CTR NOFO Q&A - Posted 20 June 2025.docx

Overarching Questions CTR Wide Q &A document that will be posted along with the other NOFO documents every Friday until 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 to directly receive and 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.

Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Expediting Responsible and Secure U.S. Small Modular Reactor Deployment through the FIRST Program – DFOP0017227

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

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

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

Addressing Development and Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons by Russia – DFOP0017240 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 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.

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Countering Biological Weapons Threats – DFOP0017244 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: 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 asscoated 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.

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. 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 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.

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.

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 on that area.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.