2020-NIST-NCNR-01 NOFO.pdf

National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

March 5, 2020

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research

(NCNR) Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

• Funding Opportunity Title: National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program (Program)

• Announcement Type: Initial

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2020-NIST-NCNR-01

• Assistance Listing (CFDA Number): 11.609

• Dates: Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m.

Eastern Time, Friday, May 8, 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

March 21, 2020 March 23, 2020 April 18, 2020 April 20, 2020

NIST expects to complete its review, selection of successful applicants, and award processing by June 26, 2020. NIST expects the earliest start date for awards under this NOFO to be August 31, 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.

https://www.grants.gov/

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

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 NCNR is soliciting applications from eligible organizations to establish collaborations with NIST that will advance the research of NCNR users and NIST scientists by: (i) operating neutron instrumentation at the NCNR; (ii) developing new neutron instrumentation and measurement capabilities at the NCNR; (iii) conducting collaborative research with NIST scientists and visiting researchers at the NCNR; (iv) broadly disseminating the results from neutron research and the development of new neutron measurement technologies to the scientific community; and (v) undertaking education and outreach activities that promote the use of neutrons by academic and industrial scientists and that contribute to the development of the next generation of neutron scientists.

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates funding one (1) – three (3) awards pursuant to this NOFO, with each award having a total project performance period of up to five (5) years and federal funding of approximately $1,000,000 - $3,000,000 per year. See Section II.2. of this NOFO for more information regarding the availability of NIST funding for this funding opportunity.

• Funding Instrument: Cooperative agreement.

• Eligibility: Eligibility for the program listed in this NOFO is open to all non-

Federal entities. Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of higher http://grants.gov/

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program education; non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations incorporated in the United States; state, local, territorial, and Indian tribal governments; foreign public entities; and foreign organizations. Please note that individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not considered “non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply under this NOFO.

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

• Public Website

NIST NCNR has a public website, http://www.nist.gov/NCNR, that provides information pertaining to this Funding Opportunity1. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through Grants.gov.

Applicants must submit all questions pertaining to this funding opportunity in writing to tanya.burke@nist.gov with ‘2020-NIST-NCNR-01’ in the subject line.

Table of Contents

I. Program Description II. Federal Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information VI. Federal Award Administration Information VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

The statutory authority for the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c) and 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3).

Neutrons play an essential role in the nation’s scientific infrastructure, as they provide detailed information about the structure and dynamics of materials that is challenging or even impossible to obtain using other methods. Neutron studies

1 Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Programmatic and Technical Questions, if more information is needed.

http://www.nist.gov/NCNR mailto:

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program advance a wide variety of technologies including those pertaining to biopharmaceuticals, drug delivery systems, personal care products, advanced polymers, energy conversion and storage technologies, chemical production and separation, advanced data storage systems, quantum information technologies, dissipation-free electronics, and advanced engineering materials such as those produced through additive manufacturing.

The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a national user facility that offers scientists from industry, government, and academia access to world-class neutron instrumentation with which to conduct research that advances the nation’s research priorities. Neutron facilities are rare, so it is essential that these instruments operate as efficiently as possible to allow visiting researchers to collect as much information as possible in a limited time. This also means that educating the next generation of scientists in neutron methods is quite important.

To maximize the return on the nation’s investment in neutron technologies, it is also essential to improve the quality of neutron instrumentation. Over the last 50 years, advances in neutron measurements have largely been driven by the development and construction of new instruments. This is also a more cost-effective approach to advancing the nation’s neutron measurement capabilities than building new neutron sources. Thus, the development of novel instrumentation is a high priority.

The NCNR seeks to achieve the following program objectives in soliciting applications leading to cooperative agreements with NIST that will advance the research of NCNR users and NIST scientists by:

1) operating neutron instrumentation at the NCNR;

2) developing new neutron instrumentation and measurement capabilities at the

NCNR;

3) conducting collaborative research with NIST scientists and visiting researchers at the NCNR;

4) broadly disseminating the results from neutron research and the development of new neutron measurement technologies to the scientific community; and

5) undertaking education and outreach activities that promote the use of neutrons by academic and industrial scientists and that contribute to the development of the next generation of neutron scientists.

Activities funded under this program will largely, though not exclusively, take place at the NCNR.

