CTR NOFO Q&A - Final posted 28 July.pdf

Overarching Questions

CTR Wide Q &A document that will be posted along with the other NOFO documents this document representants every question received before

11:59:59 PM on Friday 25 July 2025.

CTR will not conduct individual meetings to discuss the specifics of a proposal or provide additional information on the needs of the NOFO before they close.

Q: Can you please clarify if the Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative should be one page preferably, or can be up to 3 pages maximum?

A: A one- page document is preferred, any included information beyond the third page will not be reviewed.

Q: Can you please clarify if proposed projects should be completed within 15 months, or up to 24 months?

A: ISN/CTR would prefer most projects be completed within 15 months from kick off to final report. Projects with extremely strong justification may be given 24 months if sufficient funding is available.

Q: Can applicants use 10-pt Calibri for footnotes?

A: No.

Q: Can you please confirm that, if an applicant is submitting several projects under one NOFO, it must only submit one "Key Personnel" document that covers all of its proposed projects?

A: Yes.

Q: For the document "Key Personnel", can more than 3 to 5 other relevant experts and staff be listed, in addition to the Key Personnel, as long as it fits the 2-page limit?

A: Yes, any included information beyond the second page will not be reviewed.

Q: Can an applicant combine Word documents for submission (e.g., one

Word document would include the Summary Page, and two Project

Narratives for two separate projects under a NOFO)?

A: Yes, multiple project narratives can be combined so long as an individual narrative is no more than three pages.

Q: Should an applicant submit a Consolidated Project List as part of its application package, using the Excel template provided in the NOFO package? This document is not mentioned in the NOFO.

A: Yes, The NOFOs have been updated.

Q: Given the very tight space limit for the Project Narrative, can the point of contact information (last section of the template) be included in the

Summary Page instead of the Project Narrative?

A: No, each project should have its own POC.

Q: Would a 4-page limit for the budget narrative be acceptable to provide complete and thorough information in line with NOFO requirements?

A: No, multiple budget narratives can be combined so long as an individual narrative is no more than three pages.

Q: We have tried unsuccessfully to register and login with the Grants.gov website, however their site is having technical difficulties and we have not been able to access the grant listing. Is there someone in your organization to whom we can submit this proposal/grant? Any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

A: ISN/CTR respectfully request that you contact that grants.gov helpdesk for any difficulties you are having. Here is the link to the registration help page. We are not able to provide contact information for anyone within CTR https://apply07.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=Register%2FOrganizationRegistration.htm to directly receive or forward your application as all applicants must submit via the official grants.gov portal before they can be reviewed.

Q: If an applicant submits a proposal in partnership with a subgrantee, can the prime applicant and the subgrantee each submit a 3-page budget narrative (six pages in total)?

A: No, each project should take up not more than three pages. Please note that you can include multiple projects within one proposal.

Q: Can you please confirm whether we need to include a Security Plan and a Contingency Plan in the Application Package(s), as was previously required in January 2025?

A: Please provide all documents identified in the NOFO guidance.

Q: Can you please provide clarification on whether the Timeline can or should be added as a separate annex to the Application Package, either in addition to, or in lieu of, the summary timeline requested in the Project Narrative?

A: Implementers may submit an additional timeline document that includes all projects proposed. Each Project Narrative should include a standalone timeline.

Q: Many objectives highlight using open-source and commercially available information to identify and report on various financial sector, private sector, and trade & logistics related concerns. If the applicant feels that a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solution can meet these requirements, would DoS consider applications that substantially consist of a COTS, and if so would DoS allow the inclusion of licensing agreements as part of applicant budgets?

A: A proposal may include whatever elements your organization feels best meets the objectives. ISN/CTR is not looking to purchase licenses for its staff to access existing tools and data sources.

Q. Section F.1. Review Criteria states "The project idea is well developed and responsive to the policy and program objective of the NOFO." However, Section C. Program Description lists four Objective categories with 25 sub-objectives. Could DoS confirm that applicants do not need to respond to all objective categories and sub-categories?

A. Confirmed, proposals do not need to address all objectives and sub-objectives. Proposal that effectively address multiple objectives are more likely to receive a higher evaluation.

Q. Are the country lists in Section C. Program Description, countries that research will be conducted about, or countries that private consultations, events, and training activities may take place in?

A. Both.

Q: The Monitoring Indicator Table Sample included in the NOFO documents lists “Target” in Column G, with the categories: Female, Male, and Other.

Should we submit Monitoring Indicator Tables with this data included?

A: The data included in the Monitoring Indicator Table is for provided for example purposes. The target disaggregated by sex is only one of many options. Please use the indicator that will be most impactful for your proposal.

Q: Where can we locate the 'CTR Participant Review Spreadsheet'?

A: The spreadsheet does not need to be part of your proposal. It will be provided before an organization receives an award.

