[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 62 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16883-16890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7922]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Science Foundation

Docket No. [000127019-0019-01; I.D. No. 011000D]
RIN: [0648-ZA77]


Announcement of Funding Opportunity for research project grants 
and cooperative agreements

AGENCIES: Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research/Coastal Ocean 
Program (CSCOR/COP), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce; and the National Science 
Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Geosciences, Division of Ocean 
Sciences (OCE).

ACTION: Solicitation of research proposals for the Global Ocean 
Ecosystems Dynamics Project.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The purpose of this Document is to advise the public that 
NOAA/NOS/CSCOR/COP and NSF are soliciting 5-year proposals for the 
Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (GLOBEC) Programs as part of a Federal 
research partnership.
    This notice solicits applications for research projects from 
eligible non-Federal and Federal applicants. In an effort to maximize 
the use of limited resources, applications from non-Federal, non-NOAA 
Federal and NOAA applicants will be competed against each other. 
Research proposals selected for funding from non-Federal researchers 
will be funded through a project grant. Research proposals selected for 
funding from non-NOAA Federal applicants will be funded through an 
interagency transfer provided legal authority exists for the federal 
applicant to receive funds from another agency. Research proposals 
selected for funding from NOAA will be funded through NOAA.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of proposals in the COP office is 3:00 
pm local time May 1, 2000. It is anticipated that final recommendations 
for awards will be made early in FY 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit the original and 19 copies of your proposal to 
Coastal Ocean Program Office (GLOBEC 2000), SSMC#3, 9th Floor, Station 
9700, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. NOAA Standard 
Form Applications with instructions are accessible on the following COP 
Internet Site: http://www.cop.noaa.gov under the COP Grants Support 
Section, Part D, Application Forms for Initial Proposal Submission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical Information: Elizabeth 
Turner, GLOBEC 2000 Program Manager, COP Office, 301-713-3338/ext 135, 
Internet: [email protected]; or Dr. Phillip Taylor, NSF 
Division of Ocean Sciences, 703-306-1584, Internet: [email protected]; 
Business Management Information: Leslie McDonald, COP Grants 
Administrator, 301-713-3338/ext 137, Internet: 
[email protected].
    Copies of U.S. GLOBEC Reports referenced later in this Document 
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION are available from the following 
address or homepage: U.S. GLOBEC Coordinating Office University of 
Maryland Center for Environmental Science Chesapeake Biological 
Laboratory, P.O. BOX 38,

[[Page 16884]]

Solomons, MD 20688; Phone: 410-326-7289; Fax: 410-326-7318; 
Internet:[email protected] and http://www.usglobec.org.
    Descriptions and points of contact of presently-funded GLOBEC 
Northeast Pacific (NEP) projects referenced later in this Document 
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION are available from the following 
address or homepage: U.S. GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Coordinating Office, 
Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 
CA 94720-3140, Phone: 510- 642-7452; Fax: 510-643-1142, Internet: 
[email protected], http://www.usglobec.berkeley.edu/nep/index.html.
    A model format of NSF form 1239, discussed later in this document 
under Part I, Section (7) Current and Pending Support, is available at 
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?00form1239.
    University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) vessel 
requirements are identified later in this document under Part I, 
Section (5) Budget, and are to be separately scheduled via UNOLS at the 
following web site location: http://www.gso.uri.edu/unols/ship/shiptime.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Program Description

