FY26 All CTR Non-Proliferation Programing NOFO Q&A - 260123.docx

ACN/CTR answers to questions received about 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

An ACN/CTR Wide Q &A document will be posted along with the other NOFO documents and updated every Friday until 27 February 2026. This document representants every question received before 11:59:59 PM on Friday 9 January 2026.

ACN/CTR will not conduct individual meetings to discuss the specifics of a proposal or provide additional information on the needs of the NOFO before they close.

Overarching Questions Q: The NOFO specifies the UID format as Implementer_Country_Fiscal Year_001 (IMPL_EFF_YR_001). In prior years, we have included the relevant Line of Effort (LOE) within the UID. Should the LOE be incorporated into the UID for this solicitation?

A: Yes. Please use (IMPL_LOE_EFF_YR_001)

Q: As we are considering applying under multiple, distinct LOEs, we would appreciate guidance on whether the following components should be consolidated or differentiated by LOE:

Q: Budget Narrative Document: Should applicants submit a single consolidated budget narrative, or a separate budget narrative for each LOE?

A: Each proposal should include a single budget narrative that includes a standalone section for each project proposed. You may group projects by LOE if you are submitting multiple projects to multiple LOEs.

Q: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Narrative: Should the M&E narrative be consolidated across all LOEs, or submitted separately for each LOE?

A: Each proposal should include a single M&E narrative that includes a standalone section for each project proposed. You may group projects by LOE if you are submitting multiple projects to multiple LOEs.

Q: Key Personnel: Should key personnel be listed collectively for the proposal as a whole, or broken out by LOE?

A: Each Project proposed should identify key personnel.

Q: Should the summary page be for the complete NOFO package or for each LOE?

A: The summary page should cover all proposed projects

Q: Within the NOFO, the terms “proposal” and “project” appear to be used interchangeably in some sections. We would appreciate clarification on whether these terms are intended to be distinct. For example, the NOFO states: “Budget Narrative Document: 3 pages maximum per project.” Should this be interpreted as requiring one budget narrative per individual project, one budget narrative for the proposal as a whole, or one budget narrative per LOE?

A: No, they are separate terms. An organization can submit one proposal to this NOFO that should include all required documents. Each document submitted can include a section for each project submitted. As an example, if you are proposing multiple projects to this NOFO, the single project narrative document should include a separate 3-page section for each project you are proposing.

Q: Please clarify, if we are submitting multiple projects to a LOE, should we still describe each of those projects in a three-page narrative that we assemble with other narratives for that LOE? Or should we synthesize all projects for that LOE into one three-page multi-project narrative?

A: Please submit one project narrative document per proposal. That document can be grouped by LOE and each project should get a standalone 3-page section.

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Line of Effort 1: Countering Russian Chemical and Biological Threats

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Line of Effort 2: Countering Biological Weapons Threats, Protecting Biotechnologies, and Strengthening Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention

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Line of Effort 3: Countering Chemical Weapons Threats

Q: Is it OK to submit proposals on Syria under this NOFO?

A: Yes. We will review and consider all project proposals submitted to counter chemical weapons threats in Syria.

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Line of Effort 4: Countering Chinese and Russian Proliferation of Advanced Conventional Weapons

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Line of Effort 5: Countering Iran and DPRK’s WMD, Nuclear, Ballistic Missile, and Drone Proliferation

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Line of Effort 6: Countering U.S. Adversary WMD and Drone Threats in Iraq

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Line of Effort 7: Denying U.S. Adversaries Access to Sensitive Nuclear, Missile, and Advanced Technical Expertise for Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs that Threaten America

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Line of Effort 8: Enforcing Sanctions on China and Russia

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Line of Effort 9: Preventing U.S. Adversaries’ Access to Critical Technologies and Exploitation of Scientific and Commercial Facilities for Military Advancement

Q: From the way the NOFO is written, it appears that the regions of interest listed under LOE 9 (Preventing U.S. Adversaries’ Access to Critical Technologies and Exploitation of Scientific and Commercial Facilities for Military Advancement) are specifically tied to Specific Aim 2, focused on semiconductors. Can you clarify if the main target regions (EAP, EUR, NEA, and SCA) are only for Aim 2, or for the entirety of the LOE?

A: Yes, the listed regions are the main interest for Specific Aim 2. LOE 9 is global.

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Line of Effort 10: Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Expediting Responsible and Secure U.S. Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Deployment through the FIRST Program

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