[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70409-70413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29765]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 021108269]
RIN 0648-ZB33


Joint Program Announcement on Climate Variability and Human 
Health for FY 2003; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(NOAA), in Collaboration With; National Science Foundation (NSF), 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EPRI (formerly the Electric 
Power Research Institute)

AGENCY: Office of Global Programs, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

SUMMARY: Due to an unavoidable administrative error, the wrong version 
of this notice was published on November 14, 2002, at 67 FR 69110. With 
the intent of stimulating integrated multidisciplinary studies and 
enhancing institutional collaboration, National Oceanic Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 
National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Electric Power Research 
Institute (EPRI), announce our interest in receiving research proposals 
to improve our understanding of the human health consequences related 
to climate variability and enhance the integration of useful climate 
information into public health policy and decision-making. This joint 
announcement is intended to support the formation of multidisciplinary 
teams working in close collaboration on integrated projects to 
illuminate the human, biological, and physical pathways by which 
climate may affect human health,

[[Page 70410]]

and which explore the potential for applying climate and environmental 
information toward the goal of improved public health. We are also 
interested in understanding how the human health impacts and responses 
related to climate variability affect our knowledge of potential 
consequences of, and adaptation and vulnerability to, longer term 
changes in the climate system.
    Investigators should also plan to participate in an annual meeting 
of researchers funded under this announcement. This meeting will be 
organized by the funding partners and is intended to facilitate 
midpoint discussions of research and methodology as well as 
presentations of final research results. The participation of other 
team members, particularly new researchers at the graduate and 
postdoctoral level, is highly encouraged.

DATES: Unless otherwise noted, strict deadlines by which NOAA OGP must 
receive proposals for submission to the FY 2003 process are: Pre-
proposals must be received by OGP no later than December 16, 2002, and 
full proposals must be received no later than February 18, 2003; 
Applicants who have not received a response to their pre-proposal 
within four weeks should contact the program manager: Juli Trtanj (301) 
427-2089, ext. 134 or Internet: [email protected]. The time from 
target date to grant award varies. We anticipate that review of full 
proposals will occur in April 2003, for most approved projects. August 
1, 2003, may be used as the earliest proposed start date on the 
proposal, unless otherwise directed by the Program Manager. Applicants 
should be notified of their status within six months of full proposal 
submission. All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the 
requirements listed below. Failure to heed the requirements may result 
in proposals being returned without review.

ADDRESSES: All submissions should be directed to: Office of Global 
Programs (OGP); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1100 
Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, Silver Spring, MD 20910-5603.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irma duPree at the above address or 
phone (301) 427-2089, ext. 107, fax: (301) 427-2222, Internet: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Funding Availability

    NOAA, NSF, EPA, and EPRI believe that research on the relationship 
between climate variability and human health will benefit significantly 
from a strong partnership with outside investigators. An estimated $1.3 
Million may be available for FY03. Current plans assume that over 50% 
of the total resources provided through this announcement will support 
extramural efforts, particularly those involving the broad academic 
community. Funding may be provided by NOAA, NSF, EPA, or EPRI. Projects 
may be conducted for up to a three year period.

2. Eligibility

    Participation in this competition is open to all institutions 
eligible to receive support for NOAA, NSF, EPA, and EPRI. For awards to 
be issued by NOAA, eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, hospitals, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, 
foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, state, local and Indian 
tribal governments and Federal agencies. Applications from non-Federal 
and Federal applicants will be competed against each other. Proposals 
selected for funding from non-Federal applicants will be funded through 
a project grant or cooperative agreement under the terms of this 
notice. Proposals selected for funding from NOAA employees shall be 
effected by an intragency funds transfer. Proposals selected for 
funding from a non-NOAA Federal Agency will be funded through an 
interagency transfer. Before non-NOAA Federal applicants may be funded, 
they must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds 
from another federal agency 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.

3. Program Authority

    NOAA Authority: U.S.C. 2931 et seq.; (CFDA No. 11.431)--Climate and 
Atmospheric Research.
    NSF Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1861-75; (CFDA No. 47.050)--Geosciences.
    EPA Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7403(a); 42 U.S.C. 7403(b); 42 U.S.C.; 
7403(g); 15 U.S.C. 2907(a); (CFDA No. 66.500)--Office of Research and 
Development.

