2016-NIST-MSE-01 Amendment NOFO.pdf

NIST Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grant Programs

Notice of Funding Opportunity Amendment 1 May 22, 2017

AMENDED NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR

THE MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (MSE)

RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM

AMENDMENT 1

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is amending its February 19, 2016 Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) number 2016-NIST-MSE-01, posted on Grants.gov and on the NIST Web site (https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/20160219-fy16-mse-ffo.pdf), that solicits proposals for the Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Program.

NIST is issuing this amendment (Amendment 1) to make several updates to the 2016-NIST-MSE-01 FFO as described below. This Amendment Package will be in effect for the NIST MSE Research Grant Program until the posting of the FY 2018 NIST MSE Research Grants Programs NOFO on Grants.gov. NIST anticipates the FY 2018 MSE Research Grant Program will open on Grants.gov in October 2017.

Update

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

1 Entire package

Updates the term “Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) to Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

“Federal Funding Opportunity” and the acronym, FFO, have been replaced with “Notice of Funding Opportunity” and the acronym NOFO, throughout the package.

2 Section II.3.

various

Updates awards data previously listed for fiscal year 2015 to data for fiscal year 2016.

Section II.3.a. – l.: For each program the last sentence of each paragraph reflects the new awards data for fiscal year 2016:

https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/20160219-fy16-mse-ffo.pdf

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a. In FY2016, the MML Grant Program funded eighteen (18) new awards totaling $4,000,000.

b. In FY 2016, the PML Grant Program funded forty (40) new awards totaling $2,218,610.

c. In FY 2016, the EL Grant Program funded fourteen (14) new awards totaling $1,909,403.

d. In FY 2016, the FR Grant Program funded nine (8) new awards, totaling $813,647.

e. In FY 2016, the ITL Grant Program funded forty-four (44) new awards totaling $6,179,898.

f. In FY 2016, the CTL Grant Program funded three (3) awards totaling $365,422.

g. In FY 2016, the NCNR Grant Program funded three (3) new awards totaling $95,000.

h. In FY 2016, the CNST Grant Program funded no new awards.

i. In FY 2016, NIST funded eleven (9) awards totaling $ 4,568,309 under the GHG Measurements Grant Program, zero (0) awards under the National Security Standards Grant Program, Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

and nine (9) awards totaling $807,110 under the Forensic Science Grant Program. In FY 2016, NIST did not fund any awards under the Measurement Science for Energy Research Grant Program.

j. In FY 2016, the SCO Grant Program funded one (1) award totaling $246,000.

k. In FY 2016, the IAAO Grant Program funded two (2) awards totaling $80,000.

l. In FY 2016, the ADLP Grant Program funded one (1) new award totaling $153,123.

3 Executive

Summary and Sections II. and IV.

various

Updates “2016” references to “2017” for fiscal year references, where applicable, and submission dates and times.

Executive Summary:

• Funding Opportunity Description: NIST is soliciting applications for financial assistance for Fiscal Year 2017

(FY17);

Section II.3.a. – l.: the text “2016” has been changed to “2017” for the first sentences in each section describing the anticipated funding amounts for each program. For a description of the funding availability changes

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

for applicable programs, see Update #16 below in this table.

Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times.

Paragraphs 4: All NIST MSE Research Grant Programs. Applications will be considered on a continuing/rolling basis as they are received. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 to be processed and considered for funding under this NOFO in fiscal year 2017. To ensure consideration in the current fiscal year, applications should be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 13, 2017. Applications received after this deadline may be processed and considered for funding in the current fiscal year or in the next fiscal year, subject to the availability of funds.

4 Section IV.4.

Updates “2017” reference to “2018” regarding submission dates and times.

Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times.

Paragraphs 5: All applications submitted to the MSE Research Grants programs, paper and electronic, must be received prior to the posting of the FY 2018 NIST MSE Research Grants Programs NOFO on Grants.gov in order to be processed under this NOFO.

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

5 Section I.

and III.

various

Replaces the statutory authority for 15 USC § 278g-1, which was repealed as part of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2016, with 15 USC § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3), as applicable.

Sections I.1. – 10.; Section I.1.12: The following MSE Research Grant Programs have replaced “15 USC § 278g-1” with “15 USC § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3)”: MML, PML, EL, FR, ITL, CTL, NCNR, CNST, SPO, SCO and ADLP.

Section III.1. Eligible Applicants.

Sentence three: Applicants selected for awards under 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) are encouraged, but not required, to select underrepresented minorities for participation.

6 Sections I.

and II.

various

Updates the direction of NIST climate science research opportunities to reflect the current specific focus of the research opportunities on greenhouse gas measurements, standards, data and technology.

