FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2021-0008 - DEPSCOR - Capacity Building.docx

AIR FORCE OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

# FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2021-0008

FY21 DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE

COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (DEPSCoR) –

CAPACITY BUILDING (CB)

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the fiscal year 2021 (FY21) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) – Capacity Building. The program is sponsored and managed by the Basic Research Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD [R&E]), awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The DoD plans to award FY21 DEPSCoR appropriations through this announcement.

DEPSCoR's objectives are to: (1) increase the number of university researchers in eligible States/Territories capable of performing S&E research responsive to the needs of the DoD; and (2) enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education (IHE) in eligible States/Territories (listed below) to develop, plan, and execute science and engineering (S&E) research that is relevant to the mission of the DoD, and competitive under the peer-review systems used for awarding Federal research assistance; (3) increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that IHE in eligible States receive from the Federal Government for S&E research.

Consistent with these longterm objectives of building research infrastructure, the DoD intends to competitively make, and fund from fiscal year 2021 appropriations, multiyear awards for capacity building in IHEs with research areas relevant to the DoD’s mission and which are important to national security.

This funding opportunity aims to support the strategic objectives of IHEs (either individually or in partnership with others) in DEPSCoR States/Territories to achieve basic research excellence in areas of high relevance to the DoD.

IHEs in the following States/Territories are eligible to apply for this DEPSCoR opportunity under this announcement: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Hyperlinks have been embedded within this document and appear as underlined, and blue-colored words in the midst of paragraphs. The reader may “jump” to the linked section within this document by “clicking” (CTRL + CLICK, or CLICK).

SUMMARY OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION

1. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY NAME

Air Force Office of Scientific Research 875 North Randolph Street, STE 325, Room 3112 Arlington, VA 22203

2. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE

Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) –Capacity Building (CB)

3. ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE

Initial Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)

4. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER

FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2021-0008

5. CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA)

NUMBER(S)

12.431 – Basic Scientific Research

6. KEY DATES

Schedule of Events

nVision website open for registration and submission (https://dod-basicresearch.nvision.noblis.org/program/depscor)

nVision Registration (strongly suggested by) Cut-off date for Q&As with DEPSCoR Program Manager

White Paper and Supporting Documentation submission on nVision website (https://dod-basicresearch.nvision.noblis.org/program/depscor) (required by) Monday, 20 September 2021

NLT 11:59PM

Request for written feedback on your white paper submission (required by) (Email request to: DEPSCoR feedback@noblis.org)

Full Proposal Submission (by invitation only) electronically on Grants.gov website (submitted by)

Table of Contents

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

OBJECTIVES

The aim of DEPSCoR – Capacity Building is to improve the research capabilities at institutions of higher education (IHE) in eligible States/Territories to perform competitive basic research in science and engineering that is relevant to the DoD mission and reflect national security priorities. As defined in the DoD Financial Management Regulation:

Basic research is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences related to long-term national security needs. It is farsighted high payoff research that provides the basis for technological progress (DoD 7000.14-R, vol. 2B, chap. 5, para. 050105.A).

The DoD’s basic research program invests broadly in many scientific fields to ensure that it has early cognizance of new scientific knowledge.

To address the program’s aim, DEPSCoR – Capacity Building (CB) objectives are to:

· Jumpstart capability development in the State/Territory through increased human, technical, and management resources.

· Achieve excellence in a DoD-relevant research area through funding to support equipment, education, research, and other relevant activities.

Authority for a grant award under this announcement is established in 10 U.S.C. 2358 for basic research. Authority for DEPSCoR specifically was established in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995, and has subsequently been amended and reauthorized over the years since (see also a specific note within 10 U.S.C. 2358 referring to DEPSCoR).

Grants awarded under this program are intended to support the strategic objectives of IHEs (either individually or in partnership with others) in DEPSCoR States/Territories to achieve basic research excellence in areas of high relevance to the DoD. Proposals will vary depending on technical field and geographic region.

