Amendment 1 2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01.pdf

NIST MANUFACTURING USA NATIONAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Notice of Funding Opportunity – AMENDMENT 1

JULY 6, 2020

July 6, 2020

AMENDED NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

for

NIST Manufacturing USA National Emergency Assistance Program

NIST is issuing this amendment (Amendment 1) to announce the closing date of this NOFO, and to revise the announcement text accordingly.

# NEW

PAGE

SECTION WHAT DOES THE

AMENDMENT

DO?

THE NEW TEXT NOW READS:

1 2 Executive Summary

Changes the Announcement Type.

“Announcement Type: Amendment”

2 2; 7; 8. Executive Summary;

II.2; and

IV.

Adds a closing date.

“This NOFO will close on October 5, 2020.

“The closing date for applications is October 5, 2020.”

“This NOFO will remain open until October 5, 2020.”

Notice of Funding Opportunity – AMENDMENT 1

JULY 6, 2020

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) NIST Manufacturing USA National Emergency Assistance Program

Amendment 1

Executive Summary

• Federal Agency Name: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce (DOC)

• Funding Opportunity Title: NIST Manufacturing USA National Emergency Assistance Program

• Announcement Type: Amendment

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01

• Assistance Listing (CFDA Number): 11.620

• Dates: This NOFO will close on October 5, 2020.

When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all applicants are required to have current registrations in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process in SAM.gov (See section IV.3. of this NOFO) generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than two weeks; and (3) applicants will receive e-mail notifications over a period of up to two business days as the application moves through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or rejection notification whether NIST has received the application. (see Grants.gov for full information on application and notification through grants.gov). Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in SAM.gov is not current at the time of the award.

• Application Submission Address: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov.

• Funding Opportunity Description: NIST invites Manufacturing USA institutes to propose high-impact projects designed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates funding individual projects at a level of approximately $250,000 - $10 million. Projects awarded under this NOFO will have a performance period of 12 - 18 months. See section II.2. in the full announcement text of this NOFO. Awards are subject to the availability of funding.

http://grants.gov/

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• Funding Instrument: Grant or cooperative agreement, as appropriate. See section II. in the full announcement text of this NOFO.

• Eligibility: NIST invites applications from current Manufacturing USA institutes not receiving financial assistance under Section 1741(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 ((Pub. L. 116-92, December 20, 2019), to be codified at 15 U.S.C. § 278s(e)) at the time of proposal submission.

An institute may work individually or may include proposed subawards to other institutes and/or proposed contracts with other organizations as part of the applicant’s proposal.

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Non-federal cost share is not required.

• Public Website and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Questions from applicants pertaining to NOFO eligibility, evaluation criteria, selection process, and related topics will not be considered on an informal basis. Applicants must submit all such questions in writing to manufacturingusa@nist.gov with “2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01” in the subject line. Answers to written questions submitted to NIST may be made available to the public as part of an FAQ document, which will be periodically updated on the Manufacturing USA website at http://manufacturingusa.com

• Webinar Information Session: The Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO) will host a webinar information session for Manufacturing USA institutes that are interested in learning about this funding opportunity. This webinar will provide general information regarding this program and offer general guidance on preparing proposals. NIST staff will be available at the webinar to answer general questions.

During the webinar, proprietary technical discussions about specific project ideas will not be permitted. Also, NIST staff will not critique or provide feedback on any specific project ideas during the webinar or at any time before submission of a proposal to Grants.gov. However, NIST staff will provide information about the eligibility requirements, the evaluation criteria, and review process during this webinar. The date and time of the webinar will be posted on the Manufacturing USA website at manufacturingusa.com. The webinar will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be posted on the Manufacturing USA website. In addition, the webinar presentations will be available on the Manufacturing USA website. Organizations wishing to participate in the webinar must register in advance by contacting NIST by e-mail at manufacturingusa@nist.gov. Participation in the webinar is not required for a Manufacturing USA institute to apply pursuant to this NOFO.

mailto:manufacturingusa@nist.gov http://manufacturingusa.com/ http://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-disaster-assessment-program

Notice of Funding Opportunity – AMENDMENT 1

Table of Contents

I. Program Description II. Federal Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information VI. Federal Award Administration Information VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

Full Announcement Text

I. Program Description

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is publishing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) pursuant to authority provided by section 1741(f) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Pub. L. 116-92, December 20, 2019), to be codified in the NIST Organic Act at 15 U.S.C. § 278s(f), as amended.

