[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 247 (Monday, December 28, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68578-68581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30658]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket Number 0911251416-91417-01]


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 Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. 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 5, 2010. 
Proposals received after this deadline will be returned with no further 
consideration. Finalists will be selected by approximately March 26, 
2010. Only those applicants who have been selected as Finalists will be 
allowed to submit full proposals to NIST. All full proposals, whether 
hard copy or electronic submission, must be received no later than 5 
p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 7, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Hard copies of abbreviated proposals and full proposals 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. Electronic 
submissions of abbreviated proposals may be sent by e-mail to: 
[email protected]. Abbreviated proposals will not be accepted through the 
Grants.gov Web site. Electronic submissions of full proposals may be 
sent by e-mail to [email protected] or uploaded to http://www.Grants.gov.
    For electronic submissions of the abbreviated proposal, the SF-424 
(R&R) must be a scanned signed form, and must be submitted by e-mail to 
[email protected]. A fillable version of the SF-424 (R&R) form can be found 
at http://physics.nist.gov/ResOpp/grants/2010/424.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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]; Web 
site: http://physics.nist.gov/pmg. Grants Administration questions 
should be addressed to: Grants and Agreements Management Division; 
National Institute of Standards and Technology; 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 
1650; Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1650; Tel.: (301) 975-6328. For assistance 
with using Grants.gov contact [email protected] or call 800-518-4726.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Electronic access: Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the 
Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) available at http://www.grants.gov 
for complete information about this program, all program requirements, 
and instructions for applying by paper or electronically.

    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.

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: Measurement 
and Engineering Research and Standards--11.609.
    Program Description: The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) announces that the Precision Measurement Grants 
Program is soliciting applications for financial assistance for FY 
2010. The Precision Measurement Grants Program is seeking proposals for 
significant research in the field of fundamental measurement or the 
determination of fundamental constants. Since 1970, NIST, as part of 
its research program, 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 is consistent with NIST's ongoing work in the field of 
basic measurement science.
    Funding Availability: NIST anticipates spending $100,000 this year 
for two new grants at $50,000 each for the first year of the research 
projects. NIST issues this notice subject to the appropriations made 
available under the current continuing resolution, H.R. 2918, 
``Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2010,'' Public Law 111-68, as 
amended by H.R. 2996, ``Further Continuing Appropriations, 2010,'' 
Public Law 111-88. NIST anticipates making awards for the programs 
listed in this notice provided that funding for the programs is 
continued beyond December 18, 2009, the expiration of the current 
continuing resolution. In no event will NIST or the Department of 
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these 
programs fail to receive funding or are cancelled because of agency 
priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NIST or 
the Department of Commerce to award any specific project or to obligate 
any available funds.
    Award start dates for new grants are expected to be October 1, 
2010. 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. NIST 
plans to fund the awards as grants. If collaboration by NIST scientists 
in the scope of work is appropriate for any award, a cooperative 
agreement will be issued instead.
    Cost Share Requirements: The Precision Measurement Grants Program 
does not require any matching funds.
    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.

Application Requirements

    In accordance with the requirements set forth in the Content and 
Form of Application Submission section of the FFO, all applicants must 
submit an abbreviated proposal (one original and two signed copies), 
containing a completed SF-424 (R&R) form, a description of the proposed 
project,

