DDETFP Graduate Fellowship NOFO.docx

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary Information

Federal Agency Name:

U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Center for Transportation Workforce Development 1310 North Courthouse Road, Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22201

Attn: Ewa Flom, HIN-CWD

Funding Opportunity Title:

“Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) Graduate Fellowship”

Announcement Type:

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.

Funding Opportunity Number:

693JJ318NF5227

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

20.215 Highway Training & Education

Key Dates:

Notice Issue Date is June 1, 2018 Question Due Date/Time is June 8, 2018 at 11:59pm Eastern Time Electronic Application Due Date/Time for

· Fiscal year (FY) 2018 is July 16, 2018 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

· FY 2019 and FY 2020 will be specified in the Attachment 1 posted with this Notice.

Documentation Due Date/Time is 7 days after the Electronic Application Due Date at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

Primary Point of Contact:

Ewa Flom, ewa.flom@dot.gov, 703-235-0532

Secondary Point of Contact:

Universities and Grants Program Staff, transportationedu@dot.gov, 703-235-0538

693JJ318NF5227

693JJ318NF5227

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pertinent Links:

· Transportation Fellows Interns and Contractor System (TFICS) at https://fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/tficsp/signin.aspx

· General terms, conditions, and governing regulations (Effective March 6, 2015) that will apply to the Agreement are available online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/cfo/contractor_recip/gtandc_generaltermsconditions.cfm

Attachments:

1. DDETFP Graduate Fellowship Annual Announcement

SECTION A - PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), hereby requests applications for assistance to result in the award of up to 100 new Grant Agreements, supporting the “Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) Graduate Fellowship.”

1. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The purpose of these proposed Agreements is to provide DDETFP Graduate Fellowship funding for students to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees in transportation-related disciplines. The program objectives are: 1) to attract the Nation's brightest minds to the field of transportation; 2) to enhance the careers of transportation professionals by encouraging them to seek advanced degrees; and 3) to retain top talent in the transportation industry of the U.S. The DDETFP is intended to enhance the breadth and scope of knowledge of the entire transportation community in the U.S. The DDETFP Graduate Fellowship encompasses all modes of transportation.

1. LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

The current legislation governing the program is found in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, Section 6002(a)(3) (Pub. L. 114-94). Authority is also found in Title 23, United States Code (USC), Section 504(c) and 502 (b)(3).

1. BACKGROUND

Individual students apply for the DDETFP Graduate Fellowship. The FHWA makes awards to the Institution of Higher Education (IHE) (“Recipient”) on behalf of the student (“Student Designee”). The IHE must be accredited by a federally-recognized accrediting agency and must be located within the United States or its Territories. If a student is selected to receive a fellowship, the student, their faculty advisor, and the IHE will be responsible for completing and submitting all required paperwork to execute the Agreement. Students must be prepared to submit a copy of their application package and this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to their IHE. The Recipient will be responsible for allocating funds to the Student Designee as outlined in the Budget of the Agreement. The IHE will also be responsible for submitting all required Federal financial reports to FHWA.

1. GOALS

The goals of these Grants are to provide DDETFP Graduate Fellowships to 1) attract the Nation's brightest minds to the field of transportation, 2) enhance the careers of transportation professionals by encouraging them to seek advanced degrees, and 3) bring and retain top talent in the transportation industry of the U.S.

1. STATEMENT OF WORK

The DDETFP Graduate Fellowship provides funding to students for the pursuit of advanced degrees in a transportation-related field at an accredited IHE. The grant may cover a combination of the following:

· Tuition and fees

· Monthly stipend

· Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting travel

Tuition and fees and stipend are paid only for the time period the Student Designee is registered in a full-time academic program at the Recipient institution. The TRB Annual Meeting travel expenses (e.g. conference registration fee, transportation, lodging, meals, etc.) are provided for Student Designee to attend the event in Washington, DC.

Recipients are required to provide:

· Upon request, an abstract of Student Designee’s research project for presentation consideration for the DDETFP Research Showcase at the TRB Annual Meeting.

· Within 90 days of the end of the Agreement, a copy of the Project Report (i.e. Student Designee’s research project, thesis, or dissertation), final Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR), and Federal Financial Report (SF 425).