    For complete Program Description and Other Requirements criteria 
for the Coastal Ocean Program, see COP's General Grant Administration 
Terms and Conditions annual notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 
49162, September 10, 1999) and at the COP home page.
    Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (U.S. GLOBEC) is a component of 
the U.S. Global Change Research Program, with the goals of 
understanding and ultimately predicting how populations of marine 
animal species (holozooplankton, fish and benthic invertebrates) 
respond to natural and anthropogenic changes in global climate. U.S. 
GLOBEC is also the U.S. component of the GLOBEC International program, 
a core project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP), 
with co-sponsorship from the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research 
and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
    This document is published under the auspices of the Global Ocean 
Ecosystems Dynamics (U.S. GLOBEC) program within NSF/OCE and the 
regional ecosystem studies and U.S. GLOBEC initiatives of NOAA's COP. 
U.S. GLOBEC has identified the Northeast Pacific (NEP), particularly 
the California Current System (CCS) and Coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA), 
as priorities for ecosystem studies in the next decade. Previous 
notices have solicited proposals to support modeling, retrospective 
studies, and field observations, including Long-Term Observation 
Programs (LTOPs), three-dimensional mesoscale surveys and process 
studies in the CCS.
    This document solicits proposals to support three field activities 
in the Coastal Gulf of Alaska ecosystem: (1) process-oriented field 
studies; (2) mesoscale surveys; and (3) long-term observation projects; 
and two activities of broader scope: (4) modeling studies in the CCS 
and CGOA; and (5) retrospective studies in the CCS and CGOA.
    To provide for continued long-term coordinated strategic planning 
of the NEP program, proposals are being solicited now for all future 
U.S. GLOBEC field research activities in the CGOA. This includes 
process-study research in the two field phases of the CGOA program. The 
major field process years will occur in 2001 and 2003, contingent on 
the availability of funding. In addition to soliciting research 
proposals for field work in the CGOA of the Northeast Pacific Ocean, 
this document requests proposals for modeling and retrospective 
analysis that augment or complement existing NEP efforts in these 
components. Modeling and retrospective proposals submitted in response 
to this document need not be CGOA-specific, but those that are 
peripheral to the core activities in the NEP will have low priority for 
funding. Research proposals that do not address these five specific 
activities will not be considered for funding.
    U.S. GLOBEC's NEP program emphasizes studies on the biology and 
ecology of juvenile salmon, the dominant euphausiids, several large 
copepods, and forage fish (salmon prey) in coastal regions of the North 
Pacific; and how these populations are controlled by climatically 
variable physical forcing, especially at large-to meso-scales. The U.S. 
GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Implementation Plan (U.S. GLOBEC Report No. 
17) was developed following several community-wide meetings at which 
U.S. scientists from the oceanographic and fisheries communities 
identified key scientific issues and research for the Northeast Pacific 
region.
    Background information pertinent to the Northeast Pacific is found 
in U.S. GLOBEC Report Nos. 7, 11, 15 and 16, with Reports 15 and 16 
providing information relevant to the CGOA. This notice provides the 
most up-to-date guidance about the NEP CGOA program. Investigators who 
plan to submit proposals in response to this Announcement should refer 
primarily to this GLOBEC notification, and secondarily to the Northeast 
Pacific Implementation Plan (U.S. GLOBEC Report No. 17). Note 
especially that the time line for NEP studies has changed from that 
shown in Report 17; there are now only 2 years of process studies 
planned for the California Current System (CCS)--not the three shown. 
Copies of these Documents are available under the address/homepage 
addresses listed earlier in this notice under FURTHER INFORMATION. The 
U.S. GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Implementation Plan (U.S. GLOBEC Report 
No. 17) presents a rationale for a coordinated study in the Northeast 
Pacific in two regions: the coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) and the CCS 
ranging from Washington to Central California. Critical to that 
rationale is the observation that the salmon production domains in the 
CGOA and CCS covary, but are out of phase. U.S. GLOBEC proposes to 
investigate this coupling, and the biophysical mechanisms through which 
zooplankton and salmon populations respond to physical forcing and 
biological interactions in the coastal regions of the two gyres.
    The Northeast Pacific CGOA study focuses on the continental shelf, 
but, where appropriate, also encompasses the processes and phenomena of 
the larger oceanic boundary region that affect the CGOA. Process 
studies in 2001 and 2003 will focus on the effects of near shore 
transports and cross-shelf exchange on the population dynamics of the 
target organisms in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Emphasis is on 
understanding the conditions that favor rapid growth and survival of 
juvenile pink salmon, so it will involve examining both bottom-up 
(productivity) and top-down (predation) processes.
    Ultimately, the U.S. GLOBEC effort in the Northeast Pacific has an 
overall goal of improving predictability and management of living 
marine resources of the region through improved understanding of 
ecosystem interactions and the coupling between the physical 
environment and the living resources.

Program Goals

    The over-arching goals of the Northeast Pacific studies are:
    (1) To determine how biological processes and characteristics of 
zooplanktonic populations are affected

[[Page 16885]]

