[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 111 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39683-39695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14256]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 000927276-2103-03]
RIN 0648-ZA94


Coastal Services Center Broad Area Announcement

AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of federal assistance.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA Coastal Services Center (Center) is soliciting 
applications for federal assistance for the following program areas: 
Landscape Characterization and Restoration (LCR), Integration and 
Development (I&D), Outreach, Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) and 
Information Resources (IR). This announcement provides guidelines for 
these program areas and includes details for the evaluation criteria, 
and selection procedures of each program. Selected recipients will 
enter into either a cooperative agreement with the Center or receive a 
grant depending upon the amount of the Center's involvement in the 
project. Funding for these programs will be contingent upon 
availability of FY 2003 funding availability.

DATES: Each program area has specific dates for application and 
proposal deadlines. Refer directly to that program area description 
under Supplementary Information listed below.

ADDRESSES: Send all proposals to: NOAA Coastal Services Center, 2234 
South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. Landscape 
Characterization and Restoration (LCR) proposals should be sent to the 
attention of Jeffery Adkins, Room 238A. Integration and Development 
(I&D) proposals should be sent to the attention of James Lewis Free, 
Room 236B. Outreach proposals should be sent to the attention of Jan 
Kucklick, Room 142. Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) proposals should be 
sent to the attention of Kirk Waters, Room 103. Information Resources 
(IR) proposals should be sent to the attention of Anne Ball, Room 211.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Administrative questions should be directed to 
Violet Legette, (843)-740-1222 or [email protected]. Technical 
point of contact for Landscape Characterization and Restoration is 
Jeffery Adkins, (843)-740-1244 or [email protected]. Technical 
point of contact for Integration and Development is James Lewis Free, 
(843)-740-1185 or [email protected]. Technical point of contact for 
Outreach is Jan Kucklick, (843)-740-1279 or [email protected]. 
Technical point of contact for Coastal Remote Sensing is Kirk Waters, 
(843)-740-1227 or [email protected]. Technical point of contact for 
Information Resources is Anne Ball, (843)-740-1229 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Center is soliciting applications for 
federal assistance and funding will be contingent upon availability of 
FY 2003 funding availability. The following program areas are: 
Landscape Characterization and Restoration (LCR), Integration and 
Development (I&D), Outreach, Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) and 
Information Resources (IR). This announcement provides guidelines for 
these program areas and includes details for the evaluation criteria, 
and selection procedures of each program. Selected recipients will 
enter into either a cooperative agreement with the Center or receive a 
grant depending upon the

[[Page 39684]]

amount of the Center's involvement in the project. Substantial 
involvement means a cooperative agreement, while independent work 
requires a grant.
    All applicants are required to submit a NOAA grants application 
package and project proposal. The standard NOAA grants application 
package (which includes forms SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, CD-511, CD-512, 
and SF-LLL) can be obtained from the NOAA grants Website at <http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/grants/pdf/. Funding will be subject to the 
availability of federal appropriations. Applicants are required to 
prepare separate packages for each proposal submitted.

Authority

    Statutory authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C. 
Sec. 1456 c (Technical Assistance); 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1540 (Cooperative 
Agreements); 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1442 (research program respecting possible 
long-range effects of pollution, over fishing, and man-induced changes 
of ocean ecosystems); 33 U.S.C. Sec. 883a (surveys and other 
activities); 33 U.S.C. Sec. 883b (dissemination of data); 33 U.S.C. 
Sec. 883c (geomagnetic data collection, correlation, and 
dissemination); and 33 U.S.C. Sec. 883d (improvement of methods, 
instruments, and equipments; investigations and research). CFDA Number: 
11.473--NOAA Coastal Services Center.

General Background

    Guiding the conservation and management of coastal resources is a 
primary function of NOAA. NOAA accomplishes this goal through a variety 
of mechanisms, including collaboration with the coastal resource 
management programs of the Nation's states and territories. The mission 
of the NOAA Coastal Services Center is to support the environmental, 
social, and economic well being of the coast by linking people, 
information, and technology. The goal of the Center is to build 
capabilities throughout the nation to address pressing issues of 
coastal health and change by promoting coastal resource conservation 
and efficient and sustainable commercial and residential development.

Landscape Characterization and Restoration (LCR)--Environmental 
Characterization for a United States Estuary, Watershed, or Special 
Management Area in the Southern United States or the Caribbean

Project Description

    The Center seeks proposals for a 2-year cooperative agreement under 
which a cooperator and the Center will jointly develop a digital 
information resource for a U.S. estuary, watershed, or special 
management area in the Southeastern U.S. or the Caribbean, located 
entirely or in part within North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, 
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, or Puerto Rico. The information resource must focus on one or 
more resource management needs of the chosen estuary, watershed, or 
special management area and must emphasize examinations of ecosystem 
function through the integration of physical, ecological, and 
socioeconomic information and analyses. The cooperator will choose the 
management needs that will be focused on: for example, a regional 
habitat restoration plan, non-point source pollution management plan, 
long-term dredged material management plan, species recovery plan, or 
detailed environmental description. The information resource must 
clearly help managers make resource management, regulatory, or land-use 
planning decisions. In fact, it is suggested, but not required, that 
the project result in the creation of an interactive decision support 
tool. Total anticipated funding for a project is $300,000 over two 
years and is subject to the availability of FY 2003 and FY 2004 
appropriations. No more than two awards are anticipated from this 
announcement.

Background

    This announcement is a call for proposals for work under the 
Center's Landscape Characterization and Restoration Program. The 
program's goal is to help Federal, state, and local resource managers 
include ecosystem processes in their resource management, regulatory, 
and land-use planning decisions. The program and program partners will 
work towards this goal by examining interrelationships among 
ecological, land use, human demographic, and socioeconomic trends and 
by developing tools needed to reflect those relationships in the 
development of management practices. The program's principal products 
are environmental characterizations that integrate the ecological, 
geophysical, and socioeconomic information and analyses that are 
required to address the management needs identified by cooperators. 
Final products are in a digital format and are distributed via CD-ROM 
and the Internet and include a spatial database, a customized 
Geographic Information System interface, and an interactive decision 
support tool. Final products also include a narrative that describes in 
detail the focal management needs, how the accompanying information was 
used to examine potential solutions, and how the overall product can be 
used in future examinations. The program and its cooperators are 
currently working on, or have completed, characterizations of Otter 
Island (South Carolina), the ACE Basin (South Carolina), Kachemak Bay 
(Alaska), Rookery Bay/Belle Meade (Florida), coastal Rhode Island, the 
central California coast, and northern Puget Sound. Overviews of the 
program and these projects are available through the Internet at http://www.csc.noaa.gov/lcr/.

