RFA Rad Prot Support_EPA-OAR-ORIA-20-04_final_04-14-20.pdf

AGENCY: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: Development of Recommendations and Guidance for Radiological

Protection Programs

ACTION: Request for Applications (RFA)

RFA NUMBER: EPA-OAR-ORIA-20-04

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO: 66.034

IMPORTANT DATES:

April 14, 2020 RFA OPENS

May 29, 2020 RFA CLOSES – APPLICATIONS DUE

July 29, 2020 ANTICIPATED NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION

October 1, 2020 ANTICIPATED AWARD

The closing date and time for receipt of applications is May 29, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

(ET) to be considered for funding. Application packages must be submitted electronically to

EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov/) by the closing date and time.

To allow for efficient management of the competitive process, EPA requests submittal of an informal notice of an Intent to Apply by close of business May 15, 2020, to Jonathan Nagata at nagata.jonathan@epa.gov. Submission of Intent to apply is optional; it is a process management tool that will allow EPA to better anticipate the total staff time required for efficient review, evaluation, and selection of submitted applications.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications to help protect human health and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation. EPA is soliciting applications for projects that support this effort through the development of radiological protection guidance and recommendations, and information exchange with EPA and other federal agencies involved in radiological protection. Eligible entities with experience assessing the human health impacts of radiation exposure are encouraged to submit applications.

COVID-19 Update: EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in Section IV. of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses.

FUNDING/AWARD: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $500,000 over five years. EPA anticipates awarding one to two multi-year grant(s) from this announcement, subject to the availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:nagata.jonathan@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE: Development of Recommendations and Guidance for Radiological Protection Programs

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction

B. Background

C. Scope of Work

D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Outputs, Outcomes and Performance Measures

E. Statutory Authority

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Available

B. Partial Funding

C. Number of Grants Awarded

D. Project Period for Awards Resulting from This Solicitation

E. Funding Type

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

B. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

C. Content of Application Submission

D. Submission Date and Times

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

B. Review and Selection Process

C. Other Factors

D. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

C. Reporting Requirement

D. Disputes

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

APPENDIX A – Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

APPENDIX B – Budget Detail Sample

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction

EPA’s Radiation Protection Program mission is to protect human health and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation. To advance this mission, EPA is soliciting applications for projects that align with this effort for the benefit of the general public through the development of radiological protection guidance and recommendations, and information exchange with EPA and other federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local entities involved in radiological protection. Eligible organizations will have experience assessing the human health impacts of ionizing radiation exposure, interpreting recent developments in radiation epidemiology and radiobiology to guide radiological protection programs, and leading efforts to harmonize radiological protection activities across agencies. National and international organizations and academic institutions are encouraged to submit applications.

B. Background

Every human on earth is subject to radiation exposure. While low levels of radiation (e.g., background radiation from cosmic and terrestrial sources) are not deemed to be a significant health risk, elevated radiation exposures are associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Extremely high levels of exposure may result in acute radiation syndrome.

While radiation poses potential human health risks, it also has numerous beneficial uses in society. Radiation is widely used in medical diagnostics and treatment, power generation, research, and commercial industry. Regulators are faced with the challenge of implementing radiological protection interventions that adequately protect public health while enabling the beneficial use of radiation.

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 charged the Federal Radiation Council with the responsibility of

“advis[ing] the President with respect to radiation matters, directly or indirectly affecting health, including guidance for all Federal agencies in the formulation of radiation standards and in the establishment and execution of programs of cooperation with States.” Under the Reorganization

Plan No. 3 of 1970, the Federal Radiation council was abolished, and its functions were transferred to the newly-created Environmental Protection Agency.

The Atomic Energy Act, as amended, also specifies that EPA “shall consult qualified scientists and experts in radiation matters, including…qualified experts in the field of biology and medicine and in the field of health physics.” As such, EPA leverages the expertise of national and international organizations, national laboratories, academic institutions, and federal counterparts in the development and implementation of radiological protection standards and guidance.

