[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 41 (Monday, March 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9985-9991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4895]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 020213030-3031-02; I.D. No. 010903C]


Announcement of Funding Opportunity to Submit Proposals for the 
Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms (MERHAB) Program 
FY2004

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

ACTION: Notice of funding availability for financial assistance for 
project grants and cooperative agreements.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this document is to advise the public that 
NCCOS/CSCOR/COP is soliciting proposals for two types of projects: 
targeted research and regional intensive monitoring. It is anticipated 
that projects funded under this announcement will have a February 1, 
2004, start date.
    NCCOS/CSCOR/COP is soliciting targeted research proposals for 1 to 
3 years of research and development of tools, approaches and 
technologies that could be included as routine components of existing 
Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) monitoring programs. NCCOS/CSCOR/COP is also 
soliciting proposals from regional multi-investigator partnerships of 1 
to 5 years for intensive monitoring of HABs that build the capacity of 
existing local, state, tribal, or regional coastal monitoring programs 
to provide early warning of HAB events to coastal communities and 
increase regional ability to rapidly respond to HAB events. Funding is 
contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2004 Federal 
appropriations. It is anticipated that final recommendations for 
funding under this announcement will be made in early Fiscal Year 2004.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of proposals at the NCCOS/CSCOR/COP 
office is 3 p.m.,local time, June 3, 2003. (Note that late-arriving 
applications provided to a delivery service on or before June 3, 2003, 
with delivery guaranteed before 3 p.m.,local time, on June 3, 2003, 
will be accepted for review if the applicant can document that the 
application was provided to the delivery service with delivery to the 
address listed below guaranteed by the specified closing date and time 
and, in any event, the proposals are received in the NCCOS/CSCOR/COP 
office by 3 p.m. local time, no later than 2 business days following 
the closing date.)

ADDRESSES: Submit the original and 15 copies of your proposal to 
(MERHAB03) Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research/Coastal Ocean 
Program (N/SCI2), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1305 
East-West Highway, SSMC4, 8th Floor Station 8243, Silver Spring, MD 
20910, attn. MERHAB 2004.
    NOAA and Standard Form Applications with instructions are 
accessible on the following CSCOR/COP Internet site: http://www.cop.noaa.gov under the COP Grants Information Section, Part D, 
Application Forms for Initial Proposal Submission.
    Forms may be viewed and, in most cases, filled in by computer. All 
forms must be printed, completed, and mailed to NCCOS/CSCOR/COP with 
original signatures. If you are unable to access this information, you 
may call COP at

[[Page 9986]]

301-713-3338 to leave a mailing request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical Information. Marc Suddleson, 
MERHAB 2004 Program Manager, NCCOS/CSCOR/COP, 301-713-3338/ext 162, 
Internet: [email protected]
    Business Management Information. Leslie McDonald, NCCOS/CSCOR/COP 
Grants Administrator, 301-713-3338/ext 155, Internet: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    The following web sites furnish supplementary informationfrom 
reports dealing with harmful algal blooms: Boesch et.al, Feb 1997, 
Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters: Options for Prevention, Control 
and Mitigation, Silver Spring, MD at http://www.cop.noaa.gov/pubs/das/das10.html; and Anderson et.al., Sept 2000, Estimated Annual Economic 
Impact from Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the U.S. WHOI at http://www.redtide.whoi.edu/hab/pertinentinfo/Economics__Report.pdf.
    Information on the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and 
Control Act and the 2000 National Assessment of HABs in U.S. Waters, 
National Science and Technology Council Committee on Environment and 
Natural Resources (CENR), Washington, DC, can be located at http://www.habhrca.noaa.gov.
    Details about ongoing MERHAB projects currently funded by the 
NCCOS/CSCOR/COP MERHAB Program are found at http://www.cop.noaa.gov/
Fact__Sheets/MERHAB.htm. Hard copies of these resources can be obtained 
from the CSCOR/COP office.

