MDA-STEM-BEST-MATERIALS-2023.pdf

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23-MDA-11520

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Missile Defense Agency Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (MDA STEM) Outreach program’s goal is to:

Increase STEM awareness and proficiency among K-12 and college students to enhance the number of U.S. scientists and engineers capable of solving future missile defense challenges in the government, industry, and academia.

MDA STEM’s participation in this initiative aligns with the MDA efforts to develop and foster an engaged and diverse STEM talent pool. By making these proactive investments, MDA STEM strengthens and broadens the STEM competent talent pool across the education continuum to support future workforce needs. This grant initiative aligns with the following goals outlined in the Department of Defense (DoD) STEM Strategic Plan:

Goal 1.0 – Inspire community engagement in DoD STEM education programs and activities to provide meaningful STEM learning opportunities for students and educators.

Obj. 1.2 – Enhance DoD STEM education program and activity experiences by leveraging the DoD’s unique resources.

Goal 3.0 – Increase participation of underserved and underrepresented groups in STEM education and workforce development programs, activities, and outreach.

Obj. 3.2 – Expand the outreach of DoD STEM education and workforce development programs and activities to underserved and underrepresented communities through consideration of the barriers faced by these populations.

The MDA STEM Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Robotics Grants provide a means for official Local Competition Hubs to obtain financial support for purchasing new Robotics Kits, Field Quadrant Materials, and tools. The additional Robotics Kits, Field Quadrant Materials and tools increases the number of students able to complete and engage in this meaningful STEM learning opportunity and expands the accessibility of this program to underserved populations who would otherwise not have access to the resources necessary to participate in this STEM program.

What is BEST Robotics?

BEST Robotics, Inc. (www.bestinc.org) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, technology, and mathematics through participation in a sports-like, science-and-engineering-based robotics competition.

BEST's mission is to engage, inspire, and excite students to pursue STEM majors and STEM careers through the vehicle of an after-school robotics program and competition. BEST values access and diversity and encourages participation of all students and schools by providing a free program supported through the fundraising and mentoring efforts of a large higher education and industry volunteer corps.

BEST Robotics Inc. point of contact: Michael Steiner, Executive Director, Michael.Steiner@Bestinc.org, (412) 499-4790.

Request for Proposals

MDA STEM BEST Robotics Grant

Kits and Materials 2023 https://dodstem-assets.dodstem.us/files/DoD_STEM_Strategic_Plan_2021.pdf http://www.bestinc.org/ mailto:Michael.Steiner@Bestinc.org

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II. DEFINITIONS

Official BEST Robotics Inc. Local Competition Hub: Competition hub recognized by BEST Robotics Inc. that feeds into an Official BEST Robotics Inc. Regional Competition Hub.

Robotics Kit: Materials, both “consumable” and “returnable”, distributed to an individual participating team as part of the official BEST robotics kit, as defined by BEST Robotics Inc. in the 2023 game rules

Field Quadrant Materials Set: Materials required for the construction of one (1) quadrant of the 2023 BEST Robotics Game Field, as defined by BEST Robotics Inc. in the 2023 game rules

Tools: Basic tools and supplies that are reasonably required for the construction of a field or robot, as supported by BEST Robotics Inc.

Title I Schoolwide Program eligibility: As defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Some items in this grant are available specifically to support BEST Robotics teams who are associated with schools that are eligible to use Title I funding for schoolwide programs.

Henceforth referred to in this document as a “Title I School”. Please review the site below for more information on Title I Schoolwide Program eligibility:

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html

Underserved and Underrepresented Populations: Traditionally or historically underserved and underrepresented populations in STEM, as defined by the DoD STEM Strategic Plan

Please reference the DoD STEM Strategic Plan for more information: https://dodstem-assets.dodstem.us/files/DoD_STEM_Strategic_Plan_2021.pdf

Higher Education Agency (HEA): Refers to a post-secondary education institution, such as a junior college or university

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

To be eligible for this grant, all applicants must meet the following five (5) criteria:

1. The applicant must be registered with BEST Robotics Inc. as an Official BEST Robotics Inc.

Local Competition Hub

2. The applying Official BEST Robotics Inc. Local Competition Hub must be EITHER:

Managed by a Higher Education Agency (HEA), such as a junior college or university

OR

A 501(c)3 non-profit organization working closely with an HEA o All receipts and payment portions of the grant must be processed through the HEA’s grant office

3. The HEA associated with the applying Official BEST Robotics Inc. Local Competition Hub submitting a proposal must have:

Current information in the System for Award Management (SAM).