Applicants must be aware of the following expectations:

1. Applications must present the opportunities for enhanced academic research and development competitiveness and, if appropriate, industrial or economic competitiveness, for the State/Territory. A strategic plan to sustain the investment after the DEPSCoR award period of performance must be discussed.

2. Applications must exhibit a coherent focus on one DoD-related research area, and identification of the gaps in achieving full capacity.

3. Applications must present a management plan for coordinating multiple thrusts working on a common basic research theme. These thrusts could include but are not limited to purchasing new equipment, supporting new hires, and support for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Adequate provision for substantive commitment by the IHE’s executive offices and appropriate administrative support is an important factor contributing to the success of this Capacity Building effort.

4. Applications (at the Full Proposal Stage) must include Letters of Recommendation for Commitment / Endorsement as noted below and in SECTION IV.D.3.q:

a) Letters of recommendation from any regional partners that may benefit from or contribute to the success of your proposed activity (industry, non-profit, other IHEs, etc.). (Required)

b) Any current or planned support from the state or region, financial or otherwise. (Not Required)

TEAM COMPOSITION

The proposal must be led by a member of the IHE’s executive staff such as the Vice-President for Research who will serve as the Team Lead, henceforth referred to as the Applicant. The composition of the team will look different depending on the application, but key participants and proposed subawardees must be identified at the time of application.

Applicant institutions are limited to no more than one application under this FOA.

DoD RELEVANT AREAS

Applications must address one or more of the technical research areas outlined in the Services (Army Research Office [ARO], Office of Naval Research [ONR], and Air Force Office of Scientific Research [AFOSR]) broad agency announcements (BAA). Please refer to the websites cited below for detailed technical information and goals for the Services.

Army Research Office (ARO) https://www.aro.army.mil/

Select “Broad Agency Announcements” in the “Business” section to see the most recent ARO Core Broad Agency Announcement for Fundamental Research for 1 April 2017 - 31 March 2022.

Office of Naval Research (ONR) https://www.onr.navy.mil/

Select “Work With Us” and then “Funding Opportunities” and then “BAAs, FOAs and Special Program Announcements” to see the Long Range Broad Agency Announcement for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology, N00014-21-S-B001. Navigate to https://www.onr.navy.mil/our-research/our-program-managers for a list of program officers and their specific program.

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) https://www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/afosr/ On grants.gov search using keyword(s) “Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research” to see the latest core announcement. The current funding opportunity number for general research interests is

FA9550-19-S-0003.

FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Basic Research Office anticipates approximately $1 million in total funding will be made available for this program to fully fund at award one grant up to $1 million (total cost). The award will be funded up to $500,000 (total cost) per year for two (2) years.

The award is subject to funding availability. The Basic Research Office reserves the right to select and fund for award all, some, part, or none of the proposals received. There is no guarantee of an award.

Cost sharing or matching is not required or considered as an evaluation criterion, but you may propose voluntary committed cost sharing or matching; for example, additional support for students. Any voluntary committed cost sharing amount will be included in the total award value.

The DEPSCoR Capacity Building award is to an IHE. However, should there be any changes to the Team Lead for the capacity building effort, these changes must be proposed, reviewed, and approved by the DEPSCoR Program Manager and Basic Research Office at least 30 days in advance.

The award start date is determined at the time of award but is most likely projected for a JULY 2022 start date.

Authority for award under this competition is established in 10 U.S.C. 2358 for basic research. Regulations, terms, and conditions that will apply to the award can be found in Section VI. Federal Award Administration Information.

ADDITIONAL DEPSCoR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to this DEPSCoR - Capacity Building FOA, the Basic Research Office anticipates funding up to 21 awards under the DEPSCoR – Research Collaboration FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2021-0007 to support collaborative research activities in DoD-relevant fields. This additional competitive research funding is separate than this announcement and is also set aside for researchers at IHEs in DEPSCoR eligible States/Territories.

You are strongly encouraged to examine and apply directly to this opportunity as well. The full FOA can be found on grants.gov.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

1. You are eligible to submit an application if you are a qualified and responsible IHE and in a DEPSCoR eligible State/Territory as listed in the table below. Applicant institutions are limited to no more than one application under this FOA.