Background

Program Description

    For complete program description and other requirements for NCCOS/
CSCOR/COP, see the General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions 
for the Coastal Ocean Program annual notification in the Federal 
Register November 8, 2002 (67 FR 68103), and at the CSCOR/COP home 
page.
    In spite of a growing list of affected resources and coastal 
communities, our ability to prevent, control, and mitigate the impacts 
of HABs remains limited. Acting on the findings of a 1996 NOAA and DOI 
Report, Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters: Options for Prevention, 
Control and Mitigation, the research agenda of the Ecology and 
Oceanography of Harmful Algal Bloom (ECOHAB) program for the past five 
years has focused on building a scientific understanding about the 
cause and behavior of HABs. ECOHAB continues to support research that 
develops understandings of the linkages between the biology, ecology, 
physiology, and behavior of harmful species and the physics, chemistry, 
bathymetry, and meteorology of the surrounding environment. ECOHAB 
research is developing the capabilities to forecast bloom landfall, 
evaluate toxicity, and provide mitigation strategies that might 
ameliorate the impact of blooms along U.S. coasts. ECOHAB is also 
producing new state-of-the art HAB technologies, such as detection 
assays and molecular probes.
    With the maturation of ECOHAB and other HAB research programs, more 
effort is needed to adapt their research products into regionally and 
locally tested tools that can be used to prevent, control, or mitigate 
the impact of HABs. The 1996 NOAA and Department of Interior (DOI) 
Report noted that knowledge about the basic information on the causes 
and behavior of HABs would ultimately lead to the development of 
prevention, control, and mitigation (PCM) strategies. The plan called 
for Federal and state agencies with responsibilities for resource 
management, environmental protection, and public health to support PCM 
research.
    While prevention of HABs is the preferred management option, effort 
to enhance the current abilities to reduce the incidence and extent of 
harmful algal blooms (before they begin) requires additional research 
and face legislative hurdles. For example, more research is needed to 
determine whether a cause-and-effect relationship exists between 
increased pollution and nutrient loading and an incidence of some HAB 
species (e.g., Pfiesteria, Pseudo-nitzchia, cyanobacteria). Further, a 
national regulatory strategy to effectively control polluted run off 
and nutrient loading is under development; but more research is 
required to educate decision makers.
    Efforts to control HABs are also being explored, but these, too, 
face serious scientific and policy hurdles. Attempts to use chemicals 
to directly control HAB cells encounter many logistical problems and 
environmental objections. Chemicals are likely to be nonspecific, 
indiscriminately targeting all co-occurring algae and other organisms 
along with the target algal species. Chemical application and other 
options, such as flocculants or biological controls need additional 
research to determine their wider impacts to the coastal ecosystem.
    Strategies to mitigate or minimize human health risks, ecosystem 
damage, fisheries losses, and declines in tourism due to algal blooms 
are currently the best option for coastal management of the HAB 
problem. Many different types of actions can be taken to mitigate the 
impact of HABs, including forecasting bloom development and movement, 
monitoring HAB cells and toxins, and responding rapidly to HAB events.
    Monitoring combined with rapid response to HAB events has been 
identified as the most effective way to mitigate the impact of HABs 
(CENR 2000). A number of coastal states have existing monitoring 
programs designed to prevent human illness from shellfish poisoning 
syndromes. State shellfish monitoring programs detect toxins in 
different fisheries species either to provide advance warning of 
outbreaks or to delineate areas that require harvest restrictions. 
Fewer coastal states monitor the environment for HAB blooms and 
forecast their development and movement. However, states with 
environmental monitoring programs for plankton and fish in coastal 
estuaries and bays are often able to provide early warning of blooms 
and help focus shellfish toxicity testing efforts.
    Some states supplement their HAB monitoring activities with rapid 
response teams that are deployed to assess suspected HAB events. HABs 
have the potential to develop rapidly, and often the observable event 
may be short-lived. Rapid response is essential to ensure that the 
appropriate sampling is done to determine whether a HAB event is in 
progress. A few regions have also have established communication 
networks to distribute information about outbreaks to researchers, 
managers, and the public. Providing rapid and accurate information is 
critical to assess the risks to resources and human health and to avoid 
public misconceptions about the safety of coastal resources. Such 
misconceptions have caused severe economic impacts to regions not 
directly affected by HAB events. A study completed by Woods Hole 
Oceanographic Institute in September 2000 calculated the total 
estimated annual cost from HABs on public health, commercial fisheries, 
recreation and tourism, and monitoring and management in the United 
States to be $49 million. This estimate was noted by the authors to be 
highly conservative and sensitive to single events that equal or exceed 
the total estimated economic impact.
    Most coastal communities experiencing HABs are not covered by 
regular public or private monitoring programs for HABs, and many do not

[[Page 9987]]

receive adequate information about outbreaks. State monitoring programs 
have not kept pace with the expansion of the HABs problem. Tight state 
budgets and the need to monitor for more toxins in more organisms over 
larger areas have left many monitoring programs underfunded. Further, 
support of state monitoring efforts through the Federal Clean Water 
Program has not specifically addressed the need for increased HAB 
monitoring. The problem is exacerbated by managers' inability to 
quantify the benefits to human health, commercial fisheries, recreation 
and tourism of controlling HABs and to compare these to the costs of 
mitigation strategies.

NCCOS/CSCOR/COP Program Interest

    Through the MERHAB program, NCCOS/CSCOR/COP intends to build 
capabilities of local, state, tribal, and private sector for regular 
and intensive measurement of HAB parameters. This will make existing 
monitoring programs more efficient while providing better coverage in 
time and space. MERHAB will enable rigorous field testing of state-of-
the-art technology through targeted projects and will incorporate the 
new methods of detecting and tracking HABs into existing monitoring 
programs through regional, intensive monitoring projects. MERHAB will 
also develop event-response capabilities within affected regions to 
ensure trained and equipped personnel are able to mobilize quickly, 
conduct appropriate sampling and testing, and communicate effectively 
during HAB events.
    With faster, less expensive, and more reliable detection methods 
for HAB cells and toxins, and stronger mechanisms in place to respond 
to outbreaks, programs will be better able to mitigate the impact of 
HABs on vital resources and will protect public health. As a result, 
managers will be able to better address the expanding HAB problems 
facing their coastal regions and, therefore, they will be better 
positioned to request long-term support from Federal and state agencies 
or from other funding entities.

MERHAB Goal

    The primary goal of the MERHAB program is to incorporate products 
generated from past or ongoing HAB research programs into operational 
components of existing monitoring programs in HAB-impacted coastal 
regions. MERHAB is not intended to provide long-term support for 
routine monitoring efforts.

A. MERHAB-Targeted Research Project

    (1) Objectives:
    (a) Develop a technology that will enhance HAB monitoring 
activities in U.S. coastal waters; and (b) incorporate that technology 
into existing HAB monitoring programs.
    (2) Characteristics:
    (a) Should rigorously field-test new technologies to detect algal 
species, toxin, or toxicity and/or monitor the environmental conditions 
that support HABs. New technologies may include, but are not limited 
to, rapid field assays for shellfish, improved diagnostic techniques 
for in situ detection of HAB cells, and remote sensing technology to 
help target sampling efforts; (b) may be led either by an individual or 
by small investigative team; and (c) must address specified research 
needs of the HAB community.
    Investigators should include in their work plans efforts to build 
support for the incorporation of technology into one or more existing 
state or regional HAB monitoring programs. (See Part II: Further 
Supplementary Information Section (11) ``Project Funding Priorities.'')

B. MERHAB-regional, Intensive Monitoring Projects

    (1) Objectives:
    (a) Develop new or increase existing regional capabilities for HAB 
monitoring; (b) incorporate new tools for HAB measurement into existing 
monitoring efforts;(c) include local, state, regional, Federal, or non-
governmental entities as active partners in identifying environmental 
measurements and their importance to managing coastal resources and 
protecting human health (i.e. generating public advisories) in the 
area; (d) determine and work to secure long-term local, state, 
regional, or other funding that will support enhancements in HAB 
monitoring that result from MERHAB project funding; and (e) develop 
local and/or regional capabilities to respond to HAB events.
    (2) Characteristics:
    (a) Include a suite of annual studies and involve a multi-
disciplinary, collaborative team of investigators. The team should 
represent groups with strong interests in improved HAB monitoring, 
including, but not limited to, the natural and social science research 
community, existing monitoring programs, communities dependent upon 
affected resources, business and industry associations, and non-profit 
organizations; (b) provide evidence that local, state, tribal, 
regional, and Federal representatives were consulted in the development 
of the proposal to ensure appropriate economic, regulatory, and 
management issues are addressed; (c) include a plan for continued 
consultation with these representatives to facilitate the incorporation 
of research results into existing monitoring programs and to identify 
means to continue HAB monitoring efforts after MERHAB project funding 
has ended; and (d) form a management team with a designated chairperson 
serving as the main point of contact with the MERHAB Program Manager.
    In similar NCCOS/CSCOR/COP research programs i.e. ECOHAB, 
management teams provide strong leadership and solid partnerships among 
principal investigators and collaborators. Teams serve to interpret 
results collected from the expanded suite of pilot studies, permitting 
acceptance or rejection of the approaches, techniques, or tools 
explored during each annual budget period. MERHAB management teams will 
also analyze results for application under local conditions and assess 
effectiveness under specific constraints so that application to other 
coastal systems or species may be determined.

