There are currently no open AKSSF Calls for Proposals.
The Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund (AKSSF) is comprised of Alaska’s allocation of funds from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF). PCSRF was established by Congress in FY 2000 to protect, restore, and conserve Pacific salmon and steelhead populations and their habitats.
There are currently no open AKSSF Calls for Proposals.
These policies and procedures are provided to assist principal investigators (PIs) and their organizations as they carry out AKSSF projects. Our policies are updated periodically, so please check back often. For guidance on issues not covered, please review federal reqiurements, Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (External PDF - 215 KB), or contact AKSSF staff.
Please review the Non-Federal Match Guidance (PDF 61 kB) document for match information and to determine which of the following match forms to use:
Match Forms for Subrecipients
Match Forms for Third Parties
The following reports are required for all AKSSF projects:
Semiannual Performance Reports (SARs) SARs are due May 20 for the period November 1 – April 30 and by November 20 for the period May 1 – October 31. All projects active at any time during a reporting period require a SAR unless the project closed during the period and a completion report has been submitted. At present, AKSSF staff sends unique SAR templates to all investigators prior to the due dates, but reporting will be automated through a web based system in the near future. Photos of project activities during the reporting period are required with most SARs.
Completion Reports (CRs) CRs using the AKSSF CR template are due 60 days after the end date of a project. CRs are currently available from AKSSF staff, but will be automated through a web based system in the near future.
PCSRF Performance Metrics (metrics) Metrics are required by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to capture the results of projects as they relate to one of the five major program objectives (Salmonid Recovery Planning and Watershed Assessments; Salmon Habitat Protection and Restoration; Salmonid Enhancement and Harvest Management; Outreach and Education; and Salmonid Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation). Two sets of metrics are required over the life of the project; preliminary metrics are due 30 days after the start date of the project and should capture the entire anticipated results; final metrics are due 60 days after the project ends and should capture actual results. Metrics spreadsheets to complete and due dates will be sent to investigators shortly after a project starts and ends.
AKSSF allows for the recovery of indirect costs for non-federal entities with a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) when the rate is included in the approved statement of work budget. When proposing, documentation (i.e., the federally approved rate letter) must be uploaded to the AKSSF proposal submission portal (www.akssf.org) by the closing date/time of the call for proposals. The rate letter must be provided for each CFP (even if it was previously provided to AKSSF or ADF&G). Failure to provide sufficient indirect rate documentation for any of the funded entities in your proposal by the closing date/time of the CFP will not result in automatic rejection of your proposal. However, indirect cost recovery will not be allowed and proposers will not be allowed to increase direct costs to "compensate" for disallowed indirect. Once the project is approved, the federally approved rate letter must be provided for all approved provisional and final NICRAs applicable to the project period throughout the life of the project. NICRAs that are not approved for the period in question are not allowable. Federal entities must meet the same requirements described above, substituting the federally approved rate letter with a memo on agency letterhead (or comparable documentation).
All recipients of AKSSF funds are responsible for ensuring that their contractors do not recover indirect costs unless they have a current NICRA. Non-federal entities without a NICRA may not charge indirect. Therefore, we encourage potential applicants to obtain a NICRA as AKSSF does not allow administrative or overhead expenses to be charged as direct expenses or be used to meet match requirements. However, please note that federal agencies often will not negotiate a rate with an entity unless it receives funding directly from them (as opposed to receiving funding through a pass-through entity like ADF&G). Examples of typical administrative expenses include the following:
If your entity has applied for, but not yet received, a NICRA, the proposed indirect rate may be included in your project proposal. Documentation of the proposed rate must be uploaded to our proposal submission portal by the closing date/time of the call for proposals. Indirect rates will be reimbursed retroactively to the start date of the project (or the start of the NICRA period, whichever is later) once the NICRA is received and AKSSF has been provided a copy of the federally approved rate letter. If the rate is not approved by the end of the project period, indirect costs will not be reimbursed. Budgeted indirect costs for indirect rates not approved by the end of the project may not be moved to other line items.
AKSSF projects are not subject to federal Davis-Bacon and related acts. Please contact the Alaska Department of Labor
Recipients are encouraged, to the greatest extent possible, to purchase American-made equipment and products.
ADF&G PIs must receive advance approval to purchase equipment. Equipment is defined as an item valued at $5,000 or more and having a useful life of more than a year. Requests should be submitted to AKSSF at least 60 days in advance of the purchase. This typically provides enough time to obtain approval from NOAA. Late requests can be submitted, but you may not receive approval before the equipment needs to be purchased. Any equipment purchased prior to receiving approval is at the risk of the respective ADF&G division. Requests submitted after equipment has been purchased will not be accepted and the equipment expense will not be paid by AKSSF. Please contact AKSSF staff for more information.