2. All activities supported by a DEPSCoR award must be performed in a DEPSCoR eligible State/Territory. Funding support for the Applicant and any potential subawardees is limited to those with addresses within one or more DEPSCoR eligible States/Territories.

3. The Team Lead must be a member of the IHE’s executive staff such as the Vice-President of Research and be employed in a DEPSCoR eligible State/Territory.

IHE in 37 States/Territories are eligible to receive awards under this announcement.

IHEs do not need to submit proposals through an EPSCoR State Committee in response to this announcement. Awards made as a result of this announcement will be limited to IHE in States/Territories that are eligible under the DEPSCoR program authority.

STATES/TERRITORIES DoD HAS DETERMINED ELIGIBLE FOR FY21 DEPSCoR AWARDS[footnoteRef:1] [1: The average annual amount of all DoD obligations for S&E research and development that were in effect with IHE in the state/territory for the three fiscal years preceding the fiscal year for which the designation is effective or for the last three fiscal years for which statistics are available is less than the amount determined by multiplying 60 percent times the amount equal to 1/50 of the total average annual amount of all DoD obligations for S&E research and development that were in effect with IHE in the United States for such three preceding or last fiscal years, as the case may be.]

The Basic Research Office and AFOSR will review your application, proposal, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) designated repositories of government-wide public and non-public data, including comments you have made, as required by 31 U.S.C. 3321 and 41 U.S.C. 2313 and described in 2 CFR 200.205 and 32 CFR 22.410 to assess risk posed by applicants, and to confirm applicants are qualified, responsible, and eligible to receive an award.

INELIGIBLE ENTITIES

None of the following entity types are eligible to submit proposals as primary award or subaward recipients under this announcement.

1. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)

2. Federal agencies (to include Military Educational Institutions)

COST SHARING OR MATCHING

We do not require cost sharing or matching for proposals under this announcement. Cost sharing is not an evaluation or selection criterion.

OTHER

Acknowledgment of Support and Disclaimer Requirements

· You must include the VI.C.3. Acknowledgement of Research Support on all materials created or produced under our awards.

· The VI.C.4. Disclaimer Language for Research Materials and Publications must be included on materials as required.

· Our award document may provide additional instructions about specific distribution statements to use when you provide research materials to us. You are not eligible to submit a white paper or proposal if you cannot accept these terms.

Expectation of Public Dissemination of Research Results

We expect research funded by this announcement will be basic research. We expect public dissemination of research results if you receive an award. This is a basic requirement for unclassified research results.

We intend, to the fullest extent possible, to make available to the public all unclassified, unlimited peer-reviewed scholarly publications and digitally formatted scientific data arising from research and programs funded wholly or in part by the DoD as described in the OUSD Memorandum, “Public Access to Department of Defense-Funded Research” dated 9 JULY 2014.

We follow DoDI Directive 5230.24 and DoDI 5230.27 policies and procedures to ensure broad dissemination of unclassified research results to the public and within the Government. The DoDI 5230.27 policy and procedures allowing publication and public presentation of unclassified fundamental research results, and DoDD 5230.25 policy and procedures regarding withholding of unclassified technical data from public disclosure, will apply to all research proposed under this competition unless the Basic Research Office gives you an explicit, written exclusion to these policies with the Grants Officer’s advice and consent. All exclusions must be authorized or required by law, and must cite a valid legal authority.

You must provide a copy of all peer-reviewed publications developed or produced from research conducted with DoD funds to the Basic Research Office.

You are not eligible to submit a white paper or proposal if you cannot accept these terms.

Representation for Tax Delinquency, Felony Conviction, and Internal Confidentiality Agreements

You must complete the “Representation for Tax Delinquency, Felony Conviction, and Internal Confidentiality Agreements” form provided with the Grants.gov package. We provide more specific information about this requirement in section IV.D.3.B.

We cannot determine you are eligible for funding unless we receive this form.

