fy15 nrc scholarship fellowship announcement - v.2.pdf

NRC-HQ-84-15-FOA-0001

Part I. Overview Information

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (http://www.nrc.gov)

Title:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Scholarship and Fellowship Education Grant, Fiscal Year (FY) 2015.

Announcement Type:

New Announcement of Opportunity Number:

NRC-HQ-84-15-FOA-0001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number:

CFDA #: 77.008

Key Dates:

Release/Posted Date: March 9, 2015 Application Due Date: April 17, 2015 Earliest Anticipated Start Date: October 1, 2015

You must submit applications in response to this FOA for Federal assistance electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF-424 forms and the Application Guide included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).

Your application must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m., your local time. If you need information on alternate means of submitting your application, see Section IV.3.B.1.

You may NOT submit applications in paper format.

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency, established by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, tasked with licensing and regulating the Nation’s civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear material to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.

Type of Award:

This FOA will result in grant awards.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number or Awards:

The total amount of funding available for scholarships and fellowships will depend on the agency’s final FY 2015 appropriation of funds. The number of awards for FY 2015 depends on the number, quality, duration and costs of the applications received. Future year awards will depend on annual appropriations.

Budget and Project Period:

Fellowship funds may be requested for multiple individuals of up to $100,000.00 per year for four (4) years, or $400,000.00 total costs (direct costs and facilities and administrative costs) for the project period. An individual may not receive funding in excess of $50,000.00 per year over a 4-year period.

Scholarship funds for up to $200,000.00 total costs (direct costs and facilities and administrative costs) per institution for a two (2) year project period may be requested through this announcement. No scholarship student may receive more than $10,000 per year or exceed $20,000.00 over a 2-year period.

Eligible Institutions:

See Section III, 1.A. for eligible institutions.

Eligible Principal Investigators (PIs):

Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to conduct the proposed project are invited to work with their institution to develop an application.

Number of Applications:

You may submit only one application for the Scholarship Program and one application for the Fellowship Program. If you are requesting both scholarships and fellowships they should be requested in separate applications. One application of each type of award per institution is allowed.

Continuation Applications:

Not applicable.

Application Materials:

See Section IV.1 for application materials.

Hearing Impaired:

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired are available at: TDD: 301-415-5609.

Table of Contents

Part I - Overview Information

Part II - Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Section II. Award Information

Section III. Eligibility Information

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

Section V. Application Review Information

Section VI. Award Administration Information

Section VII. Agency Contacts

Section VIII. Other Information

Part II - Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Program Objectives

This program provides funding to support nuclear science, engineering, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials.

This announcement is for scholarships and fellowships.

Section II. Award Information

1. Type of Award

It is anticipated that this FOA will result in the award of multiple grants.

2. Funds Available

The NRC expects to support a limited number of awards through this FOA to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials.

Fellowship awards under this FOA are up to $100,000.00 per year for four (4) years, or $400,000.00 total costs (direct costs and facilities and administrative costs) for the project period and are not renewable. No student may receive funding in excess of $50,000.00 per year.

Scholarship awards under this FOA are up to $200,000.00 total costs (direct costs and facilities and administrative costs) per institution for a two (2) year project period may be requested. No student may receive more than $10,000.00 per year or exceed $20,000.00 over a 2-year period.

Both total cost amounts are exclusive of any matching; cost shared or leveraged funding by non-Federal entities. Awards pursuant to this funding opportunity and future years are contingent upon the availability of funds.

3. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not required. However, institutions are encouraged to leverage NRC funding (non-Federal funds) to enhance the benefits of the NRC grant. For purposes of this announcement, leveraging means additional contributions (either financial or in-kind) that enhance the overall goals of the scholarship or fellowship program. Leveraging may be used to build infrastructure in nuclear and related disciplines and may include a variety of areas ranging from support of students to facility improvements or expansion. A written agreement or letter with a leveraging commitment is required at the time the application is submitted.

Recipients are to be careful with providing unrealistic or excessive cost share or match since, at the end of the grant, if the identified match has not been provided, then a portion of the Federal share may be required to be returned to the Government.

