[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14128-14131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6533]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket Number: 100311136-0140-01]


Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Postdoctoral 
Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement Science and Engineering 
Program; Availability of Funds

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is establishing a 
financial assistance program for awardees to develop and implement with 
the CNST a Postdoctoral Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement 
Science and Engineering Program. This program is intended to promote 
research, training, and practical experience in nanoscale science and 
technology on-site at the CNST, and to advance the CNST's mission to 
support the development of nanotechnology through research on 
measurement and fabrication methods, standards and technology, and by 
operating a state-of-the-art nanofabrication facility, the NanoFab.

DATES: All applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern 
Daylight Savings Time on Friday, April 30, 2010. Please see 
``Application Submission Information'' for more information.

ADDRESSES: Paper copies of full proposals must be submitted to the 
address below. Paper submissions require an original and two copies: 
Donna Lauren; Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology; National 
Institute of Standards and Technology; 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 6200; 
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6200. Electronic submissions of full 
proposals must be submitted to: http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Lauren, Center for Nanoscale 
Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 6200, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6200. Tel 
(301) 975-3729, E-Mail: [email protected].

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:  15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c), 15 U.S.C. 278g-1(a), (b), 
15 U.S.C. 7501(b).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.609)

Program Description

Program Objectives

    The CNST's mission is to support the development of nanotechnology 
through research on measurement and fabrication methods, standards and 
technology, and by operating a state-of-the-art nanofabrication 
facility, the NanoFab. The primary program objectives of the Center for 
Nanoscale Science and Technology Postdoctoral Researcher and Visiting 
Fellow Measurement Science and Engineering Program are as follows:
    1. To advance, through cooperative efforts with one or more 
universities, research consistent with the mission of NIST, and CNST 
specifically. See http://www.nist.gov/cnst/ and 15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.
    2. To provide training for the next generation of nanotechnologists 
by providing recent Ph.D. recipients postdoctoral positions 
(``Postdoctoral Researchers'') to perform research at the CNST under 
the mentorship of a CNST Project Leader. The Postdoctoral Researchers 
must show promise as contributors to the mission of the CNST, and be 
selected on the basis of ability and of the relevance of the proposed 
work to the mission of the CNST.
    3. To provide advanced training and access to the CNST's expertise 
and instrumentation by providing practicing scientists and engineers in 
the public and private sectors visiting senior research positions 
(``Visiting Fellows'') to perform research at the CNST in collaboration 
with a CNST Project Leader. The Visiting Fellows must be selected on 
the basis of ability and on the relevance of the proposed work to the 
mission of the CNST.
    4. To provide Postdoctoral Researchers and Visiting Fellows under 
this program with professional development opportunities, including 
travel to relevant workshops and conferences.
    5. To encourage U.S. industrial, university, and government 
scientists to participate in research at the CNST, either in 
collaboration with the CNST research program or by using the NanoFab, 
by providing support for travel and local expenses for participants 
traveling beyond a normal commuting distance to the CNST in 
Gaithersburg, Maryland.

[[Page 14129]]

    The CNST intends this financial assistance program to address all 
of these objectives through one or more Cooperative Agreements. An 
eligible applicant is not prohibited from including any collaborating 
subrecipients in its application.
    Additional information about the CNST can be found at: http://www.nist.gov/cnst. Additional information about the CNST Postdoctoral 
Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement Science and Engineering 
Program may be found in the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) for this 
program.
    Funding Availability: NIST anticipates making 1-2 awards for a 
period of performance of up to 5 years at $1,500,000 to $3,000,000 per 
year per award.
    Total Amount to be Awarded: Up to $15 million in Cooperative 
Agreements.
    The funding instrument used in this program will be a Cooperative 
Agreement.
    Proposals will be considered for Cooperative Agreements with 
durations of up to five years, funded in one year increments, subject 
to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress, and the continuing 
relevance to the objectives of the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science 
and Technology. The anticipated level of funding is up to $3,000,000 
per year and one or more awards may be approved. Between one and three 
awards are likely. Projects are expected to start by September 20, 
2010.
    NIST will determine whether to fund one award for the full amount; 
to divide available funds into multiple awards of any size, and 
negotiate scopes of work and budgets as appropriate; or not to select 
any proposal for funding, upon completing the selection process 
described below.
    Cost Share Requirements: None.
    Eligibility: This program is open to U.S. institutions of higher 
education.
    Application Requirements: In accordance with the requirements set 
forth in the Content and Form of Application Submission section of the 
FFO, all applicants must either submit a paper copy (original and 2 
copies) to the addresses under the ADDRESSES heading or an electronic 
application at http://www.grants.gov.

