[Federal Register: June 10, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 111)]
[Notices]
[Page 39683-39695]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10jn02-38]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 000927276-2103-03]
RIN 0648-ZA94
Coastal Services Center Broad Area Announcement
AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of federal assistance.
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SUMMARY: The NOAA Coastal Services Center (Center) is soliciting
applications for federal assistance for the following program areas:
Landscape Characterization and Restoration (LCR), Integration and
Development (I&D), Outreach, Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) and
Information Resources (IR). This announcement provides guidelines for
these program areas and includes details for the evaluation criteria,
and selection procedures of each program. Selected recipients will
enter into either a cooperative agreement with the Center or receive a
grant depending upon the amount of the Center's involvement in the
project. Funding for these programs will be contingent upon
availability of FY 2003 funding availability.
DATES: Each program area has specific dates for application and
proposal deadlines. Refer directly to that program area description
under Supplementary Information listed below.
ADDRESSES: Send all proposals to: NOAA Coastal Services Center, 2234
South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. Landscape
Characterization and Restoration (LCR) proposals should be sent to the
attention of Jeffery Adkins, Room 238A. Integration and Development
(I&D) proposals should be sent to the attention of James Lewis Free,
Room 236B. Outreach proposals should be sent to the attention of Jan
Kucklick, Room 142. Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) proposals should be
sent to the attention of Kirk Waters, Room 103. Information Resources
(IR) proposals should be sent to the attention of Anne Ball, Room 211.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Administrative questions should be directed to
Violet Legette, (843)-740-1222 or Violet.Legette@noaa.gov. Technical
point of contact for Landscape Characterization and Restoration is
Jeffery Adkins, (843)-740-1244 or Jeffery.Adkins@noaa.gov. Technical
point of contact for Integration and Development is James Lewis Free,
(843)-740-1185 or James.L.Free@noaa.gov. Technical point of contact for
Outreach is Jan Kucklick, (843)-740-1279 or Jan.Kucklick@noaa.gov.
Technical point of contact for Coastal Remote Sensing is Kirk Waters,
(843)-740-1227 or Kirk.Waters@noaa.gov. Technical point of contact for
Information Resources is Anne Ball, (843)-740-1229 or
Anne.Ball@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Center is soliciting applications for
federal assistance and funding will be contingent upon availability of
FY 2003 funding availability. The following program areas are:
Landscape Characterization and Restoration (LCR), Integration and
Development (I&D), Outreach, Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) and
Information Resources (IR). This announcement provides guidelines for
these program areas and includes details for the evaluation criteria,
and selection procedures of each program. Selected recipients will
enter into either a cooperative agreement with the Center or receive a
grant depending upon the
[[Page 39684]]
amount of the Center's involvement in the project. Substantial
involvement means a cooperative agreement, while independent work
requires a grant.
All applicants are required to submit a NOAA grants application
package and project proposal. The standard NOAA grants application
package (which includes forms SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, CD-511, CD-512,
and SF-LLL) can be obtained from the NOAA grants Website at <http://
www.rdc.noaa.gov/grants/pdf/. Funding will be subject to the
availability of federal appropriations. Applicants are required to
prepare separate packages for each proposal submitted.
Authority
Statutory authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C.
Sec. 1456 c (Technical Assistance); 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1540 (Cooperative
Agreements); 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1442 (research program respecting possible
long-range effects of pollution, over fishing, and man-induced changes
of ocean ecosystems); 33 U.S.C. Sec. 883a (surveys and other
activities); 33 U.S.C. Sec. 883b (dissemination of data); 33 U.S.C.
Sec. 883c (geomagnetic data collection, correlation, and
dissemination); and 33 U.S.C. Sec. 883d (improvement of methods,
instruments, and equipments; investigations and research). CFDA Number:
11.473--NOAA Coastal Services Center.
General Background
Guiding the conservation and management of coastal resources is a
primary function of NOAA. NOAA accomplishes this goal through a variety
of mechanisms, including collaboration with the coastal resource
management programs of the Nation's states and territories. The mission
of the NOAA Coastal Services Center is to support the environmental,
social, and economic well being of the coast by linking people,
information, and technology. The goal of the Center is to build
capabilities throughout the nation to address pressing issues of
coastal health and change by promoting coastal resource conservation
and efficient and sustainable commercial and residential development.
Landscape Characterization and Restoration (LCR)--Environmental
Characterization for a United States Estuary, Watershed, or Special
Management Area in the Southern United States or the Caribbean
Project Description
The Center seeks proposals for a 2-year cooperative agreement under
which a cooperator and the Center will jointly develop a digital
information resource for a U.S. estuary, watershed, or special
management area in the Southeastern U.S. or the Caribbean, located
entirely or in part within North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, or Puerto Rico. The information resource must focus on one or
more resource management needs of the chosen estuary, watershed, or
special management area and must emphasize examinations of ecosystem
function through the integration of physical, ecological, and
socioeconomic information and analyses. The cooperator will choose the
management needs that will be focused on: for example, a regional
habitat restoration plan, non-point source pollution management plan,
long-term dredged material management plan, species recovery plan, or
detailed environmental description. The information resource must
clearly help managers make resource management, regulatory, or land-use
planning decisions. In fact, it is suggested, but not required, that
the project result in the creation of an interactive decision support
tool. Total anticipated funding for a project is $300,000 over two
years and is subject to the availability of FY 2003 and FY 2004
appropriations. No more than two awards are anticipated from this
announcement.
Background
This announcement is a call for proposals for work under the
Center's Landscape Characterization and Restoration Program. The
program's goal is to help Federal, state, and local resource managers
include ecosystem processes in their resource management, regulatory,
and land-use planning decisions. The program and program partners will
work towards this goal by examining interrelationships among
ecological, land use, human demographic, and socioeconomic trends and
by developing tools needed to reflect those relationships in the
development of management practices. The program's principal products
are environmental characterizations that integrate the ecological,
geophysical, and socioeconomic information and analyses that are
required to address the management needs identified by cooperators.
