[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 58 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14583-14585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7251]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 000522149-3063-04]
RIN 0648-ZA


Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, National Sea Grant 
College Program

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

ACTION: Notice and amendment of FRN 000522149-1259-03.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that applications may be submitted for a 
Fellowship program which was initiated by the National Sea Grant Office 
(NSGO), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in 
fulfilling its broad educational responsibilities and legislative 
mandate of the Sea Grant Act, to provide educational experience in the 
policies and processes of the Legislative and Executive Branches of the 
Federal Government to graduate students in marine and aquatic-related 
fields. This notice also announces that in the Federal Register notice 
published on November 14, 2001 (66 FR 57039), the section on ``Stipend 
and Expenses'' (p. 57039) is amended to say ``In addition, any 
remaining funds shall be used during the Fellowship year, first to 
satisfy academic degree-related activities, and second for Fellowship-
related activities.'' That same provision is included in this notice 
for the Class of 2004.

DATES: Deadlines vary from program to program, but applications from 
prospective fellows to Sea Grant Colleges are generally due early to 
mid-April. Contact your state's Sea Grant program for specific 
deadlines (see list below). Selected applications from the sponsoring 
Sea Grant program (one original and two copies) are to be received in 
the NSGO no later than 5 p.m. e.d.t. on May 14, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Applications should be addressed to your local Sea Grant 
program. Contact the appropriate state's Sea Grant program from the 
list below to obtain the mailing address, or the address may be 
obtained on the Web site http://www.nsgo.seagrant.org/SGDirectors.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Nikola Garber, Knauss Fellows 
Program Manager, National Sea Grant College Program, R/SG, NOAA, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, Tel. (301) 713-2431 ext. 
124; e-mail: [email protected]. Also call your nearest Sea Grant 
program or visit the Web site http://www.nsgo.seagrant.org/Knauss.html.

Sea Grant Programs

    Alabama, Mississippi--Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, (228) 818-8843.
    Alaska, University of Alaska, (907) 474-6840.
    California, University of California, San Diego, (858) 534-4440.
    California, University of Southern California, (213) 821-1335.
    Connecticut, University of Connecticut, (860) 405-9128.
    Delaware, University of Delaware (302) 831-2841.
    Florida, University of Florida, (352) 392-5870.
    Georgia, University of Georgia, (706) 542-5954.
    Hawaii, University of Hawaii, (808) 956-7031.
    Illinois, University of Illinois, (217) 333-6444.
    Indiana, University of Illinois (217) 333-6444.
    Louisiana, Louisiana Sea Grant, (225) 578-6710.
    Maine, University of Maine, (207) 581-1422.
    Maryland, University of Maryland, (301) 403-4220 Ext. 10.
    Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (617) 253-
7131.
    Massachusetts, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, (508) 289-
2557.
    Michigan, University of Michigan, (734) 615-4084.
    Minnesota, University of Minnesota, (218) 726-8710.
    Mississippi, Mississippi--Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, (228) 818-
8843.
    New Hampshire, University of New Hampshire, (603) 862-0122.
    New Jersey, New Jersey Marine Science Consortium, (732) 872-1300 
Ext. 21.
    New York, New York Sea Grant Institute, SUNY, (631) 632-6905.
    North Carolina, North Carolina State University, (919) 515-2454.
    Ohio, Ohio State University, (614) 292-8949.
    Oregon, Oregon State University, (541) 737-2714.
    Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, (814) 898-6160.
    Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, (787) 832-3585.
    Rhode Island, University of Rhode Island, (401) 874-6802.
    South Carolina, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, (843) 727-
2078.
    Texas, Texas A&M University, (979) 845-3854.
    Vermont, University of Vermont, (802) 656-0682.
    Virginia, Virginia Graduate Marine Science Consortium, (434) 924-
5965.
    Washington, University of Washington, (206) 543-6600.
    Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, (608) 262-0905.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, National Sea Grant 
College Program

Purpose of the Fellowship Program

    In 1979, the National Sea Grant Office, NOAA, in fulfilling its 
broad educational responsibilities, initiated a program to provide a 
unique educational experience in the policies and processes of the 
Legislative and Executive Branches of the Federal Government to 
graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great 
Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting these 
resources. The U.S. Congress recognized the value of this program and, 
in 1987, Public Law 100-220 stipulated the Sea Grant Federal Fellows 
Program was to be a formal part of the National Sea Grant College 
Program Act. The recipients are designated Dean John A. Knauss Marine 
Policy Fellows pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1127(b). The National Sea Grant 
program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 
number 11.417: Sea Grant Support.
Announcement
    Following receipt of notice from the NSGO, the local Sea Grant 
program will send an announcement to all participating Sea Grant 
institutions and campuses.
Eligibility
    Any student who, on April 1, 2003, is in a graduate or professional 
program in a marine or aquatic-related field at a United States 
accredited institution of higher education in the United States may 
apply.

