(a) General. For each competitive and noncompetitive non-formula program, NIFA will prepare a program solicitation (also called a request for applications (RFA)), in accordance with appendix I to 2 CFR part 200, establishing a standard format for Federal agency announcements (i.e., program solicitations or RFAs) of funding opportunities under programs that award discretionary grants or cooperative agreements. This policy directive requires the content of the RFA to be organized in a sequential manner beginning with overview information followed by the full text of the announcement and will apply unless superseded by statute or another OMB policy directive. The RFA may include all or a portion of the following items:

(1) Contact information.

(2) Directions for interested stakeholders or beneficiaries to submit written comments in a published program solicitation or RFA.

(3) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number.

(4) Legislative authority and background information.

(5) Purpose, priorities, and fund availability.

(6) Program-specific eligibility requirements.

(7) Program-specific restrictions on the use of funds, if Applicable.

(8) Matching requirements, if applicable.

(9) Acceptable types of applications.

(10) Types of projects to be given priority consideration, including maximum anticipated awards and maximum project lengths, if applicable.

(11) Program areas, if applicable.

(12) Funding restrictions, if applicable.

(13) Directions for obtaining additional requests for applications and application forms.

(14) Information about how to obtain application forms and the instructions for completing such forms.

(15) Instructions and requirements for submitting applications, including submission deadline(s).

(16) Explanation of the application evaluation Process.

(17) Specific evaluation criteria used in the review Process.

(18) Type of Federal assistance awards (i.e., grants and/or cooperative agreements).

(b) RFA variations. Where program-specific requirements differ from the requirements established in this part, program solicitations will also address any such variation(s). Variations may occur in the following:

(1) Award management guidelines.

(2) Restrictions on the delegation of fiscal responsibility.

(3) Required approval for changes to project plans.

(4) Expected program outputs and reporting requirements, if applicable.

(5) Applicable Federal statutes and regulations.

(6) Confidential aspects of applications and awards, if applicable.

(7) Regulatory information.

(8) Definitions.

(9) Minimum and maximum budget requests, and whether applications outside of these limits will be returned without further review.

(c) Program announcements. Occasionally, NIFA will issue a program announcement (PA) to alert potential applicants and the public about new and ongoing funding opportunities. These PAs may provide tentative due dates and are released without associated application packages. Hence, no applications are solicited under a PA. PAs are announced in the Federal Register or on the NIFA Web site.

(d) If applicants choose to address center of excellence criteria, they must do so in their project narrative, subject to any page limitations on that section of the application.