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including sufficient information to address the evaluation criteria, 
with a total length of no more than five (5) double spaced pages 
(excluding SF-424 (R&R)), to one of the addresses given above in the 
Addresses section.
    Only those applicants who have been selected as finalist will be 
invited to submit full proposals, containing a concise title and a 100-
200 word abstract; an explanation of the research project itself, its 
importance, its relationship to NIST's interest and its feasibility 
within the time and budget constraints; a curriculum vita; a list of 
the principal investigator's most recent and relevant publications; a 
budget and detailed budget narrative for each year of the proposal in 
$50,000 increments up to three years; a budget form for each year; an 
indication if supported by other sources of funding and make clear what 
NIST funds will enable the applicant to achieve that could not be 
achieved with the other sources of funds; a list of all current and 
pending proposals for similar research, including the amounts requested 
and the source that was or is considering it; and completed forms SF-
424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL and CD-511. The full proposal may not 
exceed a maximum total of 10 double-spaced pages, exclusive of the 
budget sheet and required Standard Forms and Department of Commerce 
Forms.
    Although applicants submitting paper applications are not required 
to submit more than three copies of the proposal, the normal review 
process for the Precision Measurement Grants Program utilizes ten (10) 
copies. Applicants are encouraged to submit sufficient proposal copies 
for the full review process if they wish all reviewers to receive 
color, unusually sized (not 8.5'' x 11''), or otherwise unusual 
materials submitted as part of the proposal. Only three copies of the 
required Standard and Department forms are needed from finalists.
    Evaluation Criteria: The evaluation criteria to be used in 
evaluating the abbreviated 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.
    Review and Selection Process: All abbreviated proposals and full 
proposals 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 proposals will not be reviewed for 
technical merit. The Program will retain one copy of each non-
responsive abbreviated proposal and full proposal for three years for 
record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.
    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 
abbreviated proposal, based on the evaluation criteria described in the 
Evaluation Criteria section for this program. Each reviewer will 
evaluate and rank the proposals. 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 Description described in this Notice 
and the FFO. Applicants not selected as finalists will be notified in 
writing.
    Only those applicants who have been selected as a finalist will be 
invited to submit a full proposal. The same independent reviewers that 
reviewed the abbreviated proposals will then evaluate the full 
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 same selecting official will take into 
consideration the results of the reviewers' evaluations, including rank 
and relevance to the program objectives described in the Program 
Description section of this Notice.
    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 and the FFO, 
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.
    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, which 
are contained in the Federal Register Notice of February 11, 2008 (73 
FR 7696), are applicable to this notice. On the form SF-424 items 8.b. 
and 8.c., the applicant's 9-digit Employer/Taxpayer Identification 
Number (EIN/TIN) and 9-digit Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number must be consistent with the information 
on the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) (http://www.ccr.gov) and 
Automated Standard Application for Payment System (ASAP). For complex 
organizations with multiple EIN/TIN and DUNS numbers, the EIN/TIN and 
DUNS number MUST be the numbers for the applying organization. 
Organizations that provide incorrect/inconsistent EIN/TIN and DUNS 
numbers may experience significant delays in receiving funds if their 
proposal is selected for funding. Please confirm that the EIN/TIN and 
DUNS number are consistent with the information on the CCR and ASAP.
    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

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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. 200-
212, 37 CFR Part 401, 15 CFR 14.36, and in Section B.21 of the 
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements 73 FR 7696 
(February 11, 2008). Questions about these requirements may be directed 
to the Office of the Chief 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.
    Collaborations Making Use of Federal Facilities: All applications 
should include a description of any work proposed to be performed using 
Federal Facilities. If an applicant proposes use of NIST facilities, 
the statement of work should include a statement of this intention and 
a description of the facilities. Any use of NIST facilities 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 availability of the facilities and approval of the proposed usage. 
Any unapproved facility use will be stricken from the proposal prior to 
the merit review. Examples of some facilities that may be available for 
collaborations are listed on the NIST Technology Services Web site, 
http://ts.nist.gov/.
    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, 424 (R&R), SF-LLL, and 
CD-346 have been approved by OMB under the respective Control Numbers 
0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 4040-0001, 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 of information 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, the Food and Drug 
Administration, and other Federal agencies on these topics, and all 
Presidential statements of policy on these topics.
    NIST will accept the submission of human subjects protocols that 
have been approved by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) possessing a 
current registration filed with DHHS and to be performed by 
institutions possessing a current registration filed with DHHS and to 
be performed by institutions possessing a current, valid Federal-wide 
Assurance (FWA) from DHHS. NIST will not issue a single project 
assurance (SPA) for any IRB reviewing any human subjects protocol 
proposed to NIST.
    President Obama has issued Executive Order No. 13,505 (74 FR. 
10667, March 9, 2009), revoking previous Executive Orders and 
Presidential statements regarding the use of human embryonic stem cells 
in research. On July 30, 2009, President Obama issued a memorandum 
directing that agencies that support and conduct stem cell research 
adopt the ``National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem 
Cell Research'' (NIH Guidelines), which became effective on July 7, 
2009, ``to the fullest extent practicable in light of legal authorities 
and obligations.'' On September 21, 2009, the Department of Commerce 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a statement of 
compliance with the NIH Guidelines. In accordance with the President's 
memorandum, the NIH Guidelines, and the Department of Commerce 
statement of compliance, NIST will support and conduct research using 
only human embryonic stem cell lines that have been approved by NIH in 
accordance with the NIH Guidelines and will review such research in 
accordance with the Common Rule and NIST implementing procedures, as 
appropriate. NIST will not support or conduct any type of research that 
the NIH Guidelines prohibit NIH from funding. NIST will follow any 
additional polices or guidance issued by the current Administration on 
this topic.
    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: Funding for the programs listed in this 
notice is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2010 
appropriations. The Department of Commerce and NIST will not be held 
responsible for application preparation costs. Publication of this 
announcement does not oblige NIST or the Department of Commerce to 
award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.

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    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 
rules 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 22, 2009.
Marc G. Stanley,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. E9-30658 Filed 12-24-09; 8:45 am]
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