2023-NIST-MFGUSA-WEAVE-01.pdf

Manufacturing USA Workforce, Education and Vibrant Ecosystems (WEAVE) Public Service Awards

Notice of Funding Opportunity August 2, 2023

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Manufacturing USA Workforce, Education and Vibrant Ecosystems (WEAVE)

Public Service Awards

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

• Funding Opportunity Title: Manufacturing USA Workforce, Education and Vibrant Ecosystems (WEAVE) Public Service Awards

• Announcement Type: Initial

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2023-NIST-MFGUSA-WEAVE-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 Daylight Time, on October 2, 2023. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding by NIST.

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.

Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed. Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not current at the time of the award.

• Application Submission Address: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov. Applications submitted by postal mail, electronic mail or facsimile will not be accepted.

• Funding Opportunity Description: Through this Workforce, Education, and Vibrant Ecosystems (WEAVE) funding opportunity, NIST invites eligible Manufacturing USA institutes to propose high-impact public service projects to support vibrant and inclusive advanced manufacturing ecosystems that promote domestic production of institute-developed advanced manufacturing technologies and equitable access to good jobs.

https://www.grants.gov/

Service Awards

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates making available a total of $11 million in federal funding through this competition and expects to fund between three to six awards. Individual awards may be up to $3.5 million in federal funding. The period of performance for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO is up to two years.

• Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement.

• Eligibility: Eligibility for this program is limited to current Manufacturing USA institutes at the time of proposal submission and at the time of award (should an award be issued). The Manufacturing USA institutes1 eligible to submit applications under this funding opportunity are: AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, CESMII, CyManII, EPIXC, IACMI, LIFT, MxD, NextFlex, NIIMBL, PowerAmerica, RAPID, & REMADE. No other entities are eligible to submit applications.

Importantly, applications for funding must be submitted by a partnership of two or more current Manufacturing USA Institutes. A Manufacturing USA Institute may only serve as the lead applicant on one application but may serve as a subrecipient or as an unfunded collaborator on other applications.

Also 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 pursuant to this program.

• Public Website, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Webinar:

NIST has a public website https://www.nist.gov/oam/funding-opportunities that provides a “Frequently Asked Questions” page, webinar registration, and other information pertaining to this Funding Opportunity. Applicants must submit all questions in writing to manufacturingusa@nist.gov with “FY2023 WEAVE Questions” in the subject line.

Webinar Information Session: NIST will hold an informational webinar on August 14, 2023, at 4:00pm (EST) to provide general information regarding this NOFO, offer general guidance on preparing applications, and offer the

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-recovery-racer-grant-programt mailto:manufacturingusa@nist.gov

Service Awards 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. 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 “WEAVE 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 authorities for the Manufacturing USA Workforce, Education, And Vibrant Ecosystems (WEAVE) funding opportunity are 15 U.S.C. § 278s(g), 15 U.S.C. § 272(b)(1), (4) and (c)(32), and 42 U.S.C. §§ 18971 - 72.

1. Program Overview

Manufacturing USA 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 research and development (R&D) infrastructure. Institutes within Manufacturing USA fill the gap between basic research and commercialization, accelerate non-Federal investment in advanced manufacturing production capacity in the U.S., and enable the commercial application of new technologies.

mailto:manufacturingusa@nist.gov

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As of May 2023, seventeen institutes participate in Manufacturing USA.

The Department of Commerce sponsors one institute (NIIMBL). The Department of Defense sponsors nine institutes (AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM Institute, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, LIFT, MxD, and NextFlex), and the Department of Energy sponsors seven institutes (CESMII, CyManII, EPIXC, IACMI, PowerAmerica, RAPID and REMADE) to date. The Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office housed within the Department of Commerce at NIST is tasked with coordinating the activities of the network.

The Manufacturing USA Strategic Plan2 outlines four strategic goals for the program that align with the statutory purposes and guide the interagency partnership:3

Goal 1: Increase the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing;

Goal 2: Facilitate the transition of innovative technologies into scalable, cost-effective, and high-performing domestic manufacturing capabilities;

Goal 3: Accelerate the development of an advanced manufacturing workforce; and

Goal 4: Promote a network of institutes that build long-term support for and from their communities.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 directed funding to NIST for the Manufacturing USA Program to implement the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Division B of Public Law 117-167).