Non-ADF&G PIs should request prior approval before purchasing equipment for items not approved in the original statement of work.
Alcohol purchases are not allowed. Meals or catering expenses are allowable for “working” breakfasts or lunches, provided costs are reasonable. As a guide to determining reasonable costs, please see the federal per diem rates. Meal per diem costs may not be claimed for participants provided breakfasts or lunches (i.e., no double funding of meal costs).
Travel to a foreign country, including Canada, must be approved in advance for all entities. Travelers shall comply with the Fly America Act, which generally requires the use of U.S. flag air carriers. Foreign travel requests should be submitted to AKSSF at least 60 days before making travel reservations. This typically provides enough time to obtain approval from NOAA. Late requests can be submitted, but you may not receive approval before you need to make reservations; any foreign travel conducted prior to receiving approval is at the risk of the funded entity. Foreign travel requests submitted after travel is complete will not be accepted and expenses associated with the travel will not be paid by AKSSF. Please contact AKSSF staff for more information on submitting foreign travel requests.
Projects that provide funding to a federal entity are subject to approval by NOAA. Requests to partner with a federal agency should be submitted to AKSSF at least 60 days before the federal agency is scheduled to begin work on the project. This typically provides enough time to obtain approval. Based upon guidance from NOAA, personnel costs (i.e., salaries or fringe benefits) for permanent employees may not be funded. Personnel costs for non-permanent federal employees may be allowable if these employees were hired (or retained) specifically for the AKSSF project providing their salary. Contractual labor costs for non-federal employees are generally allowable. Please contact AKSSF staff for more information.
Proposals may be submitted for individual projects only. Proposals to fund programs will not be considered.
Contracts approved in the statement of work for the purpose of completing one or more specific tasks required by the project are allowable. If the contractor/vendor is not identified in the statement of work, contact AKSSF staff to request approval before contracting with that entity. The addition of contracts not in the statement of work also require prior approval. Subawarding any AKSSF funds to another entity is not allowable (i.e., competitively or non-competitively providing funds to another organization to perform a substantial, programmatic portion of the project).
If you would like to modify your project objectives or budget, you will need to submit a request to revise the statement of work. You will also need prior AKSSF approval if your total project budget is $100,000 or more and you would like to shift more than 10% of the total funding between line items (over the life of the project). Revisions (including no-cost extensions) are very time consuming and expensive; therefore, they will not be automatically granted, particularly for PIs with a poor track record of completing projects on time, for PIs that frequently request revisions/extensions, or for projects that do not appear to be making adequate progress. Revisions will not be approved unless compelling justification is provided. Having money left over near the end of a project or a proposed indirect rate that has not yet been approved are not sufficient justifications for a revision request.
Revision requests should be submitted with the revised statement of work and other required forms at least 60 days before the project end date or the start of the revised activities (whichever is sooner). Revision requests not meeting these deadlines may be automatically denied (particularly near the end of a PCSRF grant award). However, if your request is approved, please allow 60 days for processing.
After the revision has been approved by ADF&G, subaward agreements may need to be revised. We can’t control the speed at which outside entities sign and return subaward agreements; if you are working with an entity that tends to process agreements slowly, consider submitting your revision request ahead of schedule. Project expenditures outside the scope of the original agreement, and occurring between the ADF&G revision approval date and the date when the agreement is signed by all parties, are at the risk of the funded entity.
In order to request a revision, please copy the template below into the body of an email and send it to Cecelia Curtis (cecelia.curtis@alaska.gov). In the subject line of the email, please insert the following text: Revision request for project XXXXX (insert project number).
Project Title:
AKSSF Project Number:
Brief description of the revision request: (e.g., extend project end date to XX/XX/XX, modify objective #2 to “reworded objective”).
Justification for the revision request: (e.g., the circumstances that prevented completion of project objectives/tasks according to the original timeframe, the reason(s) for the objective change).
Changes to key project personnel (i.e., principal or co-principal investigators, project managers) require the approval of the AKSSF Program Manager. To request a change, please copy the template below into the body of an email and send it to Cecelia Curtis (cecelia.curtis@alaska.gov). In the subject line of the email, please insert the following text: Personnel change request for project XXXXX (insert project number).
Project Title:
AKSSF Project Number:
Brief description of the personnel change request: (e.g., replace [original PI] with [replacement] as principal investigator).