Shared Research Project Characteristics

    The following characteristics are shared by both MERHAB-targeted 
projects and MERHAB-regional, intensive monitoring projects.
    (1) Project results will be distributed to stakeholders via 
scientific, peer-reviewed articles, synthesis documents, briefings, 
electronic web sites, and any other means defined by the proposers.
    (2) Project proposals should clearly identify a timetable of 
accomplishments and major program elements that will lead to specific 
interim and final assessments of applicability and effectiveness of a 
number of monitoring approaches.
    Continuation of funding will be contingent upon the availability of 
funds from Congress, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole 
discretion of the agency; and determination by the awarding agency that 
the selected project is on course to provide both interim and final 
products that will improve HAB monitoring capabilities in the local or 
national coastal environment impacted by HABs.

Expected Products and Outcomes

A. MERHAB-Targeted Projects

    (1) Development and testing of new HAB monitoring tools;
    (2) Demonstration of effective application of technology in an 
existing monitoring program; and
    (3) Comprehensive data analysis and integration that advances the 
state of

[[Page 9988]]

science and management (i.e. technical reports, peer-reviewed 
publications, databases, numerical and conceptual models, etc.).

B. MERHAB-regional, Intensive Monitoring Projects

    (1) Include regional stakeholder input and participation through 
means that may include, but are not limited to, annual workshops, 
management and technical advisory committees that involve a broad 
spectrum of regional interests and training in use of new technology;
    (2) Provide recommendations to management of the parameters to be 
measured in a region and the types of instruments that should be 
developed or adapted into existing monitoring programs;
    (3) Deploy new HAB monitoring tools in existing monitoring 
programs;
    (4) Conduct comprehensive data analysis and integration that 
advances the state of science and management. (i.e. technical reports, 
peer-reviewed publications, data bases, numerical and conceptual 
models; regional case studies with explicit applications to important 
management issues; risk analysis of management scenarios; regional 
economic valuation of direct and indirect costs associated with HAB 
events; and region-specific management recommendations based on study 
results);
    (5) Accept commitments from one or more local, state, tribal, 
regional, or Federal organizations for continued, long-term support of 
expanding HAB monitoring capabilities;
    (6) Develop real-time, scientific response capability during HAB 
outbreaks for the region that includes, but is not limited to, the use 
of local experts, establishing local academic-government- NGO-private 
partnerships for providing immediate analytical and sampling 
capacities, and expanding local abilities for transferring samples to 
analytical services outside the region; and
    (7) Conduct outreach to improve awareness of HAB outbreaks and 
their environmental and societal costs, and to mitigate their impact on 
vital natural resources, public health and local/regional economies.

Part I: Schedule and Proposal Submission

    This document requests full proposals only. The provisions for 
proposal preparation provided here are mandatory. Proposals received 
after the published deadline (refer to DATES) or proposals that deviate 
from the prescribed format will be returned to the sender without 
further consideration. Information regarding this announcement, 
additional background information, and required Federal forms are 
available on the CSCOR/COP home page.

Full Proposals

    Applications submitted in response to this announcement require an 
original proposal and 15 proposal copies at time of submission. This 
includes color or high-resolution graphics, unusually sized materials, 
or otherwise unusual materials submitted as part of the proposal. For 
color graphics, submit either color originals or color copies. The 
stated requirements for the number of proposal copies provide for a 
timely review process. Facsimile transmissions and electronic mail 
submission of full proposals will not be accepted.

