2025-NIST-SCOCD-01.pdf

Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025

U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST, Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program, 2025-NIST-SCOCD-01

Funding Opportunity Description:

The Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SCO CD CAP) is seeking applications from eligible applicants for activities to develop undergraduate and/or graduate level curricula to incorporate documentary standards, standards development, and standardization information and content into seminars, modules, courses, and learning resources. The recipients will work with NIST to strengthen education and learning about documentary standards, standards development, and standardization.

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement.

Assistance Listing (CFDA Number):

11.620: Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach

Award Project Period: Project performance period of up to three (3) years.

Goals & Objectives: Recipients are expected to: 1) develop curriculum to educate students about documentary standards and standardization so that they enter the workforce and/or continue their studies with a strong understanding and appreciation for the value and benefits of standards and standardization; 2) develop sustainable approaches, methods, and models and demonstrate how the curriculum can be replicated and/or built upon by the recipient and other U.S. colleges and universities to support the integration of documentary standards and standardization content into curriculum; and

3) develop and implement a plan to broadly disseminate project information, results, and outcomes through internal and external outreach. See section 1.2.

Eligible Projects: Applicants may propose to develop undergraduate and/or graduate level curricula to incorporate documentary standards, standards development, and standardization information and content into seminars, modules, courses, and learning resources. Curriculum may be in any area that support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) https://sam.gov/fal/0fb1f34a3d7d4fdfb0efca83bb5590eb/view https://sam.gov/fal/0fb1f34a3d7d4fdfb0efca83bb5590eb/view

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 and/or other related disciplines such as law, public policy, business, and/or multi-disciplinary approaches. See section 1.2.

Eligible Applicants: Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs), as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001, located in the United States or its territories. See section III.1.

Funding Amount: In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), NIST anticipates funding up to 8 (eight) awards for up to $100,000 per award.

Cost Share/Matching Requirements:

Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO but are encouraged. See section III.2, it will be incorporated as a binding requirement in accordance with 2 CFR 200.1.

Estimated Number (can give a range) and Type of Award(s):

Three (3) to eight (8) awards as cooperative agreements.

Submission Dates and Times:

Full Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, April 14, 2025. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. NIST expects to complete its review, selection of successful applicants, and award processing by July 2025.

NIST expects the earliest start date for awards under this NOFO to be August 15, 2025.

How to Apply: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Review and Selection Process:

Applications received under this group competition by April 14, 2025, will be evaluated to determine if the requirements have been met for eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness to this NOFO and to the stated goals of the program. Applications meeting all the requirements will be independently evaluated by three objective reviewers with appropriate expertise who will score each application based on the criteria outlined in the NOFO. A rank will be assigned to each application based on the combined average reviewer scores. The Selecting Official may recommend three (3) to eight (8) applicants for funding to the NIST Grants Officer based upon the availability of funding, the rank order of the applications, and the Selection Factors included in the

NOFO.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2019-title20/pdf/USCODE-2019-title20-chap28-subchapI-partA-sec1001.pdf https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025

Agency Contacts: Programmatic and Technical Questions:

Mary Jo DiBernardo Standards Coordination Office 301-975-5503 scocdcap@nist.gov Grant Rules and Regulations:

Michael Teske NOFO@nist.gov with “2025-NIST-SCOCD-01” in the subject line.

Additional Information: On April 22, 2024, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published updates to the OMB Guidance for Grants and Agreements located in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), now called the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance. This updated OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (2 CFR) is effective for all awards issued by DOC/NIST on October 1st, 2024, or later. Applicants can find these recent revisions to 2 CFR here:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024- 07496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance.

When developing your submission timeline, please keep in mind that (1) all applicants are required to have current registrations in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (see Section IV.3. and Section IV.7.a.(1).(b). of this NOFO) generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than three weeks; and (3) applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages from Grants.gov over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its application. Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not current at the time of the award.

Public Website: NIST SCO CD CAP has a public website, that provides information pertaining to this Funding Opportunity. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through Grants.gov. Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Programmatic and Technical Questions if more information is needed.

mailto:NOFO@nist.go https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024-07496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024-07496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance https://www.nist.gov/curricula-grants

Table of Contents

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

The statutory authority for the NIST Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SCO CD CAP) is 15 U.S.C. §§ 272(b) and (c).

