Precision Measurement Grant Program

2026-NIST-PMGP-01

U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), NIST, Precision Measurement Grant Program, 2026-
NIST-PMGP-01
Funding Opportunity Description: The Precision Measurement Grant Program (PMGP) is
seeking applications from eligible applicants for activities
to conduct research work in the field of fundamental
measurement, testing the basic laws of physics, and/or
the determination of fundamental constants, with
emphasis on pressing problems or emerging
opportunities.
Announcement Type: Initial.
Funding Instrument: Grant or Cooperative Agreement.
Assistance Listing (CFDA 11.053
Number):
Award Project Period: Project performance period of one (1) year, renewable
annually, up to a total performance period of three (3)
years, subject to funding availability and project
performance progress.
Goals & Objectives: The PMGP was established in 1970 to support research in
the field of fundamental measurement or the
determination of fundamental constants, enabling the
faculties at universities and colleges and laboratory
researchers to conduct significant research in this area.
By funding the research projects of eligible applicants
through this program, NIST supports advances in
fundamental measurement, the determination of
fundamental constants, and fosters extramural
collaboration with NIST scientists. The PMGP also is
intended to make it possible for researchers to pursue
new ideas for which other sources of support may be
difficult to find. There is some latitude in research topics
that will be considered under the PMGP.
Eligible Projects: Applicants must propose projects that meet the Program
Requirements set forth in Section I. of this NOFO.
Proposals will be evaluated based upon the criteria
indicated in Section V.1, which includes the relationship
of the proposed research to NIST’s ongoing effort to
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develop improved fundamental measurement methods
or standards, test the basic laws of physics, or provide an
improved value for a fundamental constant. See the
Physical Measurement Laboratory website for more
information about NIST’s programs in these areas.
Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of
higher education; non-profit organizations; for-profit
organizations incorporated in the United States; State,
local, Territorial, and Indian Tribal Governments; foreign
public entities; and foreign organizations. Although
Federal entities are not eligible to receive funding under
this NOFO, they may participate as unfunded
collaborators. Please note that individuals and
unincorporated sole proprietors are not considered “non-
Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply under this
NOFO.
Funding Amount: One (1) award for up to $150,000 per award (award is
incrementally funded – up to $50,000 each year).
Cost Share/Matching Non-federal cost share is not required. See section III.2.
Requirements:
Estimated Number (can give a One (1) award.
range) and Type of Award(s):
Submission Dates and Times: There are two phases in the competition for a Precision
Measurement Grant: The Pre-Application phase involving
all applicants, and the Full Application phase involving
only the finalists. In both phases, proposals are
submitted via Grants.gov.
(1) Pre-Applications (also called Abbreviated
Applications) must be received electronically
through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on April 9, 2026 (see Section IV.4.a
of this NOFO). Pre-Applications received after this
deadline will not be reviewed or considered.
(2) Review of Pre-Applications and subsequent
selection of finalists who will be invited to submit
a Full Application is expected to be completed by
May 22, 2026.
(3) Full Applications from selected finalists must
be received electronically through Grants.gov no
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later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on June 22,
2026. Full Applications received after this
deadline will not be reviewed or considered.
How to Apply: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov. Paper
applications will not be accepted.
Review and Selection Process: NIST Precision Measurement Grants are awarded to the
highest ranked application as part of a two-phase
competition, namely a pre-Application phase and a Full
Application phase. There is no restriction on the number
of Principal Investigator/s who authors an application. In
both phases, the applications shall be evaluated and
ranked by a group of at least three (3) and up to eight (8)
independent, objective reviewers, who may be Federal
employees or non-federal personnel. The reviewers will
rank the applications on their merit, based upon the
review process and Evaluation Criteria set forth in
Section V of this NOFO.
Agency Contacts: Programmatic and Technical Questions:
Dr. Peter Mohr
Physical Measurement Laboratory
Phone: 301-975-3217
Email: mohr@nist.gov
Grant Rules and Regulations:
Nuria Martinez
nuria.martinez@nist.gov
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Table of Contents
I. Program Description ......................................................................................................... 4
II.Federal Award Information ................................................................................................ 4
III.Eligibility Information ....................................................................................................... 5
IV.Application and Submission Information .......................................................................... 5
V.Application Review Information ...................................................................................... 16
VI.Federal Award Administration Information ..................................................................... 19
VII.Federal Awarding Agency Contacts ............................................................................... 25
VIII.Other Information ........................................................................................................ 25
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT
I. Program Description
The statutory authority for the NIST Precision Measurement Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. §§
272(b)(2), (b)(4), (b)(6), (b)(7), (b)(8), (c)(1), (c)(3), (c)(10), (c)(11).
1. Background Information
The PMGP was established in 1970 to support research in the field of fundamental
measurement or the determination of fundamental constants, enabling the faculties at
universities and colleges and laboratory researchers to conduct significant research in
this area. By funding the research projects of eligible applicants through this program,
NIST supports advances in fundamental measurement, the determination of
fundamental constants, and fosters extramural collaboration with NIST scientists. The
PMGP also is intended to make it possible for researchers to pursue new ideas for
which other sources of support may be difficult to find. There is some latitude in
research topics that will be considered under the PMGP.
Proposals will be evaluated based upon the criteria indicated in Section V.1, which
includes the relationship of the proposed research to NIST’s ongoing effort to develop
improved fundamental measurement methods or standards, test the basic laws of
physics, or provide an improved value for a fundamental constant. See Physical
Measurement Laboratory for more information about NIST’s programs in these areas.
2. Program Requirements
The objective of the PMGP is to support research in the following areas of interest that
are relevant to ongoing work at NIST, with emphasis on those with pressing problems or
emerging opportunities:
a. Developing a new or an improved fundamental measurement method or a
physical standard.
b. Testing the basic laws of physics; and/or
c. Providing an improved value for a fundamental constant.
