[Federal Register: November 22, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 226)]
[Notices]
[Page 70409-70413]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22no02-53]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 021108269]
RIN 0648-ZB33
Joint Program Announcement on Climate Variability and Human
Health for FY 2003; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), in Collaboration With; National Science Foundation (NSF),
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EPRI (formerly the Electric
Power Research Institute)
AGENCY: Office of Global Programs, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
SUMMARY: Due to an unavoidable administrative error, the wrong version
of this notice was published on November 14, 2002, at 67 FR 69110. With
the intent of stimulating integrated multidisciplinary studies and
enhancing institutional collaboration, National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the
National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI), announce our interest in receiving research proposals
to improve our understanding of the human health consequences related
to climate variability and enhance the integration of useful climate
information into public health policy and decision-making. This joint
announcement is intended to support the formation of multidisciplinary
teams working in close collaboration on integrated projects to
illuminate the human, biological, and physical pathways by which
climate may affect human health,
[[Page 70410]]
and which explore the potential for applying climate and environmental
information toward the goal of improved public health. We are also
interested in understanding how the human health impacts and responses
related to climate variability affect our knowledge of potential
consequences of, and adaptation and vulnerability to, longer term
changes in the climate system.
Investigators should also plan to participate in an annual meeting
of researchers funded under this announcement. This meeting will be
organized by the funding partners and is intended to facilitate
midpoint discussions of research and methodology as well as
presentations of final research results. The participation of other
team members, particularly new researchers at the graduate and
postdoctoral level, is highly encouraged.
DATES: Unless otherwise noted, strict deadlines by which NOAA OGP must
receive proposals for submission to the FY 2003 process are: Pre-
proposals must be received by OGP no later than December 16, 2002, and
full proposals must be received no later than February 18, 2003;
Applicants who have not received a response to their pre-proposal
within four weeks should contact the program manager: Juli Trtanj (301)
427-2089, ext. 134 or Internet: juli.trtanj@noaa.gov. The time from
target date to grant award varies. We anticipate that review of full
proposals will occur in April 2003, for most approved projects. August
1, 2003, may be used as the earliest proposed start date on the
proposal, unless otherwise directed by the Program Manager. Applicants
should be notified of their status within six months of full proposal
submission. All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the
requirements listed below. Failure to heed the requirements may result
in proposals being returned without review.
ADDRESSES: All submissions should be directed to: Office of Global
Programs (OGP); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1100
Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, Silver Spring, MD 20910-5603.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irma duPree at the above address or
phone (301) 427-2089, ext. 107, fax: (301) 427-2222, Internet:
irma.duPree@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Funding Availability
NOAA, NSF, EPA, and EPRI believe that research on the relationship
between climate variability and human health will benefit significantly
from a strong partnership with outside investigators. An estimated $1.3
Million may be available for FY03. Current plans assume that over 50%
of the total resources provided through this announcement will support
extramural efforts, particularly those involving the broad academic
community. Funding may be provided by NOAA, NSF, EPA, or EPRI. Projects
may be conducted for up to a three year period.
2. Eligibility
Participation in this competition is open to all institutions
eligible to receive support for NOAA, NSF, EPA, and EPRI. For awards to
be issued by NOAA, eligible applicants are institutions of higher
education, hospitals, other nonprofits, commercial organizations,
foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, international organizations, state, local and Indian
tribal governments and Federal agencies. Applications from non-Federal
and Federal applicants will be competed against each other. Proposals
selected for funding from non-Federal applicants will be funded through
a project grant or cooperative agreement under the terms of this
notice. Proposals selected for funding from NOAA employees shall be
effected by an intragency funds transfer. Proposals selected for
funding from a non-NOAA Federal Agency will be funded through an
interagency transfer. 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.
3. Program Authority
NOAA Authority: U.S.C. 2931 et seq.; (CFDA No. 11.431)--Climate and
Atmospheric Research.
NSF Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1861-75; (CFDA No. 47.050)--Geosciences.
EPA Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7403(a); 42 U.S.C. 7403(b); 42 U.S.C.;
7403(g); 15 U.S.C. 2907(a); (CFDA No. 66.500)--Office of Research and
Development.