Final products are in a digital format and are distributed via CD-ROM
and the Internet and include a spatial database, a customized
Geographic Information System interface, and an interactive decision
support tool. Final products also include a narrative that describes in
detail the focal management needs, how the accompanying information was
used to examine potential solutions, and how the overall product can be
used in future examinations. The program and its cooperators are
currently working on, or have completed, characterizations of Otter
Island (South Carolina), the ACE Basin (South Carolina), Kachemak Bay
(Alaska), Rookery Bay/Belle Meade (Florida), coastal Rhode Island, the
central California coast, and northern Puget Sound. Overviews of the
program and these projects are available through the Internet at http:/
/www.csc.noaa.gov/lcr/.
Roles and Responsibilities
By working in a cooperative partnership, the unique skills,
capabilities, and experiences of the Center and the cooperator will be
combined to offer an opportunity for each organization to further its
goals. In their proposals, potential cooperators shall explicitly
propose the respective roles and responsibilities of the Center and the
cooperator. General areas of responsibilities that the Center has had
in past projects include: development of spatial models, analyses, and
data to address the identified management needs; guidance in the
development of socioeconomic information and analyses; design of GIS
and HTML architectures; and compilation of final products onto a CD-ROM
and Internet site. Any questions about appropriate roles for the Center
can be directed to Jeffery.Adkins@noaa.gov. General areas of
responsibility that cooperators have had include: identifying the
management needs that guide development of the information resource;
identifying the information required to address the needs; developing
partnerships with other members of the resource management community;
developing and collecting the information (text, tables, graphics,
charts, and maps) and tools (organizational structure and models)
required to address the management needs; developing metadata; and
determining how the products should be organized to maximize usefulness
within the resource management community.
Project Proposals
The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the
attention of Jeffery Adkins, Room 238A at the NOAA Coastal Services
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In
addition to the
[[Page 39685]]
proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA grant
application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax copies
will be accepted. Project proposals must total no more than 10 pages
(double spaced, 12-point font, and exclusive of appendices). Appendices
should be limited to materials that directly support the main body of
the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of data sources,
maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All proposals must include
sections on the seven following topics:
1. Goal(s), Objective(s), and Geographic Area. Identify on a map
and describe in the narrative the specific geographic area that will be
examined. Identify the specific management objective(s) of the project,
describing:
The management goals that are currently not being
achieved,
How products from this cooperative agreement will
significantly address that deficiency, and
The benefits that will result to the cooperators,
partners, public, and resource management community.
2. Background/Introduction. Provide sufficient background
information for reviewers to independently assess the local
significance and regional importance of the management objectives that
will be addressed by the project. Summarize the status of any ongoing
efforts by the cooperator and partners to address these objectives.
3. Audience. Identify potential users of the product, how those
users will incorporate the product in their management of natural
resources, and identify any training that will be needed for users to
make full use of the information resource.
4. Project Description/Methodology. Provide a general work plan
that:
Outlines the expected products,
Divides the project into discrete steps,
Identifies critical decision points,
Discusses any obstacles to completing the project that may
require special planning,
And explicitly outlines the respective roles of the
cooperator, partners, and Center.
One of the initial tasks of the cooperative agreement will be for
the Center and the cooperator to prepare a detailed task plan that
explains how the resources of all parties will be leveraged to produce
the products. The work plan requested for this part of the proposal
should demonstrate that the cooperator and partners have sufficient
local knowledge of the management problems to lead an innovative effort
directed towards developing appropriate solutions. The product outline
should list the major topics (e.g., physical environment, economic
trends) and immediate subordinate themes (e.g., geology, industry
profile). The outline also should show how any decision support tools
proposed are integrated with the other information in the
characterization. The outline also should clearly allow reviewers to
ascertain the balance between physical, ecological, socioeconomic, and
geospatial components of the products. Provide a quality control plan
that includes a plan for reviewing the content of the characterization.
5. Project Partners and Support. Identify project partners and
describe their respective roles. When formal partnerships already
exist, include letters from partners that demonstrate that they
understand their role in the project and the authority of the lead
agency in product development, and that they are willing to participate
in that manner. When formal partnerships do not already exist, describe
plans for developing them. Describe the resources the cooperators and
partners have for conducting the project, including personnel
qualifications (education, experience, and time available to work on
the project), facilities, equipment, and, to the extent practicable,
the information and tools already available. Describe how widely the
project is supported within the resource management community and offer
evidence of that support.
6. Milestone Schedule. List target milestones, time lines, and
describe how each milestone addresses project objectives. The time
period targeted for the award is approximately 24 months, but can vary
depending on need. Based on our experience with past projects, we
recommend the timeline include three months at the end to work with the
Center on final assembly, review, and editing.
7. Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget description that
follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grants package and a
brief narrative justification of the budget.
Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process
Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the
following program policy factors in making the final selection
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Significance (20 points)
How well the proposal demonstrates the local significance
and regional importance of the need(s) or management objective(s) that
will guide development of the information resource. At a minimum, the
proposal must identify management goals that are not currently being
achieved, describe how products from this cooperative agreement will
significantly address that deficiency, and state the benefits that will
result to the public and resource management community.
2. Technical Approach (20 points)
How well the proposal divides the project into discrete
tasks that make effective use of the technical capabilities of the
cooperator, partner(s), and Center. This criterion includes such
factors as the technical merit of the process that the cooperator has
outlined for developing the information resource and the perceived role
for the Center in its development.
3. Comprehensiveness (20 points)
How well the proposed work will integrate technology;
socioeconomic, physical, and ecological information; and public
participation to accomplish project goals and objectives. This
criterion measures both the scope of the proposed project and the
integration of its various components.
4. Outcomes (20 points)
How well the applicant demonstrates that the project
outcomes will significantly address the management issue(s) targeted by
the project and that the collective resources of the applicant and
partners will ensure projected outcomes are met.
5. Partnerships and Public Involvement (10 points)
How well the proposal demonstrates through partnerships
that the project is broadly supported by the resource management
community; that a broad group of resource managers and constituents
will benefit from the product(s) and contribute to their design and
assembly; and that a broad group of resource managers will use the
product(s). This criterion includes such factors as the inclusion of a
formal
[[Page 39686]]
public involvement plan, a plan for managing the partnership team, and
letters of support from users and partners.
6. Cost Efficiency (10 points)
How well the applicant demonstrates that the budget is
commensurate with project needs and that the partnerships employed will
improve the overall cost effectiveness of the project and value of the
products by contributing funds (cost-sharing), expertise, or other
resources.