Roles and Responsibilities

    By working in a cooperative partnership, the unique skills, 
capabilities, and experiences of the Center and the cooperator will be 
combined to offer an opportunity for each organization to further its 
goals. In their proposals, potential cooperators shall explicitly 
propose the respective roles and responsibilities of the Center and the 
cooperator. General areas of responsibilities that the Center has had 
in past projects include: development of spatial models, analyses, and 
data to address the identified management needs; guidance in the 
development of socioeconomic information and analyses; design of GIS 
and HTML architectures; and compilation of final products onto a CD-ROM 
and Internet site. Any questions about appropriate roles for the Center 
can be directed to [email protected]. General areas of 
responsibility that cooperators have had include: identifying the 
management needs that guide development of the information resource; 
identifying the information required to address the needs; developing 
partnerships with other members of the resource management community; 
developing and collecting the information (text, tables, graphics, 
charts, and maps) and tools (organizational structure and models) 
required to address the management needs; developing metadata; and 
determining how the products should be organized to maximize usefulness 
within the resource management community.

Project Proposals

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the 
attention of Jeffery Adkins, Room 238A at the NOAA Coastal Services 
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In 
addition to the

[[Page 39685]]

proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA grant 
application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax copies 
will be accepted. Project proposals must total no more than 10 pages 
(double spaced, 12-point font, and exclusive of appendices). Appendices 
should be limited to materials that directly support the main body of 
the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of data sources, 
maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All proposals must include 
sections on the seven following topics:
    1. Goal(s), Objective(s), and Geographic Area. Identify on a map 
and describe in the narrative the specific geographic area that will be 
examined. Identify the specific management objective(s) of the project, 
describing:
     The management goals that are currently not being 
achieved,
     How products from this cooperative agreement will 
significantly address that deficiency, and
     The benefits that will result to the cooperators, 
partners, public, and resource management community.
    2. Background/Introduction. Provide sufficient background 
information for reviewers to independently assess the local 
significance and regional importance of the management objectives that 
will be addressed by the project. Summarize the status of any ongoing 
efforts by the cooperator and partners to address these objectives.
    3. Audience. Identify potential users of the product, how those 
users will incorporate the product in their management of natural 
resources, and identify any training that will be needed for users to 
make full use of the information resource.
    4. Project Description/Methodology. Provide a general work plan 
that:
     Outlines the expected products,
     Divides the project into discrete steps,
     Identifies critical decision points,
     Discusses any obstacles to completing the project that may 
require special planning,
     And explicitly outlines the respective roles of the 
cooperator, partners, and Center.
    One of the initial tasks of the cooperative agreement will be for 
the Center and the cooperator to prepare a detailed task plan that 
explains how the resources of all parties will be leveraged to produce 
the products. The work plan requested for this part of the proposal 
should demonstrate that the cooperator and partners have sufficient 
local knowledge of the management problems to lead an innovative effort 
directed towards developing appropriate solutions. The product outline 
should list the major topics (e.g., physical environment, economic 
trends) and immediate subordinate themes (e.g., geology, industry 
profile). The outline also should show how any decision support tools 
proposed are integrated with the other information in the 
characterization. The outline also should clearly allow reviewers to 
ascertain the balance between physical, ecological, socioeconomic, and 
geospatial components of the products. Provide a quality control plan 
that includes a plan for reviewing the content of the characterization.
    5. Project Partners and Support. Identify project partners and 
describe their respective roles. When formal partnerships already 
exist, include letters from partners that demonstrate that they 
understand their role in the project and the authority of the lead 
agency in product development, and that they are willing to participate 
in that manner. When formal partnerships do not already exist, describe 
plans for developing them. Describe the resources the cooperators and 
partners have for conducting the project, including personnel 
qualifications (education, experience, and time available to work on 
the project), facilities, equipment, and, to the extent practicable, 
the information and tools already available. Describe how widely the 
project is supported within the resource management community and offer 
evidence of that support.
    6. Milestone Schedule. List target milestones, time lines, and 
describe how each milestone addresses project objectives. The time 
period targeted for the award is approximately 24 months, but can vary 
depending on need. Based on our experience with past projects, we 
recommend the timeline include three months at the end to work with the 
Center on final assembly, review, and editing.
    7. Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget description that 
follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grants package and a 
brief narrative justification of the budget.

Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process

    Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA 
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the 
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently 
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not 
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked 
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The 
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she 
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the 
following program policy factors in making the final selection 
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may 
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final 
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Significance (20 points)
     How well the proposal demonstrates the local significance 
and regional importance of the need(s) or management objective(s) that 
will guide development of the information resource. At a minimum, the 
proposal must identify management goals that are not currently being 
achieved, describe how products from this cooperative agreement will 
significantly address that deficiency, and state the benefits that will 
result to the public and resource management community.
2. Technical Approach (20 points)
     How well the proposal divides the project into discrete 
tasks that make effective use of the technical capabilities of the 
cooperator, partner(s), and Center. This criterion includes such 
factors as the technical merit of the process that the cooperator has 
outlined for developing the information resource and the perceived role 
for the Center in its development.
3. Comprehensiveness (20 points)
     How well the proposed work will integrate technology; 
socioeconomic, physical, and ecological information; and public 
participation to accomplish project goals and objectives. This 
criterion measures both the scope of the proposed project and the 
integration of its various components.
4. Outcomes (20 points)
     How well the applicant demonstrates that the project 
outcomes will significantly address the management issue(s) targeted by 
the project and that the collective resources of the applicant and 
partners will ensure projected outcomes are met.
5. Partnerships and Public Involvement (10 points)
     How well the proposal demonstrates through partnerships 
that the project is broadly supported by the resource management 
community; that a broad group of resource managers and constituents 
will benefit from the product(s) and contribute to their design and 
assembly; and that a broad group of resource managers will use the 
product(s). This criterion includes such factors as the inclusion of a 
formal

[[Page 39686]]

public involvement plan, a plan for managing the partnership team, and 
letters of support from users and partners.
6. Cost Efficiency (10 points)
     How well the applicant demonstrates that the budget is 
commensurate with project needs and that the partnerships employed will 
improve the overall cost effectiveness of the project and value of the 
products by contributing funds (cost-sharing), expertise, or other 
resources.

Selection Schedule

    Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following 
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process 
for this cooperative agreement: Proposal Deadline (with completed grant 
package)'' October 4, 2002. Earliest Approximate Grant start date `` 
March 3, 2003. Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business 
(5 p.m. Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and 
grant package (with original signatures) will be time stamped. 
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager and 
not returned to the applicant.