by mesoscale features and dynamics in the Northeast Pacific; and
    (2) To quantify the biological and physical processes that 
determine growth and survival of juvenile salmon in the coastal zone.
    Within the overall goals outlined here, the Northeast Pacific/CGOA 
process-oriented field program has four general goals:
    (1) To determine how changing climate, especially its impacts on 
local wind forcing, freshwater runoff, mixed layer depth, and basin-
scale currents, affect spatial and temporal variability in mesoscale 
circulation and vertical stratification;
    (2) To quantify how physical features in the CGOA impact 
zooplankton biomass, production, distribution, and the retention and 
exchange of zooplankton between coastal regions and oceanic waters, 
with particular emphasis on the targeted euphausiid and copepoda 
species. In turn, how do the zooplankton distributions influence the 
distributions of higher trophic level organisms (fish, seabirds, marine 
mammals);
    (3) To quantify the importance of (a) local primary and secondary 
production, and (b) imported secondary production (e.g., cross-shelf 
import of large-bodied zooplankton [copepods and euphausiids] from 
deeper offshore waters in spring) for providing rapid growth and/or 
high survival of juvenile pink salmon in coastal waters of the Gulf of 
Alaska; and
    (4) To determine the extent to which high and variable predation 
mortality on juvenile pink salmon in the coastal region of the Gulf of 
Alaska is responsible for large interannual variation in adult pink 
salmon populations, and the factors responsible for the variable 
predation intensity.
    The geographic domain of the study is centered on the coastal shelf 
region southwest of Prince William Sound (off Seward, AK), but 
generally extends from approximately Shelikof Strait (in the west) to 
Yakutat Bay (in the east; approx. 143 deg.-155 deg.W). This is a major 
corridor for juvenile salmon migrations in the CGOA, both for pink 
salmon exiting from Prince William Sound, and for pink, sockeye, and 
chum salmon from SE Alaska stocks. Three-dimensional mesoscale surveys 
(via ship, drifter, mooring and satellite observations) and process 
studies will be conducted over a 7-month period (ca. April - October) 
in each of the two intensive, process-study years.
    Mesoscale surveys of physical conditions and biological 
distributions in spring and fall will augment the less spatially-
extensive LTOP observations, which will occur during all years (2001-
2005) of the study. The surveys will provide the short-term spatial 
context for the focused process studies, and will provide three-
dimensional data to supplement the predominantly two-dimensional LTOP 
data.
    Key target species for U.S. GLOBEC process-oriented field studies 
in the CGOA are euphausiids, calanoid copepods Neocalanus, Calanus), 
and juvenile pink salmon. The most abundant euphausiids on the shelf in 
the Gulf of Alaska are Euphausia pacifica, Thysanoessa spinifera, T. 
inermis, and T. raschii. Of these, T. inermis is the most abundant in 
spring and summer, while T. raschii is distributed more inshore. 
Euphausia pacifica and T. spinifera are also common species in the CCS 
studies of the NEP, and are important subjects of study for developing 
comparisons between the two regions.
    U.S. GLOBEC research in the NEP began in 1997, with integrated, 
multi-investigator, inter-disciplinary programs of modeling, 
retrospective analysis, and pilot-scale monitoring (henceforth referred 
to as the Long-Term Observation Program or LTOP). California Current 
field programs were funded in response to an AO released in early 1999. 
Proposers are advised to refer to descriptions of and preliminary 
results from these programs, and to consider already funded efforts 
underway in the CCS and CGOA prior to preparation of new proposals. 
Synthesis and new understanding of the large-scale and meso-scale 
forcing and responses in the NEP ecosystem will require integration of 
observations, models, and field experiments from the CCS and CGOA. 
Potential investigators should design observational programs, 
experiments and process-studies that will enable such comparisons 
between these two ecosystems of the NEP.
    Specific information about the Northeast Pacific Study, including 
descriptions and points of contact of presently funded GLOBEC NEP 
projects, can be obtained from the address/homepage addresses listed 
earlier in this Document under FURTHER INFORMATION.

Structure of the CGOA Research Program

    The NE Pacific Study will comprise five major components: (1) long-
term observation programs (LTOP),
    (2) mesoscale surveys,
    (3) process-oriented field studies,
    (4) modeling investigations, and
    (5) retrospective/comparative analysis.
    The large range of spatial and temporal scales of important forcing 
processes and responses in the NEP requires a nested sampling approach 
(and some associated tradeoffs), which is reflected in the descriptions 
of the LTOP, mesoscale surveys, and process-studies below.

Long-Term Observation Programs

    Long-Term Observation Programs have been established by U.S. GLOBEC 
at two NEP sites: one along the Gulf of Alaska (GAK) transect extending 
offshore from Seward, AK, and the second encompassing several offshore 
extending transects off Newport and Coos Bay, OR, and off Northern 
California. In both regions, the programs are sampling ocean physics, 
nutrients, and biology at approximately bimonthly intervals (LTOP 
projects are described on the NEP web site).
    Although GLOBEC focuses on zooplankton and juvenile salmon in the 
NEP, we encourage sampling of phytoplankton, nutrients, 
microzooplankton, and higher trophic levels. The LTOPs provide the 
fundamental seasonal description of the physical, chemical and 
biological environment that is required to complement the mesoscale 
surveys and process studies. Moreover, U.S. GLOBEC LTOPs will Document 
the low-frequency, large amplitude signals (e.g., regime shifts, El 
Ninos) that occur at the largest spatial scales in the Pacific.
    LTOP projects may make use of multi-disciplinary moorings, long-
term drifter deployments, and analysis of satellite data, in addition 
to seasonal ship observations. There is a continuing need for long-term 
mooring- and drifter-based observations and interpretation of regional 
satellite data, which provide the broadest temporal (moorings, 
drifters) and spatial (satellites) resolution and coverage.
    This Document solicits proposals to continue, and perhaps augment, 
core LTOP observations along the GAK transect near Seward, AK. LTOP 
activities in other regions of the CGOA (e.g., Shelikof Strait or SE 
Alaska) might be considered if the observations are deemed critical to 
understanding the connection between large-scale atmospheric and ocean 
forcing and ecosystem responses, particularly of the target organisms. 
However, projects proposing LTOP activities beyond the core geographic 
region described earlier will have lower priority than activities 
within the core region.
    Projects proposing to conduct LTOP observations should consider 
existing LTOP programs in place, both in the CGOA and elsewhere in the 
NEP. Present and prospective U.S. GLOBEC LTOP programs should consider 
(1) how