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html https://dodstem-assets.dodstem.us/files/DoD_STEM_Strategic_Plan_2021.pdf https://dodstem-assets.dodstem.us/files/DoD_STEM_Strategic_Plan_2021.pdf

3 of 9 Approved for Public Release o If awarded a grant, SAM information must remain current until final payment is received, unless exempt from the requirement under 2 CFR 25.110. Additional information about registration procedures may be obtained by telephone (866-606- 8220) or web site (https://www.sam.gov). For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

AND

A Grants.gov account with current information:

o For more detailed instructions for registering with Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

AND

A Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) (https://wawf.eb.mil/piee-landing/), formerly Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF), e-Business Suite account for, at a minimum, Invoice, Receipt, Acceptance, and Property Transfer (iRAPT) usage o PIEE accounts must remain current until all grant agreement payments and reporting are complete. College/University signing authority for the grant agreement, if awarded, must have working knowledge and access to PIEE. Additional information about PIEE accounts and instructions may be obtained by telephone (866-618-5988) or website: https://wawf.eb.mil/xhtml/unauth/help/help.xhtml o When viewing the website, select “WAWF – Support Contractor Getting Started Help” under the “Government and Government Support Contractors Getting Started” box on the bottom left of the screen.

4. If the applying Official BEST Robotics Inc. Local Competition Hub was awarded an MDA STEM BEST Robotics Grant for Kits and/or Materials during in any previous competition year:

All reporting requirements, including deadlines and content requirements for the previous grant were met

AND

Projected team registration goals proposed in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 application were attained (if applicable)

AND

Current request for grant funds reasonably exceeds the previous proposal and new team recruitment target goals

5. Grant award recipients must be able to accomplish all required hub tasks (including material preparation, distribution, and safety) without any involvement or additional funding from

MDA.

https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://wawf.eb.mil/piee-landing/ https://wawf.eb.mil/xhtml/unauth/help/help.xhtml

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IV. AWARD INFORMATION

The MDA will award no more than $45,000 through this grant opportunity in FY 2023 to Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hubs only. The number of awards is not predetermined. Each individual grant award will vary, but will not exceed $15,000. The cost of materials may vary by region and vendor, however the proposal must align with the table below:

Title Estimated Cost

Purpose and Quantity

Robotics Kit

$1,000 per kit

Robotics Kits supported by this grant are to be distributed to teams for the 2023 competition season. Official BEST Robotics Inc. Local Competition Hubs are limited to requesting funding for new kits only. Refurbishing existing kits (consumable or returnable parts) will not be supported by this grant.

The quantity of proposed Robotics Kits should reflect no more than the expected number of additional teams participating in the 2023 competition season at the applying Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub (see formula below).

Formula:

# of teams expected to register for the 2023 competition season

- # of Kits owned during the previous competition season______ # of Kits that may be requested in proposal (maximum)

Field Quadrant Materials Set

$1,000 Per Field Quadrant Set

Field Quadrant Materials Set supported by this grant are to be made available during the competition season to BEST Robotics teams, registered with the Official BEST Robotics Inc. Local Competition Hub, whose associated school is eligible to use Title I funding for schoolwide programs.

The proposal should describe a plan for how Field Quadrant Materials Sets will be made available to the registered teams associated with Title I schools.

The quantity of Field Quadrant Materials proposed by the applicant should reflect no more than the expected number of teams associated with a Title I school participating in the 2023 competition season at the applying Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub.

Tools Maximum:

$2,000

Tools supported by this grant are to be made available during the competition season to BEST Robotics teams whose associated school is eligible to use Title I funding for schoolwide programs and are registered to compete at the applying Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub in the 2023 competition season.