Brief description of the circumstances that led to this request: (e.g., Bill retired from ADF&G in May 2011. Following a competitive recruitment process, Tom was hired into Bill’s former position).
Brief description of [replacement]’s skills, experience, and education that will allow him/her to successfully complete this project. Attach a resume or curriculum vitae, if available.
Undergraduate scholarships or stipends are not allowed. Graduate research stipends are allowable, provided they meet the stipulations of federal requirements.
|
Please check back frequently as new questions/answers will be posted as issues arise. |
|
I need help filling out the Federal Grant Capability Survey. Can you tell me how to answer questions X, Y, and Z? |
|
Unfortunately, AKSSF staff is unable to provide guidance (beyond simple clarifications) on how to complete this survey. The primary reason is that assistance could be construed as providing a competitive advantage to your organization. Furthermore, many of the survey answers require a thorough understanding of your organization's policies, procedures, and financial management systems. |
|
AKSSF contracted a federal grants expert to provide a technical assistance workshop in September 2011. This two day workshop provided guidance related to internal controls and business/financial management systems. Content from this workshop, including video and sample policies/procedures, is available on our website. Access to the material is restricted, so please contact Debbie Maas (debbie.maas@alaska.gov; 907-465-6134) to request password authorization. |
|
If you are unable to complete the form after reviewing the workshop materials, we suggest contacting a certified public accountant with an understanding of federal requirements. |
|
What is the basis for AKSSF policies regarding match? |
|
AKSSF match guidance is intended to be consistent with statutory requirements, the PCSRF grant award, and federal requirements. However, federal requirements are complex and in some cases, federal determinations on the allowability of cost items vary based on the type of organization (i.e., there are subtle nuances among federal cost principles). If you notice any discrepancies in relation to federal requirements applicable to your organization, please contact AKSSF staff for additional guidance. In general, our goal is to ensure that AKSSF match policies are compliant with but not more restrictive than federal requirements. |
|
Am I required to fill out the Certification Regarding Lobbying form and the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form in the Applicant Certification Form? |
|
All organizations are required to sign the Certification Regarding Lobbying form, regardless of whether lobbying occurred. The next form, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, only needs to be completed if lobbying has occurred (or is planned or scheduled) to influence the outcome of a covered federal action, which includes:
|
|
The call summary document and the SOW/Proposal Form differ in the earliest date that funds are available; which is correct? |
|
The original call summary document (now revised) stated that funds are available beginning no earlier than April 1, 2011. This was a typo; the SOW and Proposal Form correctly state that funds are available no earlier than April 1, 2012, unless justification for an earlier start date is provided in the proposal. |
|
I am interested in submitting a proposal jointly with another entity, but I am concerned their financial or business management systems may be deemed inadequate in the proposal review process. What should I do? |
|
This is a legitimate concern as your entire proposal is jeopardized by the addition of an entity that may be judged as having insufficient business or financial management systems. Appropriate personnel from each entity are encouraged to attend the AKSSF Technical Assistance Workshop (more info at www.akssf.org) to help assess the capabilities of all potential cooperators. If doubt exists as to the capabilities of another entity, you may want to consider partnering with a more capable entity. |
|
Does a non-profit organization need to find a pass-through entity to be eligible to apply? |
|
No. In fact, subawarding or providing "pass-through" funding is no longer allowed by AKSSF. |
|
What are principal investigators, co-principal investigators, and cooperators? |
|
Cooperators are organizations that receive funding through the project, collaborate on the project, and perform a significant portion of the work; cooperators are subrecipients (see below). Contractors (also referred to as "vendors") are not cooperators. The principal investigator and co-principal investigator(s) share responsibility for the project. The principal investigator represents the "lead subrepient" as described in the AKSSF subaward agreement and is required to submit all AKSSF reports. There can be multiple co-principal investigators, but only one principal investigator. Each organization in the proposal budget must be represented by at least one investigator. |
|
What is the difference between a cooperator/subrecipient and a contractor/vendor? |
|
A contractor/vendor is a dealer, distributor, merchant, or provider of goods or services that support the project. A contractor/vendor may do one or more of the following:
Here are examples of typical contractor/vendor relationships:
A cooperator/subrecipient may do one or more of the following:
Here are examples of relationships that would be typical for cooperators/subrecipients:
|
|
If we have doubts about a potential collaborator's financial or business management systems, can we avoid the issue by listing them as a contractor? |
|