Examples of jointly-pursued activities under previous cooperative agreements include the integration of expert academia research and technical staff to assist

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program neutron users at the NCNR in conducting their scientific research on various neutron instruments, the design and development of state-of-the-art double-focusing neutron monochromator for use on MACS (the Multi-Analyzer Crystal Spectrometer), the development of new data acquisition software for neutron instruments, the development of new flow devices for use on neutron scattering instruments, the design and development of a neutron phase space transformation chopper for use on the High-Flux Backscattering Spectrometer (HFBS), the design and development of the new very Small Angle Neutron Scattering instrument (vSANS), and computer modeling studies of neutron scattering measurements from biomolecular systems.

Applicants and team members must possess the education, experience, and training to pursue and advance the field of neutron scattering efficiently. In addition, the applicant and team members must possess a demonstrated record of excellence in research involving neutron scattering methods.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument.

The funding instrument that will be used is a cooperative agreement. The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient organization in developing and implementing the approved scope of work, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.24.

2. Funding Availability.

In accordance with the multi-year funding policy described in Section II.3. of this NOFO, NIST anticipates funding one (1) – three (3) awards pursuant to this NOFO, with each award having a total project performance period of up to five (5) years and federal funding of approximately $1,000,000 - $3,000,000 per year.

3. Multi-Year Funding Policy.

When an application for a multi-year award is approved, funding will usually be provided for only the first year of the project. If a project is selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the sole discretion of NIST. Continued funding will be contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance of the project to the mission and priorities of NIST, and the availability of

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program funds. Under this NOFO, NIST may elect to fully fund awards or to fund awards in accordance with the Multi-Year Funding Policy.

4. Indirect (F&A) Costs.

NIST will reimburse award recipients for proposed indirect (F&A) costs in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414. Applicants proposing indirect (F&A) costs must follow the application requirements set forth in Section IV.2.a.(9). of this NOFO.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility for the program listed in this NOFO is open to all non-Federal entities. Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations incorporated in the United States, state, local, territorial, and Indian tribal governments; foreign public entities; and foreign organizations. Please note that individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not considered “non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply under this NOFO.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this

NOFO.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

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

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

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

(1) SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 (R&R) must be signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization.

For SF-424 (R&R), Items 5, 14, and 19, use the Zip Code + 4 format http://www.grants.gov/

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

(##### - ####) when addresses are called for.

For SF-424 (R&R), Item 17, the list of certifications and assurances is contained in the SF-424B (item (3) below).

SF-424 (R&R), Item 18. If the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form (item (6) below) is applicable, attach it to field 18.

Instructions for filling in the SF-424 (R&R) can be found in the 2020- NIST-NCNR-01 Application Instructions document found on Grants.gov, as well as at Instructions SF424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance.

(2) Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed). The budget should reflect anticipated expenses for the full term of the project, considering all potential cost increases, including cost of living adjustments.

The budget should be detailed in these categories:

A. Senior/Key Person;

B. Other Personnel;

C. Equipment Description;

D. Travel;

E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs F. Other Direct Costs;

G. Direct Costs (automatically generated);

H. Indirect Costs;

I. Total Direct and Indirect Costs (automatically generated);

J. Fee (not relevant to this competition);

K. Total Costs and Fee (automatically generated);

L. Budget Narrative and Justification document (item (8) below) should be attached to field L.

A separate detailed R&R Budget must be completed for each budget period during the proposed award (e.g., annual basis). To add additional budget periods (e.g., year 2), click “Add Period” embedded at the end of the form. Instructions for completing the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) form can be found in the 2020- NIST-NCNR-01 Application Instructions document on Grants.gov, as well as at Instructions R&R Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget.

(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 https://go.usa.gov/xd2aK https://go.usa.gov/xd2aK https://go.usa.gov/xd2aT

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program 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- NCNR-01” in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application, or an abbreviation of that title, in the Project Name field.

(5) Research and Related Other Project Information. Answer the highlighted questions and use this form to attach the Project Narrative (item (7) below), the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (item (9) below), and the Data Management Plan (item (10) below). Instructions for completing the Research and Related Other Project Information can be found in the 2020-NIST-NCNR-01 Application Instructions document on Grants.gov, as well as at

Instructions R&R Other Project Information. Please note that the Project Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this competition. However, Grants.gov requires an attachment to field 7 of the Research and Related Other Project Information form to successfully pass through Grants.gov.

Please attach a document to field 7 stating, “A Project Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this competition”.