Conflict of Interest (COI) / Conflict of Commitment (COC)

Definitions

· Conflict of interest (financial conflict of interest): is a situation in which an individual, or the individual’s spouse or dependent children, has a financial interest or financial relationship that could directly and significantly affect the design, conduct, reporting, or funding of research.[footnoteRef:2] [2: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Enhancing the Security and Integrity of America’s Research Enterprise (Washington, D.C.: June 23, 2020). ]

· Conflict of commitment (non-financial conflict of interest): is a situation in which an individual accepts or incurs conflicting obligations between or among multiple employers or other entities. Many institutional policies define conflicts of commitment as conflicting commitments of time and effort, including obligations to dedicate time in excess of institutional obligations, including obligations to improperly share information with, or withhold information from, an employer or funding agency, can also threaten research security and integrity, and are an element of a broader concept of conflicts of commitment.[footnoteRef:3] [3: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Enhancing the Security and Integrity of America’s Research Enterprise (Washington, D.C.: June 23, 2020). ]

General Requirement for Disclosure

You and your IHE must disclose any potential or actual scientific or nonscientific COI/COC to us. You must also disclose any potential or actual COI/COC for any sub-recipient you include in your proposal. You must provide enough information for us to evaluate your disclosure. We may have to ask you more questions if we need more information.

At our discretion, we may ask you for a COI/COC mitigation plan after you submit your proposal. Your plan is subject to our approval.

Scientific COI/COC

Scientific collaborations on research and development projects are generally the result of close collaboration prior to the submission of applications for support. Accordingly, these collaborations should be given consideration for potential conflicts of interest and commitment, and any undue influence on the integrity of research, national security, and economic security. A potential conflict is mitigated by the appropriate disclosure of these collaborations, foreign affiliations, associations, and activities, and the list of current and pending support you provide for senior and key researchers for both prime and subrecipients.

Examples that increase risk and can harm the DoD research enterprise.

Failures to disclose:

· Financial conflicts of interest (both domestic and foreign)

· Conflicts of commitment

· External employment arrangements

· Financial support that overlaps with U.S. funding

· Shadow laboratories or other parallel research activities

· Diversion of intellectual property

· Peer review violations

Examples of Behaviors that May Violate Laws:

· Theft or diversion of materials and intellectual capital

· Grant fraud

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION PROCESS

The application and submission process is completed in three stages:

1. Completed online registration via nVision. (Required)

2. White Paper submission via nVision. (Required)

3. Full Proposal Submission Package. (via grants.gov – Required) (This is by invitation only. Must include acceptance email as an attachment in block 20 of the SF424.)

ONLINE REGISTRATION VIA nVISION

The nVision Online Registration portal opens on Wednesday, 23 June 2021. It is strongly encouraged that you register on the nVision website no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, 16 September 2021 (see Section IV.G.5 Submission Dates and Times).

Note: If you registered at the AcquTrak website in a prior competition, you must re-register for this competition using the new nVision portal. Usernames and passwords used to submit previous applications will not be retrieved.

While registration in nVision and submission of your white paper can be done at the same time, we HIGHLY recommend that you register in nVision and submit your white paper and supporting documentation well before the deadline in case you encounter any questions or problems.

There are two DEPSCoR competitions running concurrently. Make sure you are applying for this DEPSCoR – Capacity Building FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2021-0008.

WHITE PAPER AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTION

SUBMISSION

White Papers are a MANDATORY component for this three-stage application and submission process to minimize the labor and cost associated with the production of detailed proposals that have very little chance of being selected for funding.

If you do not register and submit a White Paper before the due dates and times, you will not be eligible to participate in the remaining Full Proposal submission process and are not eligible for funding.

To submit White Papers and Supporting Documentation, you are strongly encouraged to register on nVision (https://dod-basicresearch.nvision.noblis.org/program/depscor) by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, 16 September 2021 (see Section IV.G.5 Submission Dates and Times).

White Papers and Supporting Documentation must be submitted to nVision (https://dod-basicresearch.nvision.noblis.org/program/depscor) by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Monday, 20 September 2021 (see Section IV.G.5 Submission Dates and Times).