Section 1.1. Program Description:

Paragraph 3, Bullet Number 4:

Environment, from the measurement of automotive exhaust emissions to contaminant monitoring to greenhouse gas monitoring of Earth’s atmosphere and the health and safety aspects of engineered nanomaterials;

Section I.1.f. Chemical Sciences Division.

Paragraph 4: These activities support the chemical science, technology, and engineering enterprise with the intent of fostering innovation and confidence in

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measurements and technologies used in a wide range of applications, including chemical analysis, environmental and greenhouse gas emissions, clinical health assessment, food and nutritional assessment, sensing, manufacturing, and energy transformation.

Section I.2.g. Applied Physics Division.

Sentence 1: The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in areas including laser metrology, superconducting sensor array fabrication and application, quantum information and computing, single photonics, medical imaging, fiber and free-space communication, radio-frequency and microwave technology, greenhouse gas measurements, terahertz imaging and metrology, laser applications, and compound semiconductor nanophotonics.

Section I.9. Program Description:

Paragraph 1: The SPO Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research consistent with the SPO mission in the broad areas of greenhouse gas measurements, forensic

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science, and national security standards, in accordance with the three program descriptions below.

Section 1.9.a. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Measurements Grant Program. Entire paragraph: The GHG Measurements Grant Program provides financial assistance consistent with program objectives of supporting measurement science research to develop or extend internationally-recognized greenhouse gas measurement standards, methodologies, and technologies. Such capabilities enhance science-based GHG emissions data to advance both GHG emissions quantification and Earth system radiometric observing capability. Specific areas of interest include advances that increase accuracy and confidence in flux quantification for both GHG sources and sinks. Areas of interest include: 1) stationary GHG emission sources, 2) measurement tools to better characterize GHG emissions and uptake fluxes in metropolitan and urban areas, 3) remote sensing of Earth systems and GHG concentrations, 4) reconciliation of GHG inventory data derived from both atmospheric observing and emission process-

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oriented methodologies at local and regional scales, and 5) measurement capabilities that further understanding of GHG transport in the lower atmosphere. Additional information about the SPO GHG Program may be obtained at http://www.nist.gov/greenhouse-gas/index.cfm. The contact person for the GHG Measurements Grant Program is James Whetstone and he may be reached at (301) 975-2738 or by e-mail at james.whetstone@nist.gov.

Section II.3.i. First part of Sentence 1:

Special Programs Office (SPO) Grant Program. In FY 2017, SPO anticipates funding individual projects under the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Measurements Grant Program in the $25,000 - $1,800,000 range, First part of Sentence 2: In FY 2016, NIST funded eleven (9) awards totaling $ 4,568,309 under the GHG Measurements Grant Program.

7 Section I.1. Adds the element of “education and outreach programs’ to funding opportunities within the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)

Section I.1.a. MML Office. First Sentence:

Financial support may be provided for education and outreach programs, conferences, workshops, or other technical http://www.nist.gov/greenhouse-gas/index.cfm http://www.nist.gov/greenhouse-gas/index.cfm mailto:james.whetstone@nist.gov

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Office section of the MML MSE Grant Program.

research meetings that are relevant to the mission of the MML.

8 Section I.2. Sections I.2.b., d., e, and i.: Updates the point of contacts for the following Physical Measurement Laboratory MSE Grant Programs: Office of Weights and Measures Program; Engineering Physics Division, Quantum Measurement Division, and the Time and Frequency Division.

Section I.2.h. Adds “superconducting” and “cryogenic computing” to the areas of research for the Quantum Electromagnetics Division.

Section I.2.b. Office of Weights and Measures. Last sentence: The contact person for this office is Douglas Olson and he may be reached at (301) 975-2956 or by e-mail at douglas.olson@nist.gov.

Section I.2.d. Engineering Physics Division Last sentence: The contact person for this division is John Kramar and he may be reached at (301) 975–3447 or by e-mail at john.kramar@nist.gov .

Section I.2.e. Quantum Measurement Division Last sentence: The contact person for this division is Jon Pratt and he may be reached at (301) 975-5470 or by e-mail at jon.pratt@nist.gov.

Section I.2.i. Time and Frequency Division Last Sentence: The contact person for this division is Chris Oates and he may be reached at (303) 497-7654 or by e-mail at chris.oates@nist.gov.

mailto:douglas.olson@nist.gov mailto:john.kramar@nist.gov mailto:jon.pratt@nist.gov mailto:chris.oates@nist.gov

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Section I.2.h. Quantum Electromagnetics Division. First sentence: The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in areas including superconducting, quantum sensors, superconductive electronics, molecular and bio-photonics, quantum information processing, spin electronics, nanoscale magnetodynamics, cryogenic computing, and related microfabrication.

