Second Posting of Questions & Answers as of 17 June 2020 - FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2020-0004.docx

FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2020-0004 Posted 17 JUNE 2020

Second Posting of Questions & Answers (Received before the deadline of 29 JUNE 2020)

A1: Collaborators are allowed to work with more than one applicant and thus aren't restricted from participating in more than one whitepaper. However, please note one of the evaluation criterion is, “The Applicant’s and Collaborator’s qualifications, ability to perform the proposed work, and the overall management approach." It is expected that collaborators serve as a vital component of the proposed team and commit to providing time for research collaboration and mentorship throughout the entire process.

A2: You would not be eligible to apply as a PI. Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI) must be a full-time faculty member who has never served as a PI on a prior DoD-funded award. You have served as a PI on a DoD DURIP award and thus are not eligible. Collaborator/co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) must be an investigator who will provide mentorship to the Applicant and has served as a PI on a DoD-funded research award actively between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020. If your DURIP award was active between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020 you are eligible to apply as a collaborator.

A3: Thank you for the interest. Based on what you’ve identified and per the eligibility criteria in the FOA, the faculty member in question would not be eligible to apply to this particular announcement, but they are encouraged to review the additional funding opportunities posted throughout the year on the AFOSR, ARO, and ONR sites.

The websites are:

AFOSR: http://www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/afosr ARO: https://www.arl.army.mil/business/broad-agency-announcements/ ONR: https://www.onr.navy.mil/en/work-with-us/funding-opportunities

A4: The Office of Naval Research is part of the Department of Defense. The Collaborator/co-Principal Investigator (co-PI), is an investigator who will provide mentorship to the Applicant and has served as a PI on a DoD-funded research award actively between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020. If you were listed as the PI on an ONR award that was/is active in the timeframe listed above then you would be eligible as a Collaborator under the DEPSCoR FOA.

A5: No, that does not constitute a disqualifying Conflict of Interest.

A6: The Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI), must be a full-time faculty member who has never served as a PI on a prior DoD-funded award. The Collaborator/co-Principal Investigator (co-PI), must provide mentorship to the Applicant and has served as a PI on a DoD-funded research award actively between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020. Serving as a co-PI on a MURI award would not fulfill the eligibility requirement for the collaborator under this DEPSCoR FOA.

A7: If the DARPA YIP awardee served as a PI on a DoD-funded research award actively between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020, and their IHE is located in an eligible State/Territory as listed in the FOA, they are eligible to apply as a “Collaborator/Co-Principal Investigator” and to provide mentorship to an Applicant.

If the full time faculty member has never served as a PI on a prior DoD-funded award, and their IHE is located in an eligible State/Territory as listed in the FOA, they are eligible to apply as an “Applicant”.

The subject partnership would be eligible to apply as per the terms of the FOA.

a) For the SF424 (R&R), I see there is a space to upload a 20. PRE-APPLICATION. If the full proposal follows the white paper, would I attach the white paper as the pre-application? Or is this unnecessary when submitting the full proposal?

b) For the SF424 (R&R), I see there is a space to upload a 21. COVER LETTER ATTACHMENT. I cannot find the term "cover letter" in the FOA. However, I do see the term "cover page" mentioned. Is it necessary to upload a cover page when submitting the full proposal? For the full proposal, page 39 of the FOA indicates "The SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal assistance form must be your cover page."

c) I see there are numerous required attachments that must be submitted with the required forms. There are descriptions regarding the content to be included. However, I do not see specific forms to complete. Is each attachment created outside of Grants.gov and uploaded as a PDF? The attachments include:

--Project Narrative Attachment Form --Budget Justification --Biographical Sketch --Current & Pending Support --Project Summary/Abstract --Project Narrative --Bibliography & References Cited --Facilities & Other Resources --Equipment

d) If the various attachments are created outside of Grants.gov, do they all need to follow the proposal format requirements related to the paper size, margins, spacing, font etc. (outlined on page 41 of the FOA)?

e) Page 45 of the FOA describes the Publicly Releasable Project Abstract Summary and indicates "You must mark the abstract publicly releasable." I am uncertain what it means to "mark the abstract." Is it sufficient to include a statement indicating the abstract is publicly releasable?

A8:

a) Block 20 is where you can upload the email sent to you if you’re invited to submit a full proposal. There would be no need to attach the white paper since we’d already have a copy.

b) The SF 424 Application form is the cover page. There is no requirement to upload a cover letter attachment.

c) Project Narrative Attachment Form: This form attaches to Field 8 of the R&R Other Project Information Form as per the table on pg. 40 of the FOA. The Project Narrative Attachment Form is where you add the Project Narrative file.

Budget Justification: This supporting narrative is created outside of Grants.gov and is uploaded as a PDF. Pg. 49 of the FOA provides further instruction.

Biographical Sketch & Current & Pending Support: This is created outside of Grants.gov and is uploaded as a PDF. Pg. 48 of the FOA provides further instruction.

Project Summary / Abstract: This is created outside of Grants.gov and is uploaded as a PDF to Field 7 of the R&R Other Project Information Form as per the table on pg. 40 of the FOA. Pg. 45 of the FOA provides further instruction.

Project Narrative: This is created outside of Grants.gov and uploaded as a PDF to the Project Narrative Attachment Form. Pg. 46 of the FOA identifies what elements are required to be addressed in the Project Narrative.

Bibliography & References Cited: This is created outside of Grants.gov and uploaded as a PDF to field 9 of the R&R Other Project Information Form as per the table on pg. 40 of the FOA.

Facilities & Other Resources: This is created outside of Grants.gov and uploaded as a PDF to field 10 of the R&R Other Project Information Form if you need to supplement your Project Narrative facilities and resources section.

Equipment: This is created outside of Grants.gov and uploaded as a PDF to field 11 of the R&R Other Project Information Form if you want to supplement your budget justification with an equipment justification.

d) Yes, the proposal format applies.

e) Yes, that is sufficient. Mark the abstract means to put a statement on your abstract saying it’s publicly releasable.