[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22403-22407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10982]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 020409082-2082-01]
RIN 0648-ZB18


Call for Proposals To Establish a Cooperative Institute for Ocean 
Remote Sensing With the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and 
Information Service

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service 
(NESDIS), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Federal assistance.

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SUMMARY: The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information 
Service (NESDIS) invites applications to establish a Cooperative 
Institute for Ocean Remote Sensing (CIORS). The Institute will be 
structured to provide a stable collaborative environment between NESDIS 
and the recipient within which a broad-based research program in ocean 
remote sensing can be developed and sustained. This announcement 
provides guidelines for the proposed Cooperative Institute, and 
includes details for the technical program, evaluation criteria, and 
competitive selection procedures.

DATES: Complete proposals with a Grants Application Package must be 
received by NESDIS at the address identified in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice no later than 5 p.m. EST on July 1, 2002. Facsimile 
transmissions and electronic mail submissions will not be accepted. 
Late applications will not be considered, and will be returned to the 
applicant.

ADDRESSES: Send all proposals to the Office of Research and 
Applications; NOAA/NESDIS; 5200 Auth Road; Room 711; Camp Springs, MD 
20746-4304. Proposals should cite this Notice and be sent to the 
attention of Dr. Eric Bayler, Chief, Oceanic Research and Applications 
Division (ORAD).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regarding administration questions, 
Ms. Kathleen LeFevre, (301) 763-8127, [email protected]. Regarding 
program questions, Dr. Eric Bayler (301) 763-8102 ext. 102, 
[email protected]. Additional information on NESDIS and its mission-
related remote sensing activities can be found at http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  
    Funding Instrument: The selected recipient will: (1) Enter into a 
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Environmental 
Satellite, Data and Information Service that delineates the terms of 
reference for establishing the Cooperative Institute and provides 
guidelines for its subsequent activities; and, (2) Receive a renewable, 
5-year cooperative agreement to support the development of the 
Institute's cooperative research program with NESDIS in the area of 
satellite ocean remote sensing. The award will have an initial base 
term of five years. A NESDIS-sponsored, independent panel will conduct 
a review of the Institute during the fourth year of the five-year 
program. The Panel's findings and recommendations will serve as the 
basis for renewal of the Institute for an additional five years.

    Authority: Statutory authority for this program is provided 
under 33 U.S.C. 1442 (Research program respecting possible long-
range effects of pollution, over fishing, and

[[Page 22404]]

man-induced changes of ocean ecosystems); and 49 U.S.C. 44720 
(Meteorological Services).

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): This program is 
listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under Number 
11.440 (Research in Remote Sensing of the Earth and Environment).
    Funding Availability: Funding for this program in FY 2002 will be 
contingent upon the availability of funds, but it is anticipated that 
approximately $500,000 will be available for the first (start-up) year 
and a minimum of $500,000 each year thereafter for the term of the 
agreement. These funds will provide a base core of funds for the 
development and subsequent activities of the Institute and include the 
core costs of administering the Institute and funding of the individual 
research projects. These funds will be allocated as follows: no more 
than $250,000 for costs associated with the administration and outreach 
components of the Institute; the remainder to fund the individual 
projects that form the research component. The administration and 
outreach components will form the base proposal to be funded on an 
annual basis. The individual research projects will be funded as 
amendments to the base cooperative agreement. The Director of the 
Institute will be responsible for the overall development of the 
research programs. The successful applicant will be expected to 
leverage off this base to develop, by the end of the initial five-year 
term of the cooperative agreement, a self-sustaining, competitive 
research program in externally-supported coastal and open-ocean 
satellite remote sensing (hereafter described as ``ocean remote 
sensing'') research with a goal on the order of $1,000,000 annually.

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are non-federal public and private non-profit 
universities, colleges, and research institutions that offer accredited 
graduate-level degree-granting programs leading to a Doctor of 
Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Oceanography, or equivalent degree in the 
physical or Earth sciences.