Selection Schedule
Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process
for this cooperative agreement: Proposal Deadline (with completed grant
package)'' October 4, 2002. Earliest Approximate Grant start date ``
March 3, 2003. Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business
(5 p.m. Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and
grant package (with original signatures) will be time stamped.
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager and
not returned to the applicant.
Funding Availability
Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Total funding available for this
cooperative agreement with the LCR program is anticipated to be
$300,000 over 2 years. Two awards are anticipated from this
announcement. Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to
fund any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any
part of the available funds.
Cost Sharing
There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to these
guidelines, however, proposals that include cost sharing will likely
score highly under the evaluation criterion that examines cost
efficiency.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education,
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be
project partners.
Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds
from outside sources 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.
Authority
Statutory authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C.
1456c (Technical Assistance); and 33 U.S.C. 1442 (research program
respecting possible long-range effects of pollution, overfishing, and
man-induced changes of ocean ecosystems).
Integration and Development (I&D)--Applications of Spatial Technology
for Coastal Management
Project Description
The Center seeks proposals for a one to two year cooperative
agreement under which a cooperator and the Center will jointly develop
a technical project related to one of the Center's main theme areas
(i.e., smart coastal growth, habitat protection and management, coastal
hazards, or Coastal National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).
Projects within the smart coastal growth theme <http://
www.csc.noaa.gov/themes/communities/ assist communities in
their efforts to incorporate smart growth concepts into their planning
and decision-making processes. Habitat related projects <http://
www.csc.noaa.gov/themes/habitat seek to provide coastal
managers with information and tools to integrate physical, ecological,
economic, and social components into habitat protection and management.
Projects within the coastal hazards theme < http://www.csc.noaa.gov/
themes/coasthaz/ focus on reducing the environmental,
social, and economic impacts from coastal hazards by providing
information and tools that facilitate increased decision-support
capabilities for coastal managers. Any of these issues would be well
supported by incorporating concepts related to the Coastal NSDI <
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/themes/nsdi/ . The NSDI is a
nationwide effort to improve the utilization of geospatial data within
the United States, focusing on data acquisition, processing, storage,
distribution, ease of use, and inclusion in the decision-making
process. NSDI has control of geospatial data. Proposals must relate to
the general theme areas as defined above. Applicants are encouraged to
focus on a particular issue that is impacting their community and
formulate a more efficient or innovative approach toward the management
of the issue. All project proposals that meet the topic criteria will
be reviewed for technical merit and management relevance.
The goal of the Center's Integration and Development (I&D) program
is to provide relevant, easily accessible spatial data, tools, and
support services to the coastal resource management community. The
program and program partners will work towards this goal by examining
the issue, as defined in the project proposal, and working with the
impacted community or communities to design and develop a product that
addresses local needs and skill sets, while considering its broader
applicability to other states or regions.
It is expected that this funding will support agencies and
organizations with proven abilities to implement practical solutions on
state and local levels. Maximum anticipated funding for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2003 is $250,000 for a two-year period and is subject to the
availability of FY 2003 appropriations. It is intended that this
funding will be distributed among multiple projects in the form of a
cooperative agreement. The award level is contingent on methodology,
level of detail, and both the technical and geographic scope of the
project.
Background
The Center's I&D program's principal products seek to link the
technical benefits of geographic information systems (GIS) with the
needs of the coastal resource management community to enhance
visualization and decision making capabilities. Final products
typically are in a digital format and distributed via a training
module, CD-ROM, or the Internet. Products often include a spatial
database, a customized geographic information system interface, and a
narrative that provides a detailed overview of the focal management
issues, how the accompanying information was used to examine potential
solutions, how the product can be applied to other coastal areas, and
how the overall product can be used in future decision-making. An
overview of the program, including information on its past and current
projects, is available through the Internet at <http://
www.csc.noaa.gov/ id/.
This FY 2003 announcement is intended to accommodate a broad range
of issues. The program's objective in considering a broad range of
issues is to allow individual coastal communities the opportunity to
propose projects that speak to the most relevant or urgent issues for
their area and to guide
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discussion relative to the development of innovative approaches for
addressing these issues.
Roles and Responsibilities
By establishing a cooperative partnership, the unique skills,
capabilities, and experiences of the Center and the cooperator will be
combined to offer an opportunity for each organization to further its
goals. In order to clearly define the nature of this relationship, the
proposal shall explicitly state the respective roles and
responsibilities of the Center and the cooperator. Also, the work plan
that is outlined within the proposal should demonstrate that the
cooperator and partners have sufficient local knowledge of the
management problem to devise an effective and systematic approach
towards the development of appropriate solutions. Once the award has
been made, a primary task for the Center and the cooperator will be to
collectively review and develop the final implementation plan to
describe how the resources of all parties will be leveraged to produce
the final products, the time line for the project, and the process for
accomplishing project tasks.
The Center's technical role in past projects has generally
included, but is not limited to, the development of spatial tools,
analyses, and data to address a variety of management issues; the
design of geographic information systems (GIS) and Web-based
architectures; and the compilation of final products into a training
module, CD-ROM, or Web site. More information regarding the degree of
involvement or potential role of the Center in a given project may be
found at <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/id/. Any questions about
appropriate roles for the Center can be directed to
<James.L.Free@noaa.gov.
General areas of responsibility that cooperators have had in the
past have included the following: identifying the management issues
that guide development of the information resource; identifying the
information needed to address the issues; developing partnerships with
other members of the coastal management community; developing,
collecting, and synthesizing the information (e.g., spatial data, text,
tables, graphics, charts, and maps) and tools needed to address the
management issues; developing metadata; and determining how the
products should be organized to maximize usefulness within the coastal
management community. It is anticipated the cooperator will participate
in the development of the final product design and implementation.
Project Proposals
The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the
attention of James Lewis Free, Room 236A at the NOAA Coastal Services
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA
grant application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than
10 pages (double spaced, 10 or 12-point fonts, and exclusive of
appendices). Appendices should be limited to materials that directly
support the main body of the proposal (e.g., support letters, resumes,
lists of data sources, maps). Letters of support may be mailed
separately, but must be received by the October 4, 2002, deadline. All
appendix material must be unbound. All projects proposals must include
sections on the five following topics:
1. Project Background/Introduction. Briefly discuss the critical
coastal management issue addressed within the proposal, as well as the
data and/or analyses required to address this issue. Identify the basic
project goals and any objectives. Discuss in the applicability of the
issue and anticipated final product to a broader range of customers or
areas.