4. Relevance of This Joint Announcement
Published in 2001, the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) report
``Under the Weather: Climate, Ecosystems and Infectious Disease''
highlights the need for strengthening research on the linkages between
climate and infectious disease and recommends highly interdisciplinary
collaboration involving modelers, meteorologists, climatologists,
ecologists, social scientists, and a wide array of medical and public
health professionals. The report recognizes that the effectiveness of
disease early warning systems will depend upon the context in which
they are used, and recommends that the development of such systems
should involve the active participation of the system's end users.
Also, the U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of
Climate Variability and Change, Health Sector Report, published in
2000, calls for a greater scientific understanding of the causal
relationships between climate and human health, and the need to take an
interdisciplinary approach that actively involves decision-makers and
practitioners.
Several multi-agency sponsored workshops such as the American
Academy of Microbiology Colloquium on Climate Variability and Human
Health: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, and the workshop on Climate
Change and Vector-borne and other Infectious Disease: A Research
Agenda, called for cross-agency collaboration in supporting integrated
research in this emerging discipline. The 1999 NRC report, Global
Environmental Change: Research Pathways for the Next Decade, recognizes
that climate may have important impacts on human health but that
further study is necessary, and that such studies must also address
issues of social vulnerability and adaptability.
It is well recognized that although early research has demonstrated
a connection between climate and health in some cases, more rigorous
and interdisciplinary research is required. This, coupled with an
evolving capacity to understand and predict natural changes in the
climate system, and a desire to develop and provide climate and
environmental information for social benefit, particularly in the
public health sector, has driven demand for improved understanding of
the relationship between climate variability and human health. Both the
scientific research results and recommendations stemming from various
reports and meetings highlight the complexity of the research questions
and the need for a coordinated multi-agency and interdisciplinary
approach. The very nature of the research required cuts across
disciplinary boundaries, and spans a range of agency missions and
mandates and private sector interests. The NOAA Office of Global
Programs is interested in the effective use of climate information in
climate-sensitive sectors. The NSF focuses on broadly based
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fundamental research to improve understanding of the Earth system. EPA
is concerned with the impacts of climate change and variability on
human health, and EPRI addresses key research gaps in climate change
and human health. This announcement is offered as an experimental
mechanism to fill critical gaps in climate variability and human health
research and to coordinate funding of overlapping agency and
institutional interests in such research. Other private sector
organizations interested in jointly funding research through this
announcement process should contact the NOAA Program Manager, Juli
Trtanj (301) 427-2089, ext. 134, or Internet: juli.trtanj@noaa.gov.
Research projects will be funded for a one, two or three year period.
5. Program Objectives
The over-arching goal of this announcement is to develop and
demonstrate the feasibility of new approaches or field studies that
investigate or validate well-formed hypotheses or models of climate
variability and health interactions. This announcement is offered as
part of an interagency effort to build an integrated climate and health
community. Proposed research submitted under this announcment is
encouraged to build on existing research activities, programs, research
sites and facilities, or data sets.
6. Proposal Requirements and General Guidance
Research teams should include, at a minimum, one investigator each
from the public health or medical response, ecology, and climate
communities working in close collaboration on an integrated project.
Research proposals submitted under this announcement are strongly
encouraged to include components addressing either the adaptation or
vulnerability of human and public health systems to climate
variability, or an economic analysis of using climate information, or
both. (See Criteria for Evaluation b). The funding partners will look
favorably on research activities that involve end-users from the public
health arena (i.e., local public health officials, regional or
international health organizations, other public health or disaster
management agencies and institutions) and which address the means by
which public health policy and decision-makers can use their research
results. (See Criteria for Evaluation d). Investigators are encouraged
to demonstrate that they will disseminate research results through
formal presentation during at least one professional meeting and
publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
This Program Announcement is for projects to be conducted by
investigators both inside and outside of NOAA, NSF, EPA, and EPRI. The
funding instrument for extramural awards will be a grant unless it is
anticipated that any of the funding entities will be substantially
involved in the implementation of the project, in which case the
funding instrument should be a cooperative agreement. Examples of
substantial involvement may include but are not limited to proposals
for collaboration between a funding entity or funding entity scientist,
and a recipient scientist or technician and/or contemplation by NOAA,
NSF, or EPA of detailing Federal personnel to work on proposed
projects. NOAA, NSF, and EPA will make decisions regarding the use of a
cooperative agreement on a case-by-case basis. This program does not
require matching share.