Required Elements

    All recipients must follow the instructions in the preparation of 
the NCCOS/CSCOR/COP application forms included in Part II: Further 
Supplementary Information, (10) Application forms and kit.
    For clarity in the submission of proposals, the following 
definitions are provided for recipient use: (1) Funding and/or Budget 
Period--The period of time when Federal funding is available for 
obligation by the recipient. The funding period must always be 
specified in multi-year awards, using fixed year funds. This term may 
also be used to mean ``budget period'' A budget period is typically 12 
months. (2) Award and/or Project Period--The period established in the 
award document during which Federal sponsorship begins and ends. The 
term ``award period'' is also referred to as project period in 15 CFR 
14.2(cc) Each proposal must also include the following nine elements or 
it will be returned to sender without further consideration:
    (1) Standard Form 424. At time of proposal submission, all 
applicants anticipating direct funding shall submit the Standard Form, 
SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance,'' to indicate the total 
amount of funding proposed for the whole project period. This form is 
to be the cover page for the original proposal and all requested 
copies. Multi-institutional proposals must include signed SF-424 forms 
from all institutions requesting funding.
    (2) Signed Summary title page. The title page should be signed by 
the Principal Investigator (PI). The Summary title page identifies the 
project's title, starting with the acronym: MERHAB 2004, a short title 
(less than 50 characters), and the PI's name and affiliation, complete 
address, phone, FAX and E-mail information. The requested budget for 
each fiscal year should be included on the Summary title page. Multi-
institution proposals must also identify the lead investigator from 
each fiscal year for each institution and the requested funding for 
each fiscal year for each institution on the title page, but no 
signatures are required on the title page from the additional 
institutions. Lead investigator and separate budget information is not 
requested on the title page for institutions that are proposed to 
receive funds through a subcontract to the lead institution; however, 
the COP Summary Proposal Budget Form and accompanying budget 
justification must be submitted for each subcontractor. For further 
details on budget information, please see Section (7) Budget of this 
Part.
    (3) One-page abstract/project summary. The Project Summary 
(Abstract) Form, which is to be submitted at time of application, shall 
include an introduction of the problem, rationale, scientific 
objectives and/or hypotheses to be tested, and a brief summary of work 
to be completed. The prescribed NCCOS/CSCOR/COP format for the Project 
Summary Form can be found on the CSCOR/COP Internet site under the 
Grants Information section, Part D.
    The summary should appear on a separate page, headed with the 
proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total proposed cost, 
and budget period. It should be written in the third person. The 
summary is used to help compare proposals quickly and allows the 
respondents to summarize these key points in their own words.
    (4) Project description. The description of the proposed project 
must be complete and divided into annual increments of work that 
include: identification of the problem, scientific objectives, proposed 
methodology, relevance to the MERHAB 2004 program goals, and its 
scientific priorities. For MERHAB-Targeted project proposals, the 
project description (including relevant results from prior support) 
should not exceed 15 pages. For MERHAB-regional, intensive monitoring 
project proposals, the project description (including relevant results 
from prior support) should not exceed 20 pages. Both page limits are 
inclusive of figures, other visual materials, and letters of 
endorsement, but are exclusive of references, a milestone chart, and 
letters of collaboration from unfunded collaborators.
    This section should clearly identify project management with a 
description

[[Page 9989]]

