2021-NIST-MFGUSA-RACER-01 NOFO.pdf

NIST Rapid Assistance for Coronavirus Economic Response Grants Program (2021)

Notice of Funding Opportunity – May 24, 2021

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) NIST Rapid Assistance (for) Coronavirus Economic Response Grant Program

Executive Summary

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

• Funding Opportunity Title: NIST Rapid Assistance for Coronavirus Economic Response (RACER)

• Announcement Type: Initial

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2021-NIST-MFGUSA-RACER-01

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

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

Eastern Time, Monday, July 26, 2021. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Paper applications will not be accepted.

When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all applicants are required to have current registrations in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process in SAM.gov (See section IV.3. of this NOFO) generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than two weeks; and (3) applicants will receive e-mail notifications over a period of up to two business days as the application moves through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or rejection notification whether NIST has received the application. (See Grants.gov for full information on application and notification through Grants.gov).

Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in SAM.gov is not current at the time of the award.

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

• Funding Opportunity Description: NIST invites Manufacturing USA institutes to propose high-impact projects designed to fund awards for research, development, and testbeds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates funding individual projects up to $5 million for projects involving a single institute, and up to $15 million for projects involving https://www.grants.gov/ multiple institutes. Project durations are limited to:

• For projects up to $5 million, the period of performance is up to two (2) years.

• For projects funded at greater than $5 million, the period of performance is up to three (3) years.

See section II.2. in the full announcement text of this NOFO. Awards are subject to the availability of funding.

• Funding Instrument: Cooperative agreement.

• Eligibility: Eligibility for this program is limited to current Manufacturing USA institutes not receiving financial assistance under 15 U.S.C. § 278s(e), as amended, at the time of proposal submission. The Manufacturing USA institutes1 eligible to submit applications under this funding opportunity are: AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, CESMII, CyManII, IACMI, LIFT, MxD, NextFlex, PowerAmerica, RAPID, & REMADE. No other entities are eligible to submit applications.

An applicant institute may work individually or include proposed subawards to other institutes. Note that NIIMBL may not receive funding under this NOFO but may participate in projects as an unfunded collaborator.

Please note that members of the institutes, individuals, and organizations not associated with the institutes are NOT eligible to apply under this NOFO; however, they may participate as part of an institute’s team.

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

• Public Website and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NIST has a public website https://www.nist.gov/oam/rapid-assistance-coronavirus-economic-response-racer-grant-program that provides a “Frequently Asked Questions” page, webinar registration, and other information pertaining to this Funding Opportunity.

Applicants must submit all such questions in writing to manufacturingusa@nist.gov with “2021-NIST-MFGUSA-RACER-01 Questions” in the subject line.

NIST will hold an informational webinar on June 2, 2021 to provide general information regarding this NOFO, offer general guidance on preparing applications, and offer the opportunity for the public to ask questions. Proprietary technical

1 An organization (university or non-profit) that runs or hosts an institute may submit an application on the institute’s behalf.

https://www.nist.gov/oam/rapid-assistance-coronavirus-economic-response-racer-grant-program https://www.nist.gov/oam/rapid-assistance-coronavirus-economic-response-racer-grant-program mailto:manufacturingusa@nist.gov 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. However, NIST will provide information about eligibility requirements, the evaluation criteria, and the review process during the webinar. There is no cost to attend the webinar, but participants must register in advance by sending email to manufacturingusa@nist.gov with “RACER 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

I. Program Description

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is publishing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 278s(f), as amended, and Section 7501 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2).

1. Program Overview

COVID-19 hit with a speed and force that commanded the best in government, academia, and industry to gather at an unprecedented pace and accelerate innovations to address the needs of our nation. Many organizations and individuals across the country looked for ways to help.