Funding Availability

    Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA 
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Total funding available for this 
cooperative agreement with the LCR program is anticipated to be 
$300,000 over 2 years. Two awards are anticipated from this 
announcement. Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to 
fund any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any 
part of the available funds.

Cost Sharing

    There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to these 
guidelines, however, proposals that include cost sharing will likely 
score highly under the evaluation criterion that examines cost 
efficiency.

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, 
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign 
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible 
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be 
project partners.

    Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners 
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds 
from outside sources in excess of their appropriation. Because this 
announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from 
applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) is not an appropriate 
legal basis.

Authority

    Statutory authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C. 
1456c (Technical Assistance); and 33 U.S.C. 1442 (research program 
respecting possible long-range effects of pollution, overfishing, and 
man-induced changes of ocean ecosystems).

Integration and Development (I&D)--Applications of Spatial Technology 
for Coastal Management

Project Description

    The Center seeks proposals for a one to two year cooperative 
agreement under which a cooperator and the Center will jointly develop 
a technical project related to one of the Center's main theme areas 
(i.e., smart coastal growth, habitat protection and management, coastal 
hazards, or Coastal National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). 
Projects within the smart coastal growth theme <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/themes/communities/ assist communities in 
their efforts to incorporate smart growth concepts into their planning 
and decision-making processes. Habitat related projects <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/themes/habitat seek to provide coastal 
managers with information and tools to integrate physical, ecological, 
economic, and social components into habitat protection and management. 
Projects within the coastal hazards theme < http://www.csc.noaa.gov/themes/coasthaz/  focus on reducing the environmental, 
social, and economic impacts from coastal hazards by providing 
information and tools that facilitate increased decision-support 
capabilities for coastal managers. Any of these issues would be well 
supported by incorporating concepts related to the Coastal NSDI < 
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/themes/nsdi/ . The NSDI is a 
nationwide effort to improve the utilization of geospatial data within 
the United States, focusing on data acquisition, processing, storage, 
distribution, ease of use, and inclusion in the decision-making 
process. NSDI has control of geospatial data. Proposals must relate to 
the general theme areas as defined above. Applicants are encouraged to 
focus on a particular issue that is impacting their community and 
formulate a more efficient or innovative approach toward the management 
of the issue. All project proposals that meet the topic criteria will 
be reviewed for technical merit and management relevance.
    The goal of the Center's Integration and Development (I&D) program 
is to provide relevant, easily accessible spatial data, tools, and 
support services to the coastal resource management community. The 
program and program partners will work towards this goal by examining 
the issue, as defined in the project proposal, and working with the 
impacted community or communities to design and develop a product that 
addresses local needs and skill sets, while considering its broader 
applicability to other states or regions.
    It is expected that this funding will support agencies and 
organizations with proven abilities to implement practical solutions on 
state and local levels. Maximum anticipated funding for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2003 is $250,000 for a two-year period and is subject to the 
availability of FY 2003 appropriations. It is intended that this 
funding will be distributed among multiple projects in the form of a 
cooperative agreement. The award level is contingent on methodology, 
level of detail, and both the technical and geographic scope of the 
project.

Background

    The Center's I&D program's principal products seek to link the 
technical benefits of geographic information systems (GIS) with the 
needs of the coastal resource management community to enhance 
visualization and decision making capabilities. Final products 
typically are in a digital format and distributed via a training 
module, CD-ROM, or the Internet. Products often include a spatial 
database, a customized geographic information system interface, and a 
narrative that provides a detailed overview of the focal management 
issues, how the accompanying information was used to examine potential 
solutions, how the product can be applied to other coastal areas, and 
how the overall product can be used in future decision-making. An 
overview of the program, including information on its past and current 
projects, is available through the Internet at <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/id/ id/.
    This FY 2003 announcement is intended to accommodate a broad range 
of issues. The program's objective in considering a broad range of 
issues is to allow individual coastal communities the opportunity to 
propose projects that speak to the most relevant or urgent issues for 
their area and to guide

[[Page 39687]]

discussion relative to the development of innovative approaches for 
addressing these issues.

Roles and Responsibilities

    By establishing a cooperative partnership, the unique skills, 
capabilities, and experiences of the Center and the cooperator will be 
combined to offer an opportunity for each organization to further its 
goals. In order to clearly define the nature of this relationship, the 
proposal shall explicitly state the respective roles and 
responsibilities of the Center and the cooperator. Also, the work plan 
that is outlined within the proposal should demonstrate that the 
cooperator and partners have sufficient local knowledge of the 
management problem to devise an effective and systematic approach 
towards the development of appropriate solutions. Once the award has 
been made, a primary task for the Center and the cooperator will be to 
collectively review and develop the final implementation plan to 
describe how the resources of all parties will be leveraged to produce 
the final products, the time line for the project, and the process for 
accomplishing project tasks.
    The Center's technical role in past projects has generally 
included, but is not limited to, the development of spatial tools, 
analyses, and data to address a variety of management issues; the 
design of geographic information systems (GIS) and Web-based 
architectures; and the compilation of final products into a training 
module, CD-ROM, or Web site. More information regarding the degree of 
involvement or potential role of the Center in a given project may be 
found at <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/id/. Any questions about 
appropriate roles for the Center can be directed to 
<[email protected].
    General areas of responsibility that cooperators have had in the 
past have included the following: identifying the management issues 
that guide development of the information resource; identifying the 
information needed to address the issues; developing partnerships with 
other members of the coastal management community; developing, 
collecting, and synthesizing the information (e.g., spatial data, text, 
tables, graphics, charts, and maps) and tools needed to address the 
management issues; developing metadata; and determining how the 
products should be organized to maximize usefulness within the coastal 
management community. It is anticipated the cooperator will participate 
in the development of the final product design and implementation.

