IC_CAE_FOA Amendment 1_2024-05-03.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL

INTELLIGENCE

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR

INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY

CENTERS FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

ODNI-FOA-24-01

AMENDMENT #1

03 May 2024

ISSUED BY:

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

CONTENTS

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. BACKGROUND

B. Program Goals

C. Instructional Pathways for Applicants

Pathway I: Intelligence/National Security

Pathway II: Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs)

Pathway III: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

Pathway IV: Integrated Approach, Intelligence/National Security and LCTL or Intelligence/National Security and STEM

D. IC Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) Objectives

Objective 1: Consortium and Single IHE

Objective 2: Curriculum Development

Objective 3: Establish and Maintain IC CAE Program Management, Marketing, and Sustainment Action Plans

Objective 4: Foreign Language Programs

Objective 5: Faculty Research and Professional Development in Support of Teaching to Chosen Curriculum Pathway

Objective 6: Student Participation in Academic Programs and Professional Development Activities

Objective 7: Host an Annual Colloquium or Speaker Series, in Collaboration with Sub-recipients

Objective 8: Study Abroad and Cultural Immersion

Objective 9: Use of Grant Funds to Create Scholarships for IC CAE Scholars

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

C. OTHER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

IV. APPLICATION & SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

VOLUME I: PROGRAM INTENT

VOLUME II: CURRICULUM VITAE/RESUME OF PI AND ALL KEY

PERSONNEL

VOLUME III: BUDGET

C. UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

(SAM)

D. SUBMISSION DEADLINES

E. INTERGOVERMENTAL REVIEW

F. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

G. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. EVALUATION CRITERIA

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

1. Applicant Inquiries and Submission Process

2. Evaluation and Selection

C. ANTICIPATED ANNOUNCEMENT AND FEDERAL AWARD DATES

VI. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

B. REPORTING

1. Interim Performance Progress Reporting

2. Interim Financial Reporting and Invoicing

3. Annual Grant Review

4. Final Reports

C. REPORTING SUB-AWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

D. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICE

E. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, PATENTS AND ROYALTIES

VII. FEDERAL AWARD AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. ANNUAL REPORTING AND EVALUATION REFERENCES

IX. APPENDICES

A. ACRONYMS

B. KEY Definitions

C. IC CAE KNOWLEDGE UNITS

D. Eligibility Criteria & Application Submission Checklists & Other Applicable Forms..58

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. BACKGROUND

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) serves as the head of the U.S.

Intelligence Community (IC), overseeing and directing the implementation of the National Intelligence Program and acting as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security.

ODNI’s Office of the Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Human Capital (ADNI/HC) houses the IC Centers for Academic Excellence (CAE) Program Office (IC CAE PO), that is responsible for developing and distributing this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); ensuring equitable access to information and technical assistance for applicants; managing the application evaluation process and administering the awarded grants for as long as they are active. The ADNI/HC is responsible for collecting and reporting metrics related to IC Human Capital activities across the community. The IC CAE PO is responsible for metric collection of IC CAE program performance and student participation. Awardees of these grants shall be required to provide metrics, as noted throughout this announcement. Failure to report may negatively affect option year funding decisions.

B. PROGRAM GOALS

The IC CAE Program began as a three-year pilot project directed by congressional authorization and appropriation for FY 2004 and was initiated by the Director of Central Intelligence to meet the nation’s demand for “a diverse cadre of professionals to carry out national security priorities and obligations”. In 2005, following the establishment of ODNI, the program moved under ODNI management with the intent to increase the pool of applicants by expanding awareness of the IC mission and culture throughout ethnically and geographically diverse communities. From October 2011 through December 2019, the IC CAE Program was managed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), with oversight from ODNI, and expanded in scope and number of grant recipients. In December 2019, congress returned management of the IC CAE Program to the ODNI.

Section 1024 of the National Security Act, as last amended in 2019, provides for this Program as follows:

(a) PROGRAMS —

(1) The Director of National Intelligence may carry out grant programs in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) to enhance the recruitment and retention of an ethnically and culturally diverse intelligence community workforce with capabilities critical to the national security interests of the United States.

(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Director shall identify the skills necessary to meet current or emergent needs of the intelligence community and the educational disciplines that will provide individuals with such skills.

(b) INSTITUTIONAL GRANT PROGRAM —

(1) The Director may provide grants to institutions of higher education [IHEs] to support the establishment or continued development of programs of study in educational disciplines identified under subsection (a)(2).

(2) A grant provided under paragraph (1) may, with respect to the educational disciplines identified under subsection (a)(2), be used for the following purposes:

(A) Curriculum or program development.

(B) Faculty development.

(C) Laboratory equipment or improvements.

(D) Faculty research.