Q: Would ISN/CTR also like applicants to include an abbreviation for the program being referenced? E.g. Implementer_CTR

Program_Country_FY_0001? (IMPL_ACW_YR_001)

A: Yes if you are proposing to a specific program.

Q: Given the three-page limit for the Project Narrative, would ISN/CTR please allow Applicants to:

1. Include the 1) description of operations/ability to carry out the project in section as part of the Summary Page, since this content will be identical across multiple project narratives and moving it would help Applicants use the limited narrative space more effectively for project-specific details?; and

2. Use the required Past Performance Statement attachment to provide 2) project information on recent relevant projects instead of repeating similar details in the Introduction to the

Organization section of each project narrative?

A: No please complete each section of the project narrative for each proposed project.

Q: Can you please confirm that we should submit:

• One (1) Excel Budget workbook file per NOFO including pages/tabs that are relevant both at the NOFO level and at the corresponding project level:

• Tab 2. Summary Budget Template – NOFO level o Includes only one (1) per NOFO summarizing the total value proposed for the NOFO, corresponding to the SF 424a line items.

• Tab 3 Detailed Budget Template – Project level o One Detailed Budget tab for each project associated with this

NOFO.

• Tab SubRecipient Budget (if apl.) – Project level o One detailed SubRecipient tab for each SubRecipient for each project associated with this NOFO.

A: Confirmed.

Q: Can ISN/CTR please confirm that the language, " "Demonstrate how the activity will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation," should be removed from the FY25 CTR Project Narrative Template and that applicants do not need to provide this information?

A: The document has been updated.

Q: In the CTR NOFO Q&A - Posted 20 June 2025.docx, ISN/CTR confirmed for

NOFO DFOP0017260 and DFOP0017256 that one type of each document

(Key Personnel and Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative) per proposal is sufficient. Can ISN/CTR please confirm that this is sufficient for all the other

NOFOs (DFOP0017236, DFOP0017244, DFOP0017248, DFOP0017240, DFOP0017264, DFOP0017227, DFOP0017268, DFOP0017252) as well?

Q: Given the strict three-page limit for the project narrative, would ISN/CTR consider allowing applicants to refer to their “Project Partners” within the

“Program Activities and Deliverables” section only, instead of reiterating this information in the required “Project Partners” section?

A: No, the project section should identify any key partner organizations and sub-awardees.

Q: Can ISN/CTR please confirm that 10-point Calibri font can be used within charts and tables?

Q: Can ISN/CTR please confirm that foreign government funding can indeed be counted as cost sharing, provided it meets the other requirements for cost share?

A: No, your proposal requesting funds from ISN/CTR should not be comingled with resources from other governments. If an organization has access to funds from another government the possibility of a joint funded project can be discussed prior to the award being issued.

Q: If we submit a similar program approach to convening, training, and tools

- but we are offering this in multiple countries - would each country be considered a separate project? For instance, if each project requires a $100k budget for each country, and we focus on 10 countries with unique needs, stakeholder engagement, training, etc... should we submit 10 separate projects (listed out in the consolidated project list)? Or should we list one

$1M project with the same approach, but split the focus among 10 different countries?

A: Either proposal option is acceptable please use whichever approach you believe is the most compelling.

Q. The FY25 CTR Project Narrative Template document lists the following paragraph regarding a Nonproliferation Objective “Nonproliferation Objective and the Project’s Role in Meeting this Objective: Please provide a specific explanation of how your proposed activities will meet the nonproliferation objectives outlined in the NOFO. Nonproliferation goals include, but are not limited to, preventing state and non-state actors from acquiring materials and expertise that can be used to develop weapons of mass destruction.” Can you confirm if this is relevant to the each NOFO?

A: The nonproliferation objective is required for all proposals, with the above text referencing an example included but ‘not limited to’ WMD threats.

Q: We have thoroughly reviewed the NOFO and understand that applications must be submitted through the MyGrants system. We respectfully request access to the MyGrants portal, including any specific instructions or templates required for submission. Please let us know if you also prefer us to share a short concept note or project summary at this stage.

A: Please be advised that it is the responsibility of all applicants to register through MyGrants, and follow instructions on any NOFO of interest. We do not accept or review concept notes or summaries.

Q: The NOFO specifies that the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan/Tracker is one of the documents that should 'incorporate information on all proposed projects' within a single proposal packet. In contrast, for the Detailed Line-

Item Budget Document, the instructions explicitly state, 'If submitting multiple projects, each project can have its own page in the workbook'.

Could you please clarify the expected format for the Monitoring and

Evaluation Plan/Tracker Excel document when an application contains multiple projects? Specifically, should all projects be included on a single tab within that Excel workbook, or is it permissible or preferred to use separate tabs for each project within the same workbook, similar to the guidance for the Detailed Line-Item Budget Document?