The proposal should describe:

o Plan for how tools will be made available to the registered teams associated with Title I schools o Itemized list of tools proposed (name, quantity, vendor, and cost) o Justification for the tools requested being reasonably required for the construction of a 2023 BEST Game Field or completion robot

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V. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Find detailed information about the process for applying for a grant through Grants.gov:

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

In addition to information requested in the Grants.gov standard form instructions, your proposal must include the following items as attachments.

Item Number

Required File Name Required Contents

1 Hub Information and Funding

Statement that the hub will be able to independently accomplish all required hub tasks (including material preparation, distribution, and safety) without any involvement or additional funding from MDA

Number of middle and high schools participating in previous competition season (2022)

Number of adults, teachers, and students that participated in the previous competition season (2022)

Projected number of teams for the 2023 competition season

Projected number of teams whose schools are eligible to use Title I funding for schoolwide programs

Supporting information indicating Title I status of participating schools, such as an official website URL

A table including the following information:

o Number of new Robotics Kits needed and the requested amount of funding for said kits o Number of new Field Quarter Materials Sets needed and the requested amount of funding for said kits o Itemized list of tools (name, quantity, vendor, and cost) and the requested amount of funding o Total requested funding amount

2 Proposed Schedule of Events

A proposed schedule of events for the 2023 competition season

3 Support Letter 1 A signed support letter on official letterhead (internal) from physical site’s senior leadership, such as a University President or Vice-President or School Administrator.

4 Support Letter 2 A signed support letter, on official letterhead (external), from BEST Robotics National Headquarters:

o Naming the applying hub as an Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub o Supporting the expected increase in the number of teams as reported by the local hub o Certifying the tools proposed are reasonably believed to be required for the construction of the 2023 competition field or a 2030 competition robot

Table continued on next page https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

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Table continued from previous page.

Item Number

Required File Name Required Contents

5 Post-Award Agreement

A signed letter, on official letterhead, of acknowledgement and agreement from the Hub Director to provide MDA with required post-award reporting as defined in Section VII of this document

6 SAM Certification Certification that SAM information for the associated HEA is current

7 WAWF

Certification

Certification that a WAWF account for the associated HEA is current

(Optional)

Local Government Support Letter #

A signed support letter(s) on official letterhead (external) from local and/or state government

Limited to three (3) letters or less

(Optional)

STEM

Professional Support Letter #

A signed support letter(s) on official letterhead (external) from STEM professional or technical nonprofit societies or organizations

Limited to five (5) letters or less

(Optional) Local Industry Support Letter #

A signed support letter(s) on official letterhead (external) from local (within hub service region) industry

Limited to three (3) letters or less

Items 1 – 10 should be submitted on Grants.gov on the Attachments Form. Please use the attachment names and order listed in the table above.

The SF424 (R&R), required by Grants.gov, will remain and be submitted separate from items 1 –

10. Also included is the RESEARCH & RELATED Personal Data form; this is an optional form to be completed by the Grant Coordinator.

Additional Resources for the Grant Submission Process

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number:

1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant for which you are applying.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov

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VI. GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Proposals failing to demonstrate the eligibility requirements outlined in Section III - Eligibility Information, will not receive further consideration for this grant.

MDA will evaluate proposals based upon the following three (3) areas – need, impact, and support as defined in the table below:

Area Description

Proposal Submission Data (Section V)

Evaluation Weight

Need Evident from the information provided by the Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub that there:

o Will be growth in the number of competing teams from the previous competition season (2022) to the 2023 competition season, necessitating the purchase of new Robotics Kits, as applicable o Are Title I schools in the area that are expected to register teams for the 2023 competition season that would benefit from this grant award (i.e. would not otherwise have access to the necessary tools and materials to be competitive in the 2023 competition season) o Is a plan in place to make any requested Field Quadrant Materials Set and tools available to teams associated with Title I schools fairly and safely o Is justification for the tools requested being reasonably required for the construction of a field or robot

Item 1 50%

Impact Evident from the information provided that the Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub can feasibly expect to further STEM interest in:

o Elementary, middle, and high school students in their local area o Populations traditionally or historically underserved or underrepresented in STEM

Items 1 and 4 30%

Support Evident from the information provided that the Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub is:

o Managed by or works closely with an HEA, who will process receipts and payment portions if grant is awarded o Supported internally for expansion o Supported externally for expansion

Items 2, 3, and 6-10 20%

Evaluations of proposals may result in funding levels lower than the proposed amount(s).

