[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 59 (Friday, March 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15802-15816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6789]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 040205042-4042-01]
RIN 0693-ZA54


Small Grants Programs; Availability of Funds

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
announces that the following programs are soliciting applications for 
financial assistance for FY 2004: (1) The Electronics and Electrical 
Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (2) the Manufacturing 
Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (3) the Chemical Science and 
Technology Laboratory Grants Program; (4) the Physics Laboratory Grants 
Program; (5) the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory Grants 
Program; (6) the Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
Program; and (7) the Fire Research Grants Program. The amount of 
funding available for this year's solicitation is significantly reduced 
due to budget reductions in the NIST laboratory programs.
    The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL) Grants 
Program provides grants and cooperative agreements for the development 
of fundamental electrical metrology and of metrology supporting 
industry and government agencies in the broad areas of semiconductors, 
electronic instrumentation, radio-frequency technology, 
optoelectronics, magnetics, video, electronic commerce as applied to 
electronic products and devices, the transmission and distribution of 
electrical power, national electrical standards (fundamental, generally 
quantum-based physical standards), and law enforcement standards.
    The Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) Grants Program will 
provide grants and cooperative agreements in the following fields of 
research: Dimensional Metrology for Manufacturing, Mechanical Metrology 
for Manufacturing, Intelligent Systems, and Information Systems 
Integration for Applications in Manufacturing. A list of specific 
research areas that will be considered for funding may be found later 
in this document.
    The Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL) Grants 
Program will provide grants and cooperative agreements in the following 
fields of measurement science research, focused on reference methods, 
reference materials and reference data: Biotechnology, Process 
Measurements, Surface and Microanalysis Science, Physical and Chemical 
Properties, and Analytical Chemistry.
    The Physics Laboratory (PL) Grants Program will provide grants and 
cooperative agreements in the following fields of research: Electron 
and Optical Physics, Atomic Physics, Optical Technology, Ionizing 
Radiation, and Time and Frequency.
    The Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory (MSEL) Grants 
Program will provide grants and cooperative agreements in the following 
fields of research: Ceramics; Metallurgy; Polymer Sciences; Materials 
Reliability; and Neutron Scattering Research and Spectroscopy.
    The Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program 
will provide grants and cooperative agreements in the following fields 
of research: Structures, Construction Metrology and Automation, 
Inorganic Materials, Polymeric Materials, Thermal Machinery, Mechanical 
Systems and Controls, Heat Transfer and Alternative Energy Systems, 
Computer Integrated Construction, Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation.
    The Fire Research Grants Program will provide funding for 
innovative ideas in the fire research area generated by the proposal 
writer, who chooses the topic and approach, consistent with the program 
description and objectives of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: Measurement 
and Engineering Research and Standards--11.609

Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL) Grants Program

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants 
Program solicits proposals in support of the broad program objectives 
identified below.
    The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants 
Program supports the formal mission of the Electronics and Electrical 
Engineering Laboratory, which is to strengthen the U.S. economy and 
improve the quality of life by providing measurement

[[Page 15803]]

science and technology, and by advancing standards, primarily for the 
electronics and electrical industries.
    More specifically, the Electronics and Electrical Engineering 
Laboratory Grants Program solicits proposals to support specific 
programs in the areas of metrology for semiconductors (including 
mainstream silicon, power devices, and compound semiconductors), 
superconductors (including cryoelectronics and bulk superconductors), 
electronic instrumentation, radio-frequency technology (including 
microwave and millimeter-wave, antennas, and electromagnetic 
compatibility/interference), optoelectronics, magnetics (including bulk 
magnetic materials and magnetic data storage), video (including flat-
panel displays), electronic commerce as applied to electronic products 
and devices, the transmission and distribution of electrical power, 
national electrical standards (fundamental, generally quantum-based 
physical standards), and law enforcement (clothing, communication 
systems, emergency equipment, investigative aids, protective equipment, 
security systems, vehicles, speed-measuring equipment, weapons, and 
analytical techniques and standard reference materials used by the 
public safety community).
    For details on these various activities, please see the Electronics 
and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Web site at http://www.eeel.nist.gov. Note that documents describing the current programs 
for the four participating technical divisions and two offices are 
available through the home page.
    As authorized by 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the NIST Electronics and 
Electrical Engineering Laboratory conducts a basic and applied research 
program directly and through grants and cooperative agreements to 
eligible recipients.

II. Award Information

    Over the past three years, the EEEL Grants Program funded a total 
of approximately $700,000 in grants and cooperative agreements. In 
fiscal year 2003, the EEEL Grants Program made no new awards. The 
amount available each year fluctuates considerably based on 
programmatic needs. Individual awards are expected to range between 
$5,000 and $150,000.
    For the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants 
Program, proposals will be considered for research projects from one to 
three years. When a proposal for a multi-year award is approved, 
funding will generally be provided for only the first year of the 
program. If an application is selected for funding, NIST has no 
obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that 
award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend the 
period of performance is at the total discretion of NIST. Funding for 
each subsequent year of a multi-year proposal will be contingent upon 
satisfactory progress, continued relevance to the mission of the 
Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, and 
the availability of funds. The multi-year awards must have scopes of 
work that can be easily separated into annual increments of meaningful 
work that represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not 
made available to the applicant, (i.e., the scopes of work for each 
funding period must produce identifiable and meaningful results in and 
of themselves).

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants--The Electronics and Electrical Engineering 
Laboratory Grants Program is open to institutions of higher education; 
hospitals; non-profit organizations; commercial organizations; state, 
local, and Indian tribal governments; foreign governments; 
organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 
international organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching--The Electronics and Electrical 
Engineering Laboratory Grants Program does not require any matching 
funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application--An application kit, containing 
all required application forms and certifications is available on the 
web at http://www.eee;/most/gpv/eeel--grants/ or by contacting: Sheilda 
Bryner, (301) 975-2220, [email protected].
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission--For the Electronics 
and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, submit one signed 
original and two copies of the proposal package to: Electronics and 
Electrical Engineering Laboratory, Attn.: Sheilda Bryner, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8100, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8100, Tel.: (301) 975-2220, Fax: (301) 975-4091.
    3. Submission Dates and Times--The Electronics and Electrical 
Engineering Laboratory Grants Program proposals must be received no 
later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on September 30, 2004. 
Proposals received after June 30, 2004 will continue to be processed 
and considered for funding but may be funded in the next fiscal year, 
subject to the availability of funds.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria--For the Electronics and Electrical Engineering 
Laboratory Grants Program, the evaluation criteria and weights to be 
used by the technical reviewers in evaluating the proposals are as 
follows:

Proposal addresses specific program objectives as described in this 
notice (25%)
Proposal provides evidence of applicant's expertise in relevant 
technical area (20%)
Proposal offers innovative approach (20%)
Proposal provides realistic schedule with defined milestones (20%)
Proposal provides adequate rationale for budget (15%)

    2. Review and Selection Process--For the Electronics and Electrical 
Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, proposals will be distributed to 
the appropriate Division Chief or Office Director or designee based on 
technical area by one or more technical professionals familiar with the 
programs of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory. The 
proposals will be reviewed in a two-step process. First, at least three 
independent, objective individuals knowledgeable about the particular 
scientific area described in the Program Description and Objectives 
section above that the proposal addresses will conduct a technical 
review of each proposal, based on the evaluation criteria described 
above. If non-Federal reviewers are used, the reviewers may discuss the 
proposals with each other, but scores will be determined on an 
individual basis, not as a consensus.
    Reviews will be conducted on a quarterly basis, and all proposals 
received during the quarter will be ranked based on the reviewers' 
scores. Second, the Division Chief or Office Director will make 
application selections. In making application selections, the Division 
Chief or Office Director will take into consideration the results of 
the reviewers' evaluations, the compatibility of the applicant's 
proposal with the program objectives of the particular division or 
office that the proposal addresses, the availability of funding, and 
relevance to the objectives of the Electronics and Electrical 
Engineering Laboratory Grants Program, as described above. The final 
approval of selected applications and award of financial assistance 
will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based on compliance with 
application

[[Page 15804]]

requirements as published in this notice, compliance with applicable 
legal and regulatory requirements, compliance with Federal policies 
that best further the objectives of the Department of Commerce, and 
whether the recommended applicants appear to be responsible. Applicants 
may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets and provide 
supplemental information required by the agency prior to award. The 
decision of the Grants Officer is final. Applicants should allow up to 
90 days processing time.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award administration information for this program may be found in 
the Award Administration Information section at the end of this notice.

VII. Agency Contact(s)

    Technical contacts by area are:

Semiconductors; Electronic commerce
    Semiconductor Electronics Division--Division Chief: Dr. David G. 
Seiler; (301) 975-2054; [email protected]
    Office of Microelectronics Programs--Director: Dr. Stephen Knight; 
(301) 975-4400; [email protected]
Radio-frequency technology; Superconductors (bulk); Magnetics
    Electromagnetics Division--Division Chief: Dr. Dennis S. Friday; 
(303) 497-3132; [email protected]
Electronic instrumentation; National electrical standards; 
Supercondutors (cryoelectronics)
    Quantum Electrical Metrology Division--Division Chief: Dr. James K. 
Olthoff; (301) 975-2400; [email protected]
Optoelectronics; Video
    Optoelectronics Division--Division Chief: Dr. Kent Rochford; (303) 
497-5485; [email protected]
Law enforcement
    Office of Law Enforcement Standards--Director: Dr. Kathleen 
Higgins; (301) 975-2757; [email protected]

    All grants related administration questions concerning this program 
should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and Agreements 
Management Division, (301) 975-6328; [email protected].
    Where Web sites are referenced within this notice, those without 
internet access may contact the appropriate Program official to obtain 
information.