A. The budget documents and monitoring document are separate elements.

As articulated in the NOFO guidance the budget for each project should have a separate tab. You should submit one documents that covers all projects that information can be on tab or multiple.

Q: Could you please clarify that in the Q&A posted below, you meant that budget narrative should take up not more than three pages? Or for proposals submitted with a subgrantee, can the prime applicant and the subgrantee each submit a 3-page budget narrative (six pages in total)?

“Q: If an applicant submits a proposal in partnership with a subgrantee, can the prime applicant and the subgrantee each submit a 3-page budget narrative (six pages in total)?

A: No, each project should take up not more than three pages. Please note that you can include multiple projects within one proposal.”

Q: In the NOFO, it is mentioned that “Font sizes in charts and tables, including the budget, can be reformatted to fit within 1 page width”. Does that mean that the table in the word proposal document should be kept within the 1-inch margins or can go beyond? What is the minimum font size that can be used for the table in the word proposal document?

A: Tables must stay within the margins and text in the tables should be no smaller then size 10.

Q: Are foreign private companies eligible to participate?

A: Yes, please notice the statement posted in the NOFO guidance no implementer can earn any profit on an ISN/CTR funded award.

Q: Please confirm the unit of measure on the budget detail template is

“months”?

A: Confirmed

Q: Can you please provide examples of useful information for the column labeled Indicator, as opposed to the column labeled Indicator Type and

Source?

A: Please identify the indicator you intend to use in that section.

Q: What is meant by Disaggregation as it pertains to the Data Source in the column labeled Data Source and Disaggregation?

A: As the examples provided in the template articulate for this NOFO disaggregation refers to how the data can be broken into smaller pieces.

Q: Should the column labeled Target reflect the people the project will support, or those it will influence?

A: It could be either depending on the project you propose.

Q: Does the column labeled Known Data Source Limitations pertain to limits on the existence and quality of data to monitor project progress?

Q: Instead of an example, could we get definitions?

Q: Are those concepts relevant to every possible type of project?

A: Every project should have at least one indicator.

Q: How would these apply for developing and hosting a workshop that does not include a human subjects study or survey?

A: CTR is not looking got fund projects that engage non-human participants.

Q: I can see the NOFO but not submit a proposal because the “Apply button” is inactive?

A: Organizations need at least one person with an active grants.gov account in order to apply?

Q: Do we have to complete one SF424A form per package? It seems that the form has fields for only 4 projects. How do we complete it if we are submitting more than 4 projects?

A: Yes, please submit one SF424A that rolls all the costs for all proposed projects onto one line.

Q: Would you please explain how we shall reply in Clause * 19. Is Application

Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process? -- as a foreign entity, we are not under E.O. 12372, did I understand right?

A: If an organization is unable to comply with U.S. Federal they should not apply to CTR’s NOFOs.

Q: Can you confirm whether the attached RFA is a limited submit? The RFA states: Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the final application received, and time stamped by grants.gov will be reviewed for eligibility. Each application can include multiple projects that will be evaluated independently. Does this mean the university can only submit one application or that a PI can only submit one? We are not quite sure what you consider “applicant” as this term is interchangeable per funder. The reference to “one application per organization” is also a bit confusing, so we just want to make sure we are following the guidelines.

A: The applicant is the organization that is submitting the proposal and will receive funding if approved. A proposal can contain multiple projects with different PIs.

Q: My personal account is linked to the SAMS account of my organization, and I have all documents ready to submit but I am unable to click on the

‘apply’ button. My supervisor is unable to give me the rights to create a workspace, because he does not have a button “Manage Applicants” under the Applicant Management header on the Applicant Center page to assign

AOR roles. Please advise on how he can assign AOR roles to create a workspace for me to apply for the grant opportunity.

A: Please submit your proposal via Grants.gov, ISN/CTR respectfully request that you contact that grants.gov helpdesk for any difficulties you are having.

Here is the link to the registration help page.

Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Expediting Responsible and

Secure U.S. Small Modular Reactor Deployment through the FIRST

Program – DFOP0017227

Q: The budget guidelines within the budget template indicate that for travel, we are not to include travel for consultants under this section. However, I’m not able to find within any of the related documentation where this travel should be included. In the contracts section, we included the total cost for each consultant broken down by hours and rate and were hoping to include all travel within the travel section as that is how it would have been charged, if awarded. Could you please advise?

A: Please include those costs in section F.

Q: I'm reaching out to seek some guidance on how to complete the SF424A form for solicitation number DFOP0017227. We are currently dealing with multiple projects that span beyond the four spaces available on the SF424A form, and I'm unsure how to account for them properly.

A: Please submit one SF424A that rolls all the costs for all proposed projects onto one line.

Q: Would there be an issue or objections in adding a Canadian based company as a consultant on the grant?