9 Section I.3.

Section I.3. Updates the description of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) Grant Program to remove the fields of structures and inorganic materials and expand other areas.

Section I.3.a. Updates the point of contact for the Applied Economics Office.

Section I.3.b. Adds the Internet of Things and smart cities to research within the Smart Grid and Cyber-Physical Systems Program Office.

Section I.3.c. Moves the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program and the Disaster and Failure Studies Program to within the Materials Structural Systems Division and

Section I.3. Program Description. Entire section: The EL Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research consistent with the EL’s mission to support research in the following fields: advanced manufacturing; additive manufacturing; robotics; intelligent systems and information systems integration for applications in manufacturing; polymeric materials; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC & R) equipment performance; mechanical systems and controls; heat transfer and alternative energy systems; computer integrated building processes; indoor air quality and ventilation;

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updates the point of contact and the website link for the Disaster and Failure Studies Program.

Section I.3.d. Clarifies the area of research on strategies to achieve acceptable indoor air quality within the Energy and Environment Division to read as “strategies to improve indoor air quality”.

Section I.3.d.(3). Updates the point of contact for applications to develop metrics/tools for building sustainability evaluation.

cyber-physical systems; smart grid; windstorm impact reduction; applied economics; and fire research. Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of EL. Additional information about the EL and EL Programs may be obtained at www.nist.gov/el.

The EL Grant Program supports the EL mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology for engineered systems in ways that enhance economic security and improve quality of life. Typical funded activities may include measurement science research;

development of performance metrics, tools, and methodologies for engineering technologies and applications; and critical technical contributions to standards and codes development.

Section I.3.a. Applied Economics Office.

Last sentence: The contact person is David Butry and he may be reached at (301) 975- 6136 or by e-mail at david.butry@nist.gov.

http://www.nist.gov/el mailto:david.butry@nist.gov

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

Section I.3.b. Smart Grid and Cyber- Physical Systems Program Office. First sentence: The primary objective is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness in areas of critical national priority by anticipating and meeting the measurement science and standards needs for cyber-physical systems, such as smart grid, Internet of Things, and smart cities, in ways that enhance economic prosperity and improve the quality of life.

Section I.3.c. Materials Structural Systems Division. The last two paragraphs list the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program and the Disaster and Failure Studies Program and the latter program lists the contact person as “Judith Mitrani-Reiser” and the website link as follows: The contact person is Judith Mitrani-Reiser who can be reached at (301) 975-0684 or by e-mail at judith.mitrani-reiser@nist.gov. More information about the Disaster and Failure Studies Program can be found at https://www.nist.gov/topics/disaster-failure-studies/about-disaster-and-failure-studies-program.

mailto:judith.mitrani-reiser@nist.gov https://www.nist.gov/topics/disaster-failure-studies/about-disaster-and-failure-studies-program

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

Section I.3.d. Energy and Environment Division. Second sentence: The breadth of this area includes measurement science associated with the building envelope, HVAC equipment, renewable energy systems, building controls/building automation systems, and strategies to improve indoor air quality.

Section I.3.d.(3). Develop metrics/tools for building sustainability evaluation. Last sentence: The contact person is David Butry and he may be reached at (301) 975-6136 or by email at david.butry@nist.gov.

10 Section 1.4. Section I.4.a. Adds clarity to the research on fire fighting tactics to read as “cyber-physically-based (smart) fire fighting and removes the word “tactics” and removes reference to “fire forensics”.

Section I.4.c. Updates the point of contact for the Flammability Reduction Group.

Section I.4.a. Fire Fighting Technology Group. Second sentence: Carries out mission-related measurement science research and services to advance cyber-physically-based (smart) fire fighting, technology integration into fire-fighting equipment, physics-based training tools that predict fire phenomena and their effects on structures and occupants, and conducts disaster and failure studies to reduce the risk of fire hazard to buildings and fire fighters.

Section I.4.c. Flammability Reduction Group. Last Sentence: The contact person

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

for this group is Mauro Zammarano and he may be reached at (301) 975-5244 or by email at mauro.zammarano@nist.gov.

11 Section I.5. Updates the point of contact for the Information Technology Laboratory Grant Program.

Section I.5. Program Description. Last sentence: The contact person for the ITL Grant Program, who may be contacted for clarification of program objectives, is Carol Clark and she may be reached at (301) 975- 2239 or by e-mail at carol.clark@nist.gov.

12 Section I.6. Removes reference to the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division in the program description for the Communications Technology Laboratory Grant Program.