II. Federal Award Information
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1. Funding Instrument. The funding instrument that will be used is a Grant or Cooperative
Agreement. Where cooperative agreements are used, the nature of NIST’s “substantial
involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient organization in
developing and implementing the approved scope of work, consistent with the
definition of cooperative agreement in 2 CFR § 200.1.
2. Multi-Year Funding Policy. When a proposal for a multi-year award is approved,
funding will usually be provided for only the first year of the program. If a project is
selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide any additional funding in
connection with that award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend the
period of performance is at the sole discretion of NIST. Continued funding will be
contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance to the mission and
priorities of PML, and the availability of funds.
3. Funding Availability. NIST anticipates funding one (1) award for up to $150,000 (award
is incrementally funded – up to $50,000 each year).
4. Indirect (F&A) Costs. NIST will reimburse applicants for proposed indirect (F&A) costs
in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.414. Applicants proposing indirect (F&A) costs must
follow the application requirements set forth in Section IV.2.b.(9) of this NOFO.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants. Eligibility for all programs listed in this NOFO is open to all non-
Federal entities. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, non-profit
organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes,
hospitals, and foreign organizations. Please note that individuals and unincorporated
sole proprietors are not considered “non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply
under this NOFO. Although Federal entities are not eligible to receive funding under this
NOFO, they may participate as unfunded collaborators.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching funds are not required for awards issued pursuant to this
NOFO.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package
The Pre-Application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity
Number 2026-NIST-PMGP-01.
Only the finalists selected during the pre-application stage will be invited to submit full
applications. Full Application package will be made available at Grants.gov under
Funding Opportunity Number 2026-NIST-PMGP-01. Full Applications for the PMGP may
only be submitted in response to an invitation from NIST.
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2. Content and Form of Application Submission
a. Required Forms and Documents for a Pre-Application. Pre-Applications must
be submitted by all applicants via Grants.gov in order to be considered for funding
(see Section IV.4.a of this NOFO). The Pre-Applications must contain the following:
(1) SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 (R&R) must be
signed by an authorized representative of the applicant’s organization.
For SF-424 (R&R), Items 5, 14, and 19, use the Zip Code + 4 format (##### -
####) when addresses are called for.
SF-424 (R&R), Item 18. If the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form
(item (5) below) is applicable, attach it to field 18.
The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 17 of the SF-424
(R&R) is contained in the Federal Financial Assistance Certifications and
Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity registration.
Instructions for filling in the SF-424 (R&R) can be found on Grants.gov at R&R
Forms Repository.
(2) Pre-Application Narrative. A word-processed document of no more than five
(5) pages, written by the applicant in an easy-to-read font with 10-point size or
larger (double-spaced between the lines), describing the proposed project that
includes sufficient information to address the evaluation criteria (see Section
V.1 of this NOFO)
b. Required Forms and Documents for a Full Application. The finalists selected in
the initial review will be invited to submit Full Applications. The Full Applications
must contain the following:
(1) SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 (R&R) must be
signed by an authorized representative of the applicant
organization.
For SF-424 (R&R), Items 5, 14, and 19, use the Zip Code + 4 format (##### -
####) when addresses are called for.
SF-424 (R&R), Item 18. If the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form
(item (5) below) is applicable, attach it to field 18.
The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 17 of the SF-424
(R&R) is contained in the Federal Financial Assistance Certifications and
Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity registration.
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Instructions for filling in the SF-424 (R&R) can be found on Grants.gov at R&R
Forms Repository.
(2) Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed). The budget should reflect
anticipated expenses for the full term of the project, considering all potential
cost increases, including cost of living adjustments. Expenses must be
reflected in whole dollars (no cents).
The budget should be detailed in these categories:
a. Senior/Key Person;
b. Other Personnel;
c. Equipment Description;
d. Travel;
e. Participant/Trainee Support Costs;
f. Other Direct Costs;
g. Direct Costs (automatically generated);
h. Indirect Costs;
i. Total Direct and Indirect Costs (automatically generated);
j. Total Costs and Fee (automatically generated);
k. Budget Narrative and Justification document (item (8) below) should be
attached to field L.
A separate detailed R&R Budget must be completed for each budget period
during the proposed award (e.g., annual basis). To add additional budget
periods (e.g., year 2), click “Add Period” embedded at the end of the form.
Information regarding the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) is
available in the R & R Forms Repository on Grants.gov, as well as at the NIST
Financial Assistance Agreements Management Office R&R Application Package
Guidance.
(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2026-NIST-
PMGP-01” in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the
application, or an abbreviation of that title, in the Project Name
field.
(4) Research and Related Other Project Information. Answer the
highlighted questions and use this form to attach the Project Narrative
(item (6) below), Resume(s) or CV(s) (item (7) below), the Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement (item (9) below), the Data Management Plan (item (11) below), and
the Current and Pending Support Form (item (12) below).
Instructions for completing the Research and Related Other Project Information
form can be found in R&R Forms Repository on grants.gov by scrolling down to
Research And Related Other Project Information and clicking the Instructions
link, as well at the NIST Financial Assistance Agreements Management Office
R&R Application Package Guidance.
Please note that the Project Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this
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competition. However, Grants.gov requires an attachment to field 7 of the
Research and Related Other Project Information form to successfully pass
through Grants.gov. Please attach a document to field 7 stating, “A Project
Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this competition”.
(5) SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable).
(6) Project Narrative.
The Project Narrative for the Full Application is a word-processed document of
no more than ten (10) pages (double-spaced between lines), which is
responsive to the program description and the evaluation criteria (See Section
V.1 of this NOFO).