of the functions of each PI within a team. It should provide a full 
scientific justification for the research, rather than simply 
reiterating justifications presented in this document. It should also 
include:
    (a) The objective for the period of proposed work and its expected 
significance;
    (b) The relation to the present state of knowledge in the field and 
relation to previous work and work in progress by the proposing 
principal investigator(s);
    (c) A discussion of how the proposed project lends value to the 
program goals;
    (d) Potential coordination with other investigators.
    (5) References cited. Reference information is required. Each 
reference must include the names of all authors in the same sequence 
they appear in the publications, the article title, volume number, page 
numbers, and year of publications. While there is no established page 
limitation, this section should include bibliographic citations only 
and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside the 
15-page MERHAB-targeted project or the 20-page MERHAB-regional project 
descriptions.
    (6) Milestone chart. Provide time lines of major tasks covering the 
duration of the proposed project.
    (7) Budget. At time of proposal submission, all applicants are 
required to submit a COP Summary Proposal Budget Form for each fiscal 
year increment. Multi-institution proposals must include a COP Summary 
Proposal Budget Form for each institution, and multi-investigator 
proposals using a lead investigator with a subcontract's approach must 
submit a COP Summary Proposal Budget Form for each subcontractor.
    Each subcontract or subgrant should be listed as a separate item. 
Describe products/services to be obtained and indicate the 
applicability or necessity of each to the project. Provide separate 
budgets for each subgrant or contract regardless of the dollar value 
and indicate the basis for the cost estimates. List all subgrant or 
contract costs under line item number 5--Subcontracts on the COP 
Summary Proposal Budget Form.
    The use of this budget form will provide for a detailed annual 
budget and for the level of detail required by the NCCOS/CSCOR/COP 
program staff to evaluate the effort to be invested by investigators 
and staff on a specific project. The COP budget form is compatible with 
forms in use by other agencies that participate in joint projects with 
NCCOS/CSCOR/COP and can be found on the CSCOR/COP home page under 
Grants Information section, Part D.
    All applications must include a budget narrative and a 
justification to support all proposed budget categories. The SF-424A, 
Budget Information (Non-Construction) Form, will be requested only from 
those applicants subsequently recommended for award. See references to 
single year or multi year awards under Part II: Further Supplementary 
Information, (10) Application Forms and Kits regarding submission of 
the SF-424A.
    Ship time needs should be clearly identified in the proposed 
budget. The investigator is responsible for requesting ship time and 
for meeting all requirements to ensure the availability of requested 
ship time. Copies of relevant ship time request forms should be 
included with the proposal.
    (8) Biographical sketch. All principal and co-investigators must 
provide summaries of up to 2 pages that include the following:
    (a) A listing of professional and academic essentials and mailing 
address;
    (b) A list of up to five publications most closely related to the 
proposed project and five other significant publications. Additional 
lists of publications, lectures, and the rest should not be included;
    (c) A list of all persons (including their organizational 
affiliation) in alphabetical order, with whom the investigator has 
collaborated on a project or publication within the last 48 months, 
including collaborators on the proposal and persons listed in the 
publications. If no collaborators exist, this should be so indicated;
    (d) A list of persons (including their organizational affiliation) 
with whom the individual has had an association like thesis advisor or 
postdoctoral scholar sponsor;
    (e) A list of the names and institutions of the individual's own 
graduate and postgraduate advisors.
    The material presented in (c, d, and e) is used to assist in 
identifying potential conflicts or bias in the selection of reviewers.
    (9) Current and pending support. Describe all current and pending 
financial/funding support for all principal and co-investigators, 
including subsequent funding in the case of continuing grants. All 
current support from all sources (e.g., Federal, state or local 
government agencies, private foundations, industrial or other 
commercial organizations) must be listed. The proposed project and all 
other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the 
principal investigator or co-investigators should be included, even if 
they receive no salary support from the projects. The total award 
amount for the entire award period covered (including indirect costs) 
should be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be 
devoted to the project, regardless of source of support.
    (10) Proposal format and assembly. The original proposal should be 
clamped in the upper left-hand corner, but left unbound. The 15 
additional copies can be stapled in the upper left-hand corner or bound 
on the left edge. The page margin must be one inch (2.5 cm) at the top, 
bottom, left, and right, and the typeface standard 12-point size must 
be clear and easily legible. Proposals should be single spaced.

Part II: Further Supplementary Information

    (1) Program authorities. For a list of all program authorities for 
the NCCOS/CSCOR/COP, see General Grant Administration Terms and 
Conditions of the Coastal Ocean Program published in the Federal 
Register November 8, 2002 (67 FR 68103) and at the CSCOR/COP home page. 
Specific authority cited for this announcement is 33 U.S.C. 1442 and 
Public Law 105-383, title VI, Nov. 13, 1998.
    (2) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number. The CFDA 
number for the Coastal Ocean Program is 11.478.
    (3) Program description. For complete NCCOS/CSCOR/COP program 
descriptions, see General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions of 
the Coastal Ocean Program published in the Federal Register November 8, 
2002 (67 FR 68103).
    (4) Funding availability. Funding is contingent upon availability 
of Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that three to five MERHAB-
Targeted research projects will be funded at approximately $100,000 per 
year for up to 3 years and that two to three MERHAB-regional, intensive 
monitoring proposals will be funded at approximately $600,000 per year 
for up to 5 years. Support in out years after FY 2004 is contingent 
upon the availability of funds.
    If an application is selected for funding, NOAA has no obligation 
to provide any additional prospective funding in connection with that 
award in subsequent years. Continuation of an award to increase funding 
or extend the period of performance is based on satisfactory 
performance and is at the total discretion of the funding agency. 
Priority for these funds will be given to proposals that promote 
balanced