4. Relevance of This Joint Announcement

    Published in 2001, the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) report 
``Under the Weather: Climate, Ecosystems and Infectious Disease'' 
highlights the need for strengthening research on the linkages between 
climate and infectious disease and recommends highly interdisciplinary 
collaboration involving modelers, meteorologists, climatologists, 
ecologists, social scientists, and a wide array of medical and public 
health professionals. The report recognizes that the effectiveness of 
disease early warning systems will depend upon the context in which 
they are used, and recommends that the development of such systems 
should involve the active participation of the system's end users. 
Also, the U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of 
Climate Variability and Change, Health Sector Report, published in 
2000, calls for a greater scientific understanding of the causal 
relationships between climate and human health, and the need to take an 
interdisciplinary approach that actively involves decision-makers and 
practitioners.
    Several multi-agency sponsored workshops such as the American 
Academy of Microbiology Colloquium on Climate Variability and Human 
Health: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, and the workshop on Climate 
Change and Vector-borne and other Infectious Disease: A Research 
Agenda, called for cross-agency collaboration in supporting integrated 
research in this emerging discipline. The 1999 NRC report, Global 
Environmental Change: Research Pathways for the Next Decade, recognizes 
that climate may have important impacts on human health but that 
further study is necessary, and that such studies must also address 
issues of social vulnerability and adaptability.
    It is well recognized that although early research has demonstrated 
a connection between climate and health in some cases, more rigorous 
and interdisciplinary research is required. This, coupled with an 
evolving capacity to understand and predict natural changes in the 
climate system, and a desire to develop and provide climate and 
environmental information for social benefit, particularly in the 
public health sector, has driven demand for improved understanding of 
the relationship between climate variability and human health. Both the 
scientific research results and recommendations stemming from various 
reports and meetings highlight the complexity of the research questions 
and the need for a coordinated multi-agency and interdisciplinary 
approach. The very nature of the research required cuts across 
disciplinary boundaries, and spans a range of agency missions and 
mandates and private sector interests. The NOAA Office of Global 
Programs is interested in the effective use of climate information in 
climate-sensitive sectors. The NSF focuses on broadly based

[[Page 70411]]

fundamental research to improve understanding of the Earth system. EPA 
is concerned with the impacts of climate change and variability on 
human health, and EPRI addresses key research gaps in climate change 
and human health. This announcement is offered as an experimental 
mechanism to fill critical gaps in climate variability and human health 
research and to coordinate funding of overlapping agency and 
institutional interests in such research. Other private sector 
organizations interested in jointly funding research through this 
announcement process should contact the NOAA Program Manager, Juli 
Trtanj (301) 427-2089, ext. 134, or Internet: [email protected]. 
Research projects will be funded for a one, two or three year period.

5. Program Objectives

    The over-arching goal of this announcement is to develop and 
demonstrate the feasibility of new approaches or field studies that 
investigate or validate well-formed hypotheses or models of climate 
variability and health interactions. This announcement is offered as 
part of an interagency effort to build an integrated climate and health 
community. Proposed research submitted under this announcment is 
encouraged to build on existing research activities, programs, research 
sites and facilities, or data sets.

6. Proposal Requirements and General Guidance

    Research teams should include, at a minimum, one investigator each 
from the public health or medical response, ecology, and climate 
communities working in close collaboration on an integrated project. 
Research proposals submitted under this announcement are strongly 
encouraged to include components addressing either the adaptation or 
vulnerability of human and public health systems to climate 
variability, or an economic analysis of using climate information, or 
both. (See Criteria for Evaluation b). The funding partners will look 
favorably on research activities that involve end-users from the public 
health arena (i.e., local public health officials, regional or 
international health organizations, other public health or disaster 
management agencies and institutions) and which address the means by 
which public health policy and decision-makers can use their research 
results. (See Criteria for Evaluation d). Investigators are encouraged 
to demonstrate that they will disseminate research results through 
formal presentation during at least one professional meeting and 
publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
    This Program Announcement is for projects to be conducted by 
investigators both inside and outside of NOAA, NSF, EPA, and EPRI. The 
funding instrument for extramural awards will be a grant unless it is 
anticipated that any of the funding entities will be substantially 
involved in the implementation of the project, in which case the 
funding instrument should be a cooperative agreement. Examples of 
substantial involvement may include but are not limited to proposals 
for collaboration between a funding entity or funding entity scientist, 
and a recipient scientist or technician and/or contemplation by NOAA, 
NSF, or EPA of detailing Federal personnel to work on proposed 
projects. NOAA, NSF, and EPA will make decisions regarding the use of a 
cooperative agreement on a case-by-case basis. This program does not 
require matching share.