Section I.6. Text on the PSCR Division has been removed. It is no longer part of the CTL Grant Program under the NIST MSE Research Grant Program.

13 Section I.8. Clarifies in the program description for the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) Grant Program that personnel working under this grant program may work in collaboration with CNST staff and/or other visiting scientists; and adds reference to “organ/body-on-a-chip” to the research areas.

Section I.8. Program Description. First paragraph, last sentence: In some cases one or more scientific staff members, including undergraduate and/or graduate students, and/or postdoctoral fellows, may be stationed at NIST in order to work in collaboration with CNST staff and/or other visiting scientists.

Second paragraph, second sentence:

Broad areas of interest include new methods and instrumentation needed to advance mailto:mauro.zammarano@nist.gov mailto:carol.clark@nist.gov

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

nanoscience and technology, including nanophotonics; nanofabrication and nanomanufacturing; energy transport, storage, and conversion; nanobiomedical technology (including nanoparticle tracking and characterization and organ/body-on-a-chip); and post-CMOS electronics.

14 Section I.9. Throughout: Removes the “Measurement Science for Energy Research” (MSER) program from the Special Programs Office (SPO) Grant Program.

Section I.9.a. Adds the term “radiometric” to Earth system observing capability research, adds “flux” quantification for both sources and sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and adds “urban” to areas of interest for GHG emissions and uptake studies.

Section I.9.b. Removes reference to the research areas of “electronic media (social media, video, and audio data) from the National Security Standards Program.

Section I.9. throughout: Text referencing the MSER program has been removed. It is no longer part of the SPO Grant Program under the NIST MSE Research Grant Program.

Section I.9.a. see Update #6.

Section I.9.b. NSS Program. Second sentence: Specific objectives of interest include test methods, guidance, training packages and performance standards in the following areas: human augmentation robots;

CBRNE technology including nontraditional threats and food safety; cargo security technology; personal and vehicle safety; and unmanned robotic platforms.

15 Section I.13. Adds the Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS) Grant Program to the NIST MSE Research Grant Program.

See Executive Summary and Sections I.13.;

II.3.m.; IV.1.m.; IV.2.b.(1)13); V.1.m.; and V.2.b.(13)

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

16 Section II.

Changes to the funding availability for FY 2017 for three programs.

Section II.3.a. The Material Measurement Laboratory Grant Program changes the lower limit of individual projects from $10,000 to $5,000.

Section II.3.d. The Fire Research Grant Program changes the upper limit of individual projects from $100,000 to $200,000.

Section II.3.l. The Associate Director for Laboratory Programs Grant Program changes the upper limit of individual projects from $1,500,000 to $3,000,000.

17 Section II.1. Updates the link to the Department of Commerce Grants and Cooperative Agreements Manual, dated 24 October 2016.

Section II.1. Funding Instrument. Last sentence: Additional forms of substantial involvement that may arise are described in Chapter 5.C of the Department of Commerce Grants and Cooperative Agreements Manual, as may be periodically amended, which is available at https://go.usa.gov/x5grC.

18 Section IV.1. Updates the address to the request application package for the Information Technology (ITL) Grant Program.

Section IV.1.e. ITL Grant Program. Carol Clark, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8900, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8900 (Phone:

https://go.usa.gov/x5grC

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

(301) 975-2239; e-mail:

carol.clark@nist.gov).

19 Section IV.2. Section IV.2.a.(1). Adds the requirement to use the “zip code plus four” format when recording the zip code information in the form “SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance”.

Section IV.2.a.(2). Adds clarification for the form “SF-424A, Budget Information – Non- Construction Programs” on how to provide information for the first year of the award and how to provide information for the second year through fifth year of the award.

Section IV.2.a.(6). Places the “cover page” of the application in the Technical Proposal section and requires applicants to now clearly provide on the cover page three items: 1) the principal investigator’s contact information, 2) provide a listing of the specific component of the MSE research grant program to which the application is being submitted, and 3) provide a statement of relevance and of benefit the research will provide to the public.

See Sections IV.2.a.(1); IV.2.a.(2); IV.2.a.(6);

IV.2.a.(7); IV.2.a.(9); IV.2.b. and IV.2.b.(5).

mailto:carol.clark@nist.gov

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

Section IV.2.a.(7). Adds new information on what to include in the budget narrative portion of an application.

Section IV.2.a.(9). Updates references to NIST policy for managing public access to results of federally funded research and clarifies the “inclusion” of the data management plan will be considered as part of the administrative review, not the “sufficiency” of the DMP.

Section IV.2.b. Removes the cover page from the “application format” section to the “technical proposal” section (Section IV.2.a.(6).

Section IV.2.b.(5). Clarifies the page limit includes the “cover page”.

