NNSA MSIPP CGP NOFO - FY2024-26 (2024.01.04).docx

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF PARTNERSHIP AND ACQUISITION SERVICES

MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (MSIPP)

CONSORTIA GRANT PROGRAM (CGP)

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) NUMBER:

DE-FOA-0003285

United States Department of Energy

DE-FOA-0002494

BASE

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY PURPOSE

This funding opportunity invites new or renewal grant applications from consortia partnerships consisting of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) with a focus on building and supporting the workforce capacity of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) by (1) expanding scientific and technical knowledge in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or Nuclear Security, (2) providing experiential learning opportunities for students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related disciplines, (3) building and strengthening research and education capacities of the participating institutions, and (4) promoting collaborations between Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) the Department of Energy (DOE) NNSA NSE.

KEY DATES

*All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EST through GRANTS.gov.

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

REQUIRED APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

It is critical that applications follow all instructions in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Conformance to all requirements is required and strictly enforced.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS

DOE/NNSA will conduct three informational webinars during the NOFO process.

Webinar dates are outlined in Section XI of this document.

Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any applicant submissions. During the webinars, attendees should refrain from asking questions or communicating information that would reveal confidential and/or proprietary information specific to their project. Specific dates for the webinar can be found on the cover page of the NOFO.

SECTION I - FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. SUMMARY

The intent of this funding opportunity is to award new or renewal grant awards to consortia consisting of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to with a focus on building and supporting the workforce capacity of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) by (1) expanding scientific and technical knowledge in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or Nuclear Security, (2) providing experiential learning opportunities for students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related disciplines, (3) building and strengthening research and education capacities of participating institutions, and (4) promoting collaborations with the NNSA NSE.

Before You Apply: The DOE/NNSA participates in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. To respond to this opportunity, you must:

· Have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

· Be actively registered in System for Award Management (SAM)

· Be registered through Grants.gov and with FedConnect.net

For more information, please refer to “Other Submission and Registration Requirements” found in Section IV.K.

B. history and PURPOSE The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. The DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) was established by Congress in 2000 and is responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and militarily effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the United States and abroad.

The NNSA is focused on strengthening, expanding, and diversifying its rapidly evolving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. In 2016, the Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP) was created to build a career pathway focused on preparing a diverse student workforce to make immediate contributions to the DOE/NNSA’s Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE). To achieve this objective, MSIPP supports strategic partnerships between Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and the NSE, aligning investments in IHE capacities and workforce development with the NNSA mission to develop needed skills and talent for the NSE’s technical workforce.

The MSIPP Consortia Grant Program (MSIPP CGP) improves the Nation’s capacity to enhance national security by:

Growing the number of MSI and TCU students that graduate with STEM degrees Increasing the number of MSI and TCU students hired into the NSE’s STEM workforce Building and strengthening research and educational capacities of MSIs and TCUs Targeting collaborations and increasing interactions between MSIs and TCUs, and DOE/NNSA laboratories, plants, and other sites to increase direct access to NSE STEM resources C. technical scope Successful proposals will identify a team of Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) (the consortium) that are prepared to partner with the DOE/NNSA Laboratories, Plants, and Other Field Sites to conduct research activities in NNSA topic areas that allow student and faculty to develop their skills and knowledge, merging academic study with practical work experience.

1. Consortium Model The DOE/NNSA Consortium-based model fosters the collaboration of otherwise independent institutions to pool knowledge, practical experience, and skills during the performance period of the awarded project.

Requirements The consortium should be comprised of:

One (1) MSI Lead IHE Maximum of Two (2) MSI sub-recipient IHEs

Throughout this document, the term Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) is used to collectively refer to the DOE/NNSA Laboratories, Plants, and Other Field Sites.

The consortium is required to partner with at least one (1), but not more than three (3), NSE collaborators in accordance with the “Other Eligibility Requirements” found in Section III.C. A list of participating NSE collaborators, with contact information, can be found in the Attachments of the NOFO, as Attachment 1.

Expectations DOE/NNSA expects the consortium to:

Attract undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and postdoctoral students Provide experiential opportunities for students and faculty that expand scientific and technical knowledge in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or Nuclear Security Mentor students and prepare them for leadership and management roles Collaborate with the NSE on the strategic direction of related research activities and associated gaps within their industries Roles and Responsibilities The Prime Recipient is the lead IHE and will be the lead organization (“Lead”) and prime award recipient. The Prime Recipient is the responsible authority for managing the scope, schedule, and cost of the project, including but not limited to, program and administrative reporting requirements, oversight of other consortium members, and disputes or claims from collaborators and other consortium members.

The Principal Investigator (PI) is the researcher, scientist or other individual designated by the Prime Recipient Institution to direct the research and development aspects of the project. The PI is responsible for the management of the project, conduct of all individuals supported by the project, and the reporting and monitoring requirements of all consortia members.

Sub-recipients/Other consortium members will be responsible for reviewing all terms and conditions of the award with the Prime Recipient, maintaining effective project performance, and providing standards of performance in compliance with federal requirements of the award.

The NSE collaborator will facilitate coordination of research being conducted, promote, and sustain scientific interactions, increase unique experimental opportunities sited at the NSE, and develop and maintain a long-term recruiting pathway to the NSE in partnership with all consortium members.

2. Topic Areas All proposed work to be funded through this announcement is to be UNCLASSIFIED. No proposals for CLASSIFIED work will be accepted.

Topic Area # 1: Advanced Manufacturing Advanced Manufacturing has come to the forefront as one of the most promising approaches to improve the agility and efficiency of the manufacturing process while significantly reducing the prototypical stage of product development. The following are specific sub-topical areas of interest; additional sub-topics that align with Advanced Manufacturing are also encouraged.

Topic Area # 2: Cybersecurity Cybersecurity is the protection of physical and virtual infrastructure from theft or damage to its hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services it provides. The following are specific sub-topical areas of interest; additional sub-topics in Cybersecurity are also encouraged.

Topic Area # 3: Engineering Engineers are a vital component of the Nuclear Security Enterprise. It is essential that MSIs and TCUs have established and accredited engineering programs to ensure their students are competitive. Engineers are an integral partner for all components of the nuclear security mission from needs assessment to design and delivery. The NNSA complex is comprised of engineers supporting various aspects of the mission. The following are specific sub-topical areas of interest; additional sub-topics in Engineering are also encouraged.

Topic Area # 4: Nuclear Security Nuclear Security is the prevention, detection, and response to theft, sabotage, unauthorized access, illegal transfer, or other malicious acts involving nuclear material, other radioactive substances, or their associated facilities. The following are specific sub-topical areas of interest; additional sub-topics in Nuclear Security are also encouraged.

Radiation detection systems

Section II - AWARD INFORMATION A. Funding Instrument Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

B. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM AWARD SIZE

C. ESTIMATED FUNDING

Funding for all awards and future budget periods are contingent upon the availability of funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of this program and the availability of future-year budget authority.

D. EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS

The number of awards is contingent upon the availability of funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of this program.

E. ANTICIPATED AWARD SIZE

DOE/NNSA may fund between $500,000 to $5,000,000 per award, contingent upon the availability of appropriated Federal government funds for all five (5) years.

F. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

DOE/NNSA anticipates making awards with an estimated project period of five (5) years.

G. TYPE OF APPLICATION

DOE/NNSA will accept new and renewal applications under this announcement. Renewal applications are requests for additional funding for a period after the current award period. Renewal applications compete with all other applications and must meet all application requirements and deadlines. The application should be developed as fully and thoroughly as possible. Applicants should assume reviewers will not have access to previous applications.

Section III - ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

In accordance with 2 CFR 910.126, competition, eligibility for award is restricted to accredited IHEs that meet the requirements as Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) or Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) recognized by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education, and identified on the OCR's Department of Education U.S. accredited postsecondary minorities institution.