The projective narrative should contain the following information:
a. Abstract. Provide concise title and a 100–200-word abstract highlighting
the motivation, the nature of the project, and the level of precision targeted
by the proposed measurement.
b. Project Description. Address each of the four (4) evaluation criteria (see
Section V.1. of this NOFO). This section should provide a statement of the
work which includes milestones towards the project objectives.
c. Current Support. Indicate if your research is supported by other sources
of funding and make clear how the NIST funds will enable the applicant to
engage in work that otherwise could not be done with only the other
source(s) of funds.
(7) Resume(s) or CV(s). Resumes or CVs are required for all key personnel,
including the principal investigator. Resumes are limited to two (2) pages per
individual, including a list of the most recent publications relevant to the
proposed work.
(8) Budget Narrative and Justification. There is no set format for the Budget
Narrative and Justification, however, the written justification should include
the necessity and the basis for the cost, as described below. Proposed funding
levels must be consistent with the project scope, and only allowable costs
should be included in the budget, and all funds should be in whole dollars (no
cents). Information on cost allowability is available in the Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for
Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which apply to awards in this program.
The Budget Narrative does not count against the page limit of the Project
Narrative.
It will also be reviewed to determine if all costs are reasonable, allocable, and
allowable under 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart E, Cost Principles.
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Information needed for each category is as follows (categories not listed are
automatically generated by the form or are not relevant to this competition):
a. Senior/Key Person – At a minimum, the budget justification should
include the following: name, job title, commitment of effort on the proposed
project in terms of average number of hours per week or percentage of time,
salary rate, total direct charges on the proposed project, description of the
role of the individual on the proposed project and the work to be performed.
Fringe benefits should be identified separately from salaries and wages and
based on rates determined by organizational policy. The items included in
the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.) should not be
charged under another cost category.
b. Other Personnel - Data is requested at the project role level, and
not at the individual level for Other Personnel. The budget justification
should include the following: job title, commitment of effort on the
proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or
percentage of time, salary rate, total direct charges on the proposed project,
description of the role of the position on the proposed project and the work
to be performed.
Fringe benefits should be identified separately from salaries and wages and
based on rates determined by organizational policy. The items included in
the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.) should not be
charged under another cost category.
c. Equipment Description – Equipment is defined as an item of
property that has an acquisition cost of $10,000 or more (unless the
organization has established lower levels) and an expected service life of
more than one year. The budget justification should list each piece of
equipment, the cost, and a description of how it will be used and why it is
necessary to the successful completion of the proposed project. Please
note that any general use equipment (computers, etc.) charged directly to
the award should be allocated to the award according to expected usage on
the project. Any items that do not meet the threshold for equipment can be
included under the Materials and Supplies line item in Section F, Other
Direct Costs.
d. Travel - For all travel costs, required by the recipient to complete
the project, including attendance at any relevant conferences, the budget
justification for travel should include the following: destination; names or
number of people traveling; dates and/or duration; mode of transportation,
lodging and subsistence rates; and description of how the travel is directly
related to the proposed project. For travel that is yet to be determined,
please provide best estimates based on prior experience. If a destination is
not known, an approximate amount may be used with the assumptions
given for the location of the meeting.
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e. Participant/Trainee Support Costs – Participant support costs are
stipends, subsistence allowances, travel, and registration fees paid to or on
behalf of participants or trainees, who are not employees of your
organization, for conferences or training projects. The budget justification
should indicate the names or number of participants or trainees, a
description and calculation of costs per person, a description and date of
the event, and a description of why the cost is necessary for the successful
completion of the proposed project.
f. Other Direct Costs – For costs that do not easily fit into the other cost
categories, please list the cost, and the breakdown of the total costs by
quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost for the completion
of the proposed project. Only allowable costs can be charged to the award.
Each subaward or contractual cost should be treated as a separate item in
the Other Direct Costs category. Describe the services to be provided and
the necessity of the subaward or contract to the successful performance of
the proposed project. Contracts are for obtaining goods and services.
Subawardees perform part of the project scope of work. For each subaward,
applicants must provide budget detail justifying the cost of the work
performed on the project.
g. Indirect Costs – Commonly referred to as Facilities &
Administrative Costs, Indirect Costs are defined as costs incurred by the
applicant organization that cannot otherwise be directly assigned or
attributed to a specific project. For more details, see Section IV.2.b.(9) of
this NOFO.
(9) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. If indirect costs are included in the
proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated
agreement if this rate was negotiated with a cognizant Federal audit
agency. If the rate was not established by a cognizant Federal audit
agencies provide a statement to this effect. If the successful applicant includes
indirect costs in the budget and has not established an indirect cost rate with a
cognizant Federal audit agency, the applicant will be required to obtain such a
rate in accordance with Section B.06 of the DOC Financial Assistance General
Terms and Conditions.
Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that do not
have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate (except for
those non-Federal entities described in appendix VII, paragraph D.1.b. of 2 CFR
Part 200) may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 15 percent of modified total
direct costs (MTDC). Applicants proposing a 15 percent de minimis rate
pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as part of the budget
portion of the application. Please be aware that foreign applicants will be
limited to use of the de minimis rate and will not have the opportunity to
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negotiate an indirect cost rate with NIST.
(10) Subaward Budget Form. The Research & Related Subaward Budget
Attachment Form is required if sub-recipients and contractors are included in
the application budget.
Instructions for completing subaward budget forms are available by visiting the
R&R Forms Repository of the Grants.gov Forms Repository and scrolling down
to the R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form and selecting “Instructions.”
(11) Data Management Plan. Consistent with NIST Policy 5700.001, Managing
Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research, and NIST Order
5701.002, Managing Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research”,
applicants must include a Data Management Plan (DMP).
All applications for activities that will generate scientific data using NIST funding
are required to adhere to a DMP or explain why data sharing and/or preservation
are not within the scope of the project. For the purposes of the DMP, NIST
adopted the definition of “research data” at 2 C.F.R. § 200.315(e)(3).
