Financial Assistance for Information on the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No.940560-4160; I.D. 042194C]

RIN: 0648-ZA07

Financial Assistance for Information on the Antarctic Marine

Ecosystem

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of financial assistance.

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SUMMARY: Subject to the availability of funds, NMFS issues this notice

describing funding for directed scientific research conducted under the

Antarctic Living Marine Resources program and the conditions under

which applications will be accepted and how NMFS will determine which

applications will be funded.

DATES: Applications for funding under this program will be accepted

between July 8, 1994, and 4:30 p.m. Pacific standard time on August 5,

1994. Applications received after that time will not be considered for

funding. No facsimile applications will be accepted. Awards are

expected to be made by November 1, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send applications to: Dr. Roger P. Hewitt, Krill Studies and

Field Operations Director, Antarctic Ecosystem Research Group,

Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service,

8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037.

Requests for application packages should be sent to: Jean West,

Chief, Grants Operation Branch, NOAA SSMC2, OA321, 1325 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, telephone 301-713-0926.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Roger P. Hewitt, 619-546-5602.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Authority

The Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention Act of 1984 (Act)

(Title III of Pub.L. 98-623, 16 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.) provides the

legislative authority necessary to implement, with respect to the

United States, the Antarctic Living Marine Resources (AMLR) program.

One of the principal tenets of the Act is that the harvest of Antarctic

marine living resources shall be managed with the goal of preserving

species diversity and stability of the entire Antarctic marine

ecosystem. The AMLR program was created to provide information needed

to advise the U.S. delegation to the Commission for the Conservation of

Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), part of the Antarctic

treaty system.

II. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance under program number 11.446 Antarctic Marine Living

Resources.

III. Program Description

The Act provides for Federal agency cooperation in carrying out the

policies and objectives of the Convention or to implement any decision

of CCAMLR. It further provides that the Secretary of Commerce, in

conjunction with the Director of the National Science Foundation, the

Secretary of State, and the heads of other appropriate Federal

agencies, shall design and conduct a program of directed scientific

research pursuant to a plan entered in accordance with the Act. The

plan is to describe priority directed research and identify needs to be

fulfilled by the United States. The research to be funded is pursuant

to 16 U.S.C. 2441 in support of the U.S. AMLR program, which provides

information needed to formulate U.S. policy on the conservation and

international management of resources living in the oceans surrounding

Antarctica.

The AMLR program monitors finfish and krill fisheries, projects

sustainable yields where possible, and formulates management advice and

options. In addition, the program conducts field research designed to

describe the functional relationships between krill, their predators,

and key environmental variables.

The field work to be funded will be accomplished during a research

cruise conducted in the vicinity of Elephant Island, Antarctica, during

the months of January, February, and March, 1995. A large-area survey

grid of approximately 90 stations and covering the area around

Elephant, Clarence, and the eastern end of King George Islands will be

occupied twice. In addition, station transects across hydrographic

features, directed net sampling, fine-scale acoustic surveys, and other

specialized studies will be conducted. Additional research details will

be provided to principal investigators prior to the cruise.

Sampling gear and supplies may be loaded aboard the NOAA Ship

Surveyor in Seattle in mid-November, 1994, and during a port call in

San Diego in late November, 1994. The scientific party will fly to

Punta Arenas, Chile, to meet the ship in late December, 1994. Proposals

should include cost of travel to and from Punta Arenas, Chile. Airline

tickets bought with cooperative agreement funds must be fully

refundable and reservations alterable due to last minute changes in

ship scheduling. There will be two mid-cruise port calls in Punta

Arenas, and a final Punta Arenas port call in late March, 1995, prior

to the ship's departure to return to Seattle.

Depending on funding availability, a post-cruise data workshop for

principal investigators may be held in San Diego at the end of May,

1995. The Government will provide travel reimbursement for this meeting

if it should occur; the cost of travel for this meeting should not be

included in proposals.

A report of accomplishments and tentative conclusions will be due

from each principal investigator by April 1, 1995. Copies of all data

sets on magnetic media will be due to the Southwest Fisheries Science

Center no later than June 1, 1995. At least one article summarizing the

field work will be prepared by each principal investigator for the

annual review issue of the U.S. Antarctic Journal and will be due to

the Southwest Fisheries Science Center by June 15, 1995. In addition,

it is expected that results will be published in peer-reviewed

journals. Proposals should include provisions for the preparation of

collaborative manuscripts, publishing costs, and presentation of

significant results at scientific meetings.

