RAMPS NOFO FAQ

A 2024 RAMPS NOFO Applicant’s Webinar will take place April 8, 2024 from 3-4PM ET. More information can be found here https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/applicants-webinar-2024-nice-ramps-funding-opportunity. 

The Applicant’s Webinar PowerPoint slides can be downloaded at https://www.nist.gov/document/nice-ramps-applicant-webinar-june-2023508compliantpdf.

The full NOFO PDF with details on this opportunity can be found on Grants.gov at https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/353143. 

Information about the 2016 RAMPS Pilot programs can be found at https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/ramps-communities.

Additional questions may be directed to the NICE Program Office via email at nice [at] nist.gov (subject: RAMPS%20NOFO) (nice[at]nist[dot]gov).

Applicants should anticipate completing their goals and objectives within a two-year project period.

NIST anticipates funding up to 15 awards based upon available funding.  Additional awards may be possible in future fiscal years depending upon Congressional appropriations.

Per legislation in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Public Law 116–283, the maximum awarded Federal funds per project is $200k.

NIST expects the earliest start date for awards under this NOFO to be August 2024.

For the purpose of this NOFO, a non-profit organization is an entity that is not a government agency (state, local or tribal territory) or a for-profit organization.

Yes.

Yes, K12 schools and school districts may apply as they are a non-federal entities.

FFRDCs are not eligible to apply. However, operators of FFRDCs (e.g., Battelle, MITRE, etc.) are eligible, as long as the agency that runs the FFRDC will allow the operator to receive funds.

RAMPS aims to support local economies, which can be local, state, or regional. For example, see 2016 Ramps pilots which included programs in metropolitan areas, state-wide, and multi-state. National initiatives would not meet the expectations for RAMPS.

Geography may be taken into account at time of selection since one of the selection factors is “Regional Diversity”.

No, the minimum two (2) required Letters of Commitment must come from entities that are not the applicant. The goal of RAMPS is to create Multistakeholder Partnerships. At a minimum, three (3) partners should be identified:

1. The applicant,
2. at least one institution of higher education or nonprofit training organization, and
3. at least one local employer or owner or operator of critical infrastructure.

Matching funds are required for non-Federal contributions, including in-kind contributions, in an amount equal to 50 percent of Federal funds provided under the award.

Yes.

If the objective is a goal of the program, then it is an eligible cost.

No. However, as part of our selection factors we will be looking at whether the project duplicates other projects funded by NIST or other Federal agencies.