CTR Wide Q &A document - Posted 15 Nov 2024.pdf

CTR Wide Q &A document that will be posted along with the other NOFO documents every Friday until 10 Jan 2025.

Mutiple NOFOs

Q: How does CTR want implementers to submit questions that are related to all the NOFOs the process in general? Submit to one NOFO POC and flag as a general issue? Submit to multiple NOFO POCs if applying to multiple NOFOs? Submit to the budget team distro group?

A: Please send all questions to the email identified on the NOFO and the CTR Budget Team email (isn-ctr-budget@state.gov). If the question is not NOFO specific, please contact the CTR Budget Team email (isn-ctr-budget@state.gov).

Q: Does CTR intend on revising the NOFOs to include a clear statement of budget caps per proposal?

A: Preferred project size may vary by NOFO. CTR will review documents and update the NOFO posting if necessary.

Q: For the monitoring and evaluation section of the NOFO does this need to be filled out per project or per proposal?

A: Please refer to the NOFO for guidance on if proposal documents should proposal wide or project specific. Please include a one-page Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative per project. If you are proposing multiple projects and narrative would be the identical for all projects only submit one narrative document and identify all the projects, it applies to. For the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan/Tracker please submit one document with a unique tab for each project proposed.

Q: The NOFO says that proposals should be submitted in 14 point font, but the template is 12. Which should we use?

A: All proposals documents should be submitted in 14 point font.

Q: Are private institutions from outside of the United States with experience in developing technological solutions in both software and hardware for companies and society eligible to participate?

mailto:isn-ctr-budget@state.gov mailto:isn-ctr-budget@state.gov

A: Yes, private institutions from outside of the United States are eligible to participate. Please see the NOFO instructions posted with this announcement on the focus areas, how proposals will be reviewed, and conditions for submission.

Q: What are CTR’s NOFOs and where can they be found?

A: Here is the full listing of active CTR NOFOs posted on Grants.gov.

NOFO Title NOFO #

Build Partner Resilience to Counter Proliferator State

Hybrid Threats in the Nonproliferation Arena DFOP0016984

Countering Proliferator State Advanced Conventional

Weapons Proliferation DFOP0016985

Advancing Nuclear Safety, Security, and

Nonproliferation through the FIRST Program DFOP0016986

Build Partner Capabilities to Protect Semiconductor and

CHIPS Technology DFOP0016987

Build Partner Capabilities to Protect Critical Advanced and Emerging Technologies DFOP0016988

Build Partner Capabilities to Counter Global Biological

Threats DFOP0016989

Building Partner Capacity to Counter Chemical

Weapons Threats DFOP0016990

8 Countering WMD and UAS Threats in Iraq DFOP0016991

Build Partner Capabilities to Counter the Russian

Federation’s Chemical and Biological Threats DFOP0016992

Countering the Russian Federation’s Sanctions Evasion

Activities DFOP0016993

11 Nonproliferation Scientist Engagement Program DFOP0016994

Countering DPRK and Iran’s WMD, UAS, and Missile

Proliferation DFOP0016995

Q: I was looking to get info on what it is for or what the money is intended to be used for? What exactly the extent of the grant is for? Is the grant at all for profit individual companies? Also etc. so on and so forth on rules and regulations?

A: This information is included in the NOFO guidance document.

CSP NOFO (DFOP0016990)

Q: The pdf of the NOFO, states “Total Funding Ceiling: $4,000,000” and $30 million is not mentioned anywhere in the document. What is the actual amount available?

A: Please see updated NOFO Synopsis information for projected funding ceiling.

Q: If it is $30 million, is the intent to give less implementers a larger award over multiple projects? Or, is the intent to give up to $5 million for one project? Or, some combination there within.

A: Please see updated NOFO Synopsis information for projected award values.

Iraq NOFO (DFOP0016991) & BEP NOFO (DFOP0016989)

Q: We would appreciate any guidance on our eligibility to participate in this opportunity to provide medicines, aligning with our mission to support high-quality healthcare.

A: We do not focus on providing healthcare support to our partners. Please review the NOFO Objectives section for more information on our programming priorities.

Iraq NOFO (DFOP0016991)

Q: Would there be an interest in pursuing a chemical security train-the-trainer workshops for the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), and if so, is CTR interested in in-person engagement only or would remote fellowships and/or train-the-trainer mentoring be of interest?

A: We will still be focusing on chemical security work for FY25 and hope to continue to work with the IKR in this space, so proposals on this LOE are encouraged. Remote fellowship or mentoring programs are not a top priority for

CTR this year, but will certainly be considered as part of a larger project to ensure sustainability if it meets the NOFO objectives.

Protect Critical Advanced and Emerging Technologies NOFO (DFOP0016988)

Q: We had a question about the funding ceiling and anticipated number of awards to be issued under DFOP0016988. From the NOFO, the funding ceiling is listed as $30,000,000 with the number of anticipated awards listed at five.