A. Program Overview

Collectively, Manufacturing USA institutes have over 2,000 member institutions including small manufacturers, two-thirds of Fortune 50 U.S. manufacturers, and nearly every top ranked research and engineering university in the United States. Its network of research and development institutes that engage with these industry-led institutions positions it well to distribute high-impact funding into existing efforts in the manufacturing sector to both stimulate the US economy and to support efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health crises.

B. Manufacturing USA COVID-19 Funding Opportunities

Projects should focus on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects may include medical countermeasures; non-medical countermeasures; leveraging institute capabilities to strengthen state and community resilience; grants to companies and technical support to accelerate productions of critical materials, equipment, and supplies; creation of additional production facilities; technology roadmapping for pandemic response and recovery; reshoring the manufacture of critical conventional drugs and ensuring supply chain for critical materials related to pandemic response; or workforce development and training for a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce.

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Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of potential proposal topics, but examples. Any proposals responsive to public needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be considered.

Medical countermeasures

The Manufacturing USA institutes, for example, can direct expertise in manufacturing scale up toward critical technologies such as: wearable and environmental sensors for biothreat detection and personal protective equipment; agile, intensified and automated biomanufacturing platforms for medical counter measures; reshoring the supply chain for critical raw materials needed to manufacture medical counter measures; and reducing the energy and environmental impact of the above. Through the Manufacturing USA network, they can also efficiently resource collaborative projects between institutes for these efforts.

Non-medical countermeasures

In addition to developing materials for direct production of medical countermeasures, the manufacturing sector needs to alleviate shortages in advanced manufacturing technology. The Manufacturing USA institutes, working as appropriate with Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers, for example, can leverage their expertise to retool factories to convert their traditional manufacturing to advanced manufacturing facilities; retooling examples include adding smart sensing for digital tracking of supply chain, advanced automation, and digital controls.

Leveraging institute capabilities to strengthen state and community resilience

Proposals can provide support to existing or planned state or other non-federal efforts to develop needed local manufacturing capabilities to respond to COVID-19 and other public health crises, for example. Examples include retooling of existing manufacturing equipment to support specific needs for personal protective equipment, increasing capacity for needed testing supplies, institute-led projects that speed production and increase quality control using automated production of medical implements; rapidly deployable hospital set-ups to meet the need in critical locations.

Grants to companies and technical support to accelerate productions of critical materials, equipment, and supplies

Proposals can leverage technical expertise at the Manufacturing USA institutes to provide targeted grants to accelerate production of critical materials, equipment, and supplies needed for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health crises, for example. The institutes can also propose technical support to ensure rapid, successful deployment of new equipment. Examples include advanced manufacturing equipment for producing of critical equipment, such as equipment for producing N95 masks; additive and composites

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manufacturing of tooling for critical needs; and portable and deployable equipment for emergency response.

Creation of additional production facilities

Working collaboratively or singly to leverage their various expertise, the Manufacturing USA institutes can create additional small-scale production centers that can be made available to companies for short-term production of limited-need goods or start-up validation testing, for example.

Technology roadmapping for pandemic response and recovery

Pandemics devastate entire communities, disrupt local and national economies, and highlight the needs for modernization of manufacturing across technology sectors. To aid in the response and recovery, NIST can fund the creation of technology roadmaps to guide manufacturing response that draw on expertise from industry, universities, and government, for example. These roadmaps will help industries determine how best to invest to respond to the pandemic and to rebuild in the post-pandemic economy. Examples include technology roadmapping for pandemic response; technology roadmapping for economic recovery from pandemic; roadmapping for strengthening supply chains for critical civilian raw materials and manufactured products.