This WEAVE funding opportunity allows Manufacturing USA institutes to apply for special initiative funding to conduct projects that are in the national need and that are unlikely to be funded by the private sector to address provisions in Sections 10262, Expanding opportunities through the Manufacturing USA Program (codified in relevant part at 42 U.S.C. 18971) and 10263, Promoting domestic production of technologies developed under Manufacturing USA Program (codified in relevant part at 42 U.S.C.

18972) of Division B of Public Law 117-167.

This funding will allow Manufacturing USA institutes to extend ecosystem impacts by increasing engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, 2 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/sites/manufacturingusa.com/files/2021- 01/2019%20MfgUSA%20Strategic%20Plan%2011-10-2020.pdf 3 https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic- Plan-2018.pdf

Service Awards minority business enterprises and rural serving institutions of higher education, and by promoting domestic production of institute developed technologies.

Manufacturing USA institutes are public-private partnerships with the goal of integrating technology innovation and workforce development to foster economic growth in specific industry sectors. To succeed in meeting national competitiveness needs, Manufacturing USA institutes must succeed at maturing innovative technology for industrial readiness and prepare the advanced manufacturing workforce with skills needed to implement the innovation at industrial scale.

2. Manufacturing USA Public Service Funding Opportunities

Objective: Workforce, Education, and Vibrant Ecosystems (WEAVE) Awards will fund high-impact projects within the Manufacturing USA network to support vibrant and inclusive advanced manufacturing ecosystems that promote domestic production of institute-developed technologies and equitable access to good jobs.4 A vibrant eco-system delivers good technical and workforce outcomes for all stakeholders, including large and small employers, workers, research and training providers.

Focus areas: The two WEAVE focus areas identified below are aligned with the strategic goals and statutory purposes of Manufacturing USA. This initiative also specifically supports 42 U.S.C. 18971, Expanding opportunities through the Manufacturing USA Program and 42 U.S.C. 18972, Promoting domestic production of technologies developed under Manufacturing USA program.

Example projects are illustrative in nature and not to be considered an exhaustive list. All proposed projects within the scope of the focus areas below will be considered responsive to this NOFO.

Focus area 1) Partnerships amongst two or more Manufacturing USA institutes to build vibrant and inclusive ecosystems, through increased engagement with covered entities. As defined in 42 U.S.C. 18971(b), Covered Entities include: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribal Colleges and Universities; Minority Serving Institutions; a minority business enterprise (as such term is defined 15 C.F.R. 1400.2); or a rural-serving institution of higher education (as such term is defined in 20 U.S.C. 1161q).

4 e.g, jobs that adhere to the DOC/DOL good jobs principles: Good Jobs Principles (dol.gov) https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/goodjobs/Good-Jobs-Summit-Principles-Factsheet.pdf

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Error! Bookmark not defined.Error! Bookmark not defined.Examples of projects within this focus area include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborating with Covered Entities to design and launch sustainable national and/or regional sectoral partnerships5 that are inclusive of diverse communities, workers and employers, and connect all key stakeholders needed to train the skilled workforce for high-quality advanced manufacturing jobs.

• Coordinating focused workforce recruitment and training activities that leverage multi-institute networks to strengthen participation by Covered Entities;

• Developing and testing mechanisms that reduce barriers to participation by Covered Entities in institute technical and education and workforce development (EWD) activities or increase access to Manufacturing USA institute-developed resources, such as travel and housing stipends, institute mentors, or directed and sustained outreach;

• Integrating Manufacturing USA institute assets into Covered Entities to support growth of national advanced manufacturing innovation capabilities;

and/or;

• Developing, piloting, or expanding bootcamps, internships, Registered Apprenticeships, and sabbatical opportunities across Manufacturing USA institutes to engage Covered Entities in technical and EWD activities.