A: Organizations outside the U.S. may submit a proposal and will be considered for funding.

Q: Has the application requirements for the Unleashing American Energy

Dominance and Expediting Responsible and Secure U.S. Small Modular

Reactor Deployment through the FIRST Program or the Notice of Funding

Opportunity July 30, 2025 application deadline been affected by the recently announced State Department reorganization? The media coverage of layoffs and reorganization was rather alarming.

A: No

Q: Do you expect one Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative and Plan/Tracker for the full proposal or one for each project contained within the proposal?

A: Per the NOFO guidance please submit one document that covers monitoring and evaluation narrative and plan tracker per proposal. If you are submitting multiple projects your information can be combined on single tab or each project can have its own.

Q: During the Department of State Implementer’s Conference in 2024, it was mentioned that FIRST projects/tasks over $250k/year were not desirable but there were limited exceptions. Is this still a general guideline for this NOFO?

A: Please see the project size guidance included in the NOFO guidance.

Q: Is the Fiscal Year our local FY, or the federal fiscal year? Is FY in which the proposal is submitted or when the proposed program will be implemented?

A: Please use FY25 as the identifier for the UEI.

Q: How is the number at the end of the CTR determined? Do we just assign numbers to each project/program in our proposal?

A: The number should be linked to the sequential order that the project is submitted in. As an example, the first project proposed this year would be

001 and the second 002. Number should not be associated with any proposals beyond the active CTR NOFOs.

Q: For projects which involve a National Lab, do we include the budget for the National Lab in our budget as a subaward or does the National Lab submit their portion of the work/budget to you directly?

A: If you are proposing a National Lab as sub-implementer you should include their costs in your proposal. If you are proposing a joint project that will be delivered in close coordination with a National Lab cost should be proposed separately.

Q: Is there a per-project and/or overall cap for each submission?

Q: NOFO Section D.9 (page 14) says, “Official permission letters, if required for program activities.” Question a: Could CTR clarify what types of FIRST activities would require an official permission letter? Question b: From what types of organizations or government entities should the applicant obtain official permission letters?

A: The requirement for Official Permission Letters would be depended on the type of work being proposed.

Q: Have the assessment criteria for proposals, or how they will be applied, changed as a result of these modifications to the NOFOs?

A: The proposal evaluation criteria is identified in the NOFO instructions posted on MyGrants and Grants.gov.

Q: Will proposals from January be seen as less competitive than proposals submitted in the current round, e.g., due to not having considered the priorities in President Trump’s Executive Order on Unleashing American

Energy?

A: Due to updated policy guidance, CTR will not be issuing any awards linked to proposals submitted to the NOFOs that closed January 2025.

Q: As a result of the above, is it required or recommended that potential implementers which submitted proposals for FY25 during January 2025 should resubmit those proposals in order to be competitive with newer submissions?

A: Due to updated policy guidance, CTR will not be issuing any awards linked to proposal submitted to the NOFOs that closed January 2025. If you would like your proposal reviewed, please submit a proposal to this NOFO.

Q: The NOFO states “10 awards (dependent on amounts) related to ongoing programming that was recommended to continue as part of the S-led review of grants and interagency agreements.” Does this mean that only pre-identified, ongoing projects are eligible for funding under this NOFO? Or can new project proposals also be submitted and considered?

A: No ISN/CTR is not just looking to fund the same pre-identified projects over and over. Yes, all projects that build on and expand ISN/CTR efforts that were approved during the Secretary lead review will also be considered.

ISN/CTR is looking for projects that have the highest likelihood of achieving the goals and objectives identified in the NOFO.

Q: Can you please let me know if that means there will be no awards given to new organizations and no new organizations should apply?

A: ISN/CTR is looking forward to receiving and reviewing proposals from both new and previously funded organizations.

Q: What does a funding proposal look like and what information should it include?

A: Please follow the instructions identified in the NOFO Guidance document and use the provided templates.

Countering Chinese and Russian Proliferation of Advanced Conventional

Weapons - DFOP0017236

Q: The NOFO states “10 awards (dependent on amounts) related to ongoing programming that was recommended to continue as part of the S-led review of grants and interagency agreements.” Does this mean that only pre-identified, ongoing projects are eligible for funding under this NOFO? Or can new project proposals also be submitted and considered?

A: All project proposals will be considered. Yes, all projects that build on and expand ISN/CTR efforts that were approved during the Secretary lead review will also be considered. ISN/CTR is looking for projects that have the highest likelihood of achieving the goals and objectives identified in the

NOFO.

Q: Specific Aim 4: Countering Malign Activity by Private Military and Security

Companies (PMSC)”, can you please confirm that the priority region is

Western Hemisphere (WHA)?

A: Each specific aim may have a different focus area than that of the overall

NOFO. If you project or proposal is only addressing one aim it should focus on that area.