B. Restricted eligibility CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENT: These grant agreements require that individuals involved with the project are legally able to interact with and/or access DOE laboratories, plants, and other field sites. In conformity with the Department of Energy Order 142.3A, any individual person providing support, funded or unfunded, under this grant agreement must be a U.S. Person, defined as an individual that is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (22 CFR 120.62). The NOFO further restricts the eligibility of salaries and fringe benefit, participant support, consultant, contracting, tuition, and other direct costs to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Non-U.S. Persons are prohibited from supporting and/or collaborating under this grant agreement.

The Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI/s for the grant must be a U.S. Person/s and be an active member of the teaching/research faculty of the associated recipient or sub-recipient U.S. university or academic institution of higher learning. Adjunct professors, visiting professors, and post-doctoral fellows are ineligible to be PIs.

Upon notification of award, the Prime recipient must certify compliance with the Citizenship Requirement of this announcement. The certification statement must be provided on institution letterhead entitled “Citizenship Certification” and must include the name and citizenship status for each individual on the award.

C. OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. DOE Laboratories, Plants, and Other Field Sites DOE Laboratories, Plants, and Other Field Sites (hereinafter referred to as NSE facilities) are not eligible to compete as the prime or sub-applicant under this NOFO; however, the Lead Institution must propose a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of three (3) NSE facilities as collaborating partners subject to the below guidelines. See Attachment 2 for a list of the NSE.

2. Authorization for DOE Laboratories, Plants, and Other Field Sites’ Participation The NSE Facility Management Contractors participating as collaborating partners must receive prior authorization from the cognizant Contracting Officer for NSE Facility Management Contractors, subject to the guidelines for Authorization for NSE Facility Management Contractors, stated below.

· Application Submission: The application must include a letter from the cognizant Contracting Officer for the NSE Facility that authorizes the use of an NSE Facility Management Contractor(s) on the proposed project. This letter must outline understanding and role in the collaboration effort and indicate that no funds will be provided to the NSE Facility from the grant recipient except for reimbursement for use of facilities that require “user fees.”

· At Selection: The cognizant Contracting Officer for the NSE Facility must authorize in writing the participation of the NSE Facility on the proposed project. This authorization is requested at selection and must be submitted upon request. The following language is acceptable for this authorization:

“Authorization is granted for the [Name] Facility to participate in the proposed project. The work proposed for the facility is consistent with or complimentary to the missions of the facility, will not adversely impact execution of the DOE/NNSA assigned programs at the facility, and will not place the facility in direct competition with the domestic private sector."

3. NSE Facilities

· The portion of work effort to be performed by the individual NSE Facility shall not exceed 35% of the total project cost per collaboration application. In addition, the NSE Facility effort should be well thought out rather than issuing generic partnership letters to all university applicants. The NSE Facility may not play a role comprising most of the collaboration arrangement and work effort.

· NSE Facilities are not eligible to receive any direct funding associated with this NOFO, except for reimbursement for use of facilities that require “user fees” in accordance with the institution’s written policies or procedures.

· Funding for any work being done by NSE Facilities will be funded directly by the program office and may not exceed 35% of the budget per facility per application. Funding will be transmitted to the laboratory via a Federal Work Authorization (FWA) Implementation Plan (IP) process from the NNSA to the facility. A budget estimate for fund of Site Facility management Contractors should be submitted separately to the NNSA MSIP Program Office at the time of this application submission. If the applicant is selected for award, the industry partner will be required to submit a Statement of Work and detailed budget to support the request.

4. Applicant Responsibility

· The amount of funds the NSE Facilities use in collaborating with the consortium will not be factored into the total amount awarded. The value of, and funding for, the NSE Facilities’ portion of the project should not be included in the application budget.

· If selected for award, the recipient is responsible for contacting the appropriate NSE Facility collaborating partner(s) who should, in turn, obtain prior written authorization from the Facility Contracting Officer.

· If selected for award, the Lead Institution will be the responsible authority regarding the settlement and satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues, including but not limited to, disputes and claims arising out of any agreement between the consortia members and the NSE Facility Contractor.

D. COST SHARING {OR MATCHING}

Cost sharing is not required.