Project Proposals

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the 
attention of James Lewis Free, Room 236A at the NOAA Coastal Services 
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In 
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA 
grant application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax 
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than 
10 pages (double spaced, 10 or 12-point fonts, and exclusive of 
appendices). Appendices should be limited to materials that directly 
support the main body of the proposal (e.g., support letters, resumes, 
lists of data sources, maps). Letters of support may be mailed 
separately, but must be received by the October 4, 2002, deadline. All 
appendix material must be unbound. All projects proposals must include 
sections on the five following topics:
    1. Project Background/Introduction. Briefly discuss the critical 
coastal management issue addressed within the proposal, as well as the 
data and/or analyses required to address this issue. Identify the basic 
project goals and any objectives. Discuss in the applicability of the 
issue and anticipated final product to a broader range of customers or 
areas.
    2. Project Description/Methodology. Address the general work plan 
and deliverables. Methodology should address specific methods to 
address the defined problem, including a description of the types of 
technology or software that will be applied. Database format must be 
adequately described (if appropriate) and include a supplemental 
descriptor file or metadata that contains the information necessary for 
completing an FGDC-compliant metadata record for any data that are 
created or used within the project.
    3. Project Partners and Subcontractors. Identify any project 
partners and describe their respective roles. When formal partnerships 
already exist, include letters from partners that demonstrate that they 
understand their role in the project and the authority of the lead 
agency in product development, and that they are willing to participate 
in that manner. When formal partnerships do not already exist, describe 
plans for developing them. Describe the resources available to 
cooperators and partners to conduct the project, including personnel 
qualifications (i.e., education, experience, and time available to work 
on the project), facilities, equipment, and, to the extent practicable, 
the information and tools already available. Describe how widely the 
project is supported within the resource management community and offer 
evidence of that support.
    4. Milestone Schedule. List target milestones and their respective 
time lines.
    5. Project Budget. Proposals should provide a detailed budget 
breakdown that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grants 
package and a brief narrative that justifies each item.

Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process

    Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA 
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the 
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently 
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not 
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked 
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The 
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she 
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the 
following program policy factors in making the final selection 
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may 
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final 
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Significance (25 points)
     How well the proposal demonstrates the local significance 
and regional importance of the issue(s) or management objective(s) that 
will guide development of the project. At a minimum, the proposal must 
identify management goals that currently are not being achieved, 
describe how products from this project will significantly address that 
deficiency, and state the benefits that will result to the public and 
coastal management community.
2. Technical Approach (20 points)
     How well the proposal divides the project into discrete 
tasks that make effective use of the technical capabilities of the 
cooperator, partner(s), and the Center. This criteria includes such 
factors as the technical merit of the process that the cooperator has 
outlined for developing the information resource and the perceived role 
for the Center in its development.

[[Page 39688]]

3. Outcomes (20 points)
     How well the applicant demonstrates that the project 
outcomes will significantly address the management issue(s) targeted by 
the project and that the collective resources of the applicant and 
partners will ensure projected outcomes are met.
4. Innovation (15 points)
     How well the proposed work takes an innovative approach to 
the application and integration of technology, spatial data, and policy 
to address issues and accomplish project goals and objectives.
5. Partnerships (15 points)
     How well the proposal demonstrates: that the project is 
broadly supported by the coastal management community; that a broad 
group of coastal managers and constituent will benefit from 
contributing to design and assembly of product(s); and that a broad 
group of coastal managers will use the product(s).
6. Cost Efficiency (5 points)
     Points will be awarded in proportion to the amount of cost 
sharing proposed. Applicant will have to cost share at least 10 percent 
of the Federal direct costs proposed to receive 1 point, 20 percent to 
receive 2 points, 30 percent to receive 3 points, 40 percent to receive 
4 points, and 50 percent to receive 5 points.

Selection Schedule

    Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following 
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process 
for cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with completed grant 
package)--October 4, 2002. The review process will take up to three 
months, and applicants will not be notified of the status of their 
application until the review process is completed. Earliest Approximate 
Grant Start Date--March 3, 2003.


    Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m. 
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant 
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped. 
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager 
and not returned to the applicant.

Funding Available

    Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA 
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Total funding available for this 
cooperative agreement with the Integration and Development program is 
anticipated to be no more than $250,000 and funding will be distributed 
among multiple projects. Publication of this document does not obligate 
NOAA to fund any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award 
all or any parts of the available funds.

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, 
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign 
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible 
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be 
project partners. Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are 
project partners must demonstrate that they have legal authority to 
receive funds from outside sources in excess of their appropriation. 
Because this announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services 
from applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) is not an appropriate 
legal basis.

Authority

    Statutory authority for these programs is 33 U.S.C. 883a (surveys 
and other activities), 33 U.S.C. 883c (geomagnetic data; collection, 
correlation, and dissemination) and 16 U.S.C. 1456c (Technical 
Assistance).

Outreach--Special Projects

Project Description

    The Center seeks grant proposals for special technical, management, 
or planning projects that relate to growth management in coastal areas 
or human use of coastal resources to organizations across the United 
States with proven abilities to implement practical solutions at a 
state and local level. Proposed study topics must relate to growth 
management in coastal areas or to human use of coastal resources. All 
project proposals received that meet the topic criteria will be 
reviewed for technical merit and management relevance.

Background

    The Center conducts a variety of projects that directly apply to 
the state and local coastal management community. The goal of Special 
Projects is to provide assistance to the local coastal management 
community for technical or management issues on specific topics 
relating directly to growth management in coastal areas or human use of 
coastal resources.

Project Proposals

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the 
attention of Jan Kucklick, Room 142 at the NOAA Coastal Services 
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In 
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA 
grants application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax 
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than 
10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font, and exclusive of appendices). 
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the 
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of 
data sources, maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All project 
proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
    1. Goals and Objectives. Identify broad project goals and 
quantifiable objectives.
    2. Background/Introduction. State the problem and summarize 
existing efforts at all levels.
    3. Audience. Describe specifics of how the project will contribute 
to improving or resolving an issue with the primary target audience. 
The target audience must be explicitly stated.
    4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the 
projects (3 page maximum).
    5. Project Partners. Identify project partners and their respective 
roles.
    6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, Time lines, and 
desired outcomes in terms of products and services.
    7. Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget breakdown that follows 
the categories and formats in the NOAA grant package and a brief 
narrative that justifies each item.

Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process

    Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA 
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the 
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently 
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not 
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked 
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The 
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she 
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the 
following program policy factors in making the final selection 
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As

[[Page 39689]]

a result, awards may not necessarily be made to the highest ranked 
applications. Final budget is negotiated after selection is made. 
Evaluation criteria are:
1. Management Relevance (30 points)
     How well does the proposed project (directly or 
indirectly) address a critical national, regional, state, or local 
management need relating directly to growth management of coastal areas 
or human use of coastal resources?
     How well does the project involve partnerships with the 
state coastal management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve, 
and/or National Marine Sanctuary?
     How clearly does the proposed project define the 
management audience and do the products have clearly defined users?
2. Technical Merit (35 points)
     How technically sound is the approach?
     How well does the proposed project build on existing 
knowledge?
     How clear and concise are the project goals and 
objectives?
     How well does the proposed project provide for long-term 
maintenance or sustainability of products and services?
     How innovative is the approach?
3. Applicability and Effectiveness of Products and Their Delivery (25 
points)
     How well does the proposed project produce useful (and 
easily used) products, services, or an understanding for the target 
audience and users?
     How likely is the project time line and project design to 
be flexible and responsive to public and user input?
     Is an evaluation process built into the project? How 
appropriate is it?
    4. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (10 points)
     How is the budget commensurate with the project needs?
     How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of 
the scope and scale proposed? (i.e., Are there adequate professional, 
facility, and administrative capabilities?)

