DEPSCoR Webinar Questions and Answers.docx

Questions received during the DEPSCoR Informational Webinar on Tuesday, 21 July 2020

1. Will the slides be shared?

Yes, they are available on grants.gov under the related documents tab, https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326765 and also on the DEPSCoR section of the Basic Research Office website under News, https://basicresearch.defense.gov/Pilots/DEPSCoR-Defense-Established-Program-to-Stimulate-Competitive-Research/. They have also been sent to all webinar registrants.

2. Can the co-PI (mentor) be from a non DEPSCoR state, e.g. California with whom I have an established collaboration?

Both the PI and co-PI must be from DEPSCoR eligible jurisdictions. Slide # 6 of the presentation displays the FY20-eligible states, these jurisdictions are also listed on page 32 of the funding opportunity announcement.

3. Do we have the eligible jurisdictions?

See answer 2 above.

4. Does the 'white paper questions' deadline of 29 June 2020 prevent the recommended fleshing out of a proposal with the PO going forward?

No. It is recommended you reach out to POs beforehand. The funding opportunity announcement has been amended to remove this deadline to ask questions.

5. Is the PI eligible if the PI has a DoD proposal accepted but the award has not started yet?

If they are identified as being a PI during the period between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020, they are only eligible to serve as a co-PI/Collaborator.

6. Is the PI eligible if they are an associate scientist?

As per the employment requirement on pg. 33 of the DEPSCoR funding opportunity announcement, both the PI/Applicant and co-PI/Collaborator must hold a tenured or tenure-track position with their IHE, otherwise, the whitepaper must include a letter from their IHE stating that they’ll be considered for tenured or tenure-track position if they are currently holding a short-term appointment. You are not eligible to submit a white paper or proposal if you do not meet this requirement.

7. Someone who served as co-PI on past DOD grant, is eligible as PI or mentor?

Being a “Co-PI” or “sub PI” on a prior DoD funded awarded does not count as being a “PI” for the purposes of the DEPSCoR FOA.

You are eligible to apply as the PI/Applicant under the DEPSCoR FOA as long as you were NOT listed as the Principal Investigator on a previous DoD funded research award, and are a full-time faculty member in a tenured or tenure track position in a DEPSCoR eligible state/territory.

You are eligible to apply as the co-PI/Collaborator if you have served actively and been listed as a “PI” on a DoD-funded research award between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020, and are a full-time faculty member in a tenured or tenure track position in a DEPSCoR eligible state/territory. In this role a co-PI/Collaborator would provide mentorship to the PI/Applicant.

8. If a person is a PI, tenured faculty, on a subaward from DOD between 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2020, does it satisfy eligibility requirement for collaborator/co-PI role?

Being a “Co-PI” or “sub PI” on a prior DoD funded awarded does not count as being a “PI” for the purposes of the DEPSCoR FOA. The person must have been listed as the “PI” on the previous DoD-funded award, and be a full-time faculty member in a tenured or tenure track position in a DEPSCoR eligible state/territory to serve as a Collaborator/co-PI under the DEPSCoR FOA.

9. I submitted a white paper last year, and I was not invited to submit a full proposal, but the reviews that I received were 100% positive and encouraging. How do I know what to improve if I'd like to resubmit? Thanks!

Please speak with the appropriate program officer listed under the list of topics.

10. If the PI (an asst. professor) is a recent DOD awardee and served as a Co-PI, does that person require a mentor?

Please see the answer to question 7 above. If they have never served as a “PI” on a prior DoD-funded award and are applying in the PI/Applicant role, they require a co-PI/Collaborator as a mentor per the terms of the DEPSCoR FOA.

11. Approximately, how many white papers will be down-selected for a full proposal?

This is dependent on the quality of white papers received.

12. Is one registration for a whitepaper sufficient for a team, or do the PI and Co-PI have to register separately

A single registration/application is required. The whitepaper should be submitted by the Applicant. If invited to submit a full proposal, the full proposal should be submitted through the Applicant’s IHE using grants.gov.