In 2020, the Manufacturing USA network, comprised of federal agencies and their sponsored manufacturing innovation institutes, assembled and utilized the flexibility, skills and knowledge of their nationwide membership to address issues and begin developing solutions. These public-private partnerships convened members from industry, academia, and government enabling a rapid response to the developing needs across America based on their access to information and ability to deploy resources. The institutes’ relevant and mailto:manufacturingusa@nist.gov efficient plans, along with $73 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds distributed through the Department of Commerce (DOC) and Department of Defense (DoD), allowed them to execute more than 36 technology development and education and workforce development projects.2

In the earliest stages of the pandemic, the Manufacturing USA® institutes assessed the global and domestic manufacturing situation. At that time, their analysis indicated an urgent need for better domestic supply chains, data analysis, and novel manufacturing products and processes. After a year of fighting COVID-19, our nation is still dealing with the pandemic and facing a deep economic crisis. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2) lays out a plan to change the course of the pandemic and build a bridge towards economic recovery.

With thousands of small manufacturers, two-thirds of Fortune 50 U.S. manufacturers, and nearly every top ranked research and engineering university in the country working together on the biggest manufacturing challenges of the day, the institutes within the Manufacturing USA network are positioned to stimulate the U.S. economy and to support research, development, and testbeds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

2. Manufacturing USA Coronavirus Funding Opportunities

Objective: Fund high-impact projects proposed by AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, CESMII, CyManII, IACMI, LIFT, MxD, NextFlex, PowerAmerica, RAPID, or REMADE designed to support research, development, and testbeds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

Goal: Make use of expertise found within institutes of the Manufacturing USA network and its member organizations to develop innovative agile responses to coronavirus health and economic threats.

Institutes within the Manufacturing USA may work alone or with other institutes on collaborative projects.

Please note that the examples below are not an exhaustive list of potential proposal topics, but examples. Any proposals for research, development, and testbeds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus will be considered responsive to this NOFO.

Illustrative project ideas may include, but are not limited to, innovative medical and non-medical countermeasures; strengthening state and community resilience by leveraging

2 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/reports/manufacturing-usa-rapid-response-covid-19-report https://www.manufacturingusa.com/reports/manufacturing-usa-rapid-response-covid-19-report institute capabilities; creating testbeds or small scale production facilities; establishing or reshoring critical supply chains; or workforce development and training for a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce.

For example, institutes may leverage technical expertise within the Manufacturing USA network to work on:

• Medical and non-medical countermeasures: Retool manufacturing facilities to reshore the supply chain for critical raw materials through advanced manufacturing approaches; reduce the energy and environmental impact of manufacturing;

adding smart sensing to allow digital tracking of supply chain; enhance advanced automation and digital controls to alleviate shortages; and develop agile, intensified, integrated, and automated manufacturing platforms.

• Strengthen state and community resilience: Leverage institute capabilities to support state or other non-federal efforts to develop local manufacturing capabilities to respond to coronavirus and other public health crises. Attract organizations with critical pandemic response capabilities to partner in developing new strategies and mechanisms to promote greater manufacturing resilience.

• Testbeds or small scale production facilities: Create additional small-scale production centers or testbeds that can be made available to companies for short-term production of limited-need goods, start-up validation testing, or for use by the institute for workforce training.

• Workforce development and training for a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce: Develop innovative ways to create a pipeline of skilled workers ready to take on more challenges, increase company productivity, improve innovation, and increase diversity through multiple entry points that let workers develop their skills while advancing their careers. For example, this may be done through building awareness, skill development, internships; hybrid training programs, industry-influenced certifications, training reimbursements, curriculum development, and expanding partnerships to attract candidates from untapped talent pools.

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

NOTE: The NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network is comprised of NIST MEP on the NIST Gaithersburg campus, 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and over 1,400 trusted advisors and experts at more than 385 MEP 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.

Projects proposed but not funded in the 2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01 competition may be resubmitted to this competition with an updated technical proposal and budget information.

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 organization in developing, implementing the approved scope of work, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.01.

2. Funding Availability

NIST anticipates funding individual projects up to $5 million for projects involving a single institute and up to $15 million for projects involving multiple institutes. Project durations are limited to:

• For projects up to $5 million, the period of performance is up to two (2) years.