(c) GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN MINORITY-SERVING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

(1) The Director may provide grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs] and Predominantly Black Institutions [PBIs], Hispanic Serving Institutions [HSIs], and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions [AANAPISIs] to provide programs of study in educational disciplines identified under subsection (a)(2) or described in paragraph (2).

(2) A grant provided under paragraph (1) may be used to provide programs of study in the following educational disciplines:

(A) Intermediate and advanced foreign languages deemed in the immediate interest of the intelligence community, including Farsi, Pashto, Middle Eastern, African, and South Asian dialects.

(B) Study abroad programs and cultural immersion programs.

(d) APPLICATION— An institution of higher education seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application describing the proposed use of the grant at such time and in such manner as the Director may require.

(e) REPORTS— An institution of higher education that receives a grant under this section shall submit to the Director regular reports regarding the use of such grant, including—

(1) a description of the benefits to students who participate in the course of study funded by such grant;

(2) a description of the results and accomplishments related to such course of study; and

(3) any other information that the Director may require

For the 2024 IC CAE grant cycle, any acceptably accredited four-year Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) in the United States (its Territories and the District of Columbia) shall be eligible to apply as a Lead Institution. Acceptably accredited two-year IHE in the United States (its Territories and the District of Columbia), e.g., “Community Colleges” shall be eligible to apply as consortium partners, not as lead institutions.

If the lead IHE is one of the four Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) categories listed in (c)(1) above, a consortium partner(s) is optional, but not required. However, if the lead IHE does not belong to one of the four MSI categories, then the application must include at least one additional IHE that qualifies as one of the four MSI categories listed above.

Schools designated as any of these four MSI categories may be either the lead applicant or a consortium partner, or these MSI categories may make up the entire consortium.

IHEs with Minority-serving designations other than the four listed may be either the lead applicant or a partner so long as at least one member school from the four named MSI categories is also a partner.

The 2022 IC CAE grant receiving institutions and their consortia partners are not eligible to apply as they may not receive funds for the same initiative from two separate grants at the same time. More detailed information on eligibility can be found in Section III – Eligibility.

IHEs that receive grants under this program (lead and IHE consortia members) shall submit to the DNI, regular reports regarding the use of the grant funds including:

• A description of the benefits to students who participate in the course(s) of study funded by the grant.

• A description of the results and accomplishments related to the program objectives for the selected instructional pathway.

• The number of IC CAE Scholars and aspiring Scholars

• Demographic information related to participating students (anonymized).

• Any additional programmatic information that the IC CAE Program may require.

Applicants (lead and consortia member IHEs) for this funding opportunity announcement acknowledge and accept these reporting requirements and must reflect this understanding and their compliance plans in their applications. Recipients of this grant shall be required to report metrics related to student ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as participation in all funded aspects of their program.

Schools selected as grant recipients become known as IC CAE Program Schools.

Students that participate in IC CAE Program School-funded curricula and programs are encouraged to work towards becoming IC CAE Scholars, a status obtained by achieving certain milestones and defined in the Key References, Appendix B. This association propels the students toward becoming part of an IC talent pool of choice. Becoming a scholar also recognizes students’ exceptional intellect, academic achievements, and dedication to knowledge pursuit.

The IC CAE Program Office at ODNI (IC CAE PO) encourages applications that showcase innovative ideas for establishing enduring curriculum, partnerships, and programs in areas of interest to the IC and national security. The IC CAE PO has found the most successful recipients are those guided by personnel with knowledge of and experience in the IC; however, this is not a requirement. Further findings show that school programs are enhanced by partnerships with and outreach to IC installations (offices, bases, or other concentrations of personnel) and private industry in their regions supporting intelligence/national security work. This allows additional resources to provide Subject Matter Expert speakers, internship opportunities, and other interactions with intelligence professionals.

Applicants for this grant are encouraged to obtain and become familiar with the information on the IC CAE Program by accessing the ODNI website at:

https://www.odni.gov/iccae.

**NOTE: Applicants are advised to read this entire announcement carefully, as it explains the program needs, eligibility, and submission requirements as well as the terms, conditions, and the process for this competition. Carefully read all instructions below before beginning the application. **

C. INSTRUCTIONAL PATHWAYS FOR APPLICANTS

The applications shall reflect an area of focus for their collective program development, referred to as a Pathway. The Pathway options include:

• Pathway I: Intelligence/National Security

• Pathway II Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL)

• Pathway III: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

• Pathway IV: Integrated Approach: Intelligence/National Security Plus LCTL and/or STEM

The Lead and partner institutions may apply for the same or different pathways. If different pathways are selected the application will be considered Pathway IV – Integrated Approach. Ethnic, cultural, and geographic diversity are core tenets of this grant. Throughout the application, the lead and partner institutions shall demonstrate their planned contributions to diversity within their selected pathway, and the methods to be employed to monitor progress toward this goal.