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) Grants Program

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    All proposals submitted must be in accordance with the program 
objectives listed below. The appropriate Program Manager for each field 
of research may be contacted for clarification of the program 
objectives.
    A. Precision Engineering Division, 821--The primary objective is to 
support laboratory programs in the areas of Engineering Metrology, 
Large-Scale Metrology, Nanometer-Scale Metrology, and Surface 
Metrology. The contact person for this division is: Dr. Dennis Swyt, 
and he may be reached at (301) 975-3463; [email protected].
    B. Manufacturing Metrology Division, 822--The primary objective is 
to support laboratory programs in Mechanical Metrology; Advanced Optics 
Metrology; Predictive Process Engineering; and Smart Machine Tools. The 
contact person for this division is: Mr. Kevin Jurrens, and he may be 
reached at (301) 975-6600; [email protected].
    C. Intelligent Systems Division, 823--The primary objective is to 
support laboratory programs in Intelligent Open Architecture Control of 
Manufacturing Systems, Intelligent Controls of Mobility Systems, and 
Intelligent Systems. The contact person for this division is: Mr. 
Albert Wavering, and he may be reached at (301) 975-3418; 
[email protected].
    D. Manufacturing Systems Integration Division, 826--The primary 
objective is to pursue semantics- and ontology-based systems 
integration technology and standards through support of laboratory 
programs in Manufacturing Enterprise Integration; Manufacturing 
Simulation and Visualization; Integrated Simulations for Homeland 
Defense and Emergency Response; Product Engineering; Healthcare 
Informatics; and Meso-Micro-Nano-Manufacturing. The contact person for 
this division is: Dr. Steven R. Ray, and he may be reached at (301) 
975-3508; [email protected].
    As authorized under 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the MEL conducts a 
basic and applied research program directly and through grants and 
cooperative agreements to eligible recipients.

II. Award Information

    In fiscal year 2003, the MEL Grants Program funded 12 new awards, 
totaling $774,677. In fiscal year 2004, the MEL Grants Program 
anticipates funding of approximately $500,000, including new awards and 
continuing projects. Individual awards are expected to range from 
approximately $25,000 to $300,000.
    For the MEL Grants Program, proposals will be considered for 
research projects from one to three years. When a proposal for a multi-
year award is approved, funding will generally be provided for only the 
first year of the program. If an application is selected for funding, 
NIST has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection 
with that award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend 
the period of performance is at the total discretion of NIST. Funding 
for each subsequent year of a multi-year proposal will be contingent 
upon satisfactory progress, continued relevance to the mission of the 
MEL program, and the availability of funds. The multi-year awards must 
have scopes of work that can be easily separated into annual increments 
of meaningful work that represent solid accomplishments if prospective 
funding is not made available to the applicant, (i.e., the scopes of 
work for each funding period must produce identifiable and meaningful 
results in and of themselves).

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants--The MEL Grants Program is be open to 
institutions of higher education; hospitals; non-profit organizations; 
commercial organizations; state, local, and Indian tribal governments; 
foreign governments; organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments; and international organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching--The MEL Grants Program does not 
require any matching funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package--An application kit, 
containing all required application forms and certifications is 
available by electronic mail to: Mrs. Barbara Horner, 
[email protected]. Alternatively, Mrs. Horner can be contacted at 
(301) 975-4345.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission--For the MEL Grants 
Program, submit one signed original and two copies of the proposal, 
clearly marked to identify the field of research, to: Manufacturing 
Engineering Laboratory, Attn: Mrs. Barbara Horner, National Institute 
of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8200, Building 220, 
Room B322,

[[Page 15805]]

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8200, Tel: (301) 975-4345, E-mail: 
[email protected].
    3. Submission Dates and Times--The MEL Grants Program proposals 
must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 
September 30, 2004. Proposals received after June 30, 2004 will 
continue to be processed and considered for funding but may be funded 
in the next fiscal year, subject to the availability of funds. Each 
applicant must submit one signed original and two copies of each 
proposal along with a Grant Application (Standard Form 424 REV. 7/97 
and other required forms).

V. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria--For the MEL Grants Program, the evaluation criteria 
the technical reviewers will use in evaluating the proposals are as 
follows:
    a. Rationality. Reviewers will consider the coherence of the 
applicant's approach and the extent to which the proposal effectively 
addresses scientific and technical issues.
    b. Technical Merit of Contribution. Reviewers will consider the 
potential technical effectiveness of the proposal and the value it 
would contribute to the field of manufacturing engineering and 
metrology research.
    c. Qualifications of Technical Personnel. Reviewers will consider 
the professional accomplishments, skills, and training of the proposed 
personnel to perform the work in the project.
    d. Resources Availability. Reviewers will consider the extent to 
which the proposer has access to the necessary facilities and overall 
support to accomplish project objectives.
    Each of these factors will be given equal weight in the evaluation 
process.
    2. Review and Selection Process--For the MEL Grants Program 
responsive proposals will be assigned, as received on a rolling basis, 
to the most appropriate area for review. At least three independent, 
objective individuals knowledgeable about the particular scientific 
area described in the section above that the proposal addresses will 
conduct a technical review of proposals based on the evaluation 
criteria. If non-Federal reviewers are used, the reviewers may discuss 
the proposals with each other, but scores will be determined on an 
individual basis, not as a consensus. The Division Chief or Laboratory 
Director will make application selections. In making application 
selections, the Division Chief or Laboratory Director will take into 
consideration the results of the reviewers' evaluations, the 
compatibility of the applicant's proposal with the program objectives 
of the particular division or center that the proposal addresses, the 
availability of funds, and relevance to the objectives of the MEL 
Grants Program. These objectives are described above in the ``Program 
Objectives'' section. The final approval of selected applications and 
award of financial assistance will be made by the NIST Grants Officer 
based on compliance with application requirements as published in this 
notice, compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, 
compliance with Federal policies that best further the objectives of 
the Department of Commerce, and whether the recommended applicants 
appear to be responsible. Applicants may be asked to modify objectives, 
work plans, or budgets and provide supplemental information required by 
the agency prior to award. The decision of the Grants Officer is final.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The original application will be returned 
to the applicant.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award administration information for this program may be found in 
the Award Administration Information section at the end of this notice.

VII. Agency Contact(s)

    Technical contacts by area are:

Precision Engineering Division, 821--Dr. Dennis Swyt; (301) 975-3463; 
[email protected].
Manufacturing Metrology Division, 822--Mr. Kevin Jurrens; (301) 975-
6600; [email protected].
Intelligent Systems Division, 823--Mr. Albert Wavering; (301) 975-3418; 
[email protected].
Manufacturing Systems Integration Division, 826--Dr. Steven R. Ray; 
(301) 975-3508; [email protected].

    All grants related administration questions concerning this program 
should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and Agreements 
Management Division, (301) 975-6328; [email protected].
    Where Web sites are referenced within this notice, those without 
internet access may contact the appropriate Program official to obtain 
information.

Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory Grants Program

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    All proposals submitted to the Chemical Science and Technology 
Laboratory Grants Program must be in accordance with the program 
objectives and programs listed below. Proposals submitted to the CSTL 
Grants Program must address a specific measurement issue relevant to 
one of the stated CSTL Programs, and must be directed to a specific 
Division. The appropriate Division Chief for each field of research may 
be contacted for clarification of the program objectives. Additional 
information about the Divisions and CSTL Programs may be obtained at 
the following Web site: http://www.cstl.nist.gov/
    CSTL is the United States' primary reference laboratory for 
chemical measurements, entrusted with developing, maintaining, 
advancing, and enabling the Nation's chemical measurement system, 
thereby enhancing industry's productivity and competitiveness, 
establishing comparability of measurements to facilitate equity of 
global trade, and improving public health, safety, and environmental 
quality. CSTL focuses its activities in measurement science research on 
reference methods, reference materials and reference data, and directs 
these efforts in support of the following specific Program areas 
aligned with industrial segments and National priorities:

1. Automotive and Aerospace
2. Biomaterials
3. Pharmaceuticals and Biomanufacturing
4. Chemical and Allied Products
5. Energy Systems
6. Environmental Technologies and Services
7. Food and Nutritional Products
8. Forensics and Homeland Security
9. Health and Medical Products and Services
10. Industrial and Analytical Instruments and Services
11. Microelectronics

    These Programs are structured to support CSTL's three objectives:

     Provide the national traceability and 
international comparability structure for measurements in chemistry, 
chemical engineering, and biotechnology
     Assure that U.S. industry has access to accurate 
and reliable data and predictive models to determine the chemical and 
physical properties of materials and processes
     Anticipate and address next-generation 
measurement needs of the Nation.

