2023-NIST-TIPC-01 NOFO.pdf

2023-NIST-TIPC-01

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Training for Improving Plastics Circularity (TIPC) Grant Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

● Funding Opportunity Title: Training for Improving Plastics Circularity (TIPC) Grant Program

● Announcement Type: Initial

● Funding Opportunity Number: 2023-NIST-TIPC-01

● Assistance Listing (CFDA Number): 11.620: Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach

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

Eastern Time, July 17, 2023. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered.

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

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

NIST expects to complete its review, selection of successful applicants, and award processing by November 2023. NIST expects the earliest start date for awards under this NOFO to be December 2023.

● Application Submission Address: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov. Paper applications will not be accepted.

● Funding Opportunity Description: The NIST Training for Improving Plastics Circularity (TIPC) Grant Program seeks to advance the development of coursework and hands-on training resources in polymer measurement methods, manufacturing, and systems thinking that will promote a skilled workforce to support expansion and increased scale of circular domestic plastics industries.

The Program will support academic coursework development and implementation at the associates or bachelors’ level or the development of a continuing education program for an existing workforce, related purchases and installation of equipment, and/or possible training experiences to help promote the development of a skilled and distributed workforce focused on the growing field of circular plastics.

https://beta.sam.gov/fal/a24f60b44abc44218006815b71311ada/view?index=cfda&sort=-relevance&page=1&keywords=11.620&cfda_published_date_filter_model=%7B%22dateRange%22:%7B%22startDate%22:%22%22,%22endDate%22:%22%22%7D%7D&cfda_modified_date_filter_model=%7B%22dateRange%22:%7B%22startDate%22:%22%22,%22endDate%22:%22%22%7D%7D&date_filter_index=0&inactive_filter_values=false https://beta.sam.gov/fal/a24f60b44abc44218006815b71311ada/view?index=cfda&sort=-relevance&page=1&keywords=11.620&cfda_published_date_filter_model=%7B%22dateRange%22:%7B%22startDate%22:%22%22,%22endDate%22:%22%22%7D%7D&cfda_modified_date_filter_model=%7B%22dateRange%22:%7B%22startDate%22:%22%22,%22endDate%22:%22%22%7D%7D&date_filter_index=0&inactive_filter_values=false https://www.grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023

● Anticipated Amounts: In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), NIST anticipates funding four (4) awards for approximately $500,000 each, in total, with a project performance period of up to three (3) years.

● Funding Instrument: GRANT

● Eligibility: Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs) or non-profit organizations located in the United States or its territories. An eligible IHE applicant may work individually or include proposed sub-awards or contracts with others, such as non-profits or commercial organizations, in a project application, effectively forming a team or consortium. Although Federal entities are not eligible to receive funding under this NOFO, they may participate as unfunded collaborators. NIST seeks to collaborate with a wide range of organizations and encourages minority-serving institutions of higher education to apply.

● Cost Sharing Requirements: Non-federal cost share IS NOT required.

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

VI. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

VII. Other Information

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

The statutory authority for the NIST TIPC Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. §§ 272(b)(4) and (c)(3).

Overview.

In response to the converging challenges of disruptions in traditional handling of plastics recycling waste, and growing concerns with mismanaged plastic waste, NIST is interested in assisting U.S. industry in making systemic changes to the full plastics lifecycle through the more circular manufacture and use of polymeric materials. In this notice, NIST seeks applications for development of educational programs that strengthen and enhance the technical measurement and characterization skills of a workforce prepared to support expansion of and innovation in polymers that enable reduced use, increased recovery, and/or increased recycling rates of polymeric materials through mechanical, chemical, or other routes. Applications should support programs that produce expertise tailored to the needs for U.S. innovation and industrial

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023 competitiveness in polymer circularity through materials design strategies, or technology and innovation in collection, sortation, and reprocessing that reduces plastic waste and promotes circular economy solutions through the full life cycle.