PATHWAY I: INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY

To build the future IC workforce, a fundamental understanding of the IC and the intelligence cycle serves as the foundation of this pathway. In addition to foundational courses in intelligence and national security this pathway emphasizes the full intelligence lifecycle, inclusive of research ability, critical and creative thinking, and effective written and oral communication.

Core intelligence/national security topics may include but are not limited to:

• History of U.S. Intelligence and National Security

• The U.S. Intelligence Community

• Intelligence Cycle

• Intelligence Collections’ Management

• Critical Thinking Skills for Intelligence Analysis

• Analytic Writing and Briefing

• Introduction to Structured Analytic Techniques

• Intelligence Reasoning and Analysis

• Intelligence and National Security Policy

• Global Strategic Environment

• Collection and Analysis

• Information and Influence Intelligence

PATHWAY II: LESS COMMONLY TAUGHT LANGUAGES (LCTLS)

The IC’s foreign language analysts play a critical role in providing vital intelligence assessments to the President, National Security Council, cabinet-level officers, diplomats, and military commanders worldwide. The IC has a vested interest in building and retaining a highly skilled, agile, and diverse IC foreign language workforce that uses its language skills and regional expertise to deliver mission success. The IC recognizes and appreciates the diverse language programs that exist within IHEs and seeks institutions with degree and advanced study programs in less commonly taught languages (LCTLs).

Less commonly taught languages include all languages other than English and the commonly taught European languages of French, German, and Spanish.

Institutions shall demonstrate that degree programs and/or advanced study programs are offered in LCTLs, or planned for offer prior to the sustainment years, and that at least one course in translation or interpretation skills are part of the existing or proposed curriculum for the degree or advanced study programs. Applications reflecting the capability to develop graduates with Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Level 3 skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), either through the lead institution and/or through consortium agreements, shall be of greatest interest to the IC. (See Reference Section for more information on LCTLs and ILR Level 3 proficiency.) To identify recognized language degree programs, the ODNI recommends applicants use the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education’s Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) taxonomy for the language areas (CIP code 16 Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics).

PATHWAY III: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)

The IC is vitally interested in a talent pool with STEM knowledge and experience. To identify recognized STEM degree programs, the ODNI recommends applicants use the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education’s CIP taxonomy for the STEM areas of engineering (CIP code 14), biological sciences (CIP code 26), mathematics (CIP code 27), and physical sciences (CIP code 40). Additional programs of study and degrees related to the IC, such as Geodesy (CIP code 15), Environmental Science (CIP code 03) are also considered relevant and important.

A key IC mission is the analysis of all available data in uncertain conditions. This includes connecting disparate data sets in the appropriate context to infer meaning using rigorous methodologies. The speed of data analysis and fusion is critical for future mission success and efficiency. To assist in this endeavor, the future IC workforce needs skills in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and other methods of automation or data analytics to augment and improve traditional methods. To further accomplish its mission, the future IC workforce also needs skillsets in a variety of cutting-edge technology areas to launch or sustain operations. This pathway can also address any specific STEM areas provided on the Critical and Emerging Technologies List, as reported by the Office of the President, National Science and Technology Council (dated February 2022, or as updated in future such reports: Critical and Emerging Technologies List Update (whitehouse.gov))

PATHWAY IV: INTEGRATED APPROACH, INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY AND

LCTL OR INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY AND STEM

ODNI recognizes the value of the first three discrete pathways and encourages their innovative integration to develop Intelligence/National Security-savvy STEM students.

Incorporating coursework that fosters strong data acumen or otherwise addresses critical and emerging technologies in the context of Intelligence and National Security can better prepare STEM students for careers in the IC.

The IC also values students with strong foreign language/linguistic skills. The lead institution shall demonstrate the ability or plan to develop, modify, and/or integrate courses into an undergraduate or graduate certificate, major, or minor degree program in an integrated approach of Intelligence/National Security and LCTLs. Applicants can visit govtilr.org for more information on the ILR proficiency levels.

D. IC CENTERS FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE (IC CAE) OBJECTIVES

The IC CAE has nine objectives that serve as the foundation of the program. All the objectives shall be addressed in the application with understanding of the roles and responsibilities and collaboration of the lead and partner IHEs.

OBJECTIVE 1: CONSORTIUM AND SINGLE IHE

The application shall reflect 1) a consortium of two or more IHEs, of which at least one must be an HBCU, PBI, HSI, and/or AANAPISI-designated MSI or, 2) a single IHE lead from one of the four MSI categories. The lead institution shall be responsible for https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/02-2022-Critical-and-Emerging-Technologies-List-Update.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/02-2022-Critical-and-Emerging-Technologies-List-Update.pdf reporting, facilitating, and managing program activities, grant administration, and consolidated reporting across the consortium. The application must provide, for each member of the consortium the following data:

• A Named Principal Investigator (PI) who will act as the primary point of contact for the IC CAE PO.

