Take advantage of potential funding for research and development projects
involving recycling
technologies. The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is managed by the National
Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Commerce. The ATP is a unique
partnership
between U.S. industry and government to enhance the nation's competitiveness -
and economy
by developing new technologies. Through cooperative agreements with individual
companies or
groups of companies, large and small, the ATP invests in industrial projects to
develop
technologies.
For an individual company, the ATP can fund up to $2,000,000 in research on a
given project,
subject to some cost sharing. Proposals must be completed within 3 years. Two or
more
companies may propose a joint research venture under the ATP. Joint venture
programs may
run as long as five years, and the ATP can fund up to half of the research and
development
costs.
The ATP conducts competitions to select research and development projects for
support. Only
project proposals submitted in response to a formal competition are considered.
Competitions
are announced in the Commerce Business Daily or by direct mail. Call a toll free
800 number to
get on the mailing list. ATP information is also available on the World Wide Web
at
http://www.atp.nist.gov. Contact ATP via mail, telephone, fax or electronic mail
to receive a
copy of a ATP applicant kit, that describes the entire selection process and
selection criteria in
more detail.
The mail address for the ATP is:
ATP, NIST
A407 Admin Bldg
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001
E-mail is tp@nist.gov
Hot line number is 1-800-ATP-FUND
Facsimile number is 301-926-9524
Web Site is http://www.atp.nist.gov
ATP programs are selected based on four major criteria: (1) potential for U.S.
economic benefit;
(2) good technical ideas; (3) strong industrial commitment; and (4) the
opportunity for ATP funds
to make a significant difference. ATP selects program areas based on suggestions
from industry.
Industry is encouraged to send to ATP "a white paper" in which their idea is
outlined and explain
how the idea is consistent with the selection criteria noted above. The
guidelines for developing
"white papers" are outlined in the Booklet - ATP, A guide for Program Ideas
dated July, 1998.
This booklet can be obtained via phone, fax, and E-mail.
A total of 79 research and development projects were granted awards for the 1998
round of
funding for the ATP. The projects will receive approximately $236 million from
the ATP, which is
expected to be matched by $24 million from private industry. The majority of the
awards (54)
went to small businesses, including new companies, either for single-company
projects or as the
lead company in an industry joint venture. Eleven universities and more than 150
companies
are involved in the 1998 projects as formal participants, with many more
participating as
subcontractors or consultants. The awards were the result of nine ATP
competitions conducted
in 1998. Detailed lists of the 1998 ATP projects and their participants are
available from the ATP
web site under 1998 funded Projects.
The ATP is an excellent opportunity to have industry put forth program ideas
related to recycling
and recycling associated products/services. It is also an opportunity for a
single company or
ventures of companies to provide proposals during the competitions that could
possibly fund
new technologies.
ATP Announces 1999 Proposal Solicitation
The NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is soliciting fiscal year 1999
proposals under a
single ATP competition and announces public meetings (Proposers' Conferences)
for all
interested parties. The single competition is open to all technology areas and
is structured to
capture the advantage and momentum of focused program planning. ATP encourages
proposals from the many technical teams that have identified synergy between
industry needs
and ATP funding opportunities, accelerating the pursuit of critical elements of
research which
were identified in focused program plans. All fiscal year 1999 proposals
received will be
distributed to technology-specific source evaluation boards in areas such as
advanced
materials, biotechnology, electronics, information technology, etc.
A total estimated $66 million in first year funding for fiscal year 1999 is
expected to become
available from Congressional appropriation for new awards. The actual number of
fiscal year
1999 proposals funded will depend on the quality of the proposals received and
the amount of
funding requested in the highest ranked proposals. Outyear funding beyond the
first year is
contingent on the approval of future Congressional appropriations and
satisfactory project
performance. Only full proposals are being solicited under this single
competition, however,
abbreviated proposals (pre-proposals) may be submitted and are optional.
The due date for submission of full proposals is 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on
Wednesday, April 14,
1999. Should NIST be closed on the specified due date, full proposals will be
due at 3:00 p.m.
Eastern time on the next business day that the NIST facility is open. Proposals
received after
this deadline WILL NOT be considered. Pre-proposals may be submitted year round.
In order to
receive feedback for use prior to the submission of a full proposal,
pre-proposals should be
submitted at least 60 days prior to the due date for full proposals.
Send pre-proposals and full proposals to: NIST, Advanced Technology Program, 100
Bureau
Drive, Stop 4701 (Administration Bldg. 101, Rm. A407), Gaithersburg, MD
20899-4701. For full
proposals, mark envelope "ATP 99-01 Competition Full Proposal." For
pre-proposals, mark
envelope "ATP Pre-Proposal." Pre-proposals or full proposals submitted by
facsimile or
electronic mail WILL NOT be accepted. If a proposer's full proposal is judged to
be of high
enough quality to be invited in for an oral review, ATP reserves the right to
submit a list of
questions to the proposer that must be addressed at the oral review.
The ATP Proposal Preparation Kit dated November 1998 (containing proposal cover
sheets,
other required forms, background material, and instructions for preparing ATP
pre-proposals and
full proposals) may be requested by phone: 1-800-ATP-FUND (1-800-287-3863) fax:
301-926-9524 or 301-590-3053; e-mail: atp@nist.gov; or letter at the address
shown above. The
Kit is also available on the ATP World Wide Web site http://www.atp.nist.gov
under the heading
Publications. The ATP is mailing the new Kit to all those individuals whose
names are currently
on the ATP mailing list. Those individuals need not contact the ATP to request a
copy.
The ATP operates under program procedures published at Part 295, Title 15, of
the Code of
Federal Regulations, as amended. The provisions of the annual Federal Register
notice
announcing the availability of funding for the fiscal year 1999 ATP competition
are incorporated
by reference in this notice.