    CSTL conducts its research and is organized along disciplinary 
lines:
    Biotechnology Division: DNA chemistry, sequencing; Protein

[[Page 15806]]

structure, properties, and modeling; Biomaterials; Biocatalysis and 
bioprocessing measurements. The contact person for this division is: 
Dr. Vincent L. Vilker, and he may be reached at (301) 975-2629.
    Process Measurements Division: Research, calibration services and 
provision of primary standards for temperature, pressure, vacuum, 
humidity, fluid flow, air speed, liquid density and volume, and gaseous 
leak-rate measurements; Sensor research. The contact person for this 
division is: Dr. James R. Whetstone, and he may be reached at (301) 
975-2609.
    Surface and Microanalysis Science Division: Nanoscale chemical 
characterization; Particle characterization and standards; Electronic 
and advanced materials characterization; Surface and interface 
chemistry; Advanced isotope metrology. The contact person for this 
division is: Dr. Richard R. Cavanagh, and he may be reached at (301) 
975-2368.
    Physical and Chemical Properties Division: Basic reference data; 
Data for process and product design; Properties of energy-related 
fluids; Fundamental studies of fluids; Cryogenic technologies; 
Computational chemistry. The contact person for this division is: Dr. 
Mickey Haynes, and he may be reached at (303) 497-3247.
    Analytical Chemistry Division: Chemical measurements research and 
services in: Analytical sensing technologies; Classical analytical 
methods; Gas metrology; Laboratory automation technology; Nuclear 
analytical methods; Organic analytical methods; and Spectrochemical 
measurement methods. The contact person for this division is: Dr. 
Willie E. May, and he may be reached at (301) 975-3108.
    As authorized under 15 U.S.C. 272 (b) and (c), the Chemical Science 
and Technology Laboratory conducts a basic and applied research program 
directly and through grants and cooperative agreements to eligible 
recipients.

II. Award Information

    No funds have been set aside specifically for support of the CSTL 
Grants Program. The availability of funds depends upon actual 
authorization of funds and other costs expected to be incurred by 
individual divisions within the laboratory. Where funds are identified 
as available for grants, those funds will be awarded to highly ranked 
proposals as determined by the process described in this notice.
    In fiscal year 2003, the CSTL Grants Program funded 5 new awards, 
totaling $497,077. In fiscal year 2004, the CSTL Grants Program 
anticipates funding of approximately $500,000. Individual awards are 
expected to range from approximately $5,000 to $100,000.
    For the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory Grant Program, 
proposals will be considered for research projects from one to three 
years. When a proposal for a multi-year award is approved, funding will 
generally be provided for only the first year of the program. If an 
application is selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide 
any additional funding in connection with that award. Continuation of 
an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at 
the total discretion of NIST. Funding for each subsequent year of a 
multi-year proposal will be contingent upon satisfactory progress, 
continued relevance to the mission of the Chemical Science and 
Technology Laboratory program, and the availability of funds. The 
multi-year awards must have scopes of work that can be easily separated 
into annual increments of meaningful work that represent solid 
accomplishments if prospective funding is not made available to the 
applicant, (i.e. the scopes of work for each funding period must 
produce identifiable and meaningful results in and of themselves).

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants--The Chemical Science and Technology 
Laboratory Grants Program is open to institutions of higher education; 
hospitals; non-profit organizations; commercial organizations; state, 
local, and Indian tribal governments; foreign governments; 
organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments; and 
international organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching--The Chemical Science and Technology 
Laboratory Grants Program does not require any matching funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package--For the CSTL Grants 
Program, an application kit, containing all required application forms 
and certifications is available by contacting Mr. Neil Alderoty, (301) 
975-8303.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission--For the Chemical 
Science and Technology Laboratory Grant Program applicants are 
requested to submit one signed original and two copies of the proposal 
clearly marked to identify the field of research to: Attn: Dr. William 
F. Koch, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 
Drive, Stop 8300, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8300, Tel (301) 975-8301, E-
Mail: [email protected].
    3. Submission Dates and Times--The Chemical Science and Technology 
Laboratory Grants Program proposals must be received no later than 5 
p.m. Eastern Standard Time on September 30, 2004. Proposals received 
after June 30, 2004 will continue to be processed and considered for 
funding but may be funded in the next fiscal year, subject to the 
availability of funds.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria--For the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory 
Grants Program, the evaluation criteria the technical reviewers will 
use in evaluating the proposals are as follows:
    a. Rationality. Reviewers will consider the coherence of the 
applicant's approach and the extent to which the proposal effectively 
addresses scientific and technical issues.
    b. Qualifications of Technical Personnel. Reviewers will consider 
the professional accomplishments, skills, and training of the proposed 
personnel to perform the work in the project.
    c. Resources Availability. Reviewers will consider the extent to 
which the proposer has access to the necessary facilities and overall 
support to accomplish project objectives.
    d. Technical Merit of Contribution. Reviewers will consider the 
potential technical effectiveness of the proposal and the value it 
would contribute to the field of measurement science, especially as it 
pertains to reference methods, reference materials and reference data 
in Chemical Science and Technology.
    Each of these factors will be given equal weight in the evaluation 
process.
    2. Review and Selection Process--For the Chemical Science and 
Technology Laboratory Grants Program, proposals will be reviewed in a 
three-step process. First, the Deputy Director of CSTL, or appropriate 
CSTL Division Chief, will determine the compatibility of the 
applicant's proposal with CSTL Program Areas, the alignment of the 
measurement issue that the proposal addresses with division activities, 
and the relevance to the objectives of the Chemical Science and 
Technology Laboratory Grants Program. These objectives are described in 
the ``Program Objectives'' section. If it is determined that the 
proposal is incomplete or non-responsive to the scope of the stated 
objectives, the proposal will not be reviewed for technical merit. If 
it is determined that all funds available for the CSTL Grants Program 
for the given year have been exhausted, the proposal will not be 
reviewed for technical merit. If a proposal is determined to be

[[Page 15807]]

incomplete or non-responsive, or if it is determined that all available 
funds have been exhausted, the CSTL Grants Program will retain one copy 
of the proposal for three years for record keeping purposes. The 
remaining copies will be destroyed.
    Second, at least three independent, objective individuals 
knowledgeable about the particular measurement science area described 
in the section above that the proposal addresses will conduct a 
technical review of each proposal, based on the evaluation criteria 
described above. Reviews will be conducted on a quarterly basis, and 
all responsive, complete proposals received and reviewed since the last 
quarter will be ranked based on the reviewers' scores. If non-Federal 
reviewers are used, the reviewers may discuss the proposals with each 
other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, not as a 
consensus.
    Third, the Division Chief will make application selections, taking 
into consideration the results of the reviewers' evaluations, the 
availability of funds, and the relevance of the proposal to the 
programmatic priorities of the Division described in the Program 
Description and Objectives section above.
    The final approval of selected applications and award of financial 
assistance will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based on compliance 
with application requirements as published in this notice, compliance 
with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, compliance with 
Federal policies that best further the objectives of the Department of 
Commerce, and whether the recommended applicants appear to be 
responsible. Applicants may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, 
or budgets and provide supplemental information required by the agency 
prior to award. The decisions of the Grants Officer are final.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award administration information for this program may be found in 
the Award Administration Information section at the end of this notice.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For information on the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory 
Grants Program, please contact Dr. William Koch, (301) 975-8301.
    All grants related administration questions concerning this program 
should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and Agreements 
Management Division, (301) 975-6328; [email protected].
    Where Web sites are referenced within this notice, those without 
internet access may contact the appropriate Program official to obtain 
information.

Physics Laboratory Grants Program

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    All proposals submitted to the Physics Laboratory Grants Program 
must be in accordance with the program objectives listed below. The 
appropriate Program Manager for each field of research may be contacted 
for clarification of the program objectives.
    A. Electron and Optical Physics Division, 841--The primary 
objective is to supplement division activities in characterization of 
nanometer-scale electronic and magnetic structures and characterization 
of EUV optical components to support semiconductor lithography and 
ultraviolet radiometric metrology and to support ongoing activities in 
Bose-Einstein condensation and quantum information. The contact person 
for this division is Dr. Charles W. Clark and he may be reached at 
(301) 975-3709.
    B. Atomic Physics Division, 842--The primary objective is to 
support division programs aimed at determining basic atomic properties 
and developing new metrology techniques in atomic spectroscopy, quantum 
processes, plasma radiation, laser cooling and trapping, and quantum 
metrology. The contact person for this division is Dr. Wolfgang L. 
Wiese and he may be reached at (301) 975-3200.
    C. Optical Technology Division, 844--The primary objective is to 
develop, improve, and maintain national standards for radiation 
thermometry, spectroradiometry, photometry, and spectrophotometry and 
to conduct basic theoretical and experimental research on the 
photophysical and photochemical properties of materials, in radiometric 
and spectroscopic techniques and instrumentation, and in the 
application of optical technologies. The contact person for this 
division is Dr. Albert C. Parr and he may be reached at (301) 975-2316.
    D. Ionizing Radiation Division, 846--The primary objective is to 
provide primary standards, measurement methods, and technology to 
support the Division's work in meeting national needs in radiation 
interactions and dosimetry, neutron interactions and dosimetry, and 
radioactivity, including both theoretical/experimental and applied 
research programs in support of Industry, Health Care, and Homeland 
Security. The contact person for this division is Dr. Lisa R. Karam and 
she may be reached at (301) 975-5561.
    E. Time and Frequency Division, 847--The primary objective is to 
supplement division basic and applied research programs in the areas of 
time and frequency standards, phase noise measurements, network 
synchronization, ion storage, quantum information, atomic standards and 
optical frequency measurements in support of future standards, chip-
scale atomic clocks, time and frequency dissemination services, support 
of time and frequency applications such as navigational systems and 
telecommunications, and measurement methods. The contact person for 
this division is Dr. Thomas R. O'Brian and he may be reached at (303) 
497-4570.
    As authorized under 15 U.S.C. 272 (b) and (c), the Physics 
Laboratory conducts a basic and applied research program directly and 
through grants and cooperative agreements to eligible recipients.

