Analytics for Equity BAA MSI-SB - PDF.pdf

NSF Analytics for Equity Initiative

Minority Serving Institutions and Small Businesses

Broad Agency Announcement

1.0 Introduction

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites social, economic, and behavioral scientists to submit proposals to the Analytics for Equity Initiative (Initiative). The Initiative seeks to leverage existing publicly available federal data, existing restricted-use data from federal statistical agencies, and other relevant existing publicly available data and scientific advances in researching equity-related topics for greater public benefit. It is designed to produce rigorous empirical research that federal agencies and other organizations can use to increase the impact of equity-focused evidence-based strategies.

1.1 Background

The Foundations of Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 directs federal agencies to pose, and then respond to, detailed questions about how to better achieve their vital missions. To this end, the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act requires agencies to post Learning Agendas, which capture key research questions that agencies hope to answer in service of their priorities.

The 2021 Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, moreover, directs the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget to work with agencies to assess and seek to improve the effectiveness of equity-related actions.

The Initiative pilots a new form of partnership between NSF, the White House, other federal agencies, and the research community. The Initiative will link interested offerors directly with federal agencies seeking to answer research questions captured in their Learning Agendas in five equity-related thematic areas.

The Initiative has two phases, which will be awarded in succession.

In Phase 1, offerors are expected to familiarize themselves with agency needs, to find and engage relevant data assets, to conduct initial exploratory analyses, and to develop larger-scale research agendas. Proposed budgets for Phase 1 projects may not exceed $75,000 and up to $1.0 million in Phase 1 contracts subject to the availability of funding.

During Phase 1, offerors are expected to connect with participating federal agencies through conference calls, including virtual meetings, which will be scheduled at the beginning, middle, and end of the period of performance, and give presentations of research progress.

https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ435/PLAW-115publ435.pdf https://www.evaluation.gov/evidence-plans/learning-agenda/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/

At the end of Phase 1, offerors will give a final presentation to relevant federal stakeholders and deliver a complete research plan, which must contain (at a minimum) relevant literature reviews, exploratory data analyses, preliminary findings, and future research plans.

Phase 2 seeks to provide resources to conduct larger scale research and analyses. Phase 2 will be released by a separate funding mechanism and open to all offerors regardless of receiving a Phase 1 contract.

1.2 Purpose

NSF is issuing this opportunity as a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to minority serving institutions and small businesses, and their partners, to conduct a variety of research projects that will support the strategic objectives of this Initiative. A parallel BAA provides opportunities for proposals that are led by for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, universities, and other institutions of higher education.

NOTE: Proposals led by minority serving institutions and small businesses can be submitted in response to either or both BAAs.

2.0 Eligibility

This BAA is available to minority serving institutions and small businesses. Minority serving institutions are defined as an accredited institute of higher education whose enrollment of a single minority, or a combination of minorities exceeds fifty percent of the total enrollment.

Small businesses must be classified as a small business in the NAICS code most relevant to their proposal. All minority serving institutions and small business must be registered to receive contracts at www.sam.gov. All awards will be firm fixed price and may not exceed $75,000. NSF will make a total of $1 million available across all Phase 1 contracts, pending the availability of funds. The period of performance for these contracts will be eight months after date of contract. Only contracts will be issued in response to this BAA.

2.1 General Award Information

Multiple awards under this BAA are possible. The National Science Foundation (NSF) reserves the right to select for negotiation all, some, one, or none of the proposals received in response to this BAA and to make awards without discussions with offerors. NSF reserves the right to negotiate contract types, structures, deliverables, terms and conditions, and all other aspects of the proposal with all or any apparent winners. Additionally, NSF reserves the right to accept proposals in their entirety or to select only portions for award. In the event NSF desires to award only portions of a proposal, negotiations may be opened with the offerors.