2. Project Description/Methodology. Address the general work plan
and deliverables. Methodology should address specific methods to
address the defined problem, including a description of the types of
technology or software that will be applied. Database format must be
adequately described (if appropriate) and include a supplemental
descriptor file or metadata that contains the information necessary for
completing an FGDC-compliant metadata record for any data that are
created or used within the project.
3. Project Partners and Subcontractors. Identify any project
partners and describe their respective roles. When formal partnerships
already exist, include letters from partners that demonstrate that they
understand their role in the project and the authority of the lead
agency in product development, and that they are willing to participate
in that manner. When formal partnerships do not already exist, describe
plans for developing them. Describe the resources available to
cooperators and partners to conduct the project, including personnel
qualifications (i.e., education, experience, and time available to work
on the project), facilities, equipment, and, to the extent practicable,
the information and tools already available. Describe how widely the
project is supported within the resource management community and offer
evidence of that support.
4. Milestone Schedule. List target milestones and their respective
time lines.
5. Project Budget. Proposals should provide a detailed budget
breakdown that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grants
package and a brief narrative that justifies each item.
Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process
Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the
following program policy factors in making the final selection
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Significance (25 points)
How well the proposal demonstrates the local significance
and regional importance of the issue(s) or management objective(s) that
will guide development of the project. At a minimum, the proposal must
identify management goals that currently are not being achieved,
describe how products from this project will significantly address that
deficiency, and state the benefits that will result to the public and
coastal management community.
2. Technical Approach (20 points)
How well the proposal divides the project into discrete
tasks that make effective use of the technical capabilities of the
cooperator, partner(s), and the Center. This criteria includes such
factors as the technical merit of the process that the cooperator has
outlined for developing the information resource and the perceived role
for the Center in its development.
[[Page 39688]]
3. Outcomes (20 points)
How well the applicant demonstrates that the project
outcomes will significantly address the management issue(s) targeted by
the project and that the collective resources of the applicant and
partners will ensure projected outcomes are met.
4. Innovation (15 points)
How well the proposed work takes an innovative approach to
the application and integration of technology, spatial data, and policy
to address issues and accomplish project goals and objectives.
5. Partnerships (15 points)
How well the proposal demonstrates: that the project is
broadly supported by the coastal management community; that a broad
group of coastal managers and constituent will benefit from
contributing to design and assembly of product(s); and that a broad
group of coastal managers will use the product(s).
6. Cost Efficiency (5 points)
Points will be awarded in proportion to the amount of cost
sharing proposed. Applicant will have to cost share at least 10 percent
of the Federal direct costs proposed to receive 1 point, 20 percent to
receive 2 points, 30 percent to receive 3 points, 40 percent to receive
4 points, and 50 percent to receive 5 points.
Selection Schedule
Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process
for cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with completed grant
package)--October 4, 2002. The review process will take up to three
months, and applicants will not be notified of the status of their
application until the review process is completed. Earliest Approximate
Grant Start Date--March 3, 2003.
Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m.
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped.
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager
and not returned to the applicant.
Funding Available
Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Total funding available for this
cooperative agreement with the Integration and Development program is
anticipated to be no more than $250,000 and funding will be distributed
among multiple projects. Publication of this document does not obligate
NOAA to fund any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award
all or any parts of the available funds.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education,
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be
project partners. Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are
project partners must demonstrate that they have legal authority to
receive funds from outside sources 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.
Authority
Statutory authority for these programs is 33 U.S.C. 883a (surveys
and other activities), 33 U.S.C. 883c (geomagnetic data; collection,
correlation, and dissemination) and 16 U.S.C. 1456c (Technical
Assistance).
Outreach--Special Projects
Project Description
The Center seeks grant proposals for special technical, management,
or planning projects that relate to growth management in coastal areas
or human use of coastal resources to organizations across the United
States with proven abilities to implement practical solutions at a
state and local level. Proposed study topics must relate to growth
management in coastal areas or to human use of coastal resources. All
project proposals received that meet the topic criteria will be
reviewed for technical merit and management relevance.
Background
The Center conducts a variety of projects that directly apply to
the state and local coastal management community. The goal of Special
Projects is to provide assistance to the local coastal management
community for technical or management issues on specific topics
relating directly to growth management in coastal areas or human use of
coastal resources.
Project Proposals
The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the
attention of Jan Kucklick, Room 142 at the NOAA Coastal Services
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA
grants application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than
10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font, and exclusive of appendices).
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of
data sources, maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All project
proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
1. Goals and Objectives. Identify broad project goals and
quantifiable objectives.
2. Background/Introduction. State the problem and summarize
existing efforts at all levels.
3. Audience. Describe specifics of how the project will contribute
to improving or resolving an issue with the primary target audience.
The target audience must be explicitly stated.
4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the
projects (3 page maximum).
5. Project Partners. Identify project partners and their respective
roles.
6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, Time lines, and
desired outcomes in terms of products and services.
7. Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget breakdown that follows
the categories and formats in the NOAA grant package and a brief
narrative that justifies each item.
Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process
Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the
following program policy factors in making the final selection
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As
[[Page 39689]]
a result, awards may not necessarily be made to the highest ranked
applications. Final budget is negotiated after selection is made.
Evaluation criteria are:
1. Management Relevance (30 points)
How well does the proposed project (directly or
indirectly) address a critical national, regional, state, or local
management need relating directly to growth management of coastal areas
or human use of coastal resources?
How well does the project involve partnerships with the
state coastal management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve,
and/or National Marine Sanctuary?
How clearly does the proposed project define the
management audience and do the products have clearly defined users?
2. Technical Merit (35 points)
How technically sound is the approach?
How well does the proposed project build on existing
knowledge?
How clear and concise are the project goals and
objectives?
How well does the proposed project provide for long-term
maintenance or sustainability of products and services?
How innovative is the approach?
3. Applicability and Effectiveness of Products and Their Delivery (25
points)
How well does the proposed project produce useful (and
easily used) products, services, or an understanding for the target
audience and users?
How likely is the project time line and project design to
be flexible and responsive to public and user input?
Is an evaluation process built into the project? How
appropriate is it?
4. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (10 points)
How is the budget commensurate with the project needs?
