[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 58 (Monday, March 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15616-15618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6054]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 050317077-5077-01; I.D. 032205A]


Environmental Literacy Grants

AGENCY: Office of Education and Sustainable Development (OESD), Office 
of the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (USEC), 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of 
Commerce (DOC)

ACTION: Notice and request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that OESD is soliciting 1- to 3-year 
proposals for environmental literacy projects. Funded projects will 
further NOAA's education goals articulated in the NOAA Education Plan 
http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf. Funding is available to 
encourage the development of partnerships and to support existing, or 
foster growth of new, environmental literacy projects. This program has 
two funding priorities for FY05: (1) Partnerships that promote systemic 
change in NOAA-related science education, and (2) Innovative 
presentation of NOAA science and earth observing data through 
educational data visualizations and other educational tools. Within 
priority two, NOAA has committed to funding the installation of up to 
four ``Science on a Sphere'' (SOS) data systems at informal education 
venues. These ``Science on a Sphere'' installations will be funded by 
way of one- to three-year cooperative agreements. It is anticipated 
that final recommendations for funding under this announcement will be 
made in mid Calendar Year 2005, and that projects funded under this 
announcement will have a start date no earlier than September 30, 2005.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of proposals is 5 p.m. EDT on May 12, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: Applications should be submitted through the following 
website: (http://www.grants.gov). The full text of the funding 
opportunity announcement for this OESD program can be accessed via the 
same website. If an applicant does not have Internet access, hard 
copies of full proposals should be sent to Sarah Schoedinger, DOC/NOAA, 
Office of Education and Sustainable Development, 14th and Constitution 
Avenue NW, HCHB 6863, Washington, DC 20230. Application kits may be 
requested from Sarah Schoedinger at 202-482-2893 or Beth Day at 301-
713-2431 x 148. This announcement will also be available at the NOAA 
Web site: http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/%7Eamd/SOLINDEX.HTML or by contacting 
the program officials identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Schoedinger at 
[email protected], telephone 202-482-2893, or Beth Day at 
[email protected], telephone 301-713-2431 x 148.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces that OESD is 
soliciting 1- to 3-year proposals for environmental literacy projects. 
Funded projects will further NOAA's education goals articulated in the 
NOAA Education Plan http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf. 
Funding is available to encourage the development of partnerships and 
to support existing, or foster growth of new, environmental literacy 
projects. This program has two funding priorities for FY05: (1) 
Partnerships that promote systemic change in NOAA-related science 
education, and (2) innovative presentation of NOAA science and earth 
observing data through educational data visualizations and other 
educational tools. Within priority two, NOAA has committed to funding 
the installation of up to four ``Science on a Sphere'' (SOS) data 
systems at informal education venues. These ``Science on a Sphere'' 
installations will be funded by way of

[[Page 15617]]

one- to three-year cooperative agreements. It is anticipated that final 
recommendations for funding under this announcement will be made in 
mid-calendar year 2005, and that projects funded under this 
announcement will have a start date no earlier than September 30, 2005. 
A detailed description for each program priority is in the full funding 
opportunity announcement that can be accessed via the Grants.gov 
website, the NOAA web site at http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/%7Eamd/SOLINDEX.HTML, or by contacting the program officials identified in FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Electronic Access

    The full text of the full funding opportunity announcement for this 
OESD program can be accessed via the Grants.gov FIND Web site. This 
announcement will also be available at the NOAA Web site: http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/%7Eamd/SOLINDEX.HTML or by contacting the program 
officials identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. This 
Federal Register notice is available through the NOAA home page at: 
http://www.noaa.gov/.
    Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1540
    CFDA: 11.469, Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects

Funding Availability

    NOAA announces the availability of approximately $2,500,000 of 
Federal financial assistance in FY 2005 for Environmental Literacy 
projects. Approximately 5 to 10 awards in the form of grants or 
cooperative agreements with a regional to national focus will be made. 
Projects of 1 to 3 years in duration will be considered. The total 
budget for any single project shall not exceed $500,000 and must have a 
minimum annual budget of $100,000, except for ``Science on a Sphere'' 
installations, which can have total project budgets of no less than 
$10,000. Of the approximately $2,500,000 of Federal financial 
assistance available in FY 2005, no more than $280,000 is available for 
the four ``Science on a Sphere'' installations. Applications with 
project budgets of less than $100,000 or more than $500,000 will not be 
considered for review, except for ``Science on a Sphere'' 
installations, which can have total project budgets of no less than 
$10,000.
    There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to 
make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of this notice does 
not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any 
available funds. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an 
award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant 
would do so solely at one's own risk of such costs not being included 
under the award.

Eligibility

    Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other 
nonprofits, commercial organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible 
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be 
project partners.
    Among those eligible applicants are K through 12 public and 
independent schools and school systems, and science centers and 
museums.
    The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to increasing the 
participation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 
Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, and 
institutions that work in underserved communities. Proposals are 
encouraged that involve any of the above institutions.

Cost Sharing Requirements

    There are no cost-sharing requirements.

Evaluation and Selection Procedures

    NOAA published its agency-wide solicitation entitled ''Omnibus 
Notice Announcing the Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 
2005'' for projects for Fiscal Year 2005 in the Federal Register on 
June 30, 2004 (69 FR 39417). The evaluation criteria and selection 
procedures for projects contained in that omnibus notice are applicable 
to this solicitation. Copies of the notice are available on the 
Internet at: http://www.ofa.noaa.gov%7Eamd/SOLINDEX.HTML. Further 
details on evaluation and selection criteria can be found in the full 
funding opportunity announcement.

Intergovernmental Review

    Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal programs.''

Limitation of Liability

    In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible 
for proposal preparation costs if this program is cancelled because of 
other agency priorities. Publication of this announcement does not 
oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available 
funds. Applicants are hereby given notice that funding for the Fiscal 
Year 2005 program is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 
2005 appropriations.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

    NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required 
by NEPA, for applicant projects or proposals which are seeking NOAA 
Federal assistance. Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA 
can be found at the following Web site: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov 
including NOAA Administrative Order 216 6 for NEPA at http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/ NAO216l6lTOC.pdf, and the Council on Environmental 
Quality implementation regulations at http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toclceq.htm. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package under 
the description of their program activities, applicants are required to 
provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, 
locations, sites, species, and habitat to be affected, possible 
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist 
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, 
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and 
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef 
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve 
as the basis for any required impact analysis, applicants may also be 
requested to assist NOAA in drafting an environmental assessment, if 
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be 
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying and implementing 
feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse 
environmental impacts of their proposal. The failure to do so shall be 
grounds for the denial of an application.

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 December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389), are applicable to this 
solicitation.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This document contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Standard Forms 
424, 424A, 424B, and SF LLL, and CD 346 has been approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) under the respective

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control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, and 0605-
0001.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply 
with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the 
PRA unless that collection of information displays a currently valid 
OMB control number.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice has been 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.

Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules 
concerning public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 
U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comment are not 
required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical 
requirements for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) 
are inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not 
been prepared.

    Dated: March 22, 2005.
Helen Hurcombe,
Director, NOAA Aquisitions and Grants, U.S. Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 05-6054 Filed 3-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KA-S