2021-MfgTech - Final Clean.pdf

Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap (MfgTech) Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap (MfgTech) Grant Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

• Funding Opportunity Title: Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap (MfgTech) Grant Program

• Announcement Type: Initial

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2021-NIST-MFGTECH-01

• Assistance Listing (CFDA Number): 11.619: Arrangements for Interdisciplinary Research Infrastructure

• Dates: Full Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m.

Eastern Time, August 17, 2021. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that the Grants.gov system closes periodically for routine maintenance.

Applicants should visit Grants.gov for information on any scheduled closures.

NIST expects to complete its review, selection of successful applicants, and award processing by October 2021. NIST expects the earliest start date for awards under this NOFO to be October 2021.

Applicants are strongly urged to read Section IV.2.b., Attachment of Required Application Documents, with great attention. Applicants should carefully follow the instructions and recommendations regarding attachments and use the Download Submitted Forms and Applications feature on www.grants.gov to check that all required attachments were contained in their submission.

Applications submitted without the required documents will not pass the Initial Administrative Review.

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 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 https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 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: The NIST Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap (MfgTech) Grant Program is seeking applications from eligible applicants to develop technology roadmaps for promising advanced manufacturing clusters. These grants will establish new or strengthen existing industry-driven consortia that address high-priority research challenges to grow advanced manufacturing in the United States. The emphasis of this NOFO is on technology roadmapping in areas of critical interest to the nation, including technology areas appropriate for potential future Manufacturing USA institutes.

See Section I. of this NOFO for the full program description.

• Anticipated Amounts: In Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), NIST anticipates funding individual awards up to $300,000 each with a project performance period of up to 18 months. The total number of awards will be based on available funds.

• Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement

Eligibility: Eligibility for the program listed in this NOFO is open to all domestic non-Federal entities. Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of higher education; non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations incorporated in the United States (including U.S. territories); and state, local, territorial, and Indian tribal governments. Please note that individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not considered “non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply under this NOFO.

An eligible organization may work individually or include proposed subrecipients, contractors and/or unfunded collaborators in a project application, effectively forming a team or consortium. Eligible subrecipients are the same types of organizations eligible to be applicants.

Federal entities may participate in teams or consortia as unfunded collaborators, or in other roles allowed by law, consistent with each entity’s authorities, policies, and procedures.

An entity may apply only once as a recipient; however, they may participate in any number of proposals as a subrecipient or collaborator.

http://grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

• Public Website, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Webinar: NIST has a public website (https://www.nist.gov/ampo/manufacturing-usa-technology-roadmap-mfgtech-program) that provides a “Frequently Asked Questions” page, webinar registration, and other information pertaining to this Funding Opportunity.

NIST will hold an informational webinar on June 25, 2021 at 2 PM Eastern Time to provide general information regarding this NOFO, offer general guidance on eligibility requirements, the evaluation criteria, and the review process, in addition to offering the opportunity for the public to ask questions. Proprietary technical questions about specific proposal ideas will not be permitted, and NIST will not critique or provide feedback on any proposal ideas during the webinar or at any time before submission to Grants.gov. There is no cost to attend the webinar, but participants must register in advance by sending email to manufacturingusa@nist.gov with “MfgTech Roadmap Webinar” in the subject line. Participation in the webinar is not required and will not be considered in the application review and selection process.

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 statutory authority for the NIST Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap (MfgTech) Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272 (b) and (c). The Manufacturing USA® program is authorized by 15 U.S.C. § 278s.

