded research results to 
current proposal.
    (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 and impacts that will 
enhance the Nation's ability in utilizing marine biotechnology to 
understand and assess the health of the marine ecosystem.
    (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 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. Linda Kupfer at the NSGO (phone: 301-713-
2435 x154 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 Environmental Marine Biotechnology. 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) 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, 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

[[Page 58822]]

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. Linda Kupfer at the NSGO (phone: 301-713-2435 x154 or e-mail: 
[email protected]). Pre-proposals and proposals sent to the NSGO 
should be addressed to: NSGO, R/SG, Attn.: Mrs. Geraldine Taylor, 
Environmental Marine Biotechnology, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 11806, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910 (phone number for express mail applications is 
301-713-2435).
    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 pre-proposals 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 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 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 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

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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. 99-28574 Filed 10-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KA-P