PKG00257415-instructions.pdf

DWFP PROPOSAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Proposal documents as described in these guidelines shall be submitted through grants.gov. Full proposals will only be accepted from those potential recipients that have submitted a pre-proposal and have been requested in writing to submit a full proposal. Any difficulties in submission should be addressed to Richard Totten at richard.w.totten2.civ@mail.mil. Note that sufficient data is required to determine costs reasonable.

A. FORMATTING GUIDELINES

The proposal must be clear and legible. Attachments must conform to the following guidelines:

1. Type Font: 12 point, 10 pitch (Times New Roman is strongly recommended).

2. Type Density: No more than 15 characters per inch (including spaces).

(For proportional spacing, the average for any representative section of text should not exceed either 15 characters per inch or 114 characters per line.)

3. Spacing: Single-spaced between lines of text, no more than five lines of type within a vertical inch

4. Margins: Minimum of 0.5 on all sides.

5. Color, Resolution and Multimedia Objects: Proposals may include color, high resolution, or multimedia objects (e.g., MPEG, WAV, or AVI files) embedded in the PDF files;

however, these objects must not exceed 15 seconds in length and a size of 10 megabytes (MB). Since some reviewers work from black and white printed copies, applicants may wish to include text in the proposal directing the reviewer to the electronic file for parts of the proposal that may be difficult to interpret when printed in black and white. Photographs and illustrations, etc. must be submitted in JPEG format only (no bitmaps or TIFF).

6. Acronyms: Spell out all acronyms the first time they are used. One page following the proposal body is allocated to spell out acronyms, abbreviations and symbols.

7. Language: English

8. Print Area: 7.5 x 10.0 inches (approximately 19.05 cm x 25.4 cm)

B. MANDATORY PROPOSAL FORMS.

Each submission must include the completed package of forms identified in grants.gov.

mailto:richard.w.totten2.civ@mail.mil

1. The SF 424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance (sf424v2_508.pdf) is required for each application. All appropriate information must be entered into this form to allow for auto-population of all subsequent forms in this application package. The form is self-explanatory, with the following exceptions:

• Applicant Identifier box should be filled in with the submitting Institution’s Control

Number, if applicable. The Institution’s Office of Sponsored Research should be contacted to determine whether the organization has an Institution Control Number. If there is no Institution Control Number, this field should be left blank.

• State Application Identifier is not applicable.

• Block 1 – Type of Submission. For all submissions the “Application” box should be chosen. For substantial changes that must be made after the original submission, the complete application package must be resubmitted. In these cases, the “Changed/Corrected Application” box must be checked.

• Block 3 – Date Received by State is not applicable

• Block 4 – Federal Identifier Box. NA

• Block 12 – Proposed Project. The start date should be 3 months from the deadline for proposal submission for this award mechanism.

• Block 13 – Congressional Districts Of. NA

• Block 16 – Is Application Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process? NA

• Block 19 – Authorized Representative. The “signature of AOR” is not an actual signature and is automatically completed upon submission of the electronic application package. Hard copies of applications will not be accepted.

• Block 20 – Pre-application is not applicable.

2. Research & Related Budget (RR_Budge-V1.4.pdf)– An estimate of the total research project cost, with a breakdown by category and year, must accompany each full proposal. All costs must be entered in U.S. dollars. Recipients performing outside of the U.S. should include the cost in local currency, the rate used for converting to U.S dollars and justification/basis for the conversion rate used. Multiple year proposals are encouraged to cover the total estimated duration of the project.

Incremental funds may be provided by DWFP for effort performed during each Federal fiscal year.

Costs proposed must conform to 2 CFR Part 200 regulations and principles.

Section A & B – Senior/Key Person: The basis for labor costs should be predicated upon actual labor rates or salaries. Budget estimates may be adjusted upward to forecast salary or wage cost-of-living increases that will occur during the period-of-performance. The proposal should separately identify and explain the ratio applied to base salary/wage for cost-of-living adjustments and merit increases in the budget justification (Section K)

The qualifications of the PI and the percentage of time that they and other professional personnel will devote to the research are important factors in selecting research proposals for funding. For each key staff member identified on the budget form, list the percentage of each appointment to be spent on this project.

Section C – Equipment Description: An itemized list of permanent equipment is required, showing the cost for each item. Permanent equipment is any article of nonexpendable tangible property having a useful life of more than two years and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. The justification for the cost of each item of equipment included in the budget must be disclosed to include:

(1) Vendor Quote: Show name of vendor and number of quotes received and justification if intended award is to other than the lowest bidder.

(2) Historical Cost: Identify vendor, date of purchase and whether or not cost represented the lowest bid. Include release(s) for not soliciting current quotes.

(3) Estimate: Include rationale for estimate and reasons for not soliciting current quotes.