Background

    The ocean increasingly impacts various aspects of human lives, 
including economics, public safety, national security, and quality of 
life. Ocean-observing environmental satellites provide a critical 
observational resource in the Nation's efforts to understand and 
predict these complex relationships. NESDIS seeks to establish a 
Cooperative Institute for Ocean Remote Sensing. The Institute will 
provide a collaborative research and technology environment enabling 
the Nation's academic and industrial research communities and NESDIS to 
promote and make available research into operational ocean remote 
sensing capabilities.
    NOAA has primary mission responsibilities in environmental 
prediction, assessment, and the conservation and management of coastal 
and oceanic resources. NESDIS, one of the five principal offices within 
NOAA, has the lead role in providing environmental satellite data and 
information to support NOAA's coastal and ocean mission roles. NESDIS 
is involved in the full spectrum of environmental satellite activities. 
These activities include: satellite spacecraft operations; data 
acquisition from both domestic and foreign environmental satellites; 
environmental data distribution and management; research and 
development of environmental data products and information services; 
and development of future satellite sensor requirements.
    Within NESDIS, the Office of Research and Applications (ORA) serves 
as the principal interface between the NESDIS operational oceanic, 
atmospheric, and climate-related satellite observation activities and 
the Nation's research community. Through a broad range of both 
internally- and externally-funded research activities, ORA helps ensure 
that NESDIS realizes the full potential of national and international 
research in atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial remote sensing across 
the full spectrum of its mission responsibilities described above.

Program Description

    The primary purpose of the Institute is to create a mechanism to 
bring together the resources of a research-oriented university or 
institution, NESDIS, and other branches of NOAA in order to develop and 
maintain a center of excellence in satellite remote-sensing research 
relevant to understanding and providing adequate stewardship of the 
Earth's oceans, coastal waters, marine ecosystems, and the living and 
non-living resources within these regions. The selected recipient will 
be expected to:
    1. Build an Institutional Infrastructure (Administrative Core): 
Provide an organizational setting to promote and establish research 
relating to satellite ocean remote sensing by drawing upon multiple 
disciplines and involving collaboration with multiple research-
performing and research-sponsoring partners. Serve as a model of 
outreach, input, and collaboration for applying research to solving 
priority problems in coastal and ocean remote sensing, current 
satellite system optimization, and future satellite system development 
and planning.
    2. Expand Research in Satellite Ocean Remote Sensing, Satellite 
Data Management, and User Access Technologies (Research Component): 
Support multi-disciplinary research projects aimed at satellite remote-
sensing in support of the Nation's coastal and ocean remote-sensing 
responsibilities, to include: (a) Algorithm development and validation; 
(b) Application of active and passive satellite remote-sensing 
techniques such as altimetry, scatterometry, synthetic aperture radar, 
radiometry, and ocean color imagery; (c) Satellite sensor development 
and demonstration; (d) Technologies relating to satellite data 
acquisition, data distribution, mission operations, and mission 
planning; and satellite sensor development and demonstration; (e) 
Technologies relating to improving user access to data and data 
management; (f) Techniques for assimilating satellite data for improved 
ocean modeling and forecasting of both oceanic and atmospheric 
parameters. Through such multi-disciplinary research, explore new 
approaches for enhancing the use of present and future environmental 
satellites to meet the rapidly changing needs of the Nation's coastal 
and ocean regions.
    3. Increase Recruitment and Outreach (Outreach Component): Enhance 
opportunities for user familiarization with ocean and coastal satellite 
remote sensing, research training, career development, and mentoring in 
ocean remote sensing.

Roles and Responsibilities

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1 (Recipient 
Activities), and NESDIS will be responsible for the activities under 2 
(NESDIS activities).