The goals of the circular economy include keeping plastic molecules (e.g. polymers, additives, etc.) inside the economy, producing value, and out of unwanted sinks such as the environment (air, land, and water). As such, keeping plastics inside the economy as efficiently as possible means developing technology and processes that minimize use and maximize recoverable material with the fewest losses (material, mass, and energy) possible. Improvements from our current, mostly linear, economy can come in the form of material or product design and manufacture, or in the ability to more efficiently recover, separate, and reprocess materials after consumer or industrial use. To complement innovation and scientific progress, a better appreciation of systems thinking, socio-economic factors, and manufacturing realities are critical to a well-prepared workforce.

The circular economy will require distributed collection and manufacturing capabilities and the availability of an extensive, distributed, and trained workforce that can develop approaches to optimize how plastics move through and feed back into the supply chain at many points.

The TIPC grant program will fund the development of associate’s or bachelor’s degree curriculum, or a continuing education program for the existing workforce, in areas where deeper understanding of fundamental measurement and characterization tools (molecular, morphological, structural, thermal, or mechanical, including virtual tools) of polymer science and engineering will prepare a future workforce to innovate on current processes and technology to reduce use and/or improve future recovery and reuse rates. Proposed programs may include a course, a unit or module, independent study projects, internships, student competitions or other curriculum elements. The prepared content is intended to reside primarily in science and engineering departments.

Collaboration with other departments, such as business, economics, statistics, design, and other complementary disciplines, or external collaborators such as industry partners or trade associations is strongly encouraged.

The proposed programs should incorporate state-of-the-art tools for measuring polymer properties (chemical or physical) in curriculum focused on challenges and opportunities in circularity. These can be any combination of physical and virtual instrumentation and capabilities that enable curriculum development and hands-on instruction.

Applications should connect fundamental polymer measurements to at least one of the following other contexts, skills or disciplines:

● Combining polymer metrology with multidisciplinary context-setting instruction (e.g., input from economics, statistics, public policy, business or environmental sciences, outside the classroom experiences, etc.), which connects fundamental measurements, data, and data quality to systems thinking.

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023

● Instruction in measurement and data that connects understanding of traditional structure-property relationships and/or manufacturing processes (including chemical and materials processes) to supply chain or marketplace challenges in polymer circularity.

● Inclusion of concepts in measurement benchmarking, error and uncertainty analysis, data reposing and Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data principles in the context of polymer circularity (e.g., systems thinking and evaluation of decision tools such as life cycle assessments).

● Context setting that extends to the relevance and roll of and opportunities for standards and reference materials to support competitiveness and innovation in circular solutions.

A critical factor in effective workforce training is the sustainability and transferability of training infrastructure. As such, it is important that applications consider and address the challenges associated with sustaining, advancing, and sharing an effective program.

Documentation, community engagement, and other forms of dissemination geared towards expanded adoption and long-term utility of concepts and tools is critical and should be a supported component of any successful application.

Activities involving researching a potential area for a project is not within the scope of the NIST TIPC program and will not be funded; ideas for curriculum projects should be fully developed prior to submitting an application for consideration. No projects involving the conduct of research, including research involving human subjects or live vertebrate animals, will be funded under this NOFO.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument The funding instrument that will be used is a Grant.

2. Multi-Year Funding Policy.

When a proposal for a multi-year award is approved, funding will usually be provided for only the first year of the program. If a project is selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the sole discretion of NIST. Continued funding will be contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance to the mission and priorities of NIST, and the availability of funds.

3. Funding Availability.

In FY24, NIST anticipates funding four (4) awards for up to $500,000 per award with a project performance period of [up to] (3) years.

4. Indirect (F&A) Costs. NIST will reimburse applicants for proposed indirect

(F&A) costs in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.414. Applicants proposing

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023 indirect (F&A) costs must follow the application requirements set forth in Section IV. of this NOFO.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs) or non-profit organizations located in the United States or its territories. An eligible IHE applicant may work individually or include proposed sub-awards or contracts with others, such as non-profits or commercial organizations, in a project application, effectively forming a team or consortium. Although Federal entities are not eligible to receive funding under this NOFO, they may participate as unfunded collaborators. NIST seeks to collaborate with a wide range of organizations and encourages minority-serving institutions of higher education to apply.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching funds ARE NOT required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

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-TIPC-01.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission. Set forth below are the required content and form of applications submitted pursuant to this NOFO.

