NASA JSC Solicitation: Ground-based Studies in Radiation Biology Update
Modification – Jun 14, 2006
General Information
Solicitation Number: NNJ06ZSA001N
Posted Date: Jun 14, 2006
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jun 14, 2006
FedGrants Posted Date: Jun 14, 2006
Application Due Date: Jun 19, 2006
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541710 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
Grant Specific Information
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement
CFDA Number: 00.000
Cost Sharing or Matching Required: No
Estimated Total Program Funding: not available
Expected Number of Awards: not available
Ceiling Amount: none
Floor Amount: none
Funding Activity: Science and Technology and other Research and Development (ST)
Eligible Applicants: 99 – Unrestricted
All categories of U.S. institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this NRA. NASA’s policy is to conduct research with non-U.S. organizations on a cooperative, no-exchange-of-funds basis.
Link to Full Announcement: http://nspires.nasaprs.com
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH
Description
This is modification 2 to the synopsis entitled Ground-Based Studies in Radiation Biology, NNJ06ZSA001 which was posted on February 22, 2006. The submission deadline for step-2 proposals remains June 19, 2006. The purpose of this notice is to post questions and responses for offerors invited to submit step-2 proposals:
Q1:For experiments involving animals at Loma Linda and Brookhaven National Lab, should we plan to submit our protocols to their IACUC review boards in addition to ours at our home institution? Do I need to submit animal study protocol paperwork to you from Loma Linda or Brookhaven? If so, who do we contact for their forms and information? R1: The PI’s institutions IACUC approval needs to be part of the Step-II proposal, but not LLU or BNL. Only the IACUC approval or evidence that the protocol is under review from the PI’s institution is needed for the Step-2 review. If NASA receives a proposal involving animals without IACUC certification, or without a letter indicating the protocols have been submitted for review by the PIs institutional review board, then the proposal is non-compliant per the NRA. The protocols do not need to have been submitted to BNL or LLU at the time of Step-2 submission. However, the PIs are highly encouraged to submit their protocols early, or at the very least familiarize themselves with the BNL / LLU facilities and policies
Q2:How much attention should I give the beam in my experimental design section? From the NRA it seems as though we submit our ideas and then worry about the beam stuff after we’ve been selected. Is this correct?
R2:The scheduling/time will be taken care of if you are selected for award. What you want to use to irradiate should be clear in your proposal.
Q3:If I have a collaborator I want to include in my budget but do not want to include as a PI, will I need a biosketch and all the other information needed for PI’s?
R3:You will need to include a biosketch for anyone listed on the budget.
Q4:Should the housing of animals used in the studies be incorporated into the budget as direct costs or as subcontracts with Loma Linda and/or Brookhaven?
R4:NASA cannot advise on this matter. This decision will need to be made by the proposer in conjunction with his/her home institution.
Q5:What forms do we need for subcontracts for the NASA Ground-Based Studies in Radiation Biology?
R5:The form used to report subcontracts over $500K is SF294 (see p. 2 of SF294 for further reporting instructions). However, please note that the use of this form as regards the Ground-Based Studies in Radiation Biology would only be applicable to award recipients; this form is not required for Step-2 proposals.
Q6:What is included in the 20-page page limit? Is it everything in the proposal document, or is it just the scientific description with references? Can the references be a separate document?
R6:The 20-page limit applies only to the scientific description (page 20, Project Description, bolded text). The references can be a separate document.
Q7:Should my proposal be funded we are going to desperately need some new lab equipment just to keep up with the workload. What do I need to do in order to include this in my proposed budget?
R7:If the equipment purchase is necessary in order to do the proposed research, you should include it as part of your budget (page 37, Facilities and Equipment)
Q8:What does the term “Business Data” mean?
R8:Business Data is a term used by the NSPIRES system to cover various pieces of information, such as Start and End dates, submission of the proposal to other agencies, environmental impacts of the proposed work, etc.
Q9:What kind of “Budget” should I describe here? How is this “Budget” different from the “Budget justification” (Line 8 of the same page)? Can I have a sample of this?
R9:The Budget form in NSPIRES is going to ask for the line item entries for each budget item, such as salaries and equipment expenses, without allowing the PI to provide significant detail. The budget form is a component of the NSPIRES system, and the PI will see that form when completing it online. The budget justification should be a written description justifying any budget items not sufficiently self-explanatory. For example, if a large piece of equipment is included in the budget, explanation as to why that equipment is needed for the proposed work should be given as justification for the cost. Another example may be justification of cost for the care of a large number of animal subjects. This form is created by the PI and can take any format the PI wishes.
Q10:Where is the standard title page? What are the required elements for the title page? How does a step-1 cover page differ from a step-2 cover page?
R10:There is no standard title page form; it is created by the proposer. The PI can include any information they wish on the Title Page. There are no required elements. The cover page is a form generated by the NSPIRES system when the PI completes the Proposal Summary, Budget, Business Data and Proposal Team information. There is no single form. The Cover Page is the collective term used for the Proposal Summary, Budget, Business Data and Proposal Team. Not all of these elements were mandatory for Step-1 submission, but are mandatory for Step-2 submission. Any of these elements that were filled out for the Step-1 submission will automatically be available when the PI begins the Step-2 submission.
Q11:Can the title for step 2 proposal be different from that for the step 1 proposal?
R11:The title can be changed from the Step-1 submission. However, the area of emphasis of the proposed work cannot change from the Step-1 proposal unless the PI was directed so by the program office.