The DMP must include, at a minimum, a summary of proposed activities that
are expected to generate data; a summary of the types of data expected to be
generated by the identified activities; a plan for storage and maintenance of the
data expected to be generated by the identified activities, including after the
end of the award’s period of performance; and a plan describing whether and
how data generated by the identified activities will be reviewed and made
available to the public.
A template for the DMP, an example DMP, and the rubric against which the DMP
will be evaluated for sufficiency is available at: Information for Applicants and
Awardees. An applicant is not required to use the template as long as the DMP
contains the required information.
If an application stands a reasonable chance of being funded and the DMP is
determined during the review process to be insufficient, the program office may
contact the applicant to resolve deficiencies in the DMP. If an award is issued
prior to the deficiencies being fully rectified, the award will include a Specific
Award Condition (SAC) stating that no research activities shall be initiated, or
costs incurred for those activities under the award until the NIST Grants Officer
amends the award to indicate the SAC has been satisfied.
Reasonable costs for data preservation and access may be included in the
application.
1 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/19/final_p_5700.pdf
2 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/11/08/final_o_5701_ver_2.pdf
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(12) Current and Pending Support Form. Any application that includes
investigators, researchers, and key personnel must identify all sources of
current and potential funding, including this proposal. Any current project
support (e.g., Federal, state, local, public, or private foundations, etc.) must be
listed on this form. The proposed project and all other projects or activities
requiring a portion of time of the Principal Investigator (PI), co-PI, and key
personnel must be included, even if no salary support is received. The total
award amount for the entire award period covered, including indirect costs,
must be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted
to the project, regardless of the source of support. Similar information must be
provided for all proposals already submitted or that are being submitted
concurrently to other potential funders.
Applicants must complete the Current and Pending (Other) Support Current
Form, using multiple forms as necessary to account for all activity for each
individual identified in the PI, co-PI, and key personnel roles. A separate form
should be used for each identified individual.
Applicants must download the NIST Current and Pending Support Form and
reference the guidance provided as it contains information to assist with
accurately completing the form.
c. Attachment of Required Documents
Items IV.2.a.(1), IV.2.a.(2), IV.2.b.(1) through IV.2.b.(4) above are part of the
standard application package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the
download application process.
Item IV.2.b.(5), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, is an optional
application form which is part of the standard application package in Grants.gov. If
item IV.2.b.(5), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form is applicable to
this proposal, attach it to field 18 of the SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal
Assistance.
Item IV.2.b.(6), the Project Narrative, should be attached to field 8 (Project
Narrative) of the Research and Related Other Project Information form by clicking
on “Add Attachment”.
Item IV.2.b.(8), the Budget Narrative and Justification, should be attached to field L
(Budget Justification) of the Research and Related Budget (Total Fed + Total Non-
Fed) form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.
Items IV.2.b.(7), Resume(s) or CV(s), IV.2.b.(9), the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement,
IV.2.b.(11), the Data Management Plan, and IV.2.b.(12), the Current and Pending
Support Form, must be completed and attached by clicking on “Add Attachments”
found in item 12 (Other Attachments) of the Research and Related Other Project
Information form.
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Item IV.2.b.(10), the Subaward Budget Form(s), if applicable to the submission,
should be attached to the Research & Related Subaward Budget (Total Fed + Non-
Fed) Attachment(s) Form in the application package.
Following these directions will create zip files which permit transmittal of the
documents electronically via Grants.gov.
Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions at
www.Grants.gov to ensure the attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov
system. A receipt from Grants.gov indicates only that an application was
transferred to a system. It does not provide details concerning whether all
attachments (or how many attachments) transferred successfully. Applicants will
receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days before
learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its application.
Applicants are strongly advised to use “Download Submitted Forms and
Applications” on grants.gov to check that their application’s required attachments
were contained in their submission.
After submitting the application, check the status of your application here: Check
Application Status. If any, or all, of the required attachments are absent from the
submission, follow the attachment directions found above, resubmit the
application, and check again for the presence of the required attachments.
If the directions found on the Grants.gov Online Help page are not effective, please
contact the Grants.gov Help Desk immediately. If calling from within the United
States or from a U.S. territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling from a place
outside the United States or a U.S. territory, please call 606-545-5035. E-mails
should be addressed to support@grants.gov. Assistance from the Grants.gov Help
Desk will be available around the clock every day, with the exception of Federal
holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time the day after
Federal holidays.
Applicants can track their submission in the Grants.gov system by following the
procedures at the Track My Application page. It can take up to two business days for
an application to fully move through the Grants.gov system to NIST.
NIST uses the Tracking Numbers assigned by Grants.gov and does not issue Agency
Tracking Numbers.
d. Application Format
(1) Paper, Email, and Facsimile (fax) Submissions. Will not be accepted.
(2) Figures, Graphs, Images, and Pictures. Should be of a size that is easily
readable or viewable and may be displayed in landscape orientation. Any
figures, graphs, images, or pictures will count toward the page limits for the
Project Narrative.
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(3) Font. Easy to read font (10-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in figures
and tables but must be clearly legible.
(4) Page Limit. The Pre-Application Project Narrative is limited to five (5) pages,
preferably double spaced for ease of reading. The Full Application Project
Narrative is limited to ten (10) pages, preferably double spaced. In both cases,
the page limit includes the table of contents (if provided), all required
information including figures, tables, images, pictures, and references, as
applicable.
(5) Page Limit Exclusions:
SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance;
Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed);
CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;
Research and Related Other Project Information;
SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;
Resume(s) or CV(s);
Budget Narrative and Justification;
Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;
Subaward Budget Form;
Letters of Commitment;
Data Management Plan;
Current and Pending Support Form.
(6) Page Layout. The Project Narrative must be in portrait orientation.
(7) Page size. 21.6 centimeters by 27.9 centimeters (8 ½ inches by 11 inches).
(8) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.
(9) Application language. All documents must be in English, including but not
limited to the initial application, any additional documents submitted in
response to a NIST request, all reports, and any correspondence with NIST.