The submission process could take several minutes depending on the network connection and the size of the file being submitted. You are responsible for allowing enough time to complete the online form, upload the documents and press the submit button before the deadline. An e-mail confirmation will be sent to the Applicant upon receipt of the submission.

Documents submitted after the deadline or found to be non-compliant will not be reviewed.

Evaluation of the White Paper will be issued via email notification. You are ineligible to submit a full proposal package under this FOA if your White Paper was not identified as being of “particular value” to the DoD.

Only electronic submissions will be accepted and reviewed.

CONTENT AND FORMAT OF THE WHITE PAPER

1. Pre-White Paper Inquiries and Questions

For help with technical and programmatic matters, please submit your question in writing by email to the Basic Research Office DEPSCoR Program Manager identified in section VII.A TECHNICAL AND PROGRAMMATIC INQUIRIES AND QUESTIONS. All technical and programmatic discussions must take place prior to white paper submission. After the White Paper deadline, applicants may no longer contact the DEPSCoR Program Manager.

If you have general questions about this announcement or administrative matters, please submit your question in writing by email to the Grants Officer (see section VII.B GENERAL INQUIRIES AND QUESTIONS).

The Basic Research Office does not have the authority to make commitments. Grants Officers acting within their warranted capacity are the only people authorized to make commitments for the Government.

White Paper (as a whole)

White papers submitted under this FOA are expected to be unclassified; classified proposals are not permitted.

All white paper submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with applicable law and DoD regulations. You are expected to appropriately mark each page of the submission that contains proprietary information.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Titles given to white papers should be descriptive of the basic research capacity building activities they cover and not be merely a copy of a topic title from one of the technical research areas outlined in the Services’ BAAs.

Applicants must submit a single white paper with the following four (4) components:

(1) Cover Page

(2) Abstract

(3) Capacity Building Narrative

(4) CVs (2-page limit each) for Team Lead and any subawardees

Marking Requirements for Confidential Proprietary Information

You must mark the white paper sections that contain proprietary or confidential information. However, under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements, some or all proposal information may be subject to release.

Your entire white paper, or any portions thereof, without protective markings or otherwise identified as requiring protection will be considered voluntarily furnished to us without restriction, and will be treated as such for all purposes. White papers may be disclosed to reviewers for training purposes in future competitions.

White Paper Package

The due date for receipt of white papers is Monday, 20 September 2020 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (see Section IV.G.5 Submission Dates and Times). White Papers received after the published deadline will not be considered under any circumstance. Early submission of white papers is welcomed and encouraged.

All documents in the white paper package must be submitted in PDF format in compliance with the guidelines and file naming convention below. When submitting the white paper, you must upload the following as one (1) PDF file:

(1) White Paper

a. Cover page (one (1) page limit, single-sided): Include all key personnel names and IHE affiliations and the Services’ BAA number and research area(s) your application addresses. Include a protective legend for proprietary information, if applicable.

b. Abstract (not to exceed 300 words): Describe the overall approach to achieving the strategic objectives of your IHE to achieve basic research excellence in areas of high relevance to the DoD. The abstract must be submitted without proprietary restrictions. Therefore, this non-proprietary abstract must be a version that is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act without changes.

c. Capacity Building Narrative (six (6) page limit, single-sided): Your white paper must clearly describe your IHE’s strategic objectives to achieve basic research excellence in an area of high relevance to the DoD, including existing seed capability, vision, the thrusts that will be pursued to build capacity, your complete team composition and potential partners, management plan, and potential for long-term sustainment.

d. Identify anticipated human subject or vertebrate animal subject research (one (1) page limit, single-sided) (where applicable).

e. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (two (2) page limit, single-sided each): Provide a CV for the Team Lead and any subawardees.

White paper components must be submitted in the following format as a single PDF file with the following naming convention:

· IHE NAME_DEPSCoR_FY21CB

Documents must be submitted in the following format as one (1) PDF file:

· Paper Size – 8.5 x 11 inch paper

· Margins – 1 inch

· Spacing – single-spaced

· Font – Times New Roman, 12 point

· Use the file naming convention specified above.