[[Page 16886]]

they meet future U.S. GLOBEC needs, particularly for process studies, 
and (2) how they mesh into the larger framework of a coast wide network 
of programs undertaking repeated observations of ocean physics and 
biology at all trophic levels. Moreover, potential LTOP projects should 
contact the principals of existing LTOP projects to ensure that 
methodologies are comparable (see the NEP web site) among all of the 
LTOP sites.

Three-Dimensional Mesoscale Surveys

    Ship surveys are needed to determine the distribution and abundance 
of the target species in relation to their physical and biological 
environment during the period of euphausiid recruitment and juvenile 
salmon entry into the ocean, and during the period of possible onshore 
transport of large, oceanic copepods (March to September). Surveys 
would be desirable in April (period when large calanoid copepods are 
advected onshore), July, and September-October. The latter two periods 
correspond with the anticipated times of juvenile salmon trawling (see 
following paragraphs). The ship-based mesoscale sampling should 
encompass the near shore Alaska Coastal Current region (driven 
primarily by freshwater input distributed along the coast, along with 
down welling-favorable winds), and extend offshore beyond the shelf-
edge break, to investigate potential exchanges of shelf and deep ocean 
waters. High priority will be given to proposals that would survey a 
region extending from approximately Kodiak Island to Yakutat Bay, i.e., 
about 500-600 km alongshore, and extending from near shore to 200-250 
km offshore. The fundamental importance of the mesoscale studies is to 
provide the basis for comparisons of population processes and their 
coupling to the physical structure and variability of the environment.
    The mesoscale studies will provide a regional context for the in 
situ, process studies described here and provide data for evaluating 
the environment for juvenile salmon. Mesoscale surveys will provide the 
spatially-resolved three-dimensional data required to evaluate how well 
local LTOP data generalize to a broader region. Data from the mesoscale 
surveys will be used to bridge the gap between the low spatial (2-
dimensional), but annual and long-term coverage of the LTOPs, and the 
intensive, but spatially-limited process-studies.
    Surveys will also provide data required to evaluate coupled 
circulation-ecosystem models being developed for the NEP study sites, 
and for assimilation of data into these models. It is anticipated that 
the mesoscale surveys will be conducted at a given site only in years 
of process-studies and that three mesoscale surveys per year focused on 
critical periods in the life history of the target species (April, 
July, Sept.-Oct.) will be done.

Salmon Sampling

    Trawling and gillnet sampling of juvenile salmon and multi- 
frequency hydro acoustic assessment of both salmon and zooplankton has 
been conducted in the summers of the past 3 years as part of a pilot 
LTOP program on the GAK line.
    Trawling of juvenile salmon in the broader region described here is 
a critical addition to the CGOA component of the NEP program, since it 
will help to identify potentially critical regions supporting the rapid 
growth and/or high survival of salmon in the coastal corridor. Trawl 
spatial surveys will document habitat utilization by juvenile salmon, 
and their competitors and predators, in relation to physical dynamics 
and structures, and provide samples for dietary and genetic studies.
    Proposals are solicited that will provide spatial descriptions of 
juvenile pink salmon, and their forage prey in this region. Sampling is 
desired at the time of ocean entry of pink salmon from Prince William 
Sound (July) and at the end of the first summer in the ocean (approx. 
September-October).
    These cruises would also collect salmon from other source regions 
that are transported through the coastal corridor, and will be useful 
for examining (1) trophic relationships in the near shore ecosystem, 
and (2) genetic structure/stock identity of the salmonids. Highest 
priority will be given to salmon sampling in the field during process-
study years, but contingent on the availability of funding and 
perceived program needs, salmon sampling in ``off'' years might be 
supported as well. Investigators proposing to sample juvenile salmon in 
the CGOA should coordinate sampling plans/gear with existing CCS and 
CGOA salmon sampling efforts in the NEP and with other juvenile salmon 
trawling efforts on the west coast (e.g., National Marine Fisheries 
Service research).