Guidelines for Submission
1. Pre-Proposals
(a) Pre-proposals should include the names and institutions of all
investigators, a statement of the problem, description of data and
methodology including names of data sets and types of models or
analysis, a general budget for the project, a description of intended
use of results for public health policy and decision making, and brief
biographical sketches for each investigator. Pre-proposals can be
submitted electronically to Irma duPree at irma.dupree@noaa.gov, unless
other arrangements have been made with the Program Manager. Pre-
proposals must be no longer than eight pages in length and must be
prepared using an 11 point font or larger, with one-inch margins. Pre-
proposals longer than eight pages, with smaller fonts, or with
attachments will not be accepted.
(b) The Program Officers will evaluate the pre-proposals.
(c) Submission of pre-proposals is not a requirement, but it is in
the best interest of the applicants and their institutions.
(d) Email submissions are acceptable for pre-proposals only.
(e) Projects deemed unsuitable during pre-proposals review will not
be encouraged to submit full proposals.
(f) Investigators who are not encouraged to submit full proposals
will not be precluded from submitting full proposals.
2. Criteria for Evaluation
Below are the criteria for evaluation that will be used for making
award decisions. Pre-proposals will be evaluated using these criteria.
(a) Scientific Merit--60% (to include: Methodology, proof of data
quality and availability, experience of team and team members, and
relevant peer-reviewed publications).
(b) Responsiveness to announcement--20%.
(c) Explicit multidisciplinary participation and collaboration--
10%.
(d) Potential for use by climate, ecology and health community or
public/environmental health community--10%.
3. Selection Procedures and Review Process
Applications will be screened to determine if applicants are
eligible and proposals are complete. The proposals will undergo
independent peer panel review and may receive independent peer mail
review. The independent peer mail reviewers rate each proposal
according to the above Criteria for Evaluation. Each independent peer
panel review member will rate the proposals using the above-mentioned
criteria and taking the mail reviews into consideration. No consensus
advice will be given. Both agency and non-agency experts in the field
may be used in this process. Program Officers, comprised of
representatives both Federal and non-Federal funding institutions, will
evaluate the proposal. None of the Program Officers are voting members
of an independent peer panel. The non-Federal Program Officers will
provide their recommendations to the Federal Program Officers. The
Federal Agency Program Officers will then make funding selections
taking into account these recommendations, the independent peer panel
review and evaluations, and program policy factors listed below.
Proposals are usually awarded in the numerical order in which they
are ranked. However, the Program Officers may consider the following
program policy factors: (a) Whether proposals do not substantially
duplicate other projects that are currently funded by NOAA, NSF, EPA,
other Federal agencies or other funding sources; (b) whether proposals
do not substantially duplicate other proposals submitted in response to
this announcement; (c) whether proposals funded maximize use of
available funds; (d) whether proposals provide programmatic balance and
(e) whether proposal cost falls within remaining funds available. As a
result of this review, either the non-Federal or Federal Program
Officers may decide to select an award out of order. The Federal
Program Officers will
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also determine the total duration and amount of funding for each
selected proposal. Unsatisfactory performance by a recipient under
prior Federal awards may result in an application not being considered
for funding. Federal agency employees are subject to statutes
pertaining to non-disclosure and confidentiality requirements
protecting proprietary information that may be contained in
applications submitted for potential funding. Non-Federal evaluators
have agreed in writing to similar non-disclosure and confidentiality
provisions. Please note, however, that should EPRI or another
participating private organization which jointly funds research under
this notice select an application for funding, none of the
participating Federal agencies is responsible for any unauthorized
disclosure of information that may occur or any dispute that may arise.
4. Proposal Submission
The following forms are required in each application, with original
signatures on each federal form. Failure to comply with these
provisions will result in proposals being returned without review.
