NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

FOR

The Science, Mathematics and Research for

Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service

Program Cooperative Agreement

W911NF-27-R-A001

ISSUED BY:

U.S. Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground Research

Triangle Park Division on behalf of Army Research Office and the

Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (Science & Technology Foundations Office)

Issued: 30 September 2026 Application Inquiries and Questions (Deadline): 24 November 2026 Applications Due: 3 December 2026

Table of Contents

I. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. Required Overview Content

B. Additional Overview Information

II. DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. Program Description

B. Federal Award Information

C. Eligibility Information

D. Application and Submission Information

E. Proposal Review Information

F. Award Administration Information

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

H. Other Information

I. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. Required Overview Content

Agency Name Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E))

Issuing Acquisition Office U.S. Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, Research Triangle Park (ACC- APG-RTP) Division

Opportunity Title The Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program

Announcement Type This is the initial announcement.

Opportunity Number

W911NF-27-R-A001

Assistance Listing Number (ALN) and Title

12.631 – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Program:

Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART)

Response Dates Applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 3 December 2026.

The following is an estimated summary of the events and dates associated with the SMART Cooperative Agreement (CA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO):

EVENT DATE

Public Announcement Issued 30 September 2026 Opportunity Day 29 October 2026 Application Inquiries and Questions Deadline 24 November 2026 Applications Due 3 December 2026 Evaluations Completed 12 February 2027 Award 3 June 2027

Opportunity Day will be held virtually on 29 October 2026 from 1300 to 1600 EST. To register, email osw.smart@mail.mil with subject heading W911NF-27-R-A001 Opportunity Day. More details will be provided prior to the event.

Funding The NOFO issued is subject to the availability of funds. The NOFO provides the estimated funding levels for the CA. The Government has submitted the requisite documents to request mailto:osw.smart@mail.mil.

funding for the period covered by the CA; however, applicants are reminded that this request is subject to Presidential, Congressional and Departmental approval. The funding levels provided in the NOFO are for application preparation purposes only. The actual funding level of the CA will be updated annually as part of the appropriation process.

Cost Share or Matching Cost sharing or matching is not required for this NOFO.

Profit/Fee Profit/fee is not permitted under the CA.

Place of Performance Historically the SMART Scholarship Program has had an estimated amount of 50-60 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) to provide support under the SMART CA. This is a historical figure. The Applicant will use their own understanding of the fundamental elements to develop their proposed level of effort.

At least four (4) of these FTEs will liaise with the Department of War (DoW) Components (Army, Navy, Air Force, and 4th Estate). Though there is no requirement for these DoW Component liaisons to be physically located on-site at a DoW facility, they should be eligible to obtain Common Access Cards (CACs) and access DoW networks, if required. Work for the remainder of the personnel shall be performed at the Recipient’s facility or another authorized location.

B. Additional Overview Information

Short Description of Funding Opportunity The DoW seeks innovative applications to cooperatively partner with eligible entities in the implementation and execution of the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program1. The Department intends to award ONE (1) CA award, with a maximum award of up to $1,300M over a ten-year period of performance.

Background Information The National Defense Education Program (NDEP) supports the Department's priorities to improve lethality, warfighting, and readiness by developing America’s future technical workforce poised to create advanced technologies, tools, and capabilities necessary to ensure the United States (U.S.) military remains the most powerful and advanced, capable of deterring adversaries and protecting American interests at home and abroad. NDEP is executed by OUSW(R&E) and ensures the Department’s ability to develop and access high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent vital to addressing key areas of national defense and supporting the warfighter.

NDEP activities provide authentic DoW-relevant learning experiences through a variety of DoW STEM initiatives in the form of scholarships, internships, enrichment activities, project/research-based competitions, and mentorships. One of the main NDEP efforts in addressing talent development and recruitment is through the SMART Program, pursuant to Section 4093 of Title

1 https://www.smartscholarship.org

10, United States Code (U.S.C.).

The SMART Program enables the Department to transform its STEM workforce while addressing near-term workforce demands. Per 10 U.S.C. 4093, the SMART program awards highly competitive scholarships for undergraduate and graduate degrees in any of the 22 STEM academic disciplines critical to national security. Upon graduation, and subject to DoW component requirements, scholars may be considered for a one-for-one employment service commitment within the DoW Civilian workforce. SMART scholars perform many aspects of the national security mission including science and technology, research and development, manufacturing, test and evaluation, maintenance and in-service support, medical research, warfighter support, infrastructure and construction, material decommission and disposal, and intelligence gathering and analysis activities.