Process Studies

    The physical and biological processes that control the population 
dynamics of the target species will be examined in process studies. 
Detailed investigations of mechanisms linking biological response to 
physical forcing at the meso- and other scales is the goal of process-
study cruises. Process studies will occur during the spring-setup and 
productive summer seasons (March-October), preferably in conjunction 
with other program activities (mesoscale surveys, fish trawling).
    The continental shelf outside Prince William Sound is identified 
for detailed process studies because it is a region that has a large 
influx of hatchery released juvenile pink salmon. The thermal marks 
carried by these salmon provide advantages in tracking mortality of the 
juveniles in their first summer near shore. It is strongly suspected, 
but not certain, that most of the ``surviving'' juvenile salmon 
entering the coastal ocean are swept westward in the general transport 
of the Alaska Coastal Current. A large fraction of the juvenile salmon 
do not survive, but the exact agent of their mortality is not known. A 
goal of the CGOA process studies will be to track the progression of an 
entering cohort in the western flow, and identify the agents of 
mortality (starvation, vagrancy, predation by birds, mammals, other 
fish, etc.).
    The exchange of physical and biological properties across the 
frontal zones associated with the coastal buoyancy flows, and down 
welling-favorable winds, can influence the supply of nutrients for 
primary production, the retention (loss) of the target species and 
their prey in (from) the coastal zone, and interactions between the 
target species, their prey, and their predators; this will be studied 
in process-oriented cruises. Fine-scale description of the physical and 
biological fields comprising fronts may reveal aggregations of 
phytoplankton and zooplankton associated with specific physical (e.g., 
density, temperature) structures. Determination of the population 
structure of target organisms within the study area is further 
identified as an area of critical research.
    Because of the movement and migratory patterns of juvenile salmon, 
process studies of pink salmon may require work outside the domain 
highlighted earlier, perhaps to regions extending further to the west 
(beyond Kodiak Island) to ensure success. Proposals that focus in 
geographical locations outside the principal study area should closely 
consider the availability of complementary sampling programs to provide 
a broader geographical context for their studies. Proposers should 
recognize that process studies that address relevant issues within the 
specific region described will have higher funding priority than 
projects aimed at peripheral goals or targeted at other geographic 
regions. Proposers seeking additional

[[Page 16887]]

information concerning related NEP programs should contact the U.S. 
GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Coordinating Office at the address given 
earlier in this Document under FURTHER INFORMATION.
    Questions to be addressed by process studies in the CGOA include:
    (1) What is the time-dependent three-dimensional circulation 
associated with the buoyancy-driven coastal current, and the fronts 
associated with this feature in the CGOA?
    (2) How do mesoscale transport processes affect the recruitment, 
vital rates, and other measures of population dynamics of the target 
species?
    (3) What are the exchange rates, due to frontal processes, of water 
properties and the target species between the coastal corridor and 
offshore waters? What are the consequences for individual and 
population growth rates of these exchanges?
    (4) How do biological and physical processes interact to control 
cross-shelf exchange of target organisms?
    (5) Does strong seasonal variation in freshwater input and 
buoyancy-driven near shore flow cause frontal movement, and what are 
the effects on the exchange of water and organisms across the fronts?
    (6) How does distribution, growth and survival of juvenile pink 
salmon (assessed using otolith marked fish) depend on the timing and 
intensity of cross-shelf import of large zooplankton (e.g., copepods 
and euphausiids), either directly (as salmon prey) or indirectly (as 
alternative prey for juvenile salmon predators)?
    (7) How are salmon distributed in relation to mesoscale physical 
features, and what are the mechanisms responsible for the observed 
patterns?
    (8) What are the dominant predators, how are they distributed, and 
what are their feeding rates and impacts on juvenile salmon during the 
period they transit the coastal zone of the CGOA?

Modeling

    The research conducted during the CGOA study will result in a 
significant archive of data concerning abundance and distribution of 
the target species, source regions, vital rates, and trophic 
interrelationships. Inverse modeling will provide specific estimates of 
population vital rates. These archives and tools will provide 
significant opportunities for hypothesis testing concerning biophysical 
processes.
    The program is expected to progress toward a data-assimilative 
capability, wherein LTOP and mesoscale survey data are incorporated 
into coupled biophysical models. In addition, process-oriented model 
studies are encouraged. The field research supported by U.S. GLOBEC on 
euphausiids, copepods, and salmon in the CGOA, together with already 
funded research in the CCS, provide opportunities for larger (basin) 
scale modeling of coupled biological/physical dynamics.
    This announcement is soliciting additional modeling proposals that 
complement existing projects (described on the GLOBEC NEP web site), 
that provide additional breadth to the program by examining responses 
at additional trophic levels, and that explore processes in other 
targeted regions of the northeast Pacific. Proposals responding to this 
request for additional modeling activities in the NEP may deal with 
either the CGOA, the CCS, or both. Priority will be given to projects 
that complement or significantly augment ongoing modeling efforts--for 
example, evaluating the impact of other prey (e.g., forage fish) on 
salmon survival and distribution.