20 Section V. Changes “resources availability” evaluation criteria to “resources” and adds the assessment of the budget against the proposed work to this criterion for the Material Measurement Laboratory, Physical Measurement Laboratory, Information Technology Laboratory, Communications Technology Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale

Sections V.1.a.(3); V.1.b.(1)iii.; V.1.e.(4);

V.1.f.(4); V.1.h.(3); V.1.i.(4). Resources. The extent to which the applicant has access to the necessary facilities and overall support to accomplish project objectives, and assessment of the budget against the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the request.

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

Science and Technology Grant Programs, and the Special Programs Office.

21 Section VI. Section VI.1. Removes reference to the award cover page.

Section VI.2.b.; VI.2.f. and VI.3.a.: Updates reference to the 2017 Department of Commerce Finance Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions.

Section VI.2.h. Updates NIST policy on “Research Activities Involving Human Subjects, Human Tissue, Data or Recordings Involving Human Subjects Including Software Testing”.

Section VI.2.i. Updates NIST policy on “Research Activities Involving Live Vertebrate Animals or Pre-Existing Cell Lines/Tissues From Vertebrate Animals.

Section VI.3.a.(2). Updates requirements for Performance (Technical) Reports.

Section VI.1. The text regarding the award cover page has been deleted. It is not relevant to this section.

Section VI.2.b. Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. First sentence: The Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (March 31, 2017) will apply to this award and are accessible at: https://go.usa.gov/xXRxK.

Section VI.2.f. Use of NIST Intellectual Property. Third sentence: In addition, if the applicant intends to use NIST-owned intellectual property, the applicant must comply with all statutes and regulations governing the licensing of Federal government patents and inventions, described in 35 U.S.C. §§ 200-212, 37 C.F.R. Part 401, 2 C.F.R. § 200.315, and in Section C.03 of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions dated March 31, 2017, found at https://go.usa.gov/xXRxK.

https://go.usa.gov/xXRxK

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

Section VI.3.a. Reporting Requirements.

First sentence: The following reporting requirements described in Section A.01 Reporting Requirements of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions dated March 31, 2017, https://go.usa.gov/xXRxK,apply to awards in this program:

See Sections VI.2.h. and VI.2.i. for the updated NIST policy on “Research Activities Involving Human Subjects, Human Tissue, Data or Recordings Involving Human Subjects Including Software Testing” and “Research Activities Involving Live Vertebrate Animals or Pre-Existing Cell Lines/Tissues From Vertebrate Animals”

Section VI.3.a.(2). Performance (Technical) Reports. Entire section: Each award recipient will be required to submit a technical progress report to the NIST Grants Officer and the NIST Federal Program Officer on a semi-annual basis for the periods ending March 31 and September 30 of each year.

Reports will be due within 30 days after the end of the reporting period. A final technical progress report shall be submitted within 90

Section What does the revision do? How does the new text now read?

days after the expiration date of the award.

Technical progress reports shall conform to the requirements in 2 C.F.R. § 200.328 (http://go.usa.gov/xkVgP) and Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions, Section A.01 (https://go.usa.gov/xXRxK).

22 Section VII. Updates current federal awarding agency contacts.

See Section VII.

23 Section VIII. Adds a new section of text describing policy on “personal and business information”.

See Section VIII.

No other revisions are being made by this amendment. The full text of the Amended NOFO, including the revisions being made now, is set forth below.

http://go.usa.gov/xkVgP

Announced February 19, 2016; Amended May 22, 2017

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

• Funding Opportunity Title: Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE)

Research Grant Programs for:

(1) the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML);

(2) the Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML);

(3) the Engineering Laboratory (EL);

(4) Fire Research (FR);

(5) the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL);

(6) the Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL);

(7) the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR);

(8) the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST);

(9) the Special Programs Office (SPO);

(10) the Standards Coordination Office (SCO);

(11) the International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO);

(12) the Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP); and

(13) the Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS).

• Announcement Type: Modification of February 19, 2016 Announcement of

Funding Opportunity (see Table above)

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2016-NIST-MSE-01

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 11.609:

Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards, 11.619: Arrangements for Interdisciplinary Research Infrastructure, and 11.620: Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach

• Dates: Applications will be accepted and considered on a rolling basis as they are received. See Section IV.4. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.

When developing your submission timeline, please keep in mind that (1) all applicants are required to have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov); (2) the free annual registration process in the electronic

System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (see Section IV.3. and Section IV.7.a.(2).(b). of this NOFO) may take between three and five business days, or as long as more than two weeks; (3) electronic applicants are required to have a current registration in Grants.gov; and (4) applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages from Grants.gov over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its application. Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not current at the time of the award.