(10) Typed document. All applications, including forms, must be typed; handwritten
forms will not be accepted.
e. Application Replacement Pages. Applicants may not submit replacement pages
and/or missing documents once an application has been submitted. Any revisions
must be made by submission of a new application that must be received by NIST by
the submission deadline.
f. Pre-Applications. The PMGP requires Abbreviated Applications (pre-applications),
as detailed in Section IV.2.a. and IV.4.a. of this NOFO. The Selecting Official will
select a group of finalists to submit Full Applications from among the Abbreviated
Applications (see Section V.3. of this NOFO).
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3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM).
Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. part 25, applicants and recipients are required to: (i) be registered
in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its
application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current
information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or
plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency, unless otherwise excepted
from these requirements pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 25.110. NIST will not make a Federal
award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity
identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the
requirements by the time that NIST is ready to make a Federal award pursuant to this
NOFO, NIST may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal
award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another
applicant.
4. Submission Dates and Times
a. Pre-Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on April 9, 2026. Pre-Applications received after this deadline will
not be reviewed or considered. Paper and email applications will not be
accepted. NIST will consider the date and time recorded by Grants.gov as the
official time that the application was received by NIST. Applicants are
cautioned that the validation process may take up to two full business days
after the application is submitted to Grants.gov.
b. Review of Pre-Applications and selection of finalists who will be invited to
submit a Full Application is expected to be completed by May 22, 2026.
c. Full Applications from selected finalists must be received electronically through
Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 22, 2026. Full
Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered.
Paper and email applications will not be accepted. NIST will consider the date
and time recorded by Grants.gov as the official time that the application was
received by NIST. Applicants are cautioned that the validation process may
take up to two full business days after the application is submitted to
Grants.gov.
When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all applicants
are required to have current registrations in the electronic System for Award
Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process in the
SAM.gov generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than
three weeks; and applicants will receive e-mail notifications over a period of up to two
business days as the application moves through intermediate systems before the
applicant learns via a validation or rejection notification whether NIST has received the
application. (See Grants.gov for full information on application and notification through
Grants.gov.) Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the
designated recipient’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is
not current at the time of the award.
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5. Intergovernmental Review
Applications submitted by State and local governments are subject to Executive Order
(E.O.) 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” pursuant to which each
State designates an entity to coordinate, and review proposed federal financial
assistance and direct federal development. All other applicants should consult the
Intergovernmental Review State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to determine whether
the application is subject to State review pursuant to E.O. 12372.
6. Funding Restrictions
Construction activities are not an allowable cost under this program. In addition, a
recipient or a subrecipient may not charge profits, fees, or other increments above cost
to an award issued pursuant to this NOFO.
7. Other Submission Requirements
a. Applications must be submitted at Grants.gov. Paper applications will not be
accepted. Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions to
ensure that all attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A receipt
from Grants.gov indicating an application is received does not provide information
about whether attachments have been received. For further information or
questions regarding applying electronically for the 2026-NIST-PMGP-01
announcement, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 800-518-4726.
b. Amendments. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through
Grants.gov. Applicants may sign up on Grants.gov to receive amendments by e-mail
or may request copies by e-mail from pmgp@nist.gov.
V. Application Review Information
1. Evaluation Criteria
The reviewers will rank order the proposals on the following evaluation criteria that will
be used in evaluating both Pre-Applications and Full Applications. The four criteria are
given the same weight. They are as follows:
a. The importance of the proposed research — Reviewers will evaluate: The extent
to which the proposed research demonstrates potential for answering some current
pressing question or of opening up a whole new area of activity.
b. The relationship of the proposed research to NIST’s ongoing work — Reviewers
will evaluate: The extent to which the proposed research support one or more of the
following current efforts at NIST, namely:
(1) Developing a new or improved fundamental measurement method or
physical standard.
(2) Testing the basic laws of physics; or
(3) Providing an improved value for a fundamental constant.
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c. The feasibility of the research and the potential impact of the project/award —
Reviewers will evaluate: The likelihood that significant progress could be made in a
three-year award period, with the funds and personnel available, and that the
funding will enable work which would otherwise not be done.
d. The qualifications of the applicant — Considering the following factors (each of
which will be given equal weight), reviewers will evaluate: the extent to which the
applicant’s qualifications indicate a high probability that the proposed research will
be carried out successfully, including the:
(1) Principal Investigator’s (PI) educational and employment background; and
(2) Quality of the PI’s research as reflected in recent publications.
2. Selection Factors
(1) The availability of funding.
(2) Whether the project duplicates other projects funded by NIST or other
Federal agencies.
(3) Relevance to the program objectives as stated in Section I of this NOFO.
3. Review and Selection Process
Proposals, reports, documents, and other information related to applications
submitted to NIST and/or relating to financial assistance awards issued by NIST will be
reviewed and considered by Federal employees, or non-Federal personnel who have
entered into conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering such
information, when applicable.
a. Initial Administrative Review of Applications. Applications received by the
deadline will be reviewed to determine eligibility, completeness, and
responsiveness to this NOFO and to the scope of the stated program objectives
Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or nonresponsive may be
eliminated from further review. However, NIST, in its sole discretion, may continue
the review process for an application that is missing non-substantive information,
the absence of which may easily be rectified during the review process.
b. Full Review of Eligible, Complete, and Responsive Applications. Applications
that are determined to be eligible, complete, and responsive will proceed for full
reviews in accordance with the review and selection process below:
(1) Pre-Applications.
Each Pre-Application will be reviewed by a group of at least three (3) and up to
eight (8) independent, objective reviewers, who may be Federal employees or
non-Federal personnel. The reviewers may discuss the applications with each
other, but rankings will be determined on an individual basis, not as a
consensus. The independent reviewers will be scientists knowledgeable in the
scientific areas of the program. Applications will be ranked by each reviewer.