The SMART program ensures the Department has a steady infusion of high-quality technical talent, prepared in areas of critical importance, and ready to apply their technical knowledge, skills, and abilities to fulfill the DoW mission. Since its inception in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, SMART has awarded over 8,000 scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate STEM degrees. To date, over 4,900 scholars have completed their academic pursuit and transitioned into DoW Workforce.

II. DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. Program Description

The SMART program is a DoW scholarship-for-service program supporting STEM disciplines critical to national security functions (10 U.S.C. § 4093 and Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1025.09). This unique and prestigious program provides scholarships to both existing DoW Civilian employees (retention participants) and prospective employees (recruitment participants) pursuing a STEM degree. The scholarship includes tuition and annual stipend, book and health allowance, and opportunities for summer internships. The post-graduation employment commitment is equal to or greater than the amount of time the participant received scholarship funding under this program.

Scholarships are awarded to applicants who are pursuing a degree in, or closely related to, one of the following STEM disciplines2:

• Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

• Biomedical Engineering

• Biosciences

• Chemical Engineering

• Chemistry

• Civil Engineering

2 The Government may revise disciplines from year to year to ensure they remain relevant to the Defense mission.

• Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences

• Computer and Computational Sciences/Computer Engineering

• Data Science and Analytics

• Electrical Engineering

• Geosciences

• Industrial and Systems Engineering (technical tracks only)

• Information Sciences

• Materials Science and Engineering

• Mathematics

• Mechanical Engineering

• Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering

• Nuclear Engineering

• Oceanography

• Operations Research (technical tracks only)

• Physics

• Software Engineering

As part of the SMART experience, scholars engage in internships that allow for relevant hands-on research and work experiences in DoW facilities, thereby enhancing their educational experience. Participants perform research as summer interns at participating DoW sponsoring facilities (SFs) and return to those laboratories/facilities after graduation to complete a period of obligated employment service. This provides scholars with a unique opportunity to perform research in their respective areas of study.

Figure 1. SMART Program Lifecycle

The activities for each program award cycle are detailed in Figure 1. The application period for each cohort starts in August and closes in December. During the selection period, SFs submit a selection list of scholars, and then award offers are sent out in April. There may be a second round of awards issued, depending on the number of declinations and the program budget. New awardees in Phase 0 participate in a mandatory site visit at their selecting SF before orientation.

Scholars complete the following four program phases during their lifecycle with the SMART Program.

• Award: Phase 0 begins at the time an awardee accepts a SMART award by signing the Scholar Service Agreement and ends 31 July of the award year. Phase 0 awardees do not receive award funding, nor does any time spent attending a site visit, completing orientation, or completing an onboarding session count towards completion of the service commitment.

• Academic Pursuit: Phase 1 begins 1 August of the award year and ends upon verified completion of all Phase 1 requirements. During Phase 1, scholars complete requirements to obtain the approved degree and any required internships, and must remain in compliance with all program policies.

• Service Commitment: Phase 2 begins the service commitment as defined by the work start date. The work start date is defined as the first day of full-time employment with the SF after degree completion. Once Phase 1 is verified completed, the SMART Program provides written confirmation of official entry into Phase 2, including service commitment start and end dates. During Phase 2, scholars complete the service commitment by working full-time for their SF.

• Post-Service Commitment: Phase 3 is a post-service commitment monitoring period that begins upon completion of the service commitment. During Phase 3, the SMART Program tracks scholar employment status to obtain information on scholar retention rates within the DoW.

While the four phases above describe the successful lifecycle of a SMART scholar, a critical program function is the management of scholar default. Throughout Phase 1 and 2, scholar performance and compliance are actively monitored. A default can occur at any point in Phase 1 or 2 if a scholar fails to meet the obligations defined in their signed service agreement. The process involves comprehensive case file development for formal default determination by the Government, and the establishment of a debt to be repaid to the Government.

The SMART program is committed to fostering continuous professional development and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its stakeholders. To spur technical innovation and growth, the program offers initiatives such as Innovation Awards and International Internships.

Through an annual competitive SEED award, SMART offers transitioning Ph.D. scholars an opportunity to establish a foundational research and engineering effort in their area of expertise aligned with a DoW mission or critical technology area and supporting their development into subject matter experts. Additionally, as per FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Sec. 250, SMART also offers a competitive funding opportunity through the Creative Research & Engineering Advancing Technical Excellence in STEM (CREATES) award to expand and enhance connections and opportunities between the SMART program, SMART scholars, SMART sponsoring facilities, and students and faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

OUSW(R&E) manages the SMART Scholarship Program and to carry out its mission in support of these programs, OUSW(R&E) requires an entity under a CA that will partner and collaborate effectively with the SMART Scholarship Program in achieving the five (5) fundamental elements listed below.

There are five (5) fundamental elements to the successful administration of the SMART Program.

