[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 93 (Friday, May 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30566-30570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-12033]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Docket No. [000411103-0103-01; I.D. No. 021400B]
RIN: [0648-ZA86]


Announcement of Funding Opportunity for the Southeast Bering Sea 
Carrying Capacity Research Project.

AGENCY: Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR)/Coastal 
Ocean Program (COP), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Solicitation of research proposals for the Southeast Bering Sea 
Carrying Capacity Research Project.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program announces an opportunity for 
ecosystem dynamics studies on the southeastern Bering Sea shelf as part 
of the Southeast Bering Sea Carrying Capacity (SEBSCC) project. This 
announcement solicits 1-year and 2-year proposals for synthesis and 
limited monitoring to begin at the start of fiscal year (FY) 2001 
(October 1, 2000), contingent upon the availability of funds and 
facilities. This Phase III announcement addresses years five and six of 
SEBSCC. Funding for SEBSCC will terminate at the end of Phase III 
(September 30, 2002).
    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 at the COP office is 3 
p.m. local time on July 11, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit the original and 13 copies of your proposal to the 
COP Office (SEBSCC 2001), SSMC#3, 9th Floor, Station 9700, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. In addition, submit an 
electronic copy of the proposal in either WordPerfect or MSWord format 
at time of initial application. 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.
    Further information on this program and summaries and results of 
all projects funded under Phases I and II of SEBSCC are available from 
SEBSCC's web site at http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/sebscc and COP's web site 
at http://www.cop.noaa.gov

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical Information: Allen Macklin 
at Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way, 
Seattle, WA, 98115-0070, 206-526-6798, Internet: 
[email protected], or Elizabeth Turner, SEBSCC 2001 Program 
Manager, Coastal Ocean Program Office, 301-713-3338/ext 135, Internet: 
[email protected].
    Business Management Information: Leslie McDonald, COP Grants 
Office, 301-713-3338/ext 137; Internet: [email protected].

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 notification in the Federal Register (64 FR 
49162, September 10, 1999) and at the COP home page. It is anticipated 
that final selections for funding will be made in late fiscal year 
2000.
    The Bering Sea ecosystem experiences interannual and climate 
variability. Oceanographic conditions observed during Phases I and II 
of SEBSCC

[[Page 30567]]

differed in several key respects. For example, summer of 1997 brought 
warm (+3 degree C) sea temperature anomalies, unusually strong 
stratification, a coccolithophorid bloom, and reduced numbers of 
foraging sea birds and returning salmon. The year 1999 brought cold sea 
temperatures that have not been seen since the mid-1970s.
    Strong contrasts in ocean conditions provide a basis for synthesis 
and comparison of the role of oceanic conditions on the carrying 
capacity of the Bering Sea. Specifically, proposals are sought that 
examine existing data to understand how oceanographic changes affect 
the food web and food supply to higher trophic level animals. Also, 
proposals are sought that seek to test whether selected biophysical 
indices can be used to identify the state of the ecosystem and the 
juvenile walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) resource and to 
measure the predictive capability of those indices.
    The Bering Sea ecosystem is among the most productive of high-
latitude seas and supports large populations of marine fish, birds and 
mammals. This productivity is important to the U.S. economy in that 
fish and shellfish from the region constitute almost 5 percent of the 
world and 40 percent of the U.S. fisheries harvest. Pollock, salmon, 
halibut, and crab generate over 2 billion dollars per year in fisheries 
revenue and provide a major source of protein. The overwhelming 
dominance of pollock in the Bering Sea means that this species 
currently plays a singularly important role in this ecosystem. SEBSCC 
Phase I and II research sought to understand the processes controlling 
the Bering Sea ecosystem. During those studies, several indications of 
ecosystem change were detected. The synthesis phase of SEBSCC is 
designed to assimilate research findings on biophysical processes 
underlying the ecosystem change in the Bering Sea.
    Quantifying the relative importance of natural variations and 
human-induced variations in explaining upper trophic level ecosystem 
changes is a key management issue for the Bering Sea. Differentiating 
trends in fish stock abundance attributable to human exploitation from 
trends due to natural variations is difficult because the fisheries and 
environmental time series are often short or incomplete. Trends are 
seldom stable and can be subject to regional variation. Important lower 
trophic level changes include those natural and anthropogenic 
variations that cause shifts in the production of new organic matter 
and its vertical distribution.
    SEBSCC postulates that a large fraction of the Bering Sea ecosystem 
energy passes through the pollock population. Juvenile pollock respond 
to and potentially impact primary and secondary production through 
grazing, and influence the availability of food for upper trophic level 
species, including adult pollock, seabirds, and marine mammals. Pollock 
provide an important measure of the condition of the present ecosystem, 
and may be an indicator of changes in the Bering Sea over the last 
three decades and in the future.
    The SEBSCC program is designed to improve our understanding of the 
Bering Sea ecosystem; the results of this endeavor will directly assist 
fishery and resource managers.