(4) Special test equipment to be fabricated by the contractor for specific research purposes and its cost.

(5) Standard equipment to be acquired and modified to meet specific requirements, including acquisition and modification costs, listing separately.

(6) Existing equipment to be modified to meet specific research requirements, including modification costs. Do not include as special test equipment those items of equipment that, if purchased by the contractor with contractor funds, would be capitalized for Federal income tax purposes.

Section D - Travel: The justification supporting travel costs should list the number of trips, number of people per trip, the destinations and the purpose for all proposed travel annually. Estimate round trip fare and per diem costs for each trip. Travel to scientific meetings requires identification of the specific meeting and purpose. The number of trips funded for scientific meeting is limited. Travel outside the United States, including between foreign countries, requires prior approval from the Program Office at least 90 days before travel.

Section E – Participant/Trainee Support Costs: This section is self-explanatory.

Section F. Other Direct Costs

Section F.1. – Materials and Supplies (Consumables): The justification supporting materials and supplies (consumable) costs should include a general description of expendable equipment and supplies. If animals are to be purchased, state the species, strain (if applicable) and the number to be used. If human cell lines are to be purchased, state the source and the description.

Section F.2. – Publication Costs: This section is self-explanatory.

Section F.3. – Consultant Services: Regardless of whether funds are requested, the justification should include the names and organizational affiliations of all consultants. State the daily consultant fee, travel expenses, nature of the consulting effort, and why consultants are required for the proposed research project.

Section F.4. – ADP/Computer Services: This section is self-explanatory.

Section F.5. – Subaward/Consortium/Contractual Costs: The cost justification must include a description of services or materials that are to be awarded by subcontract or sub grant. The following information must be provided on sub awards totaling $10,000 or more:

a. Identification of the type of award to be used (e.g., cost reimbursement, fixed price);

b. Identification of the proposed subcontractor or sub grantee, if known, and an explanation of why and how the subcontractor or sub grantee was selected or will be selected;

c. Whether the award will be competitive and, if noncompetitive, rationale to justify the absence of competition; and

d. The proposed acquisition price.

e. The offeror’s cost or price analysis for the sub grant or subcontract proposed price (applicable only if the award exceeds $150,000).

Section F.6. – Equipment or Facility Rental/User Fees: This section is self-explanatory.

Section F.7. – Alterations and Renovations: This section is self-explanatory.

Section F (8 – 10) – Research-Related Subject Costs: Include Itemize costs of subject participation in the research study. These costs are strictly limited to expenses specifically associated with the proposed study. The DWFP will not provide funds for ongoing medical care costs that are not related to a subject’s participation in the research study.

Section F (8 – 10) – Other Direct Cost (if applicable): Include other anticipated direct costs that are not specified elsewhere in the budget. Unusual or expensive items should be fully explained and justified.

Section G. – Direct Costs: This section is self-explanatory.

Section H – Indirect Costs (overhead, general and administrative, and other):

As a minimum, justification for indirect costs should be provided.

Section I. – Total Direct and Indirect Costs: This section is self-explanatory.

Section J. – Budget Justification: The Budget Justification must be included as an attachment at Research & Related Budget – Section K for each research period.

Organizations must provide sufficient detail and justification so that the Government can determine the proposed costs to be allocable and reasonable for the proposed research effort. Attach one file that addresses each of the cost elements proposed.

The budget justification must include information for all budget periods, providing sufficient details to establish reasonableness of the proposed budget. High level descriptions may not be adequate. This file must be uploaded for budget period one before you will be allowed to access subsequent budget periods.

3. Research & Related Project/Performance Site Location(s) (RR_PerformanceSite-V1.1.pdf)– Include the names and addresses for each location where research will be performed for the proposal. If a portion of the work will be performed at any other site(s), include the name and address for each collaborating location in the data fields provided. If more than eight performance site locations are proposed, provide the requested information in a separate file and attach to this form.

Please note that each additional research site requesting funds will require a subcontract budget.

4. Research & Related Key Person Profile (Expanded) V2.0.pdf): Include the requested information for each senior/key person proposed on the project and a current biographical sketch and current & pending support on which this person is working or proposed. The list of Current/Pending Support should be attached in MS Word format and should include the title, time commitments, supporting agency and level of funding for all existing and pending research projects involving the PI and key personnel. Provide justification for DWFP support and interest where the projects overlap or parallel. For full proposal submissions from institutions of higher education, the package shall include an SF 424 Research and Related Personal Data and Research and Related Key/Senior Profile (Expanded) form. This form includes data fields for PI and co-PI characteristics such as gender, degree type, and degree year. Information provided is voluntary, however the expanded form must be submitted. The data collected is to identify women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The personal data provided will not be viewed by technical evaluators, nor made available to the public.