Q12:Is there a specific anticipated start date for the project if awarded?
R12:The NRA states that it is estimated that the initial selection will be announced by September 2006 and the grant/cooperative agreement will be awarded in a reasonable timeframe thereafter.
Q13:Are there any specific form pages? Budget pages in particular.
R13:Aside from the require fields filled out for the NSPIRES on-line submission, there are no specific form requirements. Any information uploaded as part of the proposal document must follow the instructions in the NRA, but can be in any layout the PI wishes.
Q14:If subcontracts are involved should a separate budget and justification for them be included in the application or just included in our budget pages?
R14:For Subcontracts/Subawards: (From NRA proposers guidebook Section 2.3.11). Attachments (the budget justification) should describe the work to be subcontracted/subawarded, estimated amount, and recipient (if known). Itemized budgets and justifications are required for all subcontracts/subawards.
Q15:Are there any additional forms to be completed for this solicitation or are all of the forms needed contained in the application package that was downloaded via grants.gov?
R15:All the required forms are contained in the grants.gov application package.
Q16:I’m completing the Step 2 process in response to this NASA NRA, and have a question as to whether some type of “biosketch” or CV is needed for each investigator. The Announcement leaves it out of the list of 9 items for the Proposal Document, but I’m not sure, then, how reviewers will be able to look at the qualifications of the investigators. Do they need to be submitted somewhere?
R16:The biosketches are part of the NSPIRES Cover Page (Same is true for the budget). When you fill out the information for the “Cover Page”, you will fill out information on the proposal team. Part of that information is the Biographical Sketch. We will receive it when your proposal is submitted. It is not part of the uploaded proposal document. Please note you can only load your own biographical sketch. Other team members will have to load their own biographical sketches into the system. Please contact the NSPIRES help desk if you require assistance in adding your biographical sketch to the cover page.
Q17:I have a question about a person who will be listed on the grant submission for salary, but is someone I would not consider to be a “co-investigator”. He’s being listed since we will need to pay him for doing some specific neurochemical analyses related to the project, but he’s not involved in the design or planning of the project itself. My thought was to not have him register with the NSPIRES system, but please let me know if you think he should.
R17:That person sounds like a consultant. The definition of a consultant in the NRA proposer guidebook is as follows: Consultant – A Consultant is an individual who is critical to the completion of the proposed effort and is to be paid a fee for his/her services, which may include travel in order to consult with the PI, but who is not considered a sustaining “partner” in the proposed activities as is a Co-I (Note: the requirements for the proposal budget include the identification, justification, and costs of all Consultants). Consultants should register with NSPIRES and accept their role on the team, but we do not require a biographical sketch for consultants.
Q18:Since neither of the grants that we are submitting are large and involve other organizations (except for beam time at Loma Linda), is it necessary to complete the Management Approach?
R18:Completion of the management approach is required so we can understand how the work is being allocated between the PI and the Co-Is.
Q19:Under the upload section, there is a “total budget” section. Is this different than the budget on the cover page elements or can I ignore it?
R19:You can ignore the total budget section. It is not required for this NRA.
Q20:You state that Co-I’s and collaborator commitments are automatically sent to you. Does this happen when they register? So no signed letters of commitment are required from anyone (#9 on the list of proposal documents on page 18 of the Research Announcement).
R20:The commitment statements are automatically sent to us when the Co-Is or Collaborators register and accept being part of the proposal. The electronic response from them serves as the signed letter of commitment.
Q21:I found where the biosketch and other support are for the PI along with a remove button. If I remove what is currently there, will an upload button take its place to upload a current biosketch and other support? When I add people will there be a button to upload their biosketch and other support (if needed)? R21:An upload button will allow you to re-upload your biographical sketch. Contact the NSPIRES help desk nspires-help@nasaprs.com or by telephone to(202) 479-9376 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Eastern Time if you have difficulty with this.
Q22:Will you please clarify which positions should be listed on the cover page elements? And who should have biosketches and other support pages uploaded? Between the grants, the personnel will be PI, Co-I, Postdoc, Consultant, Collaborators, Research Assistant. Do I only include biosketches and other support for the PI and Co-PI?
R22:You will need to include a biosketch for anyone listed on the budget.
Q23:The Co-I asked me to find out if we should budget for beam time charges at Loma Linda or if this service is covered?
R23:You do not need to budget for beam time at BNL or at Loma Linda in your proposal.
Q24:For submission of step-2 proposals, does the IRB approval letter need to be signed by the IRB Board Chair or is the signature of the Director of Sponsored Projects sufficient?
R24:Approval by the IRB Board is not needed for submission of step-2 proposals. The signature of the Director of Sponsored Projects on the application for approval is sufficient.
Q25:Since submitting the step 1 proposal the scope of my project has expanded to include carcinogenesis. Am I allowed to change the title of my project?
R25:The title of a project can be changed.
Q26:Do I need to list each and every person/item that we are requesting indirect costs for, or can I list the entire category with the respective indirect costs for each?
R26:Listing the entire category with the respective indirect costs for each is fine.
Q27:I just want to confirm that postdocs are not listed in the team member elements section.
R27:Everyone aside from the PI is listed as an “optional” team member. However, anyone who will be receiving money from an award should be listed under optional team members.
The due date for responses is not extended.
Documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/JSC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=73
Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation and any amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any).
Point of Contact
Name: Stephanie D. Hunter
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: (281) 483-8523
Fax: (281) 483-4173
Email: stephanie.d.hunter@nasa.gov
