91990018R0006_Amendment_0001_Responses_to_Questions_Received.pdf

Request for Proposals 91990018R0006 Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I Amendment 0001

Closing Date: January 25, 2017 2:00 p.m. ET

U.S. Department of Education’s (Department or ED) responses to clarification questions submitted by January 5, 2018, 2:00 P.M. ET:

WARNING! Offerors must note that there are email attachment size restrictions. The Department of Education cannot accept attachments larger than 25 MB. The Government is not responsible for attachment size restrictions that may exist on offerors' email servers!

Offerors are advised to check with their provider for information on email size restrictions and plan accordingly.

If offerors attempt to submit a proposal to Jessica.Martin@ed.gov and receive an error message, they MUST contact Jessica Martin PRIOR TO THE CLOSING OF THE SOLICITATION during standard business hours (8:00 A.M. ET to 5:00 P.M. ET, Monday through Friday). The solicitation closes promptly at 2:00 p.m. ET, on January 25, 2018. Late proposals will not be accepted.

1. Can a single small business submit multiple proposals for different EdTech products they would like to research and hopefully bring to market? Or are we limited to one proposal?

Response: Small Businesses are permitted as many proposals as they want, provided the projects are different in nature.

2. Can this solicitation apply to undergraduate medical education? The product would be applicable to any level of education (including K‐12) or any discipline.

Response: Section X: Priority areas list the content and discipline areas that are appropriate for a proposal.

3. Is it possible to submit two different proposals under Priority 2 for this solicitation? We would propose the same PI for both projects.

Response: Small Businesses are permitted as many proposals as they want, provided the projects are different in nature.

4. Page 35 of the RFP 91990018R0006 says to submit the proposal as a single WORD or PDF document directly to you. Do we still have to deal with grants.gov in any way?

Response: No, this is a contract solicitation.

5. For EdTech proposals, what is a sensible combination of R vs R&D and what is considered R by IES? Does it include methodology research as well as technology or software solutions?

Response: The solicitation provides guidance for the sections of a proposal. No guidance can be provided on the specific research and development plans for individual offerors.

6. Our company is not registered yet and under ordinary circumstances we would be considering registering it contingent on funding (SBIR or otherwise). What is the practical requirement regarding the submitting company status specifically as of the time of submission (as opposed to time of award, should there be a difference)?

Response: See Appendix G.3 and G.4. A small business must be registered in SAM prior to award. If the offeror does not become registered in the SAM database in the time prescribed, the Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful offeror. All offerors to the SBIR program are required to register at the SBA Company Registry prior to application submission.

7. How does the IES define "educational technology"? Is it any product that "supports relevant student, teacher, or school administrator outcomes in education or special education." Could traditional non‐electronic games fall within the scope of educational technology? Would they necessarily have to include a digital, AR, or VR component to make them "technology" in the eyes of the IES?

Response: The solicitation does not require electronic, digital, or software‐based components for the proposed education technology product to be used by students, teachers, or administrators.

8. Can you also apply for IES‐SBIR 2018 while your NSF‐SBIR proposal is pending?

Response: Yes, provided the proposal to NSF is disclosed in Appendix X and that if an award is made by one agency that the offeror removes the other proposal from review.

9. Does ED instruct reviewers to make accommodations for early investigators without previous grant management experience?

Response: The solicitation does not refer to “early investigators without previous experience.”

Any proposed project team members are required to describe prior experience and why they are capable of working on the project. The evaluation criteria include the qualifications of project team members.

10. Should the list of government grants for essentially equivalent work include grants that were not funded?

Response: No, grants that were not government funded do not need to be listed in Appendix D.

However, when prior work has been done the proposal should describe this work in Related R/R&D by the Project Team in the Project Narrative.

11. Is the ED "reasonable profit" rate the same as the NIH rate (i.e. <7%)?

Response: Page 33 Section H of the solicitation says “Contracts may include a reasonable fee or profit on SBIR contracts, consistent with normal profit margins provided to profit‐making firms for R/R&D work”. No specific profit percent is prescribed.

12. In Appendix G, G.13 FAR 52.233‐2 ‐‐ Service of Protest, It is unclear to us who should be listed in the line below, “by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from ______________________.” Can you clarify for us who or what information belongs in the blank line in order to complete this certification in the required forms?

Response: The Contracting Officer is Thomas Smith. Email address: Thomas.Smith@ed.gov.