SECTION B – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. FUNDING AND NUMBER OF AWARDS

The FHWA expects approximately $1 million to be made available for the DDETFP Graduate Fellowship in each fiscal year (FY) 2018 through 2020 from amounts authorized under section 6002 of the FAST Act.

The FHWA anticipates making up to 100 award(s) as a result of this NOFO in each FY 2018 through 2020.

The FHWA anticipates Federal funding up to a total amount of $3,000,000 may be made available for these Agreements, subject to the availability of funds. Funding for each award can range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $35,500. Note: The Government reserves the right to award less than the anticipated number of awards and less than the maximum amount per award.

1. TYPE OF AWARD

The planned award type is a Grant Agreement.

1. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for each Agreement will be for up to 1 year from the effective date of the Agreement.

1. DEGREE OF FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT

The FHWA anticipates Federal involvement between it and the Recipient during the course of this project. The anticipated Federal involvement will include:

· Technical assistance and guidance to the Recipient;

· Close monitoring of performance; and

· Involvement in technical decisions.

The FHWA shall have the right to visit the Recipient institution and examine all material relevant to this fellowship grant, including books, records, documents, accounting procedures, bookkeeping practices, and other evidence. The material shall be of sufficient detail to reflect properly all direct costs of whatever nature claimed to have been incurred for the performance of this grant.

SECTION C – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

This funding opportunity is open to students that are U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens. The students must be enrolled in an IHE which must be accredited by a federally-recognized accrediting agency[footnoteRef:1] and must be located within the United States or its territories, both administratively as well as the campus the student is attending. [1: The U.S. Department of Education publishes a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies on https://www.ed.gov/accreditation]

Current DOT employees are not eligible for the DDETFP.

All student applicants of the DDETFP Graduate Fellowship must:

· Possess a baccalaureate degree from, or be a confirmed graduating undergraduate senior at, an accredited IHE within the United States or its Territories by the Electronic Application due date listed on page 1;

· Demonstrate confirmation of acceptance in a graduate degree program at an accredited IHE in the United States or its Territories by the Electronic Application due date listed on page 1;

· Be enrolled in an accredited IHE within the United States or its Territories;

· Be pursuing a graduate degree in a full-time program in a transportation-related discipline;

· Have at least 1 full academic year remaining in program of study;

· Conduct ongoing research in one or more transportation-related disciplines; and

· Plan to enter the transportation profession after completing their higher-level education.

Non-U.S. citizens must also submit a valid copy of their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System Form issued by the IHE the student is enrolled in, or the Form I-20[footnoteRef:2] “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Status”, or the Form I-551 “Permanent Resident Card” issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service. [2: Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Form I-20 is a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status for foreign exchange students who attend an educational program in the U.S. Educational institutions issue Form I-20.]

1. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

Cost sharing or matching is not required. Although this program does not require cost sharing or matching, IHEs are encouraged to contribute resources to help leverage Fellowship funding.

SECTION D - APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

Applicants may obtain application information at grants.gov under the NOFO number cited herein, however the DDETFP Graduate Fellowship application requires online submission through the Transportation Fellows Interns and Contractor System (TFICS). No paper applications will be accepted.

Applicants must register in TFICS through the following Website to apply fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/tficsp/signin.aspx

General Instructions: Please read this NOFO and the respective Attachment 1 DDETFP Graduate Fellowship Annual Announcement for the respective FY cycle in their entirety before preparing application materials.

The Applicant must complete and submit all forms included in the application package for this Notice.

1. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Only applications meeting the requirements in this NOFO and Attachment 1 DDETFP Graduate Fellowship Annual Announcement will be considered.

The application package must consist of the following:

· TFICS Electronic Application submission through fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/tficsp/signin.aspx.

· Documentation as indicated in Attachment 1 DDETFP Graduate Fellowship Annual Announcement.

Incorrect, missing documents/items, or incomplete applications are grounds for rejecting the application.

Prior to submitting an application in TFICS, Applicant will be prompted to certify that they have personally completed the application and that the information they are providing is complete and accurate. Information is subject to verification.

It is imperative that Applicants provide an accurate and current email address for themselves and their faculty advisor.

1. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

Electronic Application Deadline: The DDETFP Graduate Fellowship application must be completely submitted in the FHWA TFICS by the Electronic Application due date and time listed on page 1.

