PKG00254505-instructions.pdf

MINORITY EDUCATION, WORKFORCE, AND TRAINING PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT:

DE-FOA-0002042

MINORITY EDUCATION, WORKFORCE, AND TRAINING PROGRAM

(MEWT)

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NFO) NUMBER:

NFO TYPE: INITIAL

CFDA NUMBER: 81.137

NFO Issue Date: September 3, 2019

Submission Deadline for Questions September 16, 2019

Submission Deadline for Applications: October 7, 2019

Expected Date for Selection Notifications: November 15 , 2019

Expected Timeframe for Award November 22, 2019

Anticipated Number of Awards 10

Total Amount to be Awarded $4,000,000.00

NOTE: REGISTRATION/SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Registration Requirements

There are several one-time actions you must complete in order to submit an application in response to this Announcement (e.g., obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, register with the System of Awards Management (SAM), and register with Grants.gov). Applicants who are not registered with Grants.gov, should allow at least 21 days to complete these requirements. It is suggested that the process be started as soon as possible.

Applicants must obtain a DUNS number. DUNS website:

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Applicants must register with the SAM. SAM website: https://sam.gov/ Applicants must register with Grants.gov. Grants.gov website: http://grants.gov/

Applicants must register with FedConnect to submit questions. FedConnect website:

www.fedconnect.net

Questions

Questions relating to the system requirements or how an application form works must be directed to Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Questions regarding the content of the announcement must be submitted through the FedConnect portal. You must register with FedConnect to respond as an interested party to submit questions, and to view responses to questions. It is recommended that you register as soon after release of the NFO as possible to have the benefit of all responses. DOE will try to respond to all questions within 7 business days with an amendment, unless a similar question and answer have already been posted on the website.

Application Preparation and Submission

Applicants must apply online using Grants.gov Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. Grants.gov website: http://www.grants.gov/ See pages 3-6 - Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures for application instructions.

Where to Submit Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov to be considered for award. You cannot submit an application through Grants.gov unless you are registered. See pages 3-6 Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures for registration instructions. Please read the registration requirements carefully and start the process immediately.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO POTENTIAL APPLICANTS: When you have completed the process, you should call the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 to verify that you have completed the final step (i.e. Grants.gov registration).

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://sam.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://www.fedconnect.net/ mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for Department of Energy program applications. Please read the following instructions carefully and completely.

1. Electronic Delivery

The Department of Energy is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. The Department of Energy encourages applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov.

2. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

a. Instructions: Read the instructions below about registering to apply for Department of Energy funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this grant funding opportunity, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/individual-registration.html

Organization applicants can find complete instructions here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

1) Obtain a DUNS Number: All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Applicants must enter the DUNS number in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the SF-424 form.

For more detailed instructions for obtaining a DUNS number, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

2) Register with SAM: In addition to having a DUNS number, organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM).

All organizations must register with SAM in order to apply online. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.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

3) Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's DUNS number to complete this process. Completing this process automatically triggers an email request for https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/individual-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html 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 applicant roles to the organization's E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) for review.

The EBiz POC is a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM. To apply for grants on behalf of your organization, you will need the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html

4) Authorize Grants.gov Roles: After creating an account on Grants.gov, the EBiz POC receives an email notifying them of your registration and request for roles. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online anytime after you have been approved as an AOR.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html

5) Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html

b. Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization's AOR that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as an AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

3. How to Submit an Application to Department of Energy via Grants.gov

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 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

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

1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace, complete all the required forms, and check for errors before submission.

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace so that they will appear similar to other Standard or Department of Energy forms. The individual PDF forms can be https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

b. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab.

Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace: After successfully submitting a workspace package, a Grants.gov Tracking Number is automatically assigned to the package. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission.

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 you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Department of Energy with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

4. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

a. Online Submission. All applications must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant AOR will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When the Department of Energy successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by the Department of Energy.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process.

Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

SECTION I - FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Description

A. Summary

The Office of Minority Economic Impact was established in 1978 through Title VI, Part 3 of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7141. The Office was created to “advise the Secretary on the effects of energy policies, regulations, and other actions of the Department and its components on minorities and minority business enterprises and on ways to ensure that minorities are afforded an opportunity to participate fully in the energy programs of the Department” (Sec. 211(b) under Sec. 641 (3), Title VI, Part 3 (PL 95-619)). Sec. 211(d) states the following:

The Director may provide the management of any technical assistance he considers appropriate to minority educational institutions and minority business enterprises to enable these enterprises and institutions to participate in the research, development, demonstration, and contract activities of the Department.

In carrying out his functions under this section, the Director may enter into contracts, in accordance with section 7256 of this title and other applicable provisions of law, with any person, including minority educational institutions, minority business enterprises, and organizations the primary purpose of which is to assist the development of minority communities.

In addition, the Department of Energy Science Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C.

§§7381(c)-(c)(1)) as amended by Sections 1102 and 1105 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides the statutory authority to make awards with this NFO under the purview of 2 CFR Part 200 as amended by 2 CFR Part 910.

Consistent with the statutory authority, the Department of Energy Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (DOE/ED) strives to establish critical linkages amongst Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), industry, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies and state and local government agencies to promote economic development in underserved communities and build a more diverse and inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and energy workforce; harnessing the full range of talent that the U.S. has to offer while sustaining America's historic legacy of ingenuity, creativity and innovation. DOE/ED also strives to align with Administration efforts and initiatives that enhance the Office’s mission and impact. For example, in December of 2018, the President of the United States signed an Executive Order 13853 establishing the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. The Council seeks to revitalize low income communities, targeting existing Federal programs to economically distressed areas, including opportunity zones.

DOE/ED advocates for the engagement of underserved communities by working with geographically and demographically diverse stakeholders to leverage synergies among MSIs, MBEs, and the energy workforce to promote economic vitality and help protect our national security interests, to include:

Increasing minority stakeholder awareness through outreach initiatives aimed at improving participation of MSIs and MBEs in Departmental programs, opportunities, and the energy sector, broadly.

Encouraging investment in opportunity zones, distressed communities, and historically underserved communities.

Enhancing opportunities for formerly incarcerated persons through initiatives and collaborations with other federal agencies, focused on workforce development in the energy sector.

Increasing efforts for supporting greater inclusion of underrepresented and minority communities-African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American & Pacific Islander, Puerto Rican, and Native Alaskan-to include women and veterans, in DOE programs and outside initiatives.

Researching projected long-term domestic STEM workforce needs and the potential implications for national security.

Launching an initiative focused on understanding, promoting, and assisting to build energy sustainability within vulnerable communities.

Supporting efforts to increase women and minority participation in STEM fields within the energy sector.

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is to announce DOE/ED’s interest in receiving applications for new financial assistance awards for the Minority Education, Workforce, and Training (MEWT) Program. The topic areas of interest include:

STEM Education:

o Minority Education: Increasing the participation of students enrolled in MSIs across the nation in STEM disciplines, enhancing the students’ academic development, and building core competencies for DOE and its national laboratories.

o Workforce Development: providing individuals the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and training to improve their opportunities for employment.

Capacity Building: Strengthening the STEM capabilities of MSIs by collaborating with the Department’s national laboratories and scientific facilities, which employ more than 30,000 STEM professionals to engage faculty from MSIs to participate in DOE’s Visiting Faculty Program, which supports 10-week research appointments for faculty to collaborate on a research project with scientists at the DOE national laboratories. Preparing faculty from MSIs to serve as grant reviewers of key Departmental NFO.

Technical Assistance: to enhance competitiveness through sharing information and expertise, instruction, skills, and working knowledge relative to particular needs and priorities.

Training: certification, apprenticeship, placement preparation, and partnerships with community colleges to develop and deliver targeted training for regional energy sector employment opportunities.

Workforce/Pipeline Analysis: DOE/ED recognizes the importance of research on disparities and opportunities for people in minority communities, minority serving institutions (MSIs), and minority business enterprises.

B. Program Objectives

DOE found that 1.5 million new jobs nationwide will be added across the energy sector by 2030 because of retirements, infrastructure growth and repair, and changing energy technologies.