4. Service Agreements

As a condition for scholarships or fellowships, students must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in their fields of study, as determined by criteria contained in this announcement and as established by the NRC. Consequently, NRC requires scholarship and fellowship students to serve six (6) months in nuclear-related employment for each full or partial year of academic support. The employment may be with NRC, other Federal agencies, State agencies, Department of Energy laboratories, nuclear-related industry, or academia in the students sponsored fields of study. Scholarship and Fellowship students who fail to satisfy the service agreement requirements of the program must request a waiver from the NRC or reimburse the United States Government for the entire amount of the assistance provided them under the scholarship plus interest (at a rate consistent with the U.S. Treasury Current Value of Funds Rate and 10 CFR Part 15, Debt Collection Procedures). (See http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/grants/trade-svc-agreement.pdf Scholarship and Fellowship Program Service Agreement at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/grants.html) Institutions cannot impose additional requirements to scholarship or fellowship recipients beyond the NRC Service Agreement. Service agreements must be signed by the student (to include contact information as reflected on the service agreement), the recipient program coordinator and NRC prior to receiving support. NRC requires the recipient to provide the NRC fully executed copies of the service agreement.

See Section VIII., Other Information, for policies related to this announcement.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Institutions

You may submit an application(s) if your institution/organization has any of the following characteristics:

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education

• Private Institutions of Higher Education

• Hispanic-Serving Institutions

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

• Predominately Black Institutions

• Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions

You may submit an application(s) if your institution is a regionally accredited U.S. public or private institution of higher education, as defined in Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1002). Affiliates that manage externally funded programs for Institutions of Higher Education are eligible to submit applications for this FOA on behalf of the institution; however, award funds are only provided to the institution’s project.

Federal agencies are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this announcement.

Individuals and other entities may not apply directly to NRC for these grants.

2. Student Eligibility

2.A. Eligible Scholarship Recipients

The Scholarship Program provides funding to colleges and universities to award scholarships to individuals pursuing nuclear science, engineering, and other disciplines that may be beneficial in developing and maintaining a nuclear workforce. Recipients must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program offered by an accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Institutions receiving NRC grants must establish programs to monitor the academic progress of the scholarship students.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to receive a scholarship from the university:

1. Have at the time of application, and maintain a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) overall and within major.

2. Maintain a course load of at least 12 credit hours per semester or be classified as a full-time student, in accordance with the university’s policies and practices.

3. Be matriculated in a baccalaureate degree program in a nuclear or nuclear-related area.

2.B. Eligible Fellowship Recipients

The Fellowship Program provides funding to colleges and universities to award fellowships to individuals pursuing nuclear science, engineering and other disciplines which may be beneficial in developing and maintaining a nuclear workforce. NRC is awarding fellowships in the fields of Nuclear Engineering, Health Physics, Radiochemistry and related disciplines. Recipients need to be enrolled in a graduate degree program offered by an accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Institutions receiving

NRC grants must establish programs to monitor the academic progress of the fellowship recipients.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to receive a fellowship:

1. Have at the time of application, and maintain a 3.3 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) overall and within major.

2. Maintain a course load of at least 12 credit hours per semester or be classified as a full-time student, in accordance with the university’s policies and practices.

3. Be matriculated in a graduate degree program in a nuclear-related area, including the fields of Nuclear Engineering, Health Physics, Radiochemistry and related disciplines as determined by the NRC.

2.C. Citizenship Requirement

Fellowship and scholarship recipients must be United States citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal verification of such status). Noncitizen nationals are persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island). Recipients must have full-time student status at the grantee or partnership institution. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

You may download an SF424 Grant Application Package and instructions for completing the SF424 forms for this FOA by linking to http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and following the directions provided on that Web site. Institutions must complete a one-time registration at Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp)

If you have questions regarding Grants.gov registration, direct them to:

Grants.gov

• Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726 Hours of Operation: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Closed on federal holidays (see Office of Personnel Management Federal Holidays).

• Email Support: Support@grants.gov

The NRC requires all prospective awardees to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award, during performance, and through the end of the project period. You should allow processing time of at least 48 hours, when registering with SAM. If you are not currently registered, we recommend that you consider registering immediately to avoid delays. You may obtain registration information at:

http://www.sam.gov.

1. Request Application Information

You must download the SF-424 application forms and instructions to apply for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

2. Application Forms and Content

Prepare your application using the SF-424 application form. Both the application form and instructions for completing it can be downloaded from http://www.grants.gov/Apply/.

Approved Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Grants Management Forms are available on the OMB website, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms/.