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

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

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

For SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number 2023-NIST-TIPC- 01.

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

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023 registration.

(2) SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs.

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

a) The applicant should reflect each year of the project, up to three

(3) years, on the SF-424A form that appears as part of the mandatory forms in the Grants.gov application package.

b) In Section A, the Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 under Column (a) should be entered as Training for Improving Plastics Circularity or an abbreviation thereof. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number on Line 1 under Column (b) should be entered as “11.620”. The total budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in Section A, Line 1, Column (e).

c) Section B, Column (1) of the SF-424A should reflect costs for the first year of the award. Section B, Column (2) of the SF-424A should reflect costs for the second year of the award. Section B, Column (3) of the SF-424A should reflect costs for the third year of the award.

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

e) Section D requires a breakdown of the first year’s budget by quarter.

f) Section E requires the budget estimate of Federal funds needed for each year of the project. The budget estimate for the first year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (b).

The budget estimate for the second year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (c). The budget estimate for the third year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (d).

(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying.

Enter “2023-NIST-TIPC-01” in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application, or an abbreviation of that title, in the Project Name field.

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

(5) Project Narrative.

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023 twenty (20) pages (double-spaced between lines), which is responsive to the program description and the evaluation criteria.

The page limit includes: Cover Page; Table of Contents (if included);

Project Narrative (including Executive Summary) with all required information, including figures, graphs, tables, images, and pictures.

The projective narrative should contain the following information:

a. Executive Summary.

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

b. Project Approach and Project Execution Plan.

A detailed discussion of the applicant’s approach in planning for and in executing the proposed project consistent with the goals of this program (see Section I. of this NOFO). This section should provide a description of the proposed project plan and execution strategy sufficient to permit evaluation of the proposal.

c. Project Impacts and Evaluation.

A detailed discussion of the: (i) anticipated impacts of the proposed project; (ii) methodology for identifying and evaluating project outcomes; and (iii) dissemination of project learnings consistent with the goals of this program.

d. Qualifications.

A description of the qualifications of the key personnel, the time commitments of the key personnel, and how the project staff qualifications will enable them to complete the project work. This section should address the Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel and Resource Availability evaluation criterion.

e. Dissemination Plan.

A description of the applicant’s plan to sustain, replicate, or build upon approaches, methods, and models, including potential for adoption by other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities and/or non-profit organizations. The dissemination plan should also describe plans for broadly sharing project information and outcomes with relevant organizations, Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023 communities, or fields of practice through presentations, papers, professional journals, exhibits, conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibits, and/or trade shows, websites, or other appropriate media and forums that serve the community.

f. Resources Availability.

As a supplement to the letter of commitment and letter(s) of support, as described in Sections IV.2.a.(9) and (10) of this NOFO, this section should describe the applicant’s access to the infrastructure and expertise required to develop the curriculum and materials, as well as how the applicant intends to incorporate the project results into its curriculum.

(6) Resume(s) of Key Personnel.

Resumes for all key personnel assigned to the project must be provided.

Resumes are limited to two (2) pages per individual.

(7) Budget Narrative and Justification.

The Budget Narrative and Justification should describe and provide a justification of the proposed budget and explain how the resources requested will achieve the project objectives. This section will be evaluated under the Budget and Resources Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO).

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

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

The Budget Narrative does not count against the twenty (20) page limit of the Project Narrative.

This section will be evaluated 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 budget category is as follows:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306

Notice of Funding Opportunity

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

b) Fringe Benefits– Fringe benefits for each position should be identified separately from salaries and wages and based on rates determined by organizational policy. The items included in the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.) should not be charged under another cost category.

