PKG00257118-instructions.docx

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

Financial Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number:

Table of Contents

Section A: Program Description

Federal Agency Name: Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Funding Opportunity Title: Understanding and Appreciation of Natural Sounds/Night Skies through Youth Initiatives Based on Science, Service, and Recreation

Funding Opportunity Number: P20AS00015

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.931

Legislative Authority: 54 U.S.C. 101702(a) Cooperative Agreements, Transfer of Service Appropriated Funds

Federal Regulations: 2 C.F.R. § 200, 2 C.F.R. § 1402

Program Background Information and Objectives:

Background

With respect to natural sounds and night skies, the NPS is distinguished among other Federal land management agencies in that NPS management policies treat park soundscapes and naturally dark environments as natural and cultural resources subject to the fundamental conservation mandate of the NPS Organic Act. To fulfill this mandate, the NPS Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division works to protect, maintain, and restore acoustical and dark night sky environments throughout the National Park System. The division uses science, engineering, and technology to understand and better manage these spectacular resources, and pioneers innovative techniques to measure the impact of noise and light pollution, develop new approaches to safeguard natural sounds and natural darkness, and identify management solutions to restore these public resources.

The division also works in partnership with parks and others to increase scientific understanding and inspire public appreciation of the value and character of soundscapes and star-filled skies. The proposed financial assistance program would further such partnerships by building upon ten years of successful collaboration supported by the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division with organizations that engage youth in park-based recreational and educational experiences designed to promote an understanding and appreciation of resource stewardship, service, and collaborative conservation.

This collaboration began in 2008 when NSNSD partnered with Global Explorers to bring soundscape listening activities and related curricula to Global Explorers expeditions. Lessons were first integrated into pilot expeditions that brought one group of low-income gifted and talented students and another group of high school Girl Scouts from across the U.S. to national parks in the southwest. Students on these expeditions learned about the general concepts of acoustics and about issues regarding soundscape protection in parks. Expansion of the curriculum, partnerships with additional organizations, and expeditions to other national parks broadened the reach and extent to which students learned about scientific principles behind resource conservation.

Subsequent expeditions expanded the scope to support data collection in parks to inform management decisions. For example, in the Global Explorers “Leading the Way: Rim to River” program, NPS provided a group of teenagers, including some who were blind or visually impaired, with devices to collect data on soundscapes in the Grand Canyon. These trips gave students the opportunity to learn about noise pollution issues in the park and to become stewards of the park’s natural resources, while providing valuable information to park staff on locations where natural sounds and non-natural (human-caused) sounds are prevalent.

In 2012, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD) and Global Explorers were honored with 2012 Secretary’s Partners in Conservation Award, which recognized the partnership as promoting conservation, protecting natural and cultural resources, using innovative approaches to resource management, and engaging youth and diverse entities in accomplishing the Department’s mission.

Over the past few years, NPS and partner organizations have continued efforts to include students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit national parks. In the most recent examples, the NPS has partnered with No Barriers Youth (formerly Global Explorers) to bring a diverse population of youth from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, including some with visual and auditory-impairments, into the Grand Canyon for multi-day expeditions that promote leadership and resource stewardship with an emphasis on natural sounds and night skies.

Purpose

This agreement serves a public purpose by promoting and stimulating education, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of natural and cultural resources. The project will motivate youth and young adults to be involved with the natural, cultural and historical resource protection of their communities and beyond. The agreement will provide opportunities for youth and inspire young people to play, learn, serve, and work in the great outdoors.

Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes

The goals of this agreement are to engage approximately 20 youth in a park-based educational/recreational experience to learn and apply science, engineering, and best practices for protecting natural sounds and night skies in national parks, while fostering an awareness and appreciation of recreation opportunities in national parks.

The objectives are to advance recreational access for non-traditional/underserved park visitors (e.g., youth who haven’t visited parks due to socio-economics or perceived barriers based on physical, hearing, or visual impairments); use recreation to develop understanding and appreciation of national parks and public lands; impart knowledge to enhance park resources, values, and visitor experience; and leverage funding through cost-sharing.

The outcomes will include: 1) increased recreational access, 2) application of best practices developed to benefit resource conditions and visitor experience, 3) improved natural soundscapes and night skies through noise and light reduction service activities, 4) increased relevancy of national parks.