1. Background Information

Manufacturing plays a critical role in the American economy, underpins U.S.

innovation, and is essential to national security. The health and performance of the U.S. manufacturing sector is a topic of national interest and concern. “U.S.

manufacturing was the Arsenal of Democracy in World War II and must be part of https://www.nist.gov/ampo/manufacturing-usa-technology-roadmap-mfgtech-program https://www.nist.gov/ampo/manufacturing-usa-technology-roadmap-mfgtech-program mailto:manufacturingusa@nist.gov

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 the Arsenal of American Prosperity today, helping fuel an economic recovery for working families. From the invention of the semiconductor to the creation of the Internet, new engines of economic growth have emerged due to public investments that support research, commercialization, and strong supply chains.”1 “U.S. leadership in new technologies—from artificial intelligence to biotechnology to computing—is critical to both our future economic competitiveness and our national security.”2 In the Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing (2018), the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) noted that “Rapid advances in technology, in combination with economic forces, are changing the ways products and services are conceived, designed, made, distributed, and supported. … Manufacturing leadership in emerging markets, exports, and trade not only requires investment in advanced technologies, but the ability to effectively leverage new technologies and platforms across industrial sectors.” 3

Substantive improvements in the health, robustness, and innovative capacity of the U.S. advanced manufacturing sector have an unrivaled ability to boost the nation’s global economic competitiveness. For the United States to remain a step ahead of the competition, a thriving cutting-edge manufacturing sector is needed.

NSTC recognizes that large-scale consortia and public-private partnerships have the potential to expand regional innovation ecosystems and drive economic growth both within and across regions. These consortia are key to developing and transitioning new manufacturing technologies critical to America’s future competitiveness.4

Manufacturing USA5, formally established in 2014 and reauthorized in 20196, focuses on advanced manufacturing innovation through a network of manufacturing institutes sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and Commerce. Each institute, a public-private partnership, brings together industry, academia, and federal partners within a growing network of advanced manufacturing institutes to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and promote a robust and sustainable national manufacturing R&D infrastructure.

For the purpose of this NOFO, a “technology roadmap” is a strategic decision-making tool that identifies challenges, not solutions, and the time frame in which these challenges need to be addressed. Roadmap initiatives foster high-risk/high-reward research, enable the development of transformative tools and

1 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/ 2 Id.

3 National Science and Technology Council, “Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing” available at https://www.manufacturing.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/Advanced- Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf. October 2018.

4 Id. at 27.

5 https://www.manufacturingusa.com 6 See 15 U.S.C § 278s.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/ https://www.manufacturing.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf https://www.manufacturing.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf https://www.manufacturingusa.com/

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 methodologies, and change competitors to collaborators. One perspective of technology roadmapping is as follows:

Technology roadmapping is a flexible technique that is widely used within industry to support strategic and long-range planning. The approach provides a structured (and often graphical) means for exploring and communicating the relationships between evolving and developing markets, products and technologies over time…. Technology roadmaps are deceptively simple in terms of format, but their development poses significant challenges. In particular the scope is generally broad, covering a number of complex conceptual and human interactions.”7

Furthermore, for the purposes of this NOFO, technology infrastructure means common resources, such as standards for system interfaces, measurement and test methods, and process control systems, that allow manufacturers within a supply chain compete with one another to align their diverse product and process capabilities, and to accelerate innovation and subsequent market penetration.

Additionally, technology infrastructure includes platform technologies that many firms in an industrial cluster can take advantage of, but that no single firm can typically produce on its own.

The process of bringing members of the manufacturing ecosystem together to develop a roadmap that identifies barriers to their success in the US can have significant and enduring impact on specific U.S. manufacturing sectors. The 2013 & 2014 Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMTech)8 programs are a classic examples of this type of impact. In that program, stakeholders identified critical gaps in advanced manufacturing technology infrastructure, created industry-driven technology roadmaps that guide research to address industry problems, and produced numerous well-founded industry-driven plans for the entire research and development lifecycle. Many of the teams formed then are still active in their technology space and others merged to support the formation of institutes within the Manufacturing USA network.