It is highly desirable that the principal investigators participate

in the field work. Minimum requirements for each of the three research

components are listed in this notice (see Funding Priorities).

Applicants are encouraged to propose research elements to be conducted

in addition to the minimum requirements; however, funding will not be

increased for these additional elements.

IV. Funding Availability

Under this solicitation, NMFS estimates that up to $185,000 will be

available to fund three cooperative agreements for research on the

Antarctic marine ecosystem for 1 year: (1) Physical oceanography, for

$65,000; (2) phytoplankton and primary productivity, $65,000; and (3)

krill (Euphausia superba) demographics, $55,000. Publication of this

notice does not obligate NMFS to award any specific cooperative

agreement or to obligate all or any part of the available funds.

V. Matching Requirements

Applications must reflect the total budget necessary to accomplish

the project, including contributions and/or donations by the applicant

or third parties. Cost sharing is not required for the AMLR program.

However, cost sharing is encouraged and may be considered in the final

selection of proposals.

The appropriateness of cost sharing will be determined on the basis

of guidance provided in applicable Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) Circulars and Federal cost principles. If an applicant chooses to

cost-share, and if that application is selected for funding, the

applicant will be bound by the percentage of the cost share reflected

in the cooperative agreement award.

The non-Federal share may include the applicant's cash and/or in-

kind contributions or amounts received from private sources or from

state or local governments including the value of in-kind

contributions. Federal funds may not be used to meet the non-Federal

share of matching funds, except as provided by Federal statute. In-kind

contributions may be in the form of, but are not limited to, personal

services rendered in carrying out functions related to the project, and

use of real or personal property owned by others (for which

consideration is not required) in carrying out the project.

VI. Type of Funding Instrument

Cooperative agreements will be used to fund this program since NMFS

is substantially involved in developing program research and priorities

and will work closely with the recipient to carry out the contemplated

activity throughout the project period. Three cooperative agreements

will be awarded to conduct research on the Antarctic marine ecosystem

in a 15,000 square mile (38,850 km2) area around Elephant Island,

South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

VII. Eligibility Criteria

A. Applications for cooperative agreements under the AMLR research

program may be made, in accordance with the procedures set forth in

this notice, by any individual, state agency, university or college,

institution, or laboratory, or any public or private nonprofit

institution or organization qualified to perform the research described

in this notice.

B. NOAA employees, including full-time, part-time, and intermittent

personnel (or their immediate families), and NOAA offices or centers

are not eligible to submit an application under this solicitation, or

aid in the preparation of an application.

VIII. Award Period

Awards under this program are normally for 1 year. Project dates

should be scheduled to begin November 1, 1994, and end October 31,

1995.

IX. Indirect Costs

The total dollar amount of the indirect costs proposed in an

application under this program must not exceed the indirect cost rate

negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior to the

proposed effective date of the award or 100 percent of the total

proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, whichever is

less. A copy of the current, approved or negotiated indirect cost rate/

agreement with the Federal Government should be included with the

application, if available. Otherwise, the applicant will be required to

submit documentation to its cognizant agency to establish an indirect

cost rate within 90 days of the award date or be precluded from drawing

down further indirect costs until the documentation is provided.

X. Application Forms

Applications for project funding must be complete. Applicants are

advised that failure to include all required information outlined in

this notice, or to complete required forms, may have a detrimental

effect on the evaluation of the application.

Applicants are encouraged to obtain application packages and forms

from the NOAA Grants Management Division (see ADDRESSES).

