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Grant Proposals Sought for Construction of Science Research Buildings

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks grant proposals for the construction of science research buildings from institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations. The agency announced on the Grants.gov Web site on May 20, 2008, that it will award approximately $29 million in congressionally directed funding for a special one-time competitive grant program. Awards are expected to range in size from approximately $10 million to $15 million.

The grant program was created under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161) to provide funding for the construction of new buildings or the expansion of existing buildings for the sciences as they relate to the Department of Commerce and its agencies, which include NIST, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Grants will be made on a competitive basis to institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations. Proposals will be evaluated by considering the scientific and technical merits of the proposal, the quality of the design of the proposed science research building, and the adequacy of a project execution plan that includes project scope, schedule, budget, management and financial support for the project. Selections also will be based on the degree to which the proposed project complements DoC science and technology programs; the applicant's experience in promoting national impacts through research outcomes, training, cooperation with federal programs, and opportunities for visiting researchers; whether or not the proposed project would duplicate other federally funded projects; the amount of additional funding the applicant is prepared to supply; and other factors.

The deadline for applications is 3 p.m. ET, July 21, 2008. NIST expects to announce selections by the end of September 2008. The full announcement of the federal funding opportunity, with complete details on competition rules, evaluation criteria, selection process, eligibility, required forms and submission procedures, is available at www.grants.gov. In the right column, click "grant search" under Quick Links and search by CFDA number 11.615.

Links to construction grant program documents:

  • Grants.gov: Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (www.grants.gov, in the right column, click "grant search" under Quick Links and search by CFDA number 11.615).
  • A Federal Register notice, "Construction Grant Program Notice of Availability of Funds" (FR 73 v. 102, p. 30380), announcing this competition was published on May 27, 2008. In the event of any discrepancies between the Federal Register notice (FRN) and other documents announcing this request for proposals, the FRN will prevail.
Released May 28, 2008, Updated January 25, 2023