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

d) Equipment- Equipment is defined as an item of property that has an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more (unless the organization has established lower levels) and an expected service life of more than one year. 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.

e) Supplies– Supplies are defined as all tangible personal property other than that described as equipment. Provide a list of each supply, and the breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost for the completion of the proposed project.

f) Contractual (i.e. Contracts or Subawards)– Each contract or subaward should be treated as a separate item. Identify the cost and describe the services to be provided and the necessity of the subaward or contract to the successful performance of the

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023 proposed project. Contracts are for obtaining goods and services for the Non-Federal Entity’s own use and creates a procurement relationship with the contractor. A subaward is for the purpose of carrying out a portion of a Federal award and creates a Federal assistance relationship with the subrecipient.

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

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

i) Indirect 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. The justification should include a cost calculation that reflects the applicable indirect cost rate. For more details, see Section IV.2.a.(8) of this NOFO.

(8) 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 may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) in which case a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement is not required. Applicants proposing a 10 percent de minimis rate pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as part of the budget 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.

(9) Letters of Support.

https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023

A letter from leadership within the applicant’s organization is required to demonstrate the extent to which the applicant has the overall support necessary to accomplish project goals and the organization’s intent to incorporate the project results into curriculum, which will be evaluated under the Budget and Resource Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO). Letters of Support are not included in the page count of the Project Narrative.

(10) Letters of Commitment.

Letters of commitment from other organizations who will collaborate on the project, especially industry and/or IHEs or non-profits which plan to integrate the proposed curricula into their programs may also be submitted. Letters of Commitment will be evaluated under the Budget and Resource Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO) but are not included in the page count of the Project Narrative.

(11) Current and Pending Support Form.

Any application that includes investigators, researchers, and key personnel must identify all sources of current and potential funding, including this proposal. Any current project support (e.g., Federal, state, local, public or private foundations, etc.) must be listed on this form. The proposed project and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the Principal Investigator (PI), co-PI, and key personnel must be included, even if no salary support is received. The total award amount for the entire award period covered, including indirect costs, must be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the project, regardless of the source of support. Similar information must be provided for all proposals already submitted or that are being submitted concurrently to other potential funders.

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

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

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.

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023

Items IV.2.a.(5) through IV.2.a.(11) should be attached to field 15 of the SF-424 form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

Following these directions will create zip files which permit transmittal of the documents electronically via Grants.gov.

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

Applicants are strongly advised to use Grants.gov’s “Download Submitted Forms and Applications” option 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) Paper, Email, and Facsimile (fax) Submissions. Will not be accepted.

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

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

(3) Font. Easy to read font (10-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in figures and tables but must be clearly legible.

(4) Page Limit. The Project Narrative is limited to twenty (20) pages double-spaced, and includes Cover Page; Table of Contents (if included); Project Narrative (including Executive Summary). Resumes and Budget Narratives and Justifications are not included in the page count of the Project Narrative (see Section IV.5). However, if resumes are included, resumes must be a maximum of two (2) pages each.

(5) Page Limit Exclusions:

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance;

SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs;

CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

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

Resumes;

Resource Availability;

Budget Narrative and Justification;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

Letters of Support;

Letters of Commitment;

Current and Pending Support Form.

(6) Page Layout. The Proposal must be in portrait orientation.

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

(8) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.

(9) Application language. 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

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023 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.

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

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

4. Submission Dates and Times Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, July 17, 2023. NIST will consider the date and time recorded by Grants.gov as the official submission time. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Paper applications will not be accepted.

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

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

When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all applicants are required to have current registrations in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process in the SAM.gov generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than three weeks; and 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 the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not current at the time of the award.

Notice of Funding Opportunity March 17, 2023

5. Intergovernmental Review Applications submitted by State and local governments are subject to Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” pursuant to which each State designates an entity to coordinate, and review proposed federal financial assistance and direct federal development. All other applicants should consult the Intergovernmental Review State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to determine whether the application is subject to State review pursuant to E.O. 12372. The current SPOC List may be found here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf

6. Funding Restrictions Construction activities are not an allowable cost under this program. 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. Applications for product development and/or commercialization are not considered responsive to this

NOFO.