A. An original and two signed copies of all of the following items

are required from the applicant:

1. SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance;''

2. SF-424A, ``Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs;''

3. SF-424B, ``Assurances-Non-Construction Program;''

4. Budget with necessary supporting detail, i.e., budget narrative/

breakdown;

5. Copy of current approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate

Agreement, if available;

6. Financial Audit Information, signed and dated, including date of

organization's last financial audit and period covered by audit; any

negative findings indicated and if so, how they were resolved; date of

next scheduled audit and period to be covered by scheduled audit (copy

of financial statement should not be included);

7. CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and

Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying;''

8. CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and

Eligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions

and Lobbying;''

9. SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities'' (if applicable);

and SF-LLL-A Continuation Sheet (if applicable);

10. Statement of Work (narrative description of proposed activity,

objectives, and milestones''; and

11. Proof of status for First Time Eligible Non-Profit Applicants

(any of the following is acceptable evidence of status):

a. A reference to the applicant organization in the IRS' most

recent list of tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c) of the IRS

code;

b. A copy of a currently valid IRS tax-exemption certificate;

c. A statement from a State taxing body or State Attorney General

certifying that the applicant organization has nonprofit status and

that none of the net earnings accrue to any private shareholders;

d. A certified copy of the organization's certificate of

incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes nonprofit

status; or,

e. Any of the above proof regarding a parent organization if one

exists, and a statement signed by the parent organization that the

applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.

Applicants should not assume prior knowledge on the part of NMFS as

to the relative merits of the project described by the application.

Applications are not to be bound in any manner and should be one-sided.

All proposals will be considered by NMFS. All incomplete proposals will

be returned to the applicant. Applicants must submit one signed

original and two copies of the complete application.

B. Project Description. Each project must be completely and

accurately described. Each project description may be up to 15 pages in

length. NMFS will make all portions of the project description

available to the public for review and comment; therefore, NMFS cannot

guarantee the confidentiality of any information submitted as part of

any project, nor will NMFS accept for consideration any project

requesting confidentiality of any part of the project.

Each project must be described as follows:

1. Identification of Research Discipline. State which of the three

research components (see Funding Priorities XI) is being applied for.

If the application is not in response to a funding priority, it should

be so stated.

2. Project Goals and Objectives. State what the proposed project

will accomplish and describe how this will contribute to the

description of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Describe the time frame

in which tasks would be conducted.

3. Need for Government Financial Assistance. Demonstrate the need

for assistance. Any appropriate database to substantiate or reinforce

the need for the project should be included. Explain why other funding

sources cannot fund all the proposed work. List all other sources of

funding that are or have been sought for the project.

4. Benefits or Results Expected. Identify and document the results

or benefits to be derived from the proposed activities.

5. Participation by Persons or Groups Other Than the Applicant.

Describe the level of participation required in the project by NOAA or

other government and non-government entities. Specific NOAA employees

should not be named in the proposal.

6. Federal, State, and Local Government Activities. List any

programs (Federal, state, or local government or activities) this

project would affect and describe the relationship between the project

and those plans or activities.

7. Project Statement of Work. The Statement of Work is the

scientific or technical action plan of activities that are to be

accomplished during each budget period of the project. This description

must include the specific methodologies, by project job activity,

proposed for accomplishing the proposal's objective. If the work

described in this section does not contain sufficient detail to allow

for proper technical evaluation, NMFS will not consider the application

for funding and will return it to the applicant. Identify specific

milestones that can be used to track project progress. The following

activities must be included as milestones: Submission of a report of

accomplishments and tentative conclusions by April 1, 1995; submission

of data sets on magnetic media by June 1, 1995; and submission of

article summarizing field work for annual review issue of the U.S.

Antarctic Journal by June 15, 1995. Each Statement of Work must include

the following information:

a. The applicant's name.

b. The inclusive dates of the budget period covered under the

Statement of Work.

c. The title of the proposal.

d. The scientific or technical objectives and procedures that are

to be accomplished during the budget period. Devise a detailed set of

objectives and procedures to answer who, what, how, when and where. The

procedures must be of sufficient detail to enable competent workers to

be able to follow them and to complete scheduled activities.

e. Location of the work.

f. A list of all project personnel and their responsibilities.

g. A milestone table that summarizes the procedures that are to be

attained in each month covered by the Statement of Work.

8. Project Management. Describe how the project will be organized

and managed. Include resumes of principal investigators. List all

persons directly employed by the applicant who will be involved in the

project, their qualifications, and their level of involvement in the

project.

9. Monitoring of Project Performance. Identify who will participate

in monitoring the project.

10. Project Impacts. Describe the impact of the project in terms of

anticipated improved management, social value enhancement, or any other

values that will be improved by this project. Describe how these

products or services will be made available to the fisheries and

management communities.