1. Recipient Activities

    (A) Administrative Core: (1) Establish an appropriate 
organizational setting and institutional infrastructure that are 
supportive of developing the Cooperative Institute into a self-
sustaining research collaboration. This setting must facilitate 
collaboration between NESDIS, the Cooperative Institute, and multiple 
external research partners. (2) Establish relationships with 
organizations relevant to the success of the Institute's research 
agenda, demonstrated by letters of agreement. Cooperation with public 
and private

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sector coastal and ocean resource management, administration, and 
research programs is encouraged. (3) Establish appropriate 
relationships with organizations or individuals to ensure that the 
Institute's research can be applied to solving priority problems of a 
national scale (meaning, broadly applicable) or in local regions.
    (B) Research Component: (1) Organize and develop an integrated 
research program theme and agenda that will address research topics of 
programmatic interest to NESDIS/ORA/ORAD as outlined in the ``Program 
Description'' section of this announcement. An overview of ORAD's 
programs is available on their website http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/ora/. (2) Within the developed research agenda, 
design and propose research projects that have sufficient scientific 
merit to attract external research funding. (3) Conduct oceanographic 
research of significance to NESDIS' role in coastal and open ocean 
processes. Individual research projects are to be coordinated with one 
another and, whenever possible, projects among research areas are also 
to be coordinated. The high level of coordination is intended to 
broaden the scientific findings of each individual project or program 
by making research results useful to a large number of scientists 
conducting research in oceanographic sciences. Specifically, the 
Director shall ensure that: (a) The research falls within the scope of 
the 5-year cooperative agreement; (b) collaborative efforts with NESDIS 
and other organizations are identified; (c) the research addresses 
important problems; (d) the concepts and methods proposed for the 
research are acceptable; (e) Principal Investigators are qualified to 
conduct the research; and (f) costs are fair and reasonable. (4) 
Disseminate research findings to the national and international 
scientific communities via journals, conference presentations, and the 
World-Wide Web.
    (5) Make successful research available to efforts and applications 
that improve the Nation's ocean remote-sensing capabilities, ocean 
models, marine and atmospheric forecast accuracy, long-term ocean 
monitoring.
    (C) Outreach Component: Establish a program for enhancing 
opportunities, career development and training, including the mentoring 
of junior researchers and programs for training mid-career or 
transitional professionals.

2. NESDIS Activities

    (A) Review proposal(s), conducted by the NOAA Program Officer, to 
ensure that the research is consistent with the joint technical and 
programmatic interests of the organizations.
    (B) Provide technical assistance on projects as necessary.
    (C) Provide for the exchange of professional staff, skilled in 
relevant aspects of ocean remote sensing research, for research program 
development, mentoring, cross-training of scientists and professionals, 
and professional development.
    (D) Collaborate with the Institute's scientists on research 
activities.
    (E) Provide access to NESDIS developmental and operational 
environmental satellite data, information, and constituency service 
activities to support the Institute's research program.
    NOAA Grants Application Package. The Department of Commerce (DOC) 
Pre-Award Notification of Requirements for Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements contained in the Federal Register Notice of October 1, 2001 
(66 FR 49917; DOCID:fr01oc01-39) are applicable to this solicitation. 
However, please note that DOC will not implement the requirements of 
Executive Order 13202 (66 FR 49921), pursuant to guidance issued by the 
Office of Management and Budget in light of a court opinion which found 
that the Executive Order was not legally authorized. See Building and 
Construction Trades Department v. Allbaugh, 172 F. Supp. 2d 138 (D.D.C. 
2001). This decision is currently on appeal. When the case has been 
finally resolved, DOC will provide further information on 
implementation of Executive Order 13202. All applicants are required to 
submit a complete application package and proposal. The standard forms 
and additional information are available on the DOC Grants Management 
Web site at http://www.doc.gov/oebam/grants.htm. If Internet access is 
not available, forms can be obtained by mail by contacting the NOAA/
NESDIS/ORA at (301) 763-8102. A signed original and two copies of the 
proposal must be received by ORA by the time and date indicated in the 
DATES section of this Notice. Investigators are required to submit 3 
copies of the proposal, however, the review process requires 10 copies. 
Investigators are encouraged to submit sufficient proposal copies, 
especially color or unusually sized (not 8.5" x 11"), or otherwise 
unusual materials submitted as part of the proposal. Proposals must be 
limited to a total of no more than 40 pages, including budget 
justification, investigators' vitae, and all appendices. Appended 
information may not be used to circumvent the page length limit. 
Federally-mandated forms are not included within the page count. 
Proposals should be submitted in the following format in 12-point font. 
Incomplete proposals will not be considered and will be returned to the 
applicant.