II. Award Information

    In fiscal year 2003, the PL Grants Program funded 8 new awards, 
totaling $693,131. In fiscal year 2004, the PL Grants Program 
anticipates funding of approximately $1,700,000, including new awards 
and continuing projects. Funding availability will be apportioned by 
quarter. Individual awards are expected to range from approximately 
$5,000 to $300,000.
    For the Physics Laboratory Grants Program, proposals will be 
considered for research projects from one to three years. When a 
proposal for a multi-year project is approved, funding will generally 
be provided for only the first year of the program. If an application 
is selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide any 
additional funding in connection with that award. Continuation of an 
award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the 
total discretion of NIST. Funding for each subsequent year of a multi-
year proposal will be contingent upon satisfactory progress, continued 
relevance to the mission of the Physics Laboratory program, and the 
availability of funds. The multi-year awards must have scopes of work 
that can be easily separated into annual increments of meaningful work 
that represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made 
available to the applicant (i.e., the scopes of work for each funding 
period

[[Page 15808]]

must produce identifiable and meaningful results in and of themselves).

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants--The Physics Laboratory Grants Program is 
open to institutions of higher education; hospitals; non-profit 
organizations; commercial organizations; state, local, and Indian 
tribal governments; foreign governments; organizations under the 
jurisdiction of foreign governments; and international organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching--The Physics Laboratory Grants Program 
does not require any matching funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package--For the Physics 
Laboratory Grants Program, an application kit, containing all required 
application forms and certifications is available by contacting Ms. 
Anita Sweigert, (301) 975-4200.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission--For the Physics 
Laboratory Grant Program applicants are requested to submit one signed 
original and two copies of the proposal clearly marked to identify the 
field of research to: Attn. Ms. Anita Sweigert, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8400, Gaithersburg, 
MD. 20899-8400, Tel (301) 975-4200, E-Mail: [email protected].
    3. Submission Dates and Times--The Physics Laboratory Grants 
Program proposals must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time on September 30, 2004. Any proposals received after June 
30, 2004 will be processed and considered for funding, but might not be 
funded until the next fiscal year, subject to the availability of 
funds.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria--For the Physics Laboratory Grants Program, the 
evaluation criteria the technical reviewers will use in evaluating the 
proposals are as follows:
    a. Rationality. Reviewers will consider the coherence of the 
applicant's approach and the extent to which the proposal effectively 
addresses scientific and technical issues.
    b. Qualifications of Technical Personnel. Reviewers will consider 
the professional accomplishments, skills, and training of the proposed 
personnel to perform the work in the project.
    c. Resources Availability. Reviewers will consider the extent to 
which the proposer has access to the necessary facilities and overall 
support to accomplish project objectives.
    d. Technical Merit of Contribution. Reviewers will consider the 
potential technical effectiveness of the proposal and the value it 
would contribute to the field of physics.
    Each of these factors will be given equal weight in the evaluation 
process.
    2. Review and Selection Process--For the Physics Laboratory Grants 
Program, responsive proposals will be considered as follows: First, at 
least three independent, objective individuals knowledgeable about the 
particular scientific area described in the section above that the 
proposal addresses will conduct a technical review of each proposal, 
based on the evaluation criteria described above. Reviews will be 
conducted on a monthly basis, and all proposals received during the 
month will be ranked based on the reviewers' scores. If non-Federal 
reviewers are used, reviewers may discuss the proposals with each 
other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, not as a 
consensus.
    Next, the Division Chief will make final application selections, 
taking into consideration the results of the reviewers' evaluations, 
including rank; the compilation of a slate that, when taken as a whole, 
is likely to best further the program goals described above; and the 
availability of funds.
    The final approval of selected applications and award of financial 
assistance will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based on compliance 
with application requirements as published in this notice, compliance 
with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, compliance with 
Federal policies that best further the objectives of the Department of 
Commerce, and whether the recommended applicants appear to be 
responsible.
    Applicants may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or 
budgets and provide supplemental information required by the agency 
prior to award.
    The decisions of the Grants Officer are final.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award administration information for this program may be found in 
the Award Administration Information section at the end of this notice.

VII. Agency Contact(s)

    Technical contacts by area are:

Electron and Optical Physics Division, 841--Dr. Charles W. Clark; (301) 
975-3709.
Atomic Physics Division, 842--Dr. Wolfgang L. Wiese; (301) 975-3200.
Optical Technology Division, 844--Dr. Albert C. Parr; (301) 975-2316.
Ionizing Radiation Division, 846--Dr. Lisa R. Karam; (301) 975-5561.
Time and Frequency Division, 847--Dr. Thomas R. O'Brian; (303) 497-
4570.

    All grants related administration questions concerning this program 
should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and Agreements 
Management Division, (301) 975-6328; [email protected].
    Where Web sites are referenced within this notice, those without 
internet access may contact the appropriate Program official to obtain 
information.

MSEL Grants Program

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    All proposals submitted to the MSEL Grants Program must be in 
accordance with the program objectives listed below. The appropriate 
Program Manager for each field of research may be contacted for 
clarification of the program objectives.
    A. Laboratory Office, 850--The primary objective is to supplement 
Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory activities of importance 
to materials science generally, including portions of Federal research 
and development programs performed in concert with other Federal 
agencies; and theoretical and computational materials science. The 
contact person for the Laboratory Office is: Dr. Stephen W. Freiman and 
he may be reached at (301) 975-5658 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    B. Ceramics Division, 852--The primary objective is to supplement 
division activities in the areas of nanomechanical properties, 
nanotribology, electronic and optoelectronic materials, x-ray 
structural characterization methods, and materials property information 
systems and evaluation methodologies. The contact person for this 
division is: Dr. Ronald Munro and he may be reached at (301) 975-6127 
or by e-mail at [email protected].
    C. Materials Reliability Division, 853--The primary objective is to 
supplement division activities in the metrology of microelectronic and 
optoelectronic structures, thin films and nanostructures, and 
biomaterials. The contact person for this division is: Dr. Thomas 
Siewert and he may be reached

[[Page 15809]]

at (303) 497-3523 or by e-mail at [email protected].
    D. Polymers Division, 854--The primary objective is to support 
division programs in electronics materials, biomaterials, combinatorial 
methods, nano-structured materials and processing characterization 
through participation in research on metrology, synthesis, processing 
and characterization of structure, mechanical, thermal and electrical 
properties. The contact person for this division is: Dr. Bruno Fanconi 
and he may be reached at (301) 975-6769 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    E. Metallurgy Division, 855--The primary objective is to support 
division programs in magnetic materials, combinatorial methods, 
computational materials science, mechanics of materials, nanostructured 
materials and processing, and electronic materials. The contact person 
for this division is: Dr. Frank W. Gayle and he may be reached at (301) 
975-6161 or by e-mail at [email protected].
    F. NIST Center for Neutron Research, 856--The primary objective is 
to develop high resolution cold and thermal neutron scattering research 
approaches and related physics, chemistry, macromolecular and materials 
applications. Awards to universities for participation by university 
students in the NIST/NSF Center for High Resolution Scattering are also 
funded under this program. The contact person for this division is: Dr. 
John J. Rush and he may be reached at (301) 975-6231 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    The authority for the MSEL Grants Program is as follows: As 
authorized under 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the MSEL conducts a basic 
and applied research program directly and through grants and 
cooperative agreements to eligible recipients.

II. Award Information

    In fiscal year 2003, the MSEL Grants Program funded 32 new awards, 
totaling $2,816,843. In fiscal year 2004, the MSEL Grants Program 
anticipates funding of approximately $4,500,000, including new awards 
and continuing projects. Most grants and cooperative agreements are 
expected to be in the $25,000 to $100,000 per year range.
    For the MSEL Grants Program, proposals will be considered for 
research projects from one to three years. When a proposal for a multi-
year award is approved, funding will generally be provided for only the 
first year of the program. If an application is selected for funding, 
NIST has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection 
with that award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend 
the period of performance is at the total discretion of NIST. Funding 
for each subsequent year of a multi-year proposal will be contingent 
upon satisfactory progress, continued relevance to the mission of the 
MSEL program, and the availability of funds. The multi-year awards must 
have scopes of work that can be easily separated into annual increments 
of meaningful work that represent solid accomplishments if prospective 
funding is not made available to the applicant, (i.e., the scopes of 
work for each funding period must produce identifiable and meaningful 
results in and of themselves).

