[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 165 (Thursday, August 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43671-43674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20740]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

[Docket No. 0908101223-91223-01; I.D. GF001]


Applications for the FY 2010 Ocean Exploration (OE) Program

AGENCY: Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER), Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: OER is seeking pre-proposals and full proposals to support its 
mission, consistent with NOAA's Strategic Plan to search, investigate, 
and document poorly-known and unknown areas of the ocean and Great 
Lakes through interdisciplinary exploration, and to advance and 
disseminate knowledge of the ocean environment and its physical, 
chemical, and biological resources.
    Competitive OE proposals will be bold, innovative and 
interdisciplinary in their approach. OER anticipates a total of 
approximately $3,000,000 including costs for ship and submersible 
assets will be available through this announcement. Only exploratory 
proposals will be funded; any other types of projects will not be 
reviewed. The office priorities for this opportunity support NOAA's 
mission support goal of: Ecosystems--Protect, Restore, and Manage Use 
of Coastal and Ocean Resources through Ecosystem-Based Management.

DATES: Completed pre-proposals are required for all categories and must 
be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on October 8, 2009. Full proposal 
submissions must be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on December 7, 2009. A 
complete pre-proposal is a prerequisite for submission of a full 
proposal. Applications received after the above deadlines will not be 
considered.

ADDRESSES: Pre-proposal submissions from Federal and non-Federal 
applicants can be either by e-mail (preferred, send to 
[email protected]) or by hard-copy. If by e-mail, please put your 
last name in the subject heading along with the words OE Pre-proposal, 
e.g., Smith OE Pre-proposal. Adobe PDF format is preferred. No 
facsimile pre-proposals will be accepted. Non-Federal applicants are 
strongly encouraged to submit full proposals through Grants.gov. Non-
Federal applicants without Internet access may submit hard-copies to: 
ATTN: Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and 
Research, SSMC III, 10th Floor, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20910. No e-mail or facsimile full proposal submissions will 
be accepted from non-Federal applicants. Federal applicants may submit 
full proposals either by e-mail (preferred, send to 
[email protected]) or by hard-copy. No facsimile full proposal 
submissions will be accepted from Federal applicants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact the 
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research at (301)734-1015 or 
submit inquiries via e-mail to the Frequently Asked Questions address: 
[email protected]. E-mail inquiries should include the Principal 
Investigator's name in the subject heading. Inquiries can be mailed to: 
ATTN: Dr. Nicolas Alvarado NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and 
Research, 1315 East-West Highway SSMC3, 10th Floor, R/OER, Silver 
Spring, Maryland 20910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Ocean exploration was defined by the 2000 
President's Panel on Ocean Exploration, as ``discovery through 
disciplined diverse observations and the recording of the finding.'' 
NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research seeks to catalyze ocean 
discovery and understanding at our ocean and Great