The purpose of this grant is to advance the body of knowledge that informs radiological protection programs, identify and promote effective approaches to radiological protection, and increase exchange of technical information among organizations working to protect the public from unnecessary radiation exposure. Priority areas include:

• Expanding the understanding of the biological effects of radiation exposure.

• Advancing dosimetric methodologies for assessing internal and external radiation exposures.

• Developing strategies for applying scientific evidence to radiological protection programs.

Selected applications will improve radiological protection in the United States and internationally by producing recommendations and conclusions from the latest epidemiology, radiobiology and health physics scientific studies. Recommendations aimed at protecting public health and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation will advance radiological protection in academia, medicine, industry, state, local, tribal, territorial and international government organizations.

C. Scope of Work

EPA is requesting applications from eligible entities to advance the body of scientific knowledge that informs radiological protection programs, identify and promote effective approaches to radiological protection, and increase exchange of technical information among organizations working to protect the public from unnecessary radiation exposure.

Successful applicants may provide sound scientific conclusions through a combination of research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys, and studies related to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects) of radiation exposure detriment, as well as organize workshops and related events, conduct field studies and compile and disseminate key findings to result in the prevention and control of unnecessary exposure to radiation.

Applicants should describe in detail how their project(s) will contribute to the advancement of systems of radiological protection. Specific activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Development of radiological protection guidance and recommendations for emerging and/or evolving exposure scenarios, such as—but not limited to—medical imaging and procedures, space travel, radioactive waste disposal, and radiological emergency response.

• Activities supporting harmonization of international radiological protection standards.

• Provision of recommendations and guidance to entities involved in radiological protection, such as U.S. federal, state, tribal, territorial and local radiological protection programs.

• Organizing, developing, and providing logistical support for workshops and related events (e.g., technical meetings, webinars, etc.).

D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Outputs, Outcomes and Performance Measures

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance

Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements with the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA also requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements.1 Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the priorities described below.

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan. The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan. Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 1, “A Cleaner, Healthier Environment,” Objective 1.1, “Improve Air Quality.”

Under this objective, EPA will:

• address “emerging issues and external factors that will affect how EPA protects the public from unnecessary exposure to radiation, including evolving policies on radioactive waste management, uranium extraction and processing technologies, a decrease in available radiation expertise, and new science on radiation health effects,”

• “assess radioactive contamination in the environment,” and

• “focus on education, including formal and informal training in the areas of health physics, radiation science, radiation risk communications, and emergency response to fill existing and emerging gaps.”

Applicants must explain in their application how their project will further these objectives.

Applicants are encouraged to review EPA’s FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan for more information.2

2. Outputs. The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period. Examples of outputs include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Publications (e.g., technical reports, guidance documents).

• Workshops and related events (e.g., technical meetings, webinars, etc.).

• Methods, models, and/or frameworks for assessing the human health impacts of radiation exposure.

• Recommendations—in the form of reports, conference or symposia proceedings, technical presentations, or other form—specific to implementation of radiological protection programs and activities.

• Progress reports and a final report will also be required outputs, as specified in Section

VI.C “Reporting Requirement,” of this RFA.

3. Outcomes. The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related

1 See EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf 2 See EPA’s FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan or programmatic in nature, but must also be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within the assistance agreement funding period. Expected outcomes from the projects to be funded under this announcement include, but are not limited to:

• Advancement of the radiological protection scientific body of knowledge.

• Efforts to harmonize international radiological protection methods, standards, and practices.

• Improved systems of radiological protection, including dose and risk assessment methods, communication strategies, and regulatory frameworks.

4. Performance Measures. The applicant should also develop performance measures they expect to achieve through the proposed activities and describe them in their application.

These performance measures will help gather insights and will be the mechanism used to track progress concerning successful processes and output and outcome strategies and will provide the basis for developing lessons to inform future recipients. It is expected that the description of performance measures will directly relate to the project outputs and outcomes.