Secretary of the Interior Priorities:

This program supports Secretary of the Interior Priority “Other Key Initiatives: 4. Access to outdoor recreation opportunities” in the following way:

The program supports access to outdoor recreation opportunities by introducing a diverse group of youth to new experiences outdoor. Most of these youth will not have been to a national park or thought such a trip possible due to their own perceived limitations associate with income, physical impairments, or being from an underserved community. The program further enhances a recreational experience by educating students on the science, technology, and best practices used for protecting natural sounds and night skies as natural and cultural resources in national parks. With this, students gain a greater appreciation for recreation benefits and overcome adversities that previously may have been a barrier to participating in outdoor recreation activities.

Section B: Federal Award Information

Anticipated Federal Funding: ($200,000.00 to $300,000.00) The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined once final appropriations have been made. This NOFO will be cancelled if FY 2020 appropriations are insufficient to support new awards.

Non-Federal Entity Cost Share:

Non-Federal cost share is not required for this agreement.

Estimated Number of Agreements to be Awarded: 1 master cooperative agreement (under this master cooperative agreement, we anticipate awarding one task agreement per year for five years) Each activity or project under this agreement will be treated individually, with more detail through project statements, project plans and budgets developed cooperatively between the NPS and the non-Federal entity.

Estimated Amount of Funding Available Per Award:

An estimated range of $40,000.00 to $60,000.00 of funding is anticipated for each award.

The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined as part of the application review process based on applications received and funding made available through appropriations.

Anticipated Start Date:

Projects receiving funding through this NOFO will start once funding has been secured and awards have been made.

Anticipated Term of the Agreement: Date of award through 5 years Agreement terms for funded projects are estimated to range between one and five years, depending on the negotiated project statement of work. Agreements are not effective until fully executed with signature from the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

Type of Agreements:

Master Cooperative Agreement – A master cooperative agreement is an agreement with a non-Federal entity in which more than one project is anticipated. This type of cooperative agreement includes a detailed description of all types of work that can be done under the agreement. The master cooperative agreement will also establish the overarching terms and conditions agreed to by the National Park Service and the non-Federal entity and are not funded. Specific projects and funding under a master agreement are identified through task agreements, which are issued under the applicable legal authority documented in the master cooperative agreement. A specific task agreement will always reference, and be subject to, the terms and conditions of the master cooperative agreement.

Substantial Involvement:

Substantial involvement may include:

· NPS is involved with the non-Federal entity in describing the goals, jointly developing the scope and the activities to be accomplished. This must be combined with other substantial involvement, such as providing technical assistance or any of the statements listed below, that goes beyond Federal stewardship responsibilities.

· NPS staff will assist the non-Federal entity in selecting projects, providing orientation to park resources, developing curriculum, distributing tools and equipment, and providing technical assistance.

· NPS will provide the services of a Program Coordinator to serve as liaison to (the non-Federal entity) for the work under this agreement. This includes consulting and working specifically with the non-Federal entity’s program coordinator and team leaders on recruiting, interviewing, and recommending appropriate candidates. The NPS Program Coordinator may also serve as a liaison to parks in order to coordinate activities within the parks where programs or expeditions occur, including selection of any service projects.

Data Availability:

1) Applicability. The Department of the Interior is committed to basing its decisions on the best available science and providing the American people with enough information to thoughtfully and substantively evaluate the data, methodology, and analysis used by the Department to inform its decisions.

2) Use of Data. The regulations at 2 CFR 200.315 apply to data produced under a Federal award, including the provision that the Federal Government has the right to obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data produced under a Federal award as well as authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for Federal purposes.

3) Availability of Data. The recipient shall make the data produced under this award and any sub-award(s) available to the Government for public release, consistent with applicable law, to allow meaningful third party evaluation and reproduction of the following:

(a) The scientific data relied upon;

(b) The analysis relied upon; and

(c) The methodology, including models, used to gather and analyze data.

Conflict of Interest:

1) Applicability.

(a) This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

(b) In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by sub-recipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

2) Requirements.

(a) Non-Federal entities must avoid prohibited conflicts of interest, including any significant financial interests that could cause a reasonable person to question the recipient's ability to provide impartial, technically sound, and objective performance under or with respect to a Federal financial assistance agreement.

