FY20 BFP FAQ 07142020 (002).pdf

FY20 Borlaug Fellowship Notice of Funding Frequently Asked Questions - 7/14/2020

QUESTION ANSWER

Can more than one scientist participate in the training session?

No. There can only be one fellow per mentor in a given semester.

Is one institution able to bid on more than one Fellow? If so, can they be grouped within the same proposal or are multiple proposals required?

Yes, an institution can bid on more than one fellow. Each scope of work should have its own proposal submission however.

Is mentor compensation allowable for their time? The compensation should be proposed in the applicant’s submission and justified under the budget narrative.

Is their one single activity related to the mentor’s follow-up trip or is an additional activity after that trip required to further assess the fellowship’s impact?

The mentor will follow up with the Participant for an additional year after their visit to assess the impact of the exchange program. This does not mean that the program pays for additional in-person visits.

Can one application be put towards all 3 countries fellows? Separate proposals are required for each Scope of Work.

Can the PI and the Mentor in the fellowship be the same person?

Yes, they can. However, the administrative burden then falls on the mentor and the university will still be required to meet the grant administrative burden on time.

Can there be more than one mentor in the program? Yes, a fellow may have co-mentors if their areas of expertise are complimentary to the fellow’s research.

Is the budget of $60,000 for two years or one year? The $60,000 is for the total cost of the 2-year program.

This funding amount needs to cover all costs, including the travel for the follow up visit.

Is the first reference to modified total direct costs (MTDC) on Page 7 a typo?

Yes, Page 7 is incorrect in referring to MTDC. Page 7 should read that the correct indirect cost rate is 10% of Total Direct Costs (TDC).

Can we submit the grant directly via this email? According to the NOFO, proposals are to be submitted via ezFedGrants. As stated in the NOFO (page 5), applicants may request alternatives if the system is down after contacting the EZFedGrants help desk.

Can we submit proposals with supply costs of over $5000 to take into account expensive reagents used in the program? Or are these considered equipment?

As stated in the section referenced, supplies refer to tangible property other than equipment. Equipment is clearly defined as nonexpendable tangible property, i.e.

with a useful life of more than 1 year, above the capitalization threshold; the intent of the description is to indicate that any apparatus less than the capitalization threshold is a supply, not equipment, regardless of its anticipated longevity. However, any expendable item (i.e.

with a useful life of less than one year) is a supply – regardless of the cost. As part of the application review process, as described on page 11, the BFP team will include an assessment of whether the items requested are reasonable, appropriate, and allowable.