Energy worker retirements are occurring at a rate more than double the percent of new energy apprentices are being trained. The average energy worker is seven years older than the average worker across all industries in the United States, and more than 500,000 workers are expected to retire in the next 5 to 10 years.

Smart, targeted Federal investments that support increased inclusion of the minority workforce will be critical to growing an energy workforce for the future. These efforts and investments are required to retrofit our energy infrastructure. We must act to ensure that the U.S. becomes the world leader in developing and deploying new energy technologies and products with the best trained and best equipped workforce in the world.

The MEWT Program is designed to foster collaboration amongst MSIs, MBEs, DOE program offices, industry, state and local government agencies and other federal agencies to increase engagement and capabilities of underserved communities within STEM and energy fields.

The objectives of the MEWT Program are to:

Build a sustainable pipeline between DOE’s sites/national labs and MSIs in STEM disciplines, and bring a heightened awareness of the Department’s programs and laboratories to MSIs with a common interest in STEM research fields.

Provide opportunities for intellectual challenge and collaboration by promoting scientific interactions between the academic community and scientists at the DOE’s national laboratories.

Develop and maintain a diverse recruiting pipeline to the DOE and its national laboratories by increasing the visibility of Department led scientific activities to U.S. academic communities, specifically MSIs.

Build partnerships that advance minority and tribal participation in community colleges, certificate programs, trade associations, and labor unions that support employment opportunities in the energy industry.

Increase participation of minority-owned businesses in the energy sector and the emerging technology sector

Execute Federal place-based initiatives that specifically support minority-owned business opportunities in energy and emerging technologies.

C. Scope and Topic Areas

The scope of this NFO is to enhance the participation and sustainability of MSIs and MBEs in energy and STEM sectors throughout the country, including the DOE complex, particularly its national laboratories. This initiative is to increase the number of sustained, strategic, public-private partnerships that will provide professional development to underserved communities to include: minority students; minority workers; minority businesses; women; veterans; and returning citizens.

The term “sustainability” as applied to the MEWT Program means increasing the capacity of the MSIs and MBEs in technical areas by providing opportunities to do basic research and partner with DOE national laboratories in developing the skill and knowledge of their faculty and students, merging academic study with practical work experience for students majoring in relevant STEM fields and related disciplines to create pool of talented students to explore and understand professional practices within DOE and the Federal government.

The rapid growth of energy production in the U.S., including on federal and tribal lands, will result in an increase of new jobs and infrastructure investments. Exacerbating the need to fill newly created energy jobs, are the coming mass retirements of baby boomers, which will create an urgent shortage of qualified workers to meet energy sector workforce demands. These factors, plus the changing demographics of the country, demand that we fully engage minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and workforce training programs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, minority children under age 18 will be the majority by 2020, and by 2043 there will no longer be a majority of any particular racial or ethnic group in the U.S.

Critical demographic trends related to the growing minority population and an aging baby boomer generation require a national effort to strengthen the STEM workforce and draw on the minds and talents of all Americans, including those communities currently underrepresented in energy-related fields. To proactively build a more diverse and inclusive STEM pipeline, DOE strives to establish and cultivate partnerships with MSIs to increase the number of students in pursuit of high demand STEM degrees.

Research is the primary catalyst of a nation’s overall capacity to deliver knowledge in the world market. Given that universities serve as centers of knowledge production and generation; they play a critical role in national research. Therefore, it is imperative for DOE to collaborate with MSIs to enhance university research, institutional measures to build research capacity, and the impact of these expectations on academics in order to ensure that MSIs are properly equipped to effectively and efficiently operate and maintain the long-term viability of their institutions.

Essentially, DOE strives to increase the research competitiveness of faculty members at institutions of higher education historically underrepresented in the research community.

Additionally, the recidivism rate in the United States is high, with about 68% of released prisoners getting arrested for a new crime within 3 years. Researchers have linked recidivism to unemployment, education, and inability to re-integrate into society after prison. DOE/ED is seeking technical assistance and support in the development or enhancement of training materials/programs for formerly incarcerated men and women.