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Lakes frontiers through bold and innovative explorations. These 
explorations should revolutionize our knowledge baselines by exploring, 
characterizing and mapping, at new and/or higher scales, the oceans 
living and nonliving resources and its physical, chemical and 
biological characteristics. Data and observations resulting from OE 
expeditions will result in new discoveries, new insight, new knowledge 
and new frontiers and will likely lead to the revision of existing 
paradigms or the formulation of new paradigms in the oceans poorly 
known and unknown regions. The purpose of this announcement is to 
invite the submission of pre-proposals and full proposals that address 
ocean exploration and advanced technology development.
    Through discovery and the systematic exploration of unknown ocean 
areas and phenomena, OER serves to ensure NOAA can meet its goal to, 
``Protect, Restore, and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources 
Through an Ecosystem Approach to Management'' (New Priorities for the 
21st Century, NOAA's Strategic Vision). The results of OER activities 
are cornerstones upon which ecosystems will be discovered, defined and 
understood thus enabling them to be protected, restored, and managed. 
The interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature of OER activities 
also serves NOAA's current strategic plan (New Priorities for the 21st 
Century--NOAA's Strategic Plan) goal to ``Understand Climate 
Variability and Change to Enhance Society's Ability to Plan and 
Respond.'' The discovery and characterization of new ocean phenomena 
and dynamic processes provide essential information for understanding 
ocean--atmosphere connections and their influence on climate. The 
discovery of new habitats and species also provides essential 
information for understanding the effects of a changing climate on the 
marine resources upon which we depend.
    The need for interdisciplinary ocean exploration is echoed as a 
priority in NOAA's 20-year research vision, Understanding Global 
Ecosystems to Support Informed Decision-Making, because they provide a 
foundation for understanding complex relationships between ocean and 
terrestrial ecosystems. This need is also elaborated in NOAA's current 
5-year research plan, Research in NOAA: Toward Understanding and 
Predicting Earth's Environment, and both the vision and the plan 
acknowledge the need for new ocean technologies, including new sensors 
and platforms as well as enhanced information and telecommunications 
technologies. OERS core activities also directly address the Ocean 
Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy challenge of 
``Expanding the Scientific Frontier: The Need for Fundamental 
Science,'' which states, ``It is essential that the nation cultivate 
and investigate new ideas about the ocean and new approaches for 
exploring the marine environment that may challenge existing 
interpretations. In doing so, society should recognize and even 
encourage risk-taking in supporting the most exciting and promising 
ideas for making progress in understanding the ocean.''
    Charting The Course For Ocean Science, NSTC Joint Subcommittee On 
Ocean Science And Technology, Jan. 26, 2007, p. 6.
    OER provides a foundation for all six themes in the Ocean Research 
Priorities Plan through its exploration and discovery mission. Further, 
as envisioned in the Report of the President's Panel on Ocean 
Exploration, Discovering the Earth's Final Frontier: A U.S. Strategy 
for Ocean Exploration, OER also engages in partnerships with other 
agencies and programs, e.g., the National Science Foundation, the 
Department of Interior Minerals Management Service, the Office of Naval 
Research, the Census of Marine Life, and the National Oceanographic 
Partnership Program, to leverage its pursuit and achievement of NOAA 
goals. In furtherance of the program objectives stated above, OER 
encourages proposals that explore the unknown or poorly known, test new 
ideas, utilize new approaches, and develop new technologies in ocean 
exploration. Because interdisciplinary expeditions are a keystone of 
NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, scientists are 
strongly encouraged to collaborate by submitting a single proposal for 
a multi-disciplinary expedition.
    Collaborations that include international representation are also 
encouraged. Only exploratory proposals will be funded; any other types 
of projects will not be reviewed.
    Electronic Access:
    The full text of the full Federal Funding Opportunity announcement 
(FFO) for this program can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web site at 
http://www.grants.gov. The announcement will also be available by 
contacting the program officials identified under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Applicants must comply with all requirements 
contained in the full Federal Funding Opportunity announcement.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 3403(a)(4).
    CFDA: 11.460, Special Oceanic and Atmospheric Projects.
    Funding Availability: In anticipation of the FY 2010 President's 
Budget, OER anticipates a total of approximately $3,000,000 will be 
available through this announcement. Depending on the quality and 
quantity of proposals received, OER anticipates supporting 
approximately 6 awards through this solicitation, resulting in an 
average award level of approximately $500,000. At the discretion of the 
program, FY 2011 funds may be used to sponsor proposals submitted as 
part of this competition. The amount of funding available through this 
announcement is subject to the final FY 2010 appropriation for the 
Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Publication of this 
announcement does not obligate NOAA to fund any specific project or to 
obligate all or any part of available funds. There is no guarantee that 
sufficient funds will be available to initiate or continue research 
activities where funding has been recommended by OER. The exact amount 
of funds that OER may recommend be granted will be determined in pre-
award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. 
Future opportunities for submitting proposals may be available and will 
depend on OER funding levels.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education; other nonprofits; commercial organizations; foreign 
governments; organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments; international organizations; State, local and Indian 
tribal governments; and Federal agencies.

    Please Note:  Before non-NOAA Federal applicants may be funded, 
they must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive 
funds from another Federal agency in excess of their appropriation. 
Because this announcement is not proposing to procure goods or 
services from applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) is not an 
appropriate legal basis.

    Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost-sharing is not required.
    Application Package Forms: Pre-proposals: Applicants must submit a 
two-page pre-proposal narrative (See section IV.B.1. of the FFO), in 
addition to a cover sheet that may be obtained through the OER Office 
Web site at: http://explore.noaa.gov/cover-sheet. For applicants 
without Internet access, hard copies of the cover sheet can be obtained 
via mail at NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 1315 East 
West Highway, SSMC 3, 10th Floor,