• Application Submission Address: See Section IV. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.

• Funding Opportunity Description: NIST is soliciting applications for financial assistance for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) within the following NIST Laboratory grant programs:

(1) the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) Grant Program;

(2) the Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) Grant Program;

(3) the Engineering Laboratory (EL) Grant Program;

(4) the Fire Research (FR) Grant Program;

(5) the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Grant Program;

(6) the Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) Grant Program;

(7) the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Grant Program;

(8) the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) Grant

Program;

(9) the Special Programs Office (SPO) Grant Program;

(10) the Standards Coordination Office (SCO) Grant Program;

(11) the International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO) Grant Program;

(12) the Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP) Grant Program;

and

(13) the Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS) Grant

Program.

This funding opportunity will result in the award of grants or cooperative agreements.

A grant or cooperative agreement is not the correct funding vehicle if the principal purpose is to provide products or services for the direct benefit or use of the federal government.

• Anticipated Funding Amounts: See Section II. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.

• Funding Instrument: Grant or cooperative agreement, as appropriate.

• Who is Eligible: Eligibility for all programs listed in this NOFO is open to all non-

Federal entities. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes, hospitals, foreign public entities, and foreign governments. Applicants selected for awards are encouraged, but not required, to select underrepresented minorities for participation. In addition, NIST is not able to accept an application from an individual unaffiliated with a sponsoring applicant organization.

• Cost Sharing Requirements: The MSE Research Grant Programs do not require cost sharing.

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 Contact(s)

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

This funding opportunity will result in the award of grants or cooperative agreements.

1. Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) Grant Program

The statutory authority for the MML Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c) and 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3).

Program Description: The MML Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research in the following fields: materials science and engineering, materials measurement science, biosystems and biomaterials, biomolecular measurements, chemical sciences, and applied chemicals and materials.

MML supports the NIST mission by serving as the national reference laboratory for measurements in the chemical, biological, and material sciences. MML is entrusted with developing, maintaining, advancing, and enabling measurement systems in these areas for the nation. MML activities range from fundamental and applied research on the composition, structure, and properties of industrial, biological, and environmental materials and processes to the development and dissemination of certified reference materials, critically evaluated data and other programs that help assure measurement quality. MML research and measurement services support areas of national importance, such as:

• Advanced materials, from nanomaterials to structural steels to complex fluids;

• Electronics, from semiconductors to organic electronics;

• Energy, from characterization and performance of fossil and alternative fuels to next-generation renewables;

• Environment, from the measurement of automotive exhaust emissions to contaminant monitoring to greenhouse gas monitoring of Earth’s atmosphere and the health and safety aspects of engineered nanomaterials;

• Food safety and nutrition, from contaminant monitoring to ensuring the accuracy of nutritional labels;

• Health care, from clinical diagnostics to tissue engineering and more efficient manufacturing of biologic drugs;

• Infrastructure, from the aging of the country’s bridges and pipelines to the quality of our drinking water;

• Manufacturing, from lightweight alloys for fuel-efficient automobiles to biomanufacturing and data for chemical manufacturing; and

• Safety, security and forensics, from gunshot and explosive residue detection to ensuring the performance of body armor materials and DNA-based human identity testing.

MML also coordinates the NIST-wide Standard Reference Materials® and Standard Reference Data programs, which include production, documentation, inventory, marketing, distribution, and customer service.

The research and measurement services provided by MML underpin measurements in the chemical, biological, and material sciences and support innovation in both mature and emerging industrial sectors. As examples, work to enable reliable and trustworthy measurements and data help:

• Physicians make more accurate diagnoses and better monitor the effectiveness of new drug therapies;

• Policy makers and regulatory bodies make science-based decisions about environmental quality;

• Investigators build cases based on sound DNA and other forensic evidence.

• Trading partners confidently exchange commodities such as foods, fuels, materials and structural steel;

• Manufacturers reliably develop and use advanced materials and processes;

• Industry to link the performance of materials with their structure, processing; and

• Concepts necessary for the design of products ranging from coatings and composites to magnetic devices and sensors.

MML shapes its programs based on national needs. MML’s research base provides MML with the flexibility to respond to the country’s priorities and rapid advances in science and technology. MML’s success depends upon timely dissemination of its:

• Critically evaluated measurement methods;

• Standard Reference Materials®;

• Standard Reference Data;

• Publications describing MML’s measurement science and technologies; and

• Training, education, and best practices, of which Recommended Practice Guides are one example.