Concurrent submission of a proposal to other organizations will not prejudice review. Send any changes as they become known.

FULL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PACKAGE

1. Full Proposal Packages will only be accepted from applicants invited to submit proposals.

All the application forms you need are available electronically on Grants.gov. From the “View Grant Opportunity” page, you can click on the “Package” tab to download the application package. These same application forms will also be available in the “Related Documents” tab to download individually.

We will not issue paper copies of this announcement.

Proposal packages must be submitted electronically to Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, 22 February 2022 (see Section IV.G.5 Submission Dates and Times).

Please contact us to request a reasonable accommodation for any accessibility requirements you may have.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. The application as a whole

You must submit your proposal electronically through Grants.gov. We will not accept or evaluate any proposal submitted by any means other than through Grants.gov. We must receive your proposal before the IV.G.1. Proposal Submission Deadline.

DO NOT password protect any attachments.

You must use the electronic Standard Form (SF) 424 Research and Related (R&R) Form Family, OMB Number 4040-0001. The SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal assistance form must be your cover page. No pages may precede the SF 424 (R&R).

You must mark your application with the FOA number.

b. A summary of what is required for a complete proposal is summarized below:

· We require the forms and attachments in bold text with all applications

· Some applications require the attachments in italic

· We provide more instructions in IV.D.3. Component Pieces of the Application

R&R FORM,

OMB No. 4040-0001

Representation for Tax Delinquency, Felony Conviction, and Internal Confidentiality Agreements (Required)

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (If Applicable)

Invitation email to submit a full proposal (Required)

(Not Required)

R&R Other Project Information Form (Required)

(If Applicable)

(If Applicable)

R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Form Expanded (Required) Biographical Sketch (Required)

Current & Pending Support (Required)

R&R Budget Form (Required)

Budget Justification (Required)

R&R Subaward Budget (If Applicable) Attachments Form

Subaward Budget Justification

R&R Project/Performance Site Locations Form (Required) None

The SF 424 (R&R) must include the signature of an authorized representative from your IHE. The signature is affixed electronically by Grants.gov upon submission. This signature is considered the signature for the application as a whole.

c. Proposal Format

· Paper Size – 8.5 x 11-inch paper

· Margins – 1 inch

· Spacing – 1.5-line spacing

· Font – Times New Roman, 12 point

· Page Limitation – please see proposal length below

· Content – As described below

d. Proposal Length

Your Capacity Building Plan section must not exceed ten (10) single-sided pages.

Your Team Composition and Management Plan section must not exceed five (5) single-sided pages.

Your Data Management Plan (Optional) must not exceed two (2) single-sided pages.

We will not consider more than the maximum number of pages in our evaluation.

You must not include elaborate brochures, reprints, or presentations beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal.

We created this table to help you understand how to calculate your page count

INCLUDED

IN PAGE COUNT

NOT INCLUDED

IN PAGE COUNT

Project Narrative – Capacity Building and Team Composition and Management Plans (Required)

Data Management Plan (Optional)

Everything else

You must include enough budget related information in your proposal to support your costs as necessary, reasonable, allocable, realistic, and in compliance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles

Not having enough information in your proposal to understand if your costs are necessary, allowable, reasonable, allocable, and realistic is the most common reason awards are delayed.

e. Marking Requirements for Confidential or Proprietary Information

You must mark the proposal sections that contain proprietary or confidential information. However, under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements, some or all proposal information may be subject to release.

Your entire proposal, or any portions thereof, without protective markings or otherwise identified as requiring protection will be considered voluntarily furnished to us without restriction, and will be treated as such for all purposes.

f. Advance Preparation for Electronic Submission through Grants.gov

Your proposal must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. You should verify that the person authorized to submit proposals for your organization has completed Grants.gov registration well in advance of the submission deadline. Grants.gov electronic proposal submissions cannot be accomplished before your organization is fully registered. Registration with Grants.gov may take up to twenty-one (21) days.

· A Grants.gov getting started checklist is available at:

https://www.grants.gov/en/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/getting-started-%20checklist.html.