Evaluation Criteria

    The applications will be evaluated and scored on the basis of the 
following evaluation criteria:
    1. Technical merit of the proposal: Assesses whether the proposal 
accurately addresses the program goals and objectives. (40 pts)
    2. Overall qualifications of the applicant: Assesses whether the 
applicant possesses the necessary experience, training, facilities, and 
administrative resources to accomplish the project. (40 pts)
    3. Quality of the plan for providing support for travel and local 
expenses for students and scientists to participate in research at the 
CNST. (10 pts)
    4. Project costs: The proposal budget is evaluated to determine if 
it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame. 
(10 pts)
    Selection Factors: The Selecting Official shall recommend award 
based upon the rank order and recommendations of the reviewers and upon 
one or more of the following factors:
    a. Availability of Federal funds;
    b. Balance/distribution of funds to ensure research opportunities 
for all types of Postdoctoral Researchers and Visiting Fellows and CNST 
scientific research areas described in the Program Description section 
of this Notice; and
    c. Applicant's prior award performance.
    Therefore, the highest scoring proposals may not necessarily be 
selected for an award. If an award is made to an applicant that 
deviates from the scores of the reviewers, the Selecting Official will 
justify the selection in writing based on selection factors described 
above.
    Review and Selection Process: Initial Screening of all 
Applications: All timely submitted applications received in response to 
this announcement will be reviewed to determine whether they are 
complete and responsive to the scope of the stated objectives of the 
Program. Incomplete or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed 
for technical merit. NIST will retain one copy of each incomplete or 
non-responsive application for three years for record keeping purposes. 
The remaining copies will be destroyed.
    Each complete and responsive application will be reviewed by at 
least three independent, objective NIST employees, who are 
knowledgeable in the subject matter of this announcement and the 
program objectives, and who are able to conduct a review based on the 
Evaluation Criteria for the Program as described in this notice. The 
reviewers will reach a consensus score resulting in a rank order of 
applications and make recommendations for funding to the Selecting 
Official. In making final selections, the Selecting Official (Deputy 
Director, CNST) will select funding recipients based upon the rank 
order of the proposals and the selection factors. The final award of 
Cooperative Agreements will be made by the NIST Grants Officer in 
Gaithersburg, Maryland, based on compliance with application 
requirements as published in this notice, compliance with applicable 
legal and regulatory requirements, and whether the recommended 
applicants are determined to be responsible. Unsatisfactory performance 
on any previous Federal award may result in an application not being 
considered for funding. 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.
    Application Submission Information: All applicants should be aware 
that adequate time must be factored into applicant schedules for 
delivery of the application for both electronic and paper submission. 
Applicants who submit electronic applications are advised that volume 
on Grants.gov may be extremely heavy, and if Grants.gov is unable to 
accept applications electronically in a timely fashion, applicants are 
encouraged to exercise their option to submit applications in paper 
format.
    Applications must be received on time, as the review process is 
expected to begin shortly after the deadline.
    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 numbers 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: Collaboration with NIST is 
presumed in the Center for Nanoscale Science and

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Technology Postdoctoral Researcher and Visiting Fellow Measurement 
Science and Engineering Program. If any applicant proposes any 
activities involving specific NIST employees, the statement of work 
should include a statement of this intention, a description of the 
collaboration, and prominently identify the NIST employee(s) involved. 
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. 200-
212, 37 CFR part 401, 15 CFR 4.36, and in Section B.21 of the 
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements, 73 FR 7696 
(Feb. 11, 2008). Questions about these requirements may be directed to 
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-345 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 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 (Common Rule), 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, 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, 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. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NIST 
or the Department of

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Commerce 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 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs)

    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.
    Reporting: Successful finalists will be required to submit, on a 
semi-annual basis, for the periods ending March 31 and September 30 of 
each year, a technical progress report and a SF-269, Financial Status 
Report. From time to time, and in accordance with the Uniform 
Administrative Requirements and other terms and conditions governing 
the award, the recipient may need to submit property and patent 
reports.

Anticipated Announcement and Award Date

    NIST plans to make awards by September 20, 2010.

    Dated: March 18, 2010.
Marc G. Stanley,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-6533 Filed 3-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P