This NFO will make awards in the following topic areas:

STEM Education

DOE anticipates making 3 awards, for a total of $1,425,000.00 under this initiative to build a more geographically diverse pool of MSI students who major in high demand fields, such as STEM, energy, energy conservation, business, and the environment. DOE/ED highly encourages teaming and consortiums.

Areas of focus can include the following:

scholarships and internships to talented MSI students in STEM and energy-related disciplines experiential learning and career opportunities in the energy sectors to broaden perspectives beyond the classroom environment to develop summer programs to bridge the gap between two-year and four-year colleges and universities, strengthen assessments and integrate academic advising, academic support and academic enrichment to develop transfer and articulation agreements between two-year and four-year institutions in such fields to improve academic quality of STEM programs through curriculum revision and development

Capacity Building

DOE anticipates making 2 awards, for a total of $900,000.00 under this initiative to increase the number of MSIs with the potential and capacity to train and effectively mentor America’s future STEM workforce.

Areas of focus can include the following:

to provide support for administrative management, and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening MSIs sponsored research offices to improve and expand two-year and four-year colleges and universities’ capacity to serve minority students and improve instructional and research purposes to upgrade institutional infrastructure, including the use of technology to ensure the long-term viability of minority-serving institutions to facilitate faculty exchanges, and faculty development and faculty fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in the faculty's field of instruction curriculum development and academic instruction to support laboratory student and faculty research opportunities at DOE national laboratories to support the preparation of a detailed MSI Research Institutions Collaboration document the development of a report of MSI interests, experiences, and capabilities the hosting of forum/workshops with universities, businesses and DOE program offices to discuss partnership building and mentor protégé activities entrepreneurship / innovation

Technical Assistance: DOE anticipates making no more than 2 awards totaling $500,000 to support minority business enterprises applying for the department’s Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Technical Assistance projects Assistance should include:

o providing direct one-on-one support with developing the application o ensuring accounting compliance o alignment with solicitation topics o partnering with university stakeholders. These stakeholders will include but are not limited to primary investigators, researchers, technology transfer offices, and the innovation ecosystem. Applicant must identify plans for training, number of companies the project will support, and any follow up activities that will be facilitated.

Training

DOE anticipates making no more than 2 awards, for a total of $900,000, under this initiative to increase the number of sustained, strategic, public-private partnerships that will provide professional development to underserved communities to include: minority students; minority workers; minority businesses; women; veterans; and returning citizens.

Training that supports educational/business activities which complements and/or enhances workforce training to meet the nation’s need for job creation in diverse communities in the high-growth energy sector Training can include but is not limited to:

certification, apprenticeship, placement preparation, and partnerships with community colleges to develop and deliver targeted training for regional energy sector employment opportunities.

Applicants must demonstrate evidence of strong, successful, working relationships with any of the following: veterans, veteran organizations, formerly incarcerated men/women, officials at the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement agencies, probation officers and/related entities. Applicants must also have established working relationships with a broad pool of regional subject matter experts that can be leveraged to provide expertise for the training and technical assistance components of the project.

Workforce / Pipeline Analysis

DOE anticipates making 1 award, for a total of $275,000, under this initiative. DOE/ED recognizes the importance of research on disparities and opportunities for people in minority communities, minority serving institutions (MSIs), and minority business enterprises. Research conducted in this area is critical for the development and assessment of evidence-based policymaking and program development. DOE will fund a research project to identify and quantify energy related economic opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for increased minority access and inclusion. Research should include a macro analysis and a regional focus on 3 – 5 regions of the United States. Research could address potential policy remedies, programs opportunities, technical assistance gaps, opportunity gaps, workforce training opportunities, MSI innovation development opportunities, leveraging innovation ecosystems, and implications for the U.S. economy. Projects must be located in a U.S. state or U.S. territory.

SECTION II - AWARD INFORMATION

A. Type of Award Instrument

DOE/ED anticipates awarding grants or cooperative agreements under this funding opportunity announcement. The scope and topical areas of interest for the MEWT program are defined in Section I.C.

B. Estimated Funding

An estimated $4,000,000.00 is expected to be available for new awards under this announcement. 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.