• School category (Predominantly White or MSI category(s) as listed by the Department of Education)

• Size of student body

• The location(s) of the campus(es) that will be participating in program activities.

The grant application description shall include why the consortium was created, what outcomes are planned, and how the consortium will coordinate to accomplish the outcomes for the life of the grant and beyond.

Within six months of award, the lead institution shall provide copies of all ratified contracts with the applicant subrecipients under the consortia model. The lead institution shall also include all information for each subrecipient required by 2 CFR. 200.332.

Under the consortium model, the lead institution shall demonstrate its commitment by allocating at least 15% annually of the total award to each subrecipient and demonstrate how the consortium shall cooperate and engage in curricular and enrichment efforts at each school, monitor student participation, and provide faculty development.

OBJECTIVE 2: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

The IC CAE Program aims to strengthen academic programs, especially in MSIs and underrepresented schools. The lead institution, either on its own, or through Partner agreements, shall demonstrate the ability or intent and plan to develop, modify, and/or integrate courses into an enduring undergraduate or graduate certificate, major, or minor degree program to be called the IC Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE). The application shall explain how the consortium individually and collectively plans to expand, upgrade, enrich, or integrate undergraduate or graduate course offerings to better prepare students for careers in the IC. Additional consideration may be given to consortia who are able to demonstrate the ability to share aspects of their curriculum across the consortium (e.g., a certificate program that is accessible for all students to obtain across the consortium’s IHEs).

OBJECTIVE 3: ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN IC CAE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT,

MARKETING, AND SUSTAINMENT ACTION PLANS

The single MSI applicant or the lead institution and subrecipients shall collectively have program management, marketing, and sustainment action plans. Each plan shall detail the efforts determined necessary to execute a successful program and ultimately sustain the program post-grant. The application shall demonstrate how the consortium will develop and execute these plans to include the following:

The Program Management Plan shall detail the responsibilities of the lead and consortium institutions to attain the IC CAE program objectives. The Management Plan shall explain the roles and responsibilities of the Consortia staff including the PI(s) and other Key Personnel and how the program will manage:

• milestones and high-level timelines

• comparison of planned results to actual results

• accomplishments

• status of progress

• upcoming activities

• best practices

• consortia communication and collaboration

• required metrics and their employed collection method(s).

The lead institution and all partner institutions shall collect and report, IC CAE PO-defined, bi-annual metrics as part of their deliverable progress report. The lead institution shall be responsible for including each consortia members’ metrics in the bi-annual progress report concurrently with the delivery of the SF-298 Progress Report. The IC CAE PO will provide a tool or mechanism to collect the requested information.

Metrics to be collected by all institutions, shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Number of Scholar Aspirants participating in the overall IC CAE Program, including aggregate metrics for gender identity, ethnicity, race, etc. (according to the IC CAE Scholar Aspirant definition in Appendix B – Key References)

• Number of IC CAE Scholars participating in the program, including metrics for gender identity, ethnicity, race, etc. (according to the IC CAE Scholar definition in Appendix B – Key References)

• Number of IC CAE Scholars and aspirants graduating during the reporting period.

• Number, duration, and type of student and faculty related events and activities

• Total number of attendees at IC CAE events, including Scholar, Aspirant, and other student numbers to the extent practicable The Marketing Plan shall provide a comprehensive strategy to publicize and recruit qualified students from a broad range of backgrounds across the consortium. This includes, and is not limited to, ethnicity, race, gender, disability, religion, socio-economic status, and geographic location. Special attention should be given to the recruitment of eligible students from MSIs, community colleges, and high schools (as noted in Section III- Eligibility Information).

The grant application shall describe how the IC CAE Program plans to publicize its presence on campuses using diverse media outlets, including print, online, and broadcast, to reach the widest possible audience of qualified students. The proposed marketing plan should include campus visits and presentations; conference participation (presentations and exhibits); and other in-person or online recruitment activities. The Government may request that the lead institution collaborate with other IC CAE programs on some outreach activities, including but not limited to, conference participation, campus visits, and advisor workshops.

The marketing plan shall explain how the consortium intends to generate students, faculty, and administration awareness of the IC CAE program and how students can become IC CAE Scholars. The plan shall also enumerate steps the lead institution will take to ensure appropriate IC CAE branding, to include proper use of the IC CAE logo as provided by the IC CAE PO for all program promotional materials. Each institution’s IC CAE Program must be publicized on the institution’s website. The site should be kept current with relevant information that will attract interest and promote planned events.