The SF-424 application has several components. Your application is complete only if it includes the following components:

Required Components:

SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance - CFDA Number: 77.008 SF-424A: Budget Information - complete Sections A, B, C, D, E and F SF-424B: Assurances and Certifications SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Allowable Costs: Allowable costs must be consistent with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E— COST PRINCIPLES, be well documented and fully justified for the activities proposed.

Grant funds may not be used to supplant funds otherwise available at the applicant institution. These costs include but are not limited to the following: materials, supplies, travel to professional meetings, support to defray student participation expenses, such as student compensation (when appropriate) and other student costs (e.g., fees, books, tuition and lab fees) for no more than $10,000 per student per year for scholarship and no more than $50,000 per student per year for fellowships. You must provide documentation of tuition rates, if included in the application. It is recommended that you consult NRC contacts identified in Section VII, if there are any questions regarding allowable costs.

Personnel: The PI will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. Individuals participating in the design and implementation of the grant may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate for the person months devoted to the program. These expenses must be itemized in Sections A and B, as appropriate, of the SF-424A Budget page. Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's policy for similar positions. If mentoring interactions and other activities with students/participants are considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties, then mentoring and other interactions with students/participants are non-reimbursable from grant funds. Limited administrative and clerical salary costs associated distinctly with the program, that are not normally provided by the applicant organization, may be proposed as direct charges to the grant and must be specifically identified and justified.

Other Program-Related Expenses: Consultant costs, limited equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available for educational programs at the applicant institution. These expenses must be itemized, as appropriate, in the SF-424A object class categories and fully documented in the budget justification. Committed Cost Sharing/Matching becomes an official part of the budget and should be documented on the SF-424A and the proposal budget justification page.

Institutional Commitment and Responsibilities: The institution must demonstrate a commitment to the purposes of this FOA in the fields of nuclear safety, nuclear security, and nuclear environmental protection, including courses and concentrations in Nuclear Engineering, Health Physics, Radiochemistry or related disciplines. Evidence of institutional commitment to the program is strongly encouraged. The PI and the recipient institution are expected to have or to develop an administrative structure that enables faculty, academic administrators, and others involved in the project to interact productively during the award period. Recipients will provide scholarship or fellowship support to students who successfully compete in a selection process proposed by the institution. In a cooperative or partnership arrangement, which are permitted and encouraged, the recipient receiving the NRC grant is responsible for all recipients receiving scholarship or fellowship support within the cooperative or partnership even though the recipient may be at an institution other than the primary recipient receiving the grant. Institutions must clearly describe the student support structure, outline plans to manage the program, provide a description of its selection criteria and process, and agree to provide the NRC with a list of recipients. All participating institutions must agree to provide compliance monitoring of recipients’ academic performance.

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs: A copy of the institution’s current rate agreement is required in the application with the budget justification. Recipients will use their negotiated indirect rates. F&A will be allowed in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.306 &

2 CFR § 200.414.

3. Submission Dates and Times

See Section IV.3.A. for details.

3.A. Submission and Anticipated Start Dates

Release/Posted Date: March 9, 2015 Application Due Date: April 17, 2015 Earliest Anticipated Start Date: October 1, 2015

3.A.1 Application Content

You must download a grant application package from http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp

Required Elements for Applications

A. Format:

Font Size, Style, and Color

• 11 point, Arial, black color (A Symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters.)

Page Size and Margins

• Use standard paper size (8 ½" x 11”).

• Use one inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right).

• NRC requires all text attachments to the SF424 application forms to be submitted as PDF files. Adobe PDF format is preferred.

Footer

• Each page should include a page number and Principal Investigator’s last name in the bottom right-hand corner.

Attachments

• NRC requires all text attachments to the SF424 application forms to be submitted as PDF files. Adobe PDF format is preferred.

B. Executive Summary (half-page maximum):

Describe the proposed project’s essential elements.

• Descriptive title of proposed project: NOTE: You should describe your

Scholarship or Fellowship Program as the University’s Scholarship or Fellowship Program and not NRC’s Scholarship or Fellowship Program.

• Name, address, email address and telephone number of the PI(s).

• Name(s), address, email address and affiliations of other investigator/collaborative personnel who will contribute significantly to the project.

• The project’s total funding request.

• Concise statement of the project’s objectives and benefits.