An aggregated ranking will then be derived based on the numerical average of
the individual reviewers’ rankings. This aggregated ranking will then be provided
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to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
(2) Full Applications.
To the greatest extent practicable, each Full Application submitted by an
applicant whose pre-application was selected as a finalist will be reviewed by
the same independent reviewers that reviewed the Pre-Applications. The
reviewers may discuss the applications with each other, but rankings will be
determined on an individual basis, not as a consensus. An aggregated ranking
will be derived based on the numerical average of the individual reviewers’
rankings. This aggregated ranking will then be provided to the Selecting Official
for further consideration.
(3) Selection.
The Selecting Official, who is the Chief of the Quantum Measurement Division of
the Physical Measurement Laboratory, will make final award recommendations
to the NIST Grants Officer. The Selecting Official shall select and recommend
the most meritorious application for an award based upon the aggregated rank
order unless the Selecting Official selects and recommends a Pre-Application
or a Full Application out of rank order based on one or more of the Selection
Factors, as detailed in Section V.2 of this NOFO.
NIST reserves the right to negotiate the budget costs with any applicant selected
to receive an award, which may include requesting that the applicant removes
certain costs. Additionally, NIST may request that successful applicants modify
objectives or work plans and provide supplemental information required by the
agency prior to award. NIST also reserves the right to reject an application
where information is uncovered that raises a reasonable doubt as to the
responsibility of the applicant. NIST may select some, all, or none of the
applications, or part(s) of any application. The final approval of selected
applications and issuance of awards will be by the NIST Grants Officer. The
award decisions of the NIST Grants Officer are final.
c. Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants. After applications
are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the NIST Financial Assistance
Agreements Management Office (FAAMO) performs pre-award risk assessments in
accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.206, which may include a review of the financial
stability of an applicant, the quality of the applicant’s management systems, the
history of performance, and/or the applicant’s ability to effectively implement
statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities.
Applicants and key personnel may be subject to research security reviews, as
applicable.
In addition, prior to making an award where the total Federal share is expected to
exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $350,000), NIST FAAMO will
review and consider the publicly available Responsibility/Qualification records
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about that applicant in SAM.gov (formerly the Federal Awardee Performance and
Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)). An applicant may, at its discretion, review,
and comment on information about itself previously entered into SAM.gov by a
federal awarding agency. As part of its review of risk posed by applicants, NIST
FAAMO will consider any comments made by the applicant in SAM.gov in making its
determination about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of
performance under Federal awards. Upon completion of the pre-award risk
assessment, the Grants Officer will make a responsibility determination concerning
whether the applicant is qualified to receive the subject award and, if so, whether
appropriate specific conditions that correspond to the degree of risk posed by the
applicant should be applied to an award.
4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Date
Review of applications, selection of the successful applicant, and award processing is
expected to be completed by August 2026. The earliest start date for awards under this
NOFO is expected to be September 2026
5. Additional Information
a. Safety. NIST is committed to maintaining a work environment that safeguards the
public and the environment, as well as Government personnel and property.
Employees, contractors, and other associates of award recipients who conduct
project work at a NIST-owned or operated site will be required to comply with all
applicable NIST safety policies and procedures, and with all applicable terms of
their guest research agreement.
b. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified
by e-mail and will have the opportunity to receive a debriefing after the opportunity
is officially closed. Applicants must request within 10 business days of the email
notification to receive a debrief from the program office. The program office will
then work with the unsuccessful applicant in arranging a date and time of the
debrief.
c. Retention of Unsuccessful Applications. Unsuccessful applications will be
retained in accordance with the General Record Schedule 1.2/021.
VI. Federal Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notices. The successful applicant will receive an award package from
the NIST Grants Officer.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
a. DOC Financial Assistance General Terms and Conditions. The DOC Financial
Assistance General Terms and Conditions will be applied to each award in this
program.
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b. Executive Order 14173. Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based
Opportunity
1) This award term implements Executive Order 14173, 90 FR 8633 (Jan. 21,
2025). By accepting this Award or Award Amendment (as the case may be) and
expending federal funding thereunder, the recipient:
(a) The recipient agrees that compliance in all respects with all applicable
Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government’s payment
decisions for purposes of section 3729(b)(4) of Title 31 United States Code;
and Agrees that compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-
discrimination laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for
purposes of section 3729(b)(4) of Title 31 United States Code;
(b) Certifies to the Department that it does not operate any programs promoting
diversity, equity, and inclusion that violate any applicable Federal anti-
discrimination laws; and
(c) Further certifies to the Department that it does not participate in any illegal
preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance,
regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements, that
violate any applicable federal anti-discrimination laws.
2) Affirmative Duty to Monitor for and to Report Potential Inconsistencies: The
recipient must actively monitor its administration of this award to ensure that
its activities do not violate the requirements of this award, including this SAC.
At any time during the period of performance of this award, if the recipient
believes that any of the activities in its approved scope of work may be
inconsistent with the policies as outlined above, the recipient has an
affirmative duty to immediately stop work on those potentially inconsistent
activities and immediately contact the Grants Officer named in the Notice of
Award (NoA) to determine whether the potentially inconsistent activities may
proceed under this award. The performance of activities that violate or are
otherwise inconsistent with requirements as outlined above will result in
appropriate enforcement action pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.339, including the
disallowance of costs and possible termination of a portion or all of this award.
c. Pre-Award Notification Requirements. The DOC will apply the Pre-Award
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements dated
December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390). Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal
Awarding Agency Contacts, Grant Rules, and Regulations, for more information.
d. Limitation of Liability and Enforcement Actions
Funding for the program listed in this NOFO is contingent upon the availability of
appropriations. NIST or the DOC will not be responsible for application preparation
costs, including but not limited to if this program fails to receive funding or is
cancelled because of agency priorities. Publication of this NOFO does not oblige
NIST or the DOC to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
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e. Collaborations with NIST Employees.