Focus area 2) Partnerships amongst two or more Institutes to pilot new or scale existing initiatives to promote the transition of institute-developed technologies into commercial use, Examples of projects within this focus area include, but are not limited to:

• Developing or maturing domestic supply chains or other enabling technologies to address barriers that limit scale up and commercialization;

• Piloting or expanding mechanisms that attract venture capital, showcase technology developed within institutes, and identify regional innovation ecosystems and workforces that can advance deployment of institute-developed technologies at scale;

5 A sectoral partnership for workforce development is a systems approach to that involves a public-private partnership of multiple employers within an industry, that brings together educational institutions, economic development agencies, workforce development systems, and labor, worker, and community organizations to identify and collaboratively meet the workforce needs of that industry within a given labor market.

Service Awards

• Developing industry blueprints to improve manufacturability, greater adoption, or environmental impact of new manufacturing technologies;

• Piloting and testing successful institute(s) developed EWD initiatives to provide hands-on training on industry relevant specialized equipment, including the skills needed to operate and maintain the equipment safely and securely; and/or;

• Building multi-institute networks and partnerships to design forward looking credentialling programs, pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships, career & technical education programs, community & technical college programs and four-year degree institutions for advanced manufacturing technicians that incorporate institute-developed technologies.

In forming partnerships and project teams across Manufacturing USA institutes, NIST encourages outreach to, recruitment of, and engagement with diverse stakeholders to maximize the extent of geographicError! Bookmark not defined. and institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion Error! Bookmark not defined.among project participants.

Applicants proposing Education and Workforce Development activities should follow Department of Commerce best practices and guiding principles to ensure that projects are: led by employers and guided by community partners such as educational institutions, labor unions, community-based organizations, and economic development organizations, employ wraparound services, increase educational and workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion, prioritize proven earn-and learn models like Registered Apprenticeships, lead to industry-recognized credentials, and measure and evaluate outcomes.6

NIST also encourages applicants proposing EWD activities to incorporate sectoral partnerships as mechanisms to increase effectiveness, and to engage with the sectoral partnerships and other efforts being undertaken as part of the Investing in America (IIA) Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint.7

NIST further encourages applicants to review the resources available through the MEP National Network at https://nist.gov/mep, particularly for connecting applicants with potential subrecipients, contractors, or other collaborators. The NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network is comprised of NIST/MEP federal staff located at the NIST Gaithersburg campus, 51 MEP Centers

6 https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/goodjobs/Good-Jobs-Summit-Principles-Factsheet.pdf 7 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/16/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-strategies-to-train-and-connect-american-workers-to-jobs-created-by-the-presidents-investing-in-america-agenda/ https://www.nist.gov/mep https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/goodjobs/Good-Jobs-Summit-Principles-Factsheet.pdf

Service Awards located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and over 1,450 trusted advisors and experts at more than 430 MEP service locations.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument The funding instrument that will be used is a cooperative agreement. The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient organization in developing and implementing the approved scope of work, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.01.

2. Funding Availability In FY2023, NIST anticipates making available a total of $11 million in federal funding through this competition and expects to fund three to six awards. Individual awards may be up to $3.5 million in federal funds. The period of performance for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO is up to two years. The Grants Officer may, on a post-award basis, extend the period of performance at no additional cost to NIST based on a request from a recipient. Project scope, goals, and teams should be commensurate with the requested funding amounts.

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

NOFO.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Eligibility for this program is limited to current Manufacturing USA institutes at the time of proposal submission and at the time of award (should an award be issued).

The Manufacturing USA institutes eligible to submit applications under this funding opportunity are: AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM Institute, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, CESMII, CyManII, EPIXC, IACMI, LIFT, MxD, NextFlex, NIIMBL, PowerAmerica, RAPID, & REMADE. No other entities are eligible to submit applications.

Importantly, applications for funding must be submitted by a partnership of two or more current Manufacturing USA Institutes. An applicant Institute may only serve as the lead applicant on one application but may serve as a subrecipient or as an unfunded collaborator on other applications.

Service Awards

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 or cost matching funds are 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 and will not be considered for funding.