Going off this, is CMET looking for single proposals in the millions of dollars range, or will lower proposal funding amounts (say in the 250k-500k range) be competitive as well?

A: Proposals under $500,000 will be competitive.

Advancing Nuclear Security, Safety, and Nonproliferation through the FIRST

Program (DFOP0016986)

Q: I wonder if the country/region not listed in the call can be eligible. For example, Taiwan is interested in pursuing SMR and [IMPLEMENTER] plans to work with NARI (a national lab in Taiwan). I am not sure if this call will fit to this purpose.

A: We are not seeking proposals engaging Taiwan under this NOFO.

Build Partner Capabilities to Protect Semiconductor and CHIPS Technology

(DFOP0016987)

Q: We had a question about the funding ceiling and anticipated number of awards to be issued under DFOP0016987. From the NOFO, the funding ceiling is listed as $30,000,000 with the number of anticipated awards listed at five.

Going off this, is the CHIPS team looking for single proposals in the millions of dollars range, or will lower proposal funding amounts (say in the 250k-500k range) be competitive as well?

A: Proposals under $500,000 will be competitive.

Q: Is there a technical point of contact who is available to meet to discuss the opportunity?

A: CTR will not be accept meetings to discuss potential proposals or provide additional information on the goal of the NOFO.

Build Partner Capabilities to Counter Global Biological Threats [BEP] NOFO

(DFOP0016989)

Q: Section D.2.9: The embedded link to the first reference file in the ‘Psychosocial

Assistance’ section does not work. It returns an ‘Error – Page Not Found’ message. Will CTR please provide the correct link?

A: The document has been updated

Q: I was reviewing the NOFO and am wondering if there is a current requirement for these services that I could review to better understand the work or if this is considered a new effort for the customer office?

A: There is no current requirement to apply to this NOFO and we welcome new implementers to apply to our NOFO. Please see the NOFO listing for eligibility criteria and the focus areas, how proposals will be reviewed, and conditions for submission.

Build Partner Capabilities to Counter the Russian Federation’s Chemical and

Biological Threats NOFO (DFOP0016992)

Countering the Russian Federation’s Sanctions Evasion Activities (DFOP0016993)

Q: On page 15 of the NOFO, ISN stipulates that “each proposal package will include one of the following documents that incorporate information on all proposed projects” for the Executive Summary, Timeline, Racial Equity and

Underserved Communities Analysis, Security Plan, Contingency Plan, and

CVs/resumes for each standalone project. To meet the specific challenges and opportunities of each proposed project, can ISN clarify whether applicants may submit multiple, project-specific Executive Summaries, Timelines, Racial Equity and Underserved Communities Analyses, Security Plans, Contingency Plans, and

CVs/resumes for each proposed project?

A: No do not submit multiple SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B (Optional), SF-LLL, Cover

Page/Executive Summary, Security Plan, Contingency Plan, Timeline, and Racial

Equity and Underserved Communities Analysis documents. Please only include one of each document per proposal.

Q: Can ISN clarify what constitutes a “standalone project”? Under Section A.3

Project Goal, ISN lists 20 Objectives under 5 categories. Does ISN consider each of these 20 Objectives to be a “standalone project”, or can applicants combine multiple objectives in one standalone project to increase efficiency and sustainability and build on linkages between objectives?

A: ISN/CTR is looking to fund projects that can tackle one or multiple objectives.

Q: ISN lists the total funding ceiling as $19,500,000 – can ISN clarify what the ceiling is for each standalone project?

A: The total funding ceiling for individual projects depends on the NOFO.

Q: Can ISN please clarify the maximum page limits for the Proposal

Narrative? Section D of the NOFO limits applicants to a maximum 3 pages that is inclusive of the required Introduction to the Organization, Problem Statement, Project Methods and Design, Program Goal, Program Objective(s), Program

Activities, Outcomes, Risk Analysis, and Future Funding Sustainability. We note that it will be difficult for applicants to provide a meaningful narrative that addresses all 9 required sections within 3 pages. Would ISN consider allowing applicants a 5-page maximum for the “Proposal Narrative” section of the proposal?

A: The most successful proposals stay within the 3-page limit for the project narrative and focus on the above categories. The narrative does not include the

Cover Page/Executive Summary, Detailed Budget, Budget Narrative, Key

Personnel, Timeline or Attachments which can take additional sections.

Q: Please let us know if there are any specific requirements or additional details we should consider as we prepare our application.

A: Please refer to the NOFO instructions and posted Q&As for application requirements, additional details, and any clarifications.

Countering Proliferator State Advanced Conventional Weapons Proliferation

(DFOP0016985)

Q: We would like to ask if it is obligatory for The Application to cover all the project objectives or it is possible to choose the first pool of objectives (PMCs) where our country Ukraine is listed as the Countries of Potential Impact and operate them.

A: ISN/CTR will consider proposals for single or multiple objectives.