(b) In addition to any other prohibitions that may apply with respect to conflicts of interest, no key official of an actual or proposed recipient or sub-recipient, who is substantially involved in the proposal or project, may have been a former Federal employee who, within the last one (1) year, participated personally and substantially in the evaluation, award, or administration of an award with respect to that recipient or sub-recipient or in development of the requirement leading to the funding announcement.

(c) No actual or prospective recipient or sub-recipient may solicit, obtain, or use non-public information regarding the evaluation, award, or administration of an award to that recipient or sub-recipient or the development of a Federal financial assistance opportunity that may be of competitive interest to that recipient or sub-recipient.

3) Notification.

(a) Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 200.112, Conflicts of interest.

4) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by sub-recipients. Restrictions on Lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under this grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR Part 18 and 31 USC 1352.

5) Review Procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement, and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

6) Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for Noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR Part 180).

Other Information:

Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards.

Section C: Eligibility Information

Application Due Date: January 01, 2020, 1:00 pm, MT An applicant's failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of the application deadline will result in the application being excluded from consideration. This includes but is not limited to late and incomplete application packages.

1. Eligible Applicants In accordance with 54 U.S.C. § 101702(a), Transfer of Service Appropriated Funds, this funding opportunity is limited to state, local, or tribal government or other public entity, an educational institution, or a private nonprofit organization.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Non-Federal cost sharing is not required to be eligible for an award under this NOFO.

Section D: Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package An application package has been included within this NOFO for your convenience, found in Appendix A. The Application Package contains four mandatory forms, which must be submitted with your proposal, forms include: form SF-424 (Application for Financial Assistance), form SF-424A or C (Budget Information), form SF-424B or D (Assurances), and SF-LLL (Lobbying). The Application Package can also be accessed and downloaded from the Synopsis page of this announcement in Grants.gov.

2. Contents and Form of Application Submission You must complete the mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms, in accordance with the instructions below, as required by this NOFO. Do not include any proprietary or personally identifiable information. A complete application should include:

· Standard Form 424 (SF 424) - Application for Federal Assistance Complete this form as much as possible with all applicable information.

· Standard Form 424A or C (SF 424A/C) - Budget Information Applicants must provide an estimated cumulative budget for the total project in the proposal. The estimated budget must align with the projected scope of work presented in the application.

· Standard Form 424B or D (SF 424B/D) – Assurances This form must be signed and submitted with your application.

· Standard Form LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities In accordance with 43 C.F.R. § 18 and 31 U.S.C. § 1352 this form must be completed and signed if the amount of the Federal award is anticipated to exceed $100,000.00.

· Project Narrative - Proposal Submission Format The proposal is a narrative description that should specifically address each of the review criteria (see Section E). The proposal text must be no longer than 25 pages, no smaller than font size 11, and have 1-inch margins. The 25-page limit includes all text, figures, references, and resumes (Forms SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and the statement of indirect charges are not counted as part of the 25 page limit). Additionally, only information that is pertinent to the proposal should be included.

· Indirect Costs If your proposed budget includes indirect costs, the rate as proposed must meet the requirements of 2 CFR Part 200, Section 200.414 and 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix III through Appendix VII as applicable. A negotiated indirect cost rate agreement must be provided with your proposal. Proposals that fail to document their indirect costs may have those costs disallowed.

· Other Documents required by the Program - All applicants must provide a statement to identify whether or not any overlap exists between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated projects in terms of activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel, including any application that was submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal). If no overlap or duplication exists, a sample statement to satisfy this requirement might be: “[Insert Applicant Name] affirms that no overlap or duplication exists between the proposed project in this application and any other active or anticipated project in terms of activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel, including any application that was submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal).” If any overlap or duplication does exist, applicants must provide a description of the overlap including when the overlapping or duplicative proposal(s) were submitted, to whom (entity and program), and when funding decisions are expected to be announced. The statement and the description of overlap or duplication, when applicable, may be provided within the proposal or as a separate attachment to the application. If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be overlapping or duplicative of the funding requested from NPS, the applicant must immediately notify the NPS point of contact. Any overlap or duplication of funding between the proposed project and other active or anticipated projects may impact selection and/or funding amount.