13. How many full proposals invited would be selected?

We anticipate 12 awards up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years in the form of a grant.

14. What if the PO doesn't respond when the proposed concept is fleshed out?

If you are having trouble initiating contact, please contact the DEPSCoR Program Manager, Jennifer Becker.

15. If your research aligns with the program of a DoD program officer who was not listed on the previous slide, can you still apply with a proposal responsive to that program officer's program?

Only the topics listed in the DEPSCoR FOA are accepting topics for this specific DEPSCoR funding opportunity, however, there are other funding opportunities open at all times from the services. To obtain information on how to apply to other program funding opportunities not listed in the DEPSCoR webinar slides or FOA, review the Broad Agency Announcements and Funding Opportunity Announcements specific to each service on their websites here:

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

16. This opportunity is closed now yes? Since it is past June?

No, the 29 June 2020 deadline was established as a cutoff date for the submittal of questions regarding white paper and supporting documentation. This cutoff date has since been amended on the FOA to remove the deadline to ask questions.

The registration deadline for AcquTrak is 14 September 2020, and the submission deadline for whitepapers is 21 September 2020.

17. How do we locate the list of who to contact for each thrust area?

This is available on page 8 of the funding announcement, contact details are located at the end of each topic description.

18. What percentage of the proposed research can be done by the co-PI?

The funding opportunity announcement states that at least 50% of the funding must go to the PI/Applicant (reference pg. 7 and pg. 57). The remainder of proposed costs and how they are allocated to the Co-PI/Collaborator and any other participating institutions or parties is at the team’s discretion.

19. Can the co-PI be a researcher at a DoD research lab?

No. Eligibility is limited to institutes of higher education within DEPSCoR eligible states.

20. Could you confirm the white paper deadline?

The AcquTrak registration deadline is by 14 September 2020, followed by the White Paper and Supporting Documentation submission on the AcquTrak website by 21 September 2020. Reference the Key Dates and Schedule of Events table on pg. 3 of the funding opportunity announcement.

21. If the PI has had DURIP funding (which funds equipment only, but not research), does that disqualify eligibility?

If the DURIP was active between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020 and they were listed as the PI on the award, then they would not be eligible to apply as the Applicant/PI for the DEPSCoR opportunity but they may serve as the co-PI/Collaborator.

22. The grant currently only applies to tenured or tenure-track faculty members. Will you consider extending it to contract faculty members? Universities are more and more giving contract positions to new faculty and the contract is indefinitely renewable.

This is worthy of discussion for future program years, but the requirement for both the PI and co-PI to be tenured or tenure-track remains for the current DEPSCoR funding opportunity announcement.

23. Can the co-PI be from a National Lab?

No. Eligibility is limited to institutes of higher education within DEPSCoR eligible states.

24. How much time commitment from the co-PI is expected?

The co-PI is expected to be an integral part of the team, providing research contribution and mentorship.

25. Is it possible to have other collaborators receiving funding other than the main co-PI required for the submission?

Yes, as long as the collaboration and the respective roles are described in both the proposal text and the budget. The intent behind the DEPSCoR program is that they be from DEPSCoR eligible states, however, exceptions would be considered if the research requires it. The bulk of the work must be performed by researchers in DEPSCoR eligible states. Any funding to support research outside a DEPSCoR eligible state should be a very small component of the overall work and the proposal must clearly articulate how this contribution is absolutely critical to the success of the project. As per the evaluation criteria on pg. 57 of the FOA, the Applicant/PI must receive greater than 50% of the funding.

26. Is the AcquTrak registration a single one for our Office of Sponsored Programs or is it required for each PI submitting a white paper?

Required for each PI.

27. By "past grants" do you mean only DEPSCoR past grants? Or some other military branch grants?

Any DoD-funded research award active between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020.