Reshoring the manufacture of critical conventional drugs and ensuring supply chain for critical materials related to pandemic response

Manufacturing USA Institutes can propose launching pathways to rapidly bring suppliers of critical health equipment in as affiliate organizations to Manufacturing USA now. Proposals can request funding to strengthen the domestic manufacturing supply chain for all equipment needed for rapid response to pandemic agents, for example. For most rapid response, funding is needed for immediate affiliation of critical original equipment vendors, and to recruit companies and universities to join and immediately form task forces to address critical needs.

Workforce development and training for a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce

Maintaining the workforce in communities and providing the skills needed for jobs in modern manufacturing is critical for a rapid economic recovery. Workers in lockdown can prepare for the nation’s recovery by taking online training in advanced manufacturing. Once they can leave their homes and begin seeking jobs, in-person training will become possible. Manufacturing USA institutes currently work with community colleges and other educational institutions around the country providing online and in-person training, much of which can be proposed for additional funding, for example.

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Manufacturing USA institutes can rapidly assist workers and students with approaches including: funding online training while they are homebound; providing stipends to help temporarily displaced workers pay their bills; virtual internships for recent science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college graduates; developing virtual STEM programs targeted at K-12 students that will increase the diversity of the stem pipeline at all talent levels, particularly for students temporarily in lockdown; working with manufacturing companies to provide internships and apprenticeships to place students in jobs across the country, creating online certificate programs to upskill workers in manufacturing companies, and reimbursing training fees normally charged to workers or companies; allocating funding for hands-on training for underserved communities and providing funding for augmented reality modules for hands-on training; and conducting outreach and training for talented students, military service members, and veterans for unfilled technology positions. The program can also expand partnerships between its institutes and state departments of education to develop advanced manufacturing curricula for existing career and college readiness programs, work with local and regional economic development organizations to strengthen the local ecosystems, and provide support for underfunded partners to expand existing training opportunities and modernize equipment.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument

The funding instruments used in this program will be grants or cooperative agreements, as appropriate. In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.24, it is anticipated that there may be “substantial involvement” between NIST and Manufacturing USA institutes receiving funding pursuant to this program in carrying out the activities contemplated by each federal award issued by NIST pursuant to this NOFO. The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration between NIST and the recipient Manufacturing USA institute in more fully developing and executing the approved scope of work, including assistance to the recipient organization in understanding and resolving issues pertaining to the successful implementation of the project and in defining the content and format of program reports and other information dissemination activities.

2. Funding Availability

NIST anticipates funding individual projects at a level of approximately $250,000 – $10 million in total funding for each award. Projects awarded under this NOFO will have a budget and a performance period of 12 – 18 months, unless a no-cost award extension is approved by the grants officer during the pendency of the subject award. The closing date for applications is October 5, 2020. Funding for this program is subject to the availability of

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appropriations.

3. Indirect (F&A) Costs

NIST will reimburse applicants for proposed indirect (F&A) costs in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.414. Applicants proposing indirect (F&A) costs must follow the application requirements set forth in section IV.2.a.(8) of this NOFO.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity are current Manufacturing USA institutes not receiving financial assistance under Section 1741(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 ((Pub. L. 116-92, December 20, 2019), to be codified at 15 U.S.C. § 278s(e)) at the time of proposal submission. An institute may work individually or may include proposed subawards to other institutes and/or proposed contracts with other organizations as part of the applicant’s proposal.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching.

Non-federal cost sharing is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

3. Prohibition on Profit and Fees.

A profit, fee, or other incremental charge above actual cost is not an allowable cost under this program.

4. No Double Charging Against Other Federal Awards or Contracts.

Costs charged against awards issued pursuant to this NOFO, whether paid by federal or non-federal funds, may not also be charged as costs against any other Manufacturing USA award (i.e., no double-billing of costs).

IV. Application and Submission Information

Applications for funding under this NOFO will be reviewed and considered on a rolling basis as they are received. This NOFO will remain open until October 5, 2020.

1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number

2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01.

http://www.grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity – AMENDMENT 1

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

A. Required Forms and Documents. The application must contain the following:

(1) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance.

a. The SF-424 must be signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization.

b. SF-424, item 8.d. Zip/postal code field, should reflect the zip code + 4 (#####-

####) format.

c. SF-424, item 12, should list the NOFO number 2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01.

d. SF-424, item 18, should list the total budget information for the duration of the project.

e. The list of certifications and assurances referenced in item 21 of the SF-424 is contained in the SF-424b.