C. Project Description:

Applications must include and clearly identify the following elements in the Project Description section:

1. Describe the proposed program including the number and size of the scholarships or fellowships and associated institutions, if any.

2. Describe the recruitment activities and specific marketing strategies designed to attract a large and diverse pool of applicants.

3. Describe the selection process that will ensure the most qualified applicants are selected based on academic merit. State the management structure and the capability for administering the program.

4. Identify an evaluation plan that will provide information on the effectiveness of the project in attracting, preparing and retaining individuals in nuclear careers. All projects are expected to include an evaluation plan to measure the project’s impact and the effectiveness of proposed strategies in attracting, preparing, and retaining students. The evaluation plan should include a mechanism for tracking the scholarship and fellowship students as they fulfill their academic obligation and reporting to the NRC.

5. Provide a schedule of tuition fees and other pertinent costs for students who would be participating in this program.

6. State whether or not these scholarships or fellowships are contemplated as an integrated element of a State or regional strategic plan including innovative approaches covering such arrangements as consortia, partnerships with other institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), shared/distance learning programs, etc. Post-Secondary Minority Institutions are listed at:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html.

7. State any arrangements with other non-Federal entities (State, local government or private) that provide additional support, typically in the form of leveraged funding, to the goals of this grant. A written leveraging agreement or letter is required with the application.

8. Institutions must require individual scholarship and fellowship students to accept the service agreement terms as defined in this FOA.

The project description (which is not the same as the evaluation criteria in Section V.1) is limited to five (5) pages or less, including text, tables, and visual materials (e.g., charts, graphs, maps, photographs). The page limit does not include the:

• Executive Summary

• Budget and Budget Narrative

• Current and Pending Support

• Curriculum Vitae

• Past NRC Funding and Summary of Results from Past NRC Funding, if applicable

• Other required forms.

D. Summary of Current and Pending Support:

You must provide information on all current and pending support for ongoing projects and proposals. Include the proposed project and all other projects or activities using Federal assistance or that require a portion of time of the PI or other senior personnel. Describe the relationship between the proposed project and these other projects and state the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the projects.

E. Curriculum Vitae:

Include a two (2) page maximum vitae for each PI and other senior personnel involved in carrying out the application.

F. Detailed Budget Narrative and Application Instructions:

Submit a detailed budget narrative explaining the need for and justifying the costs of the Federal and the non-Federal expenditures as they relate to the application objectives.

Budget should be labeled with each budget line item and proposed funding.

SF-424 Section A – Budget Summary: Fill in “NRC-HQ-84-15-FOA-0001” under the “Grant Program Function or Activity” (Column a). The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number is 77.008 (Column b). Columns (c) and (d) should be left blank. Columns (e) and (f) should include the total Federal and Non-Federal funding for the entire grant period.

List all expenditures in the budget narrative using the same budget categories on SF- 424A, Section B (Budget Category). Describe each expense in the budget narrative by object class (e.g., personnel, equipment, travel, and other costs) in the order that they appear on the SF-424A, Section B. Include the dollar amounts in the budget narrative/justification and how the dollar amounts were derived.

Subaward: A budget narrative is requested for subaward institutions. Letters of commitment between multiple institutions, signed by their respective authorized organization representatives, are required as part of the application.

The cost sharing amount, if applicable, should be entered in the SF-424A, Section C, “Non-Federal Resources.” The total on Section D, Line 14, and Section E, Line 21, equals total project costs.

Include detailed descriptions of all cost justifications. The website, http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/grants/faqs.html lists numerous Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that may be of assistance in preparing cost justification.

The budget narrative attachment with justification submitted with the application must match the dollar amounts on all required forms (i.e., SF-424, SF-424A, Section F). Please explain each calculation and provide a narrative that supports each budget category as it relates to the project objectives.

3.B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NRC

We encourage applicants to apply early to avoid problems uploading applications to www.Grants.gov. We will make adjustments to the correction window or submission deadlines if necessary to protect applicants’ ability to submit on-time.

Electronic submission is required through www.Grants.gov. If you cannot submit through Grants.gov due to transmission issues, applications may be submitted via email to NRC.

Contact the Grants.gov Contact Center to document and help resolve the submission issues, then:

1. Document the issue with the NRC Grants Officer listed in Section VII. Agency

Contacts; and

2. Include your www.Grants.gov support ticket number with your alternate submission.

3.B.1. Alternate submissions

Email submissions must be sent by the institution’s Authorized Organization Official (not the PI) to the Agency contacts found in Section VII in this announcement. The email subject line should include the www.Grants.gov support ticket number with your institution’s name.