Documentation: All supporting material as indicated in Attachment 1 DDETFP Graduate Fellowship Annual Announcement must be received no later than the Documentation due date and time listed on page 1.

The deadlines cited herein are the dates and times by which the agency must receive the complete application package with supporting documentation.

A late application will not be reviewed or considered unless the FHWA Universities and Grants (U&GP) Program Manager determines that doing so is in the FHWA’s best interest.

1. UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD (SAM)

The Recipient is required to: (i) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

The Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to a Recipient until the Recipient has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If a Recipient has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the Recipient is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another Recipient.

1. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

An application under this NOFO is not subject to the State review under E.O. 12372.

1. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

The FHWA will not reimburse any pre-award costs or application preparation costs under this proposed Agreement. Indirect costs and overhead are not allowed under this proposed Agreement.

Restrictions on the use of fellowship funds by the Student Designee are as follows:

· No dependency allowances;

· Fellowship Student Designee is eligible for funding only during months of enrollment in full-time program leading to graduate degree;

· Unused funds must be returned to FHWA within 90 days of the termination date of the grant; and

· There is a limitation of $10,000 in DDETFP funding toward tuition and fees per year.

The IHE has the responsibility of administering the funds and for making periodic payments to the Student Designee.

1. TUITION, TRAVEL, STIPEND, AND TAXES

Fellowship awards may not provide a full award (i.e. tuition, stipend, and travel to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC). Fellowship awards will be based on the rankings from the National Selection Panel. Fellowship awards will provide a minimum of $5,000 based on the ranking from the National Selection Panel and may include tuition, stipend, and TRB Annual Meeting travel funding.

Fellowship Student Designees shall be advised that the stipend portion of the fellowship is subject to taxation in accordance with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service regulations (Publication 970, dated Jan 31, 2018 available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf).

The anticipated stipends for the DDETFP Graduate Fellowship are based on academic level. Actual stipend level may vary based upon IHE formal policy and available funding. Additional stipend amounts may be added by the IHE or other sources.

1. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

In the event of system problems or technical difficulties with the application submittal, Applicants should contact the FHWA point of contact designated on page 1. If Applicants are unable to use the system due to technical difficulties, Applicants must e-mail applications to the FHWA point of contact listed on page 1 no later than the application deadline cited above.

SECTION E - APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. CRITERIA

The Government will evaluate applications on following criteria:

MERIT: FHWA will evaluate and rank the applications against the following technical evaluation criteria. These criteria are distinct from eligibility criteria (see Section C) that are addressed before an application is accepted for review.

The DDETFP Graduate Fellowship will be awarded on the basis of merit. In descending order of importance with the top three criteria being equal, merit includes:

· Academic achievement*

· Potential for outstanding career in transportation*

· Proposed research plan/plan of study and impact statement*

· Recommendations*

· Academic record*

After applying the above preferences, the FHWA will take into account the following key Departmental objectives:

(A) Supporting economic vitality at the national and regional level;

(B) Utilizing alternative funding sources and innovative financing models to attract non-Federal sources of infrastructure investment;

(C) Accounting for the life-cycle costs of the project to promote the state of good repair;

(D) Using innovative approaches to improve safety and expedite project delivery; and

(E) Holding grant recipients accountable for their performance and achieving specific, measurable outcomes identified by grant applicants.

Funding availability will also be considered in the award decision.

* more detail provided in Attachment 1 DDETFP Graduate Fellowship Annual Announcement

1. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

The FHWA will utilize the following merit review process to evaluate applications:

Complete applications from eligible applicants will be provided to a National Selection Panel of transportation professionals to evaluate using the merit criteria listed above for Master’s and Doctoral categories. The National Selection Panel may include representatives from Federal agencies, academia, or transportation industry. The panel will individually evaluate, rate, and rank each applicant. The panel submits scores for each applicant to the FHWA DDETFP Program Manager. The panel member scores are averaged and a ranked list is created. The DDETFP Program Manager determines the funding level based on several factors including number of applicants, panel scores, and funding availability and may establish a minimum score below which lower scoring applicants will not be recommended to receive awards. Approximately the top 20 percent of applicant scores will be recommended in a first tier and approximately the next 20 percent in a second tier. The remainder of the recommended applicants will be placed in a third tier.