The Sustainment Action Plan shall explain efforts taken during the grant period to build program sustainability during the sustainment option years and after the Government funding ceases. Once the grant period of performance ends, the lead institution or the subrecipient(s) intending to enter legacy status—either individually or together as a consortium—is referred to as a Legacy Institution if they continue to meet the specified criteria by executing their Sustainment Action Plan. A Legacy Institution is defined as any IC CAE Program that continues to meet the following criteria after it has completed its grant period of performance, with the strategic intent to create diverse, skilled, and knowledgeable scholars ready for careers in the IC.

IC CAE Sustainment Option Years and Post-Grant Designation Requirements: To receive funds during the optional sustainment years, and to maintain IC CAE School designation beyond the grant all IC CAE Schools, lead institutions as well as subrecipients, shall meet requirements pertaining to program sustainment, including:

• Hosting an Annual Colloquium or Speaker Series,

• Faculty Development Activities,

• Student Development Activities,

• Curriculum Maintenance, and

• Metrics reporting (as described under Program Management Plan above).

The IC CAE PO will provide these requirements in the last year of the base period of the grant. The institution will then use the information to update their sustainment Program Management, Marketing, and Sustainment Plans.

The following benefits may be extended to institutions who create and maintain a Sustainment Action Plan:

• Maintain designation as an IC CAE Program School post-grant.

• Opportunities for student participation in the IC CAE federally sponsored events to include the National Security and Intelligence Summer Seminar.

• University faculty and staff participation in the annual PI Development Summit sponsored by the IC CAE PO.

• Access to the IC CAE PO internal website and ability to receive communications sent by the IC CAE PO.

The essentials of creating a sustainability action plan includes strategic planning, partnership, and communication. To that end:

• Strategic planning is the glue that holds sustainability efforts together. Without a strategic direction and long-term goals, programs find themselves only reacting to day-to-day demands. Strategic planning leads to an outcome-oriented plan.

• Partnership is cultivating connections between your program and its stakeholders. Partners, to include continued partnership within the consortium, if feasible, play an important role in sustainability in several ways:

o Partners can be connectors to greater resources or expertise.

o Partners can take over providing services if your program must cut back; and o Partners can advocate on behalf of your cause.

Building awareness and capacity for sustainability requires a strategic approach and partnerships across sectors, including alliances between private and public organizations.

• Communication counts. Stakeholders need to know the intent of the program, why it is important, and related Return on Investment.

Communicating externally about your program's effectiveness helps the program gain greater visibility and builds support from stakeholders.

Internally, evidence that a program works builds support from faculty, staff, and institutional leaders. The more people know and care about your program and mission, the more likely they are to support your efforts in the long term.

Establishing and maintaining a robust, informative, and easy-to-locate website advertising your IC CAE Program is an important communication method in marketing your program.

OBJECTIVE 4: FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

IHE’s can promote cultural understanding and global engagement by ensuring language programs support linguistic diversity. By embracing and supporting linguistic diversity, institutions also create an enriching educational experience for students that enhances critical thinking abilities and linguistic aptitude. The IC recognizes and appreciates the diverse language programs that exist within IHEs and seeks institutions that offer degree or advanced study programs in LCTLs or that provide viable plans to add LCTLs to their curriculum. Additional consideration may be given to those IHEs offering advanced programs in Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Persian and Korean.

The applications expressing the capability or plans to provide degree or advanced study programs in LCTLs and that develop graduates with ILR Level 3 or better proficiency in multiple modalities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through its own institution and through consortium agreements, may be given additional consideration.

OBJECTIVE 5: FACULTY RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SUPPORT OF

TEACHING TO CHOSEN CURRICULUM PATHWAY

The lead institution shall include a plan for the entire consortium for faculty research and professional development related to the selected curriculum pathway(s) to include, but not limited to, participation in classes, conferences, seminars, and similar activities directly related to the chosen pathway. The activities in the plan shall support or enhance the faculty members’ ability to develop and present relevant curriculum and provide relevant enrichment opportunities. Any papers or deliverables resulting from faculty research or conference and professional development attendance shall be submitted to the IC CAE Program Office within two weeks of publication via a Government-hosted platform. Representation at the annual IC CAE Principal Investigators Development Summit (PIDS) shall be required for PIs across the consortium as part of this objective.

OBJECTIVE 6: STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

The PI, Key Personnel, and program staff shall work with faculty and staff from across the consortium’s colleges and degree programs to promote the benefits of involvement in the IC CAE Program for both faculty and students. All IC CAE students shall be involved in the program and aware of the numerous benefits it provides, to include the ability to work toward becoming an IC CAE Scholar, as defined in Appendix B, Key References.

There shall be workshops, seminars, and other activities related to the selected pathway that encourage/increase student engagement, as well as support for off-campus activities related to the selected pathway such as conferences, seminars, workshops, or simulations.

The lead institution shall demonstrate the ability to provide a virtual option for these programs and professional development opportunities to increase participation across the consortium and across the IC CAE Program Schools collectively.