C. Maximum and Minimum Award Size

Ceiling (i.e., the maximum amount for an individual award made under this announcement):

$475,000.

Floor (i.e., the minimum amount for an individual award made under this announcement):

$150,000 per year.

D. Expected Number of Awards

The maximum number of awards under this announcement is ten. The limit on the number of awards to this NFO is one (1) for each entity. DOE/ED reserves the right to fund, in whole or in part, any, all, or none of the applications, not award in all Topical Areas, or make fewer than five awards than would be possible at the grand-total level at its sole discretion.

E. Anticipated Award Size

DOE/ED anticipates that awards will be in the $150,000 to $475,000 with an estimated project period of one (1) year, with two additional option years if additional funding is available.

F. Period of Performance

DOE/ED anticipates making awards with an estimated project period of one (1) year.

Subsequent project years may be funded, contingent upon available funding and programmatic relevance of proposed projects under this NFO.

G. Type of Application

DOE/ED will accept new applications under this announcement. Renewal applications will be requested if the project period exceeds one year and funds are available. Contingent upon availability of funds, DOE/ED reserves the right to issue follow-on funding announcements to continue relevant new projects or continuation of previously funded projects.

H. Limitations on NFO Applications by Same Organization

There is no limit on the number of proposals to this NFO for each entity; however, only the limit on the number of awards to this NFO is one (1) for each entity. Please ensure that all proposals are submitted in complete form with all required attachments as specified in the NFO.

SECTION III - ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Restricted Eligibility

In accordance with 2 CFR 910.126(b), eligibility for award is restricted to Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) as educational entities 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 list https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html. Restricted eligibility is necessary in order to further MEWT program objectives as described in Sections 1.A. and 1.B of this NFO.

For the purpose of this announcement “a minority serving U.S. university/academic institution of higher learning” is defined as an educational institution in any State, Federal District, or U.S.

territory that:

(1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate;

(2) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education;

(3) provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor’s degree or provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree; and

(4) is accredited by a nationally or regionally recognized accrediting agency or association, or if not so accredited, is an institution that has been granted reaccreditation status by such an agency or association that has been recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education for the granting of reaccreditation status, and the U.S. Secretary of Education has determined that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.

For prospective applicants who are submitting financial assistance applications to this NFO, the individual(s) selected as 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 a U.S. university or academic institution of higher learning.

Domestic Entities For-profit entities, educational institutions, and nonprofits that are incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular State or territory of the United States are eligible to apply for funding as a Sub recipient.

Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995, are not eligible to apply for funding.

Domestic Public Entities (excluding Federal entities) State, local, and tribal government entities are eligible to apply for funding as a sub recipient.

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html

Foreign Entities Foreign entities, whether for-profit or otherwise, are not eligible to apply for funding as a sub recipient under this FOA.

Incorporated Consortia Incorporated consortia are eligible to apply for funding as a sub recipient. For consortia incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a State or territory of the United States, please refer to “Domestic Entities” above. For consortia incorporated in foreign countries, please refer to the requirements in “Foreign Entities” above.

Each incorporated consortium must have an internal governance structure and a written set of internal rules. Upon request, the consortium must provide a written description of its internal governance structure and its internal rules to the DOE Contracting Officer.

A “U.S. Person” is defined as an individual that is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.

A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) is an American designation for businesses which are at least 51% owned, operated and controlled on a daily basis by one or more (in combination) American citizens of the following ethnic minority and/or gender (e.g. woman-owned) and/or military veteran classifications:

African American Asian American or Pacific Islander (includes West Asian Americans (India, etc.) and East Asian Americans (Japan, Korea, etc.)) Hispanic American - A U.S. citizen of true-born Hispanic heritage, from any of the Spanish-speaking areas of the following regions: Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean Basin only. Brazilians (Afro-Brazilian, indigenous/Indian only) shall be listed under Hispanic designation for review and certification purposes.

Native American, including Aleuts

According to the Minority Business Development Agency, minorities own more than 8 million firms, and account for nearly $1.4 trillion in revenues. MBEs can self-identify, but are typically certified by a city, state or federal agency.