These elements are as follows:

1. Program Management and Administration: Cooperatively, with the SMART Program Office, assist in the administration of the program to include, but not limited to, the application and award cycle, monitoring and interaction with students during academic pursuit, monitoring and interaction with scholars upon graduation, hiring tracking, development of materials for default cases and debt establishments, web site development and maintenance, SMART Innovation Awards, and assist in the execution of SMART at the participating DoW SFs across each DoW Component and other DoW agencies.

2. Data Management, Analysis, and Reporting: In close collaboration with the SMART Program, maintain the program’s SMART Information Management System (SIMS) that will track, update, and maintain all SMART Program data. Maintain a public facing website and manage web portals for the following: SMART applicants, application reviewers, SF selectors, scholars, program administrators, Innovation award applicants and recipients, SF point of contact (POCs), DoW Component Executives and representatives, and other users and stakeholders as the program evolves.

3. Strategic Communications and Marketing: Develop and implement an annual communication and marketing strategic plan, in conjunction with the SMART Program, that supports outreach to internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the SMART Program. Forge new or enhance existing strategic partnerships to promulgate the SMART scholarship opportunities through like-minded organizations and institutions.

4. Scholar Payments and Expenses: Assist the SMART Program with payment of scholar’s tuition, stipends, and other expenses on behalf of the Government.

5. Independent Program Evaluation: Perform independent program evaluations to assess progress and identify gaps and growth opportunities through collaboration with an external entity.

The (5) five fundamental elements above are provided for Applicants to consider as a “starting point” for understanding the context of the role the Recipient and their collaborators will perform in the SMART Program. Since the resulting award will be a CA with substantial Government involvement, it is expected the Recipient will be in regular communication with the Government working collaboratively to administer and execute the program, as well as to identify new and emerging areas of interest and targeted areas of special emphasis during performance under the CA. In addition, this collaboration will result in bringing new talent, ideas, and techniques to the

Government and will also introduce Scholars to the roles and needs of the Warfighter. This collaboration will also provide access to DoW’s world class research facilities to the selected Scholar, while pursuing collaborative fundamental research of mutual interest to the DoW and the Scholars.

Substantial Government involvement with the Recipient is expected through the collaborative planning and management of the SMART scholarship and through the research to be performed by the Scholars.

It is the intent of this NOFO to solicit the most creative, innovative, and effective approaches to assist in the success of the SMART Program. In response to the NOFO an Applicant must submit a proposal that provides evidence of their ability to perform the following:

1. Element 1: Program Management and Administration

Overview: The primary objective of Element 1 is to cooperatively assist the SMART Program Office in the administration of all phases of the program to successfully recruit and retain highly qualified talent for the DoW. Since the SMART Program has a broad reach across each DoW Component and other DoW agencies, the effectiveness of the program relies heavily on the cooperation of SFs and coordination with applicants.

The Recipient must demonstrate the capability to manage the program’s core lifecycle- including the application and award cycle, student monitoring and interaction during academic pursuit and upon graduation, hiring tracking, and the maintenance of long-term retention metrics. The Recipient is responsible for tracking compliance, flagging non-compliance, and drafting the initial default/debt establishment materials for Government review. Additional responsibilities include but are not limited to the development of materials for default cases and debt establishments, website development and maintenance, the management of innovation and recognition awards, and assistance in the execution of SMART at the participating DoW SFs across each DoW Component and other DoW agencies. Furthermore, the Recipient is expected to work closely with the Government to make program information and resources readily available to the general public.

The following requirements must be addressed to demonstrate capability in administering this fundamental element:

• Program Management and Administration: The Recipient, in collaboration with the Government, will assist in supporting and administering the SMART Program for OUSW(R&E) and the DoW Components and other DoW agencies. Tasks to consider will include, but are not limited to:

o Program Operations: Managing day-to-day operations, including data calls, analytics, program information distribution, and financial tracking. Additionally, facilitating key initiatives to include: new awardee orientation, recognition awards, Innovation Awards, International Internships, and professional development opportunities.

o Performance Metrics: Providing performance metrics to measure the CA’s accomplishments against its overall priorities and objectives, and the program impact.

o Application and Award Cycle: Executing a competitive application, evaluation, and selection process expected to result in the recruitment and selection of candidates of the highest caliber.

o Scholar Monitoring and Compliance: Actively monitoring scholar progression through all program phases, tracking compliance with academic and programmatic requirements, initiating non-compliance procedures as needed, and executing scholar issue resolutions.

o Default and Debt Case Management: Preparing all necessary documentation and materials for default cases and debt establishment proceedings for final determination by the Government.

o Hiring and Transition Support: Facilitating a smooth transition from academia to the DoW workforce by providing necessary documentation and coordinating between scholars and Sponsoring Facilities.