Guidelines for Submission

1. Pre-Proposals

    (a) Pre-proposals should include the names and institutions of all 
investigators, a statement of the problem, description of data and 
methodology including names of data sets and types of models or 
analysis, a general budget for the project, a description of intended 
use of results for public health policy and decision making, and brief 
biographical sketches for each investigator. Pre-proposals can be 
submitted electronically to Irma duPree at [email protected], unless 
other arrangements have been made with the Program Manager. Pre-
proposals must be no longer than eight pages in length and must be 
prepared using an 11 point font or larger, with one-inch margins. Pre-
proposals longer than eight pages, with smaller fonts, or with 
attachments will not be accepted.
    (b) The Program Officers will evaluate the pre-proposals.
    (c) Submission of pre-proposals is not a requirement, but it is in 
the best interest of the applicants and their institutions.
    (d) Email submissions are acceptable for pre-proposals only.
    (e) Projects deemed unsuitable during pre-proposals review will not 
be encouraged to submit full proposals.
    (f) Investigators who are not encouraged to submit full proposals 
will not be precluded from submitting full proposals.

2. Criteria for Evaluation

    Below are the criteria for evaluation that will be used for making 
award decisions. Pre-proposals will be evaluated using these criteria.
    (a) Scientific Merit--60% (to include: Methodology, proof of data 
quality and availability, experience of team and team members, and 
relevant peer-reviewed publications).
    (b) Responsiveness to announcement--20%.
    (c) Explicit multidisciplinary participation and collaboration--
10%.
    (d) Potential for use by climate, ecology and health community or 
public/environmental health community--10%.

3. Selection Procedures and Review Process

    Applications will be screened to determine if applicants are 
eligible and proposals are complete. The proposals will undergo 
independent peer panel review and may receive independent peer mail 
review. The independent peer mail reviewers rate each proposal 
according to the above Criteria for Evaluation. Each independent peer 
panel review member will rate the proposals using the above-mentioned 
criteria and taking the mail reviews into consideration. No consensus 
advice will be given. Both agency and non-agency experts in the field 
may be used in this process. Program Officers, comprised of 
representatives both Federal and non-Federal funding institutions, will 
evaluate the proposal. None of the Program Officers are voting members 
of an independent peer panel. The non-Federal Program Officers will 
provide their recommendations to the Federal Program Officers. The 
Federal Agency Program Officers will then make funding selections 
taking into account these recommendations, the independent peer panel 
review and evaluations, and program policy factors listed below.
    Proposals are usually awarded in the numerical order in which they 
are ranked. However, the Program Officers may consider the following 
program policy factors: (a) Whether proposals do not substantially 
duplicate other projects that are currently funded by NOAA, NSF, EPA, 
other Federal agencies or other funding sources; (b) whether proposals 
do not substantially duplicate other proposals submitted in response to 
this announcement; (c) whether proposals funded maximize use of 
available funds; (d) whether proposals provide programmatic balance and 
(e) whether proposal cost falls within remaining funds available. As a 
result of this review, either the non-Federal or Federal Program 
Officers may decide to select an award out of order. The Federal 
Program Officers will

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also determine the total duration and amount of funding for each 
selected proposal. Unsatisfactory performance by a recipient under 
prior Federal awards may result in an application not being considered 
for funding. Federal agency employees are subject to statutes 
pertaining to non-disclosure and confidentiality requirements 
protecting proprietary information that may be contained in 
applications submitted for potential funding. Non-Federal evaluators 
have agreed in writing to similar non-disclosure and confidentiality 
provisions. Please note, however, that should EPRI or another 
participating private organization which jointly funds research under 
this notice select an application for funding, none of the 
participating Federal agencies is responsible for any unauthorized 
disclosure of information that may occur or any dispute that may arise.