· Guidance for registering with Grants.gov as an organization may be found at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

· Questions relating to the Grants.gov registration process, system requirements, how an application works, or the proposal submittal process can be answered by email at support@grants.gov, telephone at 1-800-518-4726, or at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html.

· An active Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration are required to register through Grants.gov. Section IV.F.1 SAM Registration Required provides more information.

3. Component Pieces of the Application

IMPORTANT NOTE: Titles given to proposals should be descriptive of the basic research capacity building activities they cover and not be merely a copy of the topic title from one of the technical research areas outlined in the Services’ BAAs.

a. SF-424 Form (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance (Required)

The SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal assistance form must be your cover page. No pages may precede the SF 424 (R&R).

Complete all required fields in accordance with the “pop-up” instructions on the SF 424 (R&R) form. You can turn on Grants.gov “Help Mode” to provide additional instructions for forms. “Help Mode” is turned on by the icon with the pointer and question mark at the top of the form.

We have special instructions for completion of several SF 424 (R&R) form fields in your application. Our instructions are:

For block 4.b. Agency Routing Identifier – you may leave blank For block 4.c. Previous Grants.gov Tracking ID – If this submission is for a changed/corrected application, enter the Grants.gov tracking number of the previous proposal submission; otherwise, leave blank.

You must attach your completed Grants Certifications Report from SAM.gov which addresses your Certification Regarding Lobbying, as required by 31 U.S.C. 1352 as implemented by DoD in 32 CFR Part 28. The full text of this certification is also found at Appendix A to Part 28 of 32 CFR at http://www.ecfr.gov/.

You may have to attach the completed Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) if you have lobbying activity that you must disclose.

Concatenate these documents into a single document and attach the concatenated document into Field 18.

b. Representation Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under Any Federal Law – DoD Appropriations & Representation Regarding the Prohibition on Using Funds under Grants and Cooperative Agreements with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements & SAM.gov Grants Certifications Report (Required)

You must attach these representations to field 18 of the SF 424 (R&R).

You must complete, sign, and attach the “Representations Regarding Unpaid Tax and Internal Confidentiality Agreements” form provided with the Grants.gov package. We cannot fund an award if this information is not provided.

If you answer “is” a corporation that has an unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and is not being paid in timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability; and/or “is” a corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months on this representation form, you may not be eligible for an award if your proposal is selected. You should contact us right away to discuss your situation to find out if you can submit your application.

If you do not attach this form to the SF 424, we may request the representation after you submit your application.

c. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (If Applicable)

If applicable, you must attach this disclosure to field 18 of the SF 424 (R&R).

If you have lobbying activity that you must disclose under 31 U.S.C. 1352 as implemented by the DoD in 32 CFR Part 28, you must attach the completed Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL). Instructions for completing this form are available here. If you do not have lobbying activities to disclose, you do not need to complete the SF-LLL.

d. R&R Other Project Information Form (Required)

Complete this form as indicated. You must include all necessary attachments. Additional guidance on each field on the form is located here.

5.

5.a.

Is the research performance site designated, or eligible to be designated, as a historic place? Select “Yes” or “No”.

If you checked the “Yes” box indicating any performance site is designated, or eligible to be designated, as a historic place, provide the explanation in Block 5.a.

6.

6.a.

6.b.

Does this project involve activities outside of the United States or partnerships with international collaborators? Select “Yes” or “No”.

If you checked the “Yes” box identify the countries with which international cooperative activities are involved.

Enter an explanation for involvement with outside entities (optional).

Attach your IV.D.3.m. R&R Sub-award Budget Attachments Form (If Applicable)

Attach your IV.D.3.q. Data Management Plan (Optional)

Attach your IV.D.3.r. Letters of Recommendation (Required)

e. Publicly Releasable Project Summary/Abstract (Required)

You must attach the Project Summary/Abstract to field 7 of the R&R Other Project Information form.

You must provide a concise abstract of 300 words or less with your proposal. Do not include proprietary or confidential information. The project summary/abstract must be marked by the applicant as “Approved for Public Release.” The abstract should use terms the public can understand to describe the capacity building research objective, technical approach, anticipated outcome, and potential impact of the specific research.