Retrospective/Comparative Analysis

    A number of retrospective projects in the NEP were funded by 
earlier Requests for Proposals (RFPs). (See summaries on the NEP web 
site). Projects proposing retrospective analysis should Document or 
address population variability of key species (see U.S. GLOBEC Report 
No. 17) in NEP ecosystems on several different time and space scales. 
These studies should also examine linkages between physical and 
biological processes on these different scales. NEP retrospective 
analysis should attempt to test the core GLOBEC NEP hypotheses relating 
to the linkage between climate and ocean variability and population 
variability.
    Previous U.S. GLOBEC reports (see esp. U.S. GLOBEC Report Nos. 11 
and 15) review some of the kinds of data sets and research approaches 
suitable for examining links between climate variability, ocean physics 
and marine animal populations in the NEP. Other research approaches and 
examinations of other existing data sets may be appropriate for 
retrospective examination provided that they address the critical NEP 
GLOBEC mandates highlighted above.
    With the funding of the CGOA field work in this notice, U.S. GLOBEC 
will have funded ecosystem studies in the Northwest Atlantic (a tidally 
and event dominated shelf bank), in the California Current (wind-driven 
up welling and advective system), and the CGOA (a buoyancy-driven down 
welling system). Comparative studies among these coastal ecosystems and 
with others (Benguela, North Africa, Bering Sea, California Bight, 
Southern Ocean) across the globe are feasible and could be undertaken. 
Moreover, recent studies of Calanus in the North Atlantic and of 
Euphausia superba in the Southern Ocean provide opportunities for 
broader, global-scale comparisons of biophysical/population dynamics 
among congeners.

Part I: Schedule and Proposal Submission

    The provisions for proposal preparation provided here are 
mandatory. Proposals received after the published deadline or proposals 
that deviate from the prescribed format will be returned to the sender 
without further consideration. This announcement and additional 
background information will be made available on the COP home page.

Full Proposals

    Applications submitted to this announcement require an original 
proposal and 19 proposal copies at time of submission. This includes 
color or high-resolution graphics, unusually-sized materials (not 8.5'' 
x 11'' or 21.6 cm x 28 cm), or otherwise unusual materials submitted as 
part of the proposal. For color graphics, submit either color originals 
or color copies. The stated requirements for the number of original 
proposal copies provide for a timely review process because of the 
large number of technical reviewers. Facsimile transmissions and 
electronic mail submission of full proposals will not be accepted.

Required Elements

    All recipients are to closely follow the instructions and 
requirements in the preparation of the standard NOAA Application Forms 
and Kit requirements listed in Part II: Further Supplementary 
Information, paragraph (10) of this document. Each proposal must also 
include the following eight elements:
    (1) Signed Summary title page: The title page should be signed by 
the Principal Investigator (PI) and the institutional representative. 
The Summary Title page identifies the project's title starting with the 
acronym GLOBEC 2000, a short title (50 characters), and the lead 
principal investigator's name and affiliation, complete address, phone, 
FAX, and E-mail information. The requested budget for each fiscal year 
should be included on the Summary Title page. Multi-institution 
proposals must include signed Summary Title pages from each 
institution.
    (2) One-page abstract/project summary: The Project Summary

[[Page 16888]]