MBE Technical Assistance - Formerly Incarcerated: The selected applicant must be able to work closely with officials at the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement agencies, probation officers and/related entities. Successful applicants must demonstrate evidence of strong, successful, working relationships with the aforementioned entities and experience working with formerly incarcerated persons. Applicants must also have established working relationships with a broad pool of regional subject matter experts that can be leveraged to provide expertise for the training and technical assistance components of the project.

The selection official will consider the following factors in the selection process:

(1) DOE/ED will not make an award to an applicant who proposes a project which duplicates work funded by another Federal financial assistance award by DOE.

(2) Proposals will be funded on the basis of relative importance/relevance to the goals and objectives of the MEWT Program and availability of funding (i.e. funding of applications may not be equally distributed among the topic areas).

B. Cost Sharing

Cost sharing is not required.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

Applicants to this NFO are not eligible if they are already the recipient of a current DOE award.

Applicants must show that their programs are targeted towards economically distressed communities, to include qualified opportunity zones. For guidance regarding qualified opportunity zones, please reference: https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx.

SECTION IV - APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov, select "APPLICANTS”, then select “Apply for Grants," and then select "Get Application Package” button. Enter the funding opportunity number (DE-NFO 0002042) Under the PACKAGE tab, select “Apply” under the Actions column, and under Option: 1 Apply Now Using Workspace, select the Login to Apply Now button. Follow the prompts in Workspace to complete the application package. You are encouraged to review the Applicant FAQs in Grants.gov as you prepare and submit your application.

B. Letter of Intent and Pre-Application

Letters of Intent and Pre-applications are not required.

C. Content and Application Forms

All applicants must complete the mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms as provided under D. Application Package Requirements Summary Listing of this NFO. All documents that are attached as forms must be submitted in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) unless otherwise specified in this NFO (refer to Application Package Requirements Summary Listing – Attachment A for identification of submission formats). 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.

Please note: you may only use the following UTF-8 characters when naming your application attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period. You must limit the file name to 50 or fewer characters. Attachments that do not follow this rule may cause the entire application to be rejected or cause issues during processing.

To avoid interfering with the selection of peer reviewers, please do NOT include general letters of support for the proposal or list collaborators that do not have an active part in the project. General letters of support will not be used in making funding decisions.

https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx http://www.grants.gov/

Optional letters of collaboration for unfunded or funded collaborations may be placed in Appendix 8 (Other Attachments). Letters of collaboration should state the intention to participate, but they should not be written as recommendation or endorsement letters, which are not allowed.

1. Application for Federal Assistance SF-424

You must create a workspace using Grants.gov Workspace (see https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CreateWorkspace.htm) to complete the workspace online forms and submit your application workspace package. Forms can either be completed online within a web browser or individual PDF forms from within the Forms tab of the Manage Workspace page can be downloaded and uploaded to Workspace when completed (see https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/ManageWorkspaces/ManageWorkspaces.htm).

In Grants.gov Workspace, Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms. *Note that although this will not be a Research and Related grant, there are several forms, including the Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 (R&R) form, where the R&R Family of forms will be used.

If applicable, these forms are also required for all sub awardees.

2. Project Narrative

The project narrative must not exceed 10 pages, including cover page , technical narrative, , key personnel, and the work plan and schedule , when printed using standard 8.5" by 11" paper with 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) {single spaced} with font no smaller than 11 point.

EVALUATORS WILL ONLY REVIEW THE NUMBER OF PAGES SPECIFIED IN THE

PRECEDING SENTENCE. Do not include any Internet addresses (URLs) that provide information necessary to review the application, because the information contained in these sites will not be reviewed.

a. The Project Narrative Cover Page

Comprised of the following required components:

NFO Number;

Topic and Subtopic Number;

Application Title;

Name of MSI, MBE, organizational entity;

Name, mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and electronic mail address of Lead Project Director;

Name(s) of Team Members if applicable;

Name(s), mailing addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, and electronic mail addresses of Project Director(s) of Team Members;