2. Technology Challenges The emphasis of this NOFO is on technology roadmapping in areas of critical interest to the nation, including, but not limited to, technology areas appropriate for potential future Manufacturing USA institutes. Many cross-cutting technologies with the potential to transform U.S. manufacturing industry remain unaddressed and may be the subject of applications under this NOFO. Advanced communications networks, advanced industrial robotics, artificial intelligence &

7 Phaal, R, Farrukh, C, & Probert, D, Technology Roadmapping - A Planning Framework for Evolution and Revolution (2004). Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, V. 71, I 1–2, pp 5–26, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-1625(03)00072-6

8 More information about the awards can be found at https://www.nist.gov/oam/programs/advanced-manufacturing-technology-consortia-amtech-program.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-1625(03)00072-6 https://www.nist.gov/oam/programs/advanced-manufacturing-technology-consortia-amtech-program

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 machine learning, autonomous and remotely piloted vehicles, computing ecosystems, critical materials manufacturing, electronics design and manufacturing, food and agricultural manufacturing, high performance and nanomaterial processing, medical products manufacturing, quantum information science, and semiconductors and advanced packaging are just a few of the examples of cross-cutting industries and technologies that have the potential to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.

3. Goals/Objectives The Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap (MfgTech) Grant Program seeks applications from eligible applicants to develop technology roadmaps for promising advanced manufacturing clusters. The impacts from these grants may strengthen existing industry-driven consortia that address high-priority research challenges to grow advanced manufacturing in the United States. MfgTech consortia roadmaps should:

• Address major technological barriers that inhibit the growth of advanced manufacturing in the U.S. that no single organization could tackle on its own;

• Identify and prioritize research projects supporting long-term industrial research needs including but not limited to, those identified in the Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing9;

• Create new or update broadly available industry-driven, shared-vision technology roadmaps to support strategic and long-range planning;

and

• Catalyze development and support the maintenance of a technology infrastructure and American excellence in advanced manufacturing, including identifying technology areas appropriate for potential new Manufacturing USA institutes.

4. Impacts/Outcomes NIST envisions that impacts from the MfgTech program will be to encourage industry-led consortia in advanced manufacturing. Additional impacts may be the identification, need, and planning for potential future Manufacturing USA institutes in critical areas for the nation.

Thus, over time the MfgTech program could:

• Increase the number of industry sectors and organizations that participate in technology partnerships across geographic regions and company size, including potential new Manufacturing USA institutes.

• Identify critical pre-competitive, manufacturing processes and platform technologies, and create pathways to translate these advancements into commercial reality by U.S. manufacturers.

9 https://www.manufacturing.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan- 2018.pdf. October 2018.

https://www.manufacturing.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf https://www.manufacturing.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

• Unlock capital and spur industry-driven research that arises from the partnerships and roadmaps that are created.

• Spur more efficient technology transfer, diffusion, and knowledge dissemination among the partnerships forged during the development of a MfgTech roadmap and across U.S. advanced manufacturing supply chains.

This NOFO announces a funding opportunity solely for technology roadmapping activities. Funding will not be awarded for the performance of research activities.

Proposed projects should clearly demonstrate how the envisioned effort complements and does not duplicate other roadmapping projects already underway or completed, including those previously funded by Manufacturing USA10 institutes, or other projects funded by the Department of Commerce or other Federal agencies. Roadmaps developed under the NIST AMTech 2013 – 2014 Programs11 may be eligible topics; however, the burden will be on the proposer to demonstrate why it is needed.

Teaming is encouraged across the proposed industry ecosystem especially when it brings expertise, access to facilities, supply chain, or specialized goods and services together to produce a valuable roadmap. Note: The NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network12 is comprised of NIST MEP on the NIST Gaithersburg campus, 51 MEP Centers13 located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and over 1,4000 trusted advisors and experts at more than 385 service locations. NIST encourages applicants to review the resources available through the MEP National Network, particularly for connecting applicants with potential subrecipients, contractors, or other collaborators. NIST cannot guarantee that any MEP Center or service location will be able to assist potential applicants.