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

(a) Other budget information

(b) Financial capability

(c) Evaluation of risk

(d) Name and phone number of the Designated Responsible Employee for complying with national policies prohibiting discrimination (See 43 C.F.R. § 17)

3. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Each applicant (unless exempt under 2 CFR §25.110) is required to:

(a) Be registered in SAM;

(b) Provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application (currently a DUNS number);

(c) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

Registration processes for SAM can be found at https://www.sam.gov

A financial assistance agreement will not be made with a non-Federal entity until the non-Federal entity has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If a non-Federal entity has not fully complied with the requirements by the time that an agreement is ready for award, a determination may be made that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award. That determination may be used as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

In addition, in order to submit an application through Grants.gov an applicant must have an active SAM registration and register for submission permissions through the Grants.gov website. Utilize the following link to guide you through this process: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

4. Submission Dates and Times Applicants are held responsible for their proposals being submitted to the National Park Service. Applications must be received by Thursday 1/30/20 at 1:00 pm MT. Applicants are encouraged to submit the application well before the deadline.

Application preparation time may take several weeks, so please start the application process as soon as possible. Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed or considered for award. If it is determined that a proposal was not considered due to lateness, the applicant will be notified during the selection process.

5. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” Applicants subject to EO 12372 must contact their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State’s process. The names and addresses of the SPOC’s are listed in the OMB’s home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/

6. Funding Restrictions Costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of a signed Federal award are only allowable with written approval by a Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

7. Other Submission Requirements Applications must be submitted by grants.gov to the National Park Service by the deadline identified in paragraph 4 above. Applications submitted by other means or not received by the deadline will not be considered.

In the event the applicant experiences technical difficulties with submitting their application, please contact: john_bechtold@nps.gov

START THIS PROCESS EARLY DON’T DELAY!

Section E: Application Review Information

1. Criteria NPS will evaluate and consider only those applications that separately address each of the merit review criteria. Each applicant is required to provide a detailed narrative, in accordance with section D.2., of the following criteria elements. It is HIGHLY recommended that the project narrative have sections labeled as follows:

Secretary of the Interior Priorities

Specific Details Identify which of the Secretary of the Interior priorities, noted in Section A, Program Description, your project aligns with, and provide detail as to how your project meets the priorities.

Criterion 2

Diverse youth

Provide detail on how the project includes youth of diverse backgrounds and abilities who might not otherwise have access to these opportunities, such as youth from low-income families, with physical impairments, or who are from underserved communities.

Criterion 3

Recreation

Provide detail on your proposed outdoor recreation activities, and identify candidate parks where activities will take place. For these activities, include additional information on what is needed to accommodate a diverse population of youth as described in Criterion 2, and to advance NPS objectives such as resource conservation and public access. For example:

· Are ADA compliant facilities or pathways needed?

· Are mobility devices or 508-compliant materials required?

· Are auxiliary aides and services needed to communicate with people who have communication disabilities?

· Will special arrangements be needed to transport students to and from the park?

· In order to reduce noise and outdoor light, will best practices be incorporated that reduce the need for, or amount of, motorized vehicle use (e.g., time of day, number of trips, type of vehicle, etc.)?

· In order to advance NPS objectives for resource conservation, will activities be included such as star gazing, moonlight hikes, snowshoeing, hiking, rafting, cross-country skiing, etc.?

Please list any third party contractors that will be used to conduct the activities, such as outfitters, rafting companies, guides, language interpreters including sign language.

Criterion 4

Science

Explain how the project will promote an understanding of the science, technology, and best practices used for protecting natural sounds and night skies as natural and cultural resources in national parks. Describe how the programming can be made accessible to youth with physical impairments such as hearing or visual impairments if these youth participate.

Criterion 5

Service

Explain how the project includes a service-oriented component that will promote resource stewardship and emphasize conservation and management of natural sounds and night skies, including reduction of noise and excessive outdoor lighting. Given that noise and outdoor light can impact parks from many miles away, the service component does not need to be implemented in the park; it could be a post-expedition project that benefits parks by empowering students as ambassadors for resource protection (e.g., educating their schools, hometown, business, non-government organizations, etc. on, or designing a program with, steps that can be taken to reduce noise or excessive outdoor lighting in gateway communities, home communities, schools, businesses, etc.)