All applications should include a description of any work proposed to be performed
by an entity other than the applicant, and the cost of such work should ordinarily be
included in the budget. If an applicant proposes collaboration with NIST, the
statement of work should include a statement of this intention, a description of the
collaboration, and prominently identify the NIST employee(s) involved, if known.
Any collaboration by a NIST employee must be approved by appropriate NIST
management and is at the sole discretion of NIST. Prior to beginning the merit
review process, NIST will verify the approval of the proposed collaboration. Any
unapproved collaboration will be stricken from the application prior to the merit
review. Any collaboration with an identified NIST employee that is approved by
appropriate NIST management will not make an application more or less favorable
in the competitive process. NIST’s costs should not be included in the application.
f. Use of Federal Government-Owned Intellectual Property. If the applicant
anticipates using any Federal Government-owned intellectual property, in the
custody of NIST or another Federal agency, to carry out the work proposed, the
applicant should clearly identify such intellectual property in the proposal. This
information will be used to ensure that no Federal employee involved in the
development of the intellectual property will participate in the review process for
that competition. In addition, if the applicant intends to use the Federal
Government-owned intellectual property, the applicant must comply with all
statutes and regulations governing the licensing of Federal government patents and
inventions, described in 35 U.S.C. §§ 200-212, 37 C.F.R. Part 401, 2 C.F.R.
§200.315, and in Section C.03 of the DOC Financial Assistance General Terms and
Conditions. Questions about these requirements may be directed to the Chief
Counsel for NIST, (301) 975-2803, nistcounsel@nist.gov.
Any use of Federal Government-owned intellectual property by a recipient of an
award under this announcement is at the sole discretion of the Federal Government
and will need to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis by the recipient and the
Federal agency having custody of the intellectual property if a project is deemed
meritorious. The applicant should indicate within the statement of work whether it
already has a license to use such intellectual property or whether it intends to seek
a license from the applicable Federal agency.
If any inventions made in whole or in part by a NIST employee arise in the course of
an award made pursuant to this NOFO, the United States Government may retain
its ownership rights in any such invention.
Licensing or other disposition of the Federal Government’s rights in such inventions
will be determined solely by the Federal Government, through NIST as custodian of
such inventions, and include the possibility of the Federal Government putting the
intellectual property into the public domain.
g. Research Activities Involving Human Subjects or Vertebrate Animals.
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Research potentially involving human subjects may include human subjects,
human tissue, data, or recordings, including software testing. Research potentially
involving vertebrate animals may include live vertebrate animals or pre-existing cell
lines or tissues from vertebrate animals.
(1) Summary
Research involving human subjects. Any application that includes research
activities involving human subjects must comply with the requirements of the
Common Rule for the Protection of Human Subjects (“Common Rule”), codified
for the Department of Commerce at 15 C.F.R. Part 27.1 Research activities
involving human subjects that fall within one or more of the classes of
vulnerable subjects found in 45 C.F.R. Part 46, Subparts B, C and D must satisfy
the requirements of the applicable subpart(s). In addition, any such application
that includes research activities on these subjects must comply with all
applicable statutory requirements imposed upon the Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS) and other Federal agencies, all regulations, policies
and guidance adopted by DHHS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and
other Federal agencies on these topics, and all Executive Orders and
Presidential statements of policy on applicable topics. The website of the
Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) in the DHHS contains the
applicable regulatory, policy and guidance and (includes links to FDA, but may
not include all applicable FDA regulations and policies).
If the application is accepted for [or awarded] funding, organizations that have
an Institutional Review Board (IRB) are required to follow the procedures of their
organization for research and research not involving human subjects’
determinations and approval of exempt and non-exempt research activities that
involve human subjects. The IRB must be currently registered with OHRP that is
linked to the engaged organization. Organizations that do not have an IRB must
demonstrate the ability to expeditiously contract with a commercial IRB to
conduct a review of the proposed activities. Also, all engaged organizations
must possess a currently valid Federalwide Assurance (FWA) on file from
OHRP. The NIST IRB is unable to serve as the IRB for financial assistance
recipients.
Research with Vertebrate Animals. Any application that proposes research
activities involving live vertebrate animals that are to be cared for, euthanized,
or used by award recipients to accomplish research goals, teaching, or testing
must meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (7 U.S.C. § 2131 et
seq.), and the AWA final rules (9 C.F.R. Parts 1, 2, and 3), and if appropriate, the
Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies (21 C.F.R. Part
58). In addition, such research activities should be in compliance with the “U.S.
Government Principles for Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in
Testing, Research, and Training” (Principles).
i. Administrative Review.
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The NIST Research Protections Office (RPO) reserves the right to conduct an
administrative review of all applications that potentially include research
involving human subjects under 15 C.F.R. § 27.112 or vertebrate animals
(Review by Institution). Conducting an “administrative review” means that the
NIST RPO will review and verify the performing institution’s determinations
made under the Common Rule and all documentation that support such
determinations.
ii. Requirements for Application.
All applications involving human subjects or vertebrate animal research must
clearly indicate, by separable task, all research activities believed to be human
subjects or vertebrate animal research, the expected institution(s) where the
research activities may be conducted, and the institution(s) expected to be
engaged in the research activities. Some documents may be requested for a
pre-review during the proposal review process; however, the Grants Officer may
allow final versions of certain required documents to be produced at an
appropriate designated time post-award. If an award is issued, no research
activities involving human subjects or vertebrate animals shall be initiated or
costs incurred for those activities under the award until the NIST Grants Officer
issues written approval. In addition, all re-approvals, amendments,
modifications, changes, annual reports, and closure will be reviewed by NIST.