3.C. Application Processing

Applications received will be evaluated by the NRC. Late, incomplete or non-responsive applications may not be evaluated.

Grants.gov will acknowledge receipt of applications. The submitting Authorized Organizational Representative receives the www.Grants.gov acknowledgments.

Applicants can track your applications at:

http://www.grants.gov/assets/TrackingYourApplicationPackage.pdf.

4. Funding Restrictions

All NRC awards are subject to the administrative requirements in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200 and other considerations described in “The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Standard Terms and Conditions for U.S. Non-Governmental Recipients.”

5. Information on Civil Rights Compliance Requirements Imposed as a Condition of Award of NRC Federal Financial Assistance

The NRC assures nondiscrimination in NRC conducted and Federal financially assisted programs and activities. The NRC’s Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (SBCR) provides applicants/recipients with direction, guidance and technical assistance. SBCR also monitors program activities, conducts compliance reviews, investigates complaints, enforces violations and submits reports to Federal oversight agencies.

5.A. Submit a Standard Form (SF) 424B Statement of Assurances

Statements must be signed by individuals with authority to assure that the recipients’ programs comply with Federal civil rights laws, mandates, and NRC regulations.

5.B. Provide Public Notification

Recipients will display the NRC’s nondiscrimination policy and procedures for filing complaints in prominent locations to inform staff, beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries;

disseminate a nondiscrimination policy statement (e.g., recruitment materials, brochures and other materials, handbooks, applications and postings); and distribute notices regarding programs and activities to eligible populations, including minority and low-income populations; and to Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals. (See LEP Guidance FR Doc 04-4672.)

• Participate in mandatory NRC Compliance Reviews.

• Participate in pre- and post-award compliance reviews.

5.C. Pre-Award Compliance Review

A pre-award compliance review (typically a desk-audit) must be conducted prior to award of NRC financial assistance. Applicants and recipients are required to complete NRC Form SF 781 Parts A, B, and C. If a determination cannot be made from the submitted data, SBCR will take steps to request additional information, which could include conducting an on-site audit or inspection.

5.D. Post Award Audit

Post-award compliance reviews will be based on desk audits and input from advocacy groups, community organizations, and results from ongoing research to identify recipients that should be selected to undergo an on-site audit. The following criteria will be used to help identify recipients for a post-award compliance on-site audit:

• Areas of “questionable” compliance identified in a desk audit;

• Issues raised in a complaint or identified during a complaint investigation (not covered in the scope of the investigation);

• Noncompliance issues raised;

• Amount of program funding ($100K or greater), or size and complexity of the project;

• Geographical areas the agency wishes to target because of known problems beneficiaries are experiencing;

• Problems identified to the agency by other civil rights agencies;

• Problems identified to the agency by community organizations or advocacy groups that are familiar with actual incidents to support their concerns;

• Issues frequently identified as problems faced by program beneficiaries;

• Issues targeted in the agency's strategic plan;

• Problems identified to the agency by its block grant recipients; and/or

• Proximity of the recipient to NRC offices.

Post-award compliance (on-site) audits (sampling not to exceed 10%) encompass a broad review of recipients’ programs and practices to determine actual compliance with regulations, and include:

• Civil rights implementation and enforcement policies and practices;

• Statistical evidence by racial and ethnic minorities based on the recipient’s: (a) staffing patterns, (b) beneficiary program participation rates, and (c) rejection rates;

• Applications or interview materials related to program participation or selection;

• Demographic make-up of the affected community or potential participants;

• Actions to educate the public and affected communities, particularly LEP individuals;

• Any discrimination complaints lodged against the recipient;

• Auxiliary aids, reasonable accommodations, facility accessibility; and

• Any previous findings of compliance or noncompliance related to the recipient.

Post-award compliance (on-site) audits will include:

• Interviews of recipient’s officials, representatives, participants or beneficiaries; and review recipients’ data collection and analysis used to assess compliance.

• SBCR will issue written results of its compliance findings and issue a written report containing recommendations for achieving compliance.