Proposal Preparation

    Core Proposal for establishing and administering the Institute.
    1. Title Page--Core funding for the Cooperative Institute for Ocean 
Remote Sensing (CIORS), the lead Principal Investigator (Director, 
CIORS), Partner name(s) (if any) and their respective affiliations, 
complete addresses, telephone, FAX, and e-mail information. The title 
page will also provide the total proposed cost on an annual basis for 
the five-year period. The title page should be signed by the Principal 
Investigators (PI(s)) and the institutional representative of the PI's 
organization.
    2. Goals and Objectives of the Institute--Identify broad research 
goals, a general description of how the applicant proposes to achieve 
those goals, a summary of the applicant's institutional qualifications 
and relevant experience to conduct the proposed program, and 
quantifiable objectives for each of the three primary elements for the 
proposed Cooperative Institute: Administrative Core, Research 
Component, and Outreach Component.
    3. Technical Approach--Describe the specific approach the applicant 
proposes to accomplish the proposed Institute's identified purposes. 
Provide details of the Institute's process for selecting individual 
research projects.
    4. Project Partners--Identify any project partners, their 
respective roles, and their contributions/relationships to the proposed 
effort.
    5. Milestones and Outcomes--List target milestones, time lines, and 
desired outcomes; and identify the potential value of the proposed work 
to the needs of the targeted audience.
    6. Qualifications and Relevant Experience--Identify the 
qualifications and relevant experience of the applicant (and partners) 
that relate to each of the following ocean remote-sensing activities 
relevant to the mission of NESDIS: Satellite spacecraft operations; 
data acquisition from both domestic and foreign environmental 
satellites; data distribution and management; research and development 
of environmental data products and information services; assimilation 
of remote-sensing data into environmental models, and future satellite 
sensor requirements development.
    7. Summary of the applicant's relevant current or recently 
completed (please limit to past 5 years)

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administrative, research and outreach activities that should be 
considered in selection process. Also identify activities related to 
achieving NOAA's goals with respect to minority serving institutions.
    8. Institute Budget--Provide a detailed budget breakdown by 
category (Core funding, research themes (by year for efforts proposed 
for multiple years)) and a brief narrative to provide the basis for the 
proposed budget.
    9. Key Personnel Qualifications--Provide curriculum vitae for each 
individual considered key to the success of the proposed effort, 
including relevant publications by the individual in scientific and 
professional literature.

Evaluation Criteria (with weights)

    Applications will be subject to a peer review. Each application 
will be evaluated individually against the following criteria, with 
each proposal's score based on scientific and technical merit. Factors 
to be considered include:

1. Build Infrastructure (Administrative Core)--30 Points

    A. Organizational Infrastructure: Does the applicant demonstrate a 
multi-disciplinary approach to achieve the mission? Will the approach 
lead to the development of a body of knowledge that can yield results 
beyond that accomplished with individual projects alone? Will the CIORS 
attract established investigators and develop genuine collaboration 
among investigators with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise.
    B. Environment: Does the scientific, technical and administrative 
environment of the institute contribute to excellence and the 
probability of success? Does the proposed Institute employ useful 
collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of a high level of 
Institutional commitment and support? Does the Institute Director (PI) 
have specific authority and responsibility to carry out the project? 
Does the Institute Director have a high enough level of organizational 
influence to garner the support needed for the institute, i.e., report 
to an appropriate institutional official, e.g., dean of school, vice 
president of a university? Is the time and effort indicated for the 
Institute Director adequate (minimum of 25 percent effort devoted 
solely to the Institute) with an anticipated range of 25 to 50 
percent)?
    C. Collaboration: Ability to build coalitions and partnerships with 
critical organizations and individuals (such as distinguished 
scientists, as well as potential researchers-in-training, universities, 
colleges, research institutions, state and local governments, and other 
public and private nonprofit organizations) and to facilitate 
collaboration and coordination to assure the accomplishment of the 
Institute's goals.
    D. Organization: The quality and appropriateness of the 
organizational structure, the quality and experience of the 
administrative staff, the plans for quality control through in-house 
consultation and outside review (e.g., Scientific Advisory Board), and 
the quality of the plans allocating and monitoring of resources.
    E. Ease of Collaboration: Does the location of the proposed 
Institute allow for easy collaboration with NESDIS's principal centers 
of research, applications development, and operational activities?
    F. Budget: Reasonableness of proposed budget and time frame for the 
project in relation to the work proposed.