5. Research & Related Other Project Information (RR_OtherProjectInfo- V1.4.pdf): This form is self-explanatory. The following information must be included as attachments to this form:

Blocks 1 - 6: This section is self-explanatory in addressing the use of human subjects, the use of animals, proprietary information and environmental impact of the research.

Block 7.–Project Summary/Abstract: The abstract is vitally important to both the peer and programmatic review process. The programmatic review includes an evaluation of the abstract as part of the peer review summary statement;

therefore, it is paramount that the investigator submits an abstract that fully describes the proposed work. The abstract must contain the title of the proposal and the name of the PI. Do not include figures or tables in the abstract. Spell out all Greek or other non-English letters. Abstracts of all funded proposals may be posted; therefore, proprietary or confidential information should not be included http://www.grants.gov/ in the abstract.

The structured technical abstract should provide a clear and concise overview of the proposed work, including the background, objective, or hypothesis and its supporting rationale, significance of the proposed work to the program’s goals, specific aims of the study and the study design.

An outline is provided below for preparing the structured technical abstract.

a. Background: Provide a brief statement of the ideas and reasoning behind the proposed work.

b. Objective/Hypothesis: State the objective/hypothesis to be tested.

Provide evidence or rationale that supports the objective/hypothesis.

c. Specific Aims: State concisely the specific aims of the study.

d. Study Design: Briefly describe the study design.

e. Relevance: Provide a brief statement explaining the potential relevance of the proposed work to the specific topic area being addressed and its impact on health outcomes.

Block 8 – Project Narrative (limit 21 pages) – The Project Narrative includes the statement of work and the body of the proposal – in that order. There is no form for this information. The attachments should be in MS Word, in accordance with the formatting guidelines specified for full proposal preparation.

SOW - The Statement of Work (SOW) is the section of a research award that outlines and establishes the PI and an organization’s performance expectations for which DWFP may provide funding. Unlike the general objectives which are agreed to in a grant or cooperative agreement, the contract SOW sets rather specific goals and conditions for each year of the contracted project. The PI and contractor are expected to meet the provisions and milestones of the SOW. (The SOW may be incorporated into the award document and, as such, is subject to release under FOIA.)

A series of relatively short statements should be included which comprise the approach to each of the major goals or objectives of the proposed research. The statements should outline the specific tasks, systems and materials that are reasonable estimates for testing the proposed hypotheses of the study. An outline should be included which shows the work statements to be accomplished in each year of the award. The SOW for a three-year research effort should not exceed one page of single-spaced typing.

BODY OF PROPOSAL - A detailed description of the research to be undertaken should be submitted. This will include background, hypothesis, objectives, approach, methods, and their relationship to the state of knowledge in the field and to comparable work in progress elsewhere. This information should not exceed 20 pages. Evaluation of the proposed research will be influenced by the adequacy of this information. Literature references and curriculum vitae will be shown in separate addenda entries. The following general outline should be followed:

1. Background. Provide a brief statement of ideas and reasoning behind the proposed study. Describe previous experience most pertinent to this proposal. Cite relevant literature references;

2. Hypothesis. State the hypothesis to be tested and the expected results;

3. Technical Objectives. State concisely the question to be answered by each research objective;

4. Project Milestones: Identify time-lines for critical events that must be accomplished in order for the project to be successful in terms of cost, schedule and performance.

5. Military Significance. State precisely the estimates as to the immediate and/or long-range usefulness of this study to the Armed Forces, as distinguished from general advancement of knowledge in medicine.

6. Public Purpose. NA

7. Methods. Give details about the experimental design and methodology. If the methodology is new or unusual, describe in sufficient detail for evaluation. For synthetic chemistry proposals include a clear statement of the rationale for the proposed syntheses. Outline and document the routes to the syntheses; and, Block 9 – Bibliography & References Cited. List the references in the order they appear in the proposal narrative. Use a reference format, which gives the title of the citation. Do not send or attach copies of articles in print. There is no form for this information. The attachments should be in MS Word, in accordance with the formatting guidelines specified for full proposal preparation.

Block 10 – Facilities & Other Resources. Describe the facilities available for performance of the proposed request and any additional facilities or equipment proposed for acquisition at no cost to DWFP. Indicate if Government-owned facility or equipment is proposed for use. Reference should be made to the original or present contract under which the facilities or equipment items are now accountable. There is no form for this information. The attachments should be in MS Word, in accordance with the formatting guidelines outlined for full proposal preparation.

Block 11 – Equipment: Include a description of existing equipment to be used for the proposed research project. There is no form for this information. The attachments should be in MS Word, in accordance with the formatting guidelines outlined for full proposal preparation.

Block 12 – Other Attachments. Include other items appropriate to the proposal.

