31310021K0002 - Amendment #01.pdf

March 22, 2021

SUBJECT: Funding Opportunity Announcement No.: 31310021K0002, Amendment #01

Dear Applicants:

Pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977, as amended, and the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) hereby issues the above referenced Funding Opportunity Announcement for the program titled, “Research and Development Grant, Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.”

This FOA was released on March 15, 2021 and applications are due on May 14, 2021 (no change). It is anticipated that this FOA will result in the award of multiple grants. This is a three (3) year program with no extensions. Research and development funds may be requested up to $500,000.00 total costs (direct costs and facilities and administrative costs) for the project period.

This amendment #01 makes the following changes:

1. Incorporate cover letter as an attachment to the FOA posted on March 15, 2021.

2. On page 18, Revise Section 1 – Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (SBCR) Compliance (Promote non-discrimination in NRC assisted programs and activities is replaced in its entirety:

4. Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (SBCR) Compliance (Promote non-discrimination in NRC assisted programs and activities

Before a grant award can be made, a domestic applicant organization must complete the NRC SBCR pre-award compliance review. (See Section IV.5.) Organizations must certify compliance in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L.

88352, as amended), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112, as amended), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-318, as amended), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (P.L. 94-135), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age.

3. On page 2, Eligible Institutions revise this section in its entirety to read as follows:

Eligible Institutions:

See Section III, 1. for eligible institutions. Please note, in the context of this document, the term “institution” is used synonymously with the term “recipient;” however, in the case of a teaming arrangement or consortium, only the lead university is the recipient.

4. On page 6, 2.B Citizenship Requirement revise in its entirety to read as follows:

2.B. Citizenship Requirement

All students and supported faculty must be United States citizens or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal verification of such status) at the time of the grant application and for the full term of the grant. Noncitizen nationals are persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island). Students and supported faculty must have full-time status at the recipient institution. Individuals on temporary or student visas, as well as refugees and asylees, are not eligible and are not permitted to participate in the grant on a voluntary, non-paid basis.

COMPLIANCE WITH U.S. IMMIGRATION LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Grant recipients are responsible to ensure that their foreign personnel (including PIs or Co-PIs) are not in violation of United States immigration laws and regulations, including employment authorization documents and visa requirements. Each recipient of funds under this award must be lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of the grant application and for the duration of the grant period, as evidenced by Permanent Resident Form I-551 (Green Card) or must present other evidence from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that employment will not affect his/her immigration status. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provides information to grant recipients to help them understand the employment eligibility verification process for non-US citizens. This information can be found on their website, http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis.

The NRC reserves the right to take any number of administrative actions (e.g., disallow costs, termination) should the recipient violate its responsibility under this clause.

Applicants shall include a certification statement regarding compliance with the Citizenship Requirement of this announcement. For non-citizen PIs/researchers, documentation of lawful admittance to the United States shall be provided in the grant application.

5. On page 20-21, Non-discrimination, revise the last paragraph to read as follows:

Applicants must ensure that individuals selected as beneficiaries of support under this grant meet the legal requirements consistent with Supreme Court Decisions including Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, Gratz v. Bollinger, and Grutter v.

Bollinger.

All Other Terms and Conditions Remain Unchanged.

Sincerely yours, M’Lita Carr

Assistance Agreement Officer Acquisition Management Division http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis