2020-NIST-SSCD-01.docx

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

NIST Standards Services Curricula Development (SSCD CAP) Cooperative Agreement Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

· Funding Opportunity Title: NIST Standards Services Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SSCD CAP)

· Announcement Type: Initial

· Funding Opportunity Number: 2020-NIST-SSCD-CAP-01

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

· Dates: Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday, June 15, 2020. 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 is expected to be closed for routine maintenance at the following times. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed:

From 12:01 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday To 6:00 A.M. Eastern Time Monday

NIST expects to complete its review, selection of successful applicants, and award processing by September 2020. NIST expects the earliest start date for awards under this NOFO to be September 2020.

Applicants are strongly urged to read Section IV.2.b. Attachment of Required Application Documents of this NOFO with great attention. Applicants should carefully follow the instructions and recommendations regarding attachments and use the Download Submitted Forms and Applications feature on www.grants.gov to check that all required attachments were contained in their submission. Applications submitted without the required documents will not pass the Initial Administrative Review, described in Section V.3.a. of this NOFO.

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 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 two weeks; and (3) applicants will receive e-mail notifications over a period of up to two business days as the application moves through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or rejection notification whether NIST has received the application. (See Grants.gov for full information on application and notification through Grants.gov). Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in SAM.gov is not current at the time of the award.

· Application Submission Address: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov.

· Funding Opportunity Description: The NIST Standards Services Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SSCD CAP) is seeking applications from eligible applicants to develop undergraduate and/or graduate level curricula to incorporate documentary standards[footnoteRef:2], 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. [2: 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.).

· Anticipated Amounts: In Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20), NIST anticipates funding up to eight (8) awards in the range of $25,000 to $75,000, with a project performance period of up to two years. The awards will be fully funded in the first year.

· Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement

· Eligibility: Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs) 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.

· Cost Sharing Requirements: Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

· Public Website: NIST SSCD CAP has a public website, https://www.nist.gov/curricula-grants, that provides information pertaining to this Funding Opportunity[footnoteRef:3]. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through Grants.gov. [3: Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Programmatic and Technical Questions, if more information is needed.]

Table of Contents

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

Program Description

1) Statutory Authority.

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

2) Background Information The Standards Coordination Office (SCO) Standards Services introduced the “Education Challenge Grants” program in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. The program began with a budget of $150,000; six grants were awarded to launch the program, supporting 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.

3) Overview

The NIST SSCD CAP Cooperative Agreement Program 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. 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 applicant and other educational programs at 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 with the applicant and other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities, including an action plan for internal and external outreach that will effectively demonstrate how the proposed project outcomes may be replicated and/or built upon by the applicant and other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities;

d. 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 shows, websites, and other appropriate media and forums that serve the academic community;

e. 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 must be in a publicly releasable form and must not contain any personal or proprietary information. See Section V.1.b.ii. and Section VI.3.a.(2) 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, dated April 30, 2019, Section C.03., Intellectual Property Rights, and G.05.k.3., Publications, Videos and Acknowledgment of Sponsorship, available at: Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions.

f. participate in two (2) one-day workshops at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland in the fall of 2020 and 2021 or 2022. Applicants should include travel-related expenses to participate in these events in their proposed budgets (see Sections IV.2.a.(2). and IV.2.a.(9).d). of this NOFO).

Funds can be used for the design, testing, and evaluation of undergraduate and/or graduate curricula, course content and materials, courses or course modules, seminars, class assignments, and/or student projects. Funds can also help cover the cost of students who assist instructors. Funds can be used for travel to implement elements of the Communication Plan and dissemination of project information and results (see Section IV.2.a.(6).c. and Section V.1.b. of this NOFO). Standards curriculum activities 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 will be considered. Activities involving researching an idea for a proposed project, and the evaluation of the viability, necessity, or usefulness of a project are not within the scope of the NIST SSCD CAP and will not be funded; ideas for proposed projects should be fully developed prior to submitting an application for consideration. Individuals proposed to participate in projects, as detailed in the project budget, must have the necessary knowledge and expertise to successfully complete the project. Activities involving K-12 education or workforce/industry education will not be funded under this program. Applicants may not request funding for food/beverage or catering. The total budget for the equipment and supplies categories may not exceed $2,000 combined.

NIST anticipates that most costs will be incurred within the first twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months of the project to support project milestones but funding will remain available for twenty-four (24) months to complete milestones and to support summarizing and reporting what was accomplished during the first twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months, including writing and disseminating a Final Summary Paper as described in Section I.5., Section V.1.b.ii. and Section VI.3.a.(2). of this NOFO. Applicants may propose a start date anytime between September 15, 2020 and March 1, 2021.

Federal Award Information

Funding Instrument The funding instrument that will be used is a Cooperative Agreement The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration on executing the approved scope of work.

2. Funding Availability In FY20, NIST anticipates funding up to 8 awards in the $25,000 to $75,000 range with a project performance period of up to 2 years. The awards will be fully funded in the first year.

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs) 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.

Cost Sharing or Matching

Matching funds are not required.

Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 2020-NIST-SSCD-CAP-01.

Content and Form of Application Submission

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

(1) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance.

i) The SF-424 must be signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization.

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

iii) SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number 2020-NIST- SSCD CAP-01.

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

v) The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 21 of the SF-424 is contained in the SF-424B.

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

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

ii) The applicant should reflect each year of the project, up to two (2) years, on the SF-424A form.

iii) In Section A, the Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 under Column (a) should be entered as Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach”, or an abbreviation thereof. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number in on Line 1 under Column (b) should be entered as “11.620”. The total budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in Section A, Line 1, Column (e).

iv) Section B, Column (1) of the SF-424A should reflect funds for the first year of the award.

v) Section B, Column (2) of the SF-424A should reflect funds for the second year of the award.

vi) Section D requires a breakdown of the first year’s budget by quarter. The budget estimate for the second year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (b).

(3) SF-424B, Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (if applicable). The SF-424B is required for all applicants that have not updated their System for Award Management (SAM.gov) entity registration since February 2, 2019 to include the Federal financial assistance certifications and representations (certs and reps). If an applicant has updated their SAM.gov entity registration since February 2, 2019 to include the certifications and representations, then the SF-424B is not required.

(4) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2020-NIST-SSCD-CAP-01” in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application or an abbreviation of the title, in the Project Name field.

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

(6) Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal is a word-processed document of no more than eleven (11) pages (double-spaced between lines), which is responsive to the program description (see Section I.

of this NOFO) and the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO). The projective narrative should contain the following information:

a. Cover Page. The Cover Page should be a single page which (a) lists the title of the project, the applicant institution’s name and addressal information; (b) lists the name(s), title(s), mailing address(es), and e-mail address(es) of the principal investigator(s); and (c) includes a 1-2 paragraph Executive Summary of the project.

b. Technical Project Approach and Methodology. A detailed description of the proposed 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 including 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.

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

c. Communication Plan. A detailed Communication Plan to include sharing project information, results, and outcomes, and how the proposed sustainable approaches, methods, and models can 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 Plan should also include the applicant’s action plan for compiling and disseminating project results for public release, including a summary of major conclusions, in the form of a Final Summary Paper, as described in Section I.(5)., Section V.1.b.ii. and Section VI.3.a.(2). of this NOFO.

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

d. Staffing. A description of the relevant qualifications and experience of at least two key personnel who will be assigned to carry out the objectives of the proposed project.

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).

e. Resources 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 facilities, and the applicant’s intent to incorporate the proposed project results into curriculum. Resources Availability should also be demonstrated through letter(s) of support, as described in Section IV.2.a.(7). of this NOFO, and a complete and detailed Budget Narrative as described in Section IV.2.a.(9). of this NOFO.

This section should address all the elements in the Resources Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO), including Letters of Support.

f. Letters of Support Up to three letters of support of no more than one page each for the proposed project should be submitted. A letter from leadership within the applicant’s organization, which, if submitted, will count as one of the three letters permitted, is strongly encouraged to demonstrate the extent to which the applicant has the overall support necessary to accomplish project objectives and the organization’s intent to incorporate the proposed project results into undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum, consistent with the Resource Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO). Letters of support from other organizations who will collaborate on the proposed project, especially other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities that will benefit undergraduate and/or graduate students, may also be submitted.

(7) Budget Narrative. The Budget Narrative for the project must provide a detailed breakdown of each of the object class categories as reflected on the SF-424A and include a detailed description of why the funds are necessary for the successful completion of the proposed project and how the funds will be used, in accordance with the Resources Availability Evaluation Criterion (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO).

The SF-424A includes the categories listed below for which applicants need to provide supporting narrative if an applicable cost is proposed in the project. A project may involve costs in one or more categories and applicants should only propose and describe costs appropriate for their proposed projects. The written justification should include the necessity and the basis for the cost. Only allowable costs should be included in the budget. Information on cost allowability is available at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, as described in the DoC Financial Assistance Pre-Award Notice Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements, which are contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390), and available at http://go.usa.gov/hKkR.

Supporting information for each category is as follows, in accordance with applicable federal cost principles set forth in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E:

a) Personnel - At a minimum, the budget justification for all personnel should include the following: name, job title, commitment of effort on the proposed project (in hours or effort level), salary rate, and total direct charges on the proposed project, description of the role of the individual on the proposed project and the work to be performed.

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

c) Travel - For travel costs associated with travel required by the recipient to complete the project, the budget justification for travel should include the following: destination; names/number of people traveling; dates and/or duration; mode of transportation, lodging and subsistence rates; and detailed 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 travel.

Applicants should include travel-related expenses to participate in two (2) one-day workshops at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland in the fall of 2020 and 2021 or 2022 in their proposed budgets (see Section I.(6) of this NOFO).

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. Any items that do not meet the threshold for equipment can be included under the supplies line item. 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.) that is 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 $2,000 combined.

e) Supplies - A list of each supply, and the breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include detailed information on the necessity of the supplies for the completion of the proposed project. The total budget for the equipment and/or supplies categories may not exceed $2,000 combined.

f) Contractual - Each contract or subaward should be treated as a separate item. Describe the services to be provided in detail and the necessity of the subaward or contract to the successful performance of the proposed project. Include a detailed breakdown of the proposed costs and tasks for each contract or subaward.

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.

(8) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. If indirect costs are included in the proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated agreement if this rate was negotiated with a cognizant Federal audit agency. If the rate was not established by a cognizant Federal audit agency, provide a statement to this effect. If the successful applicant includes indirect costs in the budget and has not established an indirect cost rate with a cognizant Federal audit agency, the applicant will be required to obtain such a rate in accordance with Section B.06 of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, dated April 30, 2019.

Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate may elect to charge indirect costs to an award pursuant to a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC), in which case a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement is not required. Applicants proposing a 10 percent de minimis rate pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as part of the budget portion of the application.

b. Attachment of Required Documents Items IV.2.a.(1) through IV.2.a.(3) above are required parts of the standard application package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the download application process.

Items IV.2.a.(4), the SF-424B, Assurances – Non-Construction Programs and (5), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, are optional application forms which are part of the standard application package in Grants.gov. If one or both of these forms apply to this proposal, use field 15 of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, for attachment.

Item IV.2.a.(6) though (8) should be attached to field 15 of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form by clicking on “Add Attachments”.

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 at https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm 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 site (http://go.usa.gov/cjamz). 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 figures, graphs, images, or pictures will count toward the page limits for the Project Narrative.

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

(4) Page Limit. The Project Narrative is limited to eleven (11) pages double spaced, noting the limit of one (1) page for the Cover Page and Executive Summary. Information provided on staffing such as resumes or CVs, the budget narrative, and letters of support are not included in the page count of the Project Narrative. However, if resumes/CVs are included, they must be a maximum of two (2) pages each.

(5) Page Limit Exclusions:

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance;

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

SF-424B, Assurances – Non-Construction Programs;

CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

Budget Narrative;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

(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. English. 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.

f. Certifications Regarding Federal Felony and Federal Criminal Tax Convictions, Unpaid Federal Tax Assessments and Delinquent Federal Tax Returns. In accordance with Federal appropriations law, an authorized representative of the selected applicant(s) may be required to provide certain pre-award certifications regarding federal felony and federal criminal tax convictions, unpaid federal tax assessments, and delinquent federal tax returns.

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.

0. Submission Dates and Times Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday, June 15, 2020. 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 is expected to be closed for routine maintenance at the following times. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed:

From 12:01 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday To 6:00 A.M. Eastern Time Monday

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 (see Sections IV.3. and IV.7.a.(1).(b). of this NOFO) generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than three weeks; and applicants will receive e-mail notifications over a period of up to two business days as the application moves through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or rejection notification whether NIST has received the application. (See Grants.gov for full information on application and notification through Grants.gov.) Please note that a Federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not current at the time of the award.

Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this Program are not subject to Executive Order 12372.

Funding Restrictions

Applications for product development and/or commercialization are not considered responsive to this NOFO. Profit or fee is not an allowable cost. Activities involving researching an idea for a proposed project, and the evaluation of the viability, necessity, or usefulness of a project are not within the scope of the NIST SSCD CAP and will not be funded; ideas for proposed projects should be fully developed prior to submitting an application for consideration. Activities involving K-12 education or workforce/industry education will not be funded under this program. Applicants may not request funding for food/beverage or catering. The total budget for the equipment and supplies categories may not exceed $2,000 combined.

Other Submission Requirements

a. Applications must be submitted electronically.

(1) Applications must be submitted at Grants.gov.

(a) Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions to ensure that all attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A receipt from Grants.gov indicating an application is received does not provide information about whether attachments have been received. For further information or questions regarding applying electronically for the 2020-NIST-SSCD CAP-01 announcement, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 800-518-4726.

(b) Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait until the approaching due date before logging on and reviewing the instructions for submitting an application through Grants.gov. The Grants.gov registration process must be completed before a new registrant can apply electronically. The typical registration process takes three to five business days. If problems are encountered, the registration process can take three weeks or more. Applicants must have a valid unique entity identifier number and must maintain a current registration in the Federal government’s primary registrant database, the System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov/SAM), as explained on the Grants.gov Web site (also see Section IV.3. of this NOFO). After registering, it may take several days or longer from the initial log-on before a new Grants.gov system user can submit an application. Only individuals authorized as organization representatives will be able to submit the application, and the system may need time to process a submitted application. Applicants should save and print the proof of submission they receive from Grants.gov. If problems occur while using Grants.gov, the applicant is advised to (a) print any error message received and (b) call Grants.gov directly for immediate assistance. If calling from within the United States or from a U.S. territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling from a place other than the United States or a U.S. territory, please call 606-545-5035. Assistance from the Grants.gov Help Desk will be available around the clock every day, except for Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time the day after Federal holidays. For assistance using Grants.gov, the applicant may also contact support@grants.gov.

(c) To find instructions for submitting an application on Grants.gov, applicants should refer to the “Applicants” tab in the banner just below the top of the Grants.gov home page. Clicking on the “Applicants” tab produces two exceptionally useful sources of information, Applicant Actions and Applicant Resources, which applicants are advised to review.

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 should pay close attention to the guidance under Grants.gov’s “Applicant FAQs,”as it contains information important to successful submission, including essential details on the naming conventions for attachments to applications.

All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored into applicants’ schedules for delivery of their application. Applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov may be extremely heavy leading up to the deadline.

The application must be both received and validated by Grants.gov. The application is “received” when Grants.gov provides the applicant a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking number. If an applicant does not see this confirmation and tracking number, the application has not been received. After the application has been received, it must still be validated. During this process, it may be “validated” or “rejected with errors”. To ascertain whether the application was rejected with errors and the reasons for the rejection, the applicant must log in to Grants.gov, select “Applicants” from the top navigation, and select “Track my application” from the drop-down list. If the status is “rejected with errors,” the applicant may still seek to correct the errors and resubmit the application before the deadline. If the applicant does not correct the errors, the application will not be forwarded to NIST by Grants.gov.

Refer to important information in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times, to help ensure the application is received on time.

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

Application Review Information Evaluation Criteria The evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating applications and their assigned weights are as follows:

a. Technical Project Approach and Methodology. Reviewers will evaluate the following subcategories for a total of 0-50 points:

i. The extent to which the proposed project and approach supports, advances, or integrates content on standards and standardization processes into undergraduate and/or graduate courses, modules, seminars, and learning resources, including sustainable approaches, methods, and models that can be replicated and/or built upon by the applicant and by other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities. This also includes assessing the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed project with regard to educating undergraduate and/or graduate students about standards and standardization. (0-25 points)

ii. The completeness, quality, and technical merit of the detailed work plan to implement the project, including the final deliverables and clear and measurable performance objectives; key interim and final outputs reflecting the performance objectives; milestones and timelines; short-term and potential long-term impacts, the intended audience; and an evaluation plan. This also includes the extent to which the proposed methodology of program management is likely to ensure effective operations and oversight and meet program objectives. (0-25 points)

The extent to which the material developed encompasses the role of standards in competitiveness and innovation, if applicable, will be considered.

b. Communication Plan. Reviewers will evaluate the following subcategories for a total of 0-15 points:

i. The extent to which the proposed Communication Plan demonstrates how the proposed sustainable approaches, methods, and models can be replicated and/or built upon by the applicant and by other educational programs at U.S. colleges and universities. (0-5 points)

ii. The extent to which the proposed Communication Plan enables sharing project information and outcomes with relevant organizations, communities, or fields of practice through presentations, papers, news releases, newsletters, professional journals, exhibits, conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibits and trade shows, websites, and other appropriate media and forums that serve the academic community; this includes plans for composing and disseminating a summary of major accomplishments and conclusions in the form of a Final Summary Paper as described in Section I.(5). and Section VI.3.a.(3). of this NOFO. (0-5 points)

iii. The quality and completeness of the approach to implement the Communication Plan (see Section I.(3). of this NOFO). (0-5 points)

c. Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel. Reviewers will evaluate the following subcategories for a total of 0-15 points:

i. Relevant qualifications and experience of key personnel and their knowledge of the current state, impact, and nature of standards and standardization activities. (0-5 points)

ii. The demonstrated ability of the key personnel to collaborate with diverse stakeholders (e.g., subject matter experts, curricula development professionals, university public affairs personnel, industry, etc.) to successfully complete the proposed project. Staff with different experience and expertise may be responsible for different aspects of the proposed project. (0-5 points)

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

d. Resources Availability. Reviewers will evaluate the following for a total of 0-20 points:

i. The extent to which the applicant has demonstrated overall support necessary to successfully achieve the project objectives, including the applicant’s intent to incorporate the proposed project results into curriculum; key personnel and staff; and access to necessary facilities. This includes the appropriateness of proposed resources compared to the project’s scope, as well as the cost-effectiveness of the project in using available resources to complete the project.

ii. The extent to which letter(s) of support (see Section IV.2.a.(7). of this NOFO), indicate a commitment to the project and demonstrate relevance to the project scope.

iii. The appropriateness and cost effectiveness of the proposed budget to assess the breakdown of costs against the proposed activities to carry out the objectives of the project as described in Section I. of this NOFO.

Selection Factors

a. The Selecting Official, the Director of the Standards Coordination Office, or designee, will make a final award recommendation to the NIST Grants Officer. The Selecting Official shall generally select an application for award based on the rank order of the applications (see Section V.3. of this NOFO) and on one or more of the following selection factors:

(1) Results of the merit reviewers’ evaluations.

(2) The availability of Federal funds.

(3) Whether the project duplicates other projects funded by NIST or other Federal agencies.

(4) Alignment with the objectives of this NOFO and NIST priorities.

(5) Diversity among applicants (e.g. regional, topical, etc.).

Review and Selection Process

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

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

b. Full Review of Eligible, Complete, and Responsive Applications. Applications that are determined to be eligible, complete, and responsive will proceed for full reviews in accordance with the review and selection process below:

(1) Merit Review. At least three (3) objective reviewers, who may be Federal employees or non-Federal personnel, with appropriate professional and technical expertise relating to the topics covered in this NOFO, will evaluate and score each eligible, complete, and responsive application based on the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO). While every application will have at least three (3) reviewers, applications may have more than three (3) reviewers if specialized expertise is needed to evaluate an application. During the review process, the reviewers may discuss the applications with each other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis. Based on the numerical average of the reviewers’ scores, a rank order will be prepared and provided to the Selecting Official for further consideration. The Selecting Official will then recommend a funding recipient based upon rank order and the selection factors (see Section V.2. of this NOFO).

(2) Selection. The Selecting Official shall generally select and recommend the most meritorious applications for award based upon the rank order of the applications. The Selecting Official retains the discretion to select and recommend applications out of order based on the Selection Factors (see Section V.2. of this NOFO).

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

c. Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants. After applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the NIST Grants Management Division (GMD) performs pre-award risk assessments in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.205, which may include a review of the financial stability of an applicant, the quality of the applicant’s management systems, the history of performance, and/or the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities.

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

Anticipated Announcement and Award Date Review of applications, selection of successful applicants, and award processing is expected to be completed by September 2020. The earliest start date for awards under this NOFO is expected to be September 2020.

Additional Information

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

b. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by e-mail and will have the opportunity to receive a debriefing after the opportunity is officially closed.