2. Review and Selection Process NPS personnel, and in some cases independent reviewers, will review all proposals. All proposals for funding will be considered using the criteria outlined above. A summary of the review panel comments may be provided to the applicant if requested.

a. Initial Review Prior to conducting the comprehensive merit review, an initial review will be performed to determine whether: (1) the applicant is eligible for an award; (2) the information required by the NOFO has been submitted; (3) all mandatory requirements of the NOFO are satisfied; and (4) the proposed project is responsive to the program objectives of the NOFO (program determination). If an applicant fails to meet the requirements or objectives of the NOFO, or does not provide sufficient information for review, the applicant will be considered non-responsive and eliminated from further review.

b. Comprehensive Merit Review All applications that satisfactorily pass the initial review will be eligible for the Comprehensive Merit Review. Each criteria element will be scored on a 0-10 point scale:

The following numerical rating values may be assigned: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0.

The scoring of each criterion must be based on the strengths and weaknesses of the application narrative. To assist in assigning an appropriate score, the following will be used as a guideline:

c. Selection The Selection Official may consider the merit review recommendation, program policy factors, and the amount of funds available to select applications for funding.

d. Discussions and Award The Government may enter into discussions with a selected applicant for any reason deemed necessary, including, but not limited to: (1) only a portion of the application is selected for award; (2) the Government needs additional information to determine that the applicant is capable of complying with the requirements of DOI Financial Assistance Regulations, and/or (3) additional specific terms and conditions are required. Failure to satisfactorily resolve the issues identified by the Government may preclude award to the applicant.

3. Evaluation of Applicant Risk In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.205, applications selected for funding will be subject to a pre-award risk assessment which may include a review of information contained within the applicant’s proposal, past audits, Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), and/or past performance on previous Federal financial assistance awards. Negative information that leads to an applicant being designated as “Medium Risk” or “High Risk” may result in specific conditions, as identified in 2 C.F.R. § 200.207, being incorporated into the final award.

Prior to making a Federal award, any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance (currently FAPIIS) will be reviewed and considered (see 41 U.S.C. § 2313). Applicants may review and comment about any information about itself in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 C.F.R. §200.205

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices Upon being selected for the award, successful applicants will receive a notification of the selection of their application for funding. NPS will notify the applicant selected for award by 4/1/20. A notice of selection is not an authorization to begin performance on an agreement. This notice will detail the next steps in the awarding process. Once all clearances and reviews have been conducted, a cooperative agreement will be sent for signature.

Work cannot begin before the non-Federal entity receives a fully executed copy of the cooperative agreement which contains the signature of the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer. Any pre-award costs incurred prior to the receipt of a signed agreement or written notice signed by a Financial Assistance Awarding Officer authorizing pre-award costs, is at the applicant’s own risk. A signed cooperative agreement signed by a Financial Assistance Awarding Officer is the only authorizing document to begin performance.

Organizations whose applications have not been selected will be advised as promptly as possible.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) By accepting Federal financial assistance, the non-Federal entity agrees to abide by the applicable Federal regulations in the expenditure of Federal funds and performance under this program: 2 C.F.R. Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements For Federal Awards

b. Standard Award Terms and Conditions Acceptance of a Federal financial assistance award from the Department of the Interior carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of the award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer. All financial assistance awards are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference in the award document. Code of Federal Regulations/Regulatory Requirements, as applicable, are listed within Appendix B of this announcement (Contact the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer with any questions regarding the applicability of any terms and conditions).

· 2 C.F.R. Part 175 - Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000

· 2 C.F.R. Parts 182 & 1401 - Government-wide Requirements for a Drug-Free Workplace

· 2 C.F.R. Parts 180 & 1400 - Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement)

· 43 CFR. 18 - Restrictions on Lobbying

c. Order of Precedence Any inconsistency in the agreement shall be resolved by giving precedence in the following order: (a) Any national policy requirements and administrative management standards; (b) 2 C.F.R. Part 200, in its entirety; (c) requirements of the applicable OMB Circulars and Treasury regulations; (d) special terms and conditions; (e) all agreement sections, documents, exhibits, and attachments; (f) and the non-Federal Entity’s project proposal.

d. Modifications The agreement may be modified by written agreement signed by both the non-Federal entity’s Authorized Representative and the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer. Administrative changes (i.e. Financial Assistance Awarding Officer name change, etc.) which do not change the statement of work, agreement amount, etc., or otherwise affect the non-Federal entity may be signed unilaterally by the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer. Additionally, a unilateral modification may be utilized if it should become necessary to impose remedies for non- compliance, suspension or termination of the agreement in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Section 200.338 – 200.342.