Section IV - APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION A. Required registrations Applicants must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission. Registrations include the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), FedConnect, and Grants.gov.

B. Application Specifics

1. Number of Applications Multiple applications may be submitted by an Institution (MSI or TCU); however, applications should be mutually exclusive and there should be no duplication of effort for resources requested.

2. Type of Applications Accepted DOE/NNSA will accept new and renewal applications under this announcement. Renewal applications are requests for additional funding for a period after that provided by a current award. In preparing a renewal application, applicants should assume that reviewers will not have access to previous applications. The application should be developed as fully as though the applicant were applying for the first time. The application must include all the information required for a new project, plus the project narrative section should discuss the results from prior work.

3. Electronic Delivery The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. Applicants must submit their applications online through Grants.gov.

4. Eligibility Review DOE/NNSA performs an initial eligibility review of applicant submissions to determine compliance with the eligibility requirements of the NOFO. All submissions must conform to form and content requirements and must be submitted as specifically stated and on the required due date (DOE/NNSA does not allow grace periods for submission of applications). DOE/NNSA will not review or consider applications submitted through means other than specifically stated in the NOFO. DOE/NNSA will not extend deadlines for applicants who fail to submit required information and documents due to server/connection congestion.

Problems with computer systems at the applicant organization, Adobe compatibility settings issues, failure to follow instructions in the NOFO, or failure to attach documents to the application package correctly are not considered system issues. Grants.gov may be contacted at 1-800-518-4726, Option 6, and a customer service representative will assist you if you have any issues with your application submission. It is best to complete the application package a minimum of 24 to 48 hours prior to the due date, to ensure there is sufficient time to resolve any submission issues.

Failure to meet the eligibility requirements and failure to provide the required application documents per the NOFO requirements will deem the application as non-responsive and dropped from further consideration or review.

C. ACCESSING THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

Grants.gov Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access the application package, go to Grants.gov: 1) Select the “Search Grants” tab, 2) Enter the Funding Opportunity ID, and 3) Select the “Package” tab. The Package tab offers opportunities to “preview” the materials and “apply” for the opportunity. To create a workspace to begin a grant application, click the Apply button near the top right of the page. Follow the prompts in Workspace to complete the application package. You are encouraged to review the Applicant FAQs under the “Applicants” tab in GRANTS.gov as you prepare and submit your application.

Complete the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance first. The form is used in all grant applications and is designed to fill in commonly required fields across other forms, such as applicant name, address, and UEI number.

D. required standard forms The Standard Forms (SF) used for Research and Related (R&R) applications are located on the website at grants.gov. Each required SF should be completed in the Grants.gov Workspace. Each form has an attached instructional page and can be viewed and printed. All instructions applicable to Research and Related (R&R) must be followed. (The full list of required forms and files can be found in Section F “SUMMARY OF REQUIRED FORMS/FILES.”

Files that are attached to the appropriate forms must be in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) unless otherwise specified in this announcement. Attached PDF files must be plain files consisting of text, numbers, and images without editable fields, signatures, passwords, redactions, or other advanced features available in some PDF-compatible software. Do not use PDF portfolios or binders.

1. SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance Mandatory for Prime Applicant. If sub-applicants will participate in this award, this form is mandatory and must be submitted for all sub-applicants. All instructions must be followed.

2. Research and Related Other Project Information Mandatory for Prime Applicant. All instructions must be followed.

3. Project/Performance Site Locations V4.0 Mandatory for Prime Applicant. If sub-applicants will participate in this award, this form is mandatory and must be submitted for all sub-applicants. All instructions must be followed.

4. Attachments V1.2 Mandatory for Prime Applicant. All instructions must be followed.

5. Disclosure of Lobbying SF-LLL V2.0 Mandatory for Prime Applicant. All instructions must be followed.

6. Certification of Lobbying Form V1.1 Mandatory for Prime Applicant. All instructions must be followed.

E. format and content OF APPLICATION

1. Format Requirements Standard 8.5" by 11" paper with 1" margins (top, bottom, left and right), single spaced, with minimum 11 Point font. Files and/or documents that are attached to the forms must be in Portable Document Format (PDF) unless otherwise specified in this announcement.

