FY20 FOA - RES (Research Program) Final.pdf

31310019K0001

Part I - Overview Information

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

Title:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Funding Opportunity Announcement, Development of Voluntary Consensus Standards that Establish Safety and Risk Criteria and Methods for Probabilistic Analysis, Risk Assessment, and Risk Management Grant, Fiscal Year 2020

Announcement Type:

New

Announcement of Opportunity Number:

31310019K0001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number:

CFDA #: 77.009

Key Dates:

Release/Posted Date: September 25, 2019 Application Due Date: October 25, 2019 Estimated Start Date: January 31, 2020*

*Subject to the availability of funds.

The recipient 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).

The recipient’s application must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than October 25, 2019, 05:00:00 PM ET. If the recipient needs information on alternate means of submitting its application, see Section IV.3.B.1.

Electronic submissions of applications through Grants.Gov is preferred. Therefore, paper applications will not be accepted, unless extenuating circumstances are documented.

Failure to follow the instructions included in this FOA will result in your application not being considered for award.

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency, established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, 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 http://www.nrc.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment. The effort under this grant will aid the development of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) standards that include but are not limited to Level 1 (e.g., Large Early Release Frequency (LERF), internal events, internal and external hazards, etc.), full accident progression and source term analysis (level 2 PRA), and consequence analysis (level 3 PRA), of operating reactors and advanced and non- light-water reactor (LWR reactors.

Type of Award:

It is anticipated that this FOA will result in a grant award.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number or Awards:

The total amount of funding available under this award will depend on the agency’s final FY 2020 appropriation of funds. A grant may be awarded based upon the availability of funds and applicability of the proposal to planned work objectives. The number of awards for FY 2020 depends on the number, quality, duration and costs of the applications received. Awards and award amounts pursuant to this funding opportunity and future years are contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds.

Budget and Project Period:

Awards are for a projected period of up to five (5) years depending on program requirements and scheduled milestones. Award amounts in prior years have ranged from $25,000 to $50,000 per year, based on the availability of funds.

Eligible Institutions/Organizations:

See Section III, 1. for eligible institutions. Please note, in the context of this document, the term “institution” is used synonymously with the term “recipient”, however in the case of a teaming arrangement or consortium, only the lead organization is the recipient.

Eligible Principal Investigators (PIs):

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

Number of Applications:

An applicant may submit more than one application, provided each application is technically distinct.

Continuation Applications:

Not applicable.

Application Materials:

See Section IV. for application materials.

Hearing Impaired:

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired are available at: TDD: 240-428-3217.

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

Section V. Application Review Information

Section VI. Award Administration Information

Section VII. Agency Contacts

Section VIII. Other Information

Part II - Full Text of A n n o u nc e m e n t

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Program Objectives The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was created as an independent agency by Congress in 1974 to enable the nation to safely use radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes while ensuring that people and the environment are protected. The NRC regulates the nation's civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.

NRC is interested in projects that promote the NRC mission by supporting a greater variety and scope of risk-informed applications through development and maintenance of standards that encompass the full scope of models incorporated in a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA). Future applications of plant-specific PRAs are anticipated which include assessments of radiological releases and consequences. Current PRA standards address this area in a very limited way, focusing only on rough estimates of the large early release frequency (LERF).

This effort will aid in the development of PRA standards that include but are not limited to Level 1 including LERF, internal events, internal flooding, internal fires, seismic events and seismic margin assessments, external hazards, high wind events, low power and shutdown, and to extend plant PRAs to full accident progression and source term analysis (level 2 PRA), and consequence analysis (level 3 PRA) of operating reactors and advanced and non-LWR reactors.

These standards may be applicable to operating nuclear power plants for all plant operating modes and also to new plants in the design phase or under construction. All standards will be developed following requirements for voluntary consensus standards set by the American National Standards

Institute (ANSI) with the goal of achieving their approval and the pedigree of an American National Standard. The objective is to develop these standards to meet the needs of the users and ensure consistency and compatibility with current standards, so they can be readily applied in a seamless fashion.