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants--The MSEL Grants Program is open to 
institutions of higher education; hospitals; non-profit organizations; 
commercial organizations; state, local, and Indian tribal governments; 
foreign governments; organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments; and international organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching--The MSEL Grants Program does not 
require any matching funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package--For the MSEL Grants 
Program, an application kit, containing all required application forms 
and certifications is available by contacting Ms. Tanya Burke, (301) 
975-4711.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission--For the MSEL Grants 
Program, submit one signed original and two copies of the proposal, 
clearly marked to identify the field of research, to: Materials Science 
and Engineering Laboratory, Attn.: Dr. Stephen W. Freiman, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8500, 
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8500, Tel: (301) 975-5658, E-mail: 
[email protected].
    3. Submission Dates and Times--The MSEL Grants Program proposals 
must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 
September 30, 2004. Proposals received after June 30, 2004 will 
continue to be processed and considered for funding but may be funded 
in the next fiscal year, subject to the availability of funds. Each 
applicant must submit one signed original and two copies of each 
proposal along with a Grant Application (Standard Form 424 REV. 7/97 
and other required forms).

V. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria--For the MSEL Grants Program, the evaluation criteria 
the technical reviewers will use in evaluating the proposals are as 
follows:
    a. Rationality. Reviewers will consider the coherence of the 
applicant's approach and the extent to which the proposal effectively 
addresses scientific and technical issues.
    b. Qualifications of Technical Personnel. Reviewers will consider 
the professional accomplishments, skills, and training of the proposed 
personnel to perform the work in the project.
    c. Resources Availability. Reviewers will consider the extent to 
which the proposer has access to the necessary facilities and overall 
support to accomplish project objectives.
    d. Technical Merit of Contribution. Reviewers will consider the 
potential technical effectiveness of the proposal and the value it 
would contribute to the field of materials science and engineering and 
neutron research.
    Each of these factors will be given equal weight in the evaluation 
process.
    2. Review and Selection Process--For the MSEL Grants Program 
proposals will be reviewed in a two-step process. First, at least three 
independent, objective individuals knowledgeable about the particular 
scientific area described in the section above that the proposal 
addresses will conduct a technical review of proposals, as they are 
received on a rolling basis, based on the evaluation criteria. If non-
Federal reviewers are used, the reviewers may discuss the proposals 
with each other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, 
not as a consensus. Second, the Division Chief or Center Director will 
make application selections. In making application selections, the 
Division Chief or Center Director will take into consideration the 
results of the reviewers' evaluations, the compatibility of the 
applicant's proposal with the program objectives of the particular 
division or center that the proposal addresses, the availability of 
funds, and relevance to the objectives of the MSEL Grants Program. 
These objectives are described above in the ``Program Objectives'' 
section. The final approval of selected applications and award of 
financial assistance will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based on 
compliance with application requirements as published in this notice, 
compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, 
compliance with Federal policies that best further the objectives of 
the Department of Commerce, and whether the recommended applicants 
appear to

[[Page 15810]]

be responsible. Applicants may be asked to modify objectives, work 
plans, or budgets and provide supplemental information required by the 
agency prior to award. The decision of the Grants Officer is final.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award administration information for this program may be found in 
the Award Administration Information section at the end of this notice.

VII. Agency Contact(s)

    Technical contacts by area are:

Laboratory Office, 850--Dr. Stephen W. Freiman; (301) 975-5658; 
[email protected].
Ceramics Division, 852--Dr. Ronald Munro; (301) 975-6127; 
[email protected].
Materials Reliability Division, 853--Dr. Thomas Siewert; (303) 497-
3523; [email protected].
Polymers Division, 854--Dr. Bruno Fanconi; (301) 975-6769; 
[email protected].
Metallurgy Division, 855--Dr. Frank W. Gayle; (301) 975-6161; 
[email protected].
NIST Center for Neutron Research, 856--Dr. John J. Rush; (301) 975-
6231; [email protected].

    All grants related administration questions concerning this program 
should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and Agreements 
Management Division, (301) 975-6328; [email protected].
    Where Web sites are referenced within this notice, those without 
internet access may contact the appropriate Program official to obtain 
information.

Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program 
supports the formal mission of the Building and Fire Research 
Laboratory, which is to meet the measurement and standards needs of the 
Building and Fire communities. All proposals submitted must be in 
accordance with the program objectives listed below. The appropriate 
Program Manager for each field of research may be contacted for 
clarification of the program objectives.
    A. Materials and Construction Research Division, 861--The primary 
objective is to support laboratory programs in the areas of Structures, 
Construction Metrology and Automation, Inorganic Materials, and 
Polymeric Materials (including safety, security, and sustainability of 
building and physical infrastructure, service-life performance of 
building materials, and construction cycle time reductions). The 
contact person for this division is: Dr. Shyam Sunder, and he may be 
reached at (301) 975-6061.
    B. Building Environment Division, 863--The primary objective is to 
support laboratory programs in the areas of related to the dynamic 
modeling of moisture in building walls, the dissemination of Critical 
Building Information to First Responders, security issues related to 
ASHRAE's BACnet protocol, secure and reliable BACnet/electric utility 
communications, biometric applications in building automation systems, 
information representation and exchange and access methods for building 
commissioning and operations, life-cycle information management in 
buildings, and computer integrated building processes and services. The 
contact person for this division is: Dr. George E. Kelly, and he may be 
reached at (301) 975-5850.
    For details on these various activities, please see the Building 
and Fire Research Laboratory Web site at http://www.bfrl.nist.gov. Note 
that documents describing the current programs for the two technical 
divisions are available through the homepage.
    As authorized by 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), the NIST Building and 
Fire Research Laboratory conducts a basic and applied research program 
directly and through grants and cooperative agreements to eligible 
recipients.

II. Award Information

    Over the past three years, the building divisions of the Building 
and Fire Research Laboratory funded a total of approximately $1,000,000 
in grants and cooperative agreements. In fiscal year 2003, the Building 
Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program funded 6 new awards, 
totaling $654,793. The amount available each year fluctuates 
considerably based on programmatic needs. Individual awards are 
expected to range between $5,000 and $150,000.
    For the Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
Program, proposals will be considered for research projects from one to 
three years. When a proposal for a multi-year award is approved, 
funding will generally be provided for only the first year of the 
program. If an application is selected for funding, NIST has no 
obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that 
award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend the 
period of performance is at the total discretion of NIST. Funding for 
each subsequent year of a multi-year proposal will be contingent upon 
satisfactory progress, continued relevance to the mission of the 
Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program, and the 
availability of funds. The multi-year awards must have scopes of work 
that can be easily separated into annual increments of meaningful work 
that represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made 
available to the applicant, (i.e., the scopes of work for each funding 
period must produce identifiable and meaningful results in and of 
themselves).

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants--The Building Research Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements Program is open to institutions of higher 
education; hospitals; non-profit organizations; commercial 
organizations; state, local, and Indian tribal governments; foreign 
governments; organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments; and international organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching--The Building Research Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements Program does not require any matching funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package--An application kit, 
containing all required application forms and certifications is 
available by contacting: Karen Perry, (301) 975-5910.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission--For the Building 
Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program, submit one signed 
original and two copies of the proposal package to: Building and Fire 
Research Laboratory, Attn.: Karen Perry, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8602, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-8602, Tel.: (301) 975-5910, Fax: (301) 975-4032, http://www.bfrl.nist.gov.
    3. Submission Dates and Times--The Building Research Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements Program proposals must be received no later than 
5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on September 30, 2004. Proposals received 
after June 30, 2004 will continue to be processed and considered for 
funding but may be funded in the next fiscal year, subject to the 
availability of funds.

[[Page 15811]]

V. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria--The Divisions will score proposals based on the 
following criteria and weights:
    a. Technical quality of the research. Reviewers will assess the 
rationality, innovation and imagination of the proposal and the fit to 
NIST's in-house building research programs. (0-35 points)
    b. Potential impact of the results. Reviewers will assess the 
potential impact and the technical application of the results to our 
in-house programs and the building industry. (0-25 points)
    c. Staff and institution capability to do the work. Reviewers will 
evaluate the quality of the facilities and experience of the staff to 
assess the likelihood of achieving the objective of the proposal. (0-20 
points)
    d. Match of budget to proposed work. Reviewers will assess the 
budget against the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the 
request. (0-20 points)
    2. Review and Selection Process--All applications received in 
response to this announcement will be reviewed to determine whether or 
not they are complete and responsive. Incomplete or non-responsive 
applications will not be reviewed for technical merit. The Program will 
retain one copy of each non-responsive application for three years for 
recordkeeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.
    Responsive proposals will be forwarded to the appropriate Division 
Chief, who will assign them to appropriate reviewers. At least three 
independent, objective individuals knowledgeable about the particular 
scientific area described above that the proposal addresses will 
conduct a technical review of each proposal, based on the evaluation 
criteria described above. When non-Federal reviewers are used, 
reviewers may discuss the proposals with each other, but scores will be 
determined on an individual basis, not as a consensus. Reviews will be 
conducted no less than once per quarter, and all proposals since the 
last review session will be ranked based on the reviewers' scores.
    Next, the Division Chief, Laboratory Deputy Director, or Laboratory 
Director will make application selections. In making application 
selections, the Division Chief, Laboratory Deputy Director, or 
Laboratory Director will take into consideration the results of the 
evaluations, the scores of the reviewers, the availability of funds, 
and relevance to the objectives of the Building Research Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements Program, as described in the Program Description 
and Objectives section for this program.
    The final approval of selected applications and award of financial 
assistance will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based on compliance 
with application requirements as published in this notice, compliance 
with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, compliance with 
Federal policies that best further the objectives of the Department of 
Commerce, and whether the recommended applicants appear to be 
responsible. Applicants may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, 
or budgets and provide supplemental information required by the agency 
prior to award. The award decision of the Grants Officer is final. 
Applicants should allow up to 90 days processing time.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award administration information for this program may be found in 
the Award Administration Information section at the end of this notice.

