REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Department of Commerce Technology Administration National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 4701 Administration Building 101, Rm. A407 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4701 November 29, 1999 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING: The NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is soliciting proposals under a single ATP competition and announces a public meeting (Proposers' Conference) for all interested parties. This single competition will continue ATP's practice of being open to all technology areas, while also capturing the advantage and momentum of focused program planning. All fiscal year 2000 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 $50.7 million in first year funding for fiscal year 2000 is available for new awards. The actual number of 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. Pre-proposals may be submitted year round. However, 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. The due date for submission of full proposals is 3 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, March 8, 2000. Should NIST be closed on the specified due date, full proposals will be due at 3 p.m. Eastern time on the next business day that the NIST facility is open. Proposals received after this deadline WILL NOT be considered. Send pre-proposals and full proposals to: NIST, Advanced Technology Program, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 4701 (Administration Bldg. 101, Rm. A413), Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4701. For full proposals, mark envelope "ATP 2000-01 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 prior to the oral review. The ATP operates under program procedures published at 15 CFR Part 295, as amended. The provisions of the annual Federal Register notice announcing the availability of funding for the fiscal year 2000 ATP competition, are incorporated by reference in this notice. The ATP Proposal Preparation Kit dated November 1999 (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. 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. A public meeting (Proposers' Conference) for potential proposers and other interested parties will be held on Thursday, January 27, 2000, from 9:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Eastern time at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Red Auditorium, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland. This meeting will provide general information regarding the ATP, tips on preparing good proposals, and an opportunity for audience questions. Attendance at this public meeting is not required. No registration fee will be charged. To register for a public meeting or for further information, contact ATP at 1-800-ATP-FUND (1-800-287-3863). WEB: Advanced Technology Program, http://www.atp.nist.gov. E-MAIL: Advanced Technology Program, atp@nist.gov. Posted 11/29/99 (W-SN404090).

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