11. Evaluation of Project. The applicant is required to provide an

evaluation of project accomplishments at the end of each budget period

and in the final report. The application must describe the methodology

to be followed to determine technical feasibility.

12. Total Project Costs. Total project costs is the amount of funds

required to accomplish the proposed statement of work (SOW), and

includes contributions and donations. All costs must be shown in a

detailed budget. Cost sharing must not come from another Federal

source. Costs must be allocated to the Federal share and non-Federal

share provided by the applicant or other sources. Non-Federal costs are

to be divided into cash and in-kind contributions. A standard budget

form (SF-424A) is included in the applications package (see ADDRESSES).

NMFS will not consider fees or profits as allowable costs for grantees.

To support its budget, the applicant must describe briefly the basis

for estimating the value of the non-Federal funds derived from in-kind

contributions. Additional cost detail may be required prior to a final

analysis of overall cost allowability, allocability or reasonableness.

The date, period covered, and findings for the most recent financial

audit performed, as well as the name of the audit firm, the contact

person, and phone number and address, must also be provided. Costs for

the following categories must be detailed in the budget as follows:

a. Personnel. Names and titles must be included for all project

personnel. Abbreviated curricula vitae are to be submitted with each

proposal as part of the supporting documentation (see below).

Publication lists must be limited to all those documents prepared

within the last 3 years. Up to five other relevant documents which fall

outside this time frame will be accepted.

b. Salaries. Identify salaries by position and percentage of time

and annual/hourly salary of each individual dedicated to the project.

c. Fringe Benefits. Indicate benefits associated with personnel

working on the project. This entry should be the proportionate cost of

fringe benefits paid for the amount of time spent on the project. For

example, if an employee spends 20 percent of his/her time on the

project, 20 percent of his/her fringe benefits should be charged to

this project.

d. Consultants and Contract Services. Identify all consultant and/

or contractual service costs by specific task in relation to the

project. If a commitment has been made prior to application to contract

with a particular organization, explain how the organization was

selected. Describe the type of contract, budget, deliveries expected,

and time frame. A detailed budget must be submitted (with supporting

documentation) for the total amount of funding requested for a

subcontractor/consultant. All contracts must meet the standards

established in OMB circulars.

e. Travel and Transportation. Identify the number of trips to be

taken, purpose, and number of people to travel. Itemize estimated

costs, including the approximate cost of transportation (airfare at

coach rates), per diem rates, and any additional fees associated with

the trip.

f. Equipment, Space or Rental Costs. Identify equipment purchases

or rental costs with the intended use. Equipment purchases greater than

$500 are discouraged, since experienced investigators are expected to

have sufficient capital equipment on hand. Use of lease to purchase

(LTOP) or similar leases are prohibited. Identify space or rental costs

with specific uses.

g. Other Costs.

(1) Supplies. Identify specific supplies necessary for the

accomplishment of the project. Only consumable office supplies

purchased and used on this project may be treated as a direct cost to

the project.

(2) Postage and Shipping. Include postage for correspondence and

other project related material, as well as air freight, truck or rail

shipping of bulk materials.

(3) Printing Costs. Include costs associated with producing

materials in connection with the project.

(4) Long Distance Telephone and Telegraph. Identify estimated

monthly bills.

(5) Utilities. These costs should be included under indirect costs

unless identified as direct costs to the project. Identify costs of

utilities and percentage of use in conjunction with performance of

project.

(6) Additional Costs. Indicate any additional costs associated with

the project that are allowable under OMB circulars A-21, A-87, or A-

122, as applicable.

13. Geographic location. Field, laboratory, and office locations

must be identified for all project activities.

C. Supporting Documentation. This section should include any

required documents and any additional information necessary or useful

to the description of the project (e.g., curricula vitae, results from

prior funding). The amount of information given in this section will

depend on the type of project proposed, but should be no more than 20

pages. The applicant should present any information that would

emphasize the value of the project in terms of the significance of the

discipline addressed. Without such information, the merits of the

project may not be fully understood, or the value of the project may be

underestimated. The absence of adequate supporting documentation may

cause reviewers to question the assertions made in describing the

project and may result in a lower ranking of the project. Information

presented in this section should be clearly referenced in the project

description.