VII. Agency Contact(s)

    Technical contacts by area are:

Materials and Construction Research Division, 861--Dr. Shyam Sunder; 
(301) 975-6061.
Building Environment Division, 863--Dr. George E. Kelly; (301) 975-
5850.

    All grants related administration questions concerning this program 
should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and Agreements 
Management Division, (301) 975-6328; [email protected].
    Where Web sites are referenced within this notice, those without 
internet access may contact the appropriate Program official to obtain 
information.

Fire Research Grants Program

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The program description and objectives for the Fire Research Grants 
Program are as follows:
    A. Analysis and Prediction Group: The objectives are to develop 
understanding and predictive methods for dynamic fire phenomena to 
advance fire science and engineering practice and to perform research 
into the heat and mass transfer processes occurring in fires in order 
to improve predictions of (1) the growth, spread, and suppression of 
fires; (2) the reaction of structures to fires; and (3) emissions 
transport from fires of all scales. Experiments and metrology are 
developed and used to support and verify advanced computer simulations 
of fire phenomena, fire hazards, fire protection, and fire fighting. 
The contact person for this group is: Dr. Anthony Hamins, and he may be 
reached at (301) 975-6598.
    B. Fire Metrology Group: The objective is to apply measurement 
science in the development and quantification of experimental methods 
and to apply these measurement methods, supplemented by theoretical 
analyses, to understanding fire phenomena, and the reaction of 
materials and structures to fire. Current areas of emphasis are 
understanding the effects of soot volume fraction, temperature, and 
soot optical properties on the radiant flux in a fire environment, 
developing a quality facility for heat release rate measurements, 
instituting large field optical diagnostics for the characterization of 
fire induced flows, and measuring deformation and stress of structural 
members in a fire. The contact person for this group is: Dr. Jiann 
Yang, and he may be reached at (301) 975-6662.
    C. Fire Fighting Technology Group: The objectives are to conduct 
research that enables advances in fire fighter safety, fire ground 
operations, and effectiveness of the fire service; that develop and 
apply measurements, modeling, and technology, and improve the 
understanding of the behavior, prevention and control of fires to 
enhance fire fighting operations and equipment, fire suppression, fire 
investigations, and disaster response; and that provide input, 
including experimental data, fire modeling and test protocols, to 
advance the effectiveness of fire safety standards and codes. The 
contact person for this group is Mr. Nelson Bryner, and he may be 
reached at (301) 975-6868.
    D. Materials and Products Group: The objective is to perform 
research enabling the confident development by industry of new, less-
flammable materials and products. This capability is based on 
understanding fundamentally the mechanisms that control the ignition, 
flame spread and burning rate of materials, as well as the chemical and 
physical characteristics that affect these aspects of flammability. 
This includes (1) developing methods of measuring the response of a 
material to fire conditions that enable assured prediction of the full-
scale performance of the final product; (2) developing computational 
molecular dynamics and other mechanistic approaches to

[[Page 15812]]

understand flame retardant mechanisms and the effects of polymer 
chemical structure on flammability; (3) characterizing the burning 
rates of charring and non-charring polymers and composites; and (4) 
delineating and modeling the enthalpy and mass transfer mechanisms of 
materials combustion. A fifth area of interest is fundamental materials 
studies to advance the development of inorganic and organic structural 
fire protective coatings and materials. Prediction and measurement of 
thermal/mechanical properties, durability, adhesion, and cohesion under 
fire conditions and long-time environmental exposure are of interest. 
The contact person for this group is Dr. Marc Nyden, and he can be 
reached at (301) 975-6692.
    E. Integrated Performance Assessment Group: The objectives are to 
create and disseminate enhanced data, develop fundamental understanding 
of fire and emergency phenomena, and support computer modeling and 
prediction of (1) fire detection and building fire systems; (2) human 
behavior and egress during building (fire) emergencies; (3) toxicity of 
combustion products; (4) fire hazard and risk assessment; (5) decision 
analysis; (6) fire fighting operations and training; and (6) fire 
investigation. Modeling and enhanced data are used to conduct 
performance evaluation and design of fire protection systems in 
buildings and to quantify and reduce uncertainty in model predictions. 
Enhanced data is disseminated through development of multi-medial web-
enabled databases. The content and process associated with the building 
and fire codes and standards system is another current area of focus. 
In recent decades, tremendous advances have been made in computing, 
measurement, and information technologies, as well as in the ability to 
predict various aspects of building life cycle performance. Current 
approaches to building quality assurance, including public health and 
safety regulation of buildings, are based on a long history of codes 
and standards. These, in turn, rest on a number of assumptions, many 
implicit, about the extent to which building performance or risk can be 
measured or predicted, and the means for doing so. What is desired is a 
theoretical basis for an examination of the entire subject of quality 
control of buildings over their entire life cycles, as a framework for 
analysis of the opportunities for the use of advances in technology to 
improve the reliability and cost-effectiveness of building quality 
control measures. In particular, NIST is interested in funding academic 
research at the Masters or Ph.D. thesis level in one or more of the 
following areas: (1) Development of a theoretical framework for 
building life cycle quality assurance and an analysis of the relative 
effectiveness of our building and fire codes system; (2) Establishment 
of a theoretical basis for development of alternative strategies for 
building life cycle quality assurance, including public health and 
safety regulation of buildings; and (3) an analysis of the potential 
impacts of application of advances of measurement, information, 
computing and building technologies to building life cycle quality and 
safety assurance. The contact person for this group is: Dr. William 
Davis, and he can be reached at (301) 975-6884.
    As authorized by 15 U.S.C. 278f, the NIST Building and Fire 
Research Laboratory conducts directly and through grants and 
cooperative agreements, a basic and applied fire research program.

II. Award Information

    For the Fire Research Grants Program, the annual budget is 
approximately $1.0 to $1.5 million. Because of commitments for the 
support of multi-year projects and because proposals may have been 
deferred from the previous year's competition, only a portion of the 
budget is available to fund applications received in response to this 
notice. Most grants and cooperative agreements are in the $25,000 to 
$125,000 per year range, with a maximum requested duration of three 
years. In fiscal year 2003, the Fire Research Grants Program funded 9 
new awards, totaling $844,114.
    For the Fire Research Grants Program, proposals will be considered 
for research projects from one to three years. When a proposal for a 
multi-year project is approved, funding will normally be provided for 
only the first year of the program. If an application is selected for 
funding, DoC has no obligation to provide any additional future funding 
in connection with that award. Funding for each subsequent year of a 
multi-year proposal will be contingent on satisfactory progress, 
continuing relevance to the mission of the NIST Fire Research Program, 
and the availability of funds.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants--The Fire Research Grants Program is open to 
institutions of higher education; hospitals; non-profit organizations; 
commercial organizations; state, local, and Indian tribal governments; 
foreign governments; organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments; and international organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching--The Fire Research Grants Program does 
not require any matching funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package--For the Fire Research 
Grants Program, an application kit, containing all required application 
forms and certifications is available by contacting Ms. Wanda Duffin-
Ricks, (301) 975-6863, Web site: http://www.bfrl.nist.gov.
    2. Content and Form of Application--For the Fire Research Grants 
Program submit one signed original and two copies of the proposal to: 
Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL), Attn.: Ms. Wanda Duffin-
Ricks, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 
Drive, Stop 8660, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8660, Tel: (301) 975-
6863, E-mail: [email protected], Web site: http://www.bfrl.nist.gov.
    3. Submission Dates and Times--The Fire Research Grants Program 
proposals must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time 
on September 30, 2004. Proposals received after April 30, 2004 will 
continue to be processed and considered for funding but may be funded 
in the next fiscal year, subject to the availability of funds.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria--For the Fire Research Grants Program, the technical 
evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Technical quality of the research. Reviewers will assess the 
rationality, innovation and imagination of the proposal. (0-35 points).
    b. Potential impact of the results. Reviewers will assess the 
potential impact and the technical application of the results to the 
fire safety community. (0-25 points)
    c. Staff and institution capability to do the work. Reviewers will 
evaluate the quality of the facilities and experience of the staff to 
assess the likelihood of achieving the objective of the proposal. (0-20 
points)
    d. Match of budget to proposed work. Reviewers will assess the 
budget against the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the 
request. (0-20 points)
    2. Review and Selection Process--Prospective proposers are 
encouraged to contact the above group leaders to determine the extent 
of interest prior to preparation of a detailed proposal. Responsive 
proposals will be assigned, as received on a rolling basis, to the most 
appropriate group. Proposals are evaluated for technical merit based on 
the evaluation criteria described above

[[Page 15813]]

by at least three reviewers chosen from NIST professionals, technical 
experts from other interested government agencies, and experts from the 
fire research community at large. When non-Federal reviewers are used, 
reviewers may discuss the proposals with each other, but scores will be 
determined on an individual basis, not as a consensus. The group 
leaders will make funding recommendations to the Division Chief based 
on the technical evaluation score and the relationship of the work 
proposed to the objectives of the program.
    In making application selections, the Division Chief will take into 
consideration the results of the evaluations, the scores of the 
reviewers, the group leader's recommendation, the availability of 
funds, and relevance to the objectives of the Fire Research Grants 
Program, as described in the Program Description and Objectives section 
for this program. The final approval of selected applications and award 
of financial assistance will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based 
on compliance with application requirements as published in this 
notice, compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, 
compliance with Federal policies that best further the objectives of 
the Department of Commerce, and whether the recommended applicants 
appear to be responsible. Applicants may be asked to modify objectives, 
work plans, or budgets and provide supplemental information required by 
the agency prior to award. The award decision of the Grants Officer is 
final. Applicants should allow up to 90 days processing time.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award administration information for this program may be found in 
the Award Administration Information section at the end of this notice.