7. Other Submission Requirements

a. Applications must be submitted at Grants.gov. Paper applications will not be accepted.

(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 2023-NIST-TIPC-01 announcement, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 800-518-4726.

b. Amendments. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through Grants.gov. Applicants may sign up on Grants.gov to receive amendments by e-mail or may request copies by e-mail from grants@nist.gov.

V. Application Review Information

1. Evaluation Criteria.

The evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating applications and their assigned weights are as follows:

a. Technical Project Approach and Methodology.

Reviewers will evaluate the following subcategories for a total of 0-50 points:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf

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(1) The technical merit of the project and the extent to which the project and approach supports, advances, or integrates content on polymer design, manufacture and end of life challenges and solutions for improved circularity into associate’s or bachelor’s courses, modules, seminars, internships, a continuing education program, or other out of classroom experiences, and learning resources, including approaches, methods, and models that can be sustained, replicated and/or built upon by the applicant and by other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities. This also includes assessing the usefulness and effectiveness of the project with respect to educating undergraduate students and/or employees in the existing relevant workforce about polymer circularity. (0-25 points)

(2) The completeness, appropriateness, quality, and reasonableness of the detailed project narrative to implement the project, including a plan to manage the project tasks and work of all project staff; final deliverables and measurable performance objectives; key interim outputs reflecting the performance objectives; milestones and timelines; short-term and potential long-term impacts; the intended audience; and an evaluation plan for the new curricula developed under this award. This also includes the extent to which the proposed methodology of program management is likely to ensure effective operations and oversight and meet program goals and objectives.

(0-25 points)

b. Dissemination Plan.

Reviewers will evaluate the following subcategories for a total of 0-25 points:

(1) The extent to which the proposed Dissemination Plan demonstrates how the proposed approaches, methods, and models can be sustained, replicated and/or built upon by other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities and/or other non-profit organizations. (0-10 points)

(2) The extent to which the proposed Dissemination Plan enables broadly sharing project information and outcomes with relevant organizations, communities, or fields of practice through presentations, papers, news releases, newsletters, professional journals, exhibits, conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibits and trade shows, websites, and other appropriate media and forums that serve the academic community. (0-10 points)

(3) The quality and completeness of the approach to implement the Dissemination Plan. (0-5 points)

c. Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel.

Reviewers will evaluate the following subcategories for a total of 0-15 points:

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(1) Relevant qualifications and experience of key personnel and their knowledge of the current state, impact, and nature of polymer design, manufacturing and end of life processes and technologies, and education activities. (0-5 points)

(2) The demonstrated ability of the key personnel to collaborate with diverse stakeholders (e.g., subject matter experts, curricula development professionals, industry, etc.) to successfully complete the project. (0-5 points)

(3) Experience in curricula development. (0-5 points)

d. Budget and Resources Availability.

Reviewers will evaluate the following for a total of 0-10 points:

(1) The extent to which the applicant has demonstrated overall support necessary to successfully achieve the project goals, including the applicant’s intent to incorporate the proposed project results into curriculum and access to necessary infrastructure and expertise to develop the curriculum materials.

This includes assessing the appropriateness of proposed resources in relation to the project’s scope. (0-4 points)

(2) The extent to which the letter of commitment and any letter(s) of support (see Sections IV.2.a.(9) and (10) of this NOFO), indicate a commitment to the project and demonstrate relevance to the project scope. (0-2 points)

(3) The appropriateness and cost effectiveness of the proposed budget to carry out the objectives of the project as described in Section I. of this NOFO.

(0-4 points)

2. Selection Factors.

The Selecting Official shall generally select awards in rank order as described in section V.6 of this NOFO, but selections made out of rank order will be justified based upon any of the following Selection Factors:

a. The availability of funding.

b. Whether the project duplicates other projects funded by NIST or other

Federal agencies.

c. Alignment with the NOFO objectives and NIST priorities; and

d. Diversity among award recipients (e.g. regional, topical, etc.).