No. Federal requirements require accurate designations of contractors/vendors from cooperators/subrecipients. Cooperators are required to fill out the Applicant Certification Form and Federal Grant Capability Survey (if applicable) and upload them to the proposal submission portal by the closing date and time of the call for proposals. Failure to do so will disqualify the proposal entirely. The portal will not prompt you to upload those documents for a contractor. If you incorrectly classify the organization as a contractor (i.e., they fit the description of a cooperator/subrecipient but are included as a contractual/line 300 expense in a cooperator's budget) and the required documents are not uploaded, your proposal will be non-responsive. |
|
What if I incorrectly include an organization as a contractor when they are really a cooperator/subrecipient? |
|
See answer to previous question. |
|
If my proposal is approved, will ADF&G write the contracts for us? |
|
AKSSF Subaward Agreements will be written only for project cooperators. If an entity has contractual expenses in their budget, they are responsible for issuing and administering their own contracts (i.e., ADF&G will not write the contracts for you). |
|
Do we need to split expenses into fiscal years? |
|
Although your project may span fiscal years, project expenses and match will not be split among fiscal years in the AKSSF Budget Spreadsheet. You are also not required to split expenses into fiscal years in the budget narrative section of the statement of work and proposal forms. However, if the cost of an expense is expected to change during the project period (e.g., an employee's hourly rate of pay is scheduled to increase from $22 to $24 on January 1, 2013), you should list the number of hours and the rate of pay for each respective salary/wage period. The budget narrative should be concise, but with enough detail to be understandable to a layperson. For the sake of making these easy to read for reviewers as well as the general public, please keep your budget narratives as simple as possible (e.g., if pay rates are the same across fiscal year, please do not split expenses into fiscal years). If your organization wants your budget broken down into smaller periods (e.g., quarterly or by fiscal year), please provide this information to your supervisor or administrator separately from your proposal. A sample budget narrative for a fictitious project is provided below.
Line 100: Personnel
Line 200: Travel John Doe and Mike Doe will travel to Portland, Oregon, to present the project at the America's Anadromous Fish Society (AAFS) meeting in the summer of 2014 (dates TBD):
Line 300: Contractual
Line 400: Supplies
Line 500: Equipment
|
|
I see that the AKSSF Budget Spreadsheet only has one column. Does this mean funding is only available for one year? No, it only means we are not requiring budgets to be split by fiscal year. Funds are available for expenditure beginning no earlier than April 1, 2012 (unless justification for an earlier start date is provided in the proposal) and may be expended through November 30, 2014. Project expenditures, including match, may not occur prior to the project start date or after the project end date. Requested start dates are subject to change at AKSSF's discretion. |
|
Will travel be provided to the AKSSF Technical Assistance Workshop? |
|
Unfortunately, AKSSF does not have funding to cover travel costs for workshop participants as NOAA instituted an extremely low cap on administrative expenses for this program. |
|
What is a third party match contributor? |
|
A third party is an organization that is not included in the proposal budget (i.e, is not a cooperator, as described above). Third party match contributors are third party organizations that are providing match for the project. Third party match contributors must provide a letter on letterhead dedicating the match (including the title of the project and the amount of match); the letter must be uploaded on the proposal submission portal by the closing date and time of the call for proposals or that match will not be accepted and the proposal could be non-responsive for insufficient match. |
AKSSF held a technical assistance workshop on September 8-9, 2011. You may access videos of the workshop by entering your password below. If you would like to view the workshop but did not receive a password, please contact AKSSF staff. Please do not distribute your password to other organizations.
Peter Bangs, Program Manager
peter.bangs@alaska.gov
(907) 465-8154
Peter is responsible for overall program management, including the development and
administration of calls for proposals. Peter coordinates the regional science panels,
statewide expert panel, and independent review teams. He is also responsible for approval
of statements of work and project revisions. Peter is the best person to contact if you
have questions about AKSSF policies or calls for proposals.
Debbie Maas, Assistant Program Manager
debbie.maas@alaska.gov
(907) 465-6134
Debbie assists with overall management of the AKSSF program. Debbie is the best
person to contact if you have questions on non-federal match, indirect cost
recovery, foreign travel and equipment requests, eligibility of expenses, or
federal partnerships. She can also assist with general program questions,
including calls for proposals.
Cecelia Curtis, Project Coordinator
cecelia.curtis@alaska.gov
(907) 465-4181
Cecelia’s primary duty is final review and editing of AKSSF statements of work. Please contact
Cecelia if you are interested in submitting a revision request (including no-cost extensions).
Terry Tavel, Project Assistant
theresa.tavel@alaska.gov
(907) 465-6117
Terry performs the initial review and editing of statements of work, processes invoices, and
solicits performance metrics from principal investigators. Terry is the best person to contact
with questions on performance metrics.