Program Description. NIST’s mission is to drive innovation and industrial competitiveness through measurement science. One component of this mission is NIST’s ongoing effort to develop a world-class pool of scientists and engineers to engage in NIST's measurement science and standards research, and to support the development of a general population that understands and appreciates measurement science and standards. NIST also seeks to collaborate with a wide range of organizations, including but not limited to minority-serving institutions such as Historically Black colleges and universities, as well as community colleges, in support of NIST's mission.

1) Background Information. The Standards Coordination Office (SCO) introduced the “Education Challenge Grants” program in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 to support the development of new learning resources and course modules integrating standards into the formal curriculum in business and engineering programs. The following year, the program was changed from a grants program to a cooperative agreement program, allowing SCO to work more closely with award recipients and to provide greater support to strengthen education and learning about standards and standardization. In 2023, the name of the program changed from the Standards Services Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SSCD CAP) to the Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SCO CD CAP).

2) Program Stipulations. The NIST SCO CD CAP is seeking applications from eligible applicants for activities to develop undergraduate and/or graduate level

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 curricula to incorporate documentary standards, standards development, and standardization information and content into seminars, modules, courses, and learning resources. For the purposes of this NOFO, the term “standard” includes all of the following: (i) common and repeated use of rules, conditions, guidelines or characteristics for products or related processes and production methods, and related management systems practices; (ii) the definition of terms;

classification of components; delineation of procedures; specification of dimensions, materials, performance, designs, or operations; measurement of quality and quantity in describing materials, processes, products, systems, services, or practices; test methods and sampling procedures; formats for information and communication exchange; or descriptions of fit and measurements of size or strength; and (iii) terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labeling requirements as they apply to a product, process, or production method. For the purposes of this NOFO, the term “standard” does not include metrological standards (e.g., physical measurement standards, standard reference materials, etc.).

The recipients will work with NIST to strengthen education and learning about documentary standards, standards development, and standardization.

Recipients are expected to:

a. develop curriculum to educate undergraduate and/or graduate students about the impact and nature of documentary standards and standardization so that they enter the workforce and/or continue their academic studies with a strong understanding and appreciation for the value and benefits of standards and standardization;

b. develop sustainable approaches, methods, and models that can be replicated and/or built upon by the participating accredited IHE and other U.S. colleges and universities to support the integration of documentary standards and standardization content into undergraduate and/or graduate level curricula;

c. develop a Communication Plan to share project information, results, and outcomes within the participating accredited IHE and with other U.S. colleges and universities, including an action plan for internal and external outreach that will effectively demonstrate how the project outcomes may be replicated and/or built upon by the applicant and other educational programs at U.S.

colleges and universities;

d. broadly disseminate project information, results, and outcomes for public release with the applicant and other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities, and relevant educational communities or fields of practice through presentations, papers, news releases, newsletters, professional journals, exhibits, conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibits and trade

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 shows, websites, and other appropriate media and forums that serve the academic community;

e. participate in two (2) one-day workshops, which may be held virtually or in person. The first will be held in Q4 of 2025 and the other in Q4 of 2027 or 2028. Workshops held in person will take place at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Applicants should include travel-related expenses to participate at two in-person workshops in their proposed budgets (see Section IV.2.a.(6).c).

of this NOFO); and

f. write a Final Summary Paper of major accomplishments and conclusions, of approximately 10 pages in length that will describe the project and its importance, explain the original project goal, describe the project outcomes, describe how the work was evaluated, and report the findings and lessons learned through the activity, including a summary of the project’s suitability and potential for adoption in other educational organizations, communities, or fields of practice. The Final Summary Paper will be due to the Federal Program Officer within 45 days after the end of the project period. It must be in a publicly releasable format and must not contain any personal or proprietary information. See Section V.1.b.ii. and Section VI.3.a.(3) of this NOFO for more information about the Final Summary Paper.

Wherever possible, the results of the project should be published in such a way as to be generally available to the public. The NIST Standards Coordination Office may collaborate with recipients by reviewing any proposed publication prior to release and assisting in dissemination of the publication. See also Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (November 12, 2020), Section C.03., Intellectual Property Rights, and G.05.k.3., Publications, Videos and Acknowledgment of Sponsorship.