28. I am working with a center in my university that received funding from DoD. Am I eligible?

If you served as a PI on a DoD-funded award between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020, and your IHE is located in a DEPSCoR eligible State/Territory, and you are a full time faculty member in a tenured or tenure track position, then you are eligible to serve in the co-PI/Collaborator role.

If you have never served as a ”PI” on a prior DoD-funded award, and your IHE is located in a DEPSCoR eligible State/Territory, and you are a full time faculty member in a tenured or tenure track position, then you are eligible to serve in the Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI) role.

29. Can the PI and Co-PI be from two different Universities of two different DEPSCoR States or Territories?

Yes.

30. I think you said the program would get $12 million and there would be 12 awards, so, average $1 million per award. Is that right?

No. We anticipate awarding up to $7.2 million in total funding on 12 awards up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years in the form of a grant.

31. Could you describe the review process for white papers and full proposals?

Evaluation criteria and the review/selection process are outlined on pgs. 57 - 59 of the FOA.

The services will each review and evaluate white papers in their topic areas, recommending selections to the OUSD Research Office. The OUSD Research Office will then decide which white papers will receive an invitation to submit a full proposal. When full proposal submissions are received, the services will then review and evaluate proposals in their topic areas, recommending selections to the OUSD Research Office for award. The OUSD Research Office will then decide which 12 will be selected for DEPSCoR award funding.

32. Can a "mentor" be on two different proposals?

Yes. The co-PI/Collaborator is allowed to work with more than one PI/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.

33. Was the 29 June 2020 deadline applicable to contacting POs? When I contacted a PO to get feedback on a white paper, they responded that they could not respond since the deadline was past.

The 29 June 2020 deadline was established as a cutoff date for the submittal of questions regarding white paper and supporting documentation. This cutoff date has since been amended on the FOA to remove the deadline to ask questions. The DEPSCoR team has communicated with program officers that they can still speak with interested parties regarding whitepaper ideas.

34. Is there any travel funding opportunities to attend the outreach meetings?

There is no separate funding availability exclusively for travel. Such expenses may be included in your proposal.

35. What is the funding range?

We anticipate awarding up to $7.2 million in total funding on 12 awards up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years in the form of a grant.

36. If you were awarded a DURIP award as a PI in 2020 (but the funds have not yet arrived), would you still be eligible to apply for this opportunity?

If the DURIP award is active between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020, and you were listed as the PI on the award, then you would no longer be eligible to apply as the Applicant/PI for the DEPSCoR opportunity but you may serve as the co-PI/Collaborator.

37. How are the "regional outreach meetings" related to DEPSCoR white paper/proposal? Must specific plans to participate in these meetings be fleshed out in the proposal documents?

They are not related. The regional outreach meetings provide an opportunity to learn about the entire DEPSCoR program as well as other DoD funding opportunities and to engage directly with program officers.

38. Is a co-PI/mentor disqualified if he/she is not tenured, but is still a permanent faculty member?

Per the employment requirement on pg. 33 of the DEPSCoR funding opportunity announcement you must include a letter from your institution stating that you will be considered for a tenured or tenure-track position to be eligible.

39. Can you please provide a slide with the program directors/officers?

This is listed on slide 10 of the FY20 DEPSCoR Webinar presentation and also on page 8 of the FOA, contact details are located at the end of each topic description.

40. I asked the PO about my topic, but he said that he cannot discuss it anymore after 29 June 2020. Is this the case?

See the response to question 33 above.

41. Does the mentor also need to register in the system?

No, only the PI needs to register on the AcquTrak system.

42. But, can one have collaborative partners from national labs? So that person could not be a PI or Co-PI, but can they be on the grant proposal as a collaborator? So, higher education PI and national lab partner?