Q: Can you share any more guidance or desired focus for locations / countries to be included in our proposal? We see the NOFO states a Priority

Region: East Asia Pacific (EAP) -- and also see various countries under each objective. Should we highlight a subset of countries / regions or only countries in EAP?

A: Each specific aim may have a different focus area than that of the overall

Q: Are you able to provide any feedback or clarification before we proceed with our application?

A: No, please prepare your applications as you feel will best address the guidance raised in each NOFO.

Q: The NOFO notes that awards may range from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $6,500,000 (approximately). Could you clarify whether the ceiling amount listed applies to the entire application or to each individual project within the application? Specifically, if we submit multiple projects under one application, can the combined budget exceed the stated ceiling amount?

A: ISN/CTR does not expect to issue a single award larger than $6.5M for proposals submitted to this NOFO, that is not a ceiling on proposals.

Organizations are welcome to submit as many severable projects as they would like as part of their proposal. The proposal value should not exceed the overall total available funding of $17M, but please note ISN/CTR will only fund the most competitive projects. Individual projects under $1M will be the most competitive.

Q: For “Specific Aim 4: Countering Malign Activity by Private Military and

Security Companies (PMSC)”, should applicants target East Asia Pacific

(EAP), Near Eastern (NEA), South and Central Asia (SCA) and/or Western

Hemisphere (WHA), per NOFO p. 4, or should applicants exclusively target

WHA, per NOFO p. 7?

A: Each specific aim may have a different focus area than that of the overall

Q: In NOFO number DFOP0017256, "Implementing China and Russia Sanctions," the priority region is listed as East Asia Pacific (EAP). However, the NOFO also includes several countries outside that region, such as Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria. Should proposals focus exclusively on the EAP region, or can they also target the additional countries listed in the NOFO?

A: Each specific aim may have a different focus area than that of the overall

Q: When submitting an application package, are we permitted to include a table of contents and an acronym list as separate pages within the consolidated document for easy navigation and reference?

A: Yes, you are permitted but the inclusion of not required documents will not impact your evaluation score and may not be reviewed.

Q. For Objective "i. Targeted Financial Sector Sanctions Engagement" can you please clarify if implementing partners should only provide technical assistance to "financial private sector entities" (p.5/6 of the NOFO), or should assistance also be provided to other private sector entities listed on p.5 of the NOFO (e.g., designated non-financial businesses and professions)?

A: Implementing partners should be able to provide technical assistance to a range of audiences in the financial private and related sectors, which may include relevant non-financial businesses and professions. Determination of specific audiences for provision of technical assistance under this award is dependent upon risks present in chosen jurisdictions of implementation and coordination with CTR.

Addressing Development and Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons by

Russia – DFOP0017240 of grants and interagency agreements.” Does this mean that only pre-identified, ongoing projects are eligible for funding under this NOFO? Or can new project proposals also be submitted and considered?

A: All project proposals will be considered. Yes, all projects that build on and expand ISN/CTR efforts that were approved during the Secretary led review will also be considered. ISN/CTR is looking for projects that have the highest likelihood of achieving the goals and objectives identified in the NOFO.

Q. The NOFO notes that “Awards may range from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $10,000,000.” Could you please clarify whether there is a preferred funding amount/ceiling per project?

A. There is no ceiling on projects, but multiple smaller connected projects are more likely to be funded than one large $10M project. Please scope projects as appropriate for the work proposed to be undertaken.

Q: We are interested in teaming with a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) on our proposal. In a case like this, would the

Department allow us to co-propose with the FFRDC (that is, each entity would submit separate applications that would be collaborative and linked, but funded separately)? Or would we need to submit under a single application package for this NOFO?

A: Each organization should submit their own proposal that identifies the cost and actions each entity will complete. Proposals should clear identify a joint project if i requires another organization to receive funding to be successfully completed.

Countering Biological Weapons Threats – DFOP0017244 of grants and interagency agreements.” Does this mean that only pre-identified, ongoing projects are eligible for funding under this NOFO? Or can new project proposals also be submitted and considered?

A: No ISN/CTR is not just looking to fund the same pre-identified projects over and over. Yes, all projects that build on and expand ISN/CTR efforts that were approved during the Secretary lead review will also be considered.

Q: Will the NOFO accept subawards under a prime’s proposal or is there a preference for joint proposals submitted by separate implementing teams if they plan to propose joint project work in a country?

A: Subawards under a prime’s proposal will be accepted.

Q: Are foreign non-US based, for-profit private entities eligible to apply to

NOFOs DFOP0017244 and DFOP0017264?

A: Yes, the full list of organizations that are eligible for award is identified in the NOFO instructions. All for-profit organizations will need to certify that they will not earn any profit on all costs associated with the proposed work prior to receiving an award.