SEBSCC Goal and Phase III Objectives

    The goal of SEBSCC is to increase understanding of the southeastern 
Bering Sea pelagic ecosystem. New information will be used to develop 
and test annual indices of pre-recruit (age-0 and age-1) pollock 
abundance that will support management of pollock stocks and help 
determine food availability to other species.
    The specific objectives for Phase III are to:
    (1) Develop indices for pre-recruit pollock in the Bering Sea by 
using several complimentary approaches;
    (2) Provide limited monitoring to test proposed indices;
    (3) Provide a synthesis of current Bering Sea ecosystem research, 
as documented in a special journal issue to be published in 2001 and 
other sources, for publication in the Coastal Ocean Program Decision 
Analysis Series.

Structure of the Research Program

    SEBSCC is a NOAA COP regional ecosystem project begun in 1996. This 
continuing effort is managed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, 
NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and NOAA's Pacific Marine 
Environmental Laboratory. SEBSCC synthesis research comprises three 
components: modeling and index development, monitoring, and synthesis/
assessment of results of process-oriented field studies.
    (1) Modeling and index development: This effort is designed to 
synthesize results generated by SEBSCC or by other programs and 
historical data, using conceptual, theoretical, statistical, and 
numerical models to investigate the ecosystem, especially the role of 
pollock. Proposals are encouraged that will provide spatially explicit 
biophysical models that quantify the influence of ocean forcing on the 
bioenergetics, life history, and age structure of pollock populations 
in the Bering Sea.
    The time period should emphasize information gained through process 
studies and system observations during the SEBSCC years 1995-1999 or a 
broader retrospective period from the 1970s to the 1999s. SEBSCC 
anticipates funding three or four parallel but complementary approaches 
to synthesis of information on the Bering Sea and development of 
pollock recruitment indices. These include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Fisheries modeling that emphasizes a top-down approach, but 
includes the impact of juvenile pollock and some spatial and ecosystem 
dependence;
    (b) Coupled biophysical models that contrast transport and food 
variability in the different SEBSCC years 1995-1999, and treat pollock 
to age 6 months;
    (c) Conceptual/observationally based studies to develop and test 
indices, including, but not limited to, retrospective analysis of the 
performance of selected ecosystem parameters that are leading 
indicators of pollock production and/or ecosystem change.
    Investigators should demonstrate how their research would improve 
our understanding of the impacts of ocean forcing on marine production 
and how these findings can be used to improve resource management of 
the eastern Bering Sea. Efforts to quantify uncertainty in model 
predictions are highly encouraged.
    (2) Monitoring: The aim of the monitoring component is to provide 
the basis for interannual comparison of the population processes and 
their coupling to the physical structure and variability of the 
environment. Shipboard studies help to determine the distribution and 
abundance of target organisms in relation to their physical 
environment. SEBSCC suggests the continuation of the biophysical 
mooring at Site 2 and a spring biological cruise that measures water 
properties, nutrients, zooplankton and larval pollock at previous 
SEBSCC sites. Funding is available for making observations and data 
processing.
    (3) Written synthesis/assessment of results of process studies: 
Research results from SEBSCC Phases I and II and other programs are to 
be submitted to a special journal issue by September 2000. Under this 
AO, there is an opportunity for researchers to use the content of the 
special issue, additional SEBSCC material and other information to 
produce a manuscript for inclusion in a Coastal Ocean Program Decision 
Analysis Series report. The manuscript will review SEBSCC and other 
research

[[Page 30568]]

results, evaluate their importance in meeting the goals of SEBSCC and 
management needs, discuss progress in understanding the ecosystem of 
the southeastern Bering Sea, and make recommendations for future 
research.

