Great Lakes Cooperative Institute

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
 [Federal Register: July 19, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 138)]
[Notices]
[Page 41079-41082]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19jy06-162]
[[Page 41080]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 060630184-6184-01]

Great Lakes Cooperative Institute

AGENCY: Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) invites
applications for the establishment of a Great Lakes (GL) Cooperative
Institute (CI). The Great Lakes are one of the Nation's most important
aquatic resources from an economic, geographic, international,
ecological, and societal perspective. U.S. support for Great Lakes
activities is described in Executive Order 13340. Activities associated
with the proposed Cooperative Institute will provide the necessary
capabilities to complement NOAA's current and planned activities in the
region in support of the 5-year Research Plan and the 20-year Research
Vision. The CI will be regional in scope and will consist of a group of
research institutions with expertise and capabilities in the NOAA
priority areas. This institute will facilitate a long-term
collaborative environment between NOAA and the recipients within which
broad-based research, prototype development, and education and outreach
capabilities that focus on the priorities in the Great Lakes region can
be developed and sustained.

DATES: Proposals must be received by the OAR no later than 5 p.m.,
E.T., September 18, 2006. Proposals submitted after that date will not
be considered.

ADDRESSES: Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online through
the Grants.gov Web site (http://www.grants.gov)  but paper 
submissions are acceptable if Internet access is not available. If a hard 
copy application is submitted, the original and two unbound copies of the
proposal should be included. Paper submissions should be sent to: NOAA,
OAR, 1315 East West Highway, Room 11152, Silver Spring, Md. 20910 Attn:
Dr. John Cortinas. No e-mail or facsimile proposal submissions will be
accepted. The complete Federal funding opportunity announcement
associated with this notice can be found at the Grants.gov Web site,
http://www.grants.gov,  and the NOAA Web site at 
http://www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the Federal funding
opportunity announcement and/or application kit, access it at
Grants.gov, via NOAA's Web site, or by contacting Dr. John Cortinas,
1315 East West Highway, Room 11152, Silver Spring, Md. 20910 telephone
301-713-9397 x 206. Facsimile: (301) 713-3515; e-mail: 
John.Cortinas@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    A CI is a NOAA-supported, non-federal organization that has
established an outstanding research program in one or more areas that
are relevant to the NOAA mission. CIs are established at research
institutions that also have a strong education program with established
graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences. The CI provides
significant coordination of resources among all non-government partners
and promotes the involvement of students and postdoctoral scientists in
NOAA-funded research. The CI provides mutual benefits with value
provided by all parties.
    NOAA has identified the need to establish a CI to focus on
scientific research associated with the Great Lakes region in support
of NOAA's Strategic Plan, NOAA's 5-year Research Plan, and NOAA's 20-
year Research Vision and a recent regional collaboration strategy in
the Great Lakes, as ordered by Executive Order (EO) 13340. The EO has
identified eight areas that must be addressed to restore and maintain
the Great Lakes: Aquatic Invasions, Habitat/Species, Coastal Health,
Sediments, Non-Point Sources, Toxic Pollutants, Indicators, and
Sustainable Development. As a partner in the Great Lakes Regional
Collaboration, the CI will also collaborate with NOAA to conduct
research that will enable NOAA to develop tools, support the Great
Lakes Observing System, and to assist in the protection and restoration
of the Great Lakes.
    The scope of NOAA's work in the Great Lakes exceeds that of the
regional collaboration. NOAA has many congressional mandates \1\ that
include issues such as impacts of climate change on Great Lakes
ecosystems, protection of underwater cultural resources at NOAA's
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and providing information to
assist in marine transportation such as forecasts of weather and sea
conditions, navigational charting products, and water level
information. Although NOAA's mission requires delivery of high quality
products and services to the coastal community, the permanent Federal
resources to conduct research that supports these activities are
limited both in number of Federal personnel and the breadth and depth
of disciplines available to address the complex problems facing the
Great Lakes. A CI, which has access to the intellectual resources of
universities in the Great Lakes' basin, is essential to fulfill NOAA's
research needs in meeting its complex Great Lakes mission.
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    \1\ 33 U.S.C. 1268, 16 U.S.C. 1447b, 15 U.S.C. 1511, 16 U.S.C.
4741, 16 U.S.C. 4722, 16 U.S.C. 760e, 42 U.S.C. 7412, 15 U.S.C.
1525, 15 U.S.C. 1540, 15 U.S.C. 2901, 33 U.S.C. 2326b, 33 U.S.C.
2706, 42 U.S.C. 9607, 16 U.S.C. 1451 note, Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement of 1978--amended 1987, EO 13340, U.S. Ocean Action Plan
and EO 13366.
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    Electronic Access: Applicants can access, download, and submit
electronic grant applications, including the full funding opportunity
announcement, for NOAA programs at the Grants.gov Web site: http://
www.grants.gov.  The closing date will be the same as for the 
paper submissions noted in this announcement. For applicants filing through
Grants.gov, NOAA strongly recommends that you do not wait until the
application deadline date to begin the application process through
Grants.gov. Registration may take up to 10 business days. More details
on how to apply are provided in the NOAA June 30, 2005 Federal Register
Notice on ``Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2006'', which
can be found at: http://www.Grants.gov  or 
http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/funding.shtml. 
    Proposals submitted to the NOAA Cooperative Institute Program must
include elements requested in the full Federal Funding Opportunity
announcement on the grants.gov portal. Proposals, electronic or paper,
should be no more than 75 pages (numbered) in length, excluding budget,
investigators vitae, and all appendices. Federally mandated forms are
not included within the page count. Facsimile transmissions and
electronic mail submission of full proposals will not be accepted.
    Funding Availability: NOAA expects that approximately $1-3M will be
available for the CI in the first year of the award. Of this amount, at
least $110,000 will be available for annual Task I base funding.
Funding for subsequent years is expected to be constant throughout the
period, depending on the quality of the research, the satisfactory
progress in achieving the stated goals described in the proposal,
continued relevance to program objectives, and the availability of funding.