VII. Agency Contact(s)

    Technical contacts by area are:

Analysis and Prediction Group--Dr. Anthony Hamins; (301) 975-6598.
Fire Metrology Group--Dr. George Mulholland; (301) 975-6695.
Fire Fighting Technology Group--Mr. Nelson Bryner; (301) 975-6868.
Materials and Products Group--Dr. Marc Nyden; (301) 975-6692.
Integrated Performance Assessment Group--Dr. Kathy Notarianni; (301) 
975-6883.

    All grants related administration questions concerning this program 
should be addressed to: Joyce Brigham, NIST Grants and Agreements 
Management Division, (301) 975-6328; [email protected].
    Where Web sites are referenced within this notice, those without 
internet access may contact the appropriate Program official to obtain 
information.

VI. Award Administration Information

    The following award administration information applies to all 
programs announced in this notice.
    1. Award Notices:
    A successful applicant will be notified of award through the 
receipt of an obligated/approved Financial Assistance Award document. 
The document, which will include the award period, the budget, special 
award conditions, and applicable policy and regulatory references that 
will govern the award, is sent to the successful applicant via surface 
mail and requires a counter-signature of an authorized official.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
    a. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: 
Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards--11.609.
    b. The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements 
for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 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. On the form SF-424, the applicant's 9-
digit Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number 
must be entered in the Applicant Identifier block. In addition, the 
following information is applicable to all programs described above.
    c. Collaborations with NIST Employees: All applications should 
include a description of any work proposed to be performed by an entity 
other than the applicant, and the cost of such work should ordinarily 
be included in the budget.
    If an applicant proposes collaboration with NIST, the statement of 
work should include a statement of this intention, a description of the 
collaboration, and prominently identify the NIST employee(s) involved, 
if known. Any collaboration by a NIST employee must be approved by 
appropriate NIST management and is at the sole discretion of NIST. 
Prior to beginning the merit review process, NIST will verify the 
approval of the proposed collaboration. Any unapproved collaboration 
will be stricken from the proposal prior to the merit review.
    d. Use of NIST Intellectual Property: If the applicant anticipates 
using any NIST-owned intellectual property, to carry out the work 
proposed, the applicant should identify such intellectual property. 
This information will be used to ensure that no NIST employee involved 
in the development of the intellectual property will participate in the 
review process for that competition. In addition, if the applicant 
intends to use NIST-owned intellectual property, the applicant must 
comply with all statutes and regulations governing the licensing of 
Federal government patents and inventions, described at 35 U.S.C. sec. 
200-212, 37 CFR part 401, 15 CFR 14.36, and in section 20 of the 
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements, 66 FR 49917 
(2001), as amended by the Federal Register notice published on October 
30, 2002 (67 FR 66109). Questions about these requirements may be 
directed to the Counsel for NIST, 301-975-2803.
    Any use of NIST-owned intellectual property by a proposer is at the 
sole discretion of NIST and will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis 
if a project is deemed meritorious. The applicant should indicate 
within the statement of work whether it already has a license to use 
such intellectual property or whether it intends to seek one.
    If any inventions made in whole or in part by a NIST employee arise 
in the course of an award made pursuant to this notice, the United 
States government may retain its ownership rights in any such 
invention. Licensing or other disposition of NIST's rights in such 
inventions will be determined solely by NIST, and include the 
possibility of NIST putting the intellectual property into the public 
domain.
    e. Funding Availability: For all Financial Assistance programs 
listed in this notice, awards are contingent on the availability of 
funds.
    f. Initial Screening of all Applications: All applications received 
in response to this announcement will be reviewed to determine whether 
or not they are complete and responsive to the scope of the stated 
objectives for each program. Incomplete or non-responsive applications 
will not be reviewed for technical merit. The Program will retain one 
copy of each non-responsive

[[Page 15814]]

application for three years for record keeping purposes. The remaining 
copies will be destroyed.
    g. Fees and/or Profit: It is not the intent of NIST to pay fee or 
profit for any of the financial assistance awards that may be issued 
pursuant to this announcement.
    h. Paperwork Reduction Act: The standard forms in the application 
kit involve a collection of information subject to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, CD-
346, SF-269, and SF-272 have been approved by OMB under the respective 
Control Numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, 0605-0001, 
0348-0039, and 0348-0003.
    Notwithstanding 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 subject to the requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information 
displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.
    i. Research Projects Involving Human Subjects, Human Tissue, Data 
or Recordings Involving Human Subjects: Any proposal that includes 
research involving human subjects, human tissue, data or recordings 
involving human subjects must meet the requirements of the Common Rule 
for the Protection of Human Subjects, codified for the Department of 
Commerce at 15 CFR part 27. In addition, any proposal that includes 
research on these topics must be in compliance with any statutory 
requirements imposed upon the Department of Health and Human Services 
(DHHS) and other federal agencies regarding these topics, all 
regulatory policies and guidance adopted by DHHS, FDA, and other 
Federal agencies on these topics, and all Presidential statements of 
policy on these topics.
    On December 3, 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS) introduced a new Federalwide Assurance of Protection of 
Human Subjects (FWA). The FWA covers all of an institution's Federally-
supported human subjects research, and eliminates the need for other 
types of Assurance documents. The Office for Human Research Protections 
(OHRP) has suspended processing of multiple project assurance (MPA) 
renewals. All existing MPAs will remain in force until further notice. 
For information about FWAs, please see the OHRP Web site at http://ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/humansubjects/assurance/fwas.htm
    In accordance with the DHHS change, NIST will continue to accept 
the submission of human subjects protocols that have been approved by 
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) possessing a current, valid MPA from 
DHHS. NIST also will accept the submission of human subjects protocols 
that have been approved by IRBs possessing a current, valid FWA from 
DHHS. NIST will not issue a single project assurance (SPA) for any IRB 
reviewing any human subjects protocol proposed to NIST.
    On August 9, 2001, the President announced his decision to allow 
Federal funds to be used for research on existing human embryonic stem 
cell lines as long as prior to his announcement (1) the derivation 
process (which commences with the removal of the inner cell mass from 
the blastocyst) had already been initiated and (2) the embryo from 
which the stem cell line was derived no longer had the possibility of 
development as a human being. NIST will follow guidance issued by the 
National Institutes of Health at http://ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/humansubjects/guidance/stemcell.pdf for funding such research.
    j. Research Projects Involving Vertebrate Animals: Any proposal 
that includes research involving vertebrate animals must be in 
compliance with the National Research Council's ``Guide for the Care 
and Use of Laboratory Animals'' which can be obtained from National 
Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20055. In 
addition, such proposals must meet the requirements of the Animal 
Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.), 9 CFR parts 1, 2, and 3, and if 
appropriate, 21 CFR part 58. These regulations do not apply to proposed 
research using pre-existing images of animals or to research plans that 
do not include live animals that are being cared for, euthanased, or 
used by the project participants to accomplish research goals, 
teaching, or testing. These regulations also do not apply to obtaining 
animal materials from commercial processors of animal products or to 
animal cell lines or tissues from tissue banks.
    k. Matching Funds: Although many of the programs described in this 
notice do not require cost share, if it is determined that your 
proposal falls within the authority of 19 U.S.C. 2543-45 cost share 
will be required as follows:
    Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 2543-45, financial assistance shall not 
exceed 75 percent of such program or activity, when the primary purpose 
of such program or activity is--
    (1) To increase the awareness of proposed and adopted standards-
related activities;
    (2) To facilitate international trade through the appropriate 
international and domestic standards-related activities;
    (3) To provide adequate United States representation in 
international standards-related activities; and
    (4) To encourage United States exports through increased awareness 
of foreign standards-related activities that may affect United States 
exports.
    l. Executive Orders: This funding notice was determined to be not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies 
with federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order 
13132.
    Applications under these programs are not subject to Executive 
Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
    m. Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Notice 
and comment are not required under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 
U.S.C. 553) or any other law, for notices relating to public property, 
loans, grants, benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)). Because notice 
and comment are not required under the Administrative Procedure Act, a 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required and has not been 
prepared for this notice, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
    n. Limitation of Liability: In no event will the Department of 
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these 
programs fail to receive funding or are cancelled because of other 
agency priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige the 
agency to award any specific project or to obligate any available 
funds.
    The following are examples of the Special Award Conditions that may 
be applied to the recipients award document:
    a. Program Income: Program income, as defined at 15 CFR 14.24 (non-
profits and colleges) or 15 CFR 14.24.25 (states), earned during the 
award period shall be retained by the recipient and shall be deducted 
from the total allowable costs to determine the net allowable costs. 
Program income shall be used for current costs unless the Grants 
Officer authorizes otherwise. Program income, which the Recipient did 
not anticipate at the time of the award, must be used to reduce the 
Department's contribution rather than to increase the funds committed 
to the project.

