2025 UTC Competition Questions and Answers

LOI for UTC NOFO    (1/28/2026)
Question: Can I submit a late Letter of Intent (LOI) for UTC NOFO?
Answer: Yes. You can still submit a new Letter of Intent (LOI) if it is received before the application deadline (per Section D.2.1). The NOFO allows late LOIs (after the requested LOI date) if they are received before the application due date, February 20, 2026. Because the original LOI identified a different lead institution, you should submit a new LOI as the lead. Note that:

• The LOI must be submitted as a PDF via email to UTCgrants@dot.gov.
• You may change the type of Center in the final application, but you may not change the statutory research priority area identified in the LOI.
• The NOFO does not provide for transferring an LOI between institutions; a new LOI from the new lead is the appropriate path.

IAA Allowable for FFRDC Participation    (1/28/2026)
Question: Is an IAA Allowable for a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) Participation in the UTC Program?
Answer: Under this NOFO, awards are made as grants to eligible lead recipients that are U.S. nonprofit institutions of higher education (IHEs). Only IHEs may be consortium members; entities that are not IHEs (including FFRDCs/National Laboratories) cannot be consortium members and would not be funded via a DOT-DOE Interagency Agreement (IAA) under this competition. However, the NOFO does allow non-lHE organizations to collaborate with a UTC on particular projects or to provide services that assist in accomplishing Center activities (per Section B.1). Practically, this means any participation by an FFRDC would need to be arranged and funded through the university award (e.g., via subcontracts or other appropriate agreements) in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200 and the UTC grant's terms. DOT is not contemplating IAAs to fund a national laboratory's scope of work within a UTC award.

Using of a Commons Form Template    (1/22/2026)
Question: Would you prefer the CV done in a Commons Form template? If yes, would you prefer NIH or NSF template?
Answer: The NOFO does not specify or require the use of any Commons Form template, nor does it express a preference for NIH or NSF formats. Instead, the NOFO states that each Curriculum Vitae must be limited to two pages, focused on relevant qualifications, and be included as part of the required appendices. You may therefore use any format that meets these requirements.

Allowability of Payments to Non-Consortium Entities    (1/22/2026)
Question: Can the UTCs collaborate with for-profit companies for contracted services, equipment, or collaborative research activities, with non-profit organizations (not higher education), and/or with sub-awards from a consortium university to outside entities such as large American automotive manufacturers or American non-profit technology organizations?
Answer: While non-higher education organizations cannot be consortium members, the NOFO explicitly states they may collaborate with a Center or provide services that support Center activities. Therefore:
   a. Payments to private for-profit companies for contracted services, equipment, or collaborative research activities are allowable as long as the costs are allowable under Federal grant regulations (2 CFR Part 200) and support the Center's approved activities.
   b. Payments to non-profit organizations (other than higher-education institutions) for similar purposes are also allowable under the same conditions.
   c. Sub-awards or contracts to outside entities, including American automotive manufacturers or American non-profit technology organizations, are allowable so long as the organizations are not presented as consortium members and the work aligns with the Center's approved scope.

Subcontractors Submitting SF-424 or SF-424B  (1/22/2026)
Question: Do Subcontractors Need to Submit SF-424 or SF-424B?
Answer: No. According to the NOFO, the lead institution must submit the SF-424 and SF-424B as part of the application. The NOFO does not require subcontractors or collaborating entities to submit their own SF-424 or SF-424B forms. Subcontractors (non-lead institutions in the consortium) must instead provide negotiated indirect cost and fringe rate documentation (Section D.2.2.6, p. 24) as well as their individual budget plans as part of the Center Budget Plan (Section D.2.2.4.3, p. 23).

Eligibility of Lead Institutions with Another Lead in the Same University System  (1/21/2026)
Question: If U of ABC – Mobilityville is a lead in an existing UTC, can U of ABC – Safetyville apply as a lead?
Answer: Yes. If the applying university is a separate U.S. non-profit institution of higher education under 20 U.S.C § 1001(a) and has its own UEI, then that school may apply as a lead. When the Secretary of Transportation makes the final selections, he will consider statutory restrictions and will strive for a balanced portfolio in terms of research priority areas, types of centers, and institutional representation.

Center Budget Plan Particulars (1/21/2026)
Question: For a Tier 1 application, are we only required to submit a one-year budget covering 5/1/2026 to 4/30/2027, not exceeding $1,951,245? And what is the longest anticipated end date?
Answer: Yes. Applicants are required to submit only a one year budget covering May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. For Tier 1 Centers, this means the budget must not exceed $1,951,245 in Federal funds for that first year but should also include the required 50% matched amounts. OST-R will request new budgets for review and approval each subsequent year. These budget requests occur before each subsequent year’s funding increment is issued. If you request an extension for good reason (up to one year extra), which would need to be approved by the grant manager, then the longest anticipated end date would be April 30, 2030. The three annual increments are for three years, while the expenditure period may span four years (2026–2030).

Feedback or Invitation After Letters of Intent (1/21/2026)
Question: After reviewing the Letters of Intent, will you provide feedback or an invitation to proceed with a full application? 
Answer: The NOFO does not indicate that feedback or invitations will be provided after Letters of Intent are reviewed. The purpose of the Letter of Intent is to allow DOT to organize appropriate review panels before receiving applications. Any eligible applicant who submits a timely Letter of Intent may proceed directly to submitting a full application by the deadline stated in the NOFO. There is no requirement to wait for a formal invitation to apply.

Citations or References (1/21/2026)
Question: Are we required to include a list of citations or references for the articles and resources cited? If so, should these be included within the 35-page Written Response?
Answer: The NOFO does not require inclusion of a formal list of citations or references. If you choose to include them, they should be presented within the written content of your submission. Any material placed in the 35-page Written Response counts toward that page limit, unless it is part of the required appendices.

Uploading the Research Abstract in Valid Eval (1/21/2026)
Question: Where should we upload the 2-page research abstract to the Valid Eval? Shall we combine the 2-page research abstract with the 35-page Written Response?
Answer: The research abstract is a separate required component of the application (maximum two pages) and should be uploaded separately in Valid Eval as part of the required application package. Per Section D.2.2.2, it should not be combined with the 35-page Written Response; instead, it is a standalone document that does not count toward the 35-page limit.

CV Format (1/21/2026)
Question: Is there a required format or template for the CVs, or should we follow standard NIH biosketch guidelines?
Answer: The NOFO does not prescribe a specific template for CVs. It requires that each CV be no longer than two pages and focus on relevant qualifications of the proposed Center Director and key personnel. Standard NIH biosketch format is acceptable if it meets these requirements. You should omit any personally identifiable information (PII) as instructed in Section D.2.2.4.2 but do include the Center Director’s e-mail address and telephone number. Arial 12 should be used throughout the document, except for headers/footers and tables/figures within which the font size may be no smaller than 9.

Separate Institutions Within a University System (1/9/2026)
Question: A university within our state university system already has a UTC grant – is another campus in the system eligible to apply?
Answer: We consider different campuses within a university system to be separate institutions if they have different Unique Entity Identifiers (UEIs). So if that is the case then the other campus is eligible to apply.

Limit on Number of LOIs, Applications (1/6/2026)
Question: Is there a limit on the number of Letters of Intent or Applications that an institution may submit?
Answer: The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not put any limits on the number of LOIs or applications that may be submitted, therefore there is no such limit. The NOFO does state that any application must be preceded by a Letter of Intent, and please also note the language on pages 11-12 of the NOFO about what changes are and are not allowed between a Letter of Intent and an application.