[[Page 41081]]

    Authorities: 15 U.S.C. 313, 15 U.S.C. 1540; 15 U.S.C. 2901 et.
seq., 16 U.S.C. 753a, 33 U.S.C. 883d, 33 U.S.C. 1442, 49 U.S.C.
44720 (b), 118 Stat. 71 (January 23, 2004).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 11.432, Office of Oceanic
and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Joint and Cooperative Institutes.

    Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to non-federal public and
private non-profit universities, colleges and research institutions
that offer accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-
related sciences.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: To stress the collaborative nature and
investment of a CI by both NOAA and the research institution, cost
sharing is required. There is no minimum cost sharing requirement,
however, the amount of cost sharing will be considered when determining
the level of CI commitment under NOAA's standard evaluation criteria
for overall qualification of applicants. Acceptable cost-sharing
proposals include, but are not limited to, offering a reduced indirect
cost rate against activities in one or more Tasks, waiver of indirect
costs assessed against base funds and/or Task I activities, waiver or
reduction of any costs associated with the use of facilities at the CI,
and full or partial salary funding for the CI director, administrative
staff, graduate students, visiting scientists, or postdoctoral scientists.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.''
    Evaluation Criteria and Review and Selection Procedures: NOAA's
standard evaluation criteria and the review and selection procedures
contained in NOAA's June 30, 2005, omnibus notice are applicable to
this solicitation and are as follows:

A. Evaluation Criteria for Projects

    Proposals will be evaluated using the standard NOAA evaluation
criteria. Various questions under each criterion are included to ensure
that the applicant includes information that NOAA will consider
important during the evaluation, in addition to any other information
provided by the applicant.
    1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed
project to the program goals (25 percent): This ascertains whether
there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA,
Federal, regional, State, or local activities.
    ? Does the proposal include research goals and projects that
address the critical issues identified in NOAA's 5-year Research Plan,
NOAA's Strategic Plan, and the priorities described in the federal
funding opportunity announcement published at http://www.grants.gov