Selection Schedule

    Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following 
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process 
for grants and/or cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with 
completed grant package) October 4, 2002. Earliest Appropriate Grant 
Start Date--March 3, 2003. Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close 
of business (5 p.m. Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of 
proposal and grant package (with original signatures) will be time 
stamped. Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program 
Manager and not returned to the applicant.

Funding Availability

    Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA 
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Anticipated funding in FY 2003 will 
be between $50,000 and $300,000. Two to six projects will be funded in 
the $20,000 to $25,000 range for 1 year with the potential for option 
years (depending on the availability of funds through the federal 
appropriation process). One or two projects may be considered at annual 
levels above $25,000 depending on the availability of funds. 
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any 
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any part of 
the available funds.

Cost Sharing

    There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this 
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to 
proposals with cost sharing.

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher educations, 
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign 
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible 
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be 
project partners.

    Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners 
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds 
from outside sources in excess of their appropriation. Because this 
announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from 
applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) is not an appropriate 
legal basis.

Authority

    Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C. 
1456C (Technical Assistance).

Outreach--Special Projects for the Pacific Islands

Project Description

    The Center seeks grant proposals for special technical, management, 
or planning projects that directly apply to the goals of the Pacific 
Island coastal management community to organizations with proven 
abilities to implement practical solutions in the Pacific Islands at a 
state and local level. Projects topics should relate to one or more of 
the four themes of the Coastal Services Center: Habitat, Hazards, Smart 
Coastal Growth, or Coastal National Spatial Data Infrastructure 
(CNSDI).

Background

    The Center conducts a variety of projects that directly apply to 
the state and local coastal management community. The goal of this 
program is to provide assistance to the Pacific Island coastal 
management community for technical or management issues on a very broad 
range of topics related to coastal resources and their wise management.

Project Proposal

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the 
attention of Jan Kucklick, Room 142 at the NOAA Coastal Services 
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In 
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA 
grants application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax 
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than 
10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font, and exclusive of appendices). 
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the 
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of 
data sources, and maps. All appendix materials must be unbound. All 
projects proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
    1. Goals and Objectives. Identify broad project goals and 
quantifiable objectives.
    2. Background/Introduction. State the problem and summarize 
existing efforts at all levels.
    3. Audience. Describe specifics of how the project will contribute 
to improving or resolving an issue with the primary target audience. 
The target audience must be explicitly stated.
    4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the 
projects (3 page maximum).
    5. Project Partners. Identify project partners and their respective 
roles.
    6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, time lines, and 
desired outcomes in terms of products and services.
    7. Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget breakdown that follows 
the categories and formats in the NOAA grant package and a brief 
narrative that justifies each item.

[[Page 39690]]

Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process

    Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA 
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the 
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently 
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not 
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked 
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The 
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she 
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the 
following program policy factors in making the final selection 
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may 
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final 
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Management Relevance (30 points)
     How well does the proposed project (directly or 
indirectly) address a critical national, regional, state, or local 
management need relating directly to growth management of coastal areas 
or human use of coastal resources?
     How well does the project involve partnerships with the 
state coastal management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve, 
and/or National Marine Sanctuary?
     How clearly does the proposed project define the 
management audience and do the products have clearly defined users?
2. Technical Merit (35 points)
     How technically sound is the approach?
     How well does the proposed project build on existing 
knowledge?
     How clear and concise are the project goals and 
objectives? Does the proposed project provide for long-term maintenance 
or sustainability of products and services?
     How innovative is the approach?
3. Applicability and Effectiveness of Products and Their Delivery (25 
points)
     How well does the proposed project produce useful (and 
easily used) products, services, or an understanding for the target 
audience and users?
     How likely is the project time line and project design to 
be flexible and responsive to public and user input?
     Is an evaluation process built into the project? How 
appropriate is it?
4. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (10 points)
     How is the budget commensurate with the project needs?
     How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of 
the scope and scale proposed (i.e., Are there adequate professional, 
facility, and administrative capabilities?)

Selection Schedule

    Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following 
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process 
for grants: Proposal Deadline (with completed application package)--
October 4, 2002. Earliest Approximate Grant Start Date--March 3, 2003. 
Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m. 
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant 
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped. Unsuccessful 
applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager and not returned 
to the applicant.

Funding Availability

    Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA 
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Anticipated funding in FY 2003 will 
be between $50,000 and $300,000. Projects will be funded in the $25,000 
to $75,000 range for 1 year with the potential for options years 
(depending on the availability of funds through the Federal 
appropriation process). Up to three projects per year may be considered 
at annual levels above $75,000 depending on the availability of funds. 
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any 
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any part of 
the available funds.

Cost Sharing

    There are no requirements for cost sharing in response to this 
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to 
proposals with cost sharing.

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher educations, 
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign 
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible 
to receive Federal assistance under this notice, but may be project 
partners.


    Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners 
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds 
from outside sources in excess of their appropriation. Because this 
announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from 
applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C 1535) is not an appropriate 
legal basis.

Authority

    Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C. 
1456C (Technical Assistance).

Outreach--Technical Assistantship for the Pacific Islands

Project Description

    The Center seeks proposals for the development and administration 
of a two-year cooperative agreement to support post-graduate students 
working for the Pacific Island coastal zone management programs. This 
includes those programs in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. In FY 2003, the Center expects 
to award a cooperative agreement to an organization with proven 
abilities to recruit, select, place and administer assistants working 
in these four coastal management programs. All project proposals must 
define how students will be selected and placed, and must include a 
mechanism to ensure that the skills and expertise of the selected 
students match the needs and requirements of the Pacific Island coastal 
zone management program.
    This would be a cooperative agreement between the Center and the 
cooperator for two years (to house one class of assistants) with the 
option to extend for four years (depending on the availability of funds 
through the federal appropriations process).