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Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, or requested by phone at (301) 734-1015.
    Full Proposals: Application forms for full proposals are available 
through Grants.gov. In addition to the application forms, applicants 
must submit a proposal cover sheet, which is found at OER Web site 
http://explore.noaa.gov/cover-sheet.
    For applicants without Internet access, hard copies of the cover 
sheet and the application package can be obtained via mail at NOAA 
Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC 
3, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, or requested by phone at 
(301) 734-1015 as well. Supplemental information regarding the standard 
NOAA grants documentation can be obtained at: http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/%7Egrants/appkit.html. All applicants are encouraged to visit the Ocean 
Explorer Web site (http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov) to familiarize 
themselves with past and present OER-funded activities. Background 
information on how to apply for the program is found on the OER Office 
Web site at http://www.explore.noaa.gov.
    Evaluation Criteria and Selection Procedures: The general 
evaluation criteria and selection factors that apply to full 
applications to this funding opportunity are summarized below. Further 
information about the evaluation criteria and selection factors can be 
found in the full funding opportunity announcement.
    Evaluation Criteria for Projects: Pre-Proposal Evaluation Criteria: 
The OER Director, in consultation with the office staff, will make the 
decision to encourage or discourage full proposal submissions based on 
one or more of the following factors, which are amplified in the 
section on review of full proposals: (1) Importance, Relevance and 
Applicability of Proposal to the OER Goals and thematic priorities (see 
section I.A. Office and Notice Objectives and section I.B. Office 
Priorities and Guidance of the FFO); (2) Scientific and Technical 
Merit; (3) Overall qualifications of applicants; (4) Project Costs; (5) 
Logistical feasibility (e.g., ship or equipment availability); and (6) 
Consistency with the priorities of this announcement.
    Full Proposal Evaluation Criteria: Full proposals will be evaluated 
and rated individually by three or more independent peer reviewers and/
or a peer-review panel. The following criteria will be used to review 
proposals using the corresponding weight value:
    1. Importance/Relevance and Applicability of Proposal to OER goals 
(40%): This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in 
the proposed work and relevance to appropriate NOAA, international, 
Federal, regional, State, or local activities. For the OER review 
process this includes the degree to which the proposal addresses and 
supports OER's mission, objectives, themes and priorities (see section 
I.A. Office and Notice Objectives and section I.B. Office Priorities 
and Guidance of the FFO). A central aspect of this criteria is whether 
the proposed effort is exploratory in nature (expanding the breadth of 
knowledge) as opposed to a research focus (expanding the depth of 
knowledge on any particular topic).
    2. Scientific and Technical Merit (40%): This criterion ascertains 
whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the 
methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and 
objectives. For the OER review process, in addition to the scientific, 
and/or technical merit of the effort, review criteria include whether: 
(a) The effort is interdisciplinary with suitable plans and methods, 
(b) the anticipated results (as appropriate, scientific, technical, 
historical, cultural, societal or economic) will have high downstream 
impact, e.g., leading to the revision of existing paradigms, the 
formulation of new paradigms or new frontiers of knowledge or activity 
and (c) plans for preservation, documentation, and sharing of data, 
multimedia, specimen collections are adequately and clearly outlined.
    3. Overall qualifications of applicants (10%): This ascertains 
whether the applicant(s) possesses the necessary education, experience, 
training, facilities and administrative resources to accomplish the 
project. For the OER review process this includes (a) The 
qualifications of the applicant(s), (b) the strength, diversity and 
depth of any partnership to accomplish the work proposed, and (c) the 
applicant's prior OER award performance, including timely publication 
of results, if applicable.
    4. Project Costs (10%): This criterion evaluates the budget to 
determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs 
and time-frame. For the OER review process this includes the 
reasonableness of project costs, relative to the scope and impact of 
work proposed and the available funds.
    5. Outreach and education (no points): This criterion assesses 
whether the project provides a focused and effective education and 
outreach strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's 
natural resources. This criterion is not used in this competition.
    Review and Selection Process: The OER Director, in consultation 
with the program staff, will make the decision to encourage or 
discourage full proposal submissions based on one or more of the 
evaluation criteria stated under Evaluation Criteria for Projects. A 
complete pre-proposal is a prerequisite for submission of a full 
proposal. The final decision to submit a full proposal is up to the 
applicant. Once a full proposal is received by NOAA, an initial 
administrative review is conducted to determine compliance with 
requirements and completeness of the application. If proposals are 
determined to be in compliance and complete, a proposal will be 
subjected to peer-review. Peer reviewers shall rate the individual 
proposals using the evaluation criteria and percentage weights provided 
above and provide summary comment. Both Federal and non-Federal experts 
in the field may be used in the peer-review process, which may include 
external mail reviews and/or a peer-review panel. Peer-review panelists 
will not be asked to reach consensus on individual proposals. Based on 
the individual external mail reviewer scores, summary comments and, as 
appropriate, summaries and scores by the panelists, the OER Senior 
Scientist, in consultation with appropriate OER staff, will make 
funding recommendations to the OER Director. In making the final 
selections, the OER Director will award in rank order unless the 
proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one 
or more of the selection factors stated in the section entitled 
Selection Factors for Projects and further explained in section V.C of 
the FFO.
    Selection Factors for Projects: The Selecting Official shall award 
in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out 
of rank order based on the following factors.
    1. Availability of funding.
    2. Balance/distribution of funds:
    a. Geographically (This includes ship availability).
    b. By type of institutions.
    c. By type of partners.
    d. By research areas.
    e. By project types.
    3. Whether this project duplicates other projects funded or 
considered for funding by NOAA or other Federal agencies.
    4. Program priorities and policy factors (as in section I.B of the 
FFO).
    5. Applicants prior award performance.
    6. Partnerships and/or participation of targeted groups.
    7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA

[[Page 43674]]

determination and draft necessary documentation before recommendations 
for funding are made to the Grants Officer.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this office are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' Applicants must contact their State's Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State's process 
under EO 12372. The names and addresses of the SPOC's are listed in the 
Office of Management and Budget's Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
    Limitation of Liability: In no event will NOAA or 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 
NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
    National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): NOAA must analyze the 
potential environmental impacts, as required by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals 
which are seeking NOAA Federal funding opportunities. Detailed 
information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following 
NOAA NEPA Web site: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our NOAA 
Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6_TOC.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation 
regulations, http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm. 
Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their 
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 analyses, applicants may also be 
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if 
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be 
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to 
reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their 
proposal.
    The failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an 
application. In some cases if additional information is required after 
an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer 
under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit 
additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable 
NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on 
the environment.
    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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 
7696), 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 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: August 24, 2009.
Mark E. Brown,
Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-20740 Filed 8-26-09; 8:45 am]
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