XI. Project Funding Priorities

A. Physical Oceanography

The objectives for this component are to: (1) Describe the

hydrography of the upper ocean waters in the vicinity of Elephant

Island throughout the 1995 austral summer; (2) describe the physical

setting in relation to the observed vertical and horizontal

distribution of phytoplankton and zooplankton; and (3) provide a

continuous record of sea surface and atmospheric conditions annotated

by date, time, and ship's position.

Minimum observations should include: (1) Salinity, temperature, and

oxygen profiles at each station; and (2) continuous measurements of

solar irradiance, air temperature, wind speed and direction, relative

humidity, barometric pressure, sea surface temperature, and sea surface

salinity.

The Government will supply a Seabird thermosalinograph, a General

Oceanics rosette with 10-liter Niskin bottles equipped with teflon

springs, a Guideline salinometer, and a Seabird SBE-9 CTD (to be used

as a backup unit). All other equipment, supplies, and necessary

personnel must be provided by the recipient.

B. Phytoplankton and Primary Productivity

The objectives for this component are to: (1) Determine available

food sources for zooplankton, including particulate organic carbon,

phytoplankton organic carbon, cell size distribution, and dominant

species composition; (2) determine rates of primary production and

associated levels of incident radiation and light attenuation; (3)

describe the seasonal change of phytoplankton growth and standing

stock; and (4) estimate the relative importance of grazing, vertical

mixing, nutrient depletion, and settling on the distribution of

phytoplankton biomass.

Minimum observations should include: (1) Vertical profiles of

chlorophyll-a and inorganic nutrient content from discreet bottle

samples and solar irradiance, beam attenuation and fluorescence from

continuous measurements at each station; (2) primary production rates

from shipboard incubations and associated irradiance levels; (3)

continuous measurements between stations of sea surface fluorescence

and beam attenuation; (4) cell size distribution and floristics

composition of the phytoplankton; (5) organic carbon and nitrogen

content of the particulate material; and (6) total microbial biomass.

The Government will supply a General Oceanics rosette with 10-liter

Niskin bottles equipped with teflon springs. All other equipment,

supplies, and necessary personnel must be provided by the recipient.

Laboratory space is very limited; however, fresh water, salt water, and

electrical supplies can be provided to portable laboratory vans and

incubation arrays.

C. Krill Demographics

The objectives of this component are to: (1) Describe the

population structure and biological characteristics of krill collected

throughout the study area and over the duration of the cruise; and (2)

correlate and interpret the krill data with information on

phytoplankton biomass, primary production, circulation pattern, and

water mass boundaries.

Minimum observations should include distributions of animal length,

maturity stages, sex ratios, reproductive condition, moult stages, and

feeding condition. Specimen processing should be done at sea.

The Government will provide personnel and equipment necessary for

sample collection, as well as a small interior lab with fresh water,

salt water, and electrical supplies. All other equipment, supplies, and

necessary personnel must be provided by the recipient.

XII. Evaluation Criteria

Unless otherwise specified by statute, in reviewing applications

for cooperative agreements that include consultants and contracts, NOAA

will make a determination regarding the following:

A. Is the involvement of the consultant or contractor necessary to

the conduct of the project and the accomplishment of its goals and

objectives?

B. Is the proposed allocation of the consultant or contractors time

reasonable and commensurate with the his/her involvement in the

project?

C. Are the proposed costs for the consultant or contractors

involvement in the project reasonable and commensurate with the

benefits to be derived from his/her participation?

In accordance with OMB Circulars and NOAA Administrative Special

Award Conditions, grantees must request prior approval for all proposed

sole-source contracts or where only one bid or proposals is received in

which the aggregate expenditure is expected to exceed $25,000.

Proposals involving a consultant or contractor will be reviewed for

compliance with pertinent procurement standards, and this information

will be used in the proposal selection process.

XIII. Selection Procedures

Consideration for financial assistance will be given to those

applications which meet the requirements of this solicitation and the

following evaluation criteria: (1) Experience and qualifications of

personnel. Organization and management of the project (34 points); (2)

relevance to the objectives outlined in this notice (see Introduction

and Funding Priorities XI) (33 points); and (3) soundness of project

design and technical approach, especially whether the applicant

provided sufficient information to technically evaluate the project,

and, if so, the strengths and weaknesses of the technical design (33

points).

