Atom | Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development

Funder: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Due Dates: July 1, 2025 (Full Application)

Funding Amounts: Up to $200,000 per award | Up to 16 awards | Project period up to 2 years | 50% non-federal cost share required

Summary: Supports regional, multistakeholder partnerships to develop cybersecurity career pathways that address local workforce needs and employer skill shortages.

Key Information: Applicants must include at least one higher education or nonprofit training partner and one local employer; 15% de minimis indirect cost rate now allowed.

Description

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), through its National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) program, is soliciting applications to establish regional alliances and multistakeholder partnerships aimed at stimulating cybersecurity education and workforce development. The program seeks to address local and regional workforce needs by building community-based partnerships that organize multiple employers with skill shortages in specific cybersecurity occupations. The goal is to create robust, employer-led, and community-focused career pathways that align with the NICE Strategic Plan and leverage the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity.

Projects should be designed to:

Build and sustain a diverse and skilled cybersecurity workforce.
Identify and address local workforce needs using data-driven tools like CyberSeek.
Foster collaboration among employers, educational institutions, and community organizations.
Support paid internships, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning opportunities.
Include underrepresented groups, such as veterans, minorities, and individuals from rural or underserved areas.

Due Dates

Full Application Deadline: July 1, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (via Grants.gov)
Anticipated Award Notification: September 2025
Earliest Start Date: October 2025

Funding Amount

Award Size: Up to $200,000 per award
Number of Awards: Up to 16 cooperative agreements
Project Duration: Up to 2 years
Cost Share: Non-federal cost share (including in-kind) of at least 50% of the federal funds requested is required.
Indirect Costs: Applicants without a negotiated rate may use a 15% de minimis rate of modified total direct costs.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

Accredited institutions of higher education
Non-profit organizations
For-profit organizations incorporated in the United States
State, local, territorial, and Indian tribal governments

Not eligible: Individuals, unincorporated sole proprietors, foreign entities, and federal agencies (though federal entities may participate as unfunded collaborators).

Partnership Requirement: Applications must include commitment letters from:

At least one institution of higher education or nonprofit training organization (not the applicant)
At least one local employer or owner/operator of critical infrastructure (not the applicant)

Participation from additional partners (e.g., K-12 schools, training providers, economic development organizations) is encouraged.

Application Process

Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.
Required Documents:
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- SF-424A (Budget Information)
- CD-511 (Certification Regarding Lobbying)
- SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable)
- Project Narrative (max 15 pages, double-spaced)
- Resumes of key personnel (max 2 pages each)
- Budget Narrative and Justification
- Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)
- Letters of Commitment from required partners
- Current and Pending Support Form
Review Criteria:
- Project approach (35%)
- Project impact and dissemination (35%)
- Staff and institutional capability (15%)
- Match of budget to proposed work (15%)
Selection Factors: Priority for alliances including institutions designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, Advanced Technological Education programs, or CyberCorps Scholarship for Service awardees; regional and topic diversity; and institutional diversity.

Additional Information

Cost Share: Must be at least 50% of the federal request, can include cash and in-kind contributions.
Indirect Costs: 15% de minimis rate allowed for those without a negotiated rate.
Reporting: Semi-annual financial and technical reports required; participation in NICE Conference & Expo and quarterly virtual meetings is expected.
Restrictions: No construction or product commercialization activities allowed.

A webinar information session will be offered; check the NICE website for details.

External Links

Contact Information

Topic	Contact Person	Email/Phone
Programmatic & Technical Questions	Susana Barraza	Susana.Barraza@nist.gov 240-457-2638
Grant Rules & Regulations	Nuria Martinez	nuria.martinez@nist.gov nofo@nist.gov
Grants.gov Submission Assistance	Grants.gov Help Desk	support@grants.gov 800-518-4726
General Inquiries	NIST NICE Program	nice@nist.gov