Risk management and PRA standards are focused on nuclear safety and as such provide substantial benefit for identifying and addressing the risk contributions from a wide spectrum of events including those that are beyond design basis. The insights gained from PRAs are used in almost all organizational areas of operating nuclear power plants and can be used for nonreactor nuclear facilities as well. The development of the standards directly supports NRC risk-informed regulation initiatives and industry initiatives in applying risk insights into improving safety.

These standards will be used to ensure the technical adequacy of PRAs to support safety decision-making while providing for gathering plant specific risk data, information, and other insights into plant vulnerabilities. The standards are a key part of identifying areas where additional risk management actions or processes will reduce risk factors and thus increase safety. The resources provided by the grant will directly support those efforts in improving safety of domestic nuclear cycle-related facilities.

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

Section II. Award Information

1. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing or matching is not required however, it may be proposed.

See 2 CFR 200.306 for additional information.

2. Conflict of Interest The organizations and entities below are ineligible to receive reimbursement through this grant:

• NRC staff members

• NRC licensees and their staff

• Individuals receiving support through an NRC contract related to JCNRM PRA standards

• NRC subcontractors

• Personnel outside the United States

Section III. Eligibility Information

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

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

• State Governments http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=6513161b4160cdcdf773d20c58b46e80&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1306&rgn=div8

• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)

• Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organizations

• County Governments

• City or Township Governments

• Special District Governments

For profit entities are not eligible under this announcement.

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. Eligibility Requirements 2.A. Eligible Individuals Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the PI is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NRC support.

More than one PI (i.e., multiple PIs), may be designated on the application for projects that require a “team science” approach and therefore clearly do not fit the single-PI model.

The decision of whether to apply for a grant with a single PI or multiple PIs is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the technical goals of the project. Applications for grants with multiple PIs will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. The NRC review criteria for approach, investigators, and environment have been modified to accommodate applications involving either a single PI or multiple PIs.

When considering the multiple PI option, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PI leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PIs will be factored into the assessment of the overall technical merit of the application. Multiple PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports.

Although the PIs write the grant application and are responsible for conducting and supervising the research, the actual applicant is the institution/organization.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

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

If the institution has questions regarding Grants.gov registration, refer to:

Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

• 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. The institution should allow processing time of at least 48 hours when registering with SAM. If the institution is not currently registered, the NRC recommends that it consider registering immediately to avoid delays. The institution may obtain registration information at: http://www.sam.gov .

1. Request Application Information Applicants must download the SF-424 application forms and instructions for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

2. Application Forms and Content The institution prepares its application using the SF-424 application form. Both the application form and instructions for completing it can be downloaded from:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.

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: 77.009 SF-424A: Budget Information - complete Sections A, B, C, D, E and F SF-424B: Assurances and Certifications Certificate Regarding Lobbying Form SF-LLL: Activities, if applicable

Allowable Costs: Allowable costs must be consistent with the cost principles in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E—COST PRINCIPLES, be reasonable, allocable, well documented and fully justified for the program proposed in the application. Grant funds may not be used to supplant funds otherwise available at the applicant institution. It is recommended that potential applicants consult NRC staff, identified in Section VII, if there are any questions regarding allowable costs.

Personnel: The Principal Investigator 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.

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, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses must be justified as specifically required by the http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ mailto:Support@grants.gov http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=daac6e6e8d3bc87ea6b6d0e2067bf629&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6 proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available for programs at the applicant institution/entity. 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.

Applications Involving Multiple Institutions: When multiple institutions are involved in a cooperative or partnership arrangement, one recipient institution must be designated as the prime institution and funding for the other institution(s) must be requested via a subcontract to be administered by the prime institution. The prime institution should submit its budget using the SF- 424A Budget component, including the subcontract(s) total amount. Contractual costs for support services are occasionally sufficiently high to warrant a categorical breakdown of costs. When this is the case, provide detailed information as part of the budget narrative. Letters of commitment between multiple institutions, signed by their respective authorized organization representatives, are required as part of the application.

All other institutions (subcontractors) should complete their individual SF-424A budget forms attached separately, and information concerning the consortium/subcontract budget must be provided in their budget narrative.

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs: A copy of the recipient’s current rate agreement is required in the application with the budget justification. Applicants will use their negotiated indirect rate agreements. 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: September 25, 2019 Application Due Date: October 25, 2019 Estimated Award Date: January 31, 2020*

*Subject to the availability of funds.