13. We've built our platform in the U.S. with Amazon servers and a U.S. legal entity. Would we still be eligible for Priority Area 1 funding if we used overseas designers/developers/tech support for future parts of our project? All of our research/planning will be done in the U.S., and we're looking at future professional relationships pertaining to tech support and other areas.

Response: Please refer to the SBIR Funding Agreement Certification. The birth certificates, naturalization papers, or passports show that any individuals it relies upon to meet the eligibility requirements are U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens in the United States.

During performance of award, the research/research and development will be performed in the United States unless a deviation is approved in writing by the funding agreement officer (Contracting Officer).

14. I was wondering where we should seek IRB approval if we are not affiliated with a university? And when do we need to show the approval?

Response: As described in Appendix F, IRB approval is not required at the time of the proposal submission. If an award is made, all awardees (even when not at a University) are required to establish and maintain procedures for the protection of human subjects. Approval must be provided during the award.

15. Is a small business which has previously received and successfully completed related

SBIR or STTR Phase 1 funding from a funder other than ED/IES (e.g., NSF) eligible to apply directly for Phase II funding from ED/IES? If yes, does the small business apply in response to the ED/IES SBIR 2018 Phase I RFP or to a separate ED/IES SBIR Phase II RFP?

Response: No, ED/IES SBIR does not accept Phase II proposals from an offeror that did not win an ED Phase I award the previous year.

16. When is the next ED/IES SBIR 2018 Phase II RFP scheduled for release?

Response: the Phase II RFP for 2018 was released on December 14, 2017.

17. Where should I mention if I am applying for funding from other sources?

Response: Appendix D is where information is to be provided on proposals containing a significant amount of essentially equivalent work.

18. If I have more than one letter of support can I include them?

Response: Phase I proposals may include up to three (3) Letters of Endorsement in Appendix H.

19. Regarding Appendix B, based on our proposed solution to Priority Area 1 within the solicitation, currently we don’t anticipate doing research in the Phase I. Therefore, is Appendix B still a requirement?

Response: The solicitation requires all proposals to provide a plan for research, including a pilot study, in Phase I.

20. For pilot testing in the Phase I, would it be acceptable to initially pilot test in healthy infants for a proof‐of‐concept, or is it best to go straight to the specific at‐risk population? (We're trying to judge feasibility of recruitment with the 8 month PoP)

Response: The offeror must make the determination for the sample to be used, as well as provide a rationale for its appropriateness.

21. If the Authentic Education Center for infants can include the home, what would the corresponding Letter of Agreement look like? If the product is targeted for the home, should we still have a Letter of Agreement from an established early intervention center?

Response: The offeror must make the determination for the source of the letter in Appendix B, as well as provide a rationale for its appropriateness

22. If the proposals are distinct, do companies ever submit two ideas/proposals in the same year, or is that viewed negatively?

Response: Offerors are allowed to submit multiple proposals, provided they are distinct. Each proposal will be reviewed independently of another.

23. I am majority owner of our company, and have extensive background in our chosen domain content area. Our company is partnered with a university technology incubator, and have ability to work with all departments and its facilities. The researchers and consultants are employed by the university, and would not fit the criteria for PI. To date, I have been the person who has hired, organized and assisted in the company’s projects and will be assisting the research team's efforts. I am working on this company full‐time, and will continue to do so. However, I do not have a formal background in research, etc.

If I apply as PI, would this count against us despite the fact I can fill in the gaps of R&D expertise through the university? I would be able to get a letter from the university outlining our situation. Would this be necessary, helpful? If so, where would I document this in the proposal?

Response: The solicitation does not require or recommend that a PI be trained as a researcher.

24. Can one eligible applicant company submit two independent proposals of different content targeted at different uses i9n the same cycle?

Response: Offerors are allowed to submit multiple proposals, provided the proposals are distinct from one another.

25. Can a proposal that was rejected in 2017 be modified and resubmitted in 2018?

Response: Yes.

26. I just got a Green card. I wanted to know if this changes the situation to apply for SBIR grant. Just to give you some context:

a. The company was founded in July 2013

b. Between me and the US investors, we would have +50% of the company and 2/3 of the board is controlled by lawfully admitted residents or US citizens.

Response: It is conceivable that a team member resides in the U.S., but is not a citizen;

however, from the Small Business Administration’s SBIR Policy Directive, pg. 50, “The birth certificates, naturalization papers, or passports show that any individuals it relies upon to meet the eligibility requirements are U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens in the United States.”