Use only characters available on a standard QWERTY keyboard. Spell out all Greek letters, other non-English letters, and symbols. Graphics are not allowed.

Abstracts of all funded research projects will be posted on the public DTIC website: https://dodgrantawards.dtic.mil/grants/#/home.

f. Project Narrative – Capacity Building and Team Composition and Management Plans (Required)

You must attach the Project Narrative – Capacity Building and Team Composition and Management Plans to the Project Narrative Attachment Form and attach that form to field 8 of the R&R Other Project Information Form.

Your project narrative will be evaluated using the criteria listed in section V.A CRITERIA. You should show strength in as many of the evaluation and selection areas as practicable to demonstrate maximum competitiveness.

Your narrative should include the following elements:

1. Capacity Building Plan – limited to 10 pages, please number them. Your capacity building plan must clearly describe your IHE’s strategic objectives to achieve excellence in an area of high relevance to the DoD. Your plan must include a description of your existing seed capability, strategic vision, the thrusts that will be pursued using DEPSCoR funds to build capacity, and strategy for long-term sustainment.

2. Team Composition and Management Plan – limited to 5 pages, please number them. Describe the complete composition of the team and an overview of your management plan and how that will support your capacity building plan. CVs of all Key Personnel should be included in the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Form Expanded

The adequacy of this information will influence the overall evaluation in accordance with the criteria and procedures specified in section V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION below.

g. Bibliography and References Cited (If Applicable)

You must attach your Bibliography and References Cited to field 9 of the R&R Other Project Information Form.

h. Facilities & Other Resources (If Applicable)

You must attach your Facilities & Other Resources description document to field 10 of the R&R Other Project Information Form if applicable.

1. Describe the facilities available for performing the proposed research, and any additional facilities or equipment the organization proposes to acquire at its own expense for the work.

2. Indicate any government-owned facilities that will be used. Indicate any government-owned equipment possessed presently that will be used. The facilities contract number, or in absence of a facilities contract, the specifics of the facilities or equipment, and the number of the award under which they are accountable are required.

3. Government Furnished Equipment: List any special Government-owned property or test equipment possessed or required to support the capacity building effort. When possible and practicable, give a description or title for each item, the current location, and an estimated cost as applicable. If you do not have information about individual items, group items you require by class and provide an estimate of values.

i. R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Form Expanded (Required)

You must list all Key Persons proposed for the research effort on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form.

Failure to submit this information may cause the proposal to be returned without further review.

This information will be used to support protection of intellectual property, controlled information, senior/key personnel, and information about critical technologies relevant to national security. Additionally, this information will be used to limit undue influence, including foreign talent programs, by countries that desire to exploit United States’ technology within the DoD research, science and technology, and innovation enterprise.

1. You must attach a short biographical sketch and list of significant publications (vitae) for each Senior/Key Person, whether or not the individuals’ efforts under the projects are to be funded by the DoD.

2. If Senior/Key Personnel have current pending, or expected research supported by other sources (e.g., Federal, State, local or foreign government agencies, public or private foundations, industrial or other commercial organizations) during the period you seek our support the following information must be provided for each project:

List of Current and Pending Support:

· Title of Proposal and Summary;

· Source and amount of funding (annual direct costs; provide contract and/or grant numbers for current contracts/grants);

· Percentage of effort devoted to each project;

· Identity of prime applicant and complete list of subawards, if applicable;

· Technical contact (name, address, phone, electronic mail address);

· Period of performance (differentiate basic effort);

· The proposed project and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the Applicant and other Senior/Key Personnel must be included, even if they receive no salary support from the project(s);

· The total award amount for the entire award period covered (including indirect costs) must be shown as well as the number of person-months or labor hours per year to be devoted to the project, regardless of source of support; and

· State how project(s) is/are related to the proposed effort and indicate degree of overlap.

Concurrent submission of a proposal to other organizations will not prejudice review. Send any changes as they become known.

j. R&R Budget Form (Required)

You must provide all information requested. You must estimate the total project cost.