These tasks will be accomplished by working directly with the SMART Program Office, the DoW Components, participating SMART facilities, and SMART scholars. Overall technical management and fiscal responsibility will reside with the Cooperative Agreement Manager (CAM). The CAM is the Government lead for this effort and therefore, all executables must be approved by the CAM, to include programmatic and budgetary changes.

As noted in the “Deliverables” section, the Recipient is responsible for submitting monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting requirements.

• Program Policies: The Recipient will work closely with the Government to establish policies, procedures, and tools that allow for the efficient tracking, updating, and monitoring of scholars throughout the entire SMART program from application through post service commitment and debt collection, if required. The Recipient will develop and maintain all official program forms, including a participating scholar handbook and resources for the participating DoW SFs.

• Stakeholder Communication and Relationship Management: The Recipient will establish and manage communication channels to ensure timely and effective information flow to and from active program participants, SFs, and DoW Components. This includes disseminating official program announcements, policy updates, reporting reminders, and compliance notifications. The Recipient will facilitate a strong partnership between the SMART Program Office and each SF, with necessary program updates, scholar-related data, reporting guidance, and tools to support their role in mentoring and employing scholars.

• Website and Portal Management: The Recipient will collaborate with the Government to host, maintain and update the existing SMART Scholarship Program website as required at various times within the scholarship lifecycle, to include the following:

o A public-facing website containing SMART Scholarship Program information o A public web portal to facilitate applications to the program.

o A restricted web portal to facilitate the evaluation of applications.

o A restricted web portal to facilitate the review of eligible applicants and the selection of potential awardees made by the participating DoW SFs.

o A restricted web portal for scholarship awardees to facilitate the program on-boarding, service agreement signing, and virtual orientation presentations/webinars.

o A restricted web portal for program Administrators to manage applicant and participant data and program files for statistical and management purposes readily accessible and easily manipulated into reports and charts.

o A restricted web portal for scholar participants, housing all relevant program documents.

o A restricted web portal for Innovation Award participants, housing all relevant program documents.

o A restricted web portal for participating DoW SF POCs to aid in the execution of the SMART program and its requirements at the facility level.

o A restricted web portal for DoW Component Executives to complete tasking required on behalf of the individual DoW Components and other DoW agencies.

o Other web portals as the program evolves.

The website and associated portals should have seamless integration with the SMART Information Management System (SIMS) detailed in Element 2.

The Recipient should have a transition in plan, to transfer the ownership of the existing website, within 15 calendar days of award. It is anticipated that the full transition for a fully operational website, to include all portals, will be completed within 60 calendar days.

• Public Information Services: The Recipient will serve as the primary point of contact for the SMART Program, managing all inbound inquiries from the general public, prospective and current applicants, and program participants. These communications can come in the form of email, telephone, or other traditional forms of communication.

Responses to these communications should occur within a mutually agreed-upon timeframe, with a goal of acknowledging receipt within one (1) business day. Any information needed to develop a response should be worked jointly between the Recipient and the Government.

• Data Security and Management: Due to the amount of personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), financial, and other sensitive information that the program requires from applicants and participants, security of the website and associated databases in Element 2 is of utmost importance. The Recipient will be responsible for the protection and management of PII data, which will need to be properly safeguarded per the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. §552a) and DoD Regulation 5400.11-R; data management and security; and relevant Institutional Review Board (IRB) compliance with regards to all fundamental elements.

• Annual Program Reporting: The DoW strives to make programmatic decisions driven by data and analysis through its evaluation efforts. The Recipient is responsible for executing a cohesive evaluation strategy across the Fundamental Elements through documenting activities and outputs, as well as near-, mid-, and long-term outcomes through annual reports. Additionally, the Recipient is responsible for executing a public-facing annual report detailing program impacts and highlights.

2. Element 2: Data Management, Analysis, and Reporting

Overview: In close collaboration with the SMART Program Office, the Recipient must transition, maintain, scale, and enhance the SMART Information Management System (SIMS).

A comprehensive database and web-based user interface are imperative to the successful administration and management of the SMART Program. The SIMS database is used to house SMART scholar information that is collected, compiled, reported, and maintained by the SMART Program, including but not limited to: names, addresses, schools/grades/and other participant academic information, demographic data, financial data, internship data, site visit data, service commitment data, post-service commitment data and debt collection data, as required. Much of this information falls under PII guidelines.