The following are questions to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

• What are the measurable short-term and long-term results the project will achieve?

• How does the plan measure progress in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes) and how will the approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

E. Statutory Authority

The statutory authorities for this action are the Clean Air Act, §103(b)(3) and the National

Environmental Protection Act §102(2)(F). The Clean Air Act §103(b)(3) authorizes the award of grants for research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys, and studies related to the causes, effects, (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, and control of air pollution. The National Environmental Protection Act §102(2)(F) authorizes federal agencies to lend appropriate support to initiatives, resolutions, and programs designed to maximize international cooperation to anticipate and prevent a decline in the quality of mankind's world environment.

Demonstrations must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches, where the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not considered a demonstration project. Implementation activities are not eligible for funding under this announcement.

The anticipated activities to be funded under this solicitation are consistent with both authorities.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Available

The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive opportunity is approximately $500,000, to be funded over five years. EPA will not accept any application that exceeds $500,000 in total federal funding. Funding may be distributed among multiple awardees (see Section II.C.). Additionally, the amount granted to an awardee(s) is dependent upon agency appropriations, funding availability, and other applicable considerations.

B. Partial Funding

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application was evaluated and selected for award, thereby maintaining the integrity of the competition and selection process.

C. Number of Grants Awarded

It is anticipated that one to two grant(s) will be awarded from this announcement, subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with

Agency policy and other applicable considerations, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selections.

In addition, EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement or to make fewer awards than anticipated.

D. Project Period for Awards Resulting from This Solicitation

The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation is expected to be up to five years, estimated to begin on October 1, 2020, with an estimated completion date of

September 30, 2025.

E. Funding Type

The funding for selected projects will be in the form of a grant.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities

In accordance with the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA 66.034), applications will be accepted from states, local governments, territories, Indian tribes, and possessions of the

U.S., including the District of Columbia, international organizations, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private non-profit institutions.

Non-profit organization, as defined by 2 CFR 200.70, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. Note that

2 CFR Part 200 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of

“non-profit organization” because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education; and (ii) state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. While not considered to be a “non-profit organization(s)” as defined by 2 CFR 200.270, institutions of higher education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA.

For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

No matching funds are required under this competition. Although cost sharing/matching is not required as a condition of eligibility under this competition, under Section V. of this announcement, EPA will evaluate applications based on a leveraging criterion.

Leveraging is generally when an applicant proposes to provide its own additional funds/resources or those from third-party sources to support or complement the project they are awarded under the competition which are above and beyond the EPA grant funds awarded. Any leveraged funds/resources, and their source, must be identified in the application (See Section

IV. of the announcement). Leveraged funds and resources may take various forms as noted below.

Voluntary cost share is a form of leveraging. Voluntary cost sharing is when an applicant voluntarily proposes to legally commit to provide costs or contributions to support the project when a cost share is not required. Applicants who propose to use a voluntary cost share must include the costs or contributions for the voluntary cost share in the project budget on the SF-

424. If an applicant proposes a voluntary cost share, the following apply:

• A voluntary cost share is subject to the match provisions in the grant regulations 2 CFR

Part 200 as applicable.

• A voluntary cost share may only be met with eligible and allowable costs.

• The recipient may not use other sources of federal funds to meet a voluntary cost share unless the statute authorizing the other federal funding provides that the federal funds may be used to meet a cost share requirement on a federal grant.

• The recipient is legally obligated to meet any proposed voluntary cost share that is included in the approved project budget. If the proposed voluntary cost share does not materialize during grant performance, then EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 CFR Part 200 as applicable.