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How To Apply
    Interested students should discuss this fellowship with their local 
Sea Grant Program Director. Applicants from states not served by a Sea 
Grant program should contact the Knauss Fellows Program Manager at the 
NSGO; subsequently, the applicant will be referred to the appropriate 
Sea Grant program. Applications must be submitted with signature to the 
local Sea Grant program by the deadline set in the local Sea Grant 
announcement (usually early to mid-April). Each Sea Grant program may 
select and forward to the NSGO no more than five (5) applicants based 
on the evaluation criteria used by the NSGO in the national 
competition.
    Selected applications (one original and two copies) are to be 
received in the NSGO from the sponsoring Sea Grant program, no later 
than 5 p.m. EDT on May 14, 2003. Note that applications arriving after 
the closing dates given above will be accepted for review only if the 
applicant can document that the application was provided to a delivery 
service that guaranteed delivery to the appropriate address (see 
ADDRESSES) prior to the specified closing date and time; in any event, 
applications received by the NSGO later than two business days 
following the closing date will not be accepted. The competitive 
selection process and subsequent notification to the Sea Grant programs 
will be completed by June 25, 2003.
Stipend and Expenses
    The local Sea Grant program receives and administers the overall 
grant of $38,000 per student on behalf of each Fellow selected from 
their program. Of this amount, the local Sea Grant program provides 
$32,000 to each Follow for stipend and living expenses (per diem). The 
additional $6,000 will be used to cover mandatory health insurance for 
the Fellow and moving expenses. In addition, any remaining funds shall 
be used during the Fellowship year, first to satisfy academic degree-
related activities, and second for Fellowship-related activities. 
Indirect costs are not allowable for either the Fellowships or for any 
costs associated with the Fellowships, including placement week. No 
matching funds are required. During the Fellowship, the host may 
provide supplemental funds for work-related travel by the Fellow.
Application
    An application must include:
    (1) Personal and academic curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages 
using 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins).
    (2) A personal education and career goal statement emphasizing the 
applicant's abilities and the applicant's expectations from the 
experience in the way of career development (1000 words or less, 12 pt. 
font). Placement preference in the Legislative or Executive Branches of 
the Government may be stated; this preference will be honored to the 
extent possible.
    (3) Two letters of recommendation, including one from the student's 
major professor; if no major professor exists, the faculty person 
academically knowing the applicant best may be substituted.
    (4) A letter of endorsement from the sponsoring Sea Grant Program 
Director.
    (5) Official copy of all undergraduate and graduate student 
transcripts.
    Applications that are bound or contain staples will not be 
accepted. However, paperclips are acceptable. All applicants will be 
evaluated solely on their application package according to the criteria 
listed below. Therefore, letters of endorsement from members of 
Congress, friends, relatives and others will not be accepted. Prior 
contacts/arrangements made with possible host offices will be cause for 
immediate disqualification from the process.
Evaluation Criteria
    The evaluation criteria will include:
    (1) Quality of the applicant's personal education and career goal 
statement.
    (2) Endorsement/content of the letter from the applicant's Sea 
Grant Program Director, the applicant's major professor and second 
letter of recommendation.
    (3) Strength of academic performance and diversity of educational 
background including extracurricular activities, awards and honors 
(from the curriculum vitae and transcripts).
    (4) Experience in marine or aquatic-related fields, oral and 
written communication skills, and interpersonal abilities. The four 
evaluation criteria will be given equal weight.
Selection
    Each step in the selection process is based on the evaluation 
criteria listed. A panel is appointed by the Director of the NSGO with 
input from the Sea Grant Association and the National Sea Grant Review 
Panel. The panel will include representation from the Sea Grant 
Association and the current, and possibly past, class of Fellows. Each 
panel member is assigned applications to review before the panel 
meeting. During the panel meeting each application will be individually 
discussed. Following this discussion, an individual score will be 
provided by each panel member. Once all applications have been 
discussed and scored, a numerical ranking will be created by the Knauss 
program manager or designee. The successful applicants will be in 
general selected based on the numerical ranking, however, the Knauss 
program manager may select lower ranking applicants based on the 
following factors: academic discipline and geographic representation. 
The successful applicants will then be placed into either the 
legislative or executive group by the Knauss Program Manger based upon 
the applicant's stated preference, the application materials submitted, 
and the individual comments of the panel members. The number of fellows 
assigned to the Congress will be limited to 10.
Federal Policies and Procedures
    Fellows receive funds directly from their sponsoring Sea Grant 
program and are considered to be subrecipients of Federal assistance. 
Hence, the Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements 
for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register 
notice of October 1, 2000 (66 FR 49917), as amended by the Federal 
Register notice published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 66109), are 
applicable to this solicitation.
Minority Serving Institutions Statement
    Pursuant to Executive Orders 12876, 12900, and 13021, DOC/NOAA is 
strongly committed to broadening the participation of Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions 
(HSI), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) in its educational 
and research programs. The DOC/NOAA vision, mission, and goals are to 
achieve full participation by Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) in 
order to advance the development of human potential, to strengthen the 
Nation's capacity to provide high-quality education, and to increase 
opportunities for MSIs to participate in and benefit from Federal 
Financial Assistance programs. DOC/NOAA encourages applicants from MSIs 
to participate. Institutions eligible to be considered HBCU/MSIs are 
listed at the following Internet Web site: http://www.ed.gov/offices.OCR/minorityinst.html.
Classification
    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this notice 
concerning grants, benefits, and contracts according to 5 U.S.C. 
553(a)(2). Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not

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required for purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
    This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of E.O. 12866. This document contains collection-of-information 
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. Application 
requirements have been approved by OMB under Control Number 0648-0362. 
Public reporting burden for an application is estimated to average 2 
hours per response, including 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 this burden estimate or any other aspect of 
this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this 
burden, to Ms. Nikola Garber (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
above). The use of SF-LLL has been separately approved by OMB under 
Control Number 0348-0046.
    Nothwithstanding any other provision of the 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 of 
information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

Louisa Koch,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research
[FR Doc. 03-7251 Filed 3-25-03; 8:45 am]
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