(2) SF-424a, Budget Information for non-Construction Programs.

The budget should reflect anticipated expenses for the entire project, considering all potential cost increases, including cost of living adjustments.

a. The applicant should reflect each year of the project on the SF-424a form.

b. In section a, the grant program function or activity on line 1 under column (a) should be entered as “Manufacturing USA”. The catalog of federal domestic assistance number in on line 1 under column (b) should be entered as “11.620”.

The total budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in section a, line 1, column (e).

c. Section b, column (1) of the SF-424a should reflect funds for the first year of the award.

d. Section d requires a breakdown of the first year’s budget by quarter. The budget estimate for the second year of the award should be entered in section e, line 16, column (b).

(3) SF-424b, Assurances – non-Construction Programs. (if applicable) The SF-424b is required for all applicants that have not updated their system for award management (sam.gov) entity registration since February 2, 2019 to include the federal financial assistance certifications and representations (certs and reps). If an applicant has updated their sam.gov entity registration since February 2, 2019 to include the certifications and representations, then the SF-424b is not required.

(4) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying.

Enter “2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01” in the award number field. Enter the title of the application, or an abbreviation of that title, in the project name field.

Notice of Funding Opportunity – AMENDMENT 1

(5) SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable).

(6) Project Narrative.

The project narrative is a word-processed document of no more than twenty (20) pages (double-spaced between lines), which is responsive to the program description (see section I. of this NOFO) and to the evaluation criteria (see section V.1. of this NOFO).

The projective narrative should contain the following information:

• Table of Contents. (does not count toward the page limit)

• Executive Summary. An executive summary of the proposed project consistent with the objectives, requirements and priorities of this program (see section I. of this NOFO). The executive summary should include information indicating how each evaluation criterion (see section V.1. of this NOFO) and its sub-factors are addressed. A table can be helpful in providing this information. The executive summary should not exceed two (2) pages.

Please note, if an applicant’s proposal is selected for funding, NIST may use all or a portion of the executive summary as part of a press release, or for other public information and outreach purposes. Applicants are advised not to incorporate information that concerns business trade secrets or other confidential commercial or financial information as part of the executive summary. See also 15 CFR § 4.9(c) concerning the designation of business information by the applicant. (does not count towards page limit).

• Project Approach and Project Execution Plan. A detailed discussion of the applicant’s approach in planning for and in executing the proposed project consistent with the objectives, requirements and priorities of this program (see section I. of this NOFO). This section should provide a description of the proposed project plan and execution strategy sufficient to permit evaluation of the proposal, in accordance with details included in the proposal evaluation criteria (see section V.1. of this NOFO).

• Project Impacts, Project Evaluation and Project Information Dissemination. A detailed discussion of the: (i) anticipated impacts of the proposed project; (ii) methodology for identifying and evaluating project outcomes; and (iii) dissemination of project learnings consistent with the objectives, requirements and priorities of this program (see section I. of this NOFO). This section should provide a discussion of the proposed project impacts, proposed project evaluation and proposed information dissemination activities sufficient to permit evaluation of the proposal in accordance with the evaluation criteria for this program (see section V.1. of

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this NOFO).

Applicants should identify in this section specific project taskings, measurable milestones and outcomes resulting from the proposed project, as well as a methodology for identifying and analyzing project outcomes.

Applicants must also provide details about approaches for sharing lessons learned and best practices resulting from the project, including information dissemination sharing to and with small and medium manufacturers (SMM) and the Manufacturing USA network of institutes. Applicants must also address why their project activities are unlikely to receive private sector financial support.

• Project Management and Project Budget. The applicant should specify plans for the proper and efficient organization, staffing, and management (including but not limited to the key personnel) consistent with the evaluation criteria for this program (see Section V.1. of this NOFO). Applicants should also demonstrate the relevance and cost effectiveness of the proposed project budget to meeting the program objectives, requirements and priorities of this program (see Section I. of this NOFO). This section should provide a description of the proposed project sufficient to permit evaluation of the proposed project management structure and proposed project budget in accord.

