Frequently Asked Questions


	Division of Bird Habitat Conservation

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Proposal Phase
Are colleges and universities allowed to request NMBCA funding?
Do I have to stay within the 10-page limit?
Can I budget intermediary bank fees into my proposal budget?

Selection Phase
When will I know if I was selected for an award?

Administration Phase
How soon can I expect to have access to grant funds?
Who do I call when I have trouble completing the Smartlink forms?
I want my payments to go to a financial institution outside the United States, what do I need to do and what do I need to know?
How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is within the US?
How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is outside the US?
When will I receive my user name, password and payee account number for accessing Smartlink II?
What information do I need to access my Smartlink account?
Who do I contact when I am have trouble accessing my Smartlink account?
What is the PSC-272?
Do I need to submit the PSC-272 even if I haven't requested any of my assistance award funds?
I need assistance completing the PSC-272, who do I contact?
May I request an advance of funds?
What should I do when my bank information changes?
What should I do if there is a change in my Contact Information (person responsible for making payment requests)?

Proposal Phase

Are colleges and universities allowed to request NMBCA funding?
Yes

Do I have to stay within the 10-page limit?
We expect all proposals to stay within the 10-page limit, proposals exceeding the limit may be penalized in the review or determined to be ineligible.

Can I budget intermediary bank fees into my proposal budget?
Award recipients using banks in the United States of America will not be subject to intermediary fees, however recipients who use an intermediary bank in the U.S. to transfer funds to a destination bank in their country may be subject to intermediary bank fees. The recipient should contact their local bank and the intermediary bank they plan to use to determine what type of fees there may be in order to account for those costs within the proposal budget. The fees range from flat fees to percentages of the amount of the transaction. These fees are allowable costs for reimbursement with NMBCA funds, but should be kept to a minimum. Recipients could avoid these fees and processing delays by using a United States of America bank.

Selection Phase

When will I know if I was selected for an award?
Selections will be made pending enactment of our Congressional appropriations.

Administration Phase

How soon can I expect to have access to grant funds?
Once you receive your assistance award and your Smartlink user name and password you can access your funds immediately.

Who do I call when I have trouble completing the Smartlink forms?
Smartlink Coordinator at DBHCSmartlink@fws.gov.

I want my payments to go to a financial institution outside the United States, what do I need to do and what do I need to know?
In addition to completing the Contact Information Form and the Direct Deposit Sign-up Form you must complete the Supplemental Form. All of the forms are available from our web site at http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat.fws.gov/SmartLinks/index.shtm (English version) or http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat.fws.gov/SmartLinks/SmartSPA.shtm (Spanish version).

Routing monies to financial institutions outside the United States requires the use of an intermediary bank. Generally, there is a service fee associated with using an intermediary bank.
Recipients could avoid these fees and processing delays by using a United States of America bank.

How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is within the US?
Go to the Dun & Bradstreet web site at www.dnb.com or call them at 1-888-814-1435.

How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is outside the US?
Go to the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) web site at http://www.dnbla.com/esp_default.asp.
Or call them at:
Main Telephone for International Questions 800-932-0025
800-333-0505
D&B Office in Florida 954-472-0732
(covers Latin America, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay)
Fax Number (Florida Office) 954-577-4546
Brazil Office (55) 11 38-88-6800

When will I receive my user name, password and payee account number for accessing Smartlink II?
You should receive your user name, password, payee account number and instructions approximately 20 business days after the Smartlink Coordinator has received your correctly completed Smartlink forms. If you have concerns about the status of your user access package, contact:
Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or RMitchell@psc.gov,
Eunice Torres (habla español) at 301-443-3507

What information do I need to access my Smartlink account?
You will need your user name, password and payee account number provided by the Division of Payment Management (DPM). You will also need your Assistance Award Number provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Who do I contact when I am have trouble accessing my Smartlink account?
Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or RMitchell@psc.gov,
Eunice Torres (habla español)) at 301-443-3507

What is the PSC-272?
It is an on-line (accessible by the Internet) report of Federal Cash Transactions. Recipients are required to report disbursements through the use of this report. Awarding agencies use this report to monitor cash advanced to recipients and to obtain disbursement information for each agreement awarded. Visit the PSC-272 web site to obtain additional information http://www.dpm.psc.gov/reports/.

Do I need to submit the PSC-272 even if I haven't requested any of my assistance award funds?
Yes. The PSC-272 provides disbursement and financial accountability data to the Division of Payment Management (DPM) and the awarding agency. It is a cash report and provides useful information even if submitted as a zero report.

I need assistance completing the PSC-272, who do I contact?
Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or Rmitchell@psc.gov,
Eunice Torres (habla español)) at 301-443-3507

May I request an advance of funds?
Yes. However, the request must be limited to the minimum actual cash amount needed and be timed to the immediate disbursement. A good guideline is to request funds no more than three days prior to the actual disbursement date. Generally, advances must be maintained in interest bearing accounts. Recipients will incur an interest liability to the Federal government if this regulation is not followed.

What should I do when my bank information changes?
You should complete a new SF-1199 and annotate "REVISED" and your Payee Account Number in the upper right hand corner and submit it to the Smartlink Coordinator at:

SMARTLINK Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Bird Habitat Conservation
4401 North Fairfax Drive
Mailstop MBSP 4075
Arlington, Virginia USA 22203

What should I do if there is a change in my Contact Information (person responsible for making payment requests)?
Contact Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or RMitchell@psc.gov,
Eunice Torres (habla español)) at 301-443-3507.