2. Content Requirements Attached PDF files must be plain files consisting of text, numbers, and images without editable fields, signatures, passwords, redactions, or other advanced features available in some PDF-compatible software. Do not use PDF portfolios or binders.

3. Project Summary/Abstract Mandatory for Prime applicant. This document will be the attachment to the Project Summary Abstract form in Grants.gov Workspace. The project summary document may not exceed 5 pages and must be saved as a PDF. The file is to be named “Summary.”

This document must contain a summary of the proposed activity and must be suitable for dissemination to the public. It must identify the following:

· Name of Applicant

· Principle Investigator

· Project title

· Relevance, intended outcomes/impacts

· Milestones of the project listed by year

· Description of the project, including methods to be employed, the potential impact of the project (i.e., benefits, outcomes), and key participantsThis document must not include any proprietary or sensitive business information.

The DOE/NNSA reserves the right to make applications available to the public after awards are made.

4. Project Narrative and Appendices The Project Narrative may not exceed 10 pages. The cover page, project narrative and appendices 1-6 (cover page and appendices are not included in page count) must be saved as one single document in PDF format and be named “Project”. This document will be the attachment to Project Narrative Attachment Form in Grants.gov Workspace.

PROJECT

The 10-page limit applies to text, tables, and visual materials (e.g., charts, graphs, maps, photographs). EVALUATORS WILL ONLY REVIEW THE FIRST TEN PAGES. Do not include bibliography information for references cited as part of the Project Narrative. These should be supplied in Appendix 4. Links to websites will not be reviewed. See Section VIII.D for instructions on marking proprietary application information. The project document must include:

a) Cover Page (not to exceed one page) must be comprised of the following components:

· NOFO Number

· Topic Area

· Application Title

· Type of organization (i.e., U.S. university/academic institution of higher learning or not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organization)

· Institution of Higher Education Tier Identification

· Type of Proposed Award: New or Renewal (if renewal, specify award number for existing award)

· Name of Prime Institution

· Contact Information for Principal Investigator for Prime Applicant

· (name, title, mailing address, telephone number, email address)

· Contact Information for Prime Entity Business Office/Grants Office

· (Name for business point of contact, title, email address, and telephone number)

· Institution, name(s), mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses of sub-applicants

· Previous DOE/NNSA Grant numbers. If applicable, provide DOE grant number for projects currently funded under the MSIPP Grant Program

· Name(s), telephone numbers, and email addresses of any NSE Facility collaborating personnel.

b) Project Narrative (not to exceed ten pages)

1) PROJECT OBJECTIVES: Provide a clear, concise statement of the specific objectives of the proposed project.

2) ALIGNMENT WITH MSIPP OBJECTIVES: Describe the extent to which the project addresses the objectives of the MSIPP program as it relates to the topical area selected and the nuclear security enterprise workforce development. This should include a solid understanding of the current state of proposed research (if applicable) or education programs, an analysis of any competing or supplementary efforts, and an understanding of how proposed research is aligned to existing gaps in the field and/or literature.

3) STRATEGIC APPROACH FOR EDUCATION, TRAINING AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT:

a. Describe the recruitment activities and specific marketing strategies designed to attract a diverse pool of student applicants. Describe the selection process that will ensure qualified students are selected based on academic merit, with consideration given to underrepresented populations.

b. Describe the proposed project including the function and associated curriculum. State the course structure and faculty capability for administering the program. Provide a schedule of completion dates, faculty members involved, and participant costs for students involved in this program.

c. Describe the plan to include opportunities for students to participate in internships, summer research programs, fellowships and other education and career advancement activities, and the mechanism to for tracking students as they fulfill their academic obligation and attain jobs within the NSE.

c) Appendices to Project Narrative Both prime applicant and sub-applicants must complete the following appendices and attach them to the final Project Narrative document. The appendices do not count towards the Project Narrative page limitation.