    ? Is there a demonstrated commitment (in terms of resources
and facilities) to enhance existing NOAA and CI resources to foster a
long-term collaborative research environment/culture?
    ? Is there a strong education program with established
graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences that also encourage
student participation in NOAA-related research studies?
    ? Will most of the staff at the CI be located near a NOAA
facility, particularly the Great Lakes Environmental Research
Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to enhance collaborations with NOAA?
    2. Technical/scientific merit (30 percent): This assesses whether
the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are
appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.
    ? Does the project description include a summary of clearly
stated goals to be achieved during the five-year period that reflect
NOAA's strategic plan and goals?
    ? Does the CI involve partnerships with other universities
or research institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions and
universities with strong departments that can contribute to the
proposed activities of the CI?
    3. Overall qualifications of applicants (30 percent): This
ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education,
experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to
accomplish the project.
    ? If the institution(s) and/or principal investigators have
received current or recent NOAA funding, is there a demonstrated record
of outstanding performance working with NOAA scientists on research
projects?
    ? Is there internationally recognized expertise within the
appropriate disciplines needed to conduct the collaborative/
interdisciplinary research described in the proposal?
    ? Is there a well-developed business plan that includes
fiscal and human resource management as well as strategic planning and
accountability?
    ? Are there any unique capabilities in a mission-critical
area of research for NOAA?
    ? Has the applicant shown a substantial investment to the
NOAA partnership, as demonstrated by the amount of the cost sharing
contribution?
    4. Project costs (5 percent): The budget is evaluated to determine
if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame.
    5. Outreach and education (10 percent): NOAA assesses whether this
project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy 
regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

B. Review and Selection Process

    An initial administrative review/screening is conducted to
determine compliance with requirements/completeness. All proposals will
be evaluated and individually ranked in accordance with the assigned
weights of the above evaluation criteria by an independent peer panel
review. At least three experts, who may be Federal or non-Federal, will
be used in this process. If non-Federal experts participate in the
review process, each expert will submit an individual review and there
will be no consensus opinion. The merit reviewers' ratings are used to
produce a rank order of the proposals. The Selection Official selects
proposals after considering the peer panel reviews and selection
factors listed below. In making the final selections, the Selecting
Official 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.

C. Selection Factors

    The merit review ratings shall provide a rank order to the
Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. The Selecting
Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified
to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the
following factors:
    1. Availability of funding.
    2. Balance/distribution of funds:
     a. Geographically.
     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.
    5. Applicant's prior award performance.
    6. Partnerships and/or participation of targeted groups.
    7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA
determination and draft necessary documentation before recommendations
for funding are made to the Grants Officer.
    Applicants must comply with all requirements contained in the full

[[Page 41082]]

funding opportunity announcements for each project competition in this
announcement.
    Universal Identifier: Applicants should be aware that they are
required to provide a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number during the application process. See the October
30, 2002 Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 210, pp. 66177-66178 for
additional information. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no
cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-
866-705-5711 or via the Internet (http://www.dunandbradstreet.com).

    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 NOAA's NEPA
Web site, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/,  and the Council on 
Environmental Quality implementation regulations, 
http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/
    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.

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 December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389) are applicable to this
solicitation.
    Limitation of Liability: Funding for years 2-5 of the Cooperative
Institute is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. In
no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for
application 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.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: This notification involves collection of
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. 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) respectively
under control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, and 0348-0046
and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of 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 PRA unless that collection of information displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
    Executive Order 12866: It has been determined that this notice is
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, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)).
    Because notice and opportunity for comments are not required
pursuant to U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements of
the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable.
Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not required and none
has been prepared.

Mark Brown,
Chief Financial Officer, OAR, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 06-6266 Filed 7-17-06; 8:45 am]
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