Q: Has the list of selected projects for funding for NOFOs DFOP0016989 and

DFOP0016990 (deadline was on 17 January 2025) been issued? We applied to these NOFOs and want to check if any of our proposals has been selected

A: Due to updated policy guidance no awards will be issued for proposals submitted to the ISN/CTR NOFOs that ended in January 2025.

Q: Can we submit proposals for less than $250K or is the $250K 'floor' a firm requirement?

A: Yes, you can submit proposals for less than $250K.

Q: In the past, CTR has shared a BEP implementer’s PowerPoint with additional information about the program, beyond what is included in the

NOFO. Could CTR share similar additional information for the current NOFO?

Q: Please clarify where the required proposal documents (Summary Page, Key Personnel, CVs, Past Performance, and official permission letters) should be uploaded in grants.gov; the submission workspace does not have a form specific for these documents, although there is an “other” form with space for multiple numbered attachments. Is there a specific file name that should be used for each? Is there a particular attachment number that should be used for each?

A: Yes, all documents should be included in with your proposal packet submitted to Grants.gov. No specific file name is needed but the name should clearly identify purpose of the document. As an example, Organization “X” – Key Personnel “applicable NOFO number”.

Q: Please clarify the length of budget submissions for projects: the Q&A document states “ISN/CTR would prefer most projects be completed within

15 months from kick off to final report. Projects with extremely strong justification may be given 24 months if sufficient funding is available” and the NOFO guidance has a PoP of 12-24 months.

A: Please assume a 15-month POP, for awards unless you are including justification for a 24 month POP.

Q: I wanted to check that a subcontract to two groups is allowable through this mechanism. If not, is there another way to allow both institutions to participate on one proposal?

A: Yes, multiple subcontracted partners can be included in a proposal.

Q: For the project narrative, there is a section called Participant Review Acknowledgment and states: If the proposal includes virtual or in person engagements your organization will need to submit participant information to CTR using the CTR participant review spreadsheet. I cannot find a CTR participant review spreadsheet in the download documents. Do we just create a spreadsheet with this information?

A: All projects will require submission of a CTR participant review spreadsheet. Once the project is awarded, CTR will share the participant review spreadsheet with implementers for submission.

Preventing U.S. Adversaries’ Access to Critical Technologies and

Exploitation of Scientific and Commercial Facilities for Military

Advancement – DFOP0017248

Q: The NOFO states “10 awards (dependent on amounts) related to ongoing programming that was recommended to continue as part of the S-led review of grants and interagency agreements.” Does this mean that only pre-identified, ongoing projects are eligible for funding under this NOFO? Or can new project proposals also be submitted and considered?

A: No ISN/CTR is not just looking to fund the same pre-identified projects over and over. Yes, all projects that build on and expand ISN/CTR efforts that were approved during the Secretary lead review will also be considered.

Q: Can you please clarity this line of the NOFO: "awards (dependent on amounts) related to ongoing programming that was recommended to continue as part of the S-led review of grants and interagency agreements," and whether this means that only implementing partners that have explicitly developed related lines of effort under ISN/CTR funding are eligible to apply for this funding, or if this means that implementing partners with teams involved in recent relevant programming are considered eligible as well.

Further, if the implementing partner is conducting relevant programming funded by sources exterior to the US Department of State, but complementary to the stated goals and objectives of the given NOFO, does this qualify as well?

A: No, prior experience developing "related lines of effort under ISN/CTR funding" is not a requirement to apply to this opportunity. Please review

Part B "Eligibility" of NOFO that outlines the eligibility requirements. Under

Part F of the NOFO, the review criteria listed which includes "demonstrates an institutional record of successful projects in the content area proposed," so yes, related experience to the objectives of the NOFO is relevant and should be included. All of ISN/CTR’s active award awards were part of

Secretary of State led foreign assistance review and the goals and objectives identified in the NOFO’s are directly linked to ongoing programming.

Q: I have encountered difficulty accessing some of the supplemental documents referenced in the solicitation. I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide further guidance on how to obtain these materials or clarify if additional documentation is available to assist with a more comprehensive and responsive proposal. If there are any updates, FAQs, technical points of contact, or specific attachments that offer deeper insight into the evaluation criteria or project scope, I would be grateful to receive them as well.

A: All of the templates, NOFO guidance, and Q&A are posted on grants.gov.

They can be found when you search by the NOFO number above and click on the related documents tab.

Q: The NOFO notes that awards may range from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000. Could you clarify whether the ceiling amount listed applies to the entire application or to each individual project within the application? Specifically, if we propose multiple projects at $1M each, is it possible for more than one to be awarded, or does the ceiling amount represent the total funding allowed per organization?

A: ISN/CTR does not expect to issue a single award larger than $1M for proposals submitted to this NOFO, that is not a ceiling on proposals.