(Abstract) Form, which is to be submitted at time of application, shall 
include an introduction of the problem, rationale, scientific 
objectives and/or hypotheses to be tested, and a brief summary of work 
to be completed. The prescribed COP format for the Project Summary Form 
can be found on the COP Internet site under the COP Grants Support 
Section.
    The summary should appear on a separate page, headed with the 
proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total proposed cost, 
and budget period. and should be written in the third person. The 
summary is used to help compare proposals quickly and allows the 
respondents to summarize these key points in their own words.
    (3) Statement of work/project description: The proposed project 
must be completely described, including identification of the problem, 
scientific objectives, proposed methodology, relevance to the goals of 
the GLOBEC Program, and its scientific priorities. The project 
description section (including Relevant Results from Prior Support) 
should not exceed 15 pages.
    Project management should be clearly identified with a description 
of the functions of each PI within a team. It is important to provide a 
full scientific justification for the research; do not simply reiterate 
justifications presented in this notice. Both page limits are inclusive 
of figures and other visual materials, but exclusive of references and 
milestone chart. This section should also include:
    (a) The objective for the period of proposed work and its expected 
significance;
    (b) The relation to the present state of knowledge in the field and 
relation to previous work and work in progress by the proposing 
principal investigator(s);
    (c) A discussion of how the proposed project lends value to the 
program goals, and
    (d) Potential coordination with other investigators.
    NOAA has specific requirements that environmental data be submitted 
to the National Oceanographic Data Center; participating agencies may 
have additional requirements or guidelines for sharing of research 
materials and data.
    (e) References cited: Reference information is required. Each 
reference must include the name(s) of all authors in the same sequence 
in which they appear in the publications, the article title, volume 
number, page numbers, and year of publications. While there is no 
established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic 
citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical 
information outside of the 15-page project description.
    (4) Milestone chart: Time lines of major tasks covering the 60-
month duration of the proposed project.
    (5) Budget: At time of proposal submission, all applicants shall 
submit the Standard Form, SF-424 (Rev 7-97), Application for Federal 
Assistance, to indicate the total amount of funding proposed for the 
whole project period. In lieu of the Standard Form 424A, Budget 
Information (Non-Construction), at time of original application, all 
proposers are required to submit a COP Summary Proposal Budget Form for 
each fiscal year increment (i.e., 2000, 2001 * * *2003). Multi-
institution proposals must include budget forms from each institution.
    Use of this budget form will provide for a detailed annual budget 
and the level of detail required by program staff to evaluate the 
effort to be invested by investigators and staff on a specific project. 
The COP budget form is compatible with forms in use by other agencies 
that participate in joint projects with COP; and can be found on the 
COP home page under COP Grants Support, Part D; or one may be requested 
by contacting the COP Grants Administrator listed earlier in this 
document under FURTHER INFORMATION.
    All applicants shall include a budget narrative/justification that 
supports all proposed budget object class categories. The program 
office will review the proposed budgets to determine the necessity and 
adequacy of proposed costs for accomplishing the objectives of the 
proposed grant. The SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction) 
Form, shall be requested from only those recipients subsequently 
recommended for award to the NOAA Grants Management Division after the 
competitive review process has been completed.
    NSF requires information on ship requirements in order to schedule 
time on UNOLS vessels. Ship requirements should be identified in the 
proposal and separately scheduled via UNOLS at the web site location 
listed earlier in this Document under FURTHER INFORMATION. If no ship 
time is required, indicate so in the proposal. Information on ship time 
needs is not used in proposal evaluation, only in scheduling 
appropriate platform availability.
    The investigator is responsible for sending copies to the UNOLS 
office and ship operators. Paper copies may be requested from UNOLS. 
The form is included in Appendix A of Instructions for Preparation of 
Proposals Requesting Support for Oceanographic Facilities,
    However, the electronic version is strongly preferred for ease of 
information exchange and processing. The form has been available 
electronically since l994 on the web site listed earlier in this 
Document under FURTHER INFORMATION. The NSF guidelines and ship time 
form were included in the then-existing e-mail based Internet 
electronic dissemination system operated by NSF - Science and 
Technology Information System).
    (6) Biographical sketch: Abbreviated curriculum vitae, two pages 
per investigator, are sought with each proposal. Include a list of up 
to five publications most closely related to the proposed project and 
up to five other significant publications. A list of all persons 
(including their organizational affiliation), in alphabetical order, 
who have collaborated on a project, book, article, or paper within the 
last 48 months should be included. If there are no collaborators, this 
should be so indicated. Students, post-doctoral associates, and 
graduate and postgraduate advisors of the PI should also be disclosed. 
This information is used to help identify potential conflicts of 
interest or bias in the selection of reviewers.
    (7) Current and pending support: NSF requires information on 
current and pending support of all proposers. Describe all current and 
pending support for all PIs, including subsequent funding in the case 
of continuing grants. A model format of the NSF form 1239 can be 
obtained from the address/homepage addresses listed earlier in this 
document under FURTHER INFORMATION. Use of this form is optional. 
However, the categories of information included on the NSF Form 1239 
must be provided.
    All current 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 PI and 
other senior personnel should be included, even if they receive no 
salary support from the project(s). The total award amount for the 
entire award period covered (including indirect costs) should be shown 
as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the 
project, regardless of source of support.
    (8) Proposal format and assembly: Clamp the proposal in the upper 
left-hand corner, but leave it unbound. Use one inch (2.5 cm) margins 
at the top, bottom, left and right of each page. Use

[[Page 16889]]

a clear and easily legible type face in standard 12 point size.