Other leveraged funding/resources that are not identified as a voluntary cost share. This form of leveraging may be met by funding from another federal grant, from an applicant's own resources, or resources from other third-party sources. This form of leveraging should not be included in the budget and the costs need not be eligible and allowable project costs under the

EPA assistance agreement. While this form of leveraging should not be included in the budget, the grant workplan should include a statement indicating that the applicant is expected to produce the proposed leveraging consistent with the terms of the announcement and the application. If an applicant proposes to provide this form of leveraging, EPA expects them to make the effort to secure the leveraged resources described in their application. If the proposed leveraging does not materialize during grant performance, the EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 CFR Part 200 as applicable.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Threshold eligibility criteria are requirements that if not met by the time of application submission will result in elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications from eligible applicants (see Section III.A of this RFA) that meet all of these threshold eligibility criteria will be evaluated against the ranking criteria in Section V. of this

RFA. If necessary, EPA may contact applicants to clarify threshold eligibility questions prior to making an eligibility determination. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration because of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Application Content and Submission. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and application content requirements set forth in Section

IV and Appendices A and B of this RFA or else they will be rejected.

a. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV. of this RFA with respect to the project narrative, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. The page limit of the project narrative is 10 pages.

b. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV. of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV.) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV. of this announcement.

Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV. of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely and properly submitted.

c. Applications submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission.

2. Applications must align with EPA’s current priorities for protecting human health and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation, as outlined in the EPA FY 2018-22

Strategic Plan (see Section I.D).

3. Ineligible Activities. If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding. EPA will not consider any applications that are exclusively designed to conduct scientific research.

4. Applications which request EPA assistance funding in excess of $500,000, as specified in

Section II.A. of this RFA, are not eligible and will not be reviewed.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

Applicants, except as noted below, must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the Grants.gov instructions in this announcement and Appendix A.

If an applicant does not have the technical capability to apply electronically through Grants.gov because of limited or no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials to Grants.gov, the applicant must contact OMS-ARM-

OGDWaivers@epa.gov or the address listed below in writing at least 15 calendar days prior to the submission deadline under this announcement to request approval to submit their application materials through an alternate method.

Mailing Address:

Courier Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

USEPA Headquarters

William Jefferson Clinton Building

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Mail Code: 3903R

Washington, DC 20460

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

Ronald Reagan Building

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51278

Washington, DC 20004

In the request, the applicant must include the following information:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Organization Name and Unique Entity Identifier (e.g., DUNS)

• Organization’s Contact Information (email address and phone number) mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov

• Explanation of how they lack the technical capability to apply electronically through

Grants.gov because of 1) limited internet access, or 2) no internet access, which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials through Grants.gov.

EPA will only consider alternate submission exception requests based on the two reasons stated above and will provide a timely response to the request – all other requests will be denied. If an alternate submission method is approved, the applicant will receive documentation of this approval and further instructions on how to apply under this announcement. Applicants will be required to submit the documentation of approval with any initial application submitted under the alternative method. In addition, any submittal through an alternative method must comply with all applicable requirements and deadlines in the announcement including the submission deadline and requirements regarding application content and page limits (although the documentation of approval of an alternate submission method will not count against any page limits).

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2020, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through December

31, 2020). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through Grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on December 1, 2019 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2020, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2020.

Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods. All other inquiries about this announcement must be directed to the Agency Contact listed in Section VII of the announcement. Queries or requests submitted to the email address identified above for any reason other than to request an alternate submission method will not be acknowledged or answered.

B. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

See Appendix A of this RFA for application submission instructions for Grants.gov. Your organization’s authorized official representative (AOR) must submit your complete application electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than May 29, 2020, 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

C. Content of Application Submission

The application package must include all the following materials:

1. Grant Application Forms. Please complete the forms as appropriate.

a. Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance. Please note that the organizational Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number must be included on the SF-424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711.

b. Standard Form 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

c. EPA Form 4700-4, Pre-Award Compliance Review Report for All Applicants

Requesting Federal Financial Assistance

d. EPA Form 5700-54, Key Contacts Form

e. Project Narrative Attachment Form (See Section IV.C.2. below for additional information)

f. Other Attachment Form, if applicable (See Section IV.C.3. below for additional information)