• Designate Equal Opportunity Coordinators

• Appoint Coordinators (e.g., Title VI and IX, Disability, Age) in order to:

o Inform those eligible to participate in programs and activities about all available services and their rights under applicable Federal civil rights regulations;

o Collect data on who is being served by the programs and activities offered;

o Monitor compliance and alerting recipient officials of any complaints or noncompliance issues that require action;

o Plan, develop, and implement periodic Equal Opportunity civil rights training;

o Maintain records and report compliance to SBCR/Outreach and

Compliance Coordination Program (OCCP) as required by Agency regulations that are (1) OMB approved and (2) statute requires information/data collections; and o Ensure prompt corrective action has been taken to adequately address any deficiencies.

5.E. Submit Compliance Reports

Submit compliance reports throughout the program year and an annual Equal Opportunity compliance report to SBCR no later than December 31 of each calendar year.

5.F. Provide Civil Rights Training

Provide comprehensive civil rights training for existing and new staff for those administering the grant, and periodically retrain existing staff to establish and update their knowledge of Equal Opportunity civil rights statutes and emerging issues.

5.G. Establish Complaint Process

Establish procedures for “processing and disposition” of discrimination complaints.

Maintain complaint log, which includes the complainant’s: race, color, or national origin;

the identity of the recipient; the nature of the complaint and date filed; the investigation completion date; the date and nature of the disposition; and other pertinent information.

5.H. Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is provided by SBCR to assist stakeholders with understanding and complying with regulations. Links are provided to the U.S. Department of Justice website and the following NRC regulations: 10 CFR Part 4--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or ...Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance From the Commission; 10 CFR Part 5--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education ...

Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance; 10 CFR § 2.111, 10 CFR Part 2--Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings and...; and 10 CFR § 19.32, 10 CFR Part 19--Notices, Instructions and Reports to Workers: Inspections and Investigations.

OCCP staff is available to provide direction, guidance, and technical assistance to help ensure compliance. OCCP staff can be contacted via email at OCCPrograms.Resources@nrc.gov or by phone at 301-415-7394.

6. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP)

The NRC uses ASAP for recipient reimbursement. ASAP is a recipient-initiated payment and information system, designed to provide a single point of contact for the request and delivery of Federal funds. ASAP was developed by the Financial Management Service (FMS) of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) of Richmond. For information about ASAP, see http://www.fms.treas.gov/asap/. Recipient organizations must be enrolled in ASAP.Gov and their bank account must be linked to the NRC Agency Link Code (31000001) to receive funds.

Organizational Dun and Bradstreet Numbering System (DUNS)

The DUNS (Dun and Bradstreet Numbering System) number on the application must match the DUNS number provided in the SAM database at https://www.sam.gov with http://www.grants.gov.

For additional information, see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs/obtaining-duns-number.html

If the Payee DUNS for ASAP.Gov is different from the DUNS number provided in the Sam.gov registration, please include the Payee DUNS at the end of the budget narrative under the heading ASAP DUNS. Payments may be delayed if this information is missing in the application.

FedConnect Applicants are strongly encouraged, however, not required to register with FedConnect at www.FedConnect.net. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and may also be submitted through FedConnect. Please see attached instructions on using FedConnect at: FedConnect: Ready, Set, Go!

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Full Review Criteria

Applications are evaluated and rated individually by multiple peer reviewers using both Federal and non-Federal experts in the field. The following criteria items must be addressed and clearly labeled. These items are used to evaluate applications using the corresponding weighted value.

1. Capacity and ability of the institution to effectively conduct the program including quality and feasibility of the recruitment and marketing strategies. (25 points)

2. Type and degree of proposed student support (i.e., mentoring or advisor assistance).

Including quality of technical programs for scholars and fellows. (25 points)

3. Feasibility and completeness of an evaluation plan to measure the effectiveness of the scholarship or fellowship program. (15 points)

4. Institutional support for the program and plans for sustainability, as well as number and quality of students that will be served by the program. (25 points)

5. Innovation demonstrated through establishment of consortia or partnerships with other institutions, including Post-Secondary Minority Serving Institutions, to increase the universe of students reached through distance learning, shared courses, facility sharing, etc. Post Secondary Minority Institutions are listed at:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html. (5 points)

2. Review and Selection Process

2.A. Review Process

The NRC conducts an initial administrative review to determine that the proposal is complete and complies with the announcement’s requirements. Ineligible applications or non-responsive applications may not be reviewed. You may withdraw your application at any time.