1) APPENDIX 1 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Provide a biographical sketch for the Principal Investigator (PI) and each senior/key person listed in Section A on the R&R Budget form, including the sub-applicant senior/key persons. The biographical sketch information is an appendix to your Project Narrative. Do not attach a separate file. The biographical information for each person must not exceed 2 pages and must include:

· Education and Training: Undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training, provide institution, major/area, degree, and year.

· Research and Professional Experience: Beginning with the current position list, in chronological order, professional/academic positions with a brief description.

· Publications: Provide a list of up to 10 publications most closely related to the proposed project. For each publication, identify the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article title, book or journal title, volume number, page numbers, year of publication, and website address if available electronically.

· Other: Patents, copyrights, and software systems developed may be provided in addition to or substituted for publications.

2) APPENDIX 2 – CURRENT AND PENDING SUPPORT: Provide a list of all current and pending support (both Federal and non-Federal) for the PI and senior/key persons, for ongoing projects and pending applications. For each organization providing support, show the total award amount for the entire award period (including indirect costs) and the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the project by the senior/key person. Concurrent submission of an application to other organizations for simultaneous consideration will not prejudice its review.

3) APPENDIX 3 – IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OR BIAS IN SELECTION OF REVIEWERS: This appendix requires the below information:

· Collaborators and Co-editors: List in alphabetical order all persons and current organizational affiliations, who are or have been collaborators or co-authors with you on a research project, book or book article, report, abstract, or paper during the 48 months preceding the submission of this application. Also, list any individuals who are currently or have been co-editors with you on a special issue of a journal, compendium, or conference proceedings during the 24 months preceding the submission of this application. If there are no collaborators or co-editors to report, state “None.”

· Graduate and Postdoctoral Advisors and Advisees: List the names and current organizational affiliations of your graduate advisor(s) and principal postdoctoral sponsor(s) during the last 5 years. Also, list the names and current organizational affiliations of your graduate students and postdoctoral associates.

4) APPENDIX 4 – BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES CITED: Provide a bibliography of any references cited in the Project Narrative. Each reference must include the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Include only bibliographic citations. Applicants should be especially careful to follow scholarly practices in providing citations for source materials relied upon when preparing any section of the application. To reduce the number of files attached to your application, please provide the Bibliography and References Cited information as an appendix to your project narrative.

5) APPENDIX 5 – FACILITIES & OTHER RESOURCES: This information is used to assess the capability of the organizational resources, including sub-applicant resources, available to perform the effort proposed. Identify the facilities to be used (Laboratory, Animal, Computer, Office, Clinical, and Other). If appropriate, indicate their capacities, pertinent capabilities, relative proximity, and extent of availability to the project. Describe only those resources that are directly applicable to the proposed work. Describe other resources available to the project (e.g., machine shop, electronic shop) and the extent to which they would be available to the project.

6) APPENDIX 6 – EQUIPMENT: List major items of equipment already available for this project and, if appropriate identify location and pertinent capabilities.

5. Other Narrative Attachments Attach the following files (Project Management Plan and Letters of Collaboration) to the Other Narrative Attachments Form in Grants.gov Workspace:

a) Project Management Plan (The file is to be named “PMP”) This plan should be formatted to include the following sections with each section including the information as described below. This plan should describe the structure of the proposed partnership and roles of each member organization including DOE/NNSA NSE Facility collaborator. This section should also include mechanisms for verifying completed milestones.

· EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Provide a description of the project that includes the objective, project goals, and expected results. This information is requested in the Project Narrative and should also be copied to this summary. The Project Management Plan is a stand-alone document.

· RISK MANAGEMENT: Provide a summary description of the proposed approach to identify, analyze, and respond to perceived risks associated with the proposed project. Project risk events are uncertain future events that, if realized, impact the success of the project. At a minimum, include the initial identification of significant technical, resource, and management issues that have the potential to impede project progress and the strategies to minimize impacts from those issues.

· MILESTONE LOG: Provide milestones for each budget period (or phase) of the project. Each milestone should include a title and planned completion date. Milestones should be quantitative and show progress toward budget period and/or project goals.

