[Federal Register: March 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 52)]
[Notices]               
[Page 14222-14225]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17mr08-27]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 080307398-8399-01]
RIN 0648-ZB87

 
NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program

AGENCY: Office of Education (OED), Office of the Under Secretary 
(USEC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) is an 
environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, 
experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide 
meaningful watershed educational experiences for students, related 
professional development for teachers, and helps to support regional 
education and environmental priorities in the Pacific Northwest, the 
northern Gulf of Mexico and New England. These new geographic areas are 
intended to build upon on the successes of the existing B-WET Programs 
in the Chesapeake Bay, California, and Hawaii.

DATES: Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. on April 16, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Electronic application packages are strongly encouraged and 
are available at: http://www.grants.gov/. Paper application packages 
are available on the NOAA Grants Management Web site at: http://
www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/appkit.shtml. If the applicant has difficulty 
accessing Grants.gov or downloading the required forms from the NOAA 
website, they should contact: For the Pacific Northwest contact, 
Seaberry Nachbar, NOAA National Marine Sanctuary, 299 Foam Street, 
Monterey, CA 93940, or by phone at 831-647-4201, or via internet at 
seaberry.nachbar@noaa.gov; For the northern Gulf of Mexico contact,

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Stephanie Bennett Pacific Services Center, 737 Bishop Street, Suite 
1550, Honolulu, HI 96817, or by phone at 808-522-7481, or via Internet 
at: stephanie.bennett@noaa.gov; For New England, Shannon Sprague, NOAA 
Chesapeake Bay Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, Annapolis, MD 
21403, or by phone at 410-267-5664, or via internet at 
shannon.sprague@noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the Pacific Northwest, please 
contact Seaberry Nachbar, NOAA National Marine Sanctuary, 299 Foam 
Street, Monterey, CA 93940, or by phone at 831-647-4201, or via 
internet at seaberry.nachbar@noaa.gov; For the northern Gulf of Mexico, 
Stephanie Bennett Pacific Services Center, 737 Bishop Street, Suite 
1550, Honolulu, HI 96817, or by phone at 808-522-7481, or via internet 
at stephanie.bennett@noaa.gov; For New England, Shannon Sprague, NOAA 
Chesapeake Bay Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, Annapolis, MD 
21403, or by phone at 410-267-5664, or via internet at 
shannon.sprague@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NOAA Bay Watershed Education and 
Training (B-WET) Program is an environmental education program that 
supports experiential learning through local competitive grant awards 
in specific geographic regions. Currently B-WET Programs are 
implemented in the Chesapeake Bay, California, and the Hawaiian 
Islands. In FY08, it is anticipated that funds will be available to 
expand B-WET programs in up to three additional regions. Proposals are 
currently being solicited from the Pacific Northwest region, the 
northern Gulf of Mexico region, and New England region. The regions 
used above and throughout each section are defined as follows: a. 
Pacific Northwest--the states of Oregon and Washington; b. Northern 
Gulf of Mexico--the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, 
and Texas; c. New England--the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, 
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. NOAA recognizes that 
knowledge and commitment built from firsthand experience, especially in 
the context of ones community and culture, is essential for achieving 
environmental stewardship. Carefully selected experiences driven by 
rigorous academic learning standards, engendering discovery and wonder, 
and nurturing a sense of community will further connect students with 
their watershed, help reinforce an ethic of responsible citizenship, 
and promote academic achievement. Experiential learning techniques, 
such as those supported by the NOAA B-WET Program, have been shown to 
increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), 
thus contributing to NOAA's obligations under the America COMPETES Act 
(33 U.S.C. 893a(a)).
    Electronic Access: The full text of the full funding opportunity 
announcement for this program can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web 
site at http://www.grants.gov. The announcement may also be available 
by contacting the program officials identified under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Applicants must comply with all requirements 
contained in the full funding opportunity announcement.

    Statutory Authority: Under 33 U.S.C. 893a(a), the Administrator 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is authorized 
to conduct, develop, support, promote, and coordinate formal and 
informal educational activities at all levels to enhance public 
awareness and understanding of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and 
atmospheric science and stewardship by the general public and other 
coastal stakeholders, including underrepresented groups in ocean and 
atmospheric science and policy careers. In conducting those 
activities, the Administrator shall build upon the educational 
programs and activities of the agency.

