[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88373-88375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28125]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory 
Committee

AGENCY: National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of new member solicitation for the United States 
Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS) Advisory Committee.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 
soliciting applications for membership on the United States Integrated 
Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee (the Committee), which is a 
Federal advisory committee. Members of the Committee will fulfill the 
requirements of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System 
(ICOOS) Act of 2009 (the Act). The Committee provides advice to the 
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and to the 
Interagency Ocean Observation Committee on the planning, integrated 
design, operation, maintenance, enhancement, and expansion of the 
United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS).

DATES: Nominations should be submitted no later than January 17, 2024. 
Applications received after January 17, 2024 may not be considered 
during this membership application cycle, but may be considered for 
future membership cycles. Please note the original deadline of January 
2, 2024 has been extended to January 17, 2024 to allow more time for 
application submissions.

ADDRESSES: Submit an application for Committee membership, including 
cover letter, resume, and requested items below, to Laura Gewain via 
Email [email protected]. Please direct any questions regarding 
application submission to Laura Gewain via Email or Telephone: 240-533-
9456.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krisa Arzayus, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Station 2616, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Telephone: 240-533-9455; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U.S. IOOS promotes research to develop, 
test, and deploy innovations and improvements in coastal and ocean 
observation technologies and modeling systems, addresses regional and 
national needs for ocean information, gathers data on key coastal, 
ocean, and Great Lakes variables and ensures timely and sustained 
dissemination and availability of these data for societal benefits. 
U.S. IOOS benefits national safety, the economy, and the environment 
through support for national defense, marine commerce and forecasting, 
navigation safety, weather, climate, energy siting and production, 
economic development, ecosystem-based management of marine and coastal 
areas, conservation of ocean and coastal resources and public safety.

[[Page 88374]]

    The Act requires the establishment and administration of this 
Committee by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
    NOAA will hereby accept applications for membership on the 
Committee to fill ten vacancies that will occur on September 14, 2024. 
These appointments shall serve for a three-year term, which will end 
September 13, 2027. An individual so appointed may subsequently be 
appointed for an additional three-year term. The ICOOS Act states: 
``Members shall be qualified by education, training, and experience to 
evaluate scientific and technical information related to the design, 
operation, maintenance, or use of the [Integrated Ocean Observing] 
System, or use of data products provided through the System.'' NOAA 
encourages individuals with expertise in Great Lakes; philanthropy; 
NGO; scientific institutions (Academic); IOOS regional interests; 
state, local and tribal interests; renewable energy, including offshore 
wind; blue economy; social science; public-private partnerships; marine 
technologies industries; data management and architecture; ocean and 
coastal leadership; and other science-related fields to submit 
applications for Committee membership. This notice responds to the 
ICOOS Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11, section 12304), which requires the 
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to solicit 
nominations for Committee membership. The Committee will advise the 
NOAA Administrator or Interagency Ocean Observation Committee on 
matters related to the responsibilities and authorities set forth in 
section 12302 of the ICOOS Act of 2009 and other appropriate matters as 
the Under Secretary refers to the Committee for review and advice.
    The United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory 
Committee will provide advice on:
    (a) administration, operation, management, and maintenance of the 
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (the System);
    (b) expansion and periodic modernization and upgrade of technology 
components of the System;
    (c) identification of end-user communities, their needs for 
information provided by the System, and the System's effectiveness in 
disseminating information to end-user communities and to the general 
public; and
    (d) additional priorities, including--
    (1) a national surface current mapping network designed to improve 
fine scale sea surface mapping using high frequency radar technology 
and other emerging technologies to address national priorities, 
including Coast Guard search and rescue operation planning and harmful 
algal bloom forecasting and detection that--
    (i) is comprised of existing high frequency radar and other sea 
surface current mapping infrastructure operated by national programs 
and regional coastal observing systems;
    (ii) incorporates new high frequency radar assets or other fine 
scale sea surface mapping technology assets, and other assets needed to 
fill gaps in coverage on United States coastlines; and
    (iii) follows a deployment plan that prioritizes closing gaps in 
high frequency radar infrastructure in the United States, starting with 
areas demonstrating significant sea surface current data needs, 
especially in areas where additional data will improve Coast Guard 
search and rescue models;
    (2) fleet acquisition for unmanned maritime systems for deployment 
and data integration to fulfill the purposes of this subtitle;
    (3) an integrative survey program for application of unmanned 
maritime systems to the real-time or near real-time collection and 
transmission of sea floor, water column, and sea surface data on 
biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and hydrography;
    (4) remote sensing and data assimilation to develop new analytical 
methodologies to assimilate data from the System into hydrodynamic 
models;
    (5) integrated, multi-State monitoring to assess sources, movement, 
and fate of sediments in coastal regions;
    (6) a multi-region marine sound monitoring system to be--
    (i) planned in consultation with the IOOC, NOAA, the Department of 
the Navy, and academic research institutions; and
    (ii) developed, installed, and operated in coordination with NOAA, 
the Department of the Navy, and academic research institutions; and (e) 
any other purpose identified by the Administrator or the Council.
    The Committee's voting members will be appointed by the Under 
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. Members shall be 
qualified by education, training, and experience to evaluate scientific 
and technical information related to the design, operation, 
maintenance, or use of the System, or the use of data products provided 
through the System. Members are selected on a standardized basis, in 
accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance. Members 
will be appointed for three-year terms, renewable once. One Committee 
member will be designated by the Under Secretary as chairperson. Full-
time officers or employees of the United States may not be appointed as 
a voting member. Members will be appointed as special Government 
employees (SGEs) for purposes of section 202(a) of title 18, United 
States Code. Members serve at the discretion of the Under Secretary and 
are subject to government ethics standards. Members of the Committee 
will not be compensated for service on the Committee, but they may be 
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
accordance with subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
Code.
    The Committee will meet at least once each year, and at other times 
at the call of the Under Secretary, the Interagency Ocean Observation 
Committee, or the Committee Chairperson. The Committee has 
approximately fifteen voting members. This solicitation is to obtain 
candidate applications for up to ten full voting member vacancies.
    To apply for membership, applicants must submit the following five 
items, including a cover letter that responds to the five questions 
below. The entire package should be a maximum length of eight pages or 
fewer. NOAA is an equal opportunity employer.
    (1) A cover letter that responds to the five questions listed below 
and serves as a statement of interest to serve on the panel. Please see 
``Short Response Questions'' below.
    (2) Highlight the nominee's specific area(s) of expertise relevant 
to the purpose of the Panel from the list in the Federal Register 
Notice.
    (3) A short biography of 300 to 400 words.
    (4) A current resume
    (5) The nominee's full name, title, institutional affiliation, 
mailing address, email, phone, fax and contact information.
    Short Response Questions:
    (1) List your area(s) of expertise, as listed above.
    (2) List the geographic region(s) of the country with which you 
primarily associate your expertise. This does not need to be the region 
in which the nominee currently resides.
    (3) Describe your leadership or professional experience that you 
believe will contribute to the effectiveness of this panel.
    (4) Describe your familiarity and experience with U.S. IOOS data, 
products, and services.
    (5) Generally describe the breadth and scope of your knowledge of 
stakeholders, users, or other groups who interact with NOAA or other 
U.S. IOOS