• For projects funded at greater than $5 million, the period of performance is up to three (3) years.

Awards are subject to the availability of funding.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility for this program is limited to current Manufacturing USA institutes not receiving financial assistance under 15 U.S.C. § 278s(e), as amended, at the time of proposal submission. The Manufacturing USA institutes3 eligible to submit applications under this funding opportunity are: AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, CESMII, CyManII, IACMI, LIFT, MxD, NextFlex, PowerAmerica, RAPID, & REMADE. No other entities are eligible to submit applications.

An applicant institute may work individually or include proposed subawards to other institutes. Note that NIIMBL may not receive funding under this NOFO but may participate in projects as an unfunded collaborator.

3 An organization (university or non-profit) that runs or hosts an institute may submit an application on the institute’s behalf.

Please note that members of the institutes, individuals, and organizations not associated with the institutes are NOT eligible to apply under this NOFO; however, they may participate as part of an institute’s team.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching.

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

3. Funding Limitations.

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.

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

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

Applications must be received at Grants.gov by no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday, July 26, 2021 . Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Paper applications will not be accepted.

1. Address to Request Application Package

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

2021-NIST-MFGUSA-RACER-01.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

A. Required Forms and Documents.

The application must contain the following:

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

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

a. For SF-424 (R&R), Items 5, 14, and 19, use the Zip Code + 4 format

(##### - ####) when addresses are called for.

b. For SF-424 (R&R), Item 17, the list of certifications and assurances is contained in the Federal Financial Assistance Certifications and Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity registration.

c. SF-424 (R&R), Item 18. If the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form (item (5) below) is applicable, attach it to field 18.

Instructions for filling in the SF-424 (R&R) can be found on Grants.gov, as well as at the NIST Grants Management Division SF-424 Research & Related (R&R) Application Package Guidance.

(2) Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed).

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

The budget should be detailed in these categories:

A. Senior/Key Person;

B. Other Personnel;

C. Equipment Description;

D. Travel;

E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs F. Other Direct Costs;

G. Direct Costs (automatically generated);

H. Indirect Costs;

I. Total Direct and Indirect Costs (automatically generated);

J. Fee (not relevant to this competition);

K. Total Costs and Fee (automatically generated);

L. Budget Narrative and Justification document (item (8) below) should be attached to field L.

A separate detailed R&R Budget must be completed for each budget period during the proposed award (e.g., annual basis). To add additional budget periods (e.g., year 2), click “Add Period” embedded at the end of the form.

Information regarding the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) is available in the R&R Family Section of Grants.gov.

(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying.

Enter “2021-NIST-MFGUSA-RACER-01” in the award number field. Enter the title of the application, or an abbreviation of that title, in the project name field.

(4) Research and Related Other Project Information.

Answer the highlighted questions and use this form to attach the Project https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/sf-424-research-related-rr-application-package-guidance https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/sf-424-research-related-rr-application-package-guidance https://www.grants.gov/forms/r-r-family.html

Narrative (item (6) below), Resume(s) (item (7) below), the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (item (9) below), the Letters of Commitment (item 11) below), the Data Management Plan (item (12) below), and the Current and Pending Support Form (item (13 below). Instructions for completing the Research and Related Other Project Information can be found in the Grants.gov R&R Forms Repository as well as in the NIST Grants Management Division SF-424 Research and Related (R&R) Application Package Guidance.

Please note that the Project Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this competition. However, Grants.gov requires an attachment to field 7 of the Research and Related Other Project Information form to successfully pass through Grants.gov. Please attach a document to field 7 stating, “A Project Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this competition”.

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

(6) Project Narrative.

The Project Narrative is a word-processed document of no more than twenty

(20) pages, which is responsive to the program description (see section I. of this NOFO) and to the evaluation criteria (see section V.1. of this NOFO).

The Projective Narrative should contain the following information:

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

• Executive Summary. An executive summary of the proposed project consistent with the objectives, requirements, and priorities of this program. The executive summary should include information indicating how each evaluation criterion and its sub-factors are addressed. A table can be helpful in providing this information. The executive summary should not exceed two (2) pages and does not count towards the page limit for the Project Narrative.