CFDA: 11.469, Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects

    Funding Availability: Approximately $2,000,000 is available in 
FY2008 and approximately $2,000,000 is anticipated for FY 2009 for new 
awards. The distribution of available funds among the three regions 
will depend on the number of high-quality proposals received from each 
region. If an insufficient number of high-quality proposals are 
received from a particular region (or regions), funds will be 
distributed among the remaining region(s) from which there are 
sufficient fundable projects. NOAA anticipates making approximately 5 
to 15 new awards during FY 2008 and 5 to 15 new awards during FY 2009. 
NOAA will only consider projects with duration of 1 to 3 years. The 
total Federal amount that may be requested from NOAA shall not exceed 
$100,000 per year and $300,000 for all years of the proposed project. 
The minimum Federal amount that must be requested from NOAA is $50,000. 
Applications requesting Federal support from NOAA of less than $50,000 
total or more than $100,000 per year and $300,000 total for the 
duration of the project will not be considered for funding. There is no 
guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for 
all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded 
will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and 
NOAA representatives. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA 
to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If 
applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so at 
their own risk of not being reimbursed by the government. 
Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been 
received, there is no obligation on the part of NOAA to cover pre-award 
costs unless approved by the Grants Officer as part of the terms when 
the award is made.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are K-through-12 public and 
independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher 
education, community-based and nonprofit organizations, state or local 
government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal 
governments. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to 
broadening the participation of historically black colleges and 
universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and 
universities, and institutions that service undeserved areas. While 
applicants do not need to be from the targeted geographical regions 
specified in the program objectives, they must be working with target 
audiences in these areas.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program, however, the NOAA B-WET Program strongly encourages applicants 
include a 25 percent or higher match. Funds from other Federal awards 
may not be considered matching funds. The nature of the contribution 
(cash vs. in-kind) and the amount of matching funds will be taken into 
consideration during the review process. Priority selection is given to 
proposals that propose cash rather than in-kind.
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: The general evaluation 
criteria and selection factors that apply to full applications to this 
funding opportunity are summarized below. The evaluation criteria for 
full applications will have different weights and details. Further 
information about the evaluation criteria and selection factors can be 
found in the full funding opportunity announcement.
    Evaluation Criteria for Projects: 1. Importance and/or relevance 
and applicability of proposal to the program goals (30 points). This 
criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed 
work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional,