How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of
the scope and scale proposed? (i.e., Are there adequate professional,
facility, and administrative capabilities?)
Selection Schedule
Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process
for grants and/or cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with
completed grant package) October 4, 2002. Earliest Appropriate Grant
Start Date--March 3, 2003. Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close
of business (5 p.m. Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of
proposal and grant package (with original signatures) will be time
stamped. Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program
Manager and not returned to the applicant.
Funding Availability
Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Anticipated funding in FY 2003 will
be between $50,000 and $300,000. Two to six projects will be funded in
the $20,000 to $25,000 range for 1 year with the potential for option
years (depending on the availability of funds through the federal
appropriation process). One or two projects may be considered at annual
levels above $25,000 depending on the availability of funds.
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any part of
the available funds.
Cost Sharing
There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to
proposals with cost sharing.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher educations,
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be
project partners.
Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds
from outside sources 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.
Authority
Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C.
1456C (Technical Assistance).
Outreach--Special Projects for the Pacific Islands
Project Description
The Center seeks grant proposals for special technical, management,
or planning projects that directly apply to the goals of the Pacific
Island coastal management community to organizations with proven
abilities to implement practical solutions in the Pacific Islands at a
state and local level. Projects topics should relate to one or more of
the four themes of the Coastal Services Center: Habitat, Hazards, Smart
Coastal Growth, or Coastal National Spatial Data Infrastructure
(CNSDI).
Background
The Center conducts a variety of projects that directly apply to
the state and local coastal management community. The goal of this
program is to provide assistance to the Pacific Island coastal
management community for technical or management issues on a very broad
range of topics related to coastal resources and their wise management.
Project Proposal
The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the
attention of Jan Kucklick, Room 142 at the NOAA Coastal Services
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA
grants application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than
10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font, and exclusive of appendices).
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of
data sources, and maps. All appendix materials must be unbound. All
projects proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
1. Goals and Objectives. Identify broad project goals and
quantifiable objectives.
2. Background/Introduction. State the problem and summarize
existing efforts at all levels.
3. Audience. Describe specifics of how the project will contribute
to improving or resolving an issue with the primary target audience.
The target audience must be explicitly stated.
4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the
projects (3 page maximum).
5. Project Partners. Identify project partners and their respective
roles.
6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, time lines, and
desired outcomes in terms of products and services.
7. Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget breakdown that follows
the categories and formats in the NOAA grant package and a brief
narrative that justifies each item.
[[Page 39690]]
Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process
Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the
following program policy factors in making the final selection
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Management Relevance (30 points)
How well does the proposed project (directly or
indirectly) address a critical national, regional, state, or local
management need relating directly to growth management of coastal areas
or human use of coastal resources?
How well does the project involve partnerships with the
state coastal management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve,
and/or National Marine Sanctuary?
How clearly does the proposed project define the
management audience and do the products have clearly defined users?
2. Technical Merit (35 points)
How technically sound is the approach?
How well does the proposed project build on existing
knowledge?
How clear and concise are the project goals and
objectives? Does the proposed project provide for long-term maintenance
or sustainability of products and services?
How innovative is the approach?
3. Applicability and Effectiveness of Products and Their Delivery (25
points)
How well does the proposed project produce useful (and
easily used) products, services, or an understanding for the target
audience and users?
How likely is the project time line and project design to
be flexible and responsive to public and user input?
Is an evaluation process built into the project? How
appropriate is it?
4. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (10 points)
How is the budget commensurate with the project needs?
How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of
the scope and scale proposed (i.e., Are there adequate professional,
facility, and administrative capabilities?)
Selection Schedule
Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process
for grants: Proposal Deadline (with completed application package)--
October 4, 2002. Earliest Approximate Grant Start Date--March 3, 2003.
Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m.
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped. Unsuccessful
applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager and not returned
to the applicant.
Funding Availability
Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Anticipated funding in FY 2003 will
be between $50,000 and $300,000. Projects will be funded in the $25,000
to $75,000 range for 1 year with the potential for options years
(depending on the availability of funds through the Federal
appropriation process). Up to three projects per year may be considered
at annual levels above $75,000 depending on the availability of funds.
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any part of
the available funds.
Cost Sharing
There are no requirements for cost sharing in response to this
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to
proposals with cost sharing.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher educations,
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible
to receive Federal assistance under this notice, but may be project
partners.
Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds
from outside sources 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.
Authority
Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C.
1456C (Technical Assistance).
Outreach--Technical Assistantship for the Pacific Islands
Project Description
The Center seeks proposals for the development and administration
of a two-year cooperative agreement to support post-graduate students
working for the Pacific Island coastal zone management programs. This
includes those programs in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. In FY 2003, the Center expects
to award a cooperative agreement to an organization with proven
abilities to recruit, select, place and administer assistants working
in these four coastal management programs. All project proposals must
define how students will be selected and placed, and must include a
mechanism to ensure that the skills and expertise of the selected
students match the needs and requirements of the Pacific Island coastal
zone management program.
This would be a cooperative agreement between the Center and the
cooperator for two years (to house one class of assistants) with the
option to extend for four years (depending on the availability of funds
through the federal appropriations process).
Background
The goal of this program is to provide assistance to the Pacific
Island coastal zone management agencies on technical and management
issues that directly relate to the agencies' needs and requirements.
This program is administratively and programmatically distinct from the
NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship program.
Roles and Responsibilities
These projects are intended to be cooperative in nature. The
following items identify the minimum project participation expected by
the Center and the project applicant. Additional roles and
responsibilities should be identified by the applicant.
Coastal Services Center shall have primary responsibility for
ensuring that the needs and requirements of the selected Pacific Island
coastal zone management agency are being met through this assistantship
program.
1. The Coastal Services Center Will:
Provide information to the applicant on the needs of the
Pacific
[[Page 39691]]
Island Coastal zone management agency prior to the recruiting of the
assistants.
Serve as a reviewer on all student applications to help
ensure that the selected students' expertise match with the needs of
the Pacific Island coastal zone management programs.
2. The Applicant Shall Have Primary Responsibility for the Following
Activities Associated With This Program
Design process for recruitment and selection
Announce and select assistants.
Support and administer assistants. This shall include all
activities related to the financial support and administration of the
assistants. These activities include arranging for and supporting
medical insurance, worker's compensation insurance, state and federal
income tax withholdings, and FICA withholdings; coordinating and
providing reimbursement for moving expenses, salary disbursement to the
assistants; and coordinating and supporting and travel for the
assistants.