[[Page 88375]]

agencies and whose views and input you believe you can share with the 
panel.

Individuals Selected for Committee Membership

    Upon selection and agreement to serve on the United States 
Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee, one becomes a 
Special Government Employee (SGE) of the United States Government. An 
SGE is an officer or employee of an agency who is retained, designated, 
appointed, or employed to perform temporary duties, with or without 
compensation, for not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 
consecutive days, either on a full-time or intermittent basis. After 
the membership selection process is complete, applicants who are 
selected to serve on the Committee must complete the following actions 
before they can be appointed as a Committee member:
    (a) Background Check (on-line Background Check process and 
fingerprinting conducted through NOAA Office of Human Capital 
Services); and
    (b) Confidential Financial Disclosure Report: As an SGE, one is 
required to file annually a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report to 
avoid involvement in a real or apparent conflict of interest. One may 
find the Confidential Financial Disclosure Report at the following 
website: http://www.usoge.gov/forms/form_450.aspx.

Privacy Act Statement

    Authority. The collection of information concerning nominations to 
the IOOS AC is authorized under the FACA, 5 U.S.C. App. and its 
implementing regulations, 41 CFR part 102-3, and in accordance with the 
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, (Privacy Act) 5 U.S.C. 552a.
    Purpose. The collection of names, contact information, resumes, 
professional information, and qualifications is required in order for 
the Under Secretary to appoint members to the IOOS AC.
    Routine Uses. NOAA will use the nomination information for the 
purpose set forth above. The Privacy Act of 1974 authorizes disclosure 
of the information collected to NOAA staff for work-related purposes 
and for other purposes only as set forth in the Privacy Act and for 
routine uses published in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice 
COMMERCE/DEPT-11, Candidates for Membership, Members, and Former 
Members of Department of Commerce Advisory Committees, available at 
https://www.osec.doc.gov/opog/PrivacyAct/SORNs/dept-11.html, and the 
System of Records Notice COMMERCE/DEPT-18, Employees Personnel Files 
Not Covered by Notices of Other Agencies, available at https://www.osec.doc.gov/opog/PrivacyAct/SORNs/DEPT-18.html.
    Disclosure. Furnishing the nomination information is voluntary; 
however, if the information is not provided, the individual would not 
be considered for appointment as a member of the IOOS AC.

Krisa M. Arzayus,
Deputy Director, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office, 
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-28125 Filed 12-20-23; 8:45 am]
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