Profit or fee is not an allowable cost under this program. Accordingly, a recipient or a subrecipient may not charge profits, fees, or other increments above cost to an award issued pursuant to this NOFO. Construction activities are not authorized under this program.

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

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 2023-NIST-MFGUSA-WEAVE-01.

2. Content and Format of Application Submission

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

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

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

For SF-424 (R&R), Items 5, 14, and 19, use the Zip Code + 4 format (##### - ####) when addresses are called for.

SF-424 (R&R), Item 18. If the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying

Service Awards

Activities form (item (6) below) is applicable, attach it to field 18.

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

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. Applicants should note that the budget should include estimated travel costs for project leads to attend two in-person Manufacturing USA network meetings in the Washington, DC area, as directed in the ‘Project Management, Resources, and Budget’ section of the Project Narrative guidance (Section 6) for this NOFO.

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, as 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

Service Awards well as at the NIST Grants Management Division SF-424 Research & Related (R&R) Application Package Guidance.

(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying.

Enter “2023-NIST-MFGUSA-WEAVE-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 Narrative (item (6) below), Resume(s) or CV(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) single-spaced pages, which is responsive to the program description and to the evaluation criteria. Proposers should note that there is no penalty for submitting less than the maximum of 20 pages, provided that all information is included with sufficient detail to allow evaluation of merit.

The Projective Narrative should contain the following information:

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

Service Awards

• Executive Summary. An executive summary of the proposed project consistent with the objectives, requirements, and priorities of this program, including which of the two WEAVE focus areas the project will address. 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 as part of a press release, or for other public information and outreach purposes. Applicants are advised not to incorporate information that concerns business trade secrets or other confidential commercial or financial information as part of the executive summary. See also 15 CFR § 4.9(c) concerning the designation of business information by the applicant.

• Project – Rationale. The applicant should provide sufficient information to understand the rationale, scope, and purpose of the proposed project. It should answer questions such as:

What is the national need that the project will address? Why is now the right time and why are the project partners best positioned to meet this need? How does the project build on the technological expertise of the institutes? How will the project’s scope of work serve the WEAVE objectives within the focus area(s) chosen? Who benefits from this project, do the beneficiaries agree to that shared vision, and what is the evidence that the project will generate that benefit? Can existing relationships be leveraged for quicker path to success or do new relationships need to be established? Why is the private sector unlikely to fund this work?

This section should identify how this project will complement or contribute to the missions of the partnering institutes.

Where appropriate, identify similar regional, national, or technical efforts and identify the uniqueness or complementary nature of the proposed project to those other

Service Awards efforts.

• Project Plan and Execution. Provide a clear framework for the proposed project that includes goals and objectives and details for how work within the project will be organized, conducted, and progress will be measured. The project plan should include a project timeline with identified major deliverables and appropriate milestones and go/no-go decision points. The plan should also include the accountable partners for deliverables and locations of work that will be conducted. A clear project plan is also required for any sub-projects identified, along with justification for how sub-projects contribute to the overarching project goals and objectives.

This section should also identify any potential risks to the success of the project and plans to mitigate those risks.

WEAVE awards require teaming among Manufacturing USA institutes to bring together key expertise, access to facilities, or specialized goods and services to create larger national or regional impact. Proposers should clearly present what each partnering organization brings to the project and what each will do. The project plan should also identify key unfunded players required for the success of the project, and how participation of those entities will be assured. Letters of Commitment should be provided by proposed subrecipients and unfunded collaborators who will contribute resources to the project to confirm expected contributions to the project proposed (see Section IV.2.A.(10) of this NOFO).

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 desired collaborators outside the existing Manufacturing USA network.

• Project Impact, Outcomes, and Dissemination. This section should provide sufficient details on: (i) anticipated impacts of the proposed project to the nation, to the partnering institutes and intended beneficiaries; (ii) methodology for identifying, tracking and evaluating project outcomes aligned with the WEAVE objectives for the focus area(s) chosen, including key metrics for measuring outcomes and (iii) a plan for https://www.nist.gov/mep https://www.nist.gov/mep/centers

Service Awards dissemination of project results, including metrics for the effectiveness of that dissemination, as well as how the project impacts are projected to extend beyond the period of performance.