[[Page 9990]]

coverage of the science objectives stated under this announcement.
    Publication of this document does not obligate the CSCOR/COP to any 
specific award or to obligate any part of the entire amount of funds 
available. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws 
and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal 
financial assistance awards.
    (5) Matching requirements. None.
    (6) Type of funding instrument. They are project grants and 
cooperative agreements.
    (a) Research Project Grants: A research project grant is one in 
which substantial programmatic involvement by NOAA is not anticipated 
by the recipient during the project period. Applicants for grants must 
demonstrate an ability to conduct the proposed research with minimal 
assistance, other than financial support, from NOAA.
    (b) Cooperative Agreements: A cooperative agreement implies that 
NOAA will assist recipients in conducting the proposed research. The 
application should be presented in a manner that demonstrates the 
applicant's ability to address the research problem in a collaborative 
manner with NOAA. A cooperative agreement is appropriate when 
substantial NOAA involvement is anticipated. This means that the 
recipient can expect substantial agency collaboration, participation, 
or intervention in project performance. Substantial involvement exists 
when: responsibility for the management, control, direction, or 
performance of the project is shared by the assisting agency and the 
recipient; or the assisting agency has the right to intervene 
(including interruption or modification) in the conduct or performance 
of project activities.
    (c) Determination of which instrument to use: Applicants must 
specify the type of award for which they are applying, either a grant 
or a cooperative agreement. The funding agency will review the 
applications in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Before issuing 
awards, NOAA will determine whether a grant or cooperative agreement is 
the appropriate instrument based upon the need for substantial NOAA 
involvement in the project.
    (d) In an effort to maximize the use of limited resources, 
applications from non-Federal, non-NOAA Federal and NOAA Federal 
applicants will be competed against each other. Research proposals 
selected for funding from non-Federal researchers will be funded 
through a project grant or cooperative agreement.
    Research proposals selected for funding from non-NOAA Federal 
applicants will be funded through an interagency transfer, provided 
legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from 
another agency. PLEASE NOTE: 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 the applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. section 1535) is not an 
appropriate basis. Support may be solely through COP or partnered with 
other Federal offices and agencies.
    Proposals deemed acceptable from NOAA Federal researchers will be 
funded through an intraagency transfer.
    (7) Eligibility criteria. For complete eligibility criteria for the 
NCCOS/CSCOR/COP, see the General Grant Administration Terms and 
Conditions for the Coastal Ocean Program annual document in the Federal 
Register November 8, 2002 (67 FR 68103), and the CSCOR/COP home page. 
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other non-
profits, state, local, Indian Tribal Governments, and Federal agencies 
that possess the statutory authority to receive financial assistance.
    (i) Researchers must be employees of an eligible institution listed 
above; and proposals must be submitted through that institution. Non-
federal researchers should comply with their institutional requirements 
for proposal submission.
    (ii) Non-NOAA Federal applicants will be required to submit 
certifications or documentation showing that they have specific legal 
authority to receive funds from the Department of Commerce (DOC) for 
this research.
    (iii) NCCOS/CSCOR/COP will accept proposals that include foreign 
researchers as collaborators with a researcher, who has met the above 
stated eligibility requirements; and who also is an employee of an 
eligible institution listed above. (iv) Non-federal researchers 
affiliated with NOAA-University Joint Institutes should comply with 
joint institutional requirements; they will be funded through grants 
either to their institutions or to joint institutes.
    (8) Project/Award period. Full proposals for targeted projects can 
cover a project/award period of up to 3 years, and full proposals for 
regional, intensive monitoring projects can cover a project/award 
period of up to 5 years. Multi-year awards may be funded incrementally 
on an annual basis, but, once awarded, those awards will not compete 
for funding in subsequent years. (See section (10) Application Forms 
and Kit for directions on submission of Federal forms for multi year 
award funding for those applicants subsequently recommended for award.) 
Each annual award shall require an Implementation Plan and project 
description that can be easily divided into annual increments of 
meaningful work representing solid accomplishments (if prospective 
funding is not made available, or is discontinued).
    (9) Indirect costs. Regardless of any approved indirect cost rate 
applicable to the award, the maximum dollar amount of allocable 
indirect costs for which DOC will reimburse the recipient shall be the 
lesser of: (a) the line item amount for the Federal share of indirect 
costs contained in the approved budget of the award; or (b) the Federal 
share of the total allocable indirect costs of the award based on the 
indirect cost rate approved by a cognizant or oversight Federal agency 
and current at the time the cost was incurred, provided the rate is 
approved on or before the award end date.
    (l0) Application forms and kit. For complete information on 
application forms for the NCCOS/CSCOR/COP, see General Grant 
Administration Terms and Conditions for the Coastal Ocean Program 
document in the Federal Register November 8, 2002 (67 FR 68103), at the 
CSCOR/COP home page and the information given under Required Elements, 
paragraph (7) Budget. The following is a description of Multi-Year 
Awards for those applicants subsequently recommended for award. This 
information can also be found on the COP web site under Grants 
Information. Multi-Year Awards: Multi Year Awards are awards which have 
an award/project period of more than 12 months of activity. Multi Year 
Awards are partially funded when the awards are approved, and are 
subsequently funded in increments. One of the purposes of Multi Year 
Awards is to reduce the administrative burden on both the applicant and 
the operating unit. For example, with proper planning, one application 
can suffice for the entire multi year award period. Funding for each 
year's activity is contingent upon the availability of funds from 
Congress, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of 
the agency. Multi-year funding is appropriate for projects to be funded 
for 2 to 5 years. Once approved, full applications are not required for 
the continuations into the out years.
    (11) Project funding priorities. For description of project funding 
priorities,