About Phases I and II

    Proposals for Phase I studies were requested in 1996 and funded in 
fiscal years 1997 and 1998. Summaries and results of all projects 
funded under Phase I of SEBSCC are available from the SEBSCC web site, 
see ADDRESSES.
    Central Scientific issues for Phase I included the following:
    (1) Influence of climate variability on the Bering Sea ecosystem: 
Was there historical evidence for a biophysical regime shift on the 
Bering Sea shelf? How was this reflected in ecological relationships 
and species mix? Are there ``top-down'' ecosystem effects associated 
with climate variations as well as with ``bottom-up'' effects?
    (2) Limited population growth on the Bering Sea shelf: Was there 
evidence of a single species carrying capacity, e.g. for pollock, or a 
more complex structure? What is the ecological role of pollock on the 
Bering Sea shelf, i.e. how are pollock, forage fish, and apex species 
linked through energetics and life history? How important is 
cannibalism?
    (3) Influence of oceanographic conditions of biological 
distribution on the shelf: How do the separate mixing domains, sea ice, 
and cold pool influence the overlap or separation between predators and 
prey?
    (4) Possible influences on primary and secondary production 
regimes: What were the sources of nutrients to the southeastern Bering 
Sea shelf, and what processes affected their availability? Has the 
variability in sea ice extent and timing been the primary factor 
influencing productivity? What has determined the relative allocation 
of organic carbon going to benthos versus that remaining in the pelagic 
system? What are the lower trophic level structure and energetics on 
the shelf in summer and winter, especially regarding euphausiids? What 
is the role of gelatinous organisms?
    Proposals for Phase II studies were requested in 1998 and funded in 
FYs 1999 and 2000. Summaries and results of all projects funded under 
Phase II of SEBSCC are available from the SEBSCC web site, see 
ADDRESSES.
    The specific objectives for Phase II were to:
    (1) Determine how changes in on-shelf transport of nutrients impact 
pelagic food webs. This includes determination of how timing, duration, 
magnitude, and species composition of primary, secondary, and forage 
fish production affect food availability for higher trophic levels.
    (2) Determine how climate variability influences the spatial 
overlap of pollock of different life stages, and how the availability 
of juvenile pollock to predators affects pollock survival rate.

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 addressing Phase III, objective (1), should cover a 
2-year project period, i.e., from date of award through twenty-four 
(24) consecutive months. Proposals addressing Phase III, objective (2), 
should cover a 1-year period, FY 2001. Proposals addressing objective 
(3) should cover a 1-year period commencing with acceptance of 
manuscripts for the special journal issue (approximately spring 2001). 
Prospective investigators should provide a full scientific 
justification for their research and not simply reiterate 
justifications laid out in this AO or in previous documents.
    Proposals should be written to allow adequate review of the details 
of such things as goals and objectives, conceptual framework, 
methodological approaches, integration with other likely projects and 
syntheses. Variables to be used as candidate indices are to be directly 
mentioned and justified.
    Successful proposers are strongly encouraged to present preliminary 
results at the Tenth Annual PICES meeting planned for Victoria, B.C., 
Canada, in October 2001. Travel costs for the meeting may be included 
in prospective budgets. In addition, it would be helpful if a statement 
is included as to how proposed efforts are related to efforts of other 
potential investigators; interdisciplinary and multi-trophic level 
coordination are particularly encouraged. Because of an 8-page 
limitation for the project description, individual proposals with 
overly complex structure and large numbers of investigators are 
discouraged.

Full Proposals

    Applications submitted to this announcement require an original 
proposal and 13 proposal copies at time of submission. This requirement 
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. In addition, an electronic copy of the 
proposal in either WordPerfect or MSWord format is requested at time of 
initial application. 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 follow closely 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 PI and the institutional representative. The summary title page 
identifies the project's title starting with the acronym SEBSCC 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 
(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. State whether you are proposing modeling and index 
development, monitoring, or synthesis/assessment of process studies.
    For modeling and index development, describe the method(s) to be 
used, the relation to potential pollock indices, and the hypothesis to 
be tested. For monitoring, state the relationship to existing 
observations and to development of a pre-recruit index. 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

[[Page 30569]]