Yes, as long as the collaboration and the respective roles are described in both the proposal text and the budget. The intent behind the DEPSCoR program is that they be from DEPSCoR eligible states, however, exceptions would be considered if the research requires it. The bulk of the work must be performed by researchers in DEPSCoR eligible states. Any funding to support research outside a DEPSCoR eligible state should be a very small component of the overall work and the proposal must clearly articulate how this contribution is absolutely critical to the success of the project.

43. Can emeritus faculty be considered as a possible co-PI? Such mentorship could still prove valuable.

No. The requirement for both the PI and co-PI to be tenured or tenure-track remains for the current DEPSCoR funding opportunity announcement.

44. Should the Co-PI have a prior experience and funding from the same DOD program that the PI is applying?

This is not required. Experience within the DoD research ecosystem is required though. 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. They must also be located in a DEPSCoR eligible State/Territory and be a full time faculty member in a tenured or tenure track position.

45. Is there a database of prior DOD awards that can be used to identify potential mentors?

The Defense Technical Information Center is a good resource for identifying prior DoD awards and potential mentors. Their website is https://discover.dtic.mil/. From the DTIC landing page select the “View DTIC Public Collections” link. Then select the DoD Grant Awards website link https://dodgrantawards.dtic.mil/grants/#/home. Users have reported receiving the error message, “This Connection is Not Private: This website may be impersonating “dodgrantawards.dtic.mil” to steal your personal or financial information. You should go back to the previous page.” It’s a valid website address. To work around this error Users select “Show Details” on this error message which gives the option to “visit this website” in a hyperlink. Selecting the hyperlink will then load the public DoD Grant Awards website which has a search function available to researchers by awarding office, project title, award abstract, etc.

46. I submitted a white paper last year on AcquTrak, do I need to register again this year?

Yes.

47. Can the Co-PI be someone who works for a University in a staff role (rather than faculty) that formerly worked for the DoD (Navy, in my case) and had research proposals funded through that former job through the DoD?

No. As per the employment requirement on pg. 33 of the DEPSCoR FOA, both the PI/Applicant and co-PI/Collaborator must hold a tenured or tenure-track position with their IHE, otherwise, your white paper must include a letter from your IHE stating that you will be considered for tenured or tenure-track position if you currently hold a short-term appointment. You are not eligible to submit a white paper or proposal if you do not meet this requirement.

48. So, can collaborators be students? If the co-PI and PI are major folks and funding flows to them, can they work with and fund PhD or MA students for the work that is proposed and funded?

Yes, such collaboration and lab work are encouraged as a core tenet of the program.

49. Is there any guidance regarding the budget portion of the PI and co-PI in the proposal?

The PI must receive at least 50% of the funding, the funding structure beyond that is up to the team.

50. What is the average budget and length of award? What start date would be appropriate

We anticipate awarding up to $7.2 million in total funding on 12 awards up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years in the form of a grant. Approximate start date is early summer 2021.

51. Can a PI submit more than one application under this FOA?

No. As per pg. 7 of the FOA the Applicant/PI is permitted to submit only one DEPSCoR white paper under this FOA. Each white paper is permitted a single Applicant/PI and a single Collaborator/co-PI.

The Collaborator/co-PI is allowed to work with more than one Applicant/PI though and 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 the Collaborator/co-PI serve as a vital component of the proposed team and commit to providing time for research collaboration and mentorship throughout the entire process.

52. Where can we find the proposal call/template files for THRUST 1: COLLABORATIVE DEPSCOR COMPETITION?

Please refer to the FOA. White paper requirements begin on page 37. Full proposal instructions begin on page 39.

53. The FOA requires at least 50% funding to the PI/Applicant. I believe funding for a graduate student can be requested. If funding for a graduate student is requested, would that count under the 50% of funding for the PI/Applicant or not? (Does it depend on whether the student is supervised by the PI?)

If the graduate student is supervised by the PI/Applicant, that counts towards the PI/Applicant’s allocation under the award.

54. Will you provide a link to the presented slides?

See the response to question 1 above.