[[Page 9991]]

see the annual General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions for 
the Coastal Ocean Program document in the Federal Register November 8, 
2002 (67 FR 68103), and the CSCOR/COP home page.
    (12) Evaluation criteria. For complete information on evaluation 
criteria, see the annual General Grant Administration Terms and 
Condition for the Coastal Ocean Program document in the Federal 
Register November 8, 2002 (67 FR 68103), and the CSCOR/COP home page.
    (13) Selection procedures. For complete information on selection 
procedures, see the annual General Grant Administration Terms and 
Conditions for the Coastal Ocean Program document in the Federal 
Register November 8, 2002 (67 FR 68103), and the CSCOR/COP home page. 
All proposals received under this specific document will be evaluated 
and ranked individually in accordance with the assigned weights of the 
above evaluation criteria by independent peer mail review and/or panel 
review. No consensus advice will be given by the independent peer mail 
review or the review panel.
    (14) Other requirements.
    (a) For a complete description of other requirements, see the 
annual General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions for the 
Coastal Ocean Program document in the Federal Register November 8, 2002 
(67 FR 68103) and the CSCOR/COP home page. NOAA has specific 
requirements that environmental data be submitted to the National 
Oceanographic Data Center (see section 16, Data Archiving).
    (b) The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements 
for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register 
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.
    (c) Please note that NOAA is developing a policy on internal 
overhead charges; NOAA scientists considering submission of proposals 
should contact the appropriate CSCOR/COP Program Manager for the latest 
information.
    (15) Intergovernmental review. Applications under this program are 
not subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of 
Federal Programs.'' It has been determined that this notice is not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
553(a) (2), an opportunity for public notice and comment is not 
required for this notice relating to grants, benefits and contracts. 
Because this notice is exempt from the notice and comment provisions of 
the Administrative Procedure Act, a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is 
not required, and none has been prepared. It has been determined that 
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as 
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
    (16) Data archiving. Any data collected in projects supported by 
NCCOS/CSCOR/COP must be delivered to a National Data Center (NDC), such 
as the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), in a format to be 
determined by the institution, the NODC, and Program Officer. It is the 
responsibility of the funded institution for the delivery of these 
data; the DOC will not provide additional support for delivery beyond 
the award. Additionally, all biological cultures established, molecular 
probes developed, genetic sequences identified, mathematical models 
constructed, or other resulting information products established 
through support provided by NCCOS/CSCOR/COP are encouraged to be made 
available to the general research community at no or a modest handling 
charge (to be determined by the institution, Program Officer, and DOC). 
For more details, refer to NCCOS/CSCOR/COP data policy posted at the 
CSCOR/COP home page.
    (17) Collection of information requirements. This notification 
involves collection-of-information requirements subject to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act. The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and 
SF-LLL has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040 and 0348-0046.
    The following requirements have been approved by OMB under control 
number 0648-0384; a Summary Proposal Budget Form (30 minutes per 
response), a Project Summary Form (30 minutes per response), a 
standardized format for the annual Performance Report (5 hours per 
response), a standardized format for the Final Report (10 hours per 
response), and the submission of up to 20 copies of proposals (10 
minutes per response). The response estimates include the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. Send comments regarding these requirements 
and the burden estimate, or any other aspect of this collection of 
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to 
[email protected]. Copies of these forms and formats can be 
found on the CSCOR/COP home page under Grants Information sections, 
Parts D and F.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure 
to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.

    Dated: February 24, 2003.
Ted I. Lillestolen,
Associate Deputy Assistant Administrator, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service.
[FR Doc. 03-4895 Filed 2-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JS-S