Part II: Further Supplementary Information

    (1) Program authorities: For a list of all program authorities for 
the Coastal Ocean Program, see COP's General Grant Administration Terms 
and Conditions annual notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 49162, 
September 10, 1999) and at the COP home page. Specific Authority cited 
for this Announcement is 33 U.S.C. 883(d) for Coastal Ocean Program and 
the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
1861-75) for NSF.
    (2) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: 11.478 for the 
Coastal Ocean Program and 47.050 for the Directorate for Geosciences, 
National Science Foundation.
    (3) Program description: For complete COP program descriptions, see 
the annual COP General Notice (64 FR 49162, September 10, 1999).
    (4) Funding availability: Funding is contingent upon receipt of 
fiscal years 2001-2005 Federal appropriations and upon availability of 
funds. The anticipated maximum annual funding for NEP GLOBEC activities 
is $6 to $8 million, which may not occur until 2001; until then the 
program expects increments from its current level of $2.5 million per 
year. Of the annual total, approximately half will be devoted to CCS 
activities (funded in an earlier RFP), and half to CGOA research 
(present RFP).
    If an application is selected for funding, NSF and NOAA have no 
obligation to provide any additional prospective funding in connection 
with that award in subsequent years. Renewal of an award to increase 
funding or extend the period of performance is based on satisfactory 
performance and is at the total discretion of the funding agencies. Not 
all proposals selected will receive funding for the entire duration of 
the CGOA program. Moreover, start dates for some proposals may be 
delayed, or proposals may be funded for the second of the two field 
years only. Proposals selected for funding by NSF must comply with NSF 
grants administration requirements for any additional budget forms 
required by that agency. NSF grants will be administered in accordance 
with the terms and conditions of NSF GC-1, ``Grant General 
Conditions,'' or FDP-III, ``Federal Demonstration Project General Terms 
and Conditions,'' depending on the grantee organization. More 
comprehensive information on the administration of NSF grant is 
contained in the Grant Policy Manual (NSF 95-26), available at 
http:www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf9526.
    Publication of this document does not obligate any agency to any 
specific award or to any part of the entire amount of funds available. 
Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency 
policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial 
assistance awards.
    (5) Matching requirements: None.
    (6) Type of funding instrument: Project Grants for non-Federal 
applicants; interagency transfer agreements or other appropriate 
mechanisms other than project grants or cooperative agreements for 
Federal applicants.
    (7) Eligibility criteria: For complete eligibility criteria for the 
Coastal Ocean Program, see COP's General Grant Administration Terms and 
Conditions annual document in the Federal Register (64 FR 49162, 
September 10, 1999) and at the COP home page. Proposals deemed 
acceptable from Federal researchers will be funded through a mechanism 
other than a grant or cooperative agreement where legal authority 
allows for such funding. Non-NOAA Federal applicants are required to 
submit certification or documentation which clearly shows that they can 
receive funds from the Department of Commerce (DOC) for research (i.e., 
legal authority exists allowing the transfer of funds from DOC to the 
non-NOAA Federal applicant's agency).
    (8) Award period: Full Proposals should cover a project period for 
5 years, FY 2001-05, all dependent on continuing appropriations and 
availability of funds.
    (9) Indirect costs: If indirect costs are proposed, the following 
statement applies: The total dollar amount of the indirect costs 
proposed in an application must not exceed the indirect cost rate 
negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior to the 
proposed effective date of the award.
    (10) Application forms: For complete information on application 
forms for the Coastal Ocean Program, see COP's General Grant 
Administration Terms and Conditions annual notice in the Federal 
Register (64 FR 49162, September 10, 1999); the COP home page; and the 
information given earlier in this document under Required Elements, 
paragraph (5) Budget.
    (11) Project funding priorities: For description of project funding 
priorities, see COP's General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions 
annual notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 49162, September 10, 1999) 
and at the COP home page. Those priorities are in addition to the 
priorities listed in this notice.
    (12) Evaluation criteria: For complete information on evaluation 
criteria, see COP's General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions 
annual notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 49162, September 10, 1999) 
and at the COP home page.
    (13) Selection procedures: For complete information on selection 
procedures, see COP's General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions 
annual notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 49162, September 10, 1999) 
and at the COP home page.
    (14) Other requirements: For a complete description of other 
requirements, see COP's General Grant Administration Terms and 
Conditions annual notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 49162, 
September 10, 1999) and at the COP home page.
    (15) 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, Hispanic Serving 
Institutions and Tribal Colleges and Universities 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.
    (16) Applicants are hereby notified that they are encouraged, to 
the greatest practicable extent, to purchase American-made equipment 
and products with funding provided under this program.
    (17) This notification involves collection-of-information 
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The use of 
Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and SF-LLL have been approved by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under control numbers 0348-0043, 
0348-0044, 0348-0040 and 0348-0046.
    The COP Grants Application Package has been approved by OMB under 
control number 0648-0384 and includes the following information 
collections: a Summary Proposal Budget Form, a Project Summary Form, 
standardized formats for the Annual Performance

[[Page 16890]]

Report and the Final Report, and the submission of up to twenty copies 
of proposals. Copies of these forms and formats can be found on the COP 
Home Page under Grants Support section, Part F.
    Proposals to NSF must include a one-page NSF-UNOLS Ship Time 
Request Form and the NSF Form l239 for Current and Pending Support. 
Both NSF forms have been approved by OMB as follows: The UNOLS form, 
also titled NSF Form 831, has OMB clearance through June 2002 under 
control number OMB No. 3145-0058. The NSF Form l239 for Current and 
Pending Support is also cleared as part of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide 
and Proposal Forms Kit under OMB Number. 3145-0058 with an expiration 
date of June 2002.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of 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 displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.

    Dated: March 23, 2000.
Ted I. Lillestolen,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    Dated: March 15, 2000.
G. Michael Purdy,
Director, Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 00-7922 Filed 3-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JS-F