27. I am considering submitting a proposal to the SBIR call but want to clarify the rules for eligibility and the realities of preference. The stated rules for small business eligibility (here) include:

•The company is at least 51% American‐owned and independently operated;

•The small business concern is located in the U.S.;

•It is for‐profit and employs no more than 500 employees; and, •The principal researcher's primary employment is with the small business during the project.

I submitted a similar proposal to the NSF SBIR program that was not funded. The feedback I received was that the reviewers felt my company was already reasonably successful (108 employees, gross income ~$20M) and that the NSF should preferentially fund smaller start‐ups.

Before I put the energy into creating a proposal I would like to understand if the Department of Education would, similarly, lean towards smaller start‐ups vs. established small businesses.

Response: The ED/IES SBIR program will review the proposal independently of the any NSF proposal or any feedback from the NSF program. The ED/IES SBIR program does not preclude companies based on the number of employees or gross income. It is up the offeror to describe the need for the project and for the funding to do the project.

28. Can we resubmit a modified 2017 proposal?

Response: Yes. Please note the review in 2018 will not factor in a 2017 proposal or review of that proposal.

29. Is a letter of Intent required? If yes, is it sent by email? By when?

Response: There is no letter of intent for ED/IES SBIR.

30. Could you please advise on how much do we need to elaborate on the commercialization potential?

Response: The Phase I solicitation does not require an extensive commercialization section in the technical narrative. The offeror’s letters of endorsement in Appendix H may refer to and discuss the commercial potential.

31. Is there any Qs & As webinar or other type of webinar before the submission deadline?

Response: No.

32. Is there a limit on number of applications per company and/or per PI?

Response: No.

33. We applied in December to the SBIR‐STTR solicitation. Does that prevent us from applying to this one?

Response: No, provided the offeror discloses the proposal in Appendix D.

34. For the letters of support from the schools, can we use emails of support from the school principals instead?

Response: For appendix B, offerors may use an email, provided the author of the letter provides the name of the school and his/her contact information.

35. Are nonprofit foundations that have developed innovative technologies for education eligible to apply for the SBIR grant as the prime awardee?

Response: No, such organizations cannot be the prime. See the Eligibility requirements in the solicitation.

36. Must the SBC be incorporated by the time of the submission, or is there a case when it can be setup as a 100% US owned LLC if the award is given?

Response: Yes, the SBC must be registered in order to complete the forms required by the solicitation at the time of the proposal submission.

37. The RFP indicates that for both Phase I and Phase II the R/R&D work must be performed in the United States unless a deviation is approved in writing by a funding agreement officer. What are the conditions under which a deviation would be considered?

Response: From the SBIR Policy Directive, based on a rare and unique circumstance, agencies may approve a particular portion of the R/R&D work to be performed or obtained in a country outside of the United States, for example, if a supply or material or other item or project requirement is not available in the United States. The funding agreement officer (Contracting Officer) must approve each such specific condition in writing. Note: The Contracting Officer does not typically consider the fact that an offeror’s team member lives outside of the U.S. as a rare and unique circumstance.

38. Do I need to have all the Project Team before completed and send the proposal?

Response: No, there is no requirement for all of the project team members to be identified.

However, reviewers may look for biographies on project team members while evaluating a proposal.

39. Our technical cofounder, the one who has most experience developing systems (which is what our SBIR proposal is on), lives and is from another country. Is there some way he can be a part of the key project team? He does not have any visa to work in the U.S and does all his work remotely.

Response: Please see the responses to questions 13 and 37.

40. Can a business that is applying for the 2018 Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I solicitation also raise funds for the same platform via Kickstart?

Response: Costs budgeted to the SBIR project must be spent as proposed. If an awardee raises funding through Kickstarter or through some other source during a project, the awardee is free to supplement the SBIR funding for R&D.

41. In Appendix G. The vast majority of these certifications I have made in SAM. Do I need to make them again or is there a form that I print from SAM that states I have made them.

Response: You need to make them again using the format provided in the solicitation.

42. Can we submit our documentation early to get feedback on the triage portion of the grant with the ability to correct before the deadline? Not the grant content but the crossing or t's and dotting of the I's portion.

Response: No, all documentation must be included at one time prior to the submission deadline. No response will be provided by ED/IES SBIR until notification within 90 days after submission.

43. Can a US firm's foreign employees participate in the SBIR development? Or should all work be completed only in the US by the firm’s US employees? What portion of the work can be completed by foreign employees?

Response: Please see the responses to questions 13 and 37.

