PROGRAM INFORMATION
5. Application Overview
Applicants should present a general scope of the intended educational program plan. This includes a proposed plan of action, which outlines elements such as the hiring of new faculty members, providing support for current faculty members, developing postdoctoral and/or graduate research positions, enhancing coursework for nuclear forensics-related academic programs, and/or integrating academic programs and activities with national laboratories. Each activity area should clearly state how it supports the overall objective of improving the academic program, as it relates to nuclear forensics. Using the application forms provided on www.scuref.org/forms (or an official hard copy in pdf) is mandatory, as awards are selected on a competitive basis. Please contact nhuchet@scuref.org for an official pdf of the application, if needed.
Elaborate presentations are not desired. The following is a list of items that must be present in each application:
A. Cover Page: This should be completed and signed by the Principal Investigator and a university official who, if the application is awarded, is authorized to act on behalf of the institution and is able to commit the applicant to the terms and conditions of the award.
B. Application Summary: This space is limited to 200 words or less. Applicants should provide an overview of the work to be performed and how this work will enhance and maintain a nuclear forensics education program at their university. All highlights of the proposal should be listed here. The information provided on the Summary Page may be used as a public information document. Please do not include any proprietary information in this section of the application.
C. Narrative: This is the main body of the application and should provide clear and specific statements regarding the proposed work. This section should demonstrate the applicant's understanding of technical nuclear forensics as a scientific discipline and how the proposed program aligns with U.S. Government research priorities as stated on pages two-three. The narrative should include how the program will facilitate the awarding of graduate and/or doctoral degrees in engineering and/or the natural and physical sciences with appropriate concentrations in a nuclear forensics-related discipline. Please include a proposed timeline, listing milestones as appropriate, which will result in the increased strength, visibility, and sustainability of the program. Please also articulate how the program will offer opportunities for underrepresented minority groups and women. The description of work should demonstrate congruency with the Evaluation Criteria (please refer to Section 8).
The Narrative section is limited to 10 pages and must be typed with at least one-inch margins using a font size of at least 10-point. If proprietary or privileged information is included in the Narrative, please provide a specific notation indicating what information should be kept confidential (please refer to Section 6). Please provide page numbers, the name of the institution and the Principal Investigator on all Narrative pages.
D. Budget Proposal: Financial Assistance Awards are based on what will occur over the duration of the grant. The applicant will note that Award Cost, Cost-Share, and Budgetary Explanation have been divided within the Budget Proposal section. Information must be included regarding how funds will be spent for the three-year period of the award. All budget periods are for 12 months in length with two potential extensions. Because it is expected that the awards will be announced in September 2013, the award begin date can be indicated as early as January 1, 2014 but should not start later than April 30, 2014. In presenting the project budget, please show dollar amounts under the following categories (see forms in Appendix): Personnel; Travel; Facilities, Equipment, and/or Laboratory Cost; and Coursework, Communication, Materials, and Miscellaneous Items. As noted, the Cost Proposal Guidelines have been separated into three sections. (1) Award Costs requests cost information related to the direct expenditures of the award. (2) Cost-Share requests information on the university's willingness to contribute part of its resources to the program. The cost-share must be a minimum of 50 percent of the total award. In-kind costs, fringe benefits, and other costs, which are normally associated with indirect costs, can be included as a part of the cost-share amount. It is a requirement of the program that all indirect costs be waived, but these costs can be included as a part of the cost-share amount. (3) Budget Justification requests sufficient information for the review panel to evaluate the costs of the proposed activities. It is expected that most applicants will allocate travel funds for visits to national laboratory facilities. The reasons for incurring such expenses should be explained in this section and in the Narrative. Foreign travel, under most circumstances, will not be approved for this program. Program administrators retain the right to request additional budgetary information from the applicant.
E. Identification of Key Personnel: The names of the Principal Investigator(s), key personnel, and other qualified individuals must be provided in the application. Brief Curriculum Vitae (limited to two pages) for each individual involved in the project should also be included. If an individual will be hired using the funds from the award, an appropriate job description listing the minimum requirements for the position should be supplied.