3. The Coastal Services Center and the Applicant Shall Share Joint
Responsibility for the Following Activities Associated With This
Program
Publicize the program--This shall include general
announcement and publicity measures to provide general information
about the program, specific announcements of the selection processes,
and specific announcements of the results of the selection processes.
Newsletters, facts sheets, Web sites, and conference poster sessions
should all be considered potential publicity mechanisms.
Solicit other partners--To ensure the continued success
and further development of the program, both organizations should
consider recruiting other partners to provide financial support and
opportunities for future assistants.
Project Proposals
The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the
attention of Jan Kucklick, Room 142 at the NOAA Coastal Services
Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In
addition to the proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA
grant application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax
copies will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than
10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font, exclusive of appendices).
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of
data sources, maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All projects
proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
1. Goals and Objectives. Identify broad project goals and
quantifiable objectives.
2. Background/Introduction. State the problem and summarize
existing efforts at all levels.
3. Audience. Describe specifics of how the project will contribute
to improving or resolving an issue with the primary target audience.
The target audience must be explicitly stated.
4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the
process for development and administration (4 page maximum).
5. Project Partners--Identify project partners and their respective
roles.
6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, time lines, and
desired outcomes in terms of products and services.
7. Project Budget. Proposal should provide a detailed budget
breakdown that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grant
package and a brief narrative that justifies each item. Salary, per
diem, travel, and benefits of selected students must be included in the
budget.
Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process
Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the
following program policy factors in making the final selection
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Technical Relevance (70 points)
How well does the approach identify an effective mechanism
for defining how students will be selected and placed?
How well does the approach identify an effective mechanism
for determining where students are placed?
How well does the approach identify an effective mechanism
for ensuring that the skills and expertise of the selected students
match the needs and requirements of the selected Pacific Island coastal
zone management program?
Is an evaluation process built into the project? How
appropriate is it?
Will the project involve partnerships with the state
coastal management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve, and/or
National Marine Sanctuary?
2. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (30 points)
How is the budget commensurate with the project needs? Is
it based on existing knowledge?
How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of
the scope and scale proposed? (i.e., Are there adequate professional,
facility, and administrative capabilities?)
Selection Schedule
Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process
for cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with complete grant
package) October 4, 2002. Earliest Approximate Grant Start Date--March
3, 2003.
Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 P.m.
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped.
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager
and not returned to the applicant.
Funding Available
Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA
funds for FY 2003 and FY 2004 are appropriated. Anticipated funding for
this cooperative agreement in FY 2003 will be between $250,000 and
$400,000. This will cover one class of assistants for one year. A class
of assistants is selected every two years. Applicants must provide out
year estimates of budget for up to three additional years (this would
cover the selection and placement of a total of 2 classes of
assistants). Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to
fund any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or
any parts of the available funds.
Cost Sharing
There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to
proposals with cost sharing.
[[Page 39692]]
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher educations,
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible
to receive Federal assistance under this notice, but may be project
partners. Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project
partners must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive
funds from outside sources 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.
Authority
Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C.
Sec 1456c (Technical Assistance) and 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1540 (Cooperative
Agreements).
Coastal Remote Sensing--Use of Commercial Remote Sensing Products To
Solve Coastal Management Issues
Project Description
The Center seeks proposals on applications of remotely sensed
coastal spatial data to solve a coastal resource management issue. The
proposals are for a 2-year cooperative agreement under which the Center
will acquire commercial remote sensing imagery and/or products, and the
cooperator and the Center will apply acquired data to the identified
issue. The cooperator must show how their management issue will benefit
substantially by the inclusion of remotely sensed data. The remote
sensing data or products must clearly help managers make resource
management, regulatory, or land-use planning decisions. The Center will
acquire the remotely sensed data or derived products during the first
year of the agreement. The Center is primarily interested in
applications of land cover products, topography, and other emerging
technologies (e.g. LIDAR, IfSAR, or airborne digital imagery). Both
terrestrial and aquatic issues are of interest. The Center shall
acquire the remote sensing resources during the first year and the
cooperator is expected to make use of the acquired resources during the
second year.
Anticipated funding is $10,000 per award over the two year period
for support of the cooperative agreement. All funding is subject to the
availability of FY 2003 and 2004 appropriations. Between one and five
awards are anticipated from this announcement. It is anticipated that
approximately $1,500,000 will be spent by the Center on the commercial
acquisition of remote sensing data/products during FY03.
This announcement is a call for proposals for work under the
Center's Coastal Remote Sensing Program. The program's goal is to help
federal, state, and local resource managers use remote sensing to
support their decision-making processes. This cooperative agreement
will work toward this goal by providing access to remote sensing
resources that are otherwise beyond the budget of coastal resource
managers.
Background
The Center conducts a variety of projects that directly apply to
the state and local coastal resource management community. The goal of
the Coastal Remote Sensing (CRS) program is to link coastal resource
managers with meaningful data, information and products derived from
remote sensing technology. Through partnerships with public and private
organizations, CRS strives to deliver high-quality products useful for
coastal resource management decision-making.
In FY 2003, the Center expects to award grants and cooperative
agreements to organizations across the United States with proven
abilities to implement practical solutions at a state and local level.
Proposed topics must relate to coastal decision support using remotely
sensed information. All project proposals received that meet the topic
criteria will be reviewed for technical merit and management relevance.
Roles and Responsibilities
By working in a cooperative partnership, the unique skills,
capabilities, and experiences of the Center and the cooperator will be
combined to offer an opportunity for each organization to further its
goals. In their proposals, potential cooperators shall explicitly
propose the respective roles and responsibilities of the Center and the
cooperator. Part of the Center's role will be to acquire the remote
sensing resources. General areas of responsibilities that the Center
can offer include: remote sensing technical expertise; spatial
modeling; data visualization; data fusion; and compilation of final
products. Any questions about appropriate roles for the Center can be
directed to Kirk.Waters@noaa.gov.
Potential general areas of responsibility anticipated for
cooperators include: identifying the management issues benefitting from
remote sensing resources; identifying the information needed to address
the issues; developing partnerships with other members of the coastal
management community; developing and collecting the information (text,
tables, graphics, charts, and maps) and tools needed to address the
management issues; developing metadata; and determining how the
products should be organized to maximize usefulness within the coastal
management community.
