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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - NIST Construction Grant Program (FY 2008)

1) What is this grant opportunity?

This is a competitive Construction Grant Program run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the U.S. Department of Commerce to support the construction of research science buildings.

2) What is the purpose of the program?

The program is intended to help colleges, universities, and other nonprofit science research organizations construct new research facilities or expand existing ones. NIST described the intent broadly: the buildings should support applicable sciences connected to Department of Commerce interests and must be genuinely research-focused facilities.

3) What types of facilities does NIST consider eligible under this program?

NIST indicated that supported facilities must be research-focused and gave examples including laboratories, test facilities, measurement facilities, and observatories.

4) Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity is aimed at colleges, universities, and other nonprofit science research organizations.

5) How much funding was available through this program?

NIST described the program as being backed by FY 2008 funding set aside at roughly $29 million, with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 referencing $30.080 million appropriated to NIST for this purpose.

6) How many awards did NIST expect to make?

NIST expected to make approximately two to three awards.

7) What was the anticipated award size per project?

The anticipated federal share per project was approximately $10 million to $15 million.

8) How long could a funded project run?

Projects were allowed to run up to five years, depending on the construction schedule proposed.

9) What was the anticipated project start date?

The anticipated start date for funded projects was October 1, 2008.

10) Was cost sharing required?

Cost sharing was not mandatory under this opportunity.

11) If cost sharing was not required, did it still matter?

Yes. NIST clearly positioned cost share as a competitiveness factor. Proposals showing at least 25 percent cost share would be viewed favorably, and proposals showing 50 percent cost share would be viewed even more favorably, even though matching was not formally required.

12) What happened to the original application deadline?

NIST extended the deadline due to technical problems that prevented some applicants from submitting proposals electronically on the original due date.

13) What was the original closing deadline?

The original closing deadline was 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, July 21, 2008.

14) What was the extended closing deadline?

NIST extended the solicitation window to 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, August 1, 2008.

15) How did NIST treat electronic submissions received after 3 p.m. ET on July 21, 2008?

NIST clarified that electronic proposals received between 3 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 21, 2008 would still be considered timely.

16) How did NIST treat paper submissions received after 3 p.m. ET on July 21, 2008?

NIST stated that paper proposals received after 3 p.m. Eastern Time on July 21, 2008 and up to the publication date of the extension notice would be treated as timely.

17) During the extension period, were electronic submissions accepted?

No. During the extension period itself, NIST would accept only paper submissions.

18) What should applicants do if they tried but failed to submit via Grants.gov?

NIST encouraged applicants who tried but failed to submit electronically via Grants.gov to resubmit in paper form.

19) What were the paper submission requirements?

Applicants had to submit one original and two copies. The proposal package had to be delivered by hand delivery, courier, or express mail, and it had to be received no later than 3 p.m. Eastern Time on August 1, 2008.

20) Are faxed proposals allowed?

No. Faxed proposals were explicitly not allowed.

21) Will NIST make exceptions for late paper submissions?

No. NIST stated it would not make allowances for late submissions, regardless of delivery method.

22) Where were paper proposals required to be sent?

Paper proposals were to be sent to NIST at: 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 4701, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4701.

23) What happens if the application package is incomplete?

NIST emphasized that application completeness requirements were important and stated that incomplete packages would be rejected.

24) What standard forms were required for the application?

Applicants had to include the following standard federal construction grant forms: SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance), SF-424C (Budget Information for Construction Programs), SF-424D (Assurances for Construction Programs), SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable), and CD-511 (Certification Regarding Lobbying).

25) What narrative documents were required in addition to the standard forms?

Applicants had to submit two narrative components: a Technical Proposal and a Budget Narrative.

26) Was there a required template for the Technical Proposal and Budget Narrative?

NIST did not impose a rigid template as long as the narratives were word-processed documents, but it did set expectations for the content that should be included.

27) What content needed to be included in the Technical Proposal?

The Technical Proposal needed to thoroughly explain the project scope, goals, methods/approach, schedule, key personnel and qualifications, and the applicant institution's capabilities. It was also expected to address the program's selection factors.

28) Was there a page limit for the Technical Proposal?

Yes. The Technical Proposal was limited to 30 pages.

29) Was there a page limit for the Budget Narrative?

No. NIST stated that the Budget Narrative had no page limit.

30) What did NIST expect the Budget Narrative to cover?

The Budget Narrative needed to clearly justify the funds requested, explain the intended uses of the funds, and lay out the timing for expenditures.

31) Which Federal Register notice established the core competition rules?

NIST referenced the May 27, 2008 Federal Register notice (73 FR 30380) as establishing the core competition rules.

32) Did the deadline extension affect the review and award timeline?

Yes. NIST noted that due to the extension, the review, selection, and award processing timeline shifted.

33) When did NIST expect awards to be processed after the extension?

NIST expected awards to be processed by the middle of November 2008 (instead of being completed by the end of September 2008).

34) Who was listed as a point of contact for access issues?

NIST listed Chris Hunton, Grants Technical Assistant, as the point of contact for access issues.

35) What phone number was provided for the point of contact?

The phone number provided was 301-975-5718.