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VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Applications are due no later than July 21, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) via Grants.gov.

Award Notices

Successful proposers will receive a separate notice (letter or e-mail) stating that their application has been selected. The notification letter or e-mail must not be regarded as an authorization to commit or expend funds. The Government is not obligated to providing any funding for this award until a Government Grants Officer and the appropriate official from the selected entity sign the grant document.

An award notification letter or e-mail should be sent to all applicants by August 21, 2023.

Events taking place before the grant document is executed are not reimbursable by this grant.

Reporting Requirements

All reporting requirements should be e-mailed and postmarked, as applicable, no later than January 15, 2024.

To receive the funding, all awardees must submit the following three (3) items to STEM@mda.mil:

1. Map of Official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub’s service region identifying (using a map pinpoint dot) all competing teams’ schools, with school name and city

2. Completed MDA-provided reporting template, detailing:

Demographics for 2023 competition year, with annotations about significant differences which may be attributed to receiving the MDA grant

Competition results

List of competing teams and contact information, indicating Title I Schools

3. 10-30 pictures (saved as .JPG files), documenting all significant 2023 competition season events (Kick-off, Game day, etc.)

Post-award electronic submissions should be sent to MDA STEM, STEM@mda.mil with the e-mail subject “MDA STEM BEST Robotics Grant Kits 2023 – [ Hub Name ] and [ Grant Number ]”.

Post-award acceptance letters should be sent to all applicants and necessary parties by January 31, 2024.

Invoicing

The MDA BEST Robotics grant is limited to purchasing new Robotics Kits, Field Quadrant Materials, and tools to support hub expansion in areas that support, need, and/or encourage STEM engagement.

Invoice documentation submitted in WAWF must meet the following two (2) criteria:

1. Provide receipts, expense documents, and/or invoices for items reimbursable through the grant (should contain only reimbursable expenses)

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AND

2. Total shall be within or below the grant amount awarded

Request for payment must be submitted in WAWF and meet the following four (4) criteria:

1. Is documented by the invoice(s) for new Robotics Kits, Field Quadrant Materials, and/or tools

2. Does not exceed the amount identified in the grant agreement

3. Request must be submitted between February 1, 2024 and February 29, 2024

Occurs after deliverables, outlined in Section VII: Award Administration Information, Subsection: Reporting Requirements, are received by MDA STEM; and

Occurs after hub receives an approval e-mail for deliverables from MDA STEM.

4. Completed SF 270 form with the hub’s invoice(s) for reimbursable items (only) must be submitted as attachments to the cost voucher.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) will serve as the administrative office (Grant Agreement, Block 6). ONR will approve the voucher and supporting documents. Visit the ONR website for more information on electronic payments for grants: https://www.nre.navy.mil/

After ONR approves the voucher and supporting documents, ONR will forward the information to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) for payment. DFAS is the payment office (Grant Agreement, Block 12).

Both ONR and DFAS are completely separate entities from MDA

Awarded hubs must:

Include MDA in all communications with ONR regarding payments;

Include MDA in all communications with DFAS, if applicable;

Forward to MDA e-mail confirmations regarding invoice submissions (whether rejected or approved) from ONR; and

Provide to MDA a copy of all invoice documents and supporting receipts (kit orders, consumable kit receipts, etc.).

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Questions about the grant application process should be directed to: Luisa A. Martinez-Medina, Grants Officer, luisa.martinez-medina@mda.mil

Questions about the grant implementation or post-award documentation should be directed to MDA STEM, STEM@mda.mil.

mailto:luisa.martinez-medina@mda.mil mailto:STEM@mda.mil