In forming project teams, NIST strongly supports outreach to, recruitment of, and engagement with a diverse array of project participants. Applicants are encouraged to maximize the extent of geographic and institutional diversity among project participants.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument The funding instrument that will be used for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO is a cooperative agreement. The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient

10 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/ 11 https://www.nist.gov/oam/programs/advanced-manufacturing-technology-consortia-amtech-program 12 https://www.nist.gov/mep 13 https://www.nist.gov/mep/centers https://www.manufacturingusa.com/ https://www.nist.gov/oam/programs/advanced-manufacturing-technology-consortia-amtech-program https://www.nist.gov/mep https://www.nist.gov/mep/centers

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 organization in developing and implementing the approved scope of work, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.01.

2. Funding Availability.

In Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), NIST anticipates funding individual awards up to $300,000 each with a project performance period of up to 18 months. The total number of awards will be based on available funds.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Eligibility for the program listed in this NOFO is open to all domestic non- Federal entities. Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of higher education; non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations incorporated in the United States (including U.S. territories); and state, local, territorial, and Indian tribal governments. Please note that individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not considered “non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply under this NOFO.

An eligible organization may work individually or include proposed subrecipients, contractors and/or unfunded collaborators in a project application, effectively forming a team or consortium. Eligible subrecipients are the same types of organizations eligible to be applicants.

Federal entities may participate in teams or consortia as unfunded collaborators, or in other roles allowed by law, consistent with each entity’s authorities, policies, and procedures.

An entity may apply only once as a recipient; however, they may participate in any number of proposals as a subrecipient or collaborator.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Matching funds are not required.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 2021-NIST-MFGTECH-01.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Required Forms and Documents. The Application must contain the following:

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

(1) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 must be signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization.

For SF-424, Item 8.d. Zip/Postal Code field, should reflect the Zip code + 4 (#####-####) format.

For SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number 2021-NIST-

MFGTECH-01.

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

The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 21 of the SF-424 is contained in the Federal Financial Assistance Certifications and Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity registration.

(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) In Section A, the Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 under Column (a) should be entered as Arrangement for Interdisciplinary Research Infrastructure (11.619), or an abbreviation thereof. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number in on Line 1 under Column (b) should be entered as “11.619”. The total budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in Section A, Line 1, Column (e).

b) Section B, Column (1) of the SF-424A should reflect the allocation of costs by budget category for the entire project period.

c) Section C should be blank. Non-Federal cost sharing is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

d) Section D requires a breakdown of the first 12-months of the budget by quarter.

e) Section E should be blank.

(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2021-NIST- MFGTECH-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 June 17, 2021

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

(5) Project Narrative. The Project Narrative is a word-processed document of no more than twenty (20) pages, which is responsive to the program description and the evaluation criteria.

The Project Narrative should contain the following information:

a. Executive Summary. An executive summary of the proposed project, consistent with the evaluation criteria. The executive summary should be a concise summary/abstract of the motivation of the proposed roadmapping effort, potential impact (i.e., benefits and outcomes) for US manufacturing in this area and identify major participants. It should identify the name of the applicant, the project director/principal investigator(s), and the project title. Do not include any proprietary or sensitive business information as NIST may make it available to the public after awards are issued. The executive summary should not exceed two (2) pages.

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

c. Identification of Significant Technical Challenges with Substantive National Impacts. The proposal narrative should describe how the applicant’s approach will clearly address the program goals, objectives, technical challenges, and national impact (see Section I. of this NOFO, and Identification of Significant Technical Challenges with Substantive National Impacts evaluation criterion (Section V.1.a)).

Technical challenges in any area of advanced manufacturing will be considered provided they require solutions that include the development of highly innovative, transformational technologies that are broadly deployable to diverse manufacturing applications. The proposed project should clearly demonstrate how the envisioned effort complements and does not duplicate other roadmapping projects, including those previously funded by the NIST AMTech 2013-2014 Program14, or any institute within the Manufacturing USA15 network.