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

• Project – Rationale. The applicant should provide sufficient information to understand the rationale, scope, and purpose of the https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/r-r-family.html#sortby=1 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/r-r-family.html#sortby=1 https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/sf-424-research-related-rr-application-package-guidance https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/sf-424-research-related-rr-application-package-guidance proposed project. It should answer questions such as:

What is the problem/technical challenge that you are attempting to address?

Why is now the right time? How the project’s work will contribute to research, development, or testbed efforts to prepare, prevent, and respond to coronavirus.

Who benefits from this project?

This section should identify how this project will complement or contribute to the mission of the institute. Where appropriate, identify similar regional, national, or technical efforts and identify the uniqueness or complementary nature of the proposed project to those other efforts.

• Project Plan and Execution – Merit. Provide a detailed project execution plan of the proposed project that includes information on how the project is organized; a rough project schedule, measurable milestones, activity location(s), and major deliverables, and key players. If any sub-projects are identified, they also need a clear project plan and a statement on how they contribute to the overarching project’s objective. This section should identify any potential risks and plans to mitigate those risks.

Teaming is encouraged to bring together key expertise, access to facilities, or specialized goods and services if this will result in a larger national or regional impact. Be sure to discuss what each organization brings to the project and what each will do.

NOTE: As described in Section I. of this NOFO, the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and its Centers may be a useful resource for connecting applicants with potential subrecipients, contractors, or other collaborators. In all cases, required Letters of Commitment should be provided (see Section IV.2.A.(11) of this

NOFO).

• Project Impact, Outcomes, and Dissemination. A detailed discussion of the: (i) anticipated impacts of the proposed project both to the nation, and to the institute and its mission; (ii) methodology for identifying and evaluating project outcomes as they relate to preventing, preparing for, or responding to coronavirus; and (iii) dissemination of project results. This section should provide a discussion of the proposed project impacts, proposed project https://www.nist.gov/mep https://www.nist.gov/mep/centers evaluation, and proposed information dissemination activities.

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

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

• Project Management, Resources, and Budget. This section should provide a description of the proposed project sufficient to permit evaluation of the proposed project management structure, resources (including facilities), and project budget at the sub-project level (if appropriate). It should answer questions such as:

Are the right people working on the project?

Is the project sufficiently resourced (people, facilities)?

If there are sub-projects, how do they relate to one another and to the main project?

What plans are in place to track and report project milestones?

The applicant should specify plans for the proper and efficient organization, staffing, and management (including but not limited to the key personnel).

Applicants should also demonstrate the relevance and cost effectiveness of the proposed project budget through the written budget narrative.

(7) Resume(s).

Resumes are required for all key personnel, including the principal investigator. Resumes are limited to one (1) page per individual. Additional pages per resume will not be considered during the evaluation of the application.

(8) Budget Narrative and Justification There is no set format for the Budget Narrative and Justification. The

Budget Narrative and Justification must be attached to the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed). The written justification should include the necessity and the basis for the cost. Proposed funding levels must be consistent with the project scope, and only allowable costs should be included in the budget. Information on cost allowability is available in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (http://go.usa.gov/SBYh), which apply to awards in this program.

The Budget Narrative does not count against the twenty (20) page limit of the Project Narrative. The budget narrative should clearly identify budget at the sub-project level, as needed.

Information needed for each category is as follows (categories not listed are automatically generated by the form or are not relevant to this competition):

a. Senior/Key Person – At a minimum, the budget justification should include the following: name, 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 direct charges on the proposed project, description of the role of the individual on the proposed project and the work to be performed.

Fringe benefits 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.

b. Other Personnel - Data is requested at the project role level, and not at the individual level for Other Personnel. 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 direct charges on the proposed project, description of the role of the position on the proposed project and the work to be performed.

Fringe benefits 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. Equipment Description – Equipment is defined as an item of property that has an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more (unless the organization has http://go.usa.gov/SBYh 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 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.