All other changes shall be made by means of a bilateral modification to the agreement. No oral statement made by any person, or written statement by any person other than the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer shall be allowed in any manner or degree to modify or otherwise effect the terms of the agreement.

e. Payments All applicants must be registered in the System for Awards Management (SAM) prior to award under this NOFO. Instructions for registering for SAM are located at http://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM. All applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times while they have an active Federal award or an application under consideration.

All applicants must also be registered with, and willing to process all payments through, the Department of the Treasury Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system. All non-Federal entities with active NPS financial assistance agreements must be enrolled in ASAP under the appropriate Agency Location Code(s) (ALC) and the Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number prior to the award of funds. If a non-Federal has multiple DUNS numbers they must separately enroll within ASAP for each unique DUNS Number and/or Agency. Note that if your entity is currently enrolled in the ASAP system with an agency other than NPS, you must enroll specifically with NPS in order to process payments.

f. Funding Restrictions All funding is contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funds by the United States Congress.

g. Cost Principles:

Costs must be allowable in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles referenced in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E – Cost Principles.

h. Pre-award Costs:

Must comply with 2 CFR Part 200.458 and requires written approval from the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

3. Reporting

a. Financial Status Reports:

A report of expenditures is required as documentation of the financial status of awards according to the official accounting records of the non-Federal entity. The financial information will be reported by completing and submitting the Federal Financial Report (FFR), SF425. At a minimum, financial reports will be required annually and shall be submitted within 90 calendar days after the end of the annual reporting period. The Financial Assistance Awarding Officer may designate a reporting schedule requiring more frequent reporting based on the assessment of risk. The reporting requirements will be defined within the task agreements issued under a master cooperative agreement. A final FFR shall be submitted no more than 90 calendar days after the end date of the agreement.

The FFR can be downloaded at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/standard_forms/ffr.pdf

The NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer will review the report for patterns of cash expenditures and assess whether performance or financial management problems exist. Before submitting the FFR to the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer, the non-Federal entity must ensure that the information submitted is accurate, complete, and consistent with the non-Federal entity’s accounting system. The non-Federal entity’s Authorized Certifying Official’s signature on the FFR certifies that the information in the FFR is correct and complete and that all outlays and obligations are for the purposes set forth in the agreement documents, and represents a claim to the Federal Government. Filing a false claim may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

b. Performance Reports:

A report of performance is required as documentation of performance towards the accomplishments of the Federal award and detailing project activity and participant profile information. At a minimum, performance reports will be required annually and shall be submitted within 90 calendar days after the end of the annual reporting period. The Financial Assistance Awarding Officer may designate a reporting schedule requiring more frequent reporting based on the assessment of risk. The reporting requirements will be defined within the task agreements issued under master cooperative agreements. A final performance report shall be submitted no more than 90 calendar days after the end date of the agreement.

In accordance with 2 C.F.R. 200 § 200.328, the performance reports shall contain brief information on:

(1) A comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives of the Federal award established for the period. Where the accomplishments of the Federal award can be quantified, a computation of the cost (for example, related to units of accomplishment) may be required if that information will be useful. Where performance trend data and analysis would be informative to the Federal awarding agency program, the Federal awarding agency should include this as a performance reporting requirement;

(2) The reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and

(3) Additional pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs.

Before submitting the performance report to the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer, the non-Federal entity must ensure that the information submitted is accurate, complete, and consistent with the non-Federal entity’s Federal financial report. Filing false information may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

c. Non-Compliance:

Failure to comply with the reporting requirements contained in an agreement may be considered a material non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the award. Non-compliance may result in withholding of future payments, suspension or termination of the agreement, recovery of funds paid under the agreement, and the withholding of future awards. The specific information regarding type, frequency and means of submission of post-Federal award reporting requirements will be contained in the award document.

Section G: Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

Questions and Requests pertaining to this Notice of Funding Opportunity shall be submitted to:

Name:

John Bechtold

Section H: Other Information:

1. Program Information

a. This is a new program supported by the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division.

b. Information about the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1050/index.htm .