This database is the backbone of the program and provides capability to track participants’ degree pursuit, internships, satisfaction with the program, changes to the individual service agreements, financial projections, and other details that enable the program to run efficiently and effectively. The Government shall retain full ownership of the database, its architecture, and all associated data at all times, balancing operational efficiency with system flexibility. The Recipient is expected to leverage a robust, agile software development lifecycle to ensure the database can seamlessly track participant degree pursuits, manage service agreements, and provide actionable analytics that enable the program to run efficiently and effectively.

• SIMS Transition, Maintenance and Enhancement: The Recipient will receive the transition of the existing SIMS database and legacy data. Using a robust software development lifecycle, the Recipient will propose a plan to maintain and enhance the SIMS database to support all the fundamental elements. The Government will work closely with the Recipient to determine if the plan is feasible and the course of action to implement the approved plan. The Recipient will then continue to work in close coordination with the Government to discuss and implement new functionality, improvements, user views, and other tasks.

• Data Analytics & Reporting: The Recipient will maintain data for all participants since program inception alongside policy and process repositories. All SIMS data will be readily available to the Government for statistical and management purposes and should be easily manipulated into reports and charts when required. Training for SMART program administrators and key stakeholders should occur at a mutually agreed-upon frequency.

• Data Ownership and Access Control: The database should be restricted to SMART

Program administrators but provide seamless integration with all other program portals and web tools. At all times, the Government shall own the database and all data rights associated with the information contained within the database and website. Data to be considered to be in the database should include: data associated with all participants of the program since its inception, a repository for program, policy, and process documents, and other data and documents required to administer the program.

At the conclusion of this agreement or when terminated, all such data and systems shall be transitioned to the ownership of the Government or Government designee using PII-regulatory procedures. Any copies shall be destroyed when PII-protected records/documents are successfully transferred to Government. PII information shall be properly marked as PII and protected, stored, transmitted and destroyed as the Recipient would its trade secrets, business sensitive information, and PII. Recipient should execute a non-disclosure agreement with all who have access to this data; and shall not disclose this data for any purpose than that set forth in this agreement. Therefore, it is not available for third-party access without the express consent of the CAM, or an auditor/investigator/inspector general of the U.S., DoW.

• Personnel Readiness: The Recipient should also consider the personnel needed, that are sufficiently trained in database management, such that they can maintain and update the system, generate required reports, and respond to queries for information to complete this task. The Recipient will ensure that personnel requiring access receive required training in proper handling of PII information. The Government will at all times have access to the database and associated reporting and data analytics tools needed to derive program and participant information.

• Hosting and Infrastructure Standards: All SIMS infrastructure should be authorized at FedRAMP High/Impact Level 4 (www.fedramp.gov). To ensure the long-term viability and ease of transition of SIMS, the system shall be developed and hosted on a commercially available, widely-supported, and platform-independent solution, such as ServiceNow or an equivalent platform.

• Periodic Assessment Plan: The Recipient will detail a Periodic Assessment Plan that details the frequency and methodology for evaluating SIMS technical performance, reliability, vulnerability, utility and user experience.

3. Element 3: Strategic Communications and Marketing

Overview: A comprehensive and coordinated overarching communications and marketing strategy are essential to the successful management, administration, and measurement of the SMART Program. The primary objective is to promote SMART as a cohesive part of the DoW’s broader STEM talent development pipeline, spanning from Pre-K through career execution.

To recruit and retain highly qualified, talented students—including rising freshmen—the Recipient must implement marketing strategies designed to influence and educate students, educators, and key stakeholders about STEM educational opportunities across the SMART continuum. This includes providing the public with clear information about unique internship placements and guaranteed post-graduation employment. The strategy must maintain enough flexibility to adapt to evolving administrative priorities while actively aligning to and supporting individual SF recruitment and retention requirements, including outreach events.

http://www.fedramp.gov/

The Recipient will enable the SMART Program to reach wide-ranging, national audiences comparable to other renowned undergraduate and graduate-level STEM programs. The Government and Recipient will further collaborate to solicit and award strategic outreach and recruiting grants to affinity groups and academic institutions annually (or semi-annually).

• Strategic Marketing and Outreach Plan: The Recipient will detail a comprehensive Strategic Marketing and Outreach Plan designed to elevate the SMART Program's national profile and seamlessly integrate it within the broader DoW STEM continuum.

The proposed plan should align the program's unique value propositions to target audiences using tailored content strategies, key messaging, and promotional tactics.

The target audiences for the promotion of the SMART Scholarship Program includes, but is not limited to: U.S. citizens pursing a STEM degree, U.S. colleges and universities, appropriate professional, academic, and/or student associations, award recipients from affiliated DoW STEM programs (e.g. National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) fellows and National Science Foundation (NSF) award recipients), deans and department chairs in STEM disciplines at U.S. colleges and universities, and others. Consideration should also include the SMART participating facilities from the DoW Components and other DoW agencies, ensuring SMART has wide visibility within the DoW science and technology directorates (i.e. commands and organizations within the DoW responsible for science and/or technology research, and/or engineering, programs and/or activities) (herein referred to as directorates and/or commands).

• Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach: The Recipient will work closely with the Government to actively market and provide outreach support to the general public, internal and external stakeholders (including but not limited to colleges and universities, affinity groups, SMART sponsoring facilities, and other scholarship programs) on behalf of the SMART Program.

• Promotional Material Development: The Recipient, in collaboration with the SMART Program Office, will prepare marketing and promotional materials periodically in accordance with program application and award cycle. In collaboration with the SMART Program Office, the Recipient will promote the SMART Program to ensure a broad applicant pool. Marketing and promotional material should contain or identify web links that contain SMART Program information, program contact information, and other promotional information.

• Broad National Outreach: The Recipient will collaborate with the Government to publicize and promote the SMART Scholarship Program to a wide ranging, national audience, comparable to other nationally renowned undergraduate and graduate level science and technology programs, to attract the highest qualified prospective applicants.

This includes the design and distribution of advertising and application materials and an appropriate method to reach audiences from which qualified applicants will be drawn.

This includes but is not limited to: in-person events, university visits, print, electronic, virtual webinars, and other media outlets.

• Cross-Program Promotion and Partnerships: The Recipient will develop a plan for cross program promotion to strategically reach audiences to increase students’ and SFs’ participation through the DoW STEM continuum of opportunities3, and affiliated partnerships. The Recipient, in collaboration with the Government, will provide innovative ideas and facilitate partnerships or strategic initiatives to promote DoW STEM initiatives.

• Social Media and Digital Engagement: The Recipient will work closely with the SMART Program Office to:

o Manage official SMART Program social media accounts including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and others as social media landscapes evolve.

o Use industry standard social media analytics tools to measure and evaluate effectiveness of engagement.

o Regularly produce media highlights and features on scholars, mentors, and participating SFs (online, in print, on social media) in order to promote the successes of existing and past participants, and to attract future applicants.

• Academic Engagement: The SMART program is committed to fostering opportunities in higher education for students across the nation. As part of this effort, the Recipient will support coordinated outreach to academic organizations, sponsoring facilities and affiliated DoW partners. The Recipient will demonstrate a commitment to fostering nationwide opportunities in higher education that align with the long-term technical needs of the DoW workforce. The SMART program has outlined the following goals to support this initiative:

o Targeted University Engagement: Build and maintain strategic relationships with administration, faculty, and staff at academic institutions.

o SF Outreach Coordination: Develop and provide educational tools and resources to SFs that empower them to strategically broaden their academic reach. This includes data and guidance to help SFs identify and recruit from institutions that specialize in mission-relevant STEM disciplines.

• Reporting and Assessment: The Recipient will work closely with the Government to define actionable success metrics that will be utilized not only to measure the return on investment for these outreach efforts but also to drive continuous, agile, and data-informed enhancements to the marketing strategy.

The Recipient will provide reports and analysis regarding outreach effectiveness in the following areas:

o An annual report detailing metrics on applicants, branding, media, marketing, and the scholar experience at the end of each application season (typically quarter 2 of the fiscal year, after the application period closes).

3 https://dowstem.us o An annual outreach plan for the upcoming award cycle (to be delivered by quarter 3 of the fiscal year, ahead of the next year’s application period).

o Quarterly reports on social media effectiveness and insights from the analytic/listening tools.

o Quarterly reports regarding outreach to academic organizations, sponsoring facilities and affiliated DoW partners. Assist in the development of any and all statutory reporting requirements.

4. Element 4: Scholar Payments and Expenses

Overview: The Recipient will assist the SMART Program with payment of scholar’s tuition, stipends, and other expenses on behalf of the Government. The need for the SMART Program to pay tuition to universities and colleges on behalf of students, as well as pay the scholar’s their stipends is imperative to the effective administration of the program. The timely payment of stipends and tuition solidifies the reputation of the SMART Program among public opinion allowing it to retain its prestige and ability to recruit. The need for an intermediary to take federal funds and disburse them to universities, colleges, and individuals is an essential element to the SMART Program that needs to be fulfilled.

The Applicant should consider that upon selection of the scholarship awardees, administrative files for each new scholarship recipient and information will be entered into the SIMS database.

Presently, the scholarship provides stipends, textbook/miscellaneous allowances, internship support payments (if required), and full tuition and required fees to the institution attended by the scholarship awardee. The annual stipend for scholarship recipients will be determined for each year for each class. Stipends are determined by the OUSW. Stipends and other expenses are paid monthly directly to the scholars while tuition and fee payments are paid directly to the academic institution based on institutional billing practices.