Additional information about the MML and MML Programs may be obtained at www.nist.gov/mml. All applications submitted to the MML Grant Program must complement or align or accord with the program objectives set forth below. The appropriate MML Program Manager for each MML field of research described in this Section may be contacted for clarification of the program objectives. The contact person for the MML Grant Program is Bill Clark and he may be reached at (303) 497- 3268 or by e-mail at william.clark@nist.gov.

a. MML Office. Financial support may be provided for education and outreach programs, conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of the MML. Support is generally provided in increments of $5,000. The contact person for this office is Bill Clark and he may be reached at

(303) 497-3268 or by e-mail at william.clark@nist.gov.

b. Materials Science and Engineering Division. The primary objective is to collaborate or conduct research consistent with division programs that provide the measurement science, standards, technology, instrumentation, and data required to support the Nation’s need to design, develop, manufacture, and use materials.

Division programs include measurement methods, data, standards, and science that support the development of polymeric materials which minimize environmental impacts and reduce stress on natural resources; polymeric materials in energy and http://www.nist.gov/mml mailto:william.clark@nist.gov mailto:william.clark@nist.gov electronics applications; the development of complex fluids and nanoparticle dispersions; thin films and nanostructures processing of metals and electronic materials; advanced magnetic materials and devices; the mechanical and corrosion properties of advanced materials, such as high strength steel and aluminum alloys, under extreme environmental and operating conditions; and the development of thermodynamic and kinetic models, measurements and data to predict phase transformations, microstructure evolution, and properties of advanced materials.

The contact person for this division is Eric Lin and he may be reached at (301) 975- 6743 or by email at eric.lin@nist.gov.

c. Materials Measurement Science Division. The primary objective is to collaborate or conduct research consistent with division programs in support of measurement science, measurement standards, and measurement technology required to enable world-leading characterization of materials in support of the nation’s needs for the determination of the composition, structure, and properties of materials. The division develops state-of-the-art instrumentation, methods, models and software to accurately and precisely measure materials over a range of length and time scales.

The division provides benchmarking and validation of emerging materials analysis methods, and disseminates reference materials, standards and scientific data to foster innovation and advance a wide range of technologies, such as those for public safety, forensics, homeland security and nanomanufacturing. The contact person for this division is John Small and he may be reached at (301) 975-3900 or by email at john.small@nist.gov.

d. Biosystems and Biomaterials Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with division projects in standards, measurement methods, and theoretical models that improve understanding and prediction of complex biological processes associated with environmental health, human health, and cell-based manufacturing. This includes analytical and bioanalytical measurements pertinent to method validation for bioassays, genome sequencing, cell identification, and quantitation of biological activity; facilitating research to support development of biomaterials with improved performance and appropriate interaction with cells and tissue; instrumentation, software, models and standards that support the understanding of complex biological phenomena at the cellular and subcellular level; and measurement science in bioimaging, proteomics, genomics, microfluidics, flow cytometry and informatics that facilitates characterization of biological state through the contemporaneous measurement of many biomolecules. The contact person for this division is Anne Plant and she may be reached at (301) 975-3124 or by e-mail at anne.plant@nist.gov.

e. Biomolecular Measurement Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division activities in measurement science, standards, technology, and data required to support the nation’s needs in mailto:eric.lin@nist.gov mailto:john.small@nist.gov mailto:anne.plant@nist.gov determining the composition, structure, quantity, and function of biomolecules. In partnership with U.S. industry, government agencies, and scientific institutions, the division performs fundamental and applied research on the measurement of macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids, as well as peptides, glycans, metabolites, lipids, and natural products. Specific areas of interest include development of measurement methods, standards, reference data, and technologies for applications involving clinical diagnostics for healthcare; characterization, development, and manufacturing of biotherapeutics; proteomics, metabolomics, and drug discovery; and genetic testing in agriculture, law enforcement, and clinical diagnostics. The contact person for this division is Michael Tarlov and he may be reached at (301) 975-2058 or by email at michael.tarlov@nist.gov.

f. Chemical Sciences Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division activities in support of the measurement science, standards, technology, data and chemical informatics required to support the nation’s needs in the determination of chemical composition and chemical structure of gases, organic, and inorganic species and in the measurement of a wide variety of chemical properties and processes, including chemical reactivity and mechanisms, and thermochemical properties. In partnership with U.S. industry, government agencies, and academic scientific institutions, the division performs fundamental and applied research to advance and create state-of-the-art chemical measurement capabilities, theory and computational methods for quantitative measurements, and sensing of solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, transient species, and multicomponent matrices. The division also formulates and disseminates reference materials and measurement standards, and critically evaluates reference data. These activities support the chemical science, technology, and engineering enterprise with the intent of fostering innovation and confidence in measurements and technologies used in a wide range of applications, including chemical analysis, environmental and greenhouse gas emissions, clinical health assessment, food and nutritional assessment, sensing, manufacturing, and energy transformation. The contact person for this division is Carlos Gonzalez and he may be reached at (301) 975-2483 or by e-mail at carlos.gonzalez@nist.gov.