NSF reserves the right to remove offerors from award consideration should the parties fail to reach an agreement on award terms, conditions, and/or price within a reasonable time, and/or the offeror fails to timely provide requested additional information. Proposals identified for award will only be issued contracts. Financial assistance and other arrangements are not http://www.sam.gov/ contemplated by this BAA. NSF will treat all submissions as source selection information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation.

2.2 Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)

In accordance with FAR 9.5, offerors are required to identify and disclose all facts relevant to potential OCIs involving the offeror’s organization and any proposed team member (subcontractor, consultant). Under this Section, the offeror is responsible for providing this disclosure with each proposal submitted to the BAA.1 The disclosure must include the offeror’s OCI mitigation plan. The OCI mitigation plan must include a description of the actions the offeror (and similarly for each proposed team member, as applicable) has taken, or intends to take, to prevent the existence of conflicting roles that might bias the offeror’s judgment and to prevent the offeror from having unfair competitive advantage. The OCI mitigation plan will specifically discuss the disclosed OCI in the context of each of the OCI limitations outlined in FAR 9.505-1 through FAR 9.505-4.

2.3 Scope

Proposals are requested in five thematic areas aligned with the Learning Agendas of agency partners. For each thematic area, example research questions of interest are provided.

Theme 1. Equity of Access to STEM Research and Education Opportunities

Research questions of interest include but are not limited to*:

a. How do strategies used to broaden participation in STEM align with effective strategies emerging from the peer-reviewed literature, and how may this shape program design to help increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the STEM workforce?

b. What factors influence whether a researcher submits a proposal to a federal sponsor?

c. In what ways did the COVID pandemic influence the participation of different groups in NSF’s portfolio of programs and activities?

d. In what ways do the characteristics of institutions and individuals receiving awards from NSF’s Broadening Participation (BP) programs (including focused and emphasis programs) and non-BP programs differ?

e. What do findings imply for NSF and other federal efforts to broaden participation in STEM programming?

Theme 2. Environmental Stressors and Equity

1 That is, while submitting more than one proposal is permitted, the offeror is responsible for providing OCI disclosure for each proposal submitted as supplemental information (see section 3.4). Further, while submitting more than one proposal is permitted, the offeror must indicate a single theme for each proposal submitted (see sections 2.3 and 3.1).

https://www.nsf.gov/od/broadeningparticipation/bp_investments.jsp https://www.nsf.gov/od/broadeningparticipation/bp_investments.jsp

Research questions of interest include but are not limited to*:

a. How do interactions between multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors increase susceptibility to pollution exposure for individuals living in overburdened communities? What methods or tools can be utilized to identify and characterize exposure and begin to account for interactions between them? In what scientifically defensible ways can community-generated or traditional ecological knowledge on stressors be integrated with conventional scientific approaches?

How can analysis of cumulative impacts contribute to characterizing the distribution of environmental burdens and benefits across communities and populations?

b. What are the main financial and non-financial barriers that discourage lead service line replacement? What outreach, financing or other incentive structures, program design features, or other approaches are effective in overcoming these barriers?

Does the effectiveness these approaches vary with sociodemographic characteristics? Specifically, what approaches for encouraging lead service line replacement are most effective in communities with high concentrations of people that do not speak English as a primary language, people of color, low-income residents, and/or renters? How are property values impacted in the short and long term by lead service line replacement and how does public access to this information impact lead service line replacement rates? How are renters affected?

c. What are the health and welfare impacts of lead service line replacements for children and adults, and do they differ by income, race/ethnicity, or other indicator of socioeconomic vulnerability? Endpoints of interest could include changes in blood lead levels or health endpoints associated with lead exposure, such as neurodevelopmental, cardiovascular, or reproductive endpoints.

Theme 3. Equity in Human Services Delivery and Outcomes

a. Medicaid utilization by families involved in child welfare systems. For families involved in state child welfare programs, who is filing Medicaid claims and what types of claims? Does this vary by child race or ethnicity, or other demographic or household factors? When looking at claims related to substance use, does this tell a different story?

b. Safety participation and related outcomes for immigrants and refugees. What are the employment and earnings outcomes of safety net program participants that are second generation immigrants compared to first generation immigrants?