• Financial Disbursements: The Recipient should consider proposing an efficient and effective plan to distribute stipend and academic fees on time, provide stipend payments monthly directly to the awardees, and pay tuition and fees based on institutional billing practices, using common financial business practices and tools. Additionally, the Recipient should expect to halt payments if a scholar status is non-compliant or recoup any overpaid funds. The anticipated number of scholars in academic pursuit over the course of the CA is projected to be approximately 1,500 per year, with approximately 90% of those participants requiring stipends paid through this agreement.

The Recipient will need to consider other payments such as: funding for new awardees eligible for a site visit allotment, travel and lodging support at alternative internship sites, or other payments that may be made throughout the year. Anticipated funding level for tuition and stipends and other academic expenses is $60 - $100 million per year, based on budget.

• Tax Reporting and Tracking: The Recipient should to take into consideration that a report of the amount of all stipend payments and allowance on each scholarship program participant is needed to be sent to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the appropriate Federal forms and within the IRS required timeframe.

• Retention Scholar Support: Each year approximately 10% of SMART Scholarship Program participants in academic pursuit are current DoW employees (retention participants). The DoW will fund retention participant stipend and benefits outside of the CA. However, the Recipient should expect to assist the DoW in preparing some associated paperwork needed for the DoW to efficiently deliver this funding to the D o W Components and facilities (statements of work, descriptions of funding amounts, etc.). The Recipient will pay tuition and fees for retention participants in a similar fashion to their ‘recruitment’ peers.

• Financial Reporting & Tracking: Recipient will provide monthly reports to SMART

Program Office detailing current execution and projected costs for both administrative/operational efforts and scholar costs and expenses. Additionally, the Recipient will provide quarterly forecasting reports to include year-to-date budget execution and projected financial variances. These reports must separate administrative/operational efforts from direct scholar costs and expenses.

5. Element 5: Independent Program Evaluation

Perform independent program evaluations to assess progress and identify gaps and growth opportunities.

Overview: The SMART program is committed to establishing best practices and understanding the impact of current and new processes. Conducting program assessments will provide SMART with data that will identify gaps and growth opportunities. These assessments will provide suggestions for immediate action (within the next program year), as well as to assist in long-term strategic planning.

To preserve integrity of a third-party evaluation, the Recipient should consider partnering with an external entity within the CA to perform independent evaluations of the SMART Program that is longitudinal in nature. The SMART program has identified the following key areas for consideration:

• Application, evaluation and selection processes

• Talent pipeline demographics for the applicant and scholar pool

• Outcome evaluation of SMART program (cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis)

• Scholar experience and retention (including Alumni)

• Scholar hiring process (timeliness)

The Recipient, in close coordination with the Government, will develop annual reports, widely available to the public, that detail both the immediate and long-term impact that SMART has on the DoW mission, as well as longer longitudinal evaluations for the SMART Program Office detailing program and process effectiveness.

When scoping the evaluation effort, the Recipient and evaluation partner should bear in mind the existing data-rich resource in SIMS, though others may be useful.

B. Federal Award Information

The NOFO is expected to result in the award of a CA with a performance period of up to ten

(10) years. The anticipated award amount of the CA over the ten-year performance period is up to $1,300,000,000 (subject to availability of funding). See breakout in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Estimated Cooperative Agreement (CA) Budget

Base

Period Option Year 1

Option Year 2

Option Year 3

Option Year 4

Option Year 5

Option Year 6

Option Year 7

Option Year 8

Option Year 9

Total Budget (NTE):

Up to $120

M

Up to $120

M

Up to $125

M

Up to $125

M

Up to $130

M

Up to $130

M

Up to $135

M

Up to $135

M

Up to $140

M

Up to $140

M Total Administrative: TBD by Applicant

Element 1 TBD by Applicant Element 2 TBD by Applicant Element 3 TBD by Applicant Element 4 TBD by Applicant Element 5 NTE: $1M/yr.

Total Scholarships: No less than 82-87% of the total annual award.

The total not to exceed (NTE) budget for each year of the funding opportunity is summarized in Table 1. Applicants should formulate their own budgets based on their understanding of the requirements, but should keep in mind the following: (1) The total amount budgeted for the entire evaluation effort under Element 5 should not exceed $1M/year; and (2) Administrative costs should be optimized in order to maximize the funding available for scholarships each year, with no less 82-87% of the total annual award devoted to scholarships (new and existing) in order to meet the Department’s projected award targets over the next ten years.