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

e. Participant/Trainee Support Costs – Participant support costs are stipends, subsistence allowances, travel, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees, who are not employees of your organization, for conferences or training projects. The budget justification should indicate the names or number of participants or trainees, a description and calculation of costs per person, a description and date of the event, and a description of why the cost is necessary for the successful completion of the proposed project.

f. 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.

Each subaward or contractual cost should be treated as a separate item in the Other Direct Costs category. 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 goods and services.

Subawardees perform part of the project scope of work. For each subaward, applicants must provide budget detail justifying the cost of the work performed on the project.

h. Indirect Costs – 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.(9) of this NOFO.

(9) 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 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

(10) Subaward Budget Form

The Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment Form is required if sub-recipients and contractors are included in the application budget.

Instructions for completing subaward budget forms are available by visiting the R & R Family section of the Grants.gov Forms Repository and scrolling down to the R & R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form and selecting “Instructions.”

(11) Letters of Commitment.

Letters that commit specific resources (not just funding) to the project are required for any subawards or contracts to known third parties, effectively forming a team, as described in Section IV.2.A.(6). The Letter of Commitment should indicate organization’s willingness to participate as a contractor, subrecipient, or unfunded partner, as applicable, describe what work they will do in relation to the Project Narrative, and specify the associated cost (if any) of the proposed subaward or contract to the applicant (see Section I. of this NOFO).

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 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=dd7e460e397e25e8c7f2d685f71d953c&mc=true&node=ap2.1.200_1521.vii&rgn=div9 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=dd7e460e397e25e8c7f2d685f71d953c&mc=true&node=ap2.1.200_1521.vii&rgn=div9 https://www.grants.gov/forms/r-r-family.html

(12) Data Management Plan.

Consistent with NIST Policy 5700.004, Managing Public Access to Results of

Federally Funded Research, and NIST Order 5701.005, Managing Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research”, applicants must include a Data Management Plan (DMP).

All applications for activities that will generate scientific data using NIST funding are required to adhere to a DMP or explain why data sharing and/or preservation are not within the scope of the project. For the purposes of the DMP, NIST adopted the definition of “research data” at 2 C.F.R. § 200.315(e)(3).

The DMP must include, at a minimum, a summary of proposed activities that are expected to generate data; a summary of the types of data expected to be generated by the identified activities; a plan for storage and maintenance of the data expected to be generated by the identified activities, including after the end of the award’s period of performance; and a plan describing whether and how data generated by the identified activities will be reviewed and made available to the public.

A template for the DMP, an example DMP, and the rubric against which the DMP will be evaluated for sufficiency is available at https://www.nist.gov/open. An applicant is not required to use the template as long as the DMP contains the required information.

If an application stands a reasonable chance of being funded and the DMP is determined during the review process to be insufficient, the program office may reach out to the applicant to resolve deficiencies in the DMP. If an award is issued prior to the deficiencies being fully rectified, the award will include a Specific Award Condition (SAC) stating that no research activities shall be initiated or costs incurred for those activities under the award until the NIST Grants Officer amends the award to indicate the SAC has been satisfied.

Reasonable costs for data preservation and access may be included in the application.

(13) 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

4 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/19/final_p_5700.pdf 5 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/11/08/final_o_5701_ver_2.pdf https://www.nist.gov/open https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/19/final_p_5700.pdf https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/11/08/final_o_5701_ver_2.pdf 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.

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.

Item IV.2.A.(5), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, is an optional application form which is part of the standard application package in Grants.gov. If item IV.2.A.(5), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form is applicable to this proposal, attach it to field 18 of the SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance.

Item IV.2.A.(6), the Project Narrative, should be attached to field 8 (Project Narrative) of the Research and Related Other Project Information form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

Item IV.2.A.(8), the Budget Narrative and Justification, should be attached to field L (Budget Justification) of the Research and Related Budget (Total Fed + Total Non- Fed) form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

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

Items IV.2.A.(7), Resumes, IV.2.A.(9), the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, IV.2.A.(12), the Data Management Plan, and IV.2.A.(13), the Current and Pending Support Form, must be completed and attached by clicking on “Add Attachments” found in item 12 (Other Attachments) of the Research and Related Other Project Information form.