Compared to those born in the United States? For refugees arriving in the United States in the past 5 years, what are their integration outcomes, including language acquisition, educational attainment, labor force and earnings, healthcare access, and other domains? How do these outcomes differ by demographic group, and compare to the non-refugee immigrant population arriving over the same period?

Theme 4. Health Equity in the Wake of Climate Change

a. What are the causes of disproportionate health impacts of climate change among communities with increased risk of exposure, higher sensitivity, and lower adaptive capacity? What can be effective intervention strategies in addressing health equity and environmental justice among populations at higher risk for and historically underserved populations?

b. What are the risk factors (e.g., lack of access to air conditioning, living in basement apartments in flood-prone areas, lack of emergency supply kits for disasters) that impact historically underserved populations and their ability to prepare and respond to climate change?

c. What are the structural and systemic factors (social determinants of health) that influence a community’s participation in local environmental justice efforts?

d. What factors contribute to community resilience in neighborhoods and communities overexposed to air pollution (including wildfire), lead, radiation chemical spills, extreme climate events, and outbreaks in public water systems?

Theme 5. Equity Considerations for Workplace Safety and Workers

a. What measurements of current- and emerging- conditions should be considered for analysis in determining health and safety risks for workers and for communities? How do these conditions affect specific industries, regions, or populations disproportionately, based on publicly available data? Are there measures related to stress and/or mental health outcomes that can be captured through alternative sources, such as passive data (i.e., biomedical data collected through apps, phones, fitbits)?

b. What are the core capabilities and other skills necessary for the technical science industries, including positions in occupational safety and health, particularly as we consider the skills for the future and building the pipeline among different demographic groups?

*Offerors may propose other research questions within scope of the aforementioned themes.

2.4 Additional Resources

Offerors are encouraged to learn more about the themes described in 2.3 by reviewing the following Learning Agendas:

• NSF: https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/eac/PDFs/NSF_FY22-26%20Learning%20Agenda%20Final.pdf https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/eac/PDFs/NSF_FY22-26%20Learning%20Agenda%20Final.pdf

• DOL: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/evidence/evidence-building-plan-fy2022-2026.pdf

• EPA: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-learning-agenda_0.pdf

• HHS: https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/fy-2023-2026-hhs-evidence-building-plan

Additional data resources include Data.gov , which provides an searchable inventory of open-data resources, and ResearchDataGov.org, which provides an inventory of restricted-use data resources available through the federal government and instructions for how researchers can apply for access to these data. Lastly, for other resources, see the webpage for the Initiative at https://beta.nsf.gov/od/oia/eac/analytics-equity-initiative.

3.0 Instructions to Offerors

Proposals shall consist of a:

1. Cover Page

2. Technical Proposal

3. Cost or Price Volume

4. Supplemental Information

Proposals shall be written in type no smaller than 11-point font. All pages must be formatted for printing on an 8-1/2 by 11-inch paper. Margins must be 1-inch on all sides.

3.1. Cover Page

The cover page is limited to 2 pages and it must include the following:

1. Title of the proposed project

2. Identification of thematic area2 (see section 2.3)

3. Names, phone numbers, mailing, and emailing addresses for the principal technical and contractual points of contacts. This shall include the organizational representative who can contractually obligate the offeror organization.

4. Date of Submission

5. Proprietary data restrictions, if any.

3.2. Technical Proposal

The technical proposal is limited to 5 pages and it must include, at a minimum, the following sections:

1. Topic Area

2. Research Design and Approach

3. Feasibility and Risk Mitigation

4. Work Plan and Schedule

It must also contain two components:

2 Only one single theme, as defined in section 2.3, should be provided.

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/evidence/evidence-building-plan-fy2022-2026.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-learning-agenda_0.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-learning-agenda_0.pdf https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/fy-2023-2026-hhs-evidence-building-plan https://data.gov/ https://www.researchdatagov.org/ https://beta.nsf.gov/od/oia/eac/analytics-equity-initiative

• Identify and discuss relevant existing publicly available federal data, existing restricted-use data from federal statistical agencies, and/or other relevant existing publicly available data that enable testing of research questions about equity related to one of the thematic areas, as defined in section 2.3. Note that no other federal data, including non-public data, will be made available under these contracts. Proposals should address how the research team will link disparate datasets; whether new data collections may be needed; how the proposed work will contribute to improving equity policies in the thematic area; and how the proposed work applies to the Learning Agenda questions of the corresponding agencies.