Background

    The goal of this program is to provide assistance to the Pacific 
Island coastal zone management agencies on technical and management 
issues that directly relate to the agencies' needs and requirements. 
This program is administratively and programmatically distinct from the 
NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship program.

Roles and Responsibilities

    These projects are intended to be cooperative in nature. The 
following items identify the minimum project participation expected by 
the Center and the project applicant. Additional roles and 
responsibilities should be identified by the applicant.
    Coastal Services Center shall have primary responsibility for 
ensuring that the needs and requirements of the selected Pacific Island 
coastal zone management agency are being met through this assistantship 
program.
1. The Coastal Services Center Will:
     Provide information to the applicant on the needs of the 
Pacific

[[Page 39691]]

Island Coastal zone management agency prior to the recruiting of the 
assistants.
     Serve as a reviewer on all student applications to help 
ensure that the selected students' expertise match with the needs of 
the Pacific Island coastal zone management programs.
2. The Applicant Shall Have Primary Responsibility for the Following 
Activities Associated With This Program
     Design process for recruitment and selection
     Announce and select assistants.
     Support and administer assistants. This shall include all 
activities related to the financial support and administration of the 
assistants. These activities include arranging for and supporting 
medical insurance, worker's compensation insurance, state and federal 
income tax withholdings, and FICA withholdings; coordinating and 
providing reimbursement for moving expenses, salary disbursement to the 
assistants; and coordinating and supporting and travel for the 
assistants.
3. The Coastal Services Center and the Applicant Shall Share Joint 
Responsibility for the Following Activities Associated With This 
Program
     Publicize the program--This shall include general 
announcement and publicity measures to provide general information 
about the program, specific announcements of the selection processes, 
and specific announcements of the results of the selection processes. 
Newsletters, facts sheets, Web sites, and conference poster sessions 
should all be considered potential publicity mechanisms.
     Solicit other partners--To ensure the continued success 
and further development of the program, both organizations should 
consider recruiting other partners to provide financial support and 
opportunities for future assistants.

Project Proposals

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the 
attention of Jan Kucklick, Room 142 at the NOAA Coastal Services 
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In 
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA 
grant application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax 
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than 
10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font, exclusive of appendices). 
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the 
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of 
data sources, maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All projects 
proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
    1. Goals and Objectives. Identify broad project goals and 
quantifiable objectives.
    2. Background/Introduction. State the problem and summarize 
existing efforts at all levels.
    3. Audience. Describe specifics of how the project will contribute 
to improving or resolving an issue with the primary target audience. 
The target audience must be explicitly stated.
    4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the 
process for development and administration (4 page maximum).
    5. Project Partners--Identify project partners and their respective 
roles.
    6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, time lines, and 
desired outcomes in terms of products and services.
    7. Project Budget. Proposal should provide a detailed budget 
breakdown that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grant 
package and a brief narrative that justifies each item. Salary, per 
diem, travel, and benefits of selected students must be included in the 
budget.

Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process

    Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA 
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the 
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently 
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not 
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked 
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The 
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she 
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the 
following program policy factors in making the final selection 
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may 
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final 
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Technical Relevance (70 points)
     How well does the approach identify an effective mechanism 
for defining how students will be selected and placed?
     How well does the approach identify an effective mechanism 
for determining where students are placed?
     How well does the approach identify an effective mechanism 
for ensuring that the skills and expertise of the selected students 
match the needs and requirements of the selected Pacific Island coastal 
zone management program?
     Is an evaluation process built into the project? How 
appropriate is it?
     Will the project involve partnerships with the state 
coastal management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve, and/or 
National Marine Sanctuary?
2. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (30 points)
     How is the budget commensurate with the project needs? Is 
it based on existing knowledge?
     How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of 
the scope and scale proposed? (i.e., Are there adequate professional, 
facility, and administrative capabilities?)

Selection Schedule

    Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following 
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process 
for cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with complete grant 
package) October 4, 2002. Earliest Approximate Grant Start Date--March 
3, 2003.


    Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 P.m. 
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant 
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped. 
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager 
and not returned to the applicant.

Funding Available

    Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA 
funds for FY 2003 and FY 2004 are appropriated. Anticipated funding for 
this cooperative agreement in FY 2003 will be between $250,000 and 
$400,000. This will cover one class of assistants for one year. A class 
of assistants is selected every two years. Applicants must provide out 
year estimates of budget for up to three additional years (this would 
cover the selection and placement of a total of 2 classes of 
assistants). Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to 
fund any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or 
any parts of the available funds.

Cost Sharing

    There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this 
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to 
proposals with cost sharing.

[[Page 39692]]

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher educations, 
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign 
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible 
to receive Federal assistance under this notice, but may be project 
partners. Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project 
partners must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive 
funds from outside sources in excess of their appropriation. Because 
this announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from 
applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C 1535) is not an appropriate legal 
basis.

Authority

    Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C. 
Sec 1456c (Technical Assistance) and 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1540 (Cooperative 
Agreements).

Coastal Remote Sensing--Use of Commercial Remote Sensing Products To 
Solve Coastal Management Issues

Project Description

    The Center seeks proposals on applications of remotely sensed 
coastal spatial data to solve a coastal resource management issue. The 
proposals are for a 2-year cooperative agreement under which the Center 
will acquire commercial remote sensing imagery and/or products, and the 
cooperator and the Center will apply acquired data to the identified 
issue. The cooperator must show how their management issue will benefit 
substantially by the inclusion of remotely sensed data. The remote 
sensing data or products must clearly help managers make resource 
management, regulatory, or land-use planning decisions. The Center will 
acquire the remotely sensed data or derived products during the first 
year of the agreement. The Center is primarily interested in 
applications of land cover products, topography, and other emerging 
technologies (e.g. LIDAR, IfSAR, or airborne digital imagery). Both 
terrestrial and aquatic issues are of interest. The Center shall 
acquire the remote sensing resources during the first year and the 
cooperator is expected to make use of the acquired resources during the 
second year.
    Anticipated funding is $10,000 per award over the two year period 
for support of the cooperative agreement. All funding is subject to the 
availability of FY 2003 and 2004 appropriations. Between one and five 
awards are anticipated from this announcement. It is anticipated that 
approximately $1,500,000 will be spent by the Center on the commercial 
acquisition of remote sensing data/products during FY03.
    This announcement is a call for proposals for work under the 
Center's Coastal Remote Sensing Program. The program's goal is to help 
federal, state, and local resource managers use remote sensing to 
support their decision-making processes. This cooperative agreement 
will work toward this goal by providing access to remote sensing 
resources that are otherwise beyond the budget of coastal resource 
managers.

