FAQs Posted13FEB2025.pdf

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

DE-FOA-0003437

1. QUESTION: DEIA Component Per the solicitation, the project narrative must include a 1-2 Pg. DEIA plan. Given the recent executive orders, is this still the case, or should it be excluded from the submission?

RESPONSE: A modification is in process and this required element is eliminated.

2. QUESTION: Subaward Budget Attachments Form is missing.

RESPONSE: Posted.

3. QUESTION: Statement of Objectives and Project Narrative Page Limit Does the Prime/Lead Statement of Objectives (described on Pg. 26-28 of RFA, suggested 4 Pg. limit) count towards the 30-Pg. limit for the Project Narrative? Should the Prime/Lead Statement of Project Objectives be combined with the Project Narrative and uploaded as a single pdf document to field 8 of the R&R Other Project Information Form?

Or should the Prime/Lead Statement of Project Objectives be uploaded as a separate document from the Project Narrative somewhere else in the application package?

RESPONSE: The Statement of Objectives is separate 4 Pg. limit and is not part of the Project Narrative. You may pdf and combine and submit as one document.

4. QUESTION: Subrecipient Statement of Objectives Questions on the Subapplicant Statement of Objectives described on RFA Pgs. 23-24: Should the Statement of Objectives submitted by each subrecipient be unique and describe only the objectives relevant to work to be conducted by each subrecipient? Or should each subrecipient be submitting an identical Statement of Objectives that all participating organizations have agreed upon?

RESPONSE: Each subapplicant must have their own objective and how it ties in with the overall Statement of Objective.

5. QUESTION: Introduction to Statement of Objectives In Fig. 1 on Pg. 27, the solicitation indicates that the introduction to the Statement of Objectives should be 50 characters. Did the solicitation mean to indicate that the TITLE should be limited to 50 characters?

RESPONSE: 50-characters is limited to the TITLE.

6. QUESTION: R&R Senior Key Person Profile Form The R&R Senior Key Person Profile Form appears to be missing from the Grants.gov Workspace. Can you please check the Grants.gov application forms package?

RESPONSE: Posted.

7. QUESTION: R&R Other Project Information Form The R&R Other Project Information Form appears to be missing from the Grants.gov Workspace. Can you please check the Grants.gov application forms package?

RESPONSE: Posted.

8. QUESTION: GRANTS.GOV Workspace Forms Required for Both Prime and Subapplicants Can you please help clarify how we should submit the SF-424 (R&R) for this application package? We see in on RFA

pg. 22 and in the Attachment 1 Table that the SF-424 R&R is required for BOTH the Prime Applicant and all Sub Applicants. Does that mean you would like us to provide one copy of the SF-424 (R&R) for the Prime applicant and an additional separate copy for each Sub Applicant? If yes, should we fill out the one electronic SF-424 in the Grants.gov Workspace with the Prime Applicant information and then have each Sub Applicant fill out a pdf copy of the SF-424 (R&R) with their institution's information? Where should we upload the pdf SF-424s for each Sub Applicant? We have the same questions for the R&R Other Project Information Form, Certification of Lobbying Activities, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, and Assurances for Non-Construction Programs.

DE-FOA0003437

RESPONSE: Both the applicant and subapplicant should submit a separate SF-424 RR Application for Federal Assistance. Each subapplicant should fill-in the form with their own institution name, etc., and provide it to Prime Application for submission. This applies to the Certification of Lobbying, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities and Assurances for Non-Construction Programs. These forms for each subapplicant must be signed by their Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and can be attached wherever you find an attachment. I would pdf. And combine all of the forms and then attach.

9. QUESTION: Letter of Support from Applicant’s Vice President for Research Do you require just ONE Letter of Support from Applicant's VP for Research from the Prime/Lead Applicant? Or do you require a Letter of Support from Applicant's VP for Research from the Prime/Lead Applicant AND from every Sub-applicant?

RESPONSE: A letter of support from the VP for Research is required from both the Prime and Subapplicant.

10. QUESTION: National Laboratory Required Materials Can you please confirm that when collaborating with national labs that we need only the following documents: draft authorization letter, field work proposal, and a letter of collaboration?

RESPONSE: A letter of collaboration is required from each National Laboratory that the Prime applicant anticipates having a collaboration with which describes the work proposal.

11. QUESTION: Project Summary The solicitation notes in the first full paragraph at the top of Pg. 26 that the project summary must not exceed four pages, however a project summary is not referenced anywhere else in the solicitation. Is the Project Summary a separate, stand-alone document, and if so, where should it be uploaded?

RESPONSE: Project Summary can be a stand-alone document which will isolate this element from the project and easier to evaluate.

12. QUESTION: Project Management Plan As noted below the Project Management Plan should be a stand-alone document, however it is not listed on the table of required documents on pp. 54-55. Where should the Project Management Plan be uploaded?