The NRC protects the information contained in an application from unauthorized disclosure, consistent with the need for objective review of the application and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. However, if a grant is awarded, the Federal government has the right to use or disclose the information to the extent authorized by law.

Applications are peer-reviewed and rated using the evaluation criteria and point values provided above (see Section V.1). Both Federal and non-Federal experts may be used in this process. Peer reviewers’ identities remain confidential. All peer reviewers must sign a conflict of interest form prior to acceptance as a reviewer. The applications and associated materials made available to reviewers, including the discussions that take place during review meetings are strictly confidential. Individual peer reviewers’ scores are averaged and rated prior to being presented to the selecting official.

2.B. Selection Process:

The highest ranked applications will receive priority consideration for award within the available funding. The selecting official makes final award recommendations. The selecting official generally recommends funding in rank order unless an application is selected because of one of the following factors:

• Availability of funding.

• Support geographic diversity,

• Assure diversity in disciplines,

• Whether the project duplicates other projects NRC is funding or considering funding,

• Program priorities and policy factors,

• Needs that the Commission determines to be critical to the NRC’s regulatory mission,

• Applicant’s prior award performance,

• Previous expenditures and on-time progress report submissions, or

• Limiting the number of multiple NRC grant awards to individual institutions.

The decision not to award a grant, or to award a grant at a particular funding level, is discretionary and is not subject to appeal to any NRC official or board.

3. Earliest Anticipated Start Date

The earliest anticipated start date for this Funding Opportunity Announcement is October 1, 2015.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

Formal notification in the form of a Grant or Cooperative Agreement will be provided to the applicant organization. The award signed by the Grants Officer is the authorizing document, and the Grants Officer is the only person authorized to obligate funds and permit changes to approved projects on behalf of the NRC. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NRC issues notifications via email directly to the proposing institutions’ authorizing officials.

Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the Grant are at the recipient's risk. See Section IV.4., “Funding Restrictions.”

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

“The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Standard Terms and Conditions for U.S.

Nongovernmental Recipients” contain the administrative and national policy requirements for all NRC awards, and is located at the end of this FOA.

3. Limitation of Liability

The NRC is not responsible for any application costs if agency priorities cause it to cancel this program prior to awarding any grants. Publishing this announcement does not obligate NRC to award any specific project.

4. Reporting

Financial Reports Federal Financial Reports (SF-425) are semi-annually, for the periods ending March 31 and September 30. Reports are due within 30 calendar days following the end of the reporting period. The reports must be emailed to Grants_FFR.Resource@nrc.gov. The SF-425 form and instructions are available at the following URL:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms/.

Performance Progress Reports Performance Progress reports must be submitted annually, for the period ending September 30, or any portion thereof, regardless of the award date. Reports are due within 30 days following the end of each reporting period and must be emailed to Grants_PPR.Resource@nrc.gov.

OMB directed Federal grant awarding agencies to report on specific performance metrics and evaluation methodologies for any education related grant program activities.

The NRC authorizes the use of the following forms for reporting performance. The reports are electronically transmitted to the Agency contacts listed in the Grant. The three forms that constitute a complete submission are available at the following hyperlinks:

• SF-PPR

Performance Progress Report Cover Form (Instructions accompany the form).

Block 10 of this form should provide a narrative that details activities that have occurred during the reporting period that correspond with the goals and objectives identified in the proposal narrative.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/approved_forms/sf-ppr.pdf.

• SF-PPR-B

Performance Progress Report Program Indicators (Instructions accompany the form) http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/grants/approved_for ms/sf-ppr-b.pdf.

• SF-PPR-E

Performance Progress Report Activity Based Expenditures (Instructions accompany the form) http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/grants/approved_for ms/sf-ppr-e.pdf.

Final Reports A Final Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR, B and E) and Federal Financial Report (SF-425) are required within 90 days after the award has expired, been relinquished, or terminated; to include the submission of a final SF-428, Tangible Property Report, if applicable.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

Contact:

NRC Grants Office M’Lita Carr Grants Officer Phone: 301-415-6869 E-mail: MLita.Carr@nrc.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

1. Required Federal Citations

Program Authority: Section 31b, 141b, and 243 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.