Goals & Objectives: The applicant should present their scope and vision for the proposed project, including the goal(s), objective(s) and national outcomes; the importance and significance of the challenges to be addressed within the context of national needs, existing industry

14 https://www.nist.gov/oam/programs/advanced-manufacturing-technology-consortia-amtech-program 15 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/ https://www.manufacturingusa.com/

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 capabilities, and ongoing and existing efforts; and the potential for substantive national impacts enabled as a result of the activities being proposed.

Significant technical challenges: The roadmapping project being proposed should identify and address significant technical challenges in manufacturing that are common to an industry or a sector, for example, critical gaps, technologies, skill sets, infrastructure, or other significant challenges. The project and activities being proposed should support strategic and long-terms goals that will significantly advance pre-competitive manufacturing processes and platform technology research, advance the state of the art, strengthen supply chains, and contribute to the U.S. knowledge base in critical advanced manufacturing sectors.

National Impact: The project being proposed should address critical national advanced manufacturing needs and demonstrate that by successfully addressing the significant technical challenges identified, there will be a strong potential for having substantive national economic impacts and enhance U.S. advanced manufacturing competitiveness. The project activities being proposed should have a strong potential to revitalize the U.S. leadership role in manufacturing and lead to the development of solutions that can provide U.S.

manufacturers with a sustainable global competitive advantage.

d. Roadmap Development Plan. A complete statement of work covering all aspects of the project, including a schedule of measurable events and milestones as well as measurable performance objectives that can be used to determine the success of the project. This section should address Roadmap Development Plan evaluation criterion (see Section V.1.b).

The Roadmap: The description should include well-founded plans for the entire life cycle, including project development and execution, breadth of value chain engagement, knowledge and technology diffusion, and pathways to adoption. Participation by the full value chain, including small- and medium-sized firms, is desirable. A timeline should be included to logically illustrate the timing and interrelationships of major tasks and key subtasks and identify the parties responsible for their completion.

Teaming: Teaming is encouraged. Thus, if an incorporated industry consortium is the applicant, a team should be proposed to engage other relevant entities to participate in the proposed activities and work towards consortium development. As additional team members are

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 added to offer key expertise, access to facilities, or specialized goods and services, discuss what each brings to the project and what each will do. In all cases, required Letters of Commitment should be provided (see Section IV.2.a.(9) of this NOFO).

Post-Award plans. A key goal of MfgTech is ensuring that the output of the roadmapping activities will have a significant and enduring impact on the U.S. manufacturing sector. Therefore, the development plan should include dissemination plans, and consideration of post-funding impacts, including the continued leveraging of public, private, and academic organizations to ensure the roadmapping efforts are not the end of the process.

e. Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms. (This does not count toward the page limit) An alphabetical list of all abbreviations and acronyms and their meaning.

f. Table of Funded Project Participants and Unfunded Informal

Collaborators. (This does not count toward the page limit) Provide a table that identifies all organizations that will participate in and contribute to the project, known at the time of the application submission. The table should consist of an alphabetically ordered list, by organization, of all Funded Project Participants and all Unfunded Informal Collaborators. The table should include the organization’s name, address, administrative role, scope of work (funded participants only) and proposed funding amount (funded participants only).

Administrative roles are applicant, subrecipient, or contractor for funded participants, or collaborator if they will not receive funding.

g. Resumes of Key Personnel must be included. Resumes are not included in the page limit of the Project Narrative. Resumes included as part of the application must be a maximum of one page each.

Additional pages beyond the first page per resume will not be considered during the evaluation of the application.

h. Dissemination Plan. A description of the applicant’s approach to broadly disseminate the roadmap to the public. The plan should include an approach to publish results through publications and white papers in appropriate literature, and through presentations at public meetings or technical events.

(6) Budget Narrative and Justification. There is no set format for the Budget Narrative and Justification; however, 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

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which apply to awards in this program.

The Budget Narrative and Justification does not count against the twenty

(20) page limit of the Project Narrative. The Budget Narrative and Justification must demonstrate its appropriateness and cost-effectiveness with respect to carrying out the work and objectives of the project.