· PROJECT TIMELINE: Provide a timeline of the project (i.e., Gantt chart) broken down by task and subtask. Each task should include a start and end date. The timeline should show interdependencies between tasks and include the milestones that are identified in the Milestone Log.

b) Letters of Collaboration (The file is to be named “Collaboration Letters”) These are mandatory. Letters of collaboration for unfunded or funded collaborations must state the intention to participate. They are not to be written as recommendation or endorsement letters, which are not allowed. See Section III.C for collaborations with DOE/NNSA Site Facility Management Contractors.

6. Other Attachments Attach the following mandatory files (SF 424A and Indirect Rate Agreement) to the Attachments Form in Grants.gov workspace:

a) SF424A Detailed Budget Information Form (Save the excel document as a single file titled "SF424A.xls”) The applicant must provide a separate budget for each year of support requested. The form will generate a cumulative budget for the total period of performance. The applicant may request funds under any of the budget categories if the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work, meet all the criteria for allowability under the applicable Federal cost principles, and are not prohibited by funding restrictions in this announcement. Complete the budget form (provided as Attachment 2 to this announcement) in accordance with the detailed instructions provided in each tab.

b) Government Approved Indirect Rates and Cost Allocations If a Negotiated Rate Agreement with Government approved Indirect Rates and Cost Allocations Agreement has been executed with a Governmental cognizant agency, you must submit a copy of the Agreement in the Grants.gov Workspace. If a Negotiated Rate Agreement does not exist, provide supporting documentation for the proposed indirect rates.

c) Budget Justification [MANDATORY, IF SELECTED FOR AWARD] An applicant whose Full Application is selected for award negotiation is required to submit a detailed budget narrative explaining the need and justification for the proposed expenditures as they relate to the application objectives. The budget should be labeled with each budget line item and proposed funding.

d) Financial Assistance Environmental Checklist [MANDATORY, IF SELECTED FOR AWARD] All NNSA grants must comply with the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) compliance requirements. An applicant whose Full Application is selected for award negotiations will be required to submit a Financial Assistance Environmental Checklist during the award negotiations phase. All activities proposed to be funded under the financial assistance award must be described in a single Financial Assistance Environmental Checklist provided in Attachment 3 (Microsoft Word document) to this announcement in accordance with the instructions contained within the form and Interim Requirements for Completion of Key Sections of the Financial Assistance NEPA Checklist.

7. Assurances and Certifications in SAM.GOV [MANDATORY] In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burdens for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide. On February 2, 2019, GSA implemented a new process in SAM that allows non-federal entity registrants to submit common federal government-wide Representations and Certifications for financial assistance. Non-federal entities creating new SAM registrations and existing non-federal entities completing their annual SAM registration renewals will be required to review and certify their financial assistance Certifications and Representations. Prior to applying for any funding opportunity, prospective applicants must first register with SAM.gov. An active SAM registration is required to both do business with the federal government and to apply for funding opportunities. Registration must be updated annually by non-federal entities; federal agencies will use the SAM registration information to verify non-federal entity compliance with application and award requirements.

8. Data Management Plan [MANDATORY, IF SELECTED FOR AWARD] An applicant whose Full Application is selected for award will be required to submit a Data Management Plan within 90 days of the award notification. The Data Management Plan outlines the proposed plan for data sharing or preservation. Instructions for submission of this plan will be identified in your award notification. Guidance for preparing a Data Management Plan is provided in the Attachments of the NOFO, as Attachment 4. Failure to submit the Data Management Plan may result in the termination of the award.

F. SUMMARY OF REQUIRED FORMS/FILES

Attachment 1

or Word Submission required during the negotiation process.

Follow Environmental Checklist Guidance Instructions

Link for Fedconnect.net: https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/default.htm

G. SUBMISSIONS FROM SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS

If selected for award, DOE/NNSA reserves the right to request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary, including, but not limited to:

· Indirect cost information

· Other budget information

· Name and phone number of the Designated Responsible Employee for complying with national policies prohibiting…