(7) Budget Narrative and Justification. There is no set format for the budget narrative and justification; however, further explanation must be provided for the specific cost categories and line items identified in the SF-424A form as well as any other information you deem necessary for NIST’s consideration.

The written justification should include the necessity and the basis for the cost.

Proposed funding levels must be consistent with the project scope, and only allowable costs should be included in the budget. Information on cost allowability is available in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards at 2 CFR part 200 (http://go.usa.gov/sbyh), which apply to awards in this program.

The budget narrative does not count against the twenty (20) page limit of the project narrative.

This section will be evaluated in accordance with the budget narrative evaluation criteria. It will also be reviewed to determine if all costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable under 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart E, Cost Principles.

Information needed for each category is as follows:

http://go.usa.gov/SBYh

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a) Personnel - at a minimum, the budget justification for all personnel should include the following: job title, commitment of effort on the proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or percentage of time, salary rate, total personnel charges for each identified position on the proposed project, description of the role of the individual on the proposed project and the work to be performed.

b) Fringe Benefits – fringe benefits for each position should be identified separately from salaries and wages and based on rates determined by organizational policy.

The items included in the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.)

should not be charged under another cost category.

c) Travel - for all travel costs, the budget justification for travel should include the following: destination; names or number of people traveling; dates and/or duration; mode of transportation, lodging and subsistence rates; and description of how the travel is directly related to the proposed project. For travel that is yet to be determined, please provide best estimates based on prior experience. If a destination is not known, an approximate amount may be used with the assumptions given for the location of the meeting.

d) Equipment - Equipment is defined as an item of property that has an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more (unless the organization has established lower levels) and an expected service life of more than one year. Any items that do not meet the threshold for equipment can be included under the supplies line item. Should an applicant seek to include equipment, the budget justification should list each piece of equipment, the cost, and a description of how it will be used and why it is necessary to the successful completion of the proposed project. Please note that any general use equipment (computers, etc.) charged directly to the award should be allocated to the award according to expected usage on the project.

Applicants should provide at least two (2) quotes, if available, for equipment costing $25,000 or more. If two (2) quotes are not available, please provide a statement as to why two (2) quotes are not available.

e) Supplies – supplies are defined as all tangible personal property other than that described as equipment (see Section IV.2.a(7)(d) of this NOFO). Provide a list of each supply, and the breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of cost.

Include the necessity of the cost for the completion of the proposed project.

f) Contractual (i.e. Contracts or subawards) – each contract or subaward should be treated as a separate item. Identify the cost and describe the services to be provided and the necessity of the subaward or contract to the successful performance of the proposed project. Contracts are for obtaining normal goods

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and services. Sub-awardees perform part of the project scope of work. For each subaward, applicants must provide budget detail justifying the cost of the work performed on the project.

g) Construction – not an allowable cost under this NOFO.

h) Other Direct Costs – for costs that do not easily fit into the other cost categories, please list the cost, and the breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost for the completion of the proposed project. Only allowable costs can be charged to the award.

(8) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

(Does not count towards page limit.) If indirect costs are included in the proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated agreement if this rate was negotiated with a cognizant Federal audit agency. If the rate was not established by a cognizant Federal audit agency, provide a statement to this effect. If the successful applicant includes indirect costs in the budget and has not established an indirect cost rate with a cognizant Federal audit agency, the applicant will be required to obtain such a rate in accordance with section B.06 of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, dated April 30, 2019.

Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate may elect to charge indirect costs to an award pursuant to a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC), in which case a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement is not required. Applicants proposing a 10 percent de minimis rate pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as part of the budget and budget narrative portion of the application.

(9) Current and Pending Support Form.

(Does not count towards page limit.) Any application that includes investigators, researchers, and key personnel must identify all sources of current and potential funding, including this proposal. Any current project support (e.g., federal, state, local, public or private foundations, etc.) must be listed on this form. The proposed project and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the principal investigator (PI), co-PI, and key personnel must be included, even if no salary support is received. The total award amount for the entire award period covered, including indirect costs, must be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the project, regardless of the source of support. Similar information must be provided for all proposals already submitted or that are being submitted concurrently to other potential funders.