44. Can you direct me to past winners proposals for DOE SBIR Phase 1 grants? Are they housed in a single place?

Response: Phase I winners from the past years are on listed on this page:

https://ies.ed.gov/sbir/intro.asp

45. In the solicitation, it says if companies are adding a new product to a functioning prototype, they could show this prototype by uploading a video to YouTube. But could we also send a video showing the work we have done so far, even if the prototype is not fully functional?

Response: The videos are optional for all offerors, and are only intended to show reviewers prototypes that are functioning or fully developed. The offeror must determine the stage of development of the prototype, and whether a video is appropriate to highlight was has been developed.

46. We have tested our app on about 6 different classrooms for a total of about 50 hours.

Would it be appropriate to get a paragraph from four of these teachers? Or, would you prefer a table such as the teachers gave us an average of 95/100 on the usefulness of the app etc.?

Response: The offeror must determine what research findings to include based on the guidance in the solicitation.

47. Does this offering allow for creating a simulation of a new product in Phase 1, in order to research subject usage characteristics (conceptual change, usage patterns, attitude on the part of the user due to the use of the product)? Are we correct that we are therefore researching the feasibility of the proposed technology we are developing and not testing the technology itself, in as much as we are not yet able to fund the creation of the technology?

Response: Reiterating what is detailed in the solicitation, Phase I projects must develop a functioning prototype of an education technology product and conduct research on it. No further guidance can be provided in response to the above question.

48. Is the creation of mockups and simulations of the ultimate functions of the technology, not the actual technology that is yet to be created, adequate for use in our Phase I research to test the above? What are the limits of Phase I funds to support research around testing the impact of the science behind the application as well, once developed, meaning the artificial intelligence/machine learning aspects we would like to simulate in our research with prospective users?

Response: Reiterating what is detailed in the solicitation, Phase I projects must develop a functioning prototype of an education technology product and conduct research on it. No further guidance can be provided in response to the above question.

49. Are we able to have a co‐PI as one of our key personnel, and if so, are they part of the 1/3 or the 2/3 costs? How many hours must they be paid for per week during the project time line?

Response: The solicitation does not require a position for a co‐PI. Only one individual can serve and be listed in the proposal as a PI.

50. We have a subcontractor, who works with a university and will design and implement our research with us at the maximum of 1/3 of our total offer. I understand she will be signing her own certification page, but whom do you recommend as the second person to sign certifying her? May the CFO of the offering entity be the second person signing?

It’s not clear to me. If it’s not the CFO would it be someone from the university who certifies her page?

Response: Yes, the CFO can sign this page.

51. The request for proposals mentions products be for use in “Authentic Education Settings.” Is an after‐school program considered an appropriate setting? Or is there a preference for classroom based projects?

Response: Yes, an after‐school program would be appropriate provided the proposal fits the other criteria listed in the Priorities.

52. Is it possible to find information on the backgrounds of the Reviewers? It’s helpful to know the audience we’re writing for as we build out the proposal. I know some departments list their reviews, but I haven’t seen one for the Dept of Ed.

Response: As noted in the solicitation, the reviewers are Department of Education and other Federal personnel, with relevant backgrounds in research, education technology, and the content areas of focus of proposals.

53. I am writing to ask about the letter of approval for conducting research in an educational setting. Would it be sufficient to add to the application packet a tentative letter of approval on behalf of the educational institution's superintendent in lieu of a definitive approval letter?

Response: The reviewers will determine whether the letter of agreement is sufficient to demonstrate that authentic education setting or an authentic early intervention or special education setting agree to participate in the Phase I research. No further guidance can be provided.

54. I wanted to know if the certifications should be included in the document that we send in or should those be in a separate document?

Response: All documents must be included within the proposal, not as separate documents.

55. I was hoping you could clarify whether a nonprofit can apply for the SBIR 2018 Phase I opportunity or if you need to be a for profit business.

Response: Only for‐profit small businesses may apply to the ED/IES SBIR program. Subcontracts can be non‐profit organizations.

56. Is there a copy of the general terms and conditions and/or special terms and conditions that would be included as part of the award for Phase 1?

Response: Most of the key terms and conditions as they apply to the SBIRs and Department requirements have already been provided. The resulting contracts will be in compliance with a fixed price, research and development contract, valued at $200,000, according to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

57. In the event the project runs into any unforeseen delays how would an extension for additional time be requested; is it recommended for the offeror to include these costs in the budget?

Response: Phase I projects are required to end at the end of the 8‐month period. No extensions will be provided in Phase I, so no costs would be extended beyond the end of Phase I.