Item IV.2.A.(11), Letters of Commitment, if applicable to the submission, should be attached by clicking on “Add Attachments” found in item 12 (Other Attachments) of the Research and Related Other Project Information form.

Item IV.2.A.(10), the Subaward Budget Form(s), if applicable to the submission, should be attached to the Research & Related Subaward Budget (Total Fed + Non- Fed) Attachment(s) Form in the application package.

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

Applicants are strongly advised to use Grants.gov’s “Download Submitted Forms and Applications” option to check that their application’s required attachments were contained in their submission.

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

If the directions found at https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.h tm 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. 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.

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=Applicants%2FCheckApplicationStatus%2FCheckApplicationStatus.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=Applicants%2FCheckApplicationStatus%2FCheckApplicationStatus.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm mailto:support@grants.gov

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

NIST.

NIST uses the Tracking Numbers assigned by Grants.gov and does not issue Agency Tracking Numbers.

C. Application Format

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

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

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

(4) Page limit. The Project Narrative is limited to twenty (20) pages double spaced.

(5) Page limit exclusions:

• SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance;

• Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed);

• CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

• Research and Related Other Project Information;

• SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

• Table of Contents;

• Executive Summary;

• Resume(s) of 1 page per person;

• Budget Narrative and Justification;

• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

• Subaward Budget Form;

• Letters of Commitment;

• Data Management Plan;

• Current and Pending Support Form.

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

http://go.usa.gov/cjamz

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

(8) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.

(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 CFR part 25, applicants and recipients are required to: (i) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency, unless otherwise excepted from these requirements pursuant to 2 CFR § 25.110. NIST will not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time that NIST is ready to make a federal award pursuant to this NOFO, NIST may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

4. Intergovernmental Review.

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

5. How to Submit an Application.

A. Applications must be submitted via 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-MFGUSA-RACER-01 announcement, contact the Grants.gov help desk at 800-518-4726.

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

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

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

B. Amendments: Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through

Grants.gov.

V. Application Review Information

1. Evaluation Criteria.

NIST will use the following criteria in evaluating applications and assigning scores, with a maximum score of 100. The four criteria below will be weighted equally (maximum of 25 points each). Reviewers will evaluate:

A. Project – Rationale: The extent to which the proposal identifies appropriate areas of focus; aligns with the institute(s) mission(s); enhances the U.S. advanced manufacturing infrastructure; and advances discovery and understanding of, or improves the Nation’s ability to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus by supporting research, development, or testbed activities.

B. Project Plan and Execution – Merit: The coherence (conception and organization) of the applicant institute’s approach. Identifies clear project goals, objectives, and deliverables that are specific, measurable, achievable, and trackable, and the extent to which the application effectively addresses national advanced manufacturing needs issues that are relevant to the national response to prepare, prevent, and respond to coronavirus, including but not limited to, those described in Section I.2.

of this NOFO.

C. Project Impact, Outcomes, and Dissemination: The likelihood that the proposed project will make a substantial contribution to the national efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic through research, development, and testbed activities. A clear methodology for identifying and analyzing project outcomes as well as plans to track the outcomes.

D. Project Management, Resources, Budget:

i. The extent to which the management structure promotes collaboration across the project team.

ii. The extent to which applicant identifies clearly defined roles for the team and how their skills align to the project goals.

iii. The extent to the applicant institute and project team have access to the necessary facilities and expertise to accomplish the project objectives.

iv. An assessment of the budget against the proposed scope of work to ascertain the reasonableness of the request. The extent to which the budget provides a clear picture of all expenditures involved in carrying out a project at the sub-project and subrecipient level (as appropriate).

2. Review and Selection Process

Proposals, reports, documents and other information related to applications submitted to NIST…