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Applicants must complete the current and pending support form, using multiple forms as necessary to account for all activity for each individual identified in the PI, co-PI and key personnel roles. A separate form should be used for each identified individual.

Applicants must download the current and pending support form from the NIST website at https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support and reference the guidance provided as it contains information to assist with accurately completing the form.

B. Attachment of Required Documents

Items in section IV.2.A.(1) though 2.A.(5) above are part of the standard application package in grants.gov and can be completed through the download application process.

Items in section IV.2.A.(6) through 2.A.(9) above must be completed and attached by clicking on “add attachments” found in item 15 of the SF-424, application for federal assistance. This will create a zip file that allows for transmittal of the documents electronically via grants.gov.

Applicants should carefully follow specific grants.gov instructions at www.grants.gov to ensure the attachments will be accepted by the grants.gov system. A receipt from grants.gov indicates only that an application was transferred to a system. It does not provide details concerning whether all attachments (or how many attachments) transferred successfully. Applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a federal agency’s electronic system has received its application.

Applicants are strongly advised to use Grants.gov’s “download submitted forms and applications” option to check that their application’s required attachments were contained in their submission.

After submitting the application, check the status of your application here: check application status. If any, or all, of the required attachments are absent from the submission, follow the attachment directions found above, resubmit the application, and check again for the presence of the required attachments.

If the directions found at:

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=getstarted%2fgetstarted.htm are not effective, please contact the grants.gov help desk immediately. If calling from within the United States or from a US territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling from a place https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=Applicants%2FCheckApplicationStatus%2FCheckApplicationStatus.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=Applicants%2FCheckApplicationStatus%2FCheckApplicationStatus.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm

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outside the United States or a US territory, please call 606-545-5035. E-mails should be addressed to support@grants.gov. Assistance from the grants.gov help desk will be available around the clock every day, with the exception of federal holidays. Help desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time the day after federal holidays.

Applicants can track their submission in the grants.gov system by following the procedures at the grants.gov site (http://go.usa.gov/cjamz). It can take up to two business days for an application to fully move through the grants.gov system to NIST.

NIST uses the tracking numbers assigned by grants.gov and does not issue agency tracking numbers.

C. Application Format

(1) Paper, email, and facsimile (fax) submissions. Will not be accepted.

(2) Figures, graphs, images, and pictures. Should be of a size that is easily readable or viewable and may be displayed in landscape orientation. Any figures, graphs, images, or pictures will count toward the page limits for the project narrative.

(3) Font. Easy to read font (11-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in figures and tables but must be clearly legible.

(4) Page limit. The project narrative is limited to twenty (20) pages double spaced, noting the limit of two (2) pages for the executive summary. Resumes are not included in the page count of the project narrative. However, if resumes are included, resumes must be a maximum of two (2) pages each.

(5) Page limit exclusions:

SF-424, application for federal assistance;

SF-424a, budget information for non-constructions programs;

SF-424b, assurances – non-construction programs;

CD-511, certification regarding lobbying;

SF-LLL, disclosure of lobbying activities;

Budget narrative and justification;

Indirect cost rate agreement; and Current and pending support form.

(6) Page layout. The proposal must be in portrait orientation.

(7) Page size. 21.6 centimeters by 27.9 centimeters (8 ½ inches by 11 inches).

(8) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.

mailto:support@grants.gov http://go.usa.gov/cjamz

(9) Application language. English. All documents must be in English, including but not limited to the initial application, any additional documents submitted in response to a NIST request, all reports, and any correspondence with NIST.

(10) Typed document. All applications, including forms, must be typed; handwritten forms will not be accepted.

D. Application Replacement Pages. Applicants may not submit replacement pages and/or missing documents once an application has been submitted. Any revisions must be made by submission of a new application that must be received by NIST by the submission deadline.