4. Proposal Submission

    The following forms are required in each application, with original 
signatures on each federal form. Failure to comply with these 
provisions will result in proposals being returned without review.
    (a) Full Proposals: (1) Proposals submitted to the NOAA Climate and 
Global Change Program must include the original and two unbound copies 
of the proposal. (2) Investigators are required to submit 3 copies of 
the proposal; however, the normal review process requires 20 copies. 
Investigators are encouraged to submit sufficient proposal copies for 
the full review process if they wish all reviewers to receive color, 
unusually sized (not 8.5 x 11''), or otherwise unusual materials 
submitted as part of the proposal. Only three copies of the Federally 
required forms are needed. (3) Proposals must be limited to 40 pages 
(numbered), 11 point font or larger and 1 inch margins, including 
abstract, results of prior research, statement of work, budget 
justification, budget, 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. 
(4) Proposals should be sent to the NOAA Office of Global Programs at 
the above address. (5) Facsimile transmissions and electronic mail 
submission of full proposals will not be accepted.
    (b) Required Elements: All proposals must include the following 
elements:
    (1) Signed title page: The title page must be signed by the 
Principal Investigator (PI) and the institutional representative. If 
more than one investigator is listed on the title page, please identify 
the lead investigator. The PI and institutional representative should 
be identified by full name, title, organization, telephone number and 
address. The amount of Federal funds being requested should be listed 
for each budget period and for the total project.
    (2) Abstract: An abstract must be included and should contain an 
introduction of the problem, rationale and a brief summary of work to 
be completed. The abstract should appear on a separate page, headed 
with the proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total 
proposed cost and budget period.
    (3) Results from prior research: The results of related research 
activities should be described, including their relation to the 
currently proposed work. Reference to each prior research award should 
include the title, agency or institution, award number, PIs, period of 
award and total award. The section should be a brief summary and should 
not exceed two pages total.
    (4) Statement of work: The proposed project must be completely 
described, including identification of the problem, scientific 
objectives, proposed methodology, and relevance to the announcement. 
Benefits of the proposed project to the general public and the 
scientific community should also be discussed. A summary of proposed 
work must be included clearly indicating that the proposed work is 
achievable. The statement of work, including references but excluding 
figures and other visual materials must not exceed 15 pages to text.
    (5) Budget Justification: A brief description of the expenses 
listed on the budget and how they address the proposed work. Itemized 
justification must include salaries, equipment, publications, supplies, 
tuition, travel, etc.
    (6) Budget: the proposal must include total and annual budget 
corresponding with the descriptions provided in the statement of work. 
A sample budget sheet can be found in the statement of work. A sample 
budget sheet can be found in the standard NOAA application kit-Federal 
Applicants must submit a Standard Form 424 (4-92) ``Application for 
Federal Assistance'', including a detailed budget using the Standard 
Form 424a (4-92). ``Budget Information--Non-Construction Program''. The 
form is included in the standard NOAA application Kit. Additional text 
to justify expenses should be included as necessary. Federal 
researchers should contact Irma duPree at (301) 427-2089 ext. 107, for 
guidance regarding the types of forms required for submission. 
Additionally, Federal researchers should provide, with their 
application, the appropriate statutory authority that allows their 
agency to receive funds from another Federal agency to complete the 
work outlined in their proposal.
    (7) Vitae: Abbreviated curriculum vitae are sought with each 
proposal. Reference lists should be limited to 10-15 of the most recent 
and relevant publications with up to five other relevant papers.
    (8) Current and pending support: for each investigator, submit a 
list that includes project title, supporting agency with grant number, 
investigator months, dollar value and duration. Requested values should 
be listed for pending support.
    (9) List of suggested reviewers: The cover letter may include a 
list of individuals qualified and suggested to review the proposal. It 
also may include a list of individuals that applicants would prefer to 
not review the proposals. Such lists may be considered at the 
discretion of the Program Officers.

Other Requirements

    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreement contained in the Federal Register 
notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 49917), as amended by the Federal 
Register Notice published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 66109), are 
applicable to this solicitation.

Classification

    It has been determined that this notice is not significant for 
purposes of E.O. 12866.
    It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies 
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in E.O. 13132.
    Notice and comment are not required under 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2), or 
any other law, for notices relating to public property, loans, grants, 
benefits or contracts. Because notice and comment are not required, a 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., is not required 
and has not been prepared for this notice.
    This document contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).
    The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and SF-LLL have been 
approved by OMB under the respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-
0044, 0348-0040, and 0348-0046.
    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

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collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless 
that collection displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

Louisa Koch,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research.
[FR Doc. 02-29765 Filed 11-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KA-M