Background

    The Center conducts a variety of projects that directly apply to 
the state and local coastal resource management community. The goal of 
the Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) program is to link coastal resource 
managers with meaningful data, information and products derived from 
remote sensing technology. Through partnerships with public and private 
organizations, CRS strives to deliver high-quality products useful for 
coastal resource management decision-making.
    In FY 2003, the Center expects to award grants and cooperative 
agreements to organizations across the United States with proven 
abilities to implement practical solutions at a state and local level. 
Proposed topics must relate to coastal decision support using remotely 
sensed information. All project proposals received that meet the topic 
criteria will be reviewed for technical merit and management relevance.

Roles and Responsibilities

    By working in a cooperative partnership, the unique skills, 
capabilities, and experiences of the Center and the cooperator will be 
combined to offer an opportunity for each organization to further its 
goals. In their proposals, potential cooperators shall explicitly 
propose the respective roles and responsibilities of the Center and the 
cooperator. Part of the Center's role will be to acquire the remote 
sensing resources. General areas of responsibilities that the Center 
can offer include: remote sensing technical expertise; spatial 
modeling; data visualization; data fusion; and compilation of final 
products. Any questions about appropriate roles for the Center can be 
directed to [email protected].
    Potential general areas of responsibility anticipated for 
cooperators include: identifying the management issues benefitting from 
remote sensing resources; identifying the information needed to address 
the issues; developing partnerships with other members of the coastal 
management community; developing and collecting the information (text, 
tables, graphics, charts, and maps) and tools needed to address the 
management issues; developing metadata; and determining how the 
products should be organized to maximize usefulness within the coastal 
management community.

Project Proposals

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the 
attention of Kirk Waters, Room 103 at the NOAA Coastal Services Center, 
2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In addition to the 
proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA grant 
application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax copies 
will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than 10 
pages (double spaced, 12-point font, exclusive of appendices). 
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the 
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of 
data sources, maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All project 
proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
    1. Goals and Objectives. Describe specifically how remote sensing 
data will be used in your decision making process for the management 
issue.
    2. Background/Introduction. Provide background on this problem and 
some perspective on existing understanding of this issue.
    3. Audience. Describe how the results of this project can be 
implemented at the state coastal resource management level.
    4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the 
project (4-5 page maximum). This must include information regarding the 
remote sensing data needs (e.g. spatial, temporal, and/or spectral 
resolution, accuracy required, etc.).
    5. Project Partners. Identify project partners and their respective 
roles.
    6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, time lines, and 
desired outcomes in terms of products and/or services.
    7. Project Budget. Proposal should provide a detailed budget 
breakdown that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grant 
package and a brief narrative that justifies each item. This budget 
should not include the estimated

[[Page 39693]]

cost of the remote sensing resources. It is recommended that the 
proposers do estimate the cost of the remote sensing resources to 
ensure their proposal is within the scope of this announcement.

Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process

    Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA 
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the 
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently 
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not 
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked 
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The 
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she 
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the 
following program policy factors in making the final selection 
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may 
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final 
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Management Relevance (35 points)
     How well does the proposed project (directly or 
indirectly) address a critical national, regional, state, tribal or 
local management need that would clearly benefit from remote sensing 
data?
     How effectively does the project involve state coastal 
management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve, or National 
Marine Sanctuary?
     How clearly does the proposed project define the 
management audience and do the products have clearly defined users?
2. Technical Merit (30 points)
     How technically sound is the approach?
     How clear and concise are the project goals and 
objectives?
     How integral are the remote sensing resources in 
addressing the management issue?
     How well defined and appropriate are the remote sensing 
data requirements to the management issue?
3. Applicability and Effectiveness of Products and Their Delivery (20 
points)
     How useful and accessible will the proposed project's 
products or services be for the target audience and users?
     Is an evaluation process built into the project? How 
appropriate is it?
4. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (10 points)
     How is the budget commensurate with the project needs?
     How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of 
the scope and scale proposed? (i.e., Are there adequate qualified 
professional, facility, and administrative capabilities?)
5. Remote Sensing Cost Estimation(5 points)
     How reasonable is the cost estimate of the remote sensing 
resources required?
     If applicable, are multiple remote sensing methodologies 
considered?

Selection Schedule

    Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following 
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process 
for cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with completed grant 
package) October 4, 2002. Earliest Appropriate Grant Start Date--March 
3, 2003.


    Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m. 
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant 
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped. 
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager 
and not returned to the applicant.

Funding Availability

    Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA 
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Anticipated funding is $10,000 per 
award over a two-year period for support of cooperative agreements. 
Between one and five awards are anticipated from this announcement. 
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any 
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or any parts 
of the available funds.

Cost Sharing

    There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this 
program announcement, however, proposals that include cost sharing 
approaches will likely score highly under evaluation criteria that 
examines cost efficiency, especially proposals for cost sharing in the 
acquisition of the remote sensing resources.

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other 
non-profits, commercial organizations, state, local and Indian tribal 
governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible to 
receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project 
partners. Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project 
partners must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive 
funds from outside sources in excess of their appropriation. Because 
this announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from 
applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) is not an appropriate 
legal basis.

Authority

    Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C. 
1456C (Technical Assistance).

Information Resources (IR)--Coastal Data and Information

Project Description

    The Center seeks grant proposals for projects to make coastal data, 
products, and information available on-line using standard 
documentation formats and search technologies. Proposals may also 
include projects concerning the rescue of unique coastal data sets and 
the conversion to electronic media of coastal data, products, and 
information. The intent of this program is to increase the numbers of 
and improve the availability of coastal data and information needed by 
coastal resource managers and their staffs to accomplish their duties.
    Maximum anticipated funding is $200,000 for a one year grant period 
and is subject to the availability of FY 2003 appropriations. It is 
intended that this funding will be distributed between multiple 
projects that take the form of a grant.

Background

    The mission of the Center is to support the environmental, social, 
and economic well being of the coast by linking people, information, 
and technology. The Information Resources program of the Center helps 
coastal resource managers and their staff find the data and information 
necessary to perform their tasks. To accomplish this, the Information 
Resources program improves access to and increases the availability of 
coastal data, products, and information. The Center actively supports 
the use of standards to document and share data, products, and 
information. In particular, the Center supports the use of the 
standards accepted by the FGDC and the Library of Congress. By using 
these standards, virtual networks of coastal data, products, and 
information can be built that provide crucial input for making coastal 
management decisions.

