CMVOST QA from Funding Conference 1-21-20.pdf

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR

VEHICLE OPERATOR SAFETY TRAINING (CMVOST)

FY2020 FUNDING CONFERENCE

1. What would the anticipated award date be?

Response: We are hopeful that it will be early summer .

2. Why did the grant change to only tuition and fees, and no longer includes recruitment, supplies, administrative and indirect costs?

Response: The decision to only fund tuition and fees was made so we can maximize the number of students receiving training through the CMVOST Grant program. A point of clarification; however, indirect costs (IDC) are still an eligible cost, dependent on the base for your IDC, i.e. if the base is only personnel and fringe, then IDC would not be an eligible cost.

3. Costs such as permit, physical, and driver's license are not eligible expenses?

Response: If these costs are a part of your published tuition rate in your catalog, or expenses included in the tuition, it would be an eligible expense. The school would provide an explanation in its budget narrative to explain what the published tuition is and what it includes.

4. For the published tuition rate, what documentation of this should be included in the proposal?

Response: The grantee can provide the institution’s tuition link used for the public as part of their proposal.

5. Are indirect costs allowed if the organization has a federally approved ICR?

The NOFO sounds as if they are allowed.

Response: The indirect costs (IDC) are an eligible cost, dependent on the base for your IDC, i.e. if the base is only personnel and fringe, then IDC would not be an eligible cost.

6. Is there a maximum amount that an organization can apply for?

Response: No. We have not set a maximum in the NOFO; however, just be aware of the total amount of funding available.

7. Is the 15% match taken out of the total awarded or does the institution pay it upfront or throughout the grant period?

Response: CMVOST is a reimbursable grant. The grantee is responsible for the 15% match of the total cost throughout the grant period.

8. Can you get a copy of the closed captioning after the webinar is complete to read over again?

Response: This year we are recording this funding conference. It will be posted on www.grants.gov along with Q&As that have been posed.

9. What is the beginning date for the complaint log?

Response: The complaint log has been a requirement in the FMCSA Title VI

Program Compliance Plan Checklist since 2016. If you have not been maintaining it previously, please begin maintaining it for this year. Mr. Lester Finkle can provide an example for the Title VI Program Complaint Log and will provide it upon request.

He may be contacted via his email at lester.finkle@dot.gov. Please maintain the complaint log even if you have not received a Title VI Program complaint within the last three years.

10. Should a primary and secondary PI/PD be included in a proposal/grant application?

Response: Yes, one will be reflected on the SF-424 and the secondary would be provided on the key contacts form. We encourage a secondary for the ADO

(Agency Designated Official/signature authority) to be provided as well on the key contact form.

mailto:lester.finkle@dot.gov

11. Children of members of the armed forces are no longer considered qualified students?

Response: The NOFO does indicate that children of members of the armed forces are qualified. This reference can be found in the NOFO at the bottom of page

2 section A, under paragraph 2 at the very bottom.

12. Should the project narrative be uploaded as one document or should the different sections be uploaded as separate documents as they are listed in the document checklist in the NOFO (Appendix A)?

Response: The project narrative should be submitted as one document when uploaded to grants.gov.

13. Is there still an Activity 4 in the Work Plan? It is not listed in the template in the NOFO.

Response: The template in Appendix B, Project Narrative Guidance is correct. The slide that included “Activity Four” should have been removed from the presentation. (PLEASE NOTE: For those viewing the recorded webinar, it was stated that we would delete the slide from the presentation, however, it was not deleted from the recording.)