Applicants must provide details about approaches for sharing lessons learned and best practices resulting from the project, including with other institutes within the Manufacturing USA network and with other key stakeholders such as small and medium manufacturers (SMM) and covered entities as appropriate. Applicants must address the potential for the project to attract future financial support to sustain the project impact.

Letters of Support should be provided by partnering organizations who are expected to be beneficiaries of the project outcomes to express knowledge of the project and agreement that the approach will provide the intended benefits (see Section IV.2.A.(11) of this NOFO).

• Project Management, Resources, and Budget. This section should provide a description of project management structure, resources, including key personnel and access to specialized facilities, and project budget at sufficient detail to allow evaluation of these plans. Budgets for sub-projects conducted by sub-recipients should also include sufficient detail to permit evaluation of rationality. This section 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 will coordination be managed to ensure timeliness of project deliverables? Who is responsible for tracking progress and reporting impacts overall and for each project partner? Are project budgets aligned with the scope of work of the project and responsibilities of each partner?

The applicant should specify plans and timelines for achieving proper and efficient organization, staffing, infrastructure, and management needed to execute the project if these are not currently in place.

Service Awards

Applicants should demonstrate the relevance and cost effectiveness of the proposed project budget through the written budget narrative. The budget narrative should include estimated travel costs for the partnering institute project leads to attend two in-person Manufacturing USA network meetings in the Washington, DC area to share lessons-learned with other institutes and federal partners.

• 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, to the extent that they are known at the time of the application submission. The table should consist of an alphabetically ordered list, by organization, of all Funded Project Participants (including proposal team) and all Unfunded Informal Collaborators. The table should include the organization’s name, address, administrative role as applicant, subrecipient, or contractor for funded participants, or collaborator if they will not receive funding.

For funded participants, scope of work and proposed funding amount should be included in this table.

(7) Resume(s) or CV(s).

Resumes or CVs 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, however, the written justification should include the necessity and the basis for the cost, as described below. 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, which apply to awards in this program.

http://go.usa.gov/SBYh

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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.

This section will be evaluated in accordance with the Budget Narrative evaluation criteria [Section V.1.D]. 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 (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

Service Awards 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 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. Any items that do not meet the threshold for equipment can be included under the Materials and Supplies line item in Section F, Other Direct Costs.

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

Service Awards 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.

(Does not count towards page limit.) If indirect costs are included in the proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated agreement if this rate was negotiated with a cognizant Federal audit agency. If the rate was not established by a cognizant Federal audit agency, provide a statement to this effect. If the successful applicant includes indirect costs in the budget and has not established an indirect cost rate with a cognizant Federal audit agency, the applicant will be required to obtain such a rate in accordance with Section B.06 of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, dated 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 Part 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. Please be aware that Foreign applicants will be limited to use of the de minimis rate and will not have the opportunity to negotiate an indirect cost rate with NIST.

(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 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

Service Awards 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).

(12) Data Management Plan.

Consistent with NIST Policy 5700.008, Managing Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research, and NIST Order 5701.009, 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: Information for Applicants and Awardees. An applicant is not required to use the template as long as the DMP contains the required information.

8 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/19/final_p_5700.pdf 9 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/11/08/final_o_5701_ver_2.pdf https://www.nist.gov/open/information-awardees https://www.nist.gov/open/information-awardees 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

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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.

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

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-%20support https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-%20support

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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”.

Items IV.2.a.(7), Resume(s) or CV(s), IV.2.a.(9), the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, IV.2.a.(11) Letters of Commitment if applicable to the submission, 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.(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 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 http://www.grants.gov/

Service Awards 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 on the Grants.gov Online Help page 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 Track My Application page. 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) Submission: Applicants must submit electronic copies of proposals as specified above. 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.

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 mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/track-my-application.html

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(4) Page limit: The Project Narrative is limited to twenty (20) single-spaced pages, noting the limit of two (2) pages for the Executive Summary.

(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;

• Executive Summary – maximum of 2 pages;

• Resumes – maximum 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.

(7) Page size: 21.6 centimeters by…