58. Does an automated budget template with pre‐filled calculations exist and if so, how do we request?

Response: No, offerors must use the attached template to detail the proposed budget.

59. Is it mandatory to have a research assistant assigned to the project?

Response: The solicitation does not indicate any such requirement.

60. The small business I will be submitting a proposal for is currently just me (no other employees). I'm wondering how this works for use of funds. There are 6 members (including myself) on our proposed project team. If awarded Phase I funds, would the other team members all need to be paid from the 1/3 of the budget allowable for subcontractors and consultants? (Section I.D. Offeror Eligibility) Or, can I write the proposal such that, upon award of Phase I funds, I will employ one or more of the team members ‐ to avoid having to use the limited budget allowable for subcontracts and consultants? Am I correct in assuming that freelancers fall into the subcontracts and consultants category?

Response: The proposal could be written to indicate that upon award specific individuals will be hired by the small business.

61. My company's proposal is for development of a product/prototype that requires a significant amount of travel for research and development of key components. I am not entirely clear on how to interpret Section X of the solicitation, regarding Appendix G.25 Clause 31.205.71 ‐ Travel Costs. Would travel with the purpose of producing key components of the product/prototype be considered invitational travel? Can travel for such purpose be included in a successful budget proposal? If so, what are allowable travel costs (airfare, lodging, rental car, food, etc.)? And can these travel costs be budgeted from the general budget, rather that the maximum 1/3 reserved for limited uses such as subcontracts and consultants?

Response: While no specific guidance can be provided, it is noted that the reviewers may factor in their evaluation the proposed plans for travel during the project in relation to other costs.

Regarding whether the travel costs would be counted toward to funds spent by the small business or subcontractors, if the individual that is travelling is from the small business those costs would count toward the small business, and if from a subcontractor the costs would count toward to subcontractor.

62. We have spoken with a potential subcontractor to help with developing the platform for our program. The platform she would like to use is based in another country – will this be permitted since it is not a US‐based company?

Response: The solicitation indicates that all work must be performance in the U.S., unless an exemption is provided by the Contracting Officer. It is not clear from the question if the work would be performed in the U.S.

63. I understand that my collaborator at the subcontractor’s company must be listed as PI on the project. Can I be listed as co‐PI even though I am not an employee of the small business?

64. For Appendix C, first it says to include that certification and 1‐page resume for each individual listed. Then it says to include the resume for each key individual. How do I know who is a key individual versus a non‐key individual named in the budget? Should I include certifications and resumes for everyone I name or just key personnel?

Response: The offeror can determine what team members are considered the key members.

65. You have asked us to submit the application as an e‐mail attachment in pdf. Is there any tool we can use to make sure we have filled‐up all the required sections? The check‐ marks on appendix are all correctly entered?

Response: There is no such tool available for this solicitation.

66. The instructions state that we can include indirect costs. Is there guidance about how much we can include for indirect costs? Also, where does it go in the budget? I don't see indirect costs in the sample budget.

Response: There is no specific guidance on an indirect cost rate, except to say the budget should include sufficient funding to conduct the R/R&D. The indirect costs would be placed on the budget sheet, before the G&A category.

67. The instructions state that we can include profit. I see these instructions: "Contracts may include a reasonable fee or profit on SBIR contracts, consistent with normal profit margins provided to profit‐making firms for R/R&D work."

a. As a relatively new company we have not made any profits to this point. Can we will include a profit and justify this by the amount of profit we expect to make on our product?

b. We may or may not make a profit during Phase I. Does our lack of profit in Phase I prohibit us from asking for a profit?

Response: Profit refers to the dollar amount of profit taken from the award itself, not from the commercialization of the to‐be‐developed product. When considering such profit, offerors are advised to ensure that the project’s R/R&D has a sufficient amount of the funding.

68. The 15 pages of the project narrative ‐‐ can you clarify that all the items listed from page

18 to page 25 in the RFP must fit within that page maximum? (Minus the ones noted as being excluded)

Additionally, it was noted that these 3 items below are not counted as part of the limit, so can you clarify if these are supposed to be referenced within the narrative at all, or is this just information on where to put them in the appendices? In otherwords, do we mention our total budget and refer to Appendix E in the narrative?

6. Cost Breakdown/Proposed Budget. Offerors must provide Phase I budget information in Appendix E. The budget cannot exceed the maximum dollar amount of $200,000. Proposals with budgets exceeding $200,000 will be rejected prior to review. See Appendix E for formatting requirements. This budget information is not counted toward the 15‐page limit of the project narrative.