This section will be evaluated in accordance with the Resource Availability and Qualifications evaluation criteria. (See Section V.1.c) 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:

a) Personnel – At a minimum, the budget justification 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 how the person’s qualification will enable them to conduct 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 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. The budget justification should list each piece of equipment, the cost, and a description of how it will be used and http://go.usa.gov/SBYh

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 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.

e) Supplies – Supplies are defined as all tangible personal property other than that described as equipment. 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 and services. Subawardees perform part of the project scope of work.

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.

i) Indirect Charges – Commonly referred to as Facilities & Administrative Costs, Indirect Costs, are defined as costs incurred by the applicant organization that cannot otherwise be directly assigned or attributed to a specific project. For more details, see Section IV.2.a.(7) of this NOFO. Provide a cost calculation that includes the base amount multiplied by the indirect cost rate.

(7) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. 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 November 12, 2020.

Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that do not have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 except for those non-Federal entities described in appendix VII, paragraph D.1.b. of 2 CFR 200 may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC). 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 portion of the application.

(8) Letters of Commitment.(if applicable) If the applicant’s proposal identifies third parties including contractors, subawardees, and/or other collaborators who will participate in the proposed project, then a letter from each currently known participant should be submitted. Each letter should indicate the organization’s willingness to participate and what they will be doing for the project. A letter should be submitted whether or not the organization is receiving Federal funds.

Letters of Commitment should not be letters submitted by non-proposing entities wishing to vouch for the applicant’s (or entities associated with the applicant) knowledge, skills, and abilities or entities to conduct the proposed work.

(9) Current and Pending Support Form. 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.

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.

https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

b. Attachment of Required Documents

Items IV.2.a.(1) through IV.2.a.(4) above are part of the standard application package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the download application process.

Items IV.2.a.(5) through IV.2.a.(9) should be attached to field 15 of the SF- 424 form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

Following these directions will create zip files which permit 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, found at https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/ DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm 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%2FGetStar ted.htm are not effective, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk immediately. If calling from within the United States or from a U.S.

territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling from a place outside the United States or a U.S. 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 http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.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 https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm mailto:support@grants.gov http://go.usa.gov/cjamz

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 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 (10-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, noting the limit of two (2) pages for the Executive Summary.

(5) Page Limit Exclusions:

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance;

SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

Table of Contents;

Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms;

Table of Funded Project Participants and Unfunded Informal Collaborators;

Resumes of Key Personnel;

Budget Narrative and Justification;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

Letters of Commitment;

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.

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

(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.

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

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. 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 C.F.R. § 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. Submission Dates and Times Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, August 17, 2021. NIST will consider the date and time recorded by

Grants.gov as the official submission time. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that the Grants.gov system closes periodically for routine maintenance.

Applicants should visit Grants.gov for information about any scheduled closures.

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 the SAM.gov generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than two weeks; and applicants will receive e-mail notifications https://www.grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021 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 the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not current at the time of the award.

5. Intergovernmental Review Applications under this Program ARE NOT subject to Executive Order 12372.

6. Funding Restrictions

Applications for product development and/or commercialization are not considered responsive to this NOFO. Profit or fee is not an allowable cost. In addition, a recipient or a subrecipient may not charge profits, fees or other increments above cost to an award issued pursuant to this NOFO.

7. Other Submission Requirements

a. Applications must be submitted at Grants.gov.

(1) 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 2021-NIST-MFGTECH-01 announcement, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 800-518- 4726.

(2) Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait until the approaching due date 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.

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.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity June 17, 2021

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 U.S. territory, please call 800- 518-4726. If calling from a place other than the United States or a U.S. 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.

(3) 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.

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.

All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored into applicants’ schedules for delivery of their application.

Applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov may be extremely heavy leading up to the deadline.

The application must be both received and validated by Grants.gov.

The application is “received” when Grants.gov…