The lead institution or through the consortium shall demonstrate an ability to provide broadband access, where possible, for those students with limited access across the consortium.

OBJECTIVE 7: HOST AN ANNUAL COLLOQUIUM OR SPEAKER SERIES, IN COLLABORATION

WITH SUB-RECIPIENTS

The lead institution shall, in collaboration with the subrecipients, include a plan to hold an annual colloquium or speaker series on intelligence, critical technology studies, STEM, LCTLs, and/or issues critical to the national security interests of the United States. The consortium shall invite rural and underrepresented regional colleges and universities, Government speakers, and industry partners with the primary goals of maximizing relationships and outreach and IC CAE student enrichment. A colloquium should be at least one (1) day in length. A speaker series may include shorter presentations scheduled over weeks or months with the intent to bring together a wider audience (that could include high schools, and/or community colleges beyond the consortium) and speakers on intelligence or national security and meets for at least a similar number of hours as that of a daylong colloquium. Opportunities to display student papers and presentations must be included as part of the event(s).

OBJECTIVE 8: STUDY ABROAD AND CULTURAL IMMERSION

The consortium’s HBCU, PBI, HSI, and/or AANAPISI IHE(s)– pursuing pathway II or IV shall offer opportunities for cultural immersion, study abroad, and/or immersive language training. Grant funds cannot be used for this purpose by consortium IHE(s) that are not designated in one or more of those four named MSI categories. Study abroad opportunities ranging from four to eight weeks in duration qualify as an IC CAE-funded study abroad program. Study abroad programs in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, EURASIA, Latin America, and the Middle East are preferred. All foreign travel shall be in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations. The cultural immersion and/or immersive language instruction requirement may be met in the form of student research over the course of a four-to-eight-week timespan.

OBJECTIVE 9: USE OF GRANT FUNDS TO CREATE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR IC CAE SCHOLARS

The consortium may use up to $50,000 U.S. dollars of the grant annually to create scholarship opportunities to award to high performing IC CAE Scholars who are active sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate students. Scholarships should be awarded based on need and achievement within the IC CAE program. An individual scholarship using grant funds should not exceed $5,000.00 dollars per student, per semester. This funding must be specifically used for IC CAE Scholars who are actively enrolled and participating in IC CAE programs. Scholarships can help cover the cost of tuition, books, and fees.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

• Federal Awarding Agency Name - Office of the Director of National Intelligence

(ODNI)

• Issuing Office – Intelligence Community Human Capital - Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) Program

• Funding Opportunity Title - FY24 Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) Program

• Announcement Type - Initial Announcement

• Funding Opportunity Number - ODNI-FOA-24-01

• Assistance Listing Number - 54.001

• Key Dates o Posting date: 14 March 2024 o Applications Due: 13 May 2024 o Estimated Award Date: 31 July 2024

• Anticipated individual awards - Multiple awards anticipated

• Type of Award: Discretionary Grant

• Fiscal Year Funds - 2024

• Approximate Total Funding - $15,000,000.00; subject to the availability of funds and approval of option year activation

• Approximate Number of Awards - Not to exceed six (6), subject to the availability of funds

• Anticipated Length of Awards - One (1) year base, plus up to eight (8) option years

• Total Amount of Funding per Federal Award - $2,500,000.00

• Anticipated Base Year Period of Performance - 31 July 2024 thru 30 July 2033

• Additional Information for Award(s) - This announcement anticipates awarding six

(6) discretionary grants with a one-year base, consisting of a twelve (12) month period of performance, with an amount not to exceed $400,000.00; four (4) option periods, each consisting of a twelve (12) month period of performance, with an amount not to exceed $400,000.00. Each grant may have four (4) additional option sustainment periods, consisting of up to four (4) twelve-month optional periods (referred to as “sustainment periods”), at a not to exceed amount of $125,000.00 per option period, subject to the availability of funds and annual grant performance review.

The Government reserves the right to make zero, one, or multiple awards based on available funding and the outcome of application review.

• Agency Points of Contact

ATTN: ODNI-FOA-24-01

Office of the Director of National Intelligence Intelligence Community Human Capital (IC HC) Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) Erskine Hall Washington DC 20511 Electronic mail: dni-foa-24-01@iarpa.gov

• Type of Assistance Instrument: Grants. A grant is a legal instrument that is consistent with 31 U.S.C. § 6304 and is used to enter into a relationship in which:

o The principal purpose is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by law of the United States instead of acquiring property or services for the direct benefit or use of the United States Government.

o Substantial involvement is not expected between ODNI and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the grant.

o No fee or profit is allowed.

o Grants for IHEs are governed by the Uniform Guidance, Title 2 Code of Federal

Regulation (CFR), Part 200.