Project Proposals
The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the
attention of Kirk Waters, Room 103 at the NOAA Coastal Services Center,
2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In addition to the
proposal(s), the applicant must submit a complete NOAA grant
application package (with signed originals). No e-mail or fax copies
will be accepted. All project proposals must total no more than 10
pages (double spaced, 12-point font, exclusive of appendices).
Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the
main body of the proposal; e.g., support letters, resumes, lists of
data sources, maps. All appendix material must be unbound. All project
proposals must include sections on the seven following topics:
1. Goals and Objectives. Describe specifically how remote sensing
data will be used in your decision making process for the management
issue.
2. Background/Introduction. Provide background on this problem and
some perspective on existing understanding of this issue.
3. Audience. Describe how the results of this project can be
implemented at the state coastal resource management level.
4. Project Description/Methodology. Describe the specifics of the
project (4-5 page maximum). This must include information regarding the
remote sensing data needs (e.g. spatial, temporal, and/or spectral
resolution, accuracy required, etc.).
5. Project Partners. Identify project partners and their respective
roles.
6. Milestones and Outcomes. List target milestones, time lines, and
desired outcomes in terms of products and/or services.
7. Project Budget. Proposal should provide a detailed budget
breakdown that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grant
package and a brief narrative that justifies each item. This budget
should not include the estimated
[[Page 39693]]
cost of the remote sensing resources. It is recommended that the
proposers do estimate the cost of the remote sensing resources to
ensure their proposal is within the scope of this announcement.
Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process
Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the
following program policy factors in making the final selection
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Management Relevance (35 points)
How well does the proposed project (directly or
indirectly) address a critical national, regional, state, tribal or
local management need that would clearly benefit from remote sensing
data?
How effectively does the project involve state coastal
management agency, National Estuarine Research Reserve, or National
Marine Sanctuary?
How clearly does the proposed project define the
management audience and do the products have clearly defined users?
2. Technical Merit (30 points)
How technically sound is the approach?
How clear and concise are the project goals and
objectives?
How integral are the remote sensing resources in
addressing the management issue?
How well defined and appropriate are the remote sensing
data requirements to the management issue?
3. Applicability and Effectiveness of Products and Their Delivery (20
points)
How useful and accessible will the proposed project's
products or services be for the target audience and users?
Is an evaluation process built into the project? How
appropriate is it?
4. Efficiency and Overall Qualifications (10 points)
How is the budget commensurate with the project needs?
How capable are the proposers of conducting a project of
the scope and scale proposed? (i.e., Are there adequate qualified
professional, facility, and administrative capabilities?)
5. Remote Sensing Cost Estimation(5 points)
How reasonable is the cost estimate of the remote sensing
resources required?
If applicable, are multiple remote sensing methodologies
considered?
Selection Schedule
Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process
for cooperative agreements: Proposal Deadline (with completed grant
package) October 4, 2002. Earliest Appropriate Grant Start Date--March
3, 2003.
Note: All deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m.
Eastern time) on the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant
package (with original signatures) will be time stamped.
Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed by the Program Manager
and not returned to the applicant.
Funding Availability
Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA
funds for FY 2003 are appropriated. Anticipated funding is $10,000 per
award over a two-year period for support of cooperative agreements.
Between one and five awards are anticipated from this announcement.
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or any parts
of the available funds.
Cost Sharing
There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this
program announcement, however, proposals that include cost sharing
approaches will likely score highly under evaluation criteria that
examines cost efficiency, especially proposals for cost sharing in the
acquisition of the remote sensing resources.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other
non-profits, commercial organizations, state, local and Indian tribal
governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible to
receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project
partners. Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project
partners must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive
funds from outside sources 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.
Authority
Statutory Authority for these programs is provided under 16 U.S.C.
1456C (Technical Assistance).
Information Resources (IR)--Coastal Data and Information
Project Description
The Center seeks grant proposals for projects to make coastal data,
products, and information available on-line using standard
documentation formats and search technologies. Proposals may also
include projects concerning the rescue of unique coastal data sets and
the conversion to electronic media of coastal data, products, and
information. The intent of this program is to increase the numbers of
and improve the availability of coastal data and information needed by
coastal resource managers and their staffs to accomplish their duties.
Maximum anticipated funding is $200,000 for a one year grant period
and is subject to the availability of FY 2003 appropriations. It is
intended that this funding will be distributed between multiple
projects that take the form of a grant.
Background
The mission of the Center is to support the environmental, social,
and economic well being of the coast by linking people, information,
and technology. The Information Resources program of the Center helps
coastal resource managers and their staff find the data and information
necessary to perform their tasks. To accomplish this, the Information
Resources program improves access to and increases the availability of
coastal data, products, and information. The Center actively supports
the use of standards to document and share data, products, and
information. In particular, the Center supports the use of the
standards accepted by the FGDC and the Library of Congress. By using
these standards, virtual networks of coastal data, products, and
information can be built that provide crucial input for making coastal
management decisions.
Project Proposals
The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
proposal(s) by 5 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 4, 2002 to the
attention of Anne Ball, Room 211 at the NOAA Coastal Services Center,
2234 South Hobson
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Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. In addition to the proposal(s), the
applicant must submit a complete NOAA grants application package (with
signed originals). No e-mail or fax copies will be accepted. All
project proposals must total no more than 10 pages (double spaced, 12-
point font, and exclusive of appendices). Appendices should be limited
to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal; e.g.
support letters, resumes, lists of data sources, and maps. All appendix
material must be unbound. All project proposals must include the
sections on the four following topics:
1. Technical Issues
Project Description. Address how the project will be
implemented. It should include an overview of the data, product, or
information resource that will be made available on-line and any plans
for data rescue or conversion of resources to electronic media. If
applicable, it should include plans for the development of a customized
interface to FGDC Clearinghouse nodes (servers) and/or library card
catalog servers.
Data and Information Description. Describe the data and/or
information that will be made available via the server.
Server Description. Describe how the resource description
(FGDC metadata or USMARC library card catalog entry) and, if
applicable, the resource itself will be made available on-line. Include
plans for implementing an FGDC Clearinghouse node (server), catalog
server, or arrangements for posting the resource description through an
existing server.