E. Pre-applications. Pre-applications will not be accepted under this NOFO.

F. Certifications Regarding Federal Felony and Federal Criminal Tax Convictions, Unpaid

Federal Tax Assessments and Delinquent Federal Tax Returns. In accordance with federal appropriations law, an authorized representative of the selected applicant(s) may be required to provide certain pre-award certifications regarding federal felony and federal criminal tax convictions, unpaid federal tax assessments, and delinquent federal tax returns.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM).

Pursuant to 2 CFR part 25, applicants and recipients are required to: (i) be registered in

SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency, unless otherwise excepted from these requirements pursuant to 2 CFR § 25.110. NIST will not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time that NIST is ready to make a federal award pursuant to this NOFO, NIST may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

4. Intergovernmental Review.

Applications under this program are not subject to executive order 12372.

5. How to Submit an Application.

(1) Applications must be submitted via grants.gov.

http://www.grants.gov/

(a) Applicants should carefully follow specific grants.gov instructions to ensure that all attachments will be accepted by the grants.gov system. A receipt from grants.gov indicating an application is received does not provide information about whether attachments have been received. For further information or questions regarding applying electronically for the 2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01 announcement, contact the grants.gov help desk at 800-518-4726.

(b) Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait before logging on and reviewing the instructions for submitting an application through grants.gov.

The grants.gov registration process must be completed before a new registrant can apply electronically. The typical registration process takes three to five business days. If problems are encountered, the registration process can take two weeks or more. Applicants must have a valid unique entity identifier number and must maintain a current registration in the federal government’s primary registrant database, the system for award management (https://www.sam.gov/), as explained on the grants.gov web site (also see section IV.3. of this NOFO). After registering, it may take several days or longer from the initial log-on before a new grants.gov system user can submit an application. Only individuals authorized as organization representatives will be able to submit the application, and the system may need time to process a submitted application. Applicants should save and print the proof of submission they receive from grants.gov. If problems occur while using grants.gov, the applicant is advised to (a) print any error message received and (b) call grants.gov directly for immediate assistance. If calling from within the United States or from a US territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling from a place other than the United States or a US territory, please call 606-545-5035.

Assistance from the grants.gov help desk will be available around the clock every day, except for Federal holidays. Help desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m.

Eastern time the day after federal holidays. For assistance using grants.gov, the applicant may also contact support@grants.gov.

(c) To find instructions for submitting an application on grants.gov, applicants should refer to the “applicants” tab in the banner just below the top of the grants.gov home page. Clicking on the “applicants” tab produces two exceptionally useful sources of information, applicant actions and applicant resources, which applicants are advised to review.

Applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a federal agency’s electronic system has received its application.

https://www.sam.gov/

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Applicants should pay close attention to the guidance under Grants.gov’s “applicant FAQs,” as it contains information important to successful submission, including essential details on the naming conventions for attachments to applications.

The application must be both received and validated by grants.gov. The application is “received” when grants.gov provides the applicant a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking number. If an applicant does not see this confirmation and tracking number, the application has not been received. After the application has been received, it must still be validated. During this process, it may be “validated” or “rejected with errors”. To ascertain whether the application was rejected with errors and the reasons for the rejection, the applicant must log in to grants.gov, select “applicants” from the top navigation, and select “track my application” from the drop-down list. If the status is “rejected with errors,” the applicant may still seek to correct the errors and resubmit the application. If the applicant does not correct the errors, the application will not be forwarded to NIST by grants.gov.

6. Amendments. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through grants.gov.

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

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V. Application Review Information

1. Evaluation Criteria. NIST will use the following criteria in evaluating applications and assigning weights, with a maximum score of 100. The four criteria below will be weighted equally. Reviewers will evaluate:

a. Rationality and merit. The coherence of the applicant institute’s approach and the extent to which the application effectively addresses advanced manufacturing issues that are relevant to the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic including, but not limited to, those described in Section I.B. of this NOFO.

b. Potential immediate impact of the project. The likelihood that the proposed project will make a substantial contribution to the immediate efforts related to the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic including, but not limited to, those described in Section I.B. of this NOFO.

c. Resources. The extent to which the applicant institute has access to the necessary facilities and expertise to accomplish the project objectives.

d. Budget. An assessment of the budget against the proposed scope of work to ascertain the reasonableness of the request.