• Questions - Submit questions on administrative or technical issues by email to dni-foa-24-01@iarpa.gov. All questions must include the full name and affiliation of a point of contact. Question and answers will be posted on Grants.gov website. No answers will go directly to the submitter. The IC CAE PO will accept questions until 07 May 2024, 1:00 PM EST.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Applications are sought from acceptably accredited IHEs for workforce development in Intelligence/National Security, Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM), or Less-Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL) curricula areas as described in section I.C.

Active FY22 IC CAE grant-awardee institutions (Lead and consortia members) are not eligible to apply.

The application must reflect either 1) a consortium of at least two (2) acceptably accredited colleges, universities, or other two-or four-year degree-granting institutions in the U.S., its territories, or possessions, that provide post-secondary courses of study; the lead institution must be an acceptably accredited four-year degree-granting IHE and at least one of the other consortia institutions must be either a HBCU, PBI, HSI, and/or AANAPISI as designated by the US Department of Education, or 2) a single IHE lead from one of these four MSI categories .

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is the body responsible for oversight of regional accreditation; its website is www.chea.org and only accreditation entities listed at www.chea.org shall be accepted. The MSI(s) may be either the lead applicant or a partner, or MSIs can make up the entire consortium. Each subrecipient shall receive at least 15% of the total annual award. The consortium partnership should promote the overall mission of the grant.

1. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), as defined by the Department of Education: A minority institution that is consistent with Part E of the Higher Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1067k, is an IHE whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities exceeds 50% of the total enrollment.

Under part F of the Higher Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1067(q). For this grant cycle, each applicant consortium must include at least one IHE designated falling within one or more of the following MSI categories:

a) Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

b) Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs)

c) Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)

d) Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs)

Any acceptably accredited (by a CHEA member) two-year IHE (e.g., community college), can participate as a consortium member (subrecipient) subject to the minimum annual sub award percentage.

http://www.chea.org/ http://www.chea.org/

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

There is no required cost sharing, matching, or cost participation to be eligible under this FOA. This is consistent with 2 CFR 200.306, ‘Under Federal research proposals, voluntary committed cost sharing is not required.’

C. OTHER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. Principal Investigator (PI): Name a PI for the lead institution. Under 2 CFR 200, the PI is required for the successful implementation of an award. To be eligible, the PI shall meet the following requirements:

a) Be a U.S. citizen;

b) Be an employee of the lead institution;

c) Be on the faculty of the lead institution.

2. Other Key Personnel: The lead institution program administrator or program assistant assigned to conduct program management duties and the subrecipient PIs, must also meet the following requirements to be eligible:

a) Be a U.S. citizen;

b) Be an employee of the lead or consortium institution.

3. An Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) in the lead institution’s administrative, grants, or contracting office authorized to apply for Federal grants on the institution’s behalf.

4. A signed letter in the application, on official letterhead, from a senior official of the lead institution (e.g., President, Chancellor, Provost, or other appropriately designated official) acknowledging the institution’s commitment to supporting the IC CAE program defined in this FOA.

5. Submission of a timely application by the date specified which complies with the FOA instructions.

IV. APPLICATION & SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

The FOA will be made available on grants.gov.

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

1. Completeness of Information:

Applications must include the information specified in this FOA. Be sure to specify the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov and the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with your submission. Completion of the Representations and Certifications as well as registering with the System for Award Management (SAM) are prerequisites for applying. Applicant is solely responsible for clearly marking any data that it considers to be proprietary information. Note: Non-Government personnel under contract to the ODNI may be assisting Government personnel with administrative and logistical tasks related to the grant application review. All Non-Government personnel will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement as part of their involvement with the subsequent FOA.

2. Submission Dates and Times:

To be considered and evaluated, the completed application must be submitted and received by the Government, via e-mail, by 5:00 PM EST, 13 May 2024. It is the lead institution’s responsibility to confirm applications are accepted prior to suspense date and time. ODNI will not accept applications after the time and date specified in this announcement. The IC CAE PO will use the process and criteria described in the Merit Evaluation (Section V – Application Review Information), to evaluate each application submitted under this FOA. Lead institutions are encouraged to plan application submissions well before the FOA deadline to avoid missing an opportunity to apply. July 31, 2024, should be used for budget and performance period start date purposes.

3. Application Preparation Instructions:

The application shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for meaningful evaluation. Elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and will not be reviewed.

