Portable Assistance Program

Oceanographic facilities and equipment are supported by the Integrative Programs Section (IPS) of the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). These awards are made for the procurement, conversion and/or upgrade, enhancement, or annual operation of platforms in the ocean, coastal and near-shore waters, and Great Lakes. Awards are generally directed specifically to support facilities that lend themselves to shared use within the broad range of Federally supported research and education programs.Most of these platforms and facilities also receive partial support from other federal agencies, state and local governments, and private sources on a proportional basis usually through a daily rate mechanism. The primary objective of these awards is to ensure the availability of appropriate oceanographic facilities for Federally funded investigators and educators. Individual project-based facilities and instrumentation, limited to one, or a small group of, investigator(s), should be supported through appropriate research programs as opposed to through the IPS programs listed herein. The individual programs covered within this solicitation include: 1. Oceanographic Technical Services (Tech Services) 2. Oceanographic Instrumentation (OI) 3. Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE) Oceanographic Technical Service (Tech Services): The Tech Services Program provides support of institutional technical services to enhance the scientific productivity of research programs, aboard research vessels and in shore-based, shared-use facilities. Research vessel technical services include quality assurance, scheduling of technical support, logistical assistance, and at-sea supervision of the instrumentation and shared-use equipment available to sea-going researchers. This program also provides baseline operational support for the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) equipment pools (wire, vans and winches). Support of research vessel technical services and UNOLS equipment pools includes salaries and related expenses, maintenance and calibration of sensors and instrumentation, and associated travel. Oceanographic technical services support requests must be directly attributable to NSF-sponsored science. With the exception of the wire pool, requests for new or replacement capital equipment must be made through the SSSE or OI programs. Oceanographic Instrumentation (OI): The OI Program provides support to enhance the scientific capabilities and productivity of seagoing research projects that utilize research vessels as well as shore-based, shared-use facilities. Proposals may include shared-use instrumentation for the collection, processing, and analysis of oceanographic data. Typical instrumentation includes sensors, acoustic systems, data loggers, water sampling rosettes, biological net systems, coring equipment and auto-analyzers. Proposals must be for instrumentation that will support multiple research projects.OI proposals are generally submitted by the institution's Tech Services manager whose operational funding is provided through the OCE Technical Services Program. Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE): The SSSE Program provides support to improve safety and enhance scientific capabilities and productivity of seagoing research programs that utilize research vessels as well as shore-based, shared-use facilities.. Proposals may include new permanent or portable equipment required to outfit a vessel to conduct oceanographic research as well as overhaul of equipment previously funded under this program, including science handling systems (winches, frames, cranes, etc.), navigation and communication equipment, and safety and regulatory-related items. Requests for purchase of new winch pool or van pool capital equipment must be submitted to this program. SSSE proposals are generally submitted by the institution's Marine Superintendent whose operational funding is provided through the Ship Operations Program in OCE. Funding Opportunity Number: 23-525. Assistance Listing: 47.050. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $5K – $47.5M per award.

Improving Oversight of Federal GrantmakingVA is required to ensure compliance with all applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders when evaluating and awarding grants. In accordance with Executive Order 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking, aside from the evaluation criteria published in this announcement, VA has discretion to remove from consideration any applicant VA deems does not clearly advance the President's or VA's priorities. VA will not fund activities that use racial preference for eligibility criteria or promote gender ideology. VA will not fund activities that promote or facilitate violations of immigration laws or are sources of waste, fraud, or abuse. VA will not tolerate activity or conduct by grant recipients that constitute acts of moral turpitude, are scandalous, or bring the recipient, the project funded by this grant, or VA into public disrepute, contempt, or ridicule. These grants support the President's priority to increase the excellence of and options for care, benefits, and services for veterans, as demonstrated in Executive Order 14332. Program is subject to Public Law 117-58 Build America, Buy America Act. Recipients of an award of Federal financial assistance from a program for infrastructure are hereby notified that none of the funds provided under this award may be used for a project for infrastructure unless:(1) all iron and steel used in the project are produced in the United States--this means all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, occurred in the United States; (2) all manufactured products used in the project are produced in the United States—this means the manufactured product was manufactured in the United States; and the cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States is greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product, unless another standard for determining the minimum amount of domestic content of the manufactured product has been established under applicable law or regulation; and (3) all construction materials44 are manufactured in the United States—this means that all manufacturing processes for the construction material occurred in the United States. The Buy America preference only applies to articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to an infrastructure project. As such, it does not apply to tools, equipment, and supplies, such as temporary scaffolding, brought to the construction site and removed at or before the completion of the infrastructure project. Nor does a Buy America preference apply to equipment and furnishings, such as movable chairs, desks, and portable computer equipment, that are used at or within the finished infrastructure project, but are not an integral part of the structure or permanently affixed to the infrastructure project. Grants are available to State and Tribal Governments for construction or renovations of State/Tribal owned and operated Veterans Extended Care Facilities. The Department of Veterans Affairs participation may not exceed 65% of the total project costs. Review governing regulation before submitting an application (38 CFR Part 59). If the state is submitting a new grant application, it must submit a complete initial application (Section A of the project checklist) on Grants.gov by April 15th in order to be eligible for listing on the Priority List for the next fiscal year. Once the complete initial application is retrieved from Grants.gov by Program Staff, the grant applicant will receive 1) an automated notification from Grants.gov confirming receipt by the Program and 2) an email from Program Staff indicating the application's FAI number and corresponding project page in MAX.gov for submission of subsequent items. Note that Grants.gov is used only once to submit a new grant application. Applicants must submit complete initial applications on Grants.gov in order to be considered. Please contact Program Staff prior to submission if you need assistance understanding the requirements pertaining to an initial grant application, or if you need general assistance. Renovation or Life Safety initial grant applications require items A.1.-A.7. in Section A of the project checklist. Grant applicants, do not submit items A.8.-.A.13 for Renovation of Life Safety grants. Adult Day Health Care, New Home Construction or Bed Replacement initial grant applications require all items in Section A (A.1.-A.13) of the project checklist. Required for ALL applications A.1.A Project Scope A.1.B Form SF424 A.1.C Form SF424D A.1.D Form SF424C A.1.E Budget Justification Worksheet (must align with SF424C budget form) A.2. Governor's designation of authorized state official and contact person A.3. Needs assessment (as outlined in VA Form 10-0388-1) A.4. State Clearinghouse Comments (E.O. 12372) single point of contact and compliance statement A.5. Schematics A.6. Signed Initial Application Certification VA Form 10-0388-1 A.7. Safety citation/letter (Only Life Safety projects need to submit this). Required for Adult Day Health Care, Bed Replacement or New Construction - Items A1-A6 and the below items A.8. Space program analysis (NHC use Form 10-0388-3, ADHC use Form 10-0388-4) A.9. Five-year capital plan for state's entire state home program A.10. Financial plan for state facility's first three years of operation A.11. Documentation that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the facility when complete will be fully occupied A.12. Authorized state official's certification of the total number of state-operated nursing home and domiciliary beds and occupancy rate A.13. Authorized state official's certification that the number of state home beds does not exceed the requirement in 38 CFR 59.40 or justification for number of state home beds exceeding 38 CFR 59.40 based on travel distance Funding Opportunity Number: VA-GRANTS-112508-002. Assistance Listing: 64.005. Funding Instrument: G. Category: HL. Award Amount: $260K – $275M per award.