Organizations are welcome to submit as many severable projects as they would like as part of their proposal. The proposal value should not exceed the overall total available funding of $30M, but please note ISN/CTR will only fund the most competitive projects. Individual projects under $1M will be the most competitive.

Q: The NOFO says there will be 10 awards of up to $1m each but there is a pot of $30m. Does this mean there is expected to be more that 10 awards or that only 1/3 of the total pot will be used?

A: The final amount available to this NOFO has not been determined, the

$30M identified represent the high end of what ISN/CTR expects. The 10 awards is an estimate, the final number of awards issued will depend on the quality of proposals received.

Q: We would appreciate clarification on country eligibility for proposed projects. Specifically, can applicants propose projects involving countries not listed in the example regions below? Or must all proposed activities fall within the listed countries, depending on the specific activity area?

“Projects in these areas can be cross-sectoral or tailored to vulnerable technology communities in a specific partner country. For example:

- Aerospace and space technology stakeholders in: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Thailand, United Arab Emirates

- AI stakeholders in: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

- Neuroscience stakeholders in: Brazil, Chile, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore

- Quantum stakeholders in: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland”

A: Applicants can propose activities in countries not listed in the specific technology areas but are strongly encouraged to propose activities for the countries identified in the NOFO.

Q: Section C.2.D.9 - The NOFO requires a Past Performance Statement containing “a list of recent USG funded awards (max 10) that have been active in the last twenty-four (24) months.” For organizations that are newly established (i.e., less than two years old), would it be acceptable to include relevant past performance from key personnel and organizational leadership in lieu of institutional USG-funded awards? Additionally, may past performance examples include commercially funded or non-USG projects that demonstrate similar scope and complexity?

Q: C.2.D.5.(1) and (2) - If an offeror is submitting two standalone projects within a single proposal, is it acceptable to submit two separate Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative documents (each up to 3 pages in length) — one for each project — along with a single Monitoring and Evaluation

Plan/Tracker that contains two tabs (one per project)?

Q: C.2.D.4 and C.2.D.9 - Section C.2.D.4 states that “inserting CVs are not recommended but may be submitted as an attachment,” while Section

C.2.D.9 lists a “1-page Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume of key personnel” under “Attachments that will be included in evaluation.” Can you please confirm whether a 1-page CV or resume is a required document or an optional attachment?

A: Optional.

Denying U.S. Adversaries Access to Sensitive Nuclear, Missile, and

Advanced Technical Expertise for Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs that Threaten America – DFOP0017252

GENERAL: Please direct future questions and IAA packages on NOFO

DFOP0017252, to ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov and ISN-CTR-

SciEngagement@state.gov.

mailto:ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov mailto:ISN-CTR-SciEngagement@state.gov mailto:ISN-CTR-SciEngagement@state.gov

Q: The NOFO notes that awards may range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $2,000,000. Could you clarify whether the ceiling amount listed applies to the entire application or to each individual project within the application? Specifically, if we submit multiple projects under one application, can the combined budget exceed the stated ceiling amount?

A: While ISN/CTR does not expect to issue a single award larger than $2M for proposals submitted to this NOFO, that is not a ceiling on proposals.

Organizations are welcome to submit as many projects as they would like as part of their proposal. The proposal value should not exceed the overall total anticipated available funding of $6M.

Enforcing Sanctions on China and Russia – DFOP0017256

Q: The priority region is listed as "East Asia Pacific (EAP)". Can you please clarify if this applies to the four main objectives listed under "Program

Description" (Targeted Financial Sector Sanctions Engagement; Counter

Private Sector Sanctions Evasion; Counter Trade & Logistics Sanctions

Evasion" and "Targeted Public Sector Sanctions Outreach")? Or should applicants target the countries listed under each objectives?

A: The NOFO level priority region is the EAP. The individual objectives may had additional priority regions.

Q: For “i. Targeted Financial Sector Sanctions Engagement”, should applicants target East Asia Pacific (EAP), per NOFO p. 3, or Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, St

Kitts and Nevis, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Türkiye, UAE and/or

Vietnam, per NOFO p.7?

A: Each objective may have a different focus area than that of the overall

NOFO. Please focus your project or proposal in the areas identified for that objective. If a project or proposal is only addressing one aim, it should focus

Q. The NOFO notes that “Awards may range from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $5,000,000 (approximately).” Could you please clarify whether there is a preferred funding amount/ceiling per project?

A. There is no ceiling on projects, but multiple smaller connected projects are more likely to be funded than one large $5M project. Please scope projects as appropriate for the work proposed to be undertaken.

Q: The NOFO states that projects should be completed in 15 months or less, with a maximum of 24 months if justified. However, the project narrative template states that the budget should span no more than 12 months. Could you clarify how applicants should reconcile this?

justification for a 24-month POP.