The following can be funded under this program:

● the design, testing, and evaluation of undergraduate and/or graduate curricula, course content and materials, courses or course modules, seminars, class assignments, student projects, and/or student participation in mock standards development activities and negotiations;

● standards curriculum in any area that support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and/or other related disciplines such as law, public policy, business, and/or multi-disciplinary approaches;1

● stipends for instructors who are not funded as key technical personnel but

1 Prospective applicants in the cybersecurity field should consider resources on the NIST National

Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Initiative webpage such as https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/nice-framework-resource-center/education-and-training-provider and https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/resources/online-learning-content.

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.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/nice-framework-resource-center/education-and-training-provider https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/nice-framework-resource-center/education-and-training-provider https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/resources/online-learning-content

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 are identified in the proposal as collaborators from other IHEs and have demonstrated a commitment through a Letter of Commitment from their department head or higher, to pilot and/or implement the curricula developed into undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum at their school;

● travel to implement the Communication and Dissemination Plan (see Section IV.2.a.(6).c. and Section V.1.b. of this NOFO); and

● help for the cost for students who assist instructors.

The following will not be funded under this program:

● activities involving researching an idea for a project, and the evaluation of the viability, necessity, or usefulness of a project; ideas for projects should be fully developed prior to submitting an application for consideration;

● education, such as certifications, training, or courses, for individuals proposed to participate in projects, as detailed in the project budget;

individuals must already have the necessary knowledge and expertise to successfully complete the project at the time the proposal for funding is submitted;

● activities involving K-12 education or workforce/industry education;

● food/beverage or catering;

● equipment and supplies categories in excess of $3,000 combined; and

● projects involving the conduct of research, including research involving human subjects or live vertebrate animals.

Awardees develop curricula that can be replicated and built upon by other IHEs;

before submitting an application, potential applicants should consider curricula developed by prior awardees under this program if there is or may be overlap in any of the content. A list of prior awardees, their projects, and contact information is available on the NIST website.

NIST anticipates that most costs will be incurred within the first eighteen (18) to twenty-four (24) months of the project to support project milestones, but funding will remain available for thirty-six (36) months to complete milestones and to support summarizing and reporting what was accomplished during the first eighteen (18) to twenty-four (24) months, including writing and disseminating a Final Summary Paper as described in Section I., Section V.1.b.ii. and Section VI.3.a.(3). of this NOFO. Applicants may propose a start date anytime between August 15, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

The most successful proposals: 1) are complete, meet all the criteria, and provide specific and detailed information where requested; 2) demonstrate a commitment from the applicant IHE to implement the curricula developed into coursework over the longer term; 3) include a well-qualified team to successfully implement the proposal, as needed (e.g. curricula development specialists;

evaluation expertise; online/distance learning specialists; video/editing services;

communications/public relations/marketing personnel to advise on developing https://www.nist.gov/standardsgov/nist-standards-services-curricula-development-cooperative-agreement-program-awardees

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 and implementing communication plans, dissemination efforts, and potential partnerships with other IHEs); 4) demonstrate a commitment from other IHEs who plan to incorporate the curricula into their classrooms and/or support the development and revision of the curricula; and 5) include collaborations with industry and community colleges that directly benefit undergraduate and/or graduate students.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument

The funding instrument that will be used is a Cooperative Agreement. Where cooperative agreements are used, the nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient organization in developing and implementing the approved scope of work, consistent with the definition of cooperative agreement in 2 CFR § 200.1.

2. Funding Availability.

In FY25, NIST anticipates funding up to 8 awards up to $100,000 per award with a project performance period of up to 3 years. The awards will be fully funded in the first year. Cost sharing funds are not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

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.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs), as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001, 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 and encourages applications from a wide range of organizations, including but not limited to community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and other accredited IHEs dedicated to serving students from underrepresented grantors. Additionally, applicants offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs are encouraged to collaborate with community colleges.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2019-title20/pdf/USCODE-2019-title20-chap28-subchapI-partA-sec1001.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025

2. Cost Sharing funds are not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO but are encouraged. If voluntary cost sharing is included in the proposal, it will become a binding requirement in accordance with 2 CFR 200.1. Non-federal cost sharing is that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal Government. The applicant’s share of expenses may include cash, services, and third-party in-kind contributions, as described at 2 CFR §200.306. The source and detailed rationale of the cost share, including cash, full- and part-time personnel, and in-kind donations, must be documented in the SF-424A and Budget Narrative and Justification submitted with the application and may be considered as part of the review under the evaluation criterion found in this NOFO. As with the Federal share, any proposed costs included as non- Federal cost sharing must be an allowable/eligible cost under this program and under the Federal cost principles set forth in 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E.