• Identify appropriate and rigorous methods for testing explicit hypotheses with relevant data to advance evidence-based policy making where the audience of interest is decision makers. Be explicit on the strength of evidence and responsible in the use of causal claims.

3.3. Cost or Price Volume

Offerors must submit a firm fixed price proposal that may not exceed $75,000 (inclusive of any overhead or similar indirect costs, if applicable) and provide a payment schedule, which must include a milestone chart with associated milestone-based payments (tied to the deliverables listed in section 5.1). Cost sharing is not permitted for this BAA.

3.4. Supplemental Information

Supplemental information includes:

• Resumes/CVs for key personnel (max 1 page per resume/CV).3

• Disclosure of OCIs (if applicable), see section 2.2.

3.5. Submission Instructions

Offerors shall submit their proposal via NSF’s Broad Agency Announcement Managements System (BAAM) at the following URL: https://baam.nsf.gov/s/. Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov and have a Unique Entity Identifier, or UEI, before applying to an NSF BAA.4 To begin the registration and UEI process, visit SAM.gov. For BAAM technical support, offerors can contact the BAAM helpdesk at BAAMSupport@nsf.gov. All other questions can be submitted to eac@nsf.gov with subject line Analytics for Equity Initiative. In all cases, submission of a question does not guarantee the question will be answered.

3 Of interest is relevant technical capabilities, subject matter expertise, and experience with similar projects.

4 Relatedly, please note that BAAM allows someone to register as an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) for an organization and only that person in an organization can submit proposals and documentation in response to a solicitation. For some institutions, this could be someone in an Office of Sponsored Programs or the equivalent.

https://baam.nsf.gov/s/ https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration mailto:BAAMSupport@nsf.gov mailto:eac@nsf.gov

4.0. Evaluation Factors for Award

4.1. Intellectual Merit (Technical) and Broader Impact

After the proposal submission due date, NSF will review intellectual merit and broader impacts of proposals utilizing confidence ratings (High Confidence, Some Confidence, Low Confidence) to determine if the proposal provides sufficient technical rigor, relevance to equity and scope, and project feasibility and utility. These criteria are discussed below.

4.1.1. Technical Rigor

NSF will rate the offeror’s technical rigor on the use of appropriate and innovative technical approaches, and the offeror’s technical knowledge sufficient to ensure successful completion of all activities described in the proposal and deliverables required by the contract.

4.1.2 Relevance to Equity and Scope

NSF will rate the offeror’s planned activities and deliverables for clear relevance to equity and scope, as defined in section 2.3.

4.1.3 Feasibility and Utility

NSF will rate the offeror’s planned activities and deliverables, including data collection efforts and technical knowledge of existing data, for feasibility that all proposed work can be completed within the period of performance and that findings will be of value to relevant federal stakeholders.

4.2. Status as a Minority Serving Institution or Small Business This is a binary evaluation factor. Only minority serving institutions and small businesses will receive a “pass” score for this factor. No contract will be awarded to an organization receiving a “fail” for this factor.5

4.3. Availability of Funds

Price reasonableness will also be considered to the extent appropriate.

4.4. Theme Representation

Achieving balance across the specified themes will also be considered to the extent appropriate.