55. How should the Co-PI highlight his/her mentorship role in the proposal rather than being listed as a Co-PI?

This is up to the discretion of the proposer. The co-PI should provide some degree of mentorship.

56. Since there are more than 12 topics, some topics may go unfunded, correct?

We anticipate awarding up to $7.2 million in total funding on 12 awards up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years in the form of a grant under the DEPSCoR FOA. Yes, some topics could go unfunded under the DEPSCoR FOA but it’s really dependent on the quality of the proposals submitted. The services could choose to fund a project independently with their funds, which are a separate pool of funds than those available under DEPSCoR.

57. Will DEPSCoR support the YIP proposals submitted from eligible states?

No, this portion of the program has been removed this year, however you are still encouraged to pursue YIP funding directly from the services.

58. Can you give us an idea of the funding rate (accepted whitepaper/ submissions and funded proposal/submitted proposals)?

Last year the DEPSCoR FOA stated it anticipated $3.6 million in total funding would be available for the program to fund approximately six (6) awards up to $600,000 (total cost) each. With each award funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years in the form of a grant. The topic areas were inclusive of all the technical research areas outlined in the Services broad agency announcements. For last year’s DEPSCoR announcement more than 200 white paper submissions were received, reviewed, and carefully evaluated by subject-matter experts in the Tri-Services before 18 were selected under the DEPSCoR FOA to submit full proposals, which resulted in the six (6) DEPSCoR funded proposals.

For this year’s DEPSCoR FOA the topic areas have been narrowed down from all the technical research areas outlined in the Services broad agency announcements to focusing on 15 topic areas. Additionally, its anticipated $7.2 million in total funding will be available this year for the DEPSCoR program to fund 12 awards versus the 6 awards and $3.6 million available last year.

59. I'm sorry but can you clarify how a Mentor comes to be? I'm confused between Mentor and PI. They can be the same, but don't have to be?

Applicant/PI’s need to identify a mentor to serve in the Collaborator/co-PI role on their own. The Defense Technical Information Center website (https://discover.dtic.mil/) is a good resource for identifying prior DoD awards and potential mentors. Please refer to question 45 for further guidance on this website. Also, discussing the proposed research with the Program Officer could identify networking leads.

As per the DEPSCoR FOA, the Collaborator/co-PI role is responsible for providing mentorship to the Applicant/PI based on their knowledge and experience of the DoD research ecosystem. The Applicant/PI must be someone who has never served as a PI on a prior DoD-funded award and thus could benefit from the experience and mentorship of the Collaborator/co-PI.

60. Can you briefly introduce the review/selection process? Will an outside panel review be performed?

See answer 31 above.

61. When will the AcquPass system be available?

The AcquTrack system is fully functional: https://acqupass.noblis.org/ApplyDEPSCoR

62. As we are actively applying for funding from DOD, is there any specific date to define "never served as the PI"? Is 30 September 2020 the date to define "never served as the PI"?

If you have applied for funding, but were not selected or have not heard back, you retain your eligibility to serve as a PI. If you receive notice that you have been selected for an award where you will serve as a PI between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020, then you would no longer be eligible to serve as PI under the DEPSCoR FOA.

63. Are we limited to the topics listed in here? Or, can we extend submissions to the other service topics/POs not listed?

Only the topics listed in the DEPSCoR FOA are available for this specific funding opportunity. If your research does not fit one of the 15 topics listed, please look to other funding opportunity announcements directly from ARO, AFOSR, and ONR on their websites here:

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

64. Can a non-tenured faculty member be a mentor of a tenured faculty member?

Both the PI and co-PI must be tenured or tenure-track per the employment requirement on pg. 33 of the DEPSCoR FOA. Otherwise, your white paper must include a letter from your IHE stating that you will be considered for a tenured or tenure-track position if you currently hold a short-term appointment. You are not eligible to submit a white paper or proposal if you do not meet this requirement.