Non-federal cost sharing incorporated into the budget of an approved financial assistance award is subject to audit in the same general manner as Federal award funds. See 2 CFR part 200, Subpart F. For instructions on incorporating cost share into the SF-424A and the Budget Narrative and Justification, see Section IV. Application and Submission Information.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 2025-NIST-SCOCD-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 2025-NIST-

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 and Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity registration.

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

The budget should reflect anticipated Federal and 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 the first four (4) 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 11.620 Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach, 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 federal budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in Section A, Line 1, Column (e). The total non-federal budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in Section A, Line 1, Column (f).

c) Section B, Column (1) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs for each object class category, to include indirect charges, for the first year of the award. These costs should reflect the total Federal share plus non-Federal cost share for each category. Section B, Column (2) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs for each object class category, to include indirect charges, for the second year of the award. These costs should reflect the total Federal share plus non-Federal cost share for each category. Section B, Column (3) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs for each object class category, to include indirect charges, for the third year of the award. These costs should reflect the total Federal share plus non- Federal cost share for each category. Section B, Column (4) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs for each object class category, to include indirect charges, for the fourth year of the award. These costs should reflect the total Federal share plus non-Federal cost share for each category.

d) Section C may be blank since Non-Federal cost sharing is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO. However, applicants who wish to pledge voluntary cost share to the project must complete the following sections: for Column (b) enter resources provided by the applicant. If not applicable, leave blank.

For Column (c), enter resources provided by one or more States. If

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 not applicable, leave blank. For Column (d) enter resources provided by other sources (e.g., in-kind contribution, program income). If not applicable, leave blank.

e) Section D requires a breakdown of the first year’s Federal share and non-Federal share of the 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). And the budget estimate for the fourth year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (e).

(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2024-NIST- SCOCD-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) Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal is a word-processed document of no more than twelve (12) pages (single spaced between lines), which is responsive to the program description and the evaluation criteria.

The page limit includes: Cover Page and Executive Summary (not to exceed two (2) pages); and Technical Proposal, including table of contents, figures, graphs, tables, images, pictures, footnotes, and references (not to exceed ten (10) pages).

The Technical Proposal should contain the following information:

a. Cover Page and Executive Summary. The Cover Page and Executive Summary of the project should include: (1) the title of the project and the applicant institution’s name and addressal information; (2) the names, titles, mailing address(es), e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of all principal investigators; and

(3) includes an Executive Summary of the project consistent with the objectives, requirements, and priorities of this program (see Section I. of this NOFO) including the final project deliverables and 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 Cover Page and Executive Summary should not exceed two (2) pages. Additional

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 pages beyond the two (2) pages for the Cover Page and Executive Summary will not be considered during the evaluation of the application.

b. Project Approach and Project Execution Plan. A detailed Statement of Work (SOW), which includes a description of the project and approach to support, advance, and/or integrate content on documentary standards and standardization processes into undergraduate and/or graduate courses, modules, seminars, and learning resources. The description must include sustainable approaches, methods, and models that can be replicated and/or built upon by the participating accredited IHE and by other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities. A complete SOW must cover all aspects of the project, including: a project execution 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 anticipated long-term impacts; the intended audience; and an evaluation plan for the new curricula developed under this award. Additional pages beyond the ten (10) pages for the Project Approach and the Project Execution Plan will not be considered during the evaluation of the application.

This section should address all the elements described in the Technical Project Approach and Project Execution Plan Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.a. of this NOFO).

c. Communication and Dissemination Plan. A detailed Communication and Dissemination Plan to include the applicant’s approach to sharing project information, results, and outcomes, and how the proposed sustainable approaches, methods, and models will be replicated and/or built upon by the participating accredited IHE and by other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities, including details on how and when the plan will be implemented. The Communication and Dissemination Plan should include the applicant’s action plan for compiling and disseminating project results for public release in relevant media, literature and forums that serve the academic community, including a summary of major conclusions, in the form of a Final Summary Paper, as described in Section I., Section V.1.b.ii. and Section VI.3.a.(3). of this NOFO.

This section should address all the elements described in the Communication and Dissemination Plan Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.b. of this NOFO).

d. Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel. A description of the relevant qualifications and experience of at least two key personnel at the applicant IHE who will be assigned to carry out the objectives of the project including the time commitment to the project, and how their qualifications will enable them to complete the project work. Additional key personnel may be at the applicant IHE or other supporting IHEs and/or organizations.