Q: Are project activities conducted in countries not listed under the NOFO objectives, but necessary to support enforcement efforts in eligible countries, allowable as direct costs under this award? Or must such activities be funded with non-federal dollars? (For context: sanctions evasion networks operate across borders, and effective enforcement in the listed countries may require actions in neighboring jurisdictions.)

A: Please focus your projects to the counties identified in the NOFO.

Q: Are applicants permitted to include appendices or supporting documents to provide additional context about the proposed project?

A: You are allowed to submit but only documents that comply with the guidance in section D will be reviewed.

Q: If travel details will depend on intelligence gathered after the project begins, how do you recommend applicants complete the required budget fields such as Mode, Traveler, From/To, Lodging, and Per Diem (City, Country)?

A: Please use you most accurate cost projections when developing your budget.

Q: For the listed 51 target countries, are proposals expected to plan programming studying all countries, or can they select specific countries for focused case studies?

A: Proposals can focus on one or more countries.

Q: Are the listed Objective areas intended to overlap, or should a proposed project focus on one Objective? Does a project answer a specific objective?

A: A: Program proposals should be designed to address most or all of the objectives listed under a line of effort (e.g., Targeted Financial Sector

Sanctions Engagements). Programs that address multiple lines of effort in a proposal will also be considered.

Q: Is the focus on EAP countries, or the broader cadre listed?

A: Proposals can focus on one or more countries.

Q: Are proposals expected to study both China and Russia's sanction-evading tactics, or can they study one of those countries?

A: Proposals may study sanctions-evading tactics by both China and Russia or may primarily focus on one of those countries.

Q: What is the period of performance? 12-24 months or 15 months?

justification for a 24 month POP.

Q: The NOFO lists EAP as the priority region, but is the scope extended to both China and Russia's evasion of sanctions and illicit activities in Latin

America?

A: Proposals can focus on one or more region.

Countering Iran and DPRK’s WMD, Nuclear, Ballistic Missile, and Drone

Proliferation - DFOP0017260

Q: I was able to set up a login on the MyGrants website, and I can access some information about the funding opportunity DFOP0017260, but there are no details. Can you provide a PDF or a link with more complete information?

A: The NOFO instructions and templates can be found in the related documents of the NOFO posting on Grants.gov.

of grants and interagency agreements.” Does this mean that only pre-identified, ongoing projects are eligible for funding under this NOFO? Or can new project proposals also be submitted and considered?

A: No ISN/CTR is not just looking to fund the same pre-identified projects over and over. Yes, all projects that build on and expand ISN/CTR efforts that were approved during the Secretary lead review will also be considered.

Q: Can relevant private sector entities also receive capacity building and training, or only government officials?

A: Counter-Proliferation Finance training is for both government and private industry, and competitive proposals will articulate how trainings will be tailored to the interests and roles of each audience.

Q: I have a question regarding the NOFO DFOP0017260 and DFOP0017256 under section D Application Contents and Format, point 4 Key personnel and point 5 Program Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative, do we need to provide this information per project or per application (i.e. 1 document for multiple projects)?

A: One of each type of document per proposal is sufficient.

Q: In NOFO DFOP0017260, Activity 1 ("Transfer of Ballistic Missile, Nuclear, and UAS-Related Technology and Materials") does not specifically mention the DPRK. However, since the rest of the NOFO has a DPRK focus, would it be acceptable to propose a project under Activity 1 that is specifically focused on the DPRK?

A: Activity 1 (Transfer of Ballistic Missile, Nuclear, and UAS-Related

Technology and Materials) is largely focused on Iran, but proposals that also include other actors, such as DPRK, with adequate background or justification will be considered.

Countering Chemical Weapons Threats – DFOP0017264

Q: When writing regional proposals can proposals call out additional SCA countries outside those listed on the NOFO or should we stick to only the countries listed in the NOFO?

A: Each objective may have a different focus area than that of the overall

NOFO. Please focus your project or proposal in the areas identified for that objective.

Q: Could you please confirm that the $1 million maximum and the 250k minimum ceiling listed in the current NOFO are correct?

A: Competitive proposals for this NOFO will be no more than $250,000 each.

Q: Please clarify whether (1) competitive proposals with multiple projects should be no more than $250,000 overall or that (2) each project within a proposal package should not be more than $250,000?

A: Individual projects should be no more than $250K. An infinite number of

$250K projects can be summited, if you are proposing multiple interconnected projects, please identify which other projects it is dependent on receiving funds.

Countering U.S. Adversary WMD and Drone Threats in Iraq – DFOP0017268

Q: Is it possible to apply for it an individual grant as well as one with another implementing organization?

A: ISN/CTR will only be issuing awards to organizations not individuals. An organization my submit their own proposal and be identified as a sub on a separate proposal. ISN/CTR will evaluate all proposals received under this

NOFO for funding consideration.