15th NOAA Science Advisory Board Meeting

1
15th NOAA Science Advisory Board Meeting

• NOAA Program Review Team
• Recommendations for Grants
• Administration

Rimas T. Liogys NOAA Finance and Administration
2
Program Review Team (PRT)

• High priority VADM Lautenbacher to improve the
  business of scientific management at NOAA
• Grants Administration one of the highest
  priorities
• FY03 NOAA Budget Allocations Grant Related
  Actions
• Grants Process Improvements Recurring
  Nondiscretionary Noncompetitive Grant Programs
• Grants Process Improvements Competitive grant
  programs Federal Register Notices (FRNs)
• All PRT action plans for grants administration
  at http//www.accessnoaa.noaa.gov/laut_letter.htm
  l

3
NOAA Grants Profiles
20 Year Grants History by Federal Share
20 Year Grants History by Number of Awards
4
NOAA Grants ProfilesFY 02 by Type

• Non-Discretionary
• Mandated/limited by statute, e.g., IJ,
  Anadromous,CZM
• Earmarks
• Discretionary
• Competitive
• Institutional (e.g. Sea Grant)
• Non-Competitive

Technically discretionary - treated as
non-discretionary
5
NOAA Grants ProfilesFY 02 by Line Office
6
PRT 38

• Commit to spending 50 of new research funds
  within the external community (e.g.,
  universities, private sector) via competitive
  proposals and peer review.

7
Grants Process Improvements Competitive Programs

• Start earlier publish Federal Register Notices
  w/common NOAA ground rules
• Set stretch cycle times or milestones for each
  step of the grants process then track report
  on the progress
• Challenge all involved to look for opportunity to
  eliminate or streamline steps /or be more
  efficient with those that are necessary
• Evaluate measures improve for following cycle

8
Competitive Programs cont

• FY 2004 FRNs ready 9 weeks (45 b.d.) ofPres
  Budget
• Funding Uncertainty Guidance in FRN
• Best Practices/Milestone Schedules provided
• Standard application period 6-9 weeks
  (30-45 b.d.)
• Submittal to GMD 8 12 weeks (40 60 b.d.) from
  date applications recd (merit reviews,
  selections, doc prep)
• GMD processes within 7 weeks (35 b.d.)

9
Competitive Programs cont

• NOAA Research Council tasked to review and
  recommend improvements for the following
• PROPOSAL REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
• EVALUATION CRITERIA
• SELECTION CRITERIA

10
PRT 46

• NOAA Grants Management Advisory Committee to be
  reconstituted and charged with the
  responsibilities to streamline, implement and
  oversee the NOAA grants process and products.
• Responsible and accountable for the
• effective execution of the total NOAA
• end-to-end grants process between the
• Program Offices and the NOAA Grants
• Management Division.

11
Grants Management Advisory Committee (GMAC)

• Customer service
• The efficient effective processing of grants
• Tracking ensuring implementation of NOAA
  Program Review. Two working groups are
  following
• Grants budget oversight
• Examining improving end to end grants process
  between Program Offices GMD
• Providing a forum to communicate assess the
  impact of new legislation, procedures, policy
  changes.

12
PRT 47

• Implement 5 short-term recommendations to
• improve grants process. Determine if they could
• be applied to recurring projects executed via
• contracts
• Do pre-work on recurring grants appl. prior to
  Approp
• Enactment of annual Approp., meet with
  Congressional Approp. staff on clarifications
• Streamline distribution of funds
• Set upper limits/cycle times for program offices
  NOAA Grants Office (to include OGC OIG
  clearance Congressional notification)
• Facilitate Grantee submission complete accurate
  appl. - use automation training

13
PRT 49

• Improve acknowledgment recognition of agency
• grant support
• Clearly written description of each grant
• Standard information be furnished to the NOAA
  Office of Public Affairs as part of the regular
  grants process
• Office of Public Affairs develop press releases
• Each grant requires NOAA attribution.
• At close out or periodically, results of project
  should be publicized, attribution to NOAA as
  sponsoring org.

14
PRT 50

• Ensure that a commitment to education
• and outreach is included in its standard
• criteria in the grants selection process for
• merit reviews, where appropriate (e.g., not
• precluded by law).

15
Grants On Line How NOAA Can Comply with Public
Law 106-107

• Purpose Grants On Line system provide all
  applicants direct online electronic application
  submission (front office system)
• ONR w/NOAA go live early FY2004 (Oct/Dec)
• NOAA - review, process, award, monitor
  applications electronically (back office system)
• NOAA Complete back office system requirements
  late FY2004 go live early FY2005 (Oct/Dec)