4. Three (3) Distinct Volumes:

A complete application shall be separated into three distinct volumes:

• Volume I: Application Intent (Not to exceed 40 pages) o Program Overview o Program Narrative

• Volume II: Curriculum Vitae of the Principal Investigator and all other Key Personnel (shall be no more than two (2) pages per CV/resume)

• Volume III: Budget (No page limit)

Each volume will be a separate file with lead institution’s name and volume number as the file name. At the lead institution’s discretion, all three volumes can be compressed using a zip compression tool resulting in a single transport file. The single zipped file should be named [ODNI-24-FOA-01_Yourschoolname.zip]. It is not the Government’s responsibility to ensure the files can be expanded and/or data content readability of the expanded files. In the event any file is unable to be expanded and/or read, the applicant’s submission may be deemed unreadable, unacceptable, and disqualified for evaluation. No requests for alternate application submission will be allowed unless directed in advance of the due date by the Grants Officer (GO). SAMPLE FILE NAMES:

• FILE ONE name is:

o “ODNI-24-FOA-01_Vol_I_Yourschoolname.docx”;

• FILE TWO name is:

o “ODNI-24-FOA-01_Vol_II _Yourschoolname.docx”;

• FILE THREE name is:

o “ODNI-24-FOA-01_Vol_III_Yourschoolname.docx”;

• ZIP FILE name is:

o “ODNI-24-FOA-01_YourschoolnameMASTER.zip.

5. Additional Forms/Requirements:

In addition to the three required volumes above, the application must include the eligibility criteria checklist, application submission checklist, budget/cost tables (provided separate fillable forms), and all applicable SF424 forms, such as the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), Assurances for Non-construction Programs (SF-424B), Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF- 424A), Budget Narrative Attachment Form, and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL). These forms can be found at grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family.

6. A signed letter in the application, on official letterhead, from a senior official from the consortium member’s (e.g., President, Chancellor, Provost, or other appropriately designated official) acknowledging the institution’s commitment to supporting the IC CAE program defined in this FOA.

7. Format for Attachments:

Documents should be typed, single-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. Use a clear font that is highly readable. Recommend using 12-point Times New Roman font.

• Allowable file formats are MS Word (.doc or .docx Microsoft Office 365 or earlier version), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) searchable file with copy permission granted, and MS Excel (.xls or .xlsx Microsoft Office 365 or earlier version).

The single or zipped (.zip) file shall be less than 3.0 MB in size.

• Separate attachments, such as institutional brochures or reprints, will not be evaluated.

• Embedded links to external websites within any volume will not be activated or reviewed.

• Application information submitted shall be complete, concise, and self-contained within each respective volume.

• No submitted documents shall be locked, nor password protected.

The Government will retain copies of all electronic applications (which will be retained and disposed of under the records retention policy).

If a submitted application fails to meet requirements B.1, B.2, and B.4 above, it may not be further evaluated.

VOLUME I: PROGRAM INTENT

This volume is for non-budget focused application information detailing the approach and intent in addressing the Program Overview, Program Narrative, and Objectives 1 through 9 herein.

A complete application shall include a Program Overview section addressing the Eligibility Criteria and required components and a Program Narrative section addressing Objectives 1- 9 and other elements listed below. The total page limitation for Volume I is not to exceed forty (40) pages. The total page count limit does not include a cover page (not required), Table of Contents (not required), Appendix D, the Eligibility Checklist & Acknowledgement, Appendix E, the Application Submission Checklist, and the signed letter from the Institution’s President (See Section III, Eligibility Information).

1. Program Overview.

Provide a Program Overview with the following required components:

Eligibility Criteria: Complete and include the Eligibility Checklists & Acknowledgement provided in Appendix D, including the signed letter from a senior official of the lead institution (e.g., President, Chancellor, Provost, or other appropriately designated official).

Required Components:

a) The FOA #: ODNI-FOA-24-01;

b) An application title that includes “IC Centers for Academic Excellence”;

c) The legal name of the lead institution;

d) The names of the PI, the lead institution program administrator or program assistant, and an appropriate AOR in the lead institution’s administrative, grants, or contracting office, along with their contact information;

e) CAGE Number;

f) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov and expiration date;

g) Academic/functional title;

h) Telephone number;

i) Fax number;

j) Postal mailing address;

k) E-mail address; and

l) Alternate contact information (name, title, phone, email) should also be included in the overview. If application clarifications are required during the receipt or evaluation, ODNI will contact the listed PI and/or AOR based on the information provided by the lead institution within the application.

2. Program Narrative

Provide a program narrative that details the lead institution’s understanding of the IC mission, goals, and objectives, while complementing the IC CAE Program Focus Areas as described in Section I, Part A, when constructing its application. The Program Narrative should include:

• The Consortia’s IC CAE Program mission statement.

• Synopsis of the lead institution’s vision of its operation as an IC CAE Program school, using all nine objectives as detailed below.

• Introduction of subrecipient institutions, that form the consortium, including their roles and unique contributions specific to diversity and/or subject matter expertise.

VOLUME II: CURRICULUM VITAE/RESUME OF PI AND ALL KEY

PERSONNEL

The complete application shall include CVs for the lead institution PI, the subrecipient(s) PI(s) and…