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CreateWorkspace.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/ManageWorkspaces/ManageWorkspaces.htm

b. Technical Narrative

The Technical Narrative portion is to provide a detailed description of the following:

1. Project Objectives

2. Methodology and Approaches

3. Anticipated Results of the Project

4. Relevance to DOE/ED Mission

5. Overall Technical Merit

6. Risk Evaluation

The technical narrative should be written as a clear, concise statement of the work proposed and specifically address the Merit Review Criteria (i) – (iv): Technical Merit, Qualifications, and experience of the PI and key technical personnel, Teaming Arrangement, Past Performance (refer to Section V – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION, Page 31).

c. Key Personnel

The application must identify all key senior personnel, including those of team members, involved in the project. The application must include curricula vitae (background and experience information including a list of recent, relevant publications, if any) of the project director and other key personnel. Any changes to key personnel during the project will need the concurrence of the DOE/ED Contracting Officer.

d. Work Plan and Schedule

A Work Plan and Schedule must be submitted with your application. This component provides a text description of the work breakdown structure for the project. The project objectives are to be identified along with the major tasks that must be completed to accomplish the stated objectives, including their projected start and end dates. Each task is to be divided into its subordinate subtasks and associated key decision points. Deliverables/milestones and their due dates are to be identified separately by task. Deliverables include reports, data, hardware, software and documentation, as applicable. For team applications, the lead organization’s technical application is to distinguish the technical role and contributions of each team member.

3. Required Budget Documents and Information

a. SF424Budget Form

The Budget Form is part of the Application Package that must be completed in Grants.gov Workspace. The special instructions for completing this form follow:

Applicant must complete a separate budget for the first year and subsequent years based on available funding The form will generate a cumulative budget for the total project period.

Applicant must complete all the mandatory information on the form before the NEXT PERIOD button is activated. Applicant may request funds under any of the topic areas listed as long as the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work, meet all the allowable criteria under the applicable Federal cost principles, and are not prohibited by the funding restrictions in this announcement. Categories in the Budget include:

Section A: Senior/Key Personnel Section B: Other Personnel Section C: Equipment Description Section D: Travel Section E: Participant/Trainee Costs Section F: Other Direct Costs Section G: Direct Costs Section H: Indirect Costs Section I: Total Direct and Indirect Costs

Complete the Budget form in accordance with the SF 424 Instructions provided. Applicant can also hover over the specific fields to view instructions for completing the fields.

b. Budget Justification – PMC 123.1

Complete the attached Budget Justification Summary with supporting information requested in the instructions.

To attach the completed Budget Justification Summary in Excel format, click "Add Attachment" in – Budget Justification of the form in Grants.gov Workspace.

If applicable, this form is mandatory for all sub-awardees.

c. 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, upload the Agreement to the Grants.gov Workspace Attachment form (see instructions on next page). If a Negotiated Rate Agreement does not exist, provide supporting documentation for proposed indirect rates.

The Rate Agreement must be uploaded to the Grants.gov ATTACHMENTS FORM, which is part of the Application Package in Grants.gov Workspace. To attach the Agreement, click "Add Attachment" in the ATTACHMENTS FORM in Grants.gov Workspace and in the description type Rate Agreement.

If applicable, this form is mandatory for all sub-awardees.

4. Project/Performance Site Location(s)

The Project/Performance Site Location(s) form is part of the Application Package that should be completed in Grants.gov Workspace. The special instructions for completing this form follow:

Indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided.

Note: Be sure to provide the Project/Performance Site Congressional District which is entered in the format of the 2 digit state code followed by a dash and a 3 digit Congressional district code, for example VA-001. Hover over this field for additional instructions. For the Zip/Postal code, be sure to enter the nine-digit postal code.

Use the Next Site button to expand the form to add additional Project/Performance Site Locations.

5. Certification Regarding Lobbying or Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Prime Recipients and Sub-recipients may not use any Federal funds to influence or attempt to influence, directly or indirectly, congressional action on any legislative or appropriation matters.

If applicable, complete the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form which is part of the Application Package that should be completed in Grants.gov Workspace. Applicability:

If any funds other than Federal…