GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SOLICITATION The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) plans to competitively select ten Tier 1 University Transportation Centers (UTCs), two Tier 1 Transit-Focused UTCs, and ten Regional UTCs. The purpose of the Centers is to advance U.S. technology and expertise in the many disciplines comprising transportation through the mechanisms of research, education, and technology transfer; and to provide a critical transportation knowledge base outside the US DOT and address vital workforce needs for the next generation of transportation leaders. To accomplish this purpose, RITA plans to provide approximately $3.5 million from federal Fiscal Year 2011 funds to each nonprofit institution of higher learning selected through this competition to operate a Center. A UTC must be located in the United States or territories. It may be a single university or a consortium of two or more universities. Each Center is required to obtain matching funds from non-federal sources in an amount at least equal to the US DOT grant amount. The grant may be extended subject to a) transportation authorization legislation that continues the UTC Program as structured in this solicitation and b) availability of subsequent-year funds. WHAT YOU NEED TO SEND US If your university is eligible to receive an award under this solicitation (see Part II-A-2), your university's authorized representative must submit the application through the federal "Grants.gov" electronic grant identification and application system. You will want to ensure well in advance that the university is registered with Grants.gov, as registration is not instantaneous. Eligible entities must have or must secure a DUNS number for the purposes of formal application. The DUNS number is a unique nine-character number that identifies your organization. Each applicant's DUNS number will be maintained as part of the applicant's profile. This number can be obtained free through the D&B website (http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/). You are responsible for the accuracy and validity of all the administrative, fiscal, and technical information in your application. The application will consist of: 1. Standard Form SF-424 "Application for Federal Assistance" 2. Standard Form SF-424A "Budget Information -- Non-Construction Programs" 3. Standard Form SF-424B "Assurances -- Non-Construction Programs" 4. A written prospectus no more than 35 pages long, plus additional appendices with supporting documentation (specified in Part III). Applicants for Regional Center funding must submit additional written documentation (no more than three pages) that addresses the Center's regional role. Applicants for Tier 1 Transit-Focused Center funding must submit additional written documentation (no more than five pages) that describes how the Center will address transit-related research and workforce needs. Detailed instructions for the application appear later in this document. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, or home addresses should not be included in the application. Information submitted as part of the application may be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). WHERE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION Submit your application via: Grants.gov, located at Internet address http://www.grants.gov Opportunity No. UTCOPENCOMP2011 DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION Your application must be submitted to Grants.gov no later than: 11:59 PM EST, WEDNESDAY, October 26, 2011. Your application will be considered complete as initially received by us; if you need to make changes after submission, you will need to withdraw and resubmit your application in whole. Any materials submitted after the due date will not be incorporated into the review process unless we specifically request such material to complete the review of your application. RETURN RECEIPT ACKNOWLEDGMENT The electronic Grants.gov system will provide you with an acknowledgement of your submission. QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SOLICITATION If you have questions about this solicitation or need information about the University Transportation Centers Program in general, you may contact the UTC program at
[email protected] until 4:00PM EST on October 26, 2011. Please note: Until a formal notice of award is issued, no communication by the Government, either written or oral, shall be interpreted as a promise that an award will be made. Questions posed by applicants will be posted with RITA's answers on the UTC Program website at http://utc.dot.gov/about/grants_competitions/2011/index.html .