2. Proprietary and Personally Identifiable Information

a. Notice of Potential Disclosure under Freedom of Information Act Applicants should be advised that identifying information regarding all applicants, including applicant names and/or points of contact, may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, whether or not such applicants are selected for negotiation of award. Applicants must identify any proprietary information within their applications.

b. Personally Identifiable Information In responding to this NOFO, applicants must ensure that Protected Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not included in the following documents: Project Abstract, Project Narrative, Biographical Sketches, Budget or Budget Justification. These documents will be used by the Merit Review Committee in the review process to evaluate each application. PII is defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as:

Any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, etc., including any other personal information that is linked or linkable to an individual. This definition of PII can be further defined as: (1) Public PII and (2) Protected PII.

Public PII:

PII found in public sources such as telephone books, public websites, business cards, university listing, etc. Public PII includes first and last name, address, work telephone number, email address, home telephone number, and general education credentials.

Protected PII:

PII that requires enhanced protection. This information includes data that if compromised could cause harm to an individual such as identity theft.

3. Routine Notices to Applicants

a. Modification or Changes to the Notice of Funding Opportunity Notices of any modifications to this NOFO will be posted on Grants.gov. You can receive an email when a modification or an announcement message is posted. When you download the application at Grants.gov; you can also register to receive notifications of changes through Grants.gov.

b. Government Right to Reject or Negotiate NPS reserves the right, without qualification, to reject any or all applications received in response to this announcement and to select any application, in whole or in part, as a basis for negotiation and/or award.

c. Evaluation and Administration by Non-Federal Personnel In conducting the merit review evaluation, the Government may seek the advice of qualified non-Federal personnel as reviewers. The Government may also use non-Federal personnel to conduct routine, nondiscretionary administrative activities. The applicant, by submitting its application, consents to the use of non-Federal reviewers/administrators. Non-Federal reviewers must sign conflict of interest and non-disclosure agreements prior to reviewing an application. Non-Federal personnel conducting administrative activities must sign a nondisclosure agreement.

d. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability NPS reserves the right to conduct an independent third party review of financial capability for applicants that are selected for negotiation of award (including personal credit information of principal(s) of a small business if there is insufficient information to determine financial capability of the organization).

Appendix A - Application Package Forms SF 424, SF 424A, SF 424B

Appendix B - NPS Standard and Special Award Terms and Conditions

This appendix provides the standard and special terms and conditions for financial assistance agreements awarded by the National Park Service to assist applicants in developing proposals in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. It is the responsibility of the non-Federal entity to review the final terms and conditions incorporated into any resulting financial assistance agreement at the time of award as the terms and conditions in this appendix are subject to change based on executive orders, changes to regulations, or changes to policy. Additional award specific terms and conditions may also be included in any resulting financial assistance agreement based on program requirements or evaluation of applicant risk.

1. PAYMENT

A. Projects will be funded, subject to the availability of funds, by issuance of a grant agreement, cooperative agreement, or master cooperative agreement with subsequent task agreements. An agreement issued and signed by the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer obligates NPS funds. Notification of a successful proposal does not constitute authority to incur costs. Once the grant agreement, cooperative agreement, and subsequent task agreements (if applicable) for a successful proposal has been signed by the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer, the recipient may incur costs as specified in the approved budget submittal.

B. Method of Payment. Payment will be made by advance and/or reimbursement through the Department of Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system.

1. Requesting Advances. Requests for advances must be submitted via the ASAP system. Requests may be submitted as frequently as required to meet the needs of the Financial Assistance (FA) Recipient to disburse funds for the Federal share of project costs. If feasible, each request should be timed so that payment is received on the same day that the funds are dispersed for direct project costs and/or the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. If same–day transfers are not feasible, advance payments must be as close to actual disbursements as administratively feasible.

2. Requesting Reimbursement. Requests for reimbursements must be submitted via the ASAP system. Requests for reimbursement should coincide with normal billing patterns. Each request must be limited to the amount of disbursements made for the Federal share of direct project costs and the proportionate share of allowable indirect costs incurred during that billing period.

3. Adjusting Payment Requests for Available Cash. Funds that are available from repayments to, and interest earned on, a revolving fund, program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries, credits, discounts, and interest earned on any of those funds must be disbursed before requesting additional cash payments.

4. Bank Accounts. All payments are made through electronic funds transfer to the bank account identified in the ASAP system by the FA…