65. Is there a way to hook up with folks who are experienced at this to learn and collaborate if we are not familiar with DOD processes? What do you suggest for networking to find people who want to propose but may need my skill set? Likewise if I have good ideas would the Program Officer be able to suggest people to me? Please suggest how an individual might start to engage this system to know enough to put together a good proposal. Thank you.

We recommend discussing your ideas with the program officers who can help you network, as well as reviewing the Defense Technical Information Center (https://discover.dtic.mil/) as a resource for identifying prior DoD awards and potential mentors. Please refer to question 45 for further guidance on this website.

66. Is $600K for direct cost only or direct & indirect cost?

$600,000 is the maximum total cost, inclusive of direct and indirect costs.

67. Is there any restriction in purchasing experimental instrument from the $600K mentioned?

Equipment is an allowable cost. Please review page 49 of the FOA.

68. Can you clarify what exactly "extra mural" means? Is it a single definition word or is Dr. Poree using it specifically for her needs?

When we refer to intramural we mean DoD laboratories and centers. Extramural means outside those DoD labs to include academia.

69. Fundamental research but not blue sky, right? It should be RELATED and support likely applications, yes?

DEPSCoR is not risk-averse, but proposals must demonstrate feasibility.

70. What if no clear response regarding your ideas is provided? How can we draw that out of the PM?

Ensure you read the topic areas listed in the Broad Agency Announcements, continue to ask specific and detailed questions, be prepared to succinctly articulate your research idea including the fundamental research questions you are going to address and how your approach is unique and has the potential to advance the field.

71. Could any of the presenters comment on the perspective of the PO/PM? What is their incentive, how are they evaluated? Why would they be interested in funding someone over someone else? Thank you!

AFOSR looks for the best research, technical acumen of the proposal provided, the depth of science, the potential for success, as well as tolerance for risk if outstanding outcomes are possible.

72. How do DoD research centers select the external reviewer? Do you recommend to send the emails with CV to program officers for volunteering the reviewer panels like NSF do?

For the DEPSCoR FOA, reviewers are within the services and the OUSD Basic Research Office. For other funding opportunities from the services there may be external reviewers who are identified from the program officers’ networks. No recommendations are necessary as the panel and peer review process is distinct from NSF.

73. When thinking through the scale and scope of an individual research project idea to propose, what is a realistic average range for dollar amount and performance period for an open BAA proposal submission?

This is typically outlined in the Broad Agency Announcement in the Federal Award Information section which will outline the maximum funding amounts per year and maximum total costs.

74. What form of feedback on full proposals can be expected?

This is up to the individual PO’s discretion. Please engage with the PO and express that you would appreciate actionable feedback.

75. What are the baseline pre-publication review/approval requirements for DoD funding of Basic Research? Are they different across offices (ARO vs. ONR vs. etc.)? Are they area/subject/idea specific?

There are no publication restrictions. Research areas of interest are listed on the ARO, AFOSR, and ONR websites here:

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

76. If this is basic research, I take it that this is 'fundamental research'; hence, no publication restrictions. Would non-US citizens be allowed to work on these projects?

Yes, there are no publication restrictions and non-US citizens are allowed to work on the projects.

77. Is there a preference for proposals where the co-PI has had funding from the same section (ONR/ ARO, etc.) for this DEPSCoR announcement?

No preference.

78. Can Collaborators be from non-DEPSCoR states?

Yes, as long as the collaboration and the respective roles are described in both the proposal text and the budget. The intent behind the DEPSCoR program is that they be from DEPSCoR eligible states, however, exceptions would be considered if the research requires it. The bulk of the work must be performed by researchers in DEPSCoR eligible states. Any funding to support research outside a DEPSCoR eligible state should be a very small component of the overall work and the proposal must clearly articulate how this contribution is absolutely critical to the success of the project.

DEPSCoR Informational Webinar Q&A’s