Project Proposals

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the 
attention of Anne Ball, Room 211 at the NOAA Coastal Services Center, 
2234 South Hobson

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Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In addition to the proposal(s), the 
applicant must submit a complete NOAA grants application package (with 
signed originals). No e-mail or fax copies will be accepted. All 
project proposals must total no more than 10 pages (double spaced, 12-
point font, and exclusive of appendices). Appendices should be limited 
to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal; e.g. 
support letters, resumes, lists of data sources, and maps. All appendix 
material must be unbound. All project proposals must include the 
sections on the four following topics:
1. Technical Issues
     Project Description. Address how the project will be 
implemented. It should include an overview of the data, product, or 
information resource that will be made available on-line and any plans 
for data rescue or conversion of resources to electronic media. If 
applicable, it should include plans for the development of a customized 
interface to FGDC Clearinghouse nodes (servers) and/or library card 
catalog servers.
     Data and Information Description. Describe the data and/or 
information that will be made available via the server.
     Server Description. Describe how the resource description 
(FGDC metadata or USMARC library card catalog entry) and, if 
applicable, the resource itself will be made available on-line. Include 
plans for implementing an FGDC Clearinghouse node (server), catalog 
server, or arrangements for posting the resource description through an 
existing server.
     Relation to Other Data Projects. If applicable, describe 
how this project relates to other ongoing programs.
2. Relevance and Scope
     Appropriateness to U.S. Coastal Resource Managers. 
Describe how the data and/or information might be used by coastal 
resource managers and/or their staffs. Describe the scope of the 
project and who it benefits.
     Description of Metadata or Catalog Records Anticipated. 
Include the number of records anticipated and the level of detail 
included in the metadata or catalog records.
3. Future Plans
     Post-proposal Plans. Describe plans for maintenance of the 
data or information resource. For data rescue projects, please include 
plans for archiving the data.
4. Milestones and Budget
     Milestones. Provide a schedule for the project with 
milestones.
     Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget breakdown that 
follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grant package and a 
brief narrative that justifies each item.
    All proposals regarding data and data products must include plans 
for documenting the data and/or data products using the Federal 
Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata standard and posting this 
metadata on a node (server) that is registered at the FGDC 
Clearinghouse. Further information on the FGDC metadata standard and 
Clearinghouse architecture can be found on the FGDC Web site at 
www.fgdc.gov. Proposals may include the development of a customized 
interface to the FGDC Clearinghouse node (server) for improved access 
to the data or data product resource.
    Proposals that include coastal products and information must 
include plans for making library card catalog entries searchable 
through a standard on-line public access catalog, preferably using the 
Z39.50 protocol. Any new cataloging of information materials 
(publications, CD-ROMS, videos, etc) must follow the USMARC standard. 
Consideration will be given to making pre-existing catalog entries that 
are not in USMARC available on-line. More information on USMARC and 
Z39.50 may be found on the Library of Congress Web site at www.loc.gov. 
Proposals may include the development of a customized interface to a 
Z39.50 catalog server to provide customized search capabilities to the 
information resource.
    Proposals that cover data rescue or the conversion to electronic 
media of coastal data, products, or information must also include plans 
for documenting the data, products, and/or information using the 
appropriate standard mentioned above. In addition, proposals for 
rescuing data must include plans for archiving the data at an 
appropriate national data center.

Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process

    Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA 
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the 
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently 
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not 
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked 
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The 
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she 
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the 
following program policy factors in making the final selection 
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may 
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final 
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Technical Merit (40 points)
     The proposal will be judged on the technical merit on the 
plans for development of metadata or new catalog records, how the FGDC 
Clearinghouse or catalog server will be implemented, and, if 
applicable, plans for development of additional search interfaces, data 
rescue, and conversion to electronic media. Proposals which do not 
directly address how metadata/catalog records will be produced, or how 
the Clearinghouse/Catalog server will be implemented will be rejected 
and destroyed by CSC's Program Manager and not returned to the 
recipient.
2. Relevance and Scope (35 points)
     The proposal will be judged on the importance of the 
resource to coastal management issues. Priority will be given to those 
proposals that provide detailed (I level catalog or full FGDC metadata 
record) versus less detailed (K level catalog or ``metalite'' record).
3. Future plans (15 points)
     The proposal will be judged on the plans for future 
maintenance of the descriptive records (metadata or catalog records) 
and Clearinghouse or catalog server.
4. Milestones and Budget (10 points)
    The proposal will be judged on the amount requested versus the 
technical merit and relevance.

Selection Schedule

    Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following 
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process 
for grants: Proposal deadline with completed grant package--October 4, 
2002. Earliest approximate grant start date--March 3, 2003. Note: All 
deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m. Eastern time) on 
the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant package with 
original signatures will be time stamped. Unsuccessful applications 
will be destroyed by the Program Manager and not returned to the 
applicant.

Funding Availability

    Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA 
funds for

[[Page 39695]]

FY 2003 are appropriated. Total funding available for this grant with 
the Information Resources program is anticipated to be no more than 
$200,000 and funding will be distributed over multiple projects. 
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any 
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any part of 
the available funds.

Cost Sharing

    There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this 
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to 
proposals with cost sharing.

Eligibility Criteria

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, 
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign 
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible 
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be 
project partners.


    Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners 
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds 
from outside sources in excess of their appropriation. Because this 
announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from 
applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) is not an appropriate 
legal basis.

Authority

    Statutory authority for these programs is 16 U.S.C. 1456C 
(Technical Assistance).

General Information for All Programs

    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register 
notice of October 01, 2001 (66 FR 49917), are applicable to this 
solicitation. However, please note that the Department of Commerce 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, the Department will 
provide further information on implementation of Executive Order 13202.
    Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
    It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies 
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order 
13132.
    The recipients must comply with Executive Order 12906 regarding any 
and all geospatial data collected or produced under grants or 
cooperative agreements. This includes documenting all geospatial data 
in accordance with the Federal Geographic Data Committee Content 
Standard for digital geospatial data.

Classification

    This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866.
    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) or any other law for this 
notice concerning grants, cooperative agreements, benefits, and 
contracts, 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2). Therefore, a regulatory flexibility 
analysis is not required for purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et. seq. and has not been prepared.
    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 Paperwork 
Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB 
control number. The use of the standard grants application package 
referred to in this notice involves collection-of-information 
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The use of 
Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 have been approved 
by OMB under the respective Control Numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-
0040, 0348-0046, and 0605-0001.

    Dated: May 31, 2002.
Alan Neuschatz,
Associate Assistant Administrator for Management, Ocean Services and 
Coastal Zone Management.
[FR Doc. 02-14256 Filed 6-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P