7. Human Subjects Offerors must be familiar with the requirements of R&D involving human subjects in Appendix F, if applicable. See Appendix F for information. Human subjects information is not counted toward the 15‐page limit of the project narrative.

8. Similar or Closely Related Awards or Proposals Offerors should include information on Similar or Closely Related Awards or Proposals (if applicable) in Appendix D. See Appendix D for information. This proposal information is not counted toward the 15‐page limit of the project narrative.

9. Documentation and Status of Prior SBIR Phase II Awards Offerors are required to include information on Documentation and Status of Prior Phase II Awards (if applicable) in Appendix A. See Appendix A for information. This proposal information is not counted toward the 15‐page limit of the project narrative.

Response: The Project Narrative “Key Information” pages are required to be a maximum of three (3) pages. The Project Narrative “Technical Content” is required to be a maximum of 15‐ pages. Sections 6 through 9 above are beyond the 15‐pages.

69. How detailed of a breakdown are you looking for in the timeline? Can this be combined with the work plan description? What level of detail do you want to see for the work plan?

Response: The offeror must determine the nature and level of details of a timeline, if one is to be included.

70. We are a non‐profit. Can you please confirm this makes us ineligible for this RFP? That it is only for for‐profit organizations?

Response: As detailed in the eligibility requirements, the offeror must be a for‐profit small business.

71. It appears from the instructions in the RFP that we are exempt from Appendix H:

Human Subjects. Do we need to verify or take any further action?

Response: Specific feedback regarding Human Subjects cannot be provided. Per the instructions on the top of page 56 in the Request for Proposals (RFP), offerors are not required to obtain IRB approval as part of preparing and submitting a proposal. If selected for award, the Department will examine compliance and/or exemptions from Human Subjects requirements at that time as appropriate.

72. Does the Authentic Settings have to be the K‐12 classroom? Do all products have to be for K‐12 students or can they also apply to post‐secondary individuals and the adult?

Response: See page 41 of the solicitation for the Age and Grade Level specifications.

73. We fall under Priority 1 and were wondering if "other instructional personnel" can be trainers and subject matter specialists?

Response: Projects under Priority 1 education technology products for student use, could likely include support for students by other instructional personnel as noted in the question.

74. Does the SBIR grant allow for the Co‐Principal Investigator designation for key personnel?

75. Is the small business contractor required to have education technology capabilities or can the small business contractor partner with another firm/entity with education technology capabilities?

Response: There is not a requirement for the small business to have the capabilities to develop the technology in‐house, and the small business can subcontract to a developer to do so. Please note the small business is required to spend 2/3 of the total Phase I budget.

76. The solicitation indicates that for "proposals to develop and add new and unique components to a prototype that already exists and is functioning" or "proposals to develop and add new and unique components to a product that is already fully developed", the offeror may include a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) link to a video demonstration of that prototype. The solicitation indicates that "The videos should be posted to the YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/) platform during the review period between the submission deadline and 90 days after". In my experience of posting videos to YouTube, the URL for the video is not known until after the video has been posted to YouTube. So, how can we include in a proposal the URL to a video that has not yet been posted to YouTube? Is there a mechanism in YouTube that gives the URL to a video that has not yet been posted?

Response: The YouTube video that would be created would highlight the existing prototype or the fully developed product. If an offeror chooses to include a video, they would create the video, get the URL, and include the URL in the proposal.

77. We would be conducting various types of testing and focus groups with both teachers and students during the Phase I process. Am I correct in my understanding that we would need to obtain IRB approval if and after we are approved for funding? Is there anything else that we must provide as part of this initial proposal regarding human subjects?

Response: That is correct. Projects are required to obtain IRB approval or an exemption when the project begins. In the proposal, offerors can describe their plans for protecting human subjects.

78. When the RFP describes "authentic education settings" does this mean K‐12 classrooms or can these settings include institutions of higher education / university settings?

Response: Authentic education settings can refer to K‐12 classrooms or institutions of higher education or adult education (provided the focus of the proposal fits within the specifications of the priority areas for age and grade as detailed on page 41.

79. Our SBIR team consists of the PI who is full time employee of the small business, plus several researchers and specialists from various universities and institutes. Should these other Key Team Members be listed as Co‐PI, Multiple PI or consultants; or is this not relevant to the proposal content? Is the title influenced by the amount of time dedicated to the project or their budgeted fee?

Response: The offeror can determine the titles for the various team members, whether with the company or a subcontractor. There can be only one PI listed in the proposal.