2. Project Narrative. The project narrative must explicitly describe how the proposed project meets the guidelines established in Sections I-III of this announcement (including the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III.C.) and must address each of the evaluation criteria set forth in Section V. The project narrative cannot exceed 10 single-spaced typewritten pages, including the summary page. Excess pages will not be reviewed. Supporting materials, such as resumes and letters of support, can be submitted as attachments and are not included in the 10-page limit.

a. Summary Information Page (recommended not to exceed one page).

i. Project Title

ii. Applicant Information. Include applicant (organization) name, address, contact person, phone number, fax and e-mail address.

iii. Funding Requested. Specify the amount you are requesting from EPA.

iv. Total Project Cost. Specify total cost of the project. Identify funding from other sources, including cost share or in-kind resources.

v. Project period. Provide beginning and ending dates. (Projects are anticipated to begin on October 1, 2020, and end no more than five years later.)

vi. DUNS number.

b. Project Summary/Approach. The summary shall contain the following components:

i. Detailed project summary, description of specific actions and methods to be undertaken and the responsible institutions, including estimated time line for each task.

ii. Description of the associated work products to be developed.

iii. Explanation of project benefits to the public, and specifically the potential audience(s) served.

iv. Explanation of applicant’s strategy for successfully completing their project, consistent with Section I.B.

v. Description of the roles of the applicant and partners, if any.

vi. Description of the applicant’s organization and experience related to the proposed project.

vii. Description of staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

c. Environmental Results—Outcomes, Outputs and Performance Measures.

Identify the expected quantitative and qualitative outcomes and outputs of the project

(see Section I.D.), including what performance measurements, timeline of milestones, or other means will be used to track and measure your progress towards achieving the expected outcomes and outputs and how the results of the project will be evaluated.

d. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance. Submit a list of federally-funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include federal grants and cooperative agreements, but not federal contracts) similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5 agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and describe (i) whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements and

(ii) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including whether you adequately and timely reported on your progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes of those agreements (and if not, explain why not) and whether you submitted acceptable final technical reports under the agreements.

In evaluating applicants under these factors in Section V., EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current/prior grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant).

If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or reporting information, please indicate this in the application and you will receive a neutral score for these factors (a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). If you do not provide any response for these items, you may receive a score of 0 for these factors.

e. Voluntary Cost Share/Match and Leveraged Funds (see Section III.B.).

Demonstrate how you will leverage additional funds/resources beyond the grant funds awarded to support the proposed project activities and how these funds/resources will be used to contribute to the performance and success of the proposed project. This includes—but is not limited to—funds and other resources leveraged from businesses, labor organizations, non-profit organizations, education and training providers, and/or federal, state, tribal, and local governments, as appropriate. Describe the amount and type of leveraged resources to be provided, how you will obtain the leveraged resources, the likelihood the leveraging will materialize during grant performance, the strength of the leveraging commitment, and the role the leveraged resources will play to support the proposed project activities. Selected applicants are expected to abide by their proposed leveraging commitments during grant performance and the failure to do so may affect the legitimacy of the award.

f. Detailed Budget Narrative (see Appendix B, Budget Detail Sample). This section provides an opportunity for a narrative description of the budget found in the SF-

424A. Clearly explain how EPA funds will be used. Selected applicant(s) will need to submit a copy of their current indirect cost rate that has been negotiated with a federal cognizant agency prior to award.

i. Description of the budget and estimated funding amounts for each work component/task.

ii. Description of the applicant’s approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner.

iii. Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, contractual costs, travel, equipment, supplies, other direct costs, indirect costs, and total costs.

iv. For applicants that provide a voluntary cost share/match, the budget narrative must clearly specify the amount of federal funding and the cost share amount for each category of total project costs for each category. Include an explanation of how the voluntary match will be met. All matching funds are subject to the regulations governing matching fund requirements at 2 CFR

Part 200.