2. Review and Selection Process

Proposals, reports, documents and other information related to applications submitted to NIST and/or relating to financial assistance awards issued by NIST will be reviewed and considered by Federal employees, or non-Federal personnel who have entered into conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering such information.

a. Initial Administrative Review of Applications. All applications received in response to this NOFO will be reviewed as received to determine whether they are eligible, complete, and responsive to this NOFO and aligned with the program objectives, requirements and priorities as described in the program description (see section I. of this NOFO). Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or non- responsive will not be reviewed. However, NIST, in its sole discretion, may continue the review process for an application that is missing non-substantive information which may easily be rectified or cured.

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b. Merit Review. Each application will be reviewed by at least three technically qualified individual reviewers who will evaluate each application based on the evaluation criteria for this program (see section V.1. of this NOFO). Applicants may receive written follow-up questions during the review process relative to requested clarifications of items contained in the applicant’s proposal. Each reviewer will provide a written technical assessment against the evaluation criteria and based on that assessment will assign each application a numeric score, with a maximum score of 100. The reviewers may discuss an application with each other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, not as a consensus.

c. Selection. The Selecting Official is the director of NIST Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, or designee. The Selecting Official makes the final recommendation to the NIST Grants Officer regarding the funding of applications under this NOFO.

The Selecting Official shall generally select and recommend applications for award taking into consideration the merit review score, the alignment of the proposed project with the program objectives described in section I. of this NOFO, and the availability of funds. In addition, in accordance with the program’s authorizing legislation, the Selecting Official will make a determination whether the project is (1) in the national interest and (2) unlikely to receive private sector financial support.

d. Pre-award Negotiations. NIST reserves the right to negotiate the budget costs with any applicant selected to receive an award, which may include requesting that the applicant removes certain costs. In addition, NIST may request that successful applicants modify objectives or work plans and provide supplemental information required by the agency prior to award. NIST may select some, all, or none of the applications, or part(s) of any application. In some cases, NIST may ask applicants to consider combining projects. The final approval of selected applications and issuance of awards is the responsibility of the NIST Grants Officer. The award decisions of the NIST Grants Officer are final.

e. Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants.

After applications are proposed for funding by the selecting official, the NIST grants management division (GMD) performs pre-award risk assessments in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.205, which may include a review of the financial stability of an applicant, the quality of the applicant’s management systems, the history of performance, and/or the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-federal entities.

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In addition, prior to making an award where the total federal share is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), NIST GMD will review and consider the publicly available information about that applicant in the federal awardee performance and integrity information system (FAPIIS). An applicant may, at its discretion, review and comment on information about itself previously entered into FAPIIS by a federal awarding agency. As part of its review of risk posed by applicants, NIST GMD will consider any comments made by the applicant in FAPIIS in making its determination about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards. Upon completion of the pre-award risk assessment, the grants officer will make a responsibility determination concerning whether the applicant is qualified to receive the subject award and, if so, whether appropriate specific conditions that correspond to the degree of risk posed by the applicant should be applied to an award.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Date

Review of applications, selection of successful applicants, and award processing is expected to be completed within 90 calendar days of receipt of a complete application.

4. Additional Information

a. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by e-mail.

b. Retention of Unsuccessful Applications. Unsuccessful applications will be retained in accordance with the general record schedule 1.2/021.

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices. Successful applicants will receive an award package from the NIST Grants Officer.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements.

Through 2 CFR § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards at 2 CFR part 200, which apply to awards in this NOFO. Refer to http://go.usa.gov/sbyh and http://go.usa.gov/sbg4.

b. Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions.

The Department of Commerce will apply to each award in this program, the https://www.archives.gov/files/records-mgmt/grs/grs01-2.pdf http://go.usa.gov/SBYh http://go.usa.gov/SBg4

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Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions in effect on the date of award made under this NOFO. The current version, dated April 30, 2019, is accessible here. Refer to section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Grant Rules and Regulations, if you need more information.

c. Pre-award Notification Requirements. The Department of Commerce will apply the

Pre-award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements dated December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390), accessible at http://go.usa.gov/hkkr. Refer to section VII.