Announcement: As mentioned in a previous Newsflash, the Department of Defense (DoD) is taking action to provide greater flexibility to the research community during this challenging time. DoD’s guidance is consistent with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-20-17 “Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations”, dated March 19, 2020. The guidance is applicable for a 90-day period starting on March 19, 2020, or until extended by OMB.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) supports the administrative relief authorized in M-20-17. Grant Recipients and prospective recipients are advised that each federal agency has different authorities, and there might not be complete uniformity between departments and agencies, components of agencies, and even between programs. The safest course of action in all cases is to contact the ONR Grant Administrative Officer, Grant Officer or program officer if you have specific questions concerning your grant.
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering issued DoD-wide supplemental Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) for the COVID-19 Crisis, which can be found in the attached document. Per Attachment 1 and OMB Memorandum M-20-17, recipients should be cognizant of the following for any costs incurred during this crisis:
- Recipients should not assume supplemental funding will be available should the costs incurred result in a shortage of funds to eventually carry out the project.
- Recipients must maintain appropriate records and cost documentation to substantiate the charge for any cancellation or other fees related to interruption of operations or services.
- To the maximum extent practicable, recipients will be expected to invoke or institute any and all reasonable mitigation actions and practices to lessen the cost to the Government during the crisis period. Such actions may be part of an existing program created by the grantee or may be created to respond to this crisis.
Please review the attached FAQ. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Contracts and Grants Officer assigned to your unit.