3. A. 1. Application Content The recipient must download a grant application package from http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/download-application-package.html

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 letter size paper (8 ½" x 11”).

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=44e3684e06a91b148b0f4a441cfa234b&node=se2.1.200_1306&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=44e3684e06a91b148b0f4a441cfa234b&node=se2.1.200_1306&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a634a292156cfe9c0a18d58eb750d0d3&node=se2.1.200_1414&rgn=div8 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/download-application-package.html

• 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 separate individual PDF files. Adobe PDF format is preferred.

B. Executive Summary (half-page maximum):

Describe the proposed project’s essential elements. Include the following:

• Descriptive title of proposed project: NOTE: Applicants should describe the project as the Institution’s Program and not the NRC’s Program.

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

• The project’s total funding request.

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

C. Project Description:

The project description (which is not the same as the evaluation criteria in Section V.1) is limited to fifteen (15) pages or less, including text, tables, and visual materials (e.g., charts, graphs, maps, photographs). The page limit does not include the:

• Executive Summary

• Program Objectives

• 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:

The applicant 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, including faculty development candidates, involved in carrying out the proposal, including recent relevant publication references.

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 “31310019K0001” 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.

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

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 or matching 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. Show calculations for how each cost was proposed.

G. Audit Report

Submit a current copy of the institution’s A-133 audit report.

3.B. Submitting an Application Electronically 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 the recipient cannot submit through Grants.gov due to transmission issues, applications may be submitted via email to NRC. The http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/grants/faqs.html http://www.grants.gov./

Authorized Organization Official should contact GRANTS.GOV SUPPORT to document and obtain help to resolve the submission issues, then:

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

Contacts; and

2. Include recipient’s www.Grants.gov support ticket number with recipient’s 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. Applications that are received after the closing date and time, incomplete or non-responsive will not be reviewed or considered for award.

Grants.gov will acknowledge receipt of applications. The submitting Authorized Organizational Representative receives the www.Grants.gov acknowledgments. Applicants can track their applications at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/track-my-application.html.

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.

Applicants must ensure that individuals selected as beneficiaries of support under this grant meet the legal requirements consistent with Supreme Court Decisions including Fisher, Gratz, and Grutter.

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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/track-my-application.html https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl 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 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. If, during the pre-award review, an item of non-compliance is found, an award may be executed with language indicating that the awardee is under a 60 day SBCR periodic review.

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 http://nrcweb.nrc.gov:8600/SBCR/fr3-3-2004.html http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/nrc781.pdf http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/nrc781.pdf

• 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 a written report stating whether or not the institution is in compliance with Federal Civil Rights Laws and certifying eligibility to receive an award. The report includes recommendations for achieving compliance if any deficiencies are identified.

• 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 an annual Equal Opportunity compliance report to SBCR no later than December 31 of each calendar year. Based on compliance monitoring, recipients may be required to provide interim EO reports.

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 complainants’ characteristic designation as covered under Title IX, Title VI and Coordinating Regulations and Executive Orders, etc. a unique identifier for the complainant; 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

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 ISSUANCE OF ORDERS

• 10 CFR § 19.32, 10 CFR Part 19--NOTICES, INSTRUCTIONS AND REPORTS TO

WORKERS: INSPECTION 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.Resource@nrc.gov or by phone at 301-415-7380.

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 Department of Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payment (ASAP) system. Recipient organizations must be enrolled in ASAP.Gov and their bank account must be linked to the NRC Agency Location 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/SAM/ with http://www.grants.gov.

For additional information, see: http://whttps://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html?inheritRedirect=true

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 The NRC will no longer provide electronic copies of award/modification documents via email.