Cooperative Agreement (CA) A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6305, is used to enter into the same kind of relationship as a grant (see definition "grant"), except that substantial involvement is expected between the Federal Government and the Recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the CA. The term does not include "cooperative research and development agreements" as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a. No fee or profit is allowed.

CAs for institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, foreign organizations, and foreign public entities are primarily governed by the following:

a. Federal statutes

b. Federal regulations

c. 2 CFR Part 200

d. 2 CFR Part 1104

e. 32 CFR Parts 21, 22, 26, and 28

f. DoW Research and Development General Terms and Conditions

g. Agency-specific Research Terms and Conditions

CAs for for-profit and nonprofit organizations exempted from Subpart E—Cost Principles of 2 CFR Part 200, are primarily governed by the following:

a. Federal statutes

b. Federal regulations

c. 32 CFR Part 34 - Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with For-

Profit Organizations

d. 32 CFR Parts 21, 22, 26, and 28

e. DoW Research and Development General Terms and Conditions

f. Agency-specific Research Terms and Conditions

The authority for the SMART Program is U.S.C. Title 10, Section 4093: “The Secretary of War shall carry out a program to provide financial assistance for education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology skills and disciplines that, as determined by the Secretary, are critical to the national security functions of the Department of War and are needed in the Department of War workforce.”

The following websites may be accessed to obtain an electronic copy of the governing regulations and terms and conditions:

a. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): http://www.ecfr.gov

b. DoW Research and Development General Terms and Conditions:

https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions

c. Agency-Specific Research Terms and Conditions:

https://arl.devcom.army.mil/resources/baa-forms

Substantial Government involvement is expected under the CA and essential to the performance and successful execution of the SMART Program. The substantial Government involvement anticipated for the SMART Program is contained in Section A. Program Description of this announcement. The CA enables and encourages the Recipient to synchronize and coordinate the program planning and execution of the SMART Program with the Government’s primary representative, the CAM. It is the CAM’s responsibility to provide technical and fiscal oversight over the SMART CA.

The CAM must ensure that the SMART Program is planned and executed in alignment with priorities and core objectives, within the parameters of the CA, and in adherence to annually approved program plans and funding levels. In addition, it is the CAM’s responsibility to effectively and efficiently integrate STEM assets/resources across DoW’s Science and Technology (S&T) Enterprise to ensure program participants are exposed to and learn about http://www.ecfr.gov/ https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-https://arl.devcom.army.mil/resources/baa-forms

STEM opportunities and careers within DoW. Substantial Government involvement is required to provide students STEM opportunities at laboratories and to integrate DoW involvement and representation during SMART events.

Deliverables

Element# Title Description/Type of Format Due Date Reviewer/ Acceptor

All Elements (1-5)

Written monthly status reports describing work performed during the month, anticipated future work, problems and/or delays

Microsoft Office format 10th of each month CAM

All Elements (1-5)

Quarterly Review Meetings Agenda and Presentation

Microsoft Office format 5 calendar days prior to quarterly meeting

CAM

All Elements (1-5)

Monthly Financial Reports describing funds execution to date, status of current balances across elements, and projections.

Microsoft Office format 15th of each month CAM

Element 1 Final fully functional web portals including online application, selection, awards, orientation, SF POC, and administrative portals

Website should be available and fully functional. Access for SMART Participants and all individuals and organizations as directed by the CAM

The Recipient shall have a transition in plan, to transfer the management of the existing website, within 15 calendar days of award. It is anticipated that the full transition for a fully operational website, to include all portals, will be completed within 60 calendar days. Then continuous through performance period

CAM

Element 1 Web Maintenance and Hosting Services

The Recipient will host and provide web maintenance services on a routine continually basis throughout agreement performance

Continuous through performance period with no downtime longer than 8 hours per day with a monthly limit of 24 hours per month

CAM

Element 1 Applicant Cost Detail Worksheet

A Microsoft Excel worksheet listing the expected tuition costs for each applicant. The worksheet should also include other applicant specific data as required by the CAM

No later than 10 calendar days after close of application

CAM

Element 1 Final award lists and applicant materials

Electronic copies of service/command specific awardee files to be sent to each primary service POC and each command having selected participants

Due to service CAM, CAOs and command POCs no later than 5 calendar days after close of selection

CAM

Element 1 Attendance at meetings and presentation of program briefs

Personal appearance or video or teleconference, meeting minutes as necessary

Ongoing and as needed in coordination with service CAO and CAM

CAM

Element 1 IRS reporting of stipend and allowance for each participant and academic evaluation panelist.

Federal forms as required by

IRS

As required by IRS IRS

Element 1 SMART Program Annual Report

An annual report detailing performance metrics to measure the CA’s…