For applications meeting the requirements of this solicitation,

NMFS will conduct a technical evaluation of each proposal. The review

will be conducted by experts from non-NOAA, as well as NOAA,

organizations. All comments submitted to NMFS will be taken into

consideration in the technical evaluation of projects. NMFS will assign

point scores on proposals based on the evaluation criteria stated

above. Applications will be ranked into two groups (a) Recommended, and

(b) Not Recommended. Proposals ranked as Not Recommended will not be

given further consideration for selection and funding.

The ranked applications will be evaluated by a panel of experts

convened by NMFS. The panel will individually consider each proposal,

along with the technical evaluation and the need for funding. The panel

will provide individual recommendations to NMFS on each proposal ranked

as Recommended.

After the proposals have been evaluated by the panel, the Director

of the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, in consultation with

the NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, will ascertain which

projects do not substantially duplicate other projects that are funded

by NOAA or are approved for funding by other Federal offices, recommend

the projects to be funded, and the amounts available for the program.

Awards may not necessarily be made to applicants with the highest-

scored proposals. The exact amount of funds awarded to each project

will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant, the

NOAA Grants Office, and the NMFS program staff.

NMFS will make project descriptions available for review as

follows:

A. Consultation with Management Agencies, Environmental

Organizations, and Academic Institutions. NMFS shall, at its

discretion, request comments from groups, organizations and

institutions who have knowledge in the subject matter of a project or

who would be affected by a project.

B. Consultation with Government Agencies. Applications will be

reviewed in consultation with the Director, NMFS Southwest Fisheries

Science Center, and appropriate laboratory personnel, NOAA Grants

Officer and, as appropriate, Department of Commerce bureaus and other

Federal agencies, for elimination of duplicate funding.

XIV. Other Requirements

A. Federal Policies and Procedures

Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and

Federal and Departmental policies, regulations, and procedures

applicable to Federal financial assistance awards. Women and minority

individuals and groups are encouraged to submit applications under this

program.

B. Past Performance

Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in

an application not being considered for funding. Any first-time

applicant for Federal cooperative agreement funds may be subject to a

pre-award accounting survey prior to execution of the award. In

addition, any recipient and/or researcher who is past due for

submitting acceptable progress reports on any previous project funded

under this program may be ineligible to be considered for new awards

until the delinquent reports are received, reviewed and deemed

acceptable by NMFS.

C. Pre-Award Activities

If applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do

so solely at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the Government.

Notwithstanding any verbal or written assurance that may have been

received, there is no obligation on the part of the Department to cover

pre-award costs.

D. No Obligation for Future Funding

If an application for an award is selected for funding, the

Department has no obligation to provide any additional prospective

funding in connection with that award. Renewal of an award to increase

funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion

of the Department.

E. Delinquent Federal Debts

No award of Federal funds shall be made to an applicant who has any

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 the Department are made.

F. Name Check Review

All non-profit and for-profit applicants are 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 applicants management

honesty or financial integrity.

G. Primary Applicant Certification

All primary applicants must submit a completed Form CD-511,

``Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby provided:

1. Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension

Prospective participants (as defined at 15 CFR 26.105) 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 28.105) 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 than $100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for

more than $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.

H. Lower Tier Certifications

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 the Department. An SF-LLL submitted by any tier

recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to the Department in

accordance with the instructions contained in the award document.

I. False Statements

A false statement on the application is grounds for denial or

termination of funds and grounds for possible punishment by fine or

imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

J. Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this program are not subject to the provisions

of E.O. 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

K. Requirement to Buy American-Made Equipment and Products

Applicants are hereby notified that they are encouraged, to the

extent feasible, to purchase American-made equipment and products with

funding provided under this program, in accordance with Congressional

intent as set forth in the resolution contained in Public Law 103-121,

sections 606 (a) and (b).

Classification

Prior notice and an opportunity for public comments are not

required by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this

notice concerning grants, benefits, and contracts. Therefore, a

regulatory flexibility analysis is not required for purposes of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Cooperative agreements awarded pursuant to pertinent statutes shall

be in accordance with the Fisheries Research Plan (comprehensive

program of fisheries research) in effect on the date of the award.

This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes

of E.O. 12866.

This notice involves information collection requirements subject to

the Paperwork Reduction Act, which have been approved by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control No. 0348-0043.

Dated: July 1, 1994.

C. Karnella,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 94-16479 Filed 7-5-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-P