Therefore, applicants are required to register with FedConnect at www.FedConnect.net.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. Please see 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 a panel of peer reviewers comprised of Federal https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part004/ https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part004/ https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part004/ https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part005/ https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part005/ https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part002/part002-0111.html https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part002/part002-0111.html https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part019/part019-0032.html https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part019/part019-0032.html mailto:OCCPrograms.Resource@nrc.gov http://www.fms.treas.gov/asap/ https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html?inheritRedirect=true https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html?inheritRedirect=true https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm https://www.sam.gov/index.html/?portal:componentId=1f834b82-3fed-4eb3-a1f8-ea1f226a7955&interactionstate=JBPNS_rO0ABXc0ABBfanNmQnJpZGdlVmlld0lkAAAAAQATL2pzZi9uYXZpZ2F0aW9uLmpzcAAHX19FT0ZfXw**&portal:type=action http://www.fedconnect.net/ https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/Marketing/Documents/FedConnect_Ready_Set_Go.pdf 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. The highest ranked applications will receive priority consideration for award within the available funding. The selecting official makes final award recommendations

The following criteria items must be addressed and clearly labeled.

Significance: Does this project address the stated objective? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will public safety be benefited? (40 points)

Approach: Is the program framework, methods, and processes adequately developed, well integrated, well-reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? Are there clearly defined and measurable objectives? Is there a clearly defined process to measure and report against the progress and success of the objectives? (30 points)

Feasibility: Can the proposed work be accomplished within the proposed budget by the entity, given their experience and expertise, past progress, available resources, institutional/organizational commitment, and (if appropriate) access to technologies? (30 points)

In addition to the above criteria, the following item will be considered in the determination of merit and the rating:

Budget and Period of Support: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the appropriateness of the requested period of support in relation to the proposed project/research may be assessed by the reviewers. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.

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 provided above (Section V.1).

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. T he applications, proposals 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 http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/foia-privacy.html http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/foia-privacy.html

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. Anticipated Effective Date The earliest anticipated start date for this Funding Opportunity Announcement is January 31, 2020.

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 via FedConnect. (See Section IV, Application and Submission Information, Item 6.

Other Submission Requirements and Information). 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.

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 applicable costs if agency priorities cause it to cancel this program prior to awarding any grants. Publishing this announcement does not obligate the NRC to award grants under this announcement.

4. Reporting

FEDERAL FINANCIAL REPORTS

Federal Financial Reports (SF-425) are semi-annually, for the periods ending March 31 and September 30, or any portion thereof, regardless of the award date. Reports are due within 30 calendar days following the end of the reporting period and must be submitted through FedConnect. The SF-425 form and instructions are available at Grants.gov. In addition to the SF-425, a separate document is required that shows the funding activity associated with the development of non-light water reactor (non-LWR) standards for the current reporting period.

PERFORMANCE PROGRESS REPORTS

Performance Progress Reports should include a concise summary describing a recipient’s technical research progress. Details on project status, outcomes and any changes that have occurred during the grant reporting period should be included.

Performance reports must be submitted semi-annually, for the periods ending March 31 and 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 submitted through FedConnect.

FINAL REPORTS

Final reports for both Financial (SF-425) and Performance are required within 90 days of the grant expiration along with a separate document that shows the funding activity associated with the development of non-light water reactor (non-LWR) standards. In addition to these reports, a final SF-428, Tangible property report, is also required. All reports must be submitted through FedConnect.

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.

http://www.fedconnect.com/ http://www.fedconnect.com/ http://www.fedconnect.com/ mailto:MLita.Carr@nrc.gov

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.

http://www.cfda.gov/ http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:2051%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2051)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=2a01dd62df7bb67ade9f3f8ca28f1d5f&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5

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 grant or cooperative agreement. The following also apply:

• 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 http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:2051%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2051)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/appropriations_info.htm http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=4ce09d6f54d0a599f23e234d58aeac84&ty=HTML&h=L&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=70e47509165c6523e50d0883d09e769b&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=70e47509165c6523e50d0883d09e769b&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=70e47509165c6523e50d0883d09e769b&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=4ce09d6f54d0a599f23e234d58aeac84&ty=HTML&h=L&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=ec6a86af0a8838fe2dda571d2935e29a&node=se2.1.200_186&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a634a292156cfe9c0a18d58eb750d0d3&node=sp2.1.200.d&rgn=div6 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=aa48069fcdb8af18dd05d67e8fe3b8cf&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=aa48069fcdb8af18dd05d67e8fe3b8cf&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=2a2b894f9c7775f67508ba53d7dd9ab1&node=sp2.1.200.f&rgn=div6 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=ed75a8df6599846c380de217bacb591d&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 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…