[[Page 15815]]

    b. Supplemental Information to DoC, Financial Assistance Standard 
Term and Condition, K.02, titled ``Rights to Inventions.'' The 
Recipient shall submit to the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology a final patent report listing all inventions disclosed or a 
certification that no subject inventions were disclosed during the 
award period. This report is due to the Grants Officer within 90 days 
from the expiration date of this award.
    c. General Publication Guidelines:
    (a) Whenever possible, the results of the research should be 
published in the open scientific literature in such a way as to be 
generally available to American Scientific Libraries.
    (b) The Federal Program Officer is responsible for insuring 
appropriate dissemination of information resulting from a grant/
cooperative agreement.
    (c) The Journal of Research of NIST may be used as a medium of 
publication, but the Principal Investigators are free to choose the 
place of publication in the best scientific interest.
    (d) In such publications, acknowledgment shall be made of 
sponsorship by NIST. Normally this is done by a footnote reading, 
``This work was performed under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department 
of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology,'' or words 
to that effect.
    (e) If the publication is copyrighted, the statement ``Reproduction 
of this article, with the customary credit to the source, is 
permitted'' should be added.
    (f) Manuscripts intended for publication shall be forwarded to the 
Federal Program Officer for review prior to release.
    (g) When issuing statements, press releases, requests for 
proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or 
programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all recipients 
receiving Federal funds, including States and local governments, shall 
clearly state the:
    (1) Percentage of the total costs of the program or project which 
will be financed with Federal money;
    (2) Dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; and,
    (3) Percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project 
or program financed by non-Federal sources.
    d. Interest: This award is subject to 15 CFR 14.22 requiring 
recipients of Federal financial assistance to maintain advances of 
Federal funds in interest bearing accounts. Interest earned on Federal 
advances deposited in such accounts (with the exception of $250 per 
year, which may be retained for administrative expenses) shall be 
remitted promptly, but not less frequently than quarterly to NIST at 
the address listed below: NIST Accounts Receivable, 100 Bureau Drive, 
STOP 3751, Building 101, Room A809, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3751.
    e. Supplementary Condition to DoC Standard Term and Condition D.01, 
titled, ``Organization-wide, Program Specific, and Project Audits, 
paragraph b.: Since the period of this award is less than two years and 
the recipient is a for-profit organization, the NIST requires that the 
recipient provide the Grant Officer with one of the following audits:
    (1) An organization-wide audit that is conducted by an independent 
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in accordance with Generally Accepted 
Government Auditing Standards, that encompasses the period of 
performance of this award and provides for a review of the costs 
associated with this award and all other revenue and income of the 
recipient, and certification that the recipient has complied with all 
the terms and conditions related to the financial management standards 
found at 15 CFR 14.21; or
    (2) A project audit conducted by an independent CPA in accordance 
with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards, similar to that 
found in OMB, Circular A-133 and that:
    (i) Provides for a review and determination of the appropriateness 
of the costs associated with this award in accordance with the 
applicable cost principles as specified on the cover sheet of this 
award;
    (ii) Provides for a new review and determination of the recipient's 
compliance with the terms, conditions, laws and regulations governing 
this award; and
    (iii) Reviews the financial statements of the organization and 
provides an opinion.
    The Recipient shall submit either (1) or (2) above to the Grants 
Officer within 90 days of the expiration date of this award.
    f. Return Payments for Funds Withdrawn through ASAP: Funds that 
have been withdrawn through ASAP may be returned to ASAP via the 
Automated Clearing House (ACH) or via FEDWIRE. The ACH or FEDWIRE 
transaction can only be done by the Recipient's financial institution. 
Full or partial amounts of payments received by a Payment Requestor/
Recipient Organization may be returned to ASAP. All funds returned to 
the ASAP system will be credited to the ASAP Suspense Account. The 
Suspense Account allows the Regional Financial Center to monitor 
returned items and ensure that funds are properly credited to the 
correct ASAP account. Returned funds that cannot be identified and 
classified to an ASAP account will be dishonored and returned to the 
originating depository financial institution (ODFI).
    It is essential that the Payment Requestor/Recipient Organization 
provide its financial institution with ASAP account information (ALC, 
Recipient ID and Account ID) to which the return is to be credited. 
Additional detailed information can be found at http://www.fms.treas.gov/asap/pay-return2.pdf.
    g. Supervision of the Recipient's Researchers on the NIST Site: The 
Recipient shall control the means and manner of its researcher(s)' 
activities, including research conducted on the NIST campus. The 
Recipient shall provide a salary, stipend, or other funding to the 
researcher(s), and shall establish the researcher(s)' work schedule and 
tenure. The Recipient is the supervisor of record for the 
researcher(s), and shall coordinate with NIST as needed to ensure that 
the research remains consistent with NIST program objectives. Staff and 
affiliates of the Recipient conducting research on a NIST site shall 
sign and abide by the terms of the NIST Guest Researcher Agreement.
    NIST shall collaborate on the research as described in a Special 
Award Condition, titled NIST Participation, (that will change 
accordingly per award), and shall coordinate with the Recipient as 
needed regarding progress on the research. NIST shall have no firing or 
other terminating authority over the employment or affiliation status 
of the Recipient's researcher(s). Any issues related to performance or 
conduct in the laboratory involving researcher(s) shall be immediately 
reported to the Recipient. Any suspension or termination action on this 
award will comply with 15 CFR 14.60-.62 and the Department of Commerce 
Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, B.02 and B.05.
    h. The Recipient shall comply with the requirements found in the 
Notice of Funding Availability published in the Federal Register and 
incorporated by reference into this award.
    i. NIST Implementation of Department of Commerce, Financial 
Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, dated October 2001, Section 
A.02, Award Payments
    (1) The advance method of payment shall be authorized unless 
otherwise specified in a special award condition.
    (2) Payments will be made through electronic funds transfers, using 
the Department of Treasury's Automated Standard Application for Payment

[[Page 15816]]

(ASAP) system, and in accordance with the requirements of the Debt 
Collection Improvement Act of 1996. The following information is 
required when making withdrawals for this award (1) ASAP account 
identification (id) = award number found on the cover sheet of this 
award; (2) Agency Location Code (ALC) = 13060001; and (3) Region Code = 
01. Recipients do not need to submit a ``Request for Advance or 
Reimbursement'' (SF-270) for payments relating to this award. If you 
are not enrolled as an ASAP Recipient Organization you must complete 
the enrollment process with your Federal Reserve Bank, Regional Finance 
Center. Enrollment applications and information can be found at http//
www.fms.treas.gov/asap/handbook.html. If you need a paper copy of the 
enrollment documentation please contact the Grant Specialist 
responsible for this award.
    (3) Advances taken through the ASAP shall be limited to the minimum 
amounts necessary to meet immediate disbursement needs. Advanced funds 
not disbursed in a timely manner must be promptly returned, via an ASAP 
credit, to the account from which the advanced funding was withdrawn. 
Advances shall be for periods not to exceed 30 days.
    (4) This award has the following control or withdraw limits set in 
ASAP
------ None

------ Agency Review required for all withdrawals (see explanation 
below)

------ Agency Review required for all withdrawal requests over $------
--(see explanation below)

------ Maximum Draw Amount controls (see explanation below)

$-------- each month

$-------- each quarter

$-------- each year

    3. Reporting:
    a. The Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms 
and Conditions dated October, 2001 provides policy guidelines for 
recipients. Financial and Programmatic Reporting Requirements for 
grants and cooperative agreements are outlined below. Please see the 
Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 
Conditions dated October, 2001 which can be found on the Internet at 
http://www.osec.doc.gov/oebam/standards.htm.
    b. Financial Requirements--Financial Reports
    (1) The Recipient shall submit a ``Financial Status Report'' (SF-
269) on a semi-annual basis for the periods ending March 31 and 
September 30, or any portion thereof, unless otherwise specified in a 
special award condition. Reports are due no later than 30 days 
following the end of each reporting period. A final SF-269 shall be 
submitted within 90 days after the expiration date of the award.
    (2) The Recipient shall submit a ``Federal Cash Transactions 
Report'' (SF-272) for each award where funds are advanced to 
Recipients. The SF-272 should be submitted on a quarterly basis for 
periods ending March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. The 
SF-272 is due 15 working days following the end of each reporting 
period unless otherwise specified in a special award condition.
    (3) All financial reports shall be submitted in triplicate (one 
original and two copies) to the Grants Officer.
    c. Programmatic Requirements--Performance (Technical) Reports
    (1) The Recipient shall submit performance (technical) reports in 
triplicate (one original and two copies) to the Federal Program Officer 
in the same frequency as the Financial Status Report (SF-269).
    (2) Unless otherwise specified in the award provisions, performance 
(technical) reports shall contain brief information as prescribed in 
the applicable uniform administrative requirements incorporated into 
the award.

    Dated: March 17, 2004.
Hratch G. Semerjian,
Acting Director, NIST.
[FR Doc. 04-6789 Filed 3-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P