5 Consistent with FAR 35.016(e), this restrictive pass/fail evaluation criterion is important to meet NSF’s minimum needs for several reasons, including that NSF expects that it will encourage MSIs and small businesses to become involved in NSF’s programs and build or establish research capacity within these entities. In addition, NSF is justifying its use in the alternative under FAR 6.302-3. Further, while this criterion may restrict competition under this BAA, non-small businesses and non-MSIs are free to participate under the parallel unrestricted BAA that NSF is releasing, which contains the same topics.

4.5. Within-theme Review

Within each theme, as defined in section 2.3, if more than one proposal is individually given a high confidence rating, as defined in section 4.1, then NSF will subsequently review these proposals to determine a ranking (from highest to lowest) as to which proposal has the highest likelihood of providing credible data-driven findings that are actionable while addressing an area of greatest need to relevant federal stakeholders.6

5.0. Contract Conditions

5.1. Deliverables

The following deliverables will be required for every contract issued:

1. Monthly Progress Reports.

2. Draft Exploratory Analyses, which is a memo containing the results of exploratory analyses and research findings that assess:

a. The feasibility of the proposed research; and,

b. Demonstrates the contribution of the proposed research to the current state of knowledge or evidence.

3. Draft Research Plan, which is a report containing the research plan that specifies:

a. The research goals and objectives, the expected outcomes, and the potential of the research to produce rigorous empirical research and actionable recommendations that federal agencies and other organizations can use to increase the impact of equity-focused strategies.

b. The overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be conducted, including how existing and new datasets will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted.

c. Discussion of the data, technical, infrastructure, and other resources needed to conduct the research.

4. Final Exploratory Analyses and Final Research Plan.

5. Final Presentation(s) to relevant federal stakeholders, including but not limited to project sponsors and agency partners.

5.2. Special Contract Terms and Conditions

In addition to applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, the following NSF clauses will be included in each contract:

5.2.1. NSF 250: Restrictions on Disclosure of Information (Jan 2014)

6 This subsequent review is to ensure that award determination for proposals with high confidence ratings within a given theme is based on the best ideas with the highest competence to obtain capabilities needed for successful performance of the work (FAR 35.008) and that contribute the most valuable evidence to inform either budget decisions, policy decisions, program design, program development, or regulatory actions (OMB Memorandum M- 20-12).

(a) The Contractor agrees that it will take such measures as are necessary to restrict access to applicant and panel records, as well as any other information related to work pursuant to this contract (including, but not limited to, any information relating to legal, policy, program, operational or other issues, whether concerning existing, proposed or contemplated legislation, regulations, policy issuances or similar matters or otherwise) to those employees and/or subcontractors of the Contractor needing such information to perform the work required there under, i.e., on a "need-to-know" basis. This Clause does not apply to information which has been released to the public by NSF or which is available to the public other than by the Contractor's breach of this Agreement.

(b) The Contractor agrees to keep the restricted information in the strictest confidence. The Contractor also agrees not to publish, reproduce or otherwise divulge the Information in whole or in part, in any manner or form, nor to authorize or permit others to do so, taking such reasonable measures as are necessary to restrict access to the Information, to those employees and/or subcontractors needing such information to perform the work required under the contract, i.e., on a "need-to-know" basis.

The obligation to maintain confidentiality continues after completion, termination, or expiration of this contract. The Information must be made available only at the discretion of the NSF and subject to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. Sec. 552), as amended, The Privacy Act, (5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a), as amended, The Trade Secrets Act, (18 U.S.C. Sec. 1905, as amended), and any other applicable laws or regulations. Further, the Contractor must notify the Contracting Officer of the transfer to subcontractors of any information prior to any such transfer. Upon completion of the Contractor's obligations, the Contractor must return or destroy all copies of restricted information, whether furnished by NSF or created by the Contractor and any subcontractor.

(c) The Contractor agrees to immediately notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, in the event that the Contractor determines or has reason to suspect a breach of any part of this clause.