2. Authority and Regulations: This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372, amended by E.O.

12416 and supplemented by E.O. 13132. Financial assistance awards are made under the authorization 42 U.S.C. § 2051. All awards are subject to the cost principles and other considerations described in 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

3. Non-Delinquency on Federal Debt The Federal Debt Collection Procedure Act, 28 U.S.C. 3201(e), provides that an organization or individual that is indebted to the United States, and has a judgment lien filed against it, is ineligible to receive a Federal grant. NRC cannot award a grant unless the authorized organizational official of the applicant organization certifies, by means of his/her signature on the application, that the organization is not delinquent in repaying any Federal debt. If the applicant discloses delinquency on a debt owed to the Federal Government, NRC may not award the grant until the debt is satisfied or satisfactory arrangements are made with the agency to which the debt is owed.

4. Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (SBCR) Compliance (Promote non-discrimination in NRC assisted programs and activities Before a grant award can be made, a domestic applicant organization must complete the NRC SBCR pre-award compliance review. (See Section IV.5.) Organizations must certify compliance in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88352, as amended), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin;

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112, as amended), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-318, as amended), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (P.L. 94-135), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Standard Terms and Conditions for U.S. Nongovernmental Recipients

Preface

This award is based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) under the authorization 42 U.S.C. § 2051(b), pursuant to section 31b and 141b of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and is subject to the terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference in the following:

• Grant program legislation and program regulation cited in this Grant and Cooperative Agreement.

• Restrictions on the expenditure of Federal funds in appropriation acts, to the extent those restrictions are pertinent to the award.

• Code of Federal Regulations/Regulatory Requirements – 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

Any inconsistency or conflict in terms and conditions specified in the award will be resolved according to the following order of precedence: public laws, regulations, applicable notices published in the Federal Register, Executive Orders (E.O.), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars, the NRC’s Mandatory Standard Provisions, special award conditions, and standard award conditions.

Certifications and Representations: These terms incorporate the certifications and representations required by statute, executive order, or regulation that were submitted with the SF424B application through GRANTS.GOV.

I. Mandatory General Requirements The order of these requirements does not make one requirement more important than any other requirement.

1. Applicability of 2 CFR Part 200 All provisions of 2 CFR Part 200 and all Standard Provisions attached to this grant/cooperative agreement are applicable to the Recipient and to sub-recipients which meet the definition of “Recipient” in 2 Part §200.86, unless a section specifically excludes a sub-recipient from coverage. The Recipient and any sub-recipients must, in addition to the assurances made as part of the application, comply and require each of its sub-awardees employed in the completion of the project to comply with Subpart D of 2 CFR Part 200 and include this term in lower-tier (sub-award) covered transactions.

Recipients must comply with monitoring procedures and audit requirements in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F—AUDIT REQUIREMENTS.

2. Award Package The Recipient is obligated to conduct project oversight as may be appropriate, to manage the funds with prudence, and to comply with the provisions outlined in 2 CFR Part 200.

Within this framework, the Principal Investigator (PI) named on the award face page, is responsible for the scientific or technical direction of the project and for preparation of the project performance reports. This award is funded on a cost-reimbursement basis, not to exceed the amount awarded as indicated on the face page, and is subject to a refund of unexpended grant funds to the NRC.

The non-Federal entity alone must be responsible, in accordance with good administrative practice and sound business judgment, for the settlement of all contractual and administrative issues arising out of procurements related to its grant award. These issues include, but are not limited to, source evaluation, protests, disputes, and claims. These standards do not relieve the non-Federal entity of any financial or fiduciary responsibilities or obligations arising under its grant, including sub-contracts and sub-awards, or any other contractual or financial obligation. The Federal awarding agency will not substitute its judgment for that of the non-Federal entity unless the matter is primarily a Federal concern. Violations of law will be referred to the local, State, or Federal authority having proper jurisdiction. See 2 CFR § 200.318(k), General Procurement Standards.

Subawards Appendix II to Part 200 Contract Provisions for Non-Federal Entity Contracts Under Federal Awards

Sub-recipients, sub-awardees, and contractors have no relationship with NRC under the terms of this grant/cooperative agreement. All required NRC approvals must be directed through the Recipient to NRC. See 2 CFR § 200.318.

Nondiscrimination This provision is applicable when work under the grant/cooperative agreement is performed in the U.S. or when employees are recruited in the U.S.

The Recipient agrees to comply with the non-discrimination requirements below:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

• The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 6101 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in any program receiving federal financial assistance.

• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.