RESPONSE: The Project Management Plan is a stand-alone document and can be uploaded, once Pdf’d to the attachments form.

13. QUESTION: Letter of Support from Subapplicants On pp. 10-11, the solicitation notes the requirement of a letter of support from the applicant's vice president for research. The table of required documents on pp. 55 shows that subapplicants should also submit this letter, however it is unclear how subapplicants can concur with the commitments listed on behalf of the lead applicant. Should subapplicants be submitting this letter?

RESPONSE: A Letter from the IHE’s VP of Research must be included by each subapplicant. These should be submitted to the prime applicant along with their complete package.

14. QUESTION: Subapplicant Documentation On Pg. 23-24, the solicitation indicates that subapplicants are required to submit a cover page, a project narrative, a statement of objectives and appendices, but notes that the lead applicant will determine placement of the documents submitted by each subapplicant. Should the lead applicant incorporate these documents into the project narrative, or should they be uploaded to a different part of the proposal?

RESPONSE: The subapplicant’s package should all be combined once pdf’d and uploaded to the Attachments Form separately from the lead applicant’s package.

14. QUESTION: SF-9. Project - Performance Site Location - Mandatory for Applicant & Sub-Applicant

RESPONSE: The Project Performance Site Location is in reference to “where both the Prime and subapplicants will be conducting most of the research” for this award. Applicants and subapplicants are required to indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), applicants must identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided on the SF-424 RR Application for Federal Assistance. The location(s) of the DOE National Laboratories must identify specific areas of collaboration with the DOE National Laboratories. Generally, the lead IHE can provide clearer direction as to which DOE National Laboratories the sub-applicant(s) will have access in order to conduct their research/learning environments.

15. QUESTION: The submission deadline the opportunity description on FEDConnect conflicts with the deadline listed in the FOA. (April 20 versus April 4). Clarify the submission deadline.

RESPONSE: Submission deadline on the front-page of the NOFO is April 4, 2025.

16. QUESTION: On Pgs. 23-25 of the FOA, please confirm the page limit for the subapplicant requirements.

It reads that each item (cover page, project abstract, and statement of objectives) is limited to 4 pages, for a total of 12 pages. Is that correct?

RESPONSE: There is a 4 Pg. limit for the cover page, project abstract, and statement of objectives for a total of 12 Pgs.

17. QUESTION: On Pg. 26 of the FOA, there is a sample of the title page and within the paragraph below this sample, it states, “the project summary must not exceed 4 Pgs. when printed…” Does this mean the title page is not to exceed 4 Pgs. I only ask because this is the only place where "project summary" is used within the FOA

RESPONSE: Yes, the title page counts towards the 4-page limit.

18. QUESTION: Synergistic Activities in the Biographical Sketch. the Bio Sketch we are asked to use SciENcv, however, this NSF format no longer includes the synergistic activities section (which is one of the required information items listed). How do you recommend we include these 5 activities in the Bio-Sketch pdf. Document?

RESPONSE: Do not include synergistic activities in the Biographical Sketch. Instructions for the Biographical Sketch is located at https://new.nsf.gov/funding/senior-personnel-documents#biographical-sketch-0bd then says “Note: Starting May 20, 2024, biographical sketches should no longer include information on synergistic activities.

These activities must instead be listed in the new Synergistic Activities document.” Therefore, save the Synergistic Activities document as a stand-alone document and include it with the “Attachments Form” in the Grants.gov Workspace under Manage Workspace Tab, Forms Tab.

19. QUESTION: The description of the Project Management Plan in the FOA (pp. 28-29) refers to it as a "stand-alone document"; however, Figure 2 (p. 28) includes the Project Management Plan as an element of the Project Narrative. Is the Project Management Plan meant to be included in the 30-page Project Narrative file or is it to be attached as a separate stand-alone file?

RESPONSE: The Project Management Plan (PMP) is to be included as a stand-along document and will not be included as part of the 30-page limit of the Project Narrative. However, you also need to summarize your Project Management Plan in your Project Narrative, it is listed as one of the elements required under the Project Narrative per Figure 2 on Pg. 28 of the NOFO.

20. QUESTION: In the FOA, the site location form says, "applicant and sub-applicant," but I wanted to confirm that the national laboratories need site location information included with the primary applicant.

RESPONSE: The Project Performance Site Location is in reference to “where you will be conducting most of the research” for this award. Applicants are required to indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), applicants must identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided on the SF-424 RR Application for Federal Assistance. The location(s) of the DOE National Laboratories https://new.nsf.gov/funding/senior-personnel-documents#biographical-sketch-0bd must identify specific areas of collaboration with the DOE National Laboratories. Generally, the lead IHE can provide clearer direction as to which DOE National Laboratories the subapplicant(s) will have access in order to conduct their research/learning environments.