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state, or local activities. For the NOAA B-WET Program, the following 
questions are posed to each reviewer: Does the project make a direct 
connection to the greater marine or estuarine environment? Does the 
proposal make an intentional connection to the watershed system and how 
actions within that system can affect the marine and estuarine 
environment? What is the likelihood that the proposed environmental 
activities would improve the general understanding of the environment? 
Does the experience focus around questions, problems, or issues 
pertaining to specific region? Is the project design project-oriented, 
hands-on, investigative, and part of a sustained activity? Does the 
project include pre- and post-activities? Does the project address 
multiple disciplines?
    2. Technical merit (35 points). This criterion assesses whether the 
approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are 
appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives. 
For the NOAA B-WET Program the following questions are proposed to each 
reviewer: Does the proposal clearly outline how the project is an 
integral part of the instructional program? For Exemplary programs 
only: Does the project combine Teacher Professional Development with 
long-term classroom-integrated Meaningful Watershed Educational 
Experiences for their Students? For student programs only: Is the 
project aligned with academic learning standards in science and other 
disciplines? For teacher professional development programs only: Does 
the teacher receive the needed support to fully participate in the 
program (i.e., continuing education credit, substitute teachers, 
stipends, etc.)? Is this support reasonable and necessary? Does the 
applicant utilize NOAA programs, lesson plans, or a curriculum focused 
on marine and estuarine issues? Does the applicant use NOAA personnel 
to enhance their project? Does the applicant demonstrate how their 
project is aligned and supports the goals and strategies of the NOAA 
Education Plan? Does the applicant show a knowledge and understanding 
of the NOAA Education Plan (http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_
Plan.pdf)? Are the objectives in the proposal clearly defined and 
focused? Does the applicant demonstrate that the objectives are 
realistic and can be reached within the proposed project period? Are 
the project outcomes measurable and have significant and lasting 
benefits for teachers and students? Does the evaluation component of 
the project focus on measuring changes in participants (changes can be 
in knowledge, attitudes, skills or conservation actions)? Do the 
changes measured in participants (outcomes) match the project goals and 
objectives, which include engaging participants in meaningful watershed 
educational experiences?
    3. Overall qualifications of applicants (10 points). This criterion 
ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, 
experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to 
accomplish the project. For the NOAA B-WET Program the following 
questions are posed to each reviewer: Does the applicant show the 
capability and experience in successfully completing similar projects? 
Does the proposal include resumes of the Principal Investigators and 
other staff members? Does the applicant demonstrate knowledge of the 
target audience? Does the applicant demonstrate knowledge of the 
Content Standards for their state? Does the applicant document past 
collaborations with schools or school systems? Does the applicant show 
the capability and experience in successfully completing similar 
projects? Are the partners involved in the project qualified?
    4. Project costs (20 points). This criterion evaluates the budget 
to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs 
and time frame. For the NOAA B-WET Program the following questions are 
posed to each reviewer: Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to 
leverage other resources? Is the nature of the cost share cash or in-
kind? Is the budget request reasonable and does the applicant justify 
the proposed budget request? Is a significant percentage of the budget 
directly related to bringing students and teachers in contact with the 
environment? Are requested funds for salaries and fringe benefits only 
for those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the 
proposed project and/or are directly related to specific products or 
outcomes of the proposed project? Does the applicant demonstrate 
sustainability beyond the project period? Does the applicant 
demonstrate that the project will continue after NOAA funding has 
expired?
    5. Outreach and education (5 points). This criterion assesses 
whether the project provides a focused and effective education and 
outreach strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's 
natural resources. For the NOAA B-WET Program the following questions 
are posed to each reviewer: Does the project involve external sharing 
and communication? Does the target audience share their findings, 
experiences, or results to their peers or their community?
    Review and Selection Process: Upon receipt of a proposal by NOAA, 
an initial administrative review will be conducted to determine 
compliance with requirements and completeness of the proposal. All 
proposals that meet the minimum eligibility requirements will be 
evaluated and scored by a panel of independent reviewers. Three 
separate review panels may be held one for each geographical region 
described in I.B.4 of the Full Funding Opportunity. Reviewers serving 
on each panel may be Federal or non-Federal experts, each having 
expertise in areas relevant to the priority under consideration. The 
reviewers will score each proposal assigned to them using the 
evaluation criteria and relative weights provided above. The individual 
reviewers' ratings will be averaged for each application to establish 
rank order for that priority. No consensus advice will be given by the 
review panels. Scores from separate panels will not be combined to 
establish an overall rank order among all geographical regions. The 
Program Officer will neither vote nor score applications as part of the 
review panels nor participate in discussion of the merits of any 
application. The Program Officer will make his/her recommendations for 
funding based on rank order of each panel and the selection factors 
listed below to the Selecting Official for final funding decisions.
    Selection Factors for Projects: The B-WET Program Managers will 
review the ranking of the proposals and recommendations of the review 
panels. The average numerical ranking from the review panel will be the 
primary consideration in deciding which of the proposals will be 
recommended for funding to the Selecting Official. The Selecting 
Official shall award in rank order unless the proposal is justified to 
be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following 
factors: 1. Availability of funding; 2. Balance/distribution of funds; 
a. Geographically b. By type of institutions c. By type of partners d. 
By research areas e. By project types 3. Whether this project 
duplicates other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA or 
other federal agencies; 4. Program priorities and policy factors as set 
out in section I.B.1-5 and section III.B. of the Full Funding 
Opportunity; 5. Applicants prior award performance; 6. Partnerships 
and/or participation of targeted groups; 7. Adequacy of

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information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA determination and 
draft necessary documentation before recommendation for funding are 
made to the Grants Officer. Selected applicants may be asked to modify 
objectives, project plans or budgets, and provide supplemental 
information required by the agency prior to the award. When a decision 
has been made (whether an award or declination), verbatim anonymous 
copies of reviews and summaries of review panel deliberations, if any, 
will be made available to the applicant. In anticipation of additional 
funding, applications declined funding in FY2008 may be retained for up 
to 1 year for consideration for funding in FY2009.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
    Limitation of Liability: In no event will NOAA or the Department of 
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these 
programs fail to receive funding or are cancelled because of other 
agency priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige 
NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
    National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): NOAA must analyze the 
potential environmental impacts, as required by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals 
which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed 
information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following 
NOAA NEPA Web site: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our NOAA 
Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_
6_TOC.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation 
regulations, http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm. 
Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their 
description of their program activities, applicants are required to 
provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, 
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible 
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist 
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, 
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and 
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef 
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve 
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be 
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if 
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be 
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to 
reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their 
proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an 
application. In some cases if additional information is required after 
an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer 
under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit 
additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable 
NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on 
the environment.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: The Department of Commerce Pre-Award 
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
contained in the Federal Register notice of February 11, 2008 (73 FR 
7696), are applicable to this solicitation.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and SF-LLL and CD-346 has 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, 
and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is 
required to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to 
comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of 
the PRA unless that collection of information displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that 
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as 
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
    Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning 
public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 
553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements 
for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are 
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been 
prepared.

Helen Hurcombe,
Director, Acquisition and Grants Office.
 [FR Doc. E8-5278 Filed 3-14-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-P