Description
NIST is amending the TIP-2010-B01 Federal Funding Opportunity to correct the description of a nonresponsive proposal listed under Element 3 of the Manufacturing Area of Critical National Need addressed in the notice, and to clarify the function of the white paper referenced in the notice. The Technology Innovation Program (TIP), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce (DoC), is soliciting high-risk, high-reward research and development (R&D) proposals. Fiscal year 2010 appropriations include funds in the amount of approximately $25 million for new TIP awards. Approximately 25 total awards are anticipated. The anticipated start date is January 1, 2011. The period of performance depends on the R&D activity proposed. A single company can receive up to a total of $3 million with a project period of performance of up to 3 years. A joint venture can receive up to total of $9 million with a project period of performance of up to 5 years.Continuation funding after the initial award is based on satisfactory performance, availability of funds, continued relevance to program objectives, and is at the sole discretion of NIST. The funding instrument used in TIP awards is a cooperative agreement. Through the use of the cooperative agreement, TIP fosters public/private partnerships to accomplish a public purpose to support, promote, and accelerate innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need. TIP plays a substantial role beyond the levels required normally for program stewardship of grants. This includes but is not limited to monitoring of the technical progress against established milestones, and maintaining fidelity against the TIP award and evaluation criteria; review and approval of key personnel, including the Principal Investigator (PI) and designated staff other than the PI; significant changes in project participants that impact the technical approach; and tracking impact statements for use in the TIP Annual Report. The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act, Pub. L. 110-69 (August 9, 2007), codified at 15 U.S.C. §278n, was enacted to invest in innovation through research and development and to improve the competitiveness of the United States. Section 3012 of the COMPETES Act established TIP for the purpose of assisting United States businesses and institutions of higher education or other organizations, such as national laboratories and nonprofit research institutions, to support, promote, and accelerate innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need. High-risk, high-reward research is research that has the potential for yielding transformational results with far-ranging or wide-ranging implications; addresses areas of critical national need that support, promote, and accelerate innovation in the United States and is within NISTs areas of technical competence; and is too novel or spans too diverse a range of disciplines to fare well in the traditional peer review process. The TIP implementing regulations are published at 15 C.F.R. Part 296, and included in the TIP Proposal Preparation Kit as Appendix B.TIP is soliciting proposals under this fiscal year 2010 competition in the area of critical national need entitled Manufacturing as described in the Federal Funding Opportunity document/Full Announcement.