2. Research Component--55 points

    A. Research Theme and Agenda: Is the concept of an institute 
fulfilled, i.e., is there an organizing theme (or set of themes) and 
associated research agenda that defines the mission of the CIORS.
    B. Societal Significance: Does the proposal address important 
coastal and open ocean issues amenable to ocean remote-sensing 
observations? What will be the effect of the institute and its 
affiliated studies on fundamental advances in the development, testing, 
and dissemination of coastal and open-ocean satellite remotely sensed 
data and information?
    C. Leadership: Are the institute director and other senior 
investigators recognized as leaders in their respective fields? Do they 
have the experience and authority to organize, administer and direct 
the Institute?
    D. Research Projects: Are the proposed specific research themes of 
exceptional scientific merit?
    E. Innovation: Does the Institute propose to develop novel 
concepts, approaches, measures or methods in basic research that will 
inform and guide public use of satellite-remote-sensing-derived ocean 
data and information? Are the aims original and innovative? Do the 
projects extend existing approaches or develop new methodologies or 
technologies?

3. Recruitment and Outreach (Promote Training)--15 Points

    A. Does the applicant include a research development component for 
new, mid-career or transitional professionals through research training 
and career development mechanisms?
    B. To what extent are efforts made to recruit a wide variety of 
professionals and students to the CIORS, including minority 
professionals and students?
    Selection Procedures: A selection panel will be convened to review 
and to provide recommendations on selection using the above criteria. 
The panel may consist of both Federal and non-Federal experts in the 
field. No consensus recommendation will be made. Proposals will be 
ranked according to their cumulative score and presented to the 
Selecting Official for final selection. In addition to the individual 
rankings assigned by the panel, the selecting official may consider the 
following program policy factors: Balance among the prioritized 
research areas of programmatic interest described in the Program 
Description of this Notice and duplication of other research programs 
currently funded by NOAA. Unsatisfactory performance by a recipient 
under prior Federal awards may result in an application not being 
considered for funding. As a result of this review, the Selecting 
Official may decide to select an award out of rank order.
    Disposition of Unsuccessful Proposals. Proposals will be held in 
the Program Office until award of the Cooperative Institute agreement 
to the selected recipient and then destroyed.

Funding

    A maximum of $250,000 will be available annually for the core 
administrative costs of establishing and maintaining the Institute. 
Funds for the core proposal will be provided at the beginning of the 
annual performance period. It is estimated that an additional $250,000 
will be available during the first year of performance to fund the 
individual research projects. Individual research projects will be 
funded as amendments to the agreement throughout the 5-year period. It 
is estimated that a minimum of $500,000 each year thereafter for the 
term of the agreement will be available for funding the administrative, 
outreach, and research projects. The Institute will be expected to 
leverage off this base to develop, by the end of the initial 5-year 
term of the grant, a self-sustaining, competitive research program with 
a goal on the order of $1,000,000 annually in externally supported 
coastal and open ocean remote-sensing research.
    Cost Sharing--There is no requirement for cost sharing in response 
to this program announcement.

Intergovernmental Review

    Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 
12372,

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``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

Executive Order 12866

    It has been determined that this notice is not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.

Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)

    It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies 
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order 
13132.
    Because notice and comment are not required under 5 U.S.C. 553, or 
any other law, for notices relating to public property, loans, grants 
benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)), a Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis is not required and has not been prepared for this notice, 5 
U.S.C. et seq.

    Dated: April 26, 2002.
Gregory W. Withee,
Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services.
[FR Doc. 02-10982 Filed 5-2-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-HR-P