(a) Full Proposals: (1) Proposals submitted to the NOAA Climate and
Global Change Program must include the original and two unbound copies
of the proposal. (2) Investigators are required to submit 3 copies of
the proposal; however, the normal review process requires 20 copies.
Investigators 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 Federally
required forms are needed. (3) Proposals must be limited to 40 pages
(numbered), 11 point font or larger and 1 inch margins, including
abstract, results of prior research, statement of work, budget
justification, budget, investigators' vitae, and all appendices.
Appended information may not be used to circumvent the page length
limit. Federally mandated forms are not included within the page count.
(4) Proposals should be sent to the NOAA Office of Global Programs at
the above address. (5) Facsimile transmissions and electronic mail
submission of full proposals will not be accepted.
(b) Required Elements: All proposals must include the following
elements:
(1) Signed title page: The title page must be signed by the
Principal Investigator (PI) and the institutional representative. If
more than one investigator is listed on the title page, please identify
the lead investigator. The PI and institutional representative should
be identified by full name, title, organization, telephone number and
address. The amount of Federal funds being requested should be listed
for each budget period and for the total project.
(2) Abstract: An abstract must be included and should contain an
introduction of the problem, rationale and a brief summary of work to
be completed. The abstract should appear on a separate page, headed
with the proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total
proposed cost and budget period.
(3) Results from prior research: The results of related research
activities should be described, including their relation to the
currently proposed work. Reference to each prior research award should
include the title, agency or institution, award number, PIs, period of
award and total award. The section should be a brief summary and should
not exceed two pages total.
(4) Statement of work: The proposed project must be completely
described, including identification of the problem, scientific
objectives, proposed methodology, and relevance to the announcement.
Benefits of the proposed project to the general public and the
scientific community should also be discussed. A summary of proposed
work must be included clearly indicating that the proposed work is
achievable. The statement of work, including references but excluding
figures and other visual materials must not exceed 15 pages to text.
(5) Budget Justification: A brief description of the expenses
listed on the budget and how they address the proposed work. Itemized
justification must include salaries, equipment, publications, supplies,
tuition, travel, etc.
(6) Budget: the proposal must include total and annual budget
corresponding with the descriptions provided in the statement of work.
A sample budget sheet can be found in the statement of work. A sample
budget sheet can be found in the standard NOAA application kit-Federal
Applicants must submit a Standard Form 424 (4-92) ``Application for
Federal Assistance'', including a detailed budget using the Standard
Form 424a (4-92). ``Budget Information--Non-Construction Program''. The
form is included in the standard NOAA application Kit. Additional text
to justify expenses should be included as necessary. Federal
researchers should contact Irma duPree at (301) 427-2089 ext. 107, for
guidance regarding the types of forms required for submission.
Additionally, Federal researchers should provide, with their
application, the appropriate statutory authority that allows their
agency to receive funds from another Federal agency to complete the
work outlined in their proposal.
(7) Vitae: Abbreviated curriculum vitae are sought with each
proposal. Reference lists should be limited to 10-15 of the most recent
and relevant publications with up to five other relevant papers.
(8) Current and pending support: for each investigator, submit a
list that includes project title, supporting agency with grant number,
investigator months, dollar value and duration. Requested values should
be listed for pending support.
(9) List of suggested reviewers: The cover letter may include a
list of individuals qualified and suggested to review the proposal. It
also may include a list of individuals that applicants would prefer to
not review the proposals. Such lists may be considered at the
discretion of the Program Officers.
Other Requirements
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreement contained in the Federal Register
notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 49917), as amended by the Federal
Register Notice published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 66109), are
applicable to this solicitation.
Classification
It has been determined that this notice is not significant for
purposes of E.O. 12866.
It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in E.O. 13132.
Notice and comment are not required under 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2), or
any other law, for notices relating to public property, loans, grants,
benefits or contracts. Because notice and comment are not required, a
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., is not required
and has not been prepared for this notice.
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 have been
approved by OMB under the respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-
0044, 0348-0040, and 0348-0046.
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
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collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless
that collection displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.
Louisa Koch,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research.
[FR Doc. 02-29765 Filed 11-21-02; 8:45 am]