3. Attachments. These are optional and are not included in the 10-page limit. Use the Other

Attachments Form to submit.

a. Cost Share Commitment Letters

b. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

c. Biographical Sketch. Provide resumes or curriculum vitae for all key personnel

d. Quality Assurance Narrative Statement

e. Support Letters – These should indicate how the supporting organization will assist in the project

f. If applicable, approval letter to use alternate means to submit initial application.

D. Submission Date and Times

The closing date and time for submission of applications is May 29, 2020, 11:59 p.m., Eastern

Time (ET). Applications submitted after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to confidential business information, contracts and subawards under grants, and application assistance and communications, can be found at www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Only eligible entities whose applications meet the threshold criteria in Section III. of this RFA will be evaluated according to the criteria set forth below. Applicants should explicitly address these criteria as part of their application package submittal in the project narrative, following the content requirements set forth in Appendix B. Each application will be rated using a point system. Applications will be evaluated based on a total of 100 points possible.

A. Evaluation Criteria

CRITERIA POINTS

Total Possible Points 100

1. Project Summary and Approach. Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applications based on the extent and quality of the applicant’s project summary and overall approach to performing the project. Specifically, EPA will evaluate the extent and quality to which the project narrative:

A. (20 points) Includes a well-conceived strategy for addressing the requirements in Section I, Parts C (Scope of Work) and D (EPA Strategic

Plan Linkage and Anticipated Outcomes/Outputs); and

B. (10 points) Sets forth a reasonable time schedule for the execution of the tasks associated with the project and for achieving the project goals and objectives by project end.

2. Environmental Results – Outputs, Outcomes and Performance Measures.

Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate:

A. (7 points) The effectiveness of the applicant’s plan for tracking and measuring their progress toward achieving the expected project outputs and outcomes, including those identified in Section I.D of this announcement.

B. (8 points) The performance measures proposed by the applicant and how they will be used to help track and measure the applicant’s progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes.

3. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance. Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applicants based on their ability to successfully complete and manage the proposed project, considering their:

A. (7 points) Past performance in successfully completing and managing the federal assistance agreements identified in the project narrative as described in Section IV.C. of the announcement.

B. (5 points) History of meeting the reporting requirements under the assistance agreements identified in the project narrative as described in

Section IV.C. of the announcement, including whether they submitted acceptable final technical reports under those agreements and the extent to which they adequately and timely reported on their progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes under those agreements and if such progress was not being made whether they adequately reported why not;

C. (7 points) Staff expertise and qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

D. (11 points) Organizational experience assessing the human health impacts of ionizing radiation exposure, interpreting recent developments in radiation epidemiology and radiobiology to guide radiological protection programs, and efforts to harmonize radiological protection activities across government agencies, national and international organizations, and/or academic institutions.

Note: in evaluating applicants under items A and B of this criterion, the Agency will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources including agency files and prior/current grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant). If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or reporting information, please indicate this in the application and you will receive a neutral score for these sub-factors (items A and B above-a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). If you do not provide any response for these items, you may receive a score of 0 for these sub-factors.

4. Budget. Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applicants based on:

A. (5 points) The extent to which costs are reasonable to accomplish the proposed goals, objectives, and measurable environmental outcomes; and

B. (5 points) The extent to which the proposed budget provides a detailed breakout of the approximate funding used for each major activity.

Note: an applicant’s budget and budget narrative must account for both federal funds and any non-federal funds (e.g., any voluntary cost share/match if applicable). Applicants must precisely describe in their budget narrative how they will account for any required or voluntary cost share/match, if applicable, and what role EPA funding will play in the overall project.

5. Expenditure of Awarded Grant Funds. Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applicants based on their approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner.

6. Leveraging. Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applicants based on the extent they demonstrate that they will leverage additional funds/resources, beyond the grant funds awarded, to support the proposed project activities and how these funds/resources will be used to contribute to the performance and success of the proposed project. This includes, but is not limited to, funds and other resources leveraged from businesses, labor organizations, non-profit organizations, education and training providers, and/or Federal, state, tribal, and local governments, as appropriate.

