[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 247 (Monday, December 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77221-77223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28238]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 041213349-4349-01]


Precision Measurement Grants Program; 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 Precision Measurement Grants Program is soliciting 
applications for financial assistance for FY 2005. The Precision 
Measurement Grants Program is seeking proposals for significant 
research in the field of fundamental measurement or the determination 
of fundamental constants.

DATES: Abbreviated proposals must be received at the address listed 
below no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 4, 2005. 
Proposals received after this deadline will be returned with no further 
consideration. Finalists will be selected by approximately March 24, 
2005, and will be requested to submit full proposals to NIST. All full 
proposals, paper and electronic, must be received no later than 5 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time on May 6, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Abbreviated proposals and paper applications must be 
submitted to: Dr. Peter J. Mohr; Manager, NIST Precision Measurement 
Grants Program; National Institute of Standards and Technology; 100 
Bureau Drive, Stop 8420; Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8420.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For complete information about this 
program and instructions for applying by paper or electronically, read 
the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) Notice at http://www.grants.gov. 
A paper copy of the FFO may be obtained by calling (301) 975-6328. 
Technical questions should be addressed to: Dr. Peter J. Mohr at the 
address listed in the Addresses section above, or at Tel: (301) 975-
3217; E-mail: [email protected]. Grants Administration questions should be 
addressed to: Grants and Agreements Management Division; National 
Institute of Standards and Technology; 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 3580; 
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3580; Tel: (301) 975-6328. For assistance with 
using Grants.gov contact [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: Measurement 
and Engineering Research and Standards--11.609.
    Program Description: As part of its research program, since 1970 
NIST has awarded Precision Measurement Grants primarily to universities 
and colleges so that faculty may conduct significant research in the 
field of fundamental measurement or the determination of fundamental 
constants. NIST sponsors these grants and cooperative agreements 
primarily to encourage basic, measurement-related research in 
universities and colleges and other research laboratories and to foster 
contacts between NIST scientists and those faculty members of academic 
institutions and other researchers who are actively engaged in such 
work. The Precision Measurement Grants are also intended to make it 
possible for researchers to pursue new ideas for which other sources of 
support may be difficult to find. There is some latitude in research 
topics that will be considered under the Precision Measurement Grants 
Program. The key requirement is that the proposed project support 
NIST's ongoing work in the field of basic measurement science.
    Funding Availability: Applicants should propose multi-year projects 
for up to three years at no more than $50,000 per year. NIST 
anticipates spending $100,000 this year for two new grants at $50,000 
each for the first year of the research projects. NIST may award both, 
one, or neither of these new awards. Second and third year funding will 
be at the discretion of NIST, based on satisfactory performance, 
continuing relevance to program objectives, and the availability of 
funds.
    Statutory Authority: The authority for the Precision Measurement 
Grants Program is as follows: As authorized by 15 U.S.C. 272 (b) and 
(c), NIST conducts directly, and supports through grants, a basic and 
applied research program in the general area of fundamental measurement 
and the determination of fundamental constants of nature.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are 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; international organizations; and Federal agencies with 
appropriate legal authority.
    Review and Selection Process: All abbreviated proposals and full 
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 abbreviated proposals and full applications will not be 
reviewed for technical merit. The Program will retain one copy of each 
non-responsive abbreviated proposal and full application for three 
years for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be 
destroyed.
    To simplify the proposal writing and evaluation process, the 
following selection procedure will be used:
    Applicants will initially submit abbreviated proposals, containing 
a description of the proposed project, including sufficient information 
to address the evaluation criteria, with a total length of no more than 
five (5) double spaced pages, to the mailing address given above in the 
ADDRESSES section. These proposals will be screened to determine 
whether they address the requirements outlined in this notice. 
Proposals that do not meet those requirements will not be considered 
further. Eight independent, objective individuals, at least half of 
whom are NIST employees, and who are knowledgeable about the scientific 
areas that the program addresses will conduct a technical review of 
each proposal, based on the evaluation criteria described in the 
Evaluation Criteria section for this program. The proposals will then 
be ranked based on the average of the reviewers' rankings. If non-
Federal reviewers are used, the reviewers may discuss the proposals 
with each other, but the ranking will be determined on an individual 
basis, not as a consensus.
    The Chief of the Atomic Physics Division of the Physics Laboratory, 
the selecting official, will then select approximately four to eight 
finalists. In selecting finalists, the selecting official will take 
into consideration the results of the reviewers'evaluations, including 
rank, and relevance to the program objectives described above in the 
Program Description section. Applicants not selected as finalists will 
be notified in writing.
    Finalists will then be asked to submit full proposals containing a 
description of the proposed project, including sufficient information 
to address the evaluation criteria, with a length of no more than ten 
(10) double spaced pages in addition to the federally mandated forms 
and certifications, to the mailing address given above in the ADDRESSES 
section. The same independent reviewers will then evaluate the detailed 
proposals based on the same evaluation criteria, and the proposals will 
be ranked as previously described. In selecting proposals that will be 
recommended for funding, the selecting official will take into 
consideration the results of the reviewers' evaluations,

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including rank, and relevance to the program objectives described in 
the Program Description and Objectives section for this program.
    The final approval of selected applications and award of grants 
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 remaining copies will be destroyed.
    Evaluation Criteria: The evaluation criteria to be used in 
evaluating the abbreviated application proposals and full proposals 
are:
    1. The importance of the proposed research--Does it have the 
potential of answering some currently pressing question or of opening 
up a whole new area of activity?
    2. The relationship of the proposed research to NIST's ongoing 
work--Will it support one of NIST's current efforts to develop a new or 
improved fundamental measurement method or physical standard, test the 
basic laws of physics, or provide an improved value for a fundamental 
constant?
    3. The feasibility of the research and the potential impact of the 
grant--Is it likely that significant progress can be made in a three 
year time period with the funds and personnel available and that the 
funding will enable work that would otherwise not be done with existing 
or potential funding?
    4. The qualifications of the applicant--Does the educational and 
employment background and the quality of the research, based on recent 
publications, of the applicant indicate that there is a high 
probability that the proposed research will be carried out 
successfully?
    Each of these factors is given equal weight in the evaluation 
process.
    Cost Share Requirements: The Precision Measurement Grants Program 
does not require any matching funds.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: 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 announcement. 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 (68 FR 38402).
    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.
    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.
    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, and CD-346 have 
been approved by OMB under the respective Control Numbers 0348-0043, 
0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, and 0605-0001.
    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.
    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 Federal-wide 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

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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.
    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, euthanized, 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.
    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.
    Executive Order 12866: This funding notice was determined to be not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that 
this notice does not contain policies with federalism implications as 
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
    Executive Order 12372: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
    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 rules relating to public property, 
loans, grants, benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 553 (a)). Because notice 
and comment are not required under 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)), a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not 
required and has not been prepared for this notice, 5 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.

    Dated: December 17, 2004.
Hratch G. Semerjian,
Acting Director, NIST.
[FR Doc. 04-28238 Filed 12-23-04; 8:45 am]
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