Relation to Other Data Projects. If applicable, describe
how this project relates to other ongoing programs.
2. Relevance and Scope
Appropriateness to U.S. Coastal Resource Managers.
Describe how the data and/or information might be used by coastal
resource managers and/or their staffs. Describe the scope of the
project and who it benefits.
Description of Metadata or Catalog Records Anticipated.
Include the number of records anticipated and the level of detail
included in the metadata or catalog records.
3. Future Plans
Post-proposal Plans. Describe plans for maintenance of the
data or information resource. For data rescue projects, please include
plans for archiving the data.
4. Milestones and Budget
Milestones. Provide a schedule for the project with
milestones.
Project Budget. Provide a detailed budget breakdown that
follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grant package and a
brief narrative that justifies each item.
All proposals regarding data and data products must include plans
for documenting the data and/or data products using the Federal
Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata standard and posting this
metadata on a node (server) that is registered at the FGDC
Clearinghouse. Further information on the FGDC metadata standard and
Clearinghouse architecture can be found on the FGDC Web site at
www.fgdc.gov. Proposals may include the development of a customized
interface to the FGDC Clearinghouse node (server) for improved access
to the data or data product resource.
Proposals that include coastal products and information must
include plans for making library card catalog entries searchable
through a standard on-line public access catalog, preferably using the
Z39.50 protocol. Any new cataloging of information materials
(publications, CD-ROMS, videos, etc) must follow the USMARC standard.
Consideration will be given to making pre-existing catalog entries that
are not in USMARC available on-line. More information on USMARC and
Z39.50 may be found on the Library of Congress Web site at www.loc.gov.
Proposals may include the development of a customized interface to a
Z39.50 catalog server to provide customized search capabilities to the
information resource.
Proposals that cover data rescue or the conversion to electronic
media of coastal data, products, or information must also include plans
for documenting the data, products, and/or information using the
appropriate standard mentioned above. In addition, proposals for
rescuing data must include plans for archiving the data at an
appropriate national data center.
Evaluation Criteria (With Weights) and Selection Process
Review panels, composed of two NOAA and at least two non-NOAA
reviewers, will be established to assist in the evaluation of the
proposals. Each member of the review panel will review independently
each proposal using the evaluation criteria. The reviewers will not
provide consensus advice. All proposals received will be ranked
according to score and forwarded to the selecting official. The
selecting official (Center Director) will use those scores when he/she
makes the final decision. The selecting official may also consider the
following program policy factors in making the final selection
decision: geographic and institutional balance. As a result, awards may
not necessarily be made to the highest ranked applications. Final
budget is negotiated after selection is made. Evaluation criteria are:
1. Technical Merit (40 points)
The proposal will be judged on the technical merit on the
plans for development of metadata or new catalog records, how the FGDC
Clearinghouse or catalog server will be implemented, and, if
applicable, plans for development of additional search interfaces, data
rescue, and conversion to electronic media. Proposals which do not
directly address how metadata/catalog records will be produced, or how
the Clearinghouse/Catalog server will be implemented will be rejected
and destroyed by CSC's Program Manager and not returned to the
recipient.
2. Relevance and Scope (35 points)
The proposal will be judged on the importance of the
resource to coastal management issues. Priority will be given to those
proposals that provide detailed (I level catalog or full FGDC metadata
record) versus less detailed (K level catalog or ``metalite'' record).
3. Future plans (15 points)
The proposal will be judged on the plans for future
maintenance of the descriptive records (metadata or catalog records)
and Clearinghouse or catalog server.
4. Milestones and Budget (10 points)
The proposal will be judged on the amount requested versus the
technical merit and relevance.
Selection Schedule
Proposals will be reviewed once during the year. The following
schedule lists the dates for the project selection and award process
for grants: Proposal deadline with completed grant package--October 4,
2002. Earliest approximate grant start date--March 3, 2003. Note: All
deadlines are for receipt by close of business (5 p.m. Eastern time) on
the dates identified. Receipt of proposal and grant package with
original signatures will be time stamped. Unsuccessful applications
will be destroyed by the Program Manager and not returned to the
applicant.
Funding Availability
Specific funding available for awards will be finalized after NOAA
funds for
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FY 2003 are appropriated. Total funding available for this grant with
the Information Resources program is anticipated to be no more than
$200,000 and funding will be distributed over multiple projects.
Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to fund any
specific grant or cooperative agreement or to award all or any part of
the available funds.
Cost Sharing
There is no requirement for cost sharing in response to this
program announcement and no additional weight will be given to
proposals with cost sharing.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education,
hospitals, other non-profits, commercial organizations, foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian
tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible
to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be
project partners.
Note: Federal agencies or institutions who are project partners
must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds
from outside sources 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.
Authority
Statutory authority for these programs is 16 U.S.C. 1456C
(Technical Assistance).
General Information for All Programs
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register
notice of October 01, 2001 (66 FR 49917), are applicable to this
solicitation. However, please note that the Department of Commerce will
not implement the requirements of Executive Order 13202 (66 FR 49921),
pursuant to guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget in
light of a court opinion which found that the Executive Order was not
legally authorized. See Building and Construction Trades Department v.
Allbaugh, 172 F. Supp 2d 138 (D.D.C. 2001). This decision is currently
on appeal. When the case has been finally resolved, the Department will
provide further information on implementation of Executive Order 13202.
Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order
13132.
The recipients must comply with Executive Order 12906 regarding any
and all geospatial data collected or produced under grants or
cooperative agreements. This includes documenting all geospatial data
in accordance with the Federal Geographic Data Committee Content
Standard for digital geospatial data.
Classification
This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes
of Executive Order 12866.
Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required
by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) or any other law for this
notice concerning grants, cooperative agreements, benefits, and
contracts, 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2). Therefore, a regulatory flexibility
analysis is not required for purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility Act
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et. seq. and has not been prepared.
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 Paperwork
Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The use of the standard grants application package
referred to in this notice involves collection-of-information
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The use of
Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 have been approved
by OMB under the respective Control Numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-
0040, 0348-0046, and 0605-0001.
Dated: May 31, 2002.
Alan Neuschatz,
Associate Assistant Administrator for Management, Ocean Services and
Coastal Zone Management.
[FR Doc. 02-14256 Filed 6-7-02; 8:45 am]