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

(7) Project Narrative. The Project Narrative is a word-processed document of no more than twenty (20) pages, which is responsive to the Program Description (see Section I. of this NOFO) and the Evaluation Criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO) sections of this NOFO. The projective narrative should contain the following information:

a. Executive Summary. An executive summary of the proposed approach, consistent with the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO). The executive summary should include information indicating how each evaluation criterion and its sub-factors are addressed. A table can be helpful in providing this information. The executive summary should not exceed two (2) pages. Please note, if an applicant’s proposal is selected for funding, NIST may use all or a portion of the Executive Summary as part of a press release issued by NIST, or for other public information and outreach purposes. Applicants are advised not to incorporate information that concerns business trade secrets or other confidential commercial or financial information as part of the Executive Summary. See also 15 https://go.usa.gov/xd2ab

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

C.F.R. § 4.9(c) concerning the designation of business information by the applicant. (Does not count towards page limit).

b. Project Approach. A description of the applicant’s approach to clearly address and to implement the NCNR program objectives identified in the Program Description section of this NOFO (see Section I. of this NOFO).

This section should be responsive to and will be evaluated under the Problems, Solutions and Technical Approach evaluation criterion (see Section V.1.a. of this NOFO).

c. Statement of Work. A complete statement of work covering all aspects of the project, including a schedule of measurable events and milestones as well as measurable performance objectives that can be used to determine the success of the project. This section should be responsive to and will be evaluated under the Problems, Solutions and Technical Approach evaluation criterion (see Section V.1.a. of this

NOFO).

d. Development of the Scientific Field and Dissemination Plan. A description of the applicant’s approach to broadly disseminate the results of the prospective economic impact assessment to the public.

The plan should include an approach to publish results through publications and white papers in appropriate literature, and through presentations at public meetings or technical events. This section should be responsive to and will be evaluated under the Development of the Scientific Field and Dissemination Plan evaluation criteria (see Section V.1.b. of this NOFO).

e. Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel and Resource

Availability. A description of the qualifications and experience of the applicant’s proposed key personnel and proposed staff in neutron scattering research or in related scientific or engineering areas that are integral to the activities contained in the proposal, the time commitments of the key personnel, how the project staff qualifications will facilitate project work. This section should be responsive to and will be evaluated under the Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel and Resources Availability evaluation criterion (see Section V.1.c. of this NOFO).

f. Resumes of Key Personnel must be included. Resumes are not included in the page count of the Project Narrative. Resumes included as part of the application must be a maximum of two pages each.

Additional pages beyond the two pages per resume will not be

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program considered during the evaluation of the application. Resumes will be evaluated under the Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel and Resources Availability evaluation criterion (see Section V.1.c. of this NOFO).

(8) Budget Narrative and Justification.

There is no set format for the Budget Narrative and Justification;

however, further explanation must be provided for the specific cost categories and line items identified in the Instructions R&R Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget, as well as any other information you deem necessary for NIST’s consideration. The Budget Narrative and Justification must be attached to the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed).

The written justification should include the necessity and the basis for the cost. Proposed funding levels must be consistent with the project scope, and only allowable costs should be included in the budget.

Information on cost allowability is available in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (http://go.usa.gov/SBYh), which apply to awards in this program.

The Budget Narrative does not count against the twenty (20) page limit of the Project Narrative.

The Budget Narrative section will be evaluated in accordance with the Match of Budget to Proposed Work evaluation criteria (see Section V.1.d. of this NOFO). It will also be reviewed to determine if all costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable under 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart E, Cost Principles.

Information needed for each category is as follows:

A. Senior/Key Person – At a minimum, the budget justification should include the following: name, job title, commitment of effort on the proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or percentage of time, salary rate, total direct charges on the proposed project, description of the role of the individual on the proposed project and the work to be performed.

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 (e.g., health insurance, https://go.usa.gov/xd2aT https://go.usa.gov/xd2aT http://go.usa.gov/SBYh

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program parking, etc.) should not be charged under another cost category.

B. Other Personnel - Data is requested at the project role level, and not at the individual level for Other Personnel. The budget justification should include the following: job title, commitment of effort on the proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or percentage of time, salary rate, total direct charges on the proposed project, description of the role of the position on the proposed project and the work to be performed.

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 (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.) should not be charged under another cost category.

