# National Institute of Standards and Technology > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-11396 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Uncategorized Document - **Published:** May 11, 1994 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology [Docket No: 931111-3311] Continuation of Fire Research Grants Program AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Commerce. ACTION: Notice announcing NIST continuation of fire research grants program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to inform potential applicants that the Fire Research Program, National Institute of Standards and Technology, is continuing its Fire Research Grants Program. Previous notices of this research grant program were published in the Federal Register on November 19, 1984 (49 FR 45636), May 6, 1986 (51 FR 16730), June 5, 1987 (52 FR 21342), June 6, 1988 (53 FR 20675), May 31, 1989 (54 FR 23243), July 23, 1990 (FR 90-17041), February 20, 1991 (46 FR 13250), May 7, 1991 (FR 91-10717), April 22, 1992 (FR 57-14695), and March 17, 1993 (FR 58-14379) (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 11.609 ``Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards.''). DATES: There is no closing date for receipt of applications. Applications will be accepted at any time. ADDRESSES: Applicants must submit an original and two copies of the application. The following standard forms must be used in applying for assistance under this program: Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance (Rev. 4-88); Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (Rev. 4-88); and Standard Form 424B (4-88), Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Rev. 4-88). Building an Fire Research Laboratory, Attention: Sonya Cherry, Building 226, Room B206, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-0001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Technical questions concerning the NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory may be directed to the above address or call Sonya Cherry at (301) 975-6854. Administrative questions concerning the NIST Fires Research Grants Program may be directed to the Grants Office at (301) 975-6329. Written inquiries should be forwarded to the following address: Grants Office, Acquisition and Assistance Division, Building 301/Rm. B129, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As authorized by Section 16 of the Act of March 3, 1901, as amended (15 U.S.C. 278f), the NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory conducts directly and through grants and cooperative agreement, a basic and applied fire research program. Academic institutions, non-Federal agencies, independent and industrial laboratories are considered eligible for this program. This program has been in existence for several years at approximately $1.5 million per fiscal year. No increase in funds has taken place. The Fire Research Program is limited to innovative ideas which are generated by the proposal writer on what research to carry out and how to carry it out. Grants awarded under the Fire Research program will generally provide financial assistance to the recipient without substantial NIST involvement in the projects. Cooperative agreements awarded for Fire Research projects will generally involve a close working relationship between a group of NIST experts and the recipient. No matching funds are required. Proposals will be considered for research projects from one to three years. All grant proposals submitted must be in accordance with the programs and objectives listed below. Program Objectives a. Fire Protection Applications: Researcges, develops and demonstrates the application to building fire problems of fire protection analytical (computerized) tools and methods of assessing the ignition and burning rate of contents of buildings. This includes: developing a performance based fire code and methods of assessing fire risk; developing methods of evaluating and predicting the performance of and interactions between building fire safety design features; developing an understanding of the burning rate of furniture and other building contents; developing a data base that provides the necessary input to users of the analytical tools; and operating the Fire Research Information Services which supports the entire laboratory staff and the fire community and has an on-line bibliographic data base. b. Fire Modeling: Performs research on and develops analytical models for the quantitative prediction of the consequences of fires and the means to assess the accuracy of those models. This includes: Creating advanced, usable models for the calculation of the effluent from building fires; modeling the spread of fire over furniture and building elements such as walls; developing field and zone modeling techniques to predict the movement of fire effluent in buildings and the effectiveness of fire sensors; and developing a protocol for determining the accuracy of both the algorithms used in the fire models as well as the comprehensive models themselves. c. Large Fire Research: Performs research on and develops techniques to measure, predict the behavior of, and mitigate large fire events. This includes: understanding the mechanisms of large fires that control the gas phase combustion, burning rate, thermal and chemical emissions, transport processes; developing techniques for computer simulation; developing field measurement techniques to assess the near and far field impact of large fires and their plumes; performing research on the use of combustion for environmental cleanup; predicting the performance and environmental impact of fire protection measures and fire fighting systems and techniques; developing and operating the Fire Research Program large scale experiment facility. d. Smoke Dynamics Research: Produces scientifically sound principles, metrology, data, and predictive methods for the formation/ evolution of smoke components in flames for use in understanding and predicting general fire phenomena. This includes: Research on the effects of within-flame and post-flame fluid mechanics on the formation and emission of smoke, including particulates, aerosols, and combustion gases; understanding the mechanistic pathway for soot from chemical inception to post-flame agglomerates; developing calculation methods for the prediction of the yields of CO (and eventually other toxicant) as a function of fuel type, availability of air, and fire scale. e. Materials Fire Research: Performs research to understand fundamentally the mechanisms that control the ignition, flame spread, and burning rate of materials and the chemical and physical characteristics that affect these aspects of flammability; develops methods of measuring and predicting the response of a material to a fire. This includes: characterizing the burning rates of charring and non-charring polymers and composites; delineating and modeling the enthalpy and mass transfer mechanisms of materials combustion; and developing computational molecular dynamics and other mechanistic approaches to understand the relationships between polymer structure and flammability. f. Fire Sensing and Extinguishment: Develops understanding, metrology, and predictive methods to enable high-performance fire sensing and extinguishment systems; devises new approaches to minimizing the impact of unwanted fires and the suppression process. This includes: research for the identification and in-situ measurements of the symptoms of pending and nascent fires or explosions, and the consequences of suppression; devising or adapting monitors for these variables and creating the intelligence for timely interpretation of the data; determining mechanisms for deflagration and detonation suppression by advanced agents and principles for their optimal use; modeling the extinguishment process; and developing performance measures for the effectiveness of suppression system design. Proposal Review Process All proposals are assigned to the appropriate group leader of the eight programs listed above for review, including external peer review, and recommendations on funding. Both technical value of the proposal and the relationship of the work proposed to the needs of the specific program are taken into consideration in the group leader's recommendation to the Deputy Director. Applicants should allow up to 60 days processing time. Proposals are evaluated for technical merit by at least three professionals from NIST, the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, or technical experts from other interested government agencies and in the case of new proposals, experts from the fire research community at large. Evaluation Criteria a. Rationality................................................. 0-20 b. Qualification of Technical Personnel........................ 0-20 c. Resources Availability...................................... 0-20 d. Technical Merit of contribution............................. 0-40 Selection Procedures The results of these evaluations are transmitted to the group leader of the appropriate research unit in the Building and Fire Research Laboratory who prepares an analysis of comments and makes a recommendation. The recommendation is forwarded to the Deputy Director of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory who will also consider compatibility with programmatic goals and financial feasibility before making the final decision. Paperwork Reduction Act The SF-424, SF424A and SF424B mentioned in this notice is subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act and has been approved by OMB under Control No. 0348-00343, 0348-0044 and 0348-0040. Additonal Requirements Applicants that incur any costs prior to an award being made do so solely at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the Government. Applicants are also hereby notified that notwithstanding any verbal assurance that they may have received, there is no obligation on the part of DoC to cover pre-award costs. Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in an application not being considered for funding. Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' Applicants are reminded that a false statement on an application is grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible punishment by fire or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001. No award of Federal funds shall be made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt until either: 1. The delinquent account is paid in full, 2. A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one payment is received, or 3. Other arrangements satisfactory to DoC are made; Primary Applicant Certification. All primary applicants must submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certification Regarding Dabarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirement and Lobbying.'' Applicants are also hereby notified on the following: 1. Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension. Prospective participants (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, Section 105) are subject to 15 CFR part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the related section of the certification form prescribed above applies; 2. Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 605) are subject to 15 CFR part 26, Subpart F, ``Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section of the certification form prescribed above applies; 3. Anti-Lobbying. Persons (as defined at 15 CFR part 28, section 105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352, ``Limitation on use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of the certification form prescribed above applies to applications/bids for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts for more the $100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more the $150,000, or the single family maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever is greater; and 4. Anti-Lobbying Disclosure. Any applicant that has paid or will pay for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' as required under 15 CFR part 28, appendix B . Lower Tier Certification. Recipients must require applicants/ bidders for subgrants, contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier covered transactions at any tier under the award to submit, if applicable, a completed Form CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form, SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the use of recipients and should not be transmitted to DOC. SF-LLL submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to DOC in accordance with the instructions contained in the award document. All for-profit and nonprofit applicants will be subject to a name check review process. Name checks are intended to reveal if any key individuals associated with the applicant have been convicted of or are presently facing, criminal charges such as fraud, theft, perjury, or other matters which significantly reflect on the applicant's management honesty or financial integrity. If an application is accepted for funding, DOC has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with that award. Renewal of an award, increased funding, or extending the period of performance is at the total discretion of NIST. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and DOC policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards. Dated: May 5, 1994. Samuel Kramer, Associate Director. [FR Doc. 94-11396 Filed 5-10-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-13-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-11396. Public record. Not legal advice.