[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3842-3843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-810]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8024-4]


Office of the Science Advisor; Office of Research and 
Development; Broad Agency Announcement for Conferences, Workshops, or 
Meetings

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing this 
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) soliciting applications from eligible 
applicants for the planning, arranging, administering, and conducting 
of conferences, workshops, and/or meetings in the areas of EPA mission 
related issues connected to protecting, human health and safeguarding 
the natural environment; advancing the scientific and technical 
research that promotes environmental protection; exploring current and 
emerging issues of importance to environmental protection; and/or 
encouraging collaboration among the nation's best scientists and 
engineers in academia, business and nonprofit research institutes.

DATES: The opening date for this BAA is January 19, 2006 and it will 
close on January 18, 2007. The Agency will make funding decisions on a 
quarterly basis beginning approximately April 18, 2006, and thereafter 
approximately every three months. The next funding decisions will be 
approximately on July 17, 2006, October 16, 2006, and January 16, 2007. 
However, in order for a proposal to be considered for funding, it must 
be received by EPA no later than three months prior to the start of the 
conference for which the applicant is requesting EPA funding under this 
BAA and no later than January 18, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eligibility Contact: Michael Bender, 
202-564-6829; email: [email protected] Electronic Submissions: ORD 
Call Center (Phone: 202-343-5500) Technical Contact: [Michael Bender, 
Project Officer]; Phone: 202-564-6829; e-mail: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    Advancing sound science on cross-cutting issues at EPA is a goal of 
the Office of the Science Advisor (OSA), Office of Research and 
Development (ORD) which is based at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC. 
OSA, Office of Research and Development's mission includes supporting 
leading-edge research to stimulate the sound use of science and 
technology to fulfill EPA's mission to protect human health and 
safeguard the natural environment. One way to accomplish this is to 
provide broad informational technical support through conferences, 
which further environmental research by communicating ideas, knowledge, 
expertise, innovation and creativity in solving complex environmental 
issues. The Agency intends to assist in this sharing of information 
with the broad scientific community by awarding grant/cooperative 
agreement support for such efforts. The Agency also encourages the 
coordination and use of EPA funding with other Federal and/or non 
Federal sources of funds to leverage additional resources to carry out 
the proposed effort. Applicants may use their own funds or other 
resources (e.g. support from a collaborating institution or 
organization) for a voluntary match or cost share if the standards at 
40 CFR 30.23 or 40 CFR 31.24, as applicable, are met.

II. Eligibility Information

    States, territories and possessions, and Tribal nations of the 
U.S., including the District of Columbia, public and private 
universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, local governments, 
other public or private nonprofit institutions, are eligible to apply. 
Universities and educational institutions must be subject to OMB 
Circular A-21. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive grants 
from the EPA under this program.
    Eligible nonprofit organizations include any organizations that 
meet the definition of nonprofit in OMB Circular A-122. However, 
nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible to apply.

III. Award Information

    Anticipated Type of Award: Grant or Cooperative Agreement.
    Estimated Number of Awards Under this BAA: Approximately 25 awards 
depending upon the amount of any individual award.
    Anticipated Funding Amount: Office of the Science Advisor (OSA), 
Office of Research and Development may have up to an estimated $150,000 
for awards under this BAA; other ORD offices may have additional 
funding of up to an estimated $600,000 available for awards under this 
BAA--therefore the total estimated amount available for all awards 
under this BAA may be approximately $750,000.

[[Page 3843]]

IV. Potential Funding per Grant

    EPA may award funding under this BAA in the following two 
categories:
    1. Meeting and workshop support up to $25,000 per agreement 
including direct and indirect costs. This category is for major support 
of small scale, focused meetings and workshops on a specific subject or 
subjects, or for partial support of a larger conference.
    2. Large conference support up to $75,000 per agreement including 
direct and indirect costs. This category is for major support of 
broader conferences that include a wide range of subjects relating to 
environmental research.
    EPA will not consider applications for less than $5,000.
    All grants and cooperative agreements will have a duration of up to 
1 year to provide for follow-up activities such as publication of 
reports and proceedings. Cost-sharing is not required for awards under 
this BAA.

V. Award Notices

    EPA will notify successful and unsuccessful applicants by e-mail. 
Applicants selected for funding will be required to provide additional 
information listed under ``Award Notices.'' EPA may require selected 
applicants to submit additional forms and certifications. The 
application will then be forwarded to EPA's Grants Administration 
Division for award in accordance with the EPA's procedures. The Agency 
is not obligated to fund selected applicants until a grant is awarded 
by EPA's Grants Administration Division.
    Applicants are cautioned that only a grants officer can bind the 
Government to the expenditure of funds; preliminary selection by EPA 
does not guarantee an award will be made. The official notification of 
an award will be made by the Agency's Grants Administration Division.
    Nonprofit applicants recommended for funding under this BAA will be 
subject to a preaward administrative capability review consistent with 
sections 8.b, 8.c, and 9.d of EPA Order 5700.8, EPA Policy on Assessing 
Capabilities of Non-Profit Applicants for Managing Assistance Awards 
(http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/regulations.htm).
    Before or after an award, applicants may be required to provide 
additional quality assurance documentation.
    Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPA 
officials indicated under the section titled: ``For Further Information 
Contact.'' Information regarding this BAA obtained from sources other 
than these Agency Contacts may not be accurate. E-mail inquiries are 
preferred. To view the full Broad Agency Announcement go to: http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/grantopportunity.htm.

    Dated: January 18, 2006.
 William H. Farland,
Chief Scientist, Office of the Science Advisor.
[FR Doc. E6-810 Filed 1-23-06; 8:45 am]
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