This section should address all the elements in the Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.c. of this NOFO).

Resumes of Key Personnel assigned to the project must be provided. Resumes are not included in the page count of the Technical Proposal. Resumes are limited to two (2) pages per person and must be responsive to this NOFO. Additional pages beyond the two (2) pages per resume will not be considered during the evaluation of the application.

e. Resource Availability. A detailed description and demonstration of appropriate use of funds and cost effectiveness of the proposal, including overall support to accomplish project objectives; access to necessary infrastructure and expertise to provide in person and/or distance learning, as applicable; and the applicant’s intent to incorporate the project results into curriculum. Resources Availability should also be demonstrated through Letter(s) of Commitment, as described in Section IV.2.a.(5).f. of this NOFO, and a complete and detailed Budget Narrative as described in Section IV.2.a.(6). of this NOFO, including any voluntary cost share to the project.

Note that the Technical Proposal should be provided as a separate attachment instead of being combined in one (1) PDF with other required documents.

(6) Budget Narrative and Justification. 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

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 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 twelve (12) page limit of the Technical Proposal.

This section will be evaluated in accordance with the Resource Availability evaluation criteria. 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.

When cost share is included in the budget, the written justification must also identify the Federal and non-Federal portion of each cost, to include indirect costs, as applicable.

Information needed for each budget category is as follows:

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. Note there must be at least two key technical personnel from the applicant IHE.

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.

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025

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. The total budget for the equipment and/or supplies categories may not exceed $3,000 combined.

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. The total budget for the equipment and/or supplies categories may not exceed $3,000 combined.

f) Contractual (i.e. Contracts or Subawards)– Each contract or subaward should be treated as a separate item. Identify the cost and describe the services to be provided and the necessity of the subaward or contract to the successful performance of the proposed project. Contracts are for obtaining 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. Indirect costs should be included in the total amount of funding requested.

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025

(7) Letters of Commitment. Letters of Commitment of no more than two (2) pages each must be submitted by all proposed funded and unfunded entities that will have an active role in executing the activities outlined in the Technical Proposal including:

A Letter of Commitment signed by leadership within the applicant’s organization must demonstrate the organization’s intent to incorporate the project results into undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum and the extent to which the applicant has the overall support necessary to accomplish project objectives, consistent with the Resource Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO).

Letters of Commitment from other organizations who will collaborate on the project, especially industry and/or other IHEs who plan to integrate the proposed curricula into a program(s) and/or support the development and revision of the proposed curricula to benefit undergraduate and/or graduate students.

Letters of Commitment should address the level of participation, relevant qualifications (e.g., standards development experience and knowledge, curricula development experience, etc.) of the personnel who will be actively involved, and how successful completion of this project will positively impact undergraduate and/or graduate students. Letters of Commitment must also specify any voluntary committed cost share, including the specific services and/or products to be used in the project.

Letters of Commitment do not count against the page limit of the Technical Proposal.

Letters of Commitment will not be accepted from NIST or other federal personnel or elected officials. Letters of Commitment are not included in the page count of the Technical Proposal. Additional pages beyond the two (2) page per letter will not be considered during the evaluation of the application.

This section should address the relevant element on Letters of Commitment in the Resources Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d.ii 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

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 such a rate in accordance with Section B.06 of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, dated November 12, 2020.

Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that do not have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate except for those non-Federal entities described in appendix VII, paragraph D.1.b. of 2 CFR 200 may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC). Applicants proposing a 10 percent de minimis rate pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as part of the budget portion of the application. 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) 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.

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”.

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

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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.

(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 http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/track-my-application

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025 figures, graphs, images, or pictures will count toward the page limits for the Technical Proposal.

(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 Technical Proposal is limited to twelve (12) pages double-spaced, noting the limit of two (2) pages for the Cover Letter and Executive Summary. Resumes are not included in the page count of the Technical Proposal and must be no more than 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 of Key Personnel;

Budget Narrative and Justification;

Letters of Commitment;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

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 pages and/or missing documents once an application has been submitted.

Any revisions must be made by submission of a new application that must be received by NIST by the submission deadline.

e. Pre-Applications. Pre-applications will not be accepted under this NOFO.

Notice of Funding Opportunity January 14, 2025

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, April 14, 2025. 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.