C. Equipment Description – 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. 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.) charged directly to the award should be allocated to the award according to expected usage on the project.

Applicants should provide at least two (2) quotes, if available, for equipment costing $25,000 or more. If two (2) quotes are not available, please provide a statement as to why two (2) quotes are not available. Any items that do not meet the threshold for equipment can be included under the Materials and Supplies line item in Section F, Other Direct Costs.

D. Travel - For all travel costs, required by the recipient to complete the project, including attendance at any relevant conferences, the budget justification for travel should include the following:

destination; names or number of people traveling; dates and/or duration; mode of transportation, lodging and subsistence rates;

and 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 the meeting.

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs – Participant support costs are stipends, subsistence allowances, travel, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees, who are not employees of your organization, for conferences or training projects. The budget justification should indicate the names or number of participants or trainees, a description and calculation of costs per person, a description and date of the event, and a description of why the cost is necessary for the successful completion of the proposed project.

F. 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.

Each subaward or contractual cost should be treated as a separate item in the Other Direct Costs category. Describe the services to be provided and the necessity of the subaward or contract to the successful performance of the proposed project. Contracts are for obtaining goods and services. Subawardees perform part of the project scope of work. For each subaward, applicants must provide budget detail justifying the cost of the work performed on the project.

H. Indirect Costs – Commonly referred to as Facilities & Administrative Costs, Indirect Costs are defined as costs incurred by the applicant organization that cannot otherwise be directly assigned or attributed to a specific project. For more details, see Section IV.2.a.(9) of this NOFO.

(9) 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 http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20Commerce%20Standard%20Terms%20Conditions%2030%20April%202019.pdf http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20Commerce%20Standard%20Terms%20Conditions%2030%20April%202019.pdf

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program 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.

(10) Data Management Plan. Consistent with NIST Policy 5700.002, Managing

Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research, and NIST Order 5701.003, Managing Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research”, applicants must include a Data Management Plan (DMP).

The DMP is a supplementary document of not more than two pages that must include, at a minimum, a summary of proposed activities that are expected to generate data, a summary of the types of data expected to be generated by the identified activities, a plan for storage and maintenance of the data expected to be generated by the identified activities, and a plan describing whether and how data generated by the identified activities will be reviewed and made available to the public. As long as the DMP meets these NIST requirements, it may take the form specified by the applicant’s institution or some other entity (e.g., the National Science Foundation4 or the National Institutes of Health5).

All applications for activities that will generate scientific data using NIST funding are required to submit a DMP or explain why data sharing and/or preservation are not within the scope of the project.

For the purposes of the DMP, NIST adopted the definition of “research data” at 2 C.F.R. § 200.315(e)(3) (available at http://go.usa.gov/3sZvQ).

Reasonable costs for data preservation and access may be included in the application.

The inclusion of the DMP will be considered as part of the administrative review (see Section V.3.a. of this NOFO); however, the DMP will not be evaluated against any evaluation criteria.

2 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/19/final_p_5700.pdf 3 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/11/08/final_o_5701_ver_2.pdf 4 http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp.jsp 5 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_guidance.htm http://go.usa.gov/3sZvQ https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/19/final_p_5700.pdf https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/11/08/final_o_5701_ver_2.pdf http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp.jsp http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_guidance.htm

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

(11) Subaward Budget Form. The Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment Form is required if sub-recipients and contractors are included in the application budget.

Instructions for completing subaward budget forms are available by visiting the R & R Family section of the Grants.gov Forms Repository and scrolling down to the R & R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form and selecting “Instructions.”

(12) Current and Pending Support Form. Any application that includes investigators, researchers, and key personnel must identify all sources of current and potential funding, including this proposal. Any current project support (e.g., Federal, state, local, public or private foundations, etc.) must be listed on this form. The proposed project and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the Principal Investigator (PI), co-PI, and key personnel must be included, even if no salary support is received. The total award amount for the entire award period covered, including indirect costs, must be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the project, regardless of the source of support. Similar information must be provided for all proposals already submitted or that are being submitted concurrently to other potential funders.

Applicants must complete the Current and Pending Support Form, using multiple forms as necessary to account for all activity for each individual identified in the PI, co-PI and key personnel roles. A separate form should be used for each identified individual.

Applicants must download the Current and Pending Support Form from the NIST website at https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support and reference the guidance provided as it contains information to assist with accurately completing the form.

b. Attachment of Required Documents

Items IV.2.a.(1) through IV.2.a.(5) above are part of the standard application package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the download application process.