The NIST Notice of Funding Opportunity Requirements Human Subjects and
Live Vertebrate Animal provides information that describes the NIST review
process for such applications, documentation required and reflects the existing
NIST policy and requirements for Research Involving Human Subjects and
vertebrate animals. These requirements will be incorporated into any award
made under this NOFO. Should the applicable policy be revised prior to award,
a clause reflecting the applicable policy current at time of award may be
incorporated into the award. If the applicable policy is revised after award, a
clause reflecting the updated applicable policy may be incorporated into the
award.
For more information regarding research projects involving human subjects or
live vertebrate animals, contact Anne Andrews, Director, NIST Research
Protections Office at anne.andrews@nist.gov.
3. Reporting
a. Reporting Requirements. The following reporting requirements described in Sections
A.01, Reporting Requirements, of the DOC Financial Assistance General Terms and
Conditions apply to awards in this program:
(1) Financial Reports. Each award recipient will be required to submit an SF-425,
Federal Financial Report on a semi-annual basis for the periods ending March
31 and September 30 of each year. Reports will be due within 30 days after the
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end of the reporting period. A final financial report is due within 120 days after
the end of the project period.
(2) Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR). Each award recipient will be
required to submit a RPPR on a semi-annual basis for the periods ending
March 31 and September 30 of each year. Reports will be due within 30
days after the end of the reporting period. The RPPR shall conform to the
requirements in 2 C.F.R. § 200.329 and DOC Financial Assistance General
Terms and Conditions, Section A.01.
A final RPPR shall be submitted within 120 days after the expiration date of the
award, and publication citation information as well as links to publicly available
data shall be submitted as soon as they become available.
(3) Patent and Property Reports. From time to time, and in accordance with the
Uniform Administrative Requirements and other terms and conditions governing
the award, the recipient may need to submit property and patent reports.
(4) Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters. In accordance with section 872
of Public Law 110-417 (as amended; see 41 U.S.C. 2313), if the total value of a
recipient’s currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement
contracts from all Federal awarding agencies exceeds $10,000,000 for any
period of time during the period of performance of an award made under this
NOFO, then the recipient shall be subject to the requirements specified in
Appendix XII to 2 C.F.R. Part 200, for maintaining the currency of information
reported to SAM that is made available about certain civil, criminal, or
administrative proceedings involving the recipient.
b. Audit Requirements. The DOC Financial Assistance General Terms and
Conditions, Section D.01, and 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart F, adopted by the DOC
through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, require any non-Federal entity (i.e., including non-
profit institutions of higher education and non-profit organizations) that expends
Federal awards of $1,000,000 or more in the recipient’s fiscal year to conduct a
single or program specific audit in accordance with the requirements set out in the
Subpart. Additionally, unless otherwise specified in the terms and conditions of the
award, entities that are not subject to Subpart F of 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (e.g., for-profit
commercial entities) that expend $1,000,000 or more in DOC funds during their
fiscal year must submit to the Grants Officer either: (i) a financial related audit of
each DOC award or subaward in accordance with Generally Accepted Government
Auditing Standards; or (ii) a project specific audit for each award or subaward in
accordance with the requirements contained in 2 C.F.R. § 200.507. Applicants are
reminded that NIST, the DOC Office of Inspector General, or another authorized
Federal agency may conduct an audit of an award at any time.
c. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. In accordance
with 2 C.F.R. Part 170, all recipients of a Federal award made on or after October 1,
2010, are required to comply with reporting requirements under the Federal Funding
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Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Public Law No. 109-282). In general,
all recipients are responsible for reporting sub-awards of $30,000 or more. In
addition, recipients that meet certain criteria are responsible for reporting executive
compensation. Applicants must ensure they have the necessary processes and
systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements should they receive
funding. Also see the Federal Register notice published September 14, 2010, at 75
FR 55663.
VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
Questions should be directed to the following:
Subject Area Point of Contact
Programmatic and Technical Questions Dr. Peter Mohr
Phone: 301-975-3217
E-mail: mohr@nist.gov
Technical Assistance with Grants.gov grants.gov
Submissions Phone: 800-518-4726
E-mail: support@grants.gov
Grant Rules and Regulations Nuria Martinez
E-mail: nuria.martinez@nist.gov
VIII. Other Information
1. Personal and Business Information
The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in
applications for financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in
financial, performance and other reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the
DOC in conducting reviews and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For
this purpose, applicant information and data may be accessed, reviewed, and
evaluated by DOC employees, other Federal employees, and also by Federal agents
and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom enter into appropriate
conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such information.
As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance
award, applicants are expected to support program reviews and evaluations by
submitting required financial and performance information and data in an accurate and
timely manner, and by cooperating with DOC and external program evaluators. In
accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.303(e), applicants are reminded that they must take
reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and
other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or obtained in
connection with a DOC financial assistance award.
In addition, DOC regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5
U.S.C. Sec. 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. Part 4, Public Information. These regulations set
forth rules for the Department regarding making requested materials, information, and
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records publicly available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this
Federal Funding Opportunity may be subject to requests for release under the Act. If an
application contains information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential
commercial information that should be exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that
information should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential,
Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 CFR § 4.9, the DOC will
protect from disclosure confidential business information contained in financial
assistance applications and other documentation provided by applicants to the extent
permitted by law.
2. Public Website
NIST Precision Measurement Grants Program (PMGP) has a public website,
http://www.nist.gov/pmg, that provides information pertaining to this Funding
Opportunity3. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through Grants.gov.
Applicants must submit all questions pertaining to this funding opportunity in writing to
mohr@nist.gov.
Proprietary technical questions about specific proposal ideas will not be permitted, and
NIST will not critique or provide feedback on any proposal ideas at any time before the
deadline for all applications. However, questions about the funding opportunity,
eligibility requirements, evaluation and award criteria, selection process, and the
general characteristics of a competitive application may be submitted by e-mail to
mohr@nist.gov.
3 Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Programmatic and Technical
Questions if more information is needed.
Page 26 of 26
Precision Measurement Grant Program
2026-NIST-PMGP-01
February 23, 2026