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3. Review and Selection Process.

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

a. Initial Administrative Review of Applications.

Applications received by the deadline will be reviewed to determine eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness to this NOFO and to the scope of the stated program objectives. Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or nonresponsive may be eliminated from further review. However, NIST, in its sole discretion, may continue the review process for an application that is missing non-substantive information, the absence of which may easily be rectified during the review process.

b. Full Review of Eligible, Complete, and Responsive Applications.

Applications that are determined to be eligible, complete, and responsive will proceed for full reviews in accordance with the review and selection process below:

(1) Merit Review.

At least three (3) independent, objective reviewers, who may be Federal employees or non-Federal personnel, with appropriate professional and technical expertise relating to the topics covered in this NOFO, will evaluate and score each eligible, complete, and responsive application based on the evaluation criteria. While every application will have at least three (3) reviewers, applications may have more than three (3) reviewers if specialized expertise is needed to evaluate an application. During the review process, the reviewers may discuss the applications with each other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, not a consensus. Based on the numerical average of the reviewers’ scores, a rank order will be prepared and provided to the Selecting Official for further consideration.

(2) Selection.

The Selecting Official, who is the MML Executive Officer, or designee, will make final award recommendations to the NIST Grants Officer.

The Selecting Official shall generally select and recommend the most meritorious applications for an award based upon the rank order of the applications. The Selecting Official retains the discretion to select and recommend an application out of rank order based on one or more of the Selection Factors.

NIST reserves the right to negotiate the budget costs with any applicant selected to receive an award, which may include requesting that the applicant removes certain costs. Additionally, NIST may request that successful applicants modify objectives or work plans and provide supplemental information required by the agency prior to award. NIST also reserves the right to reject an application where information is uncovered that raises a reasonable doubt as to the responsibility of the applicant. NIST may select some, all, or none of the applications, or part(s) of any application. The final approval of selected applications and issuance of awards will be by the NIST Grants Officer. The award decisions of the NIST Grants Officer are final.

c. Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants. After applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the NIST Grants Management Division (GMD) performs pre-award risk assessments in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.206, which may include a review of the financial stability of an applicant, the quality of the applicant’s management systems, the history of performance, and/or the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities.

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

4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Date Review of applications, selection of successful applicants, and award processing is expected to be completed by November 2023. The earliest start date for awards under this NOFO is expected to be December 2023.

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5. Additional Information

a. Safety. Safety is a top priority at NIST. Employees and affiliates of award recipients who conduct project work at NIST will be expected to be safety-conscious, to attend NIST safety training, and to comply with all NIST safety policies and procedures, and with all applicable terms of their guest research agreement.

b. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by e-mail and will have the opportunity to receive a debriefing after the opportunity is officially closed. Applicants must request within 10 business days of the email notification to receive a debrief from the program office. The program office will then work with the unsuccessful applicant in arranging a date and time of the debrief.

c. Retention of Unsuccessful Applications. Unsuccessful applications will be retained in accordance with the General Record Schedule 1.2/021.

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

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

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements. Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted 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.

b. Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. The Department of Commerce will apply to each award in this program, the Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions in effect on the date of award. The current version, dated November 12, 2020, is accessible at Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Grant Rules and Regulations, if you need more information.

c. Pre-Award Notification Requirements. The Department of Commerce will apply the Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements dated December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390. Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Grant Rules and Regulations, for more information.

https://www.archives.gov/files/records-mgmt/grs/grs01-2.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIII/part-1327 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 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.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf

d. Funding Availability and Limitation of Liability. Funding for the program listed in this NOFO is contingent upon the availability of appropriations. NIST or the Department of Commerce will not be responsible for application preparation costs, including but not limited to if this program fails to receive funding or is cancelled because of agency priorities. Publication of this NOFO does not oblige NIST or the Department of Commerce to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.

e. Collaborations with NIST Employees.

All applications should include a description of any work proposed to be performed by an entity other than the applicant, and the cost of such work should ordinarily be included in the budget.