(d) The Contractor agrees to immediately notify the Contracting Officer in writing, of any request received from any individual who is not a party to this contract, for access to information related to this contract. Those requests will be directed to NSF's FOIA/Disclosure Officer for processing under the provision of the Freedom of Information Act. This paragraph does not apply to a request by an individual for access to information contained in records pertaining to that particular individual. However, if the individual wants copies of the actual records pertaining to him/her, he/she must first contact NSF's FOIA/Disclosure Officer.

(e) The Contractor agrees that it will not knowingly violate any statutory or regulatory restrictions against the disclosure of government records, including 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a, as amended, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552, as amended, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1905, as amended, and implementing regulations. The Contractor also agrees that it will take steps to ensure that any subcontractor will also adhere to these restrictions.

(f) The Contractor is bound by Section (m) of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(m) and as such is considered under the act to be an employee of the agency. Accordingly, the Contractor and any of its employees are subject to the criminal penalties of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec.552a(i).

(g) The Contractor will designate and identify an individual who must be responsible for the notifications required under sections (b), (c) and (d) of this agreement and who must receive all appropriate responses from the Contracting Officer (CO) or from NSF's FOIA/Disclosure Officer. The Contractor must take those steps necessary to ensure that the provisions of paragraphs a-g, inclusive, are adhered to by all directors, officers, agents and employees of the Contractor.

(h) The Contractor must place the provisions contained at Paragraphs a-g, above, in all subcontracts entered into pursuant to the contract where the subcontractor will have or may gain access to NSF information and, further, the Contractor agrees to enforce the provisions of this Clause against any and all subcontractors under this contract.

(i) The contractor may not publish the results of their research under this contract unless expressly approved by NSF.

(j) NSF administrative data received under this contract may not be used for any purpose but for the intended purpose of this contract.

(k) Deliverables resulting from this contract may not be published by the contractor without express approval from NSF. Deliverables are property of NSF.

5.2.2 NSF 301 Contractor Responsibility and Research Misconduct The contractor is responsible for the conduct of the project or activity supported under this award and for adherence to the terms and conditions. Although the contractor is encouraged to seek the advice and opinion of NSF on special problems that may arise, such advice does not diminish the contractor's responsibility for making sound scientific and administrative judgments and should not imply that the responsibility for operating decisions has shifted to

NSF.

The contractor is responsible for notifying NSF about: (1) any allegation of research misconduct that it concludes has substance and requires an investigation in accordance with NSF research misconduct regulations published at 45 CFR Part 689; or (2) any significant problems relating to the administrative or financial aspects of the award.

5.2.3 NSF 302 Public Access to Federal Funded Scientific Research NSF’s policy on public access to copyrighted material (Public Access Policy) reflects the Foundation’s commitment to making certain that, to the extent possible, the American public, industry and the scientific community have access to the results of federally funded scientific research. Pursuant to this policy, the contractor must, if NSF has approved publication, ensure that all articles in peer-reviewed scholarly journals and papers in juried conference proceedings:

• Are deposited in a public access compliant repository (as identified in the Public Access

Policy);

• Are available for download, reading and analysis within 12 months of publication;

• Possess a minimum set of machine-readable metadata elements as described in the

Public Access Policy; and,

• Either the final printed version or the final peer-reviewed manuscript is acceptable for deposit.

NSF expects significant findings from research and education activities it supports to be promptly submitted for publication, with authorship that accurately reflects the contributions of those involved. It expects investigators to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time, the data, samples, physical collections, and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of the work. It also encourages the contractor to share software and inventions or otherwise act to make the innovations they embody widely useful and usable.

Adjustments and, where essential, exceptions may be allowed to safeguard the rights of individuals and subjects, the validity of results, or the integrity of collections or to accommodate legitimate interests of investigators.

These public access requirements shall be included in any subcontract.

5.2.4. NSF 303 Publications

The contractor is responsible, if publication has been approved by NSF, for assuring that an acknowledgment of NSF support is made in any publication (including World Wide Web pages) of any material based on or developed under the project and that NSF support is orally acknowledged during all news media interviews, including popular media such as radio, television and news magazines.