Applicants will also be evaluated based on the amount and type of leveraged resources to be provided, how they will obtain the leveraged resources, the likelihood the leveraging will materialize during grant performance, the strength of the leveraging commitment, and the role the leveraged funds/resources will play to support the proposed project activities.

7. Project Sustainability. Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applicants based on the extent to which they demonstrate their ability to effectively promote and continue or replicate efforts after EPA funding for this project has ended.

B. Review and Selection Process

Applications will first be evaluated against the threshold factors listed in Section III.C. of this

RFA. Only those applications which meet all the threshold factors will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria listed above by an EPA evaluation team. Each application will be given a numerical score and will be rank-ordered by the review panel. Preliminary funding recommendations will be provided to the EPA selection official based on these reviews and rankings.

C. Other Factors

Final funding decisions will be made by the selection official based on the rankings and preliminary recommendations of the EPA evaluation team. In making the final funding decisions, the selection official may also consider programmatic priorities and budget availability. Once final decisions have been made, a funding recommendation will be developed and forwarded to the EPA award official.

D. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation including the clause on Reporting and Use of Information Concerning Recipient Integrity and

Performance can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses (www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses). These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices

Following evaluation of applications, all applicants will be notified regarding their status.

1. Successful Applicants. EPA anticipates notification to successful applicants will be made via electronic or postal mail within 60 days of the closing date of this RFA. The notification will be sent to the original signer of the application or the project contact listed in the application. This notification, which informs the applicant that their application has been selected and is being recommended for award is not an authorization to begin work. The official notification of an award will be made by EPA’s Office of

Grants and Debarment/Grants and Interagency Management Division.

Applicants are cautioned that only a grants officer is authorized to bind the government to the expenditure of funds; selection does not guarantee an award will be made. For example, statutory authorization, funding or other issues discovered during the award process may affect the ability of EPA to make an award to the applicant. The award notice, signed by the EPA grants officer, is the authorizing document and will be provided through electronic or postal mail. The successful applicant may need to prepare and submit additional documents and forms (e.g. work plan), which must be approved by

EPA, before the grant can officially be awarded. The time between notification of selection and award of a grant can take up to 90 days or longer.

2. Unsuccessful Applicants. EPA anticipates notification to unsuccessful applicant(s) will be made via electronic or postal mail within 60 days of the closing date of this RFA. The notification will be sent to the original signer of the SF-424, Application for Federal

Assistance.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

A listing and description of general EPA Regulations applicable to the award of assistance agreements may be viewed at www.epa.gov/grants/policy-regulations-and-guidance-epa-grants.

C. Reporting Requirement

Quarterly progress reports, annual reports, and a detailed final report will be required. Quarterly reports summarizing technical progress, planned activities for the next quarter and a summary of expenditures are required. The final report shall be submitted to EPA within 90 calendar days of the completion of the period of performance. The final report must include: summary of the project or activity, advances achieved, and costs of the project or activity. In addition, the final report shall discuss the problems, successes, and lessons learned from the project or activity that could help overcome structural, organizational or technical obstacles to implementing a similar project elsewhere. The schedule for submission of quarterly reports will be established by EPA, after the grants are awarded. Award recipients may be provided with additional information and guidance on reporting performance measures and project progress after award.

http://www.epa.gov/grants/policy-regulations-and-guidance-epa-grants

D. Disputes

Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at Grant Competition Dispute Resolution Procedures. Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the person listed in Section VII. of the announcement. Note, the Federal Register notice references regulations at 40 CFR Parts 30 and

31 that have been superseded by regulations in 2 CFR parts 200 and 1500. Notwithstanding the regulatory changes, the procedures for competition-related disputes remains unchanged from the procedures described at 70 FR 3629, 3630, as indicated in 2 CFR Part 1500, Subpart E.

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to DUNS, SAM, copyrights, disputes, and administrative capability, subrecipients and contractors (including individual consultants) can be found at www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

For further information, contact:

U.S. Environmental…