Item IV.2.a.(6), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, is an optional application form which is part of the standard application package in Grants.gov. If item IV.2.a.(6), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form is applicable to this proposal, attach it to field 18 of the SF-https://www.grants.gov/forms/r-r-family.html https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance.

Item IV.2.a.(7), the Project Narrative, should be attached to field 8 (Project Narrative) of the Research and Related Other Project Information form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

Item IV.2.a.(8), the Budget Narrative and Justification, should be attached to field L (Budget Justification) of the Research and Related Budget (Total Fed + Total Non-Fed) form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

Items IV.2.a.(9), the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, IV.2.a.(10), the Data Management Plan, and IV.2.a.(12), the Current and Pending Support Form, must be completed and attached by clicking on “Add Attachments” found in item 12 (Other Attachments) of the Research and Related Other Project Information form.

Item IV.2.a.(11), the Subaward Budget Form(s), if applicable to the submission, should be attached to the Research & Related Subaward Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form in the application package.

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 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.

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=Applicants%2FCheckApplicationStatus%2FCheckApplicationStatus.htm

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

If the directions found at:

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStar ted.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 twenty (20) pages, noting the limit of two (2) pages for the Executive Summary.

(5) Page Limit Exclusions:

SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance;

Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed);

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

CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

Resumes;

Research and Related Other Project Information;

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm http://go.usa.gov/cjamz

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

Budget Narrative and Justification;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

Data Management Plan;

Subaward Budget Form;

Current and Pending Support Form

(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

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program 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.

4. Submission Dates and Times Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Friday, May 8, 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 March 21, 2020 March 23, 2020 April 18, 2020 April 20, 2020

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 two 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.

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

6. Funding Restrictions

Applications for product development and/or commercialization are not considered responsive to this NOFO. Profit or fee is not an allowable cost.

http://www.grants.gov/

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

7. 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-NCNR-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 two 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/), 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.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

(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.

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

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 tanya.burke@nist.gov.

V. Application Review Information

1. Evaluation Criteria: The following evaluation criteria and assigned weights will be used in evaluating applications received pursuant to this NOFO:

a) Problems, Solutions and Technical Approach (0-40 points).

Reviewers will evaluate the extent to which the application clearly address the program objectives identified in the Program Description section of this NOFO (see Section I. of this NOFO). Reviewers will also evaluate the appropriateness, quality, reasonableness, and completeness of the applicant’s technical approach and plans for project implementation, including the plans to manage the project tasks, timelines and milestones, and the work of project staff to ensure realization of project goals and objectives.

b) Development of the Scientific Field and Dissemination Plan (0-25 points, sub-criteria below receive equal weight). Reviewers will evaluate the extent to which the neutron scattering field of science, particularly in the areas of macromolecular science, condensed matter physics and chemistry, is likely to be positively impacted by the project, including the applicant’s efforts pertaining to:

(1) Disseminating neutron scattering data and research results broadly to the public through publication in the appropriate scientific and technical literature and white papers and presentations at public meetings or other technical events;

(2) Contributing to the development of the next generation of researchers focused on neutron scattering science;

(3) Developing capabilities and a plan to provide research assistance to U.S. researchers using the NCNR facilities, including related training, education and outreach;

(4) Contributing to the development and utilization of neutron measurement technologies; and

(5) Demonstrating support for project objectives by collaborating with NIST scientists on the operation of neutron instrumentation at the NCNR.

c) Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel and Resources

Availability (0-25 points). Reviewers will evaluate the appropriateness and extent of the qualifications and experience of the proposed key mailto:

Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program personnel and project staff relative to neutron scattering research or in related scientific or engineering areas that are key to the activities contained in the application to assess the likelihood of achieving the goals and objectives of the project. Reviewers will also evaluate the quality of the applicant’s plan for integrating the applicant’s staff effectively into the activities of the NCNR facility, including establishing robust communications between the applicant’s staff and NCNR staff.

d) Match of Budget to Proposed Work. (0-10 points). Reviewers will assess the proposed budget against the proposed project to ascertain the reasonableness of the budget request.

2. Selection Factors

The Selection Factors for this Program are as follows:

(1) Results of the merit reviewers’ evaluations;

(2) The availability of funding;

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

(4) Alignment with the NCNR program objectives.

3. 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.