The contractor is responsible, if publication is approved, for assuring that the cognizant NSF Program Officer and/or COR is provided access to, either electronically or in paper form, a copy of every publication of material based on or developed under this award, clearly labeled with the contract number and other appropriate identifying information, promptly after publication.

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/public_access/

5.2.5. NSF 300 Disclosure of Organizational Conflict of Interest (March 2014)

(a) Prospective contractors must identify an actual or potential organizational conflict of interest that has not already been adequately disclosed and resolved (or waived in accordance with FAR 9.503). The Contractor shall make a prompt and full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer when a conflict is identified. This disclosure shall include a description of the action the Contractor has taken or proposes to take in order to resolve the conflict. This reporting requirement also includes subcontractors actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest not adequately disclosed and resolved prior to award or that may have arisen post-award.

(b) Mitigation plan. If a mitigation plan is required for a conflict, the Contractor shall periodically update the plan, based on changes such as changes to the legal entity, the overall structure of the organization, subcontractor arrangements, contractor management, ownership, ownership relationships, or modification of the work scope

5.2.6 NSF 304 Notification Requirements Regarding Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault The PI and any co-PI(s) identified on an NSF contract are in a position of trust. These individuals must comport themselves in a responsible and accountable manner during the award period of performance, whether at the contractor location, on-line, or at locales such as field sites, facilities, or conferences/workshops.

For purposes of this term and condition, the following definitions apply:

Sexual Harassment: May include but is not limited to gender or sex-based harassment, unwelcome sexual attention, sexual coercion, or creating a hostile environment, as set forth in organizational policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders.

Other Forms of Harassment: Non-gender or non-sex-based harassment of individuals protected under federal civil rights laws, as set forth in organizational policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders.

Finding/Determination: The final disposition of a matter involving sexual harassment or other form of harassment under organizational policies and processes, to include the exhaustion of permissible appeals exercised by the PI or co-PI, or a conviction of a sexual offense in a criminal court of law.

Administrative Leave/Administrative Action: Any temporary/interim suspension or permanent removal of the PI or co-PI, or any administrative action imposed on the PI or co-PI by the grantee under organizational policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders, relating to activities, including but not limited to the following: teaching, advising, mentoring, research, management/administrative duties, or presence on campus.

The contractor is required to notify NSF of: (1) Any finding/determination regarding the PI or any co-PI that demonstrates a violation of contractor policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders relating to sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, or sexual assault; and/or (2) if the PI or any co-PI is placed on administrative leave or if any administrative action has been imposed on the PI or any co-PI by the contractor relating to any finding/determination or an investigation of an alleged violation of contractor policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders relating to sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, or sexual assault.

Such notification must be submitted by the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) to NSF’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights at www.nsf.gov/harassment within ten business days from the date of the finding/determination, or the date of the placement of a PI or co-PI by the grantee on administrative leave or the imposition of an administrative action, whichever is sooner.

Each notification must include the following information:

• NSF Contract Number;

• Name of PI or co-PI reported;

• Type of Notification: Select on of the following o Finding/Determination that the reported individual has been found to have violated contractor policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders relating to sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, or sexual assault, or o Placement by the contractor of the reported individual on administrative leave or the imposition of any administrative action against the PI or co-PI by the contractor relating to any finding/determination or an investigation of any alleged violation of contractor policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders relating to sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, or sexual assault.

• Description of the finding/determination and action(s) taken, if any; and,

• Reason(s) for, and conditions of, placement of the PI or any co-PI on administrative leave or imposition of administrative action.

The contractor, at any time, may propose a substitute investigator if it determines the PI or any co-PI may not be able to carry out the funded project or activity and/or abide by the grant terms and conditions. If the PI is named in the contract, the contractor must obtain contracting officer approval in the event the investigator will be disengaged from the project for a period greater than three months.

The NSF will review the information provided and take appropriate action, up to and including termination of the contract.

http://www.nsf.gov/harassment