Acronyms and Symbol Definition. Provide a glossary of acronyms and symbols, which might not be familiar to reviewers who are not current in the proposal, and research area.

Collaboration and Joint Sponsorship. Provide letter(s) supporting stated collaborative efforts, which are provided at no cost, and are necessary for the project's success. Describe present or prospective joint sponsorship of any portion of the program outlined in the proposal. In the absence of agreements among sponsors for joint support, the proposal should be structured so that the research can be carried out without the resources of any other sponsor. If, however, it is desirable to request partial support from another agency, the proposed plan should be stated and the reasons documented. If the plan cannot be formulated at the time the proposal is submitted, information should be sent later as an addendum to the proposal. Prior approval from both agencies must be secured for research to be undertaken under joint sponsorship.

Research Involving Human Subjects and/or Anatomical Substances. Research Awards funded by the DWFP require a second tier review for the use of human subjects, the use of human data, and the use of human anatomical substances prior to implementation. Therefore, the PI must address all pertinent issues relating to the use of human subjects in the proposed research. Include the required approvals, forms and information as specified on the Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) website:

https://mrmc.amedd.army.mil/assets/docs/orp/HSRRBPoliciesAndProcedures.doc. Research Involving Human Subjects and/or anatomical substances. Full proposals may be submitted without protocols for human use. However, protocols and required institution approvals must be submitted not later than 60 days after award to ensure continuation of payments.

The contracting office may grant exceptions in situations where human use is not expected to occur until after the first year of the research project. In such cases, a time frame for submission of the appropriate protocols should be established during discussion/negotiations.

Research Involving Animals. Research Awards funded by the DWFP require a second tier review for the use of animals prior to implementation. Therefore, the PI must address all pertinent issues relating to the use of animals in the proposed research. Include the required assurances, approvals, forms and description in the proposal addenda entitled “Research Involving Animals,” as specified on the Animal Care and Use Review Office (ACURO) website https://mrmc.amedd.army.mil/index.cfm?pageid=research_protections.acuroAnimalappendix.

Research conducted under DWFP sponsorship that generates preclinical safety data intended to support a research or marketing permit for products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration must be in conformance with the Good Laboratory Practices. Full proposals may be submitted without protocols for animal use; however, protocols and required institution approvals must be submitted not later than 60 days after award to ensure continuation of payments. The contracting office may grant exceptions in situations where animal use is not expected to occur until after the first year of the research project. In such cases, a time frame for submission of the appropriate protocols should be established during discussion/negotiations.

Multimedia Objects, Photographs, Illustrations, Graphs, etc. Proposals may include color, high resolution, or multimedia objects (e.g., MPEG, WAV, or AVI files) embedded in the PDF files; however, these objects must not exceed 15 seconds in length and a size of 10 megabytes (MB). Since some reviewers work from black and white printed copies, applicants may wish to include text in the proposal directing the reviewer to the electronic file for parts of the proposal that may be difficult to interpret when printed in black and white. Photographs and illustrations, graphs etc. must be submitted in Microsoft Office or JPEG format only (no bitmaps or TIFF).

Other. Include in this section, any other documentation not specified elsewhere, that supports the research proposed and could influence the evaluation and selection process.

6. R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form (optional form; use if applicable) Please note that the files to be attached to the R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form must be pdf documents. Extract an R&R Subaward Budget Attachment for each subaward, using the button provided on this form. Save each attachment to your computer and complete the form(s).

The Budget Justification for each subaward must be attached as a PDF file named “Justification_LastName.pdf” (where “LastName is the investigator of the subaward) to the Research & Related Budget – Section K for that subaward. Each subaward budget justification must include information for all budget periods. This file must be uploaded for budget period one before you will be allowed to access subsequent budget periods for the subaward. Once all subaward budget files are completed, attach all subaward budget file(s) for this application to the R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form.

The DUNS number for each subaward site should be included on this form (if other than https://mrmc.amedd.army.mil/assets/docs/orp/HSRRBPoliciesAndProcedures.doc https://mrmc.amedd.army.mil/index.cfm?pageid=research_protections.acuroAnimalappendix

Government).

A description of services or materials that are to be awarded by subcontract or subgrant is required. Organizations must provide sufficient detail and justification so that the Government can determine the proposed costs to be allocable and reasonable for the proposed research effort. The following information must be provided on subawards totaling $10,000 or more:

• Identification of the type of award to be used (e.g., cost reimbursement, fixed price);

• Identification of the proposed subcontractor or subgrantee, if known, and an explanation of why and how the subcontractor or subgrantee was selected or will be selected;

• Whether the award will be competitive and, if noncompetitive, rationale to justify the absence of competition; and

• The proposed acquisition price.

• The applicant’s cost or price analysis for the subgrant or subcontract proposed price

(applicable only if the award exceeds $150,000).