g. Applied Chemicals and Materials Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with division programs in the measurement science, standards, technology, instrumentation, models and data required to support the nation’s needs for design, production, and assessment of chemical and material products. In partnership with U.S. industry, other government agencies and other scientific institutions, the division provides thermophysical and mechanical properties; analysis of reliability and performance of materials and structures; and information systems for chemical and materials engineering, with the intent of fostering innovation and confidence in the nation’s physical and energy infrastructures, enabling advances in chemical manufacturing and in electronics, and mailto:michael.tarlov@nist.gov mailto:carlos.gonzalez@nist.gov mailto:carlos.gonzalez@nist.gov promoting sustainability. The contact person for this division is Jim Fekete and he may be reached at (303) 497-5204 or by e-mail at james.fekete@nist.gov.

2. Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) Grant Program

The statutory authority for the PML Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c) and 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3).

Program Description: The PML Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research consistent with the PML mission to support research in the broad areas of mechanical metrology, semiconductors, ionizing radiation physics, medical physics, biophysics, neutron physics, atomic physics, optical technology, optoelectronics, electromagnetics, time and frequency, quantum physics, weights and measures, quantum electrical metrology, temperature, pressure, flow, far UV physics, and metrology with synchrotron radiation. Additional information about the PML and PML Programs may be obtained at www.nist.gov/pml.

All applications submitted to the PML Grant Program must be in accordance with the program objectives listed below. The appropriate PML Program Manager for each PML field of research that follows may be contacted for clarification of the program objectives. The contact person for the PML Grant Program is Patrick Hovis and he may be reached at (301)-975-4290 or by e-mail at patrick.hovis@nist.gov.

a. PML Office. Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of PML. Support is generally provided in increments of $5,000 per award. The contact person for this office is Patrick Hovis and he may be reached at (301) 975-4290 or by e-mail at patrick.hovis@nist.gov.

b. Office of Weights and Measures. The primary objective is to provide funding for the broad areas of documentary standards and legal metrology. Specific objectives of interest in this area include: evaluation of the impact of legal metrology on commerce, support for specific standards related activities, and the development of a national weights and measures training program. Support for legal metrology may include awards to the states for: purchase of specialized equipment required to conduct inspections and tests; purchase of specialized metrology laboratory equipment; purchase of software/hardware needed to collect data of inspection records/results; and conducting training schools for weights and measures field inspectors. Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission and programs of the office. The contact person for this office is Douglas Olson and he may be reached at

(301) 975-2956 or by e-mail at douglas.olson@nist.gov.

mailto:james.fekete@nist.gov http://www.nist.gov/pml mailto:Patrick.hovis@nist.gov mailto:patrick.hovis@nist.gov mailto:douglas.olson@nist.gov

c. Radiation Physics Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in the areas of terahertz measurements, ionizing radiation (x- and gamma-ray) dosimetry, neutron physics, and radioactivity measurements supporting the protection of workers and the general public, therapy and diagnosis, nuclear medicine and medical imaging, radiography, industrial processing, nuclear and alternative energies, national defense and security, space science, and environmental protection. The contact person for this division is Lisa Karam and she may be reached at 301-975-5561 or by e-mail at lisa.karam@nist.gov.

d. Engineering Physics Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in the areas of dimensional, nanometer-scale, surface, and acoustic pressure metrology;

accelerometry; silicon Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology; beyond CMOS future electronics; more than Moore technologies;

MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS); power electronics; nanoelectronics; and flexible/printed electronics. The contact person for this division is John Kramar and he may be reached at (301) 975–3447 or by e-mail at john.kramar@nist.gov.

e. Quantum Measurement Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with division basic and applied research programs, including precision measurements; mass, force, and electrical metrology; electronic instrumentation; measurements of basic atomic properties including new metrology techniques in atomic spectroscopy; measuring fundamental quantum processes in ultra-cold atomic systems including Bose-Einstein condensates and Fermi degenerate gases, nanophotonic systems, quantum dots, single electron devices, single photon devices, and quantum materials relevant to these system; and advancing quantum information science and laser cooling and their broad applications to measurement science and measurement beyond the standard quantum limit. The contact person for this division is Jon Pratt and he may be reached at (301) 975-5470 or by e-mail at jon.pratt@nist.gov.

f. Sensor Science Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in temperature, humidity, pressure, vacuum, flow, optical properties, and optical radiation measurement and standards and their application to addressing national needs.