Q A April 5 2018 - FINAL for Posting.docx

Questions and Answers - April 5, 2018

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BUREAU OF HUMAN RESOURCES

OFFICE OF RECRUITMENT, EXAMINATION AND EMPLOYMENT

2019 THOMAS R. PICKERING FOREIGN AFFAIRS GRADUATE

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY #: SFOP0004203

1. Will staff be considered “fully dedicated” to the program if split across multiple Pickering cohorts, assuming future cohorts are awarded to the same awardee?

A staff member is considered fully dedicated if his/her total LOE is devoted 100% to Pickering program. First, the recipient would have to determine the level of effort (LOE) needed under the award, e.g., if it is 20% LOE, then the same individual can be assigned to other awards* as long as total LOE does not exceed 100%.

*the 100% LOE requirement applies to both federal and non-federal projects that an individual may be assigned to within the organization.

2. May the grantee reimburse Fellows for alternative lodging if a Fellow prefers to arrange their own lodging for domestic internships?

The Recipient may reimburse a Fellow for alternate lodging if a Fellow prefers to arrange his/her lodging for the domestic internships as long as the reimbursement amount does not exceed what is budgeted for grantee/participant arranged lodging.

3. Does the 5-15 page limit for attachments mentioned on page 4 of the PSIs encompass all attachments, or only the mandatory attachments?

It applies to additional, non-mandatory attachments. DOS encourages applicants to limit the number of attachments, such as letters of endorsement, to the minimum or provide the names of entities that support the applicant without attaching the documents.

4. We are in the process of applying for a negotiated indirect cost rate and we have a preliminary proposal with a Modified Total Direct Costs rate. We would like to include this rate in our proposal, understanding that if we were to be awarded the agreement, we will not request reimbursement from DOS for any indirect costs until we have a signed indirect cost rate agreement. Will this impact our proposal score if our indirect cost rate is not yet approved?

No, it would not impact the evaluation. It depends on how far you are in the negotiation process. Should your organization opt for the 10% de minimus, it would be applied throughout the life of the award. Please note that you cannot alternate between a NICRA rate and the 10% de minimus. DOS reserves the rights to request additional information, such as when the indirect cost (IC) proposal was submitted/or received by the cognizant agency. Final approval of which IC rate to apply to the award would reside with the DOS Grants Officer.