Agency personnel from the FHWA will conduct a risk assessment of the Recipient (i.e. the IHE the applicant is attending) prior to award as described below.

The Government will accept the application(s) that is (are) considered the most advantageous to the Government using the criteria cited above, and subject to the results of a Recipient risk assessment. Applications selected for possible award using the criteria cited above, will undergo the following risk assessment prior to award. The Government reserves the right to not make an award to a Recipient based on the results of the risk assessment.

The Agreement Officer (AO) is the official responsible for final award selection. The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this notice.

Risk Assessment

The Government will assess the risks posed by a Recipient before they receive an award. This Risk Assessment will include evaluation of some or all of the following items relative to the Recipient and/or sub-applicants as applicable:

(1) Recipient’s financial stability;

(2) Recipient’s quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in 2 CFR Part 200;

(3) Recipient’s history of performance;

Note: History of performance includes the Recipient’s record in managing Federal awards, if it is a prior Recipient of Federal awards, including timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements, conformance to the terms and conditions of previous Federal awards, and if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards. The Government will evaluate the relevant merits of the Recipient’s history of performance based on its reputation and record with its current and/or former customers with respect to quality, timeliness and cost control. The history of performance will be reviewed to assure that the Recipient has relevant and successful experience and will be considered in the risk assessment. In evaluating history of performance, the Government may consider both written information provided in the application, as well as any other information available to the Government through outside sources.

(4) Recipient’s audit reports and findings from audits performed on the Recipient pursuant to 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F—Audit Requirements or the reports and findings of any other available audits;

(5) Recipient’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities;

(6) Recipient’s potential for conflict of interest if applicable;[footnoteRef:3] and [3: Note: The FHWA will review information provided by the Recipient, and any other relevant information known to DOT, to determine whether an award to the Recipient may create an actual or potential conflict of interest. If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the AO may (a) disqualify the Recipient, or (b) determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the U.S. to award to the Recipient and include appropriate provisions to mitigate or avoid such conflict in the Agreement pursuant to 2 CFR 200.112.

(7) Recipient’s eligibility to receive Federal funding. Per the guidelines on government-wide suspension and debarment in 2 CFR Part 180, the Government will confirmation that the Recipient and any named sub-applicants are not debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal programs or activities.

Pursuant to 2 CFR Part 200.205, prior to making a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency is required to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Dun and Bradstreet, and “Do Not Pay.” At a minimum, the information in the system for a prior Federal award recipient must demonstrate a satisfactory record of executing programs or activities under Federal grants, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards; and integrity and business ethics.

If FHWA does not make a Federal award to a non-Federal entity because the official determines that the non-Federal entity does not meet either or both of the minimum qualification standards as described in 2 CFR 200.205, the FHWA will report that determination in FAPIIS.

1. ANTICIPATED ANNOUNCEMENT AND FEDERAL AWARD DATES

The FHWA anticipates making award on or about September 14, 2018.

SECTION F – FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICES

If you are selected for award, FHWA will notify you, your faculty advisor, and the identified IHE by email. The FHWA will send award documents to the IHE for signature. Applicants not selected for award will be notified by FHWA by email.

Only the AO can commit the FHWA. The award document, signed by the AO, is the authorizing document. Only the AO can bind the Federal Government to the expenditure of funds.

Notice that an Applicant has been selected as a fellow does not constitute approval of the application as submitted. Before the actual award, FHWA will enter into negotiations with the IHE concerning such items as program components, staffing, funding levels, and administrative systems, if necessary. If the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submittal, the FHWA reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the Applicant.

1. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

General terms, conditions, and governing regulations (Effective March 6, 2015) that will apply to the grant Agreement are available online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/cfo/contractor_recip/gtandc_generaltermsconditions.cfm

Special terms and conditions follow:

0. PUBLIC ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS

The Applicant agrees that the resulting deliverables/documentation submitted to the FHWA under the grant Agreement may be posted online for public access and/or shared by FHWA with other interested parties. The FHWA anticipates the documents cited herein may be posted on an FHWA Website or other appropriate Website.

0. INDIRECT COSTS

Indirect costs are not allowable under the grant Agreement

0. DATA RIGHTS

The Recipient must make available to the FHWA copies of all work developed in performance with the grant Agreement, including but not limited to software and data. Data rights under the grant Agreement shall be in accordance with 2 CFR 200.315, Intangible property.

0. PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII)

Personally Identifiable Information as defined at CFR Part 200.79 and 2 CFR 200.82 at will not be requested unless necessary and only with prior written approval of the AO with concurrence from the Agreement Officer’s Representative.

0. AVAILABLE FUNDING

The total estimated amount of Federal funding that may be provided under the grant Agreement will be listed on page 1 of the award document for the entire period of performance, subject to the limitations shown below:

(1) Currently, Federal funds identified on page 1 of the award document, are obligated to the grant Agreement.

(2) Subject to availability of funds, and an executed document by the AO, the difference between the current funding and the total estimated amount of Federal funding may be obligated to the grant Agreement.

(3) The FHWA’s liability to make payments to the Recipient is limited to those funds obligated under the grant Agreement as indicated above and any subsequent amendments.

0. KEY PERSONNEL

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.308(c)(2), the Recipient must request prior written approval from the AO for any change in Key Personnel specified in the award. The following person(s) are/have been identified as Key Personnel:

[student designee]

[faculty advisor]

(*** to be filled in at award ***)

0. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

The Applicant’s technical application is accepted, approved, and incorporated herein as Attachment A. In the event of any conflict between the grant Agreement document and the Applicant's proposal and/or application, the grant Agreement document shall prevail.

0. DESIGNATION AS RESEARCH OR NON-RESEARCH AGREEMENT

The grant Agreement is designated as: NON-RESEARCH

0. DISPUTES

The parties to the grant Agreement will communicate with one another in good faith and in a timely and cooperative manner when raising issues under this provision. Any dispute, which for the purposes of this provision includes any disagreement or claim, between FHWA and the Recipient concerning questions of fact or law arising from or in connection with the grant Agreement and whether or not involving alleged breach of the grant Agreement, may be raised only under this Disputes provision.

Whenever a dispute arises, the parties will attempt to resolve the issues involved by discussion and mutual agreement as soon as practical. In no event will a dispute which arose more than 3 months prior to the notification made under the following paragraph of this provision constitute the basis for relief under this article unless FHWA waives this requirement.

Failing resolution by mutual agreement, the aggrieved party will document the dispute by notifying the other party in writing of the relevant facts, identify unresolved issues and specify the clarification or remedy sought. Within 5 working days after providing written notice to the other party, the aggrieved party may, in writing, request a decision from one level above the AO. The AO will conduct a review of the matters in dispute and render a decision in writing within 30 calendar days of receipt of such written request. Any decision of the AO is final and binding unless a party will, within 30 calendar days, request further review as provided below.

Upon written request to the FHWA Director, Office of Acquisition and Grants Management or designee, made within 30 calendar days after the AO’s written decision or upon unavailability of a decision within the stated time frame under the preceding paragraph, the dispute will be further reviewed. This review will be conducted by the Director, Office of Acquisition and Grants Management. Following the review, the Director, Office of Acquisition and Grants Management, will resolve the issues and notify the parties in writing. Such resolution is not subject to further administrative review and to the extent permitted by law, will be final and binding. Nothing in the grant Agreement is intended to prevent the parties from pursuing disputes in a U.S. Federal Court of competent jurisdiction.

1.

REPORTING

The Recipient must submit the following electronically to the FHWA U&GP Program Manager at FHWA_UGP@dot.gov:

· Upon request, an abstract of Student Designee’s research project for presentation consideration for the DDETFP Research Showcase at the TRB Annual Meeting

· Within 90 days after the end of the grant Agreement period of performance, the Recipient must submit an electronic copy of:

· Project Report (i.e. Student Designee’s research project, thesis, or dissertation)

· Final Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR):

· To fulfill Block 10, Performance Narrative requirement, the Recipient can provide summary of Student Designees project report and confirmation that the report was submitted in electronic format to the U&GP Program Manager.

· In Block 11, Other Attachments, include the information as attached pages for Federal Financial Report (SF-425)

· Federal Financial Report (SF-425)

SECTION G – FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

Address any questions to:

Universities and Grants Programs Staff Federal Highway Administration Center for Transportation Workforce Development transportationedu@dot.gov

(703) 235-0538