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 project description 
section should not exceed eight pages of text and five figures. It is 
important to provide a full scientific justification for the research; 
and not to simply reiterate justifications presented in this document. 
Page and figure limits are inclusive of figures and other visual 
materials, but exclusive of references and milestone chart. This 
section should include:
    (a) The objective for the period of proposed work and its expected 
result and 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 provides synthesis and support for selection of 
indices, if applicable;
    (d) A project management statement that clearly identifies the 
functions of each PI within a team;
    (e) A potential coordination with other investigators;
    (f) An intent to adhere to NOAA's specific requirements that 
environmental data be submitted to the National Oceanographic Data 
Center; adherence to the data policy that is posted on SEBSCC's home 
page; and
    (g) References cited: Reference information is required. Each 
reference must include the names 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 
bibliographical information only and should not be used to provide 
parenthetical information outside of 8-page project description.
    (4) Milestone chart: Time lines of major tasks covering the 12- to 
24-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., 2001, 2002). Multi-institution 
proposals must include budget forms from each institution.
    This budget form, compatible with forms in use by other agencies 
that participate in joint projects with COP, will provide a detailed 
annual budget and the level of detail required by the COP program staff 
to evaluate the effort to be invested by investigators and staff on a 
specific project. The COP budget form can be found on the COP home page 
under COP Grants Support, Part D, or may be requested from the COP 
Grants Administrator listed 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.
    (6) Biographical sketch: An abbreviated curriculum vitae, two pages 
per investigator, is 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, not related to the project. 
Include 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. If no 
collaborators exist, indicate their absence. Disclose students, post-
doctoral associates, and graduate and postgraduate advisors of the PI 
because this information is used to help identify potential conflicts 
of interest or bias in the selection of reviewers.
    (7) Current and pending support: Describe all current and pending 
support for all PIs, including subsequent funding in the case of 
continuing grants. List all current support from whatever source (e.g., 
Federal, state or local government agencies, private foundations, 
industrial or other commercial organizations). Include the proposed 
project and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of 
time of the PI and other senior personnel even if they receive no 
salary support from the project(s). Show the total award amount for the 
entire award period covered (including indirect costs) should be shown 
as well as the number of persons or 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 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 document 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.
    (2) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: 11.478 for the 
Coastal Ocean Program.
    (3) Program description: For complete COP program descriptions, see 
the annual COP General Document (64 FR 49162, September 10, 1999).
    (4) Funding availability: Funding is contingent upon receipt of 
fiscal years 2001-2002 Federal appropriations. The anticipated maximum 
annual funding for SEBSCC is $700,000 in FYs 2001 and $300,000 in FY 
2002. It is anticipated that $450,000 in FYs 2001 and $200,000 in FY 
2002 will be available to fund three or four modeling and index 
development projects addressing Phase III objective (1). Further, it is 
projected that approximately $150,000 will be available for monitoring 
in FY 2001 to address Phase III objective (2). In 2001, one month of 
ship time is expected during spring for monitoring work. Joint work 
with other research institutions on their vessels is a possibility. 
Approximately $40,000 will be available for synthesis/assessment of 
results of process studies. This component will begin when all 
submissions to the special journal issue are accepted, probably spring 
2001.
    It is recognized that resources are limited; therefore, potential 
investigators are encouraged to consider leveraging their proposals 
with support from other sources, although this is not a requirement. 
Investigators interested in the Bering Sea may also consider becoming 
no-cost collaborators; ship time and modest travel support would be 
available.
    If an application is selected for funding, NOAA has 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

[[Page 30570]]

period of performance is based on satisfactory performance and is at 
the total discretion of the funding agencies.
    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 notification in the Federal Register (64 FR 49162, 
September 10, 1999) and at the COP home page. Federal researchers in 
successful multi-investigator proposals will be funded through NOAA. 
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 of 1 
or 2 years, FYs 2001-2002. Multi-year funding will be funded 
incrementally on an annual basis. Therefore, each annual award shall 
require a Statement of Work that is clearly severable and can be easily 
separated into annual increments of meaningful work which represent 
solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made available.
    (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 document in the Federal 
Register (64 FR 49162, September 10, 1999), Part (9) Application Forms 
and Kit; and at the COP home page, under Grants Support, Part D, 
Application Forms for Initial Proposal Submission; and the information 
given earlier in this document under Required Elements, paragraph (5) 
Budget.
    With the exception of the Standard Form 424 (Rev July 1997) 
Application for Federal Assistance, the other standard NOAA forms 
required as part of a complete application package may be submitted at 
time of application, or at a later date if the applicant is 
subsequently notified of selection for funding.
    (11) Project funding priorities: For description of project funding 
priorities, 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. Those priorities are in addition to the 
priorities listed in this document.
    (12) Evaluation criteria: For complete information on evaluation 
criteria, 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.
    (13) Selection procedures: For complete information on selection 
procedures, 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.
    (14) Other requirements: Intergovernmental Review: Applications 
under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs''. For a complete 
description of all other requirements, 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.
    (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 (MSIs)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 has 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 Report and the Final 
Report, and the submission of up to 20 copies of proposals. Copies of 
these forms and formats can be found on the COP Home Page under Grants 
Support section, Part F.
    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: May 8, 2000.
Ted I. Lillestolen,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-12033 Filed 5-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JS-F