DOE-EM MSIPP NOFO Webinar 9-19-24.pdf

Dedicated to safety. Committed to the environment. | energy.gov/EM

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program

Webinar for Notice of Funding Opportunity No. DE-FOA-0003422 Presented by:

Rodrigo Rimando, Office Director, EM Technology Operations Office Genia McKinley, Program Manager, EM MSIPP

Nicholas Voiles, Grants Officer, EM Consolidated Business Center September 19, 2024

Discussion Items

Overview of Office of Environmental Management (EM)

Overview of EM Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP)

Key Information of Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Questions

**Recordings of this Webinar can be found here:

https://www.emcbc.doe.gov/SEB/Files/Video/MSIPP%20Webinar%20DE-FOA-0003422%20Recording%201.mp4 https://www.emcbc.doe.gov/SEB/Files/Video/MSIPP%20Webinar%20DE-FOA-0003422%20Recording%202.mp4 https://www.emcbc.doe.gov/SEB/Files/Video/MSIPP%20Webinar%20DE-FOA-0003422%20Recording%201.mp4 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.emcbc.doe.gov%2FSEB%2FFiles%2FVideo%2FMSIPP%2520Webinar%2520DE-FOA-0003422%2520Recording%25202.mp4&data=05%7C02%7CNicholas.Voiles%40emcbc.doe.gov%7C0894764be38c4ac6b54d08dcde2de30c%7C42610bbc5b07459c9fe7b40cbaa91cf4%7C0%7C0%7C638629537785183278%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=r5UeGJF8hutCkXz1Ao5nGbGA8vSmcHUyn0p%2FJqJYlmU%3D&reserved=0

Overview of

Office of Environmental

Management

Mission

Safe cleanup of the environmental legacy created by the Manhattan Project, the ensuing Cold War nuclear arms race, and the early years of federal government-sponsored nuclear science research and technology development

Manhattan Project (1942 to 1946)

Codename: Development of Substitute Materials

Cold War (1947 to 1991)

Nationwide Industrial Complex for the Cold War Nuclear Arms Race

Early Nuclear S&T (1953 to 1990s)

Early Years of Government-Sponsored Nuclear Science and Technology

Peacetime Atomic S&T Leadership

Mission Areas

Nuclear Facility Decommissioning

Soil and Water Cleanup

Liquid Radioactive Waste Processing

Mission Areas

Nuclear Materials & Spent

Nuclear Fuel Management

Solid Radioactive Waste Treatment, Storage & Disposal

Science & Technology

Initial Footprint of the Cold War Legacy

Initial Scope of the Cold War Legacy

Over 780,000 metric tons of depleted uranium produced as a by-product of enriching uranium

Millions of cubic meters of soil and billions of gallons of groundwater contaminated by releases of radioactive and hazardous materials to the environment

Over 6,200 facilities were contaminated from nuclear operations

Over 90 million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste was generated from producing plutonium and uranium

Current Footprint of the Cold War Legacy

Mission Outlook

FY2024 Enacted Budget: $8,482M

♦ SNF/SNM: $563M

♦ Tank Waste: $3,157M

♦ TRU, SW: $1,073M

♦ D&D: $1,682M ♦ Soil & GW: $540M ♦ Site Services: $1,495M

Mission Completion Estimates ♦ Year: 2078 - 2091 ♦ Cost: $488,504M - $723,332M

♦ SNF: 2040

♦ SNM: 2060

♦ Tank Waste: 2065

♦ D&D: 2086 ♦ Soil & GW: 2091 ♦ Solid Waste: 2091

Overview of EM

Minority Serving Institutions

Partnership Program

University Partnering

Generational Workforce

♦ EM promotes the education and development of next generation workforces in STEM-related disciplines that complement the mission of legacy cleanup

♦ The enduring mission of legacy cleanup requires maintaining a highly-trained, technically skilled, and diverse workforce

Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program

♦ Minority representation is an important part of EM’s vision

♦ MSIPP provides students and graduates of Minority Serving Institutions with hands-on education and experience by supporting collaborations among the MSIs, EM field sites and project offices, and DOE national laboratories

Key Program Features

Internships

Savannah River Environmental Sciences Field Station and Cyber Security

Graduate Fellowship Program

Postdoctoral Fellows Program

STARS Fellows Program

Competitive Research Awards

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Grant Awards

Key Information for EM MSIPP

Notice of Funding Opportunity

No. DE-FOA-0003422

General Information

EM released NOFO number DE-FOA-0003422, “Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP)” via www.Grants.gov on September 12, 2024.

The NOFO targets accredited U.S. Minority Serving Institutions with a population of less than or equal to 5,000 enrolled students.

Subawards to MSI's with more than 5,000 student population cannot exceed 20% of total grant value

Non-MSI subawards are unallowable

The total estimated value of the NOFO is $15,500,000.

Several financial assistance awards (grants) will be made with individual awards ranging from approximately $1,000,000 to $3,000,000.

Targeted period of performance (project duration) is 12 to 36 months.

http://www.grants.gov/

Areas of Emphasis

The awards resulting from the NOFO will focus on enhancing Minority Serving Institutions programs to help foster a sustainable and diverse DOE EM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce pipeline.

The awards will also aid in promoting the development of a nationally engaged scientific and engineering workforce that will lead to future career pathways in the DOE EM complex for underrepresented groups.

Topic Areas

Deactivation & Decommissioning

♦ Deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) is the process of taking a retired facility to a final disposition end state. Because of the presence of residual radioactivity, chemical hazardous, and aged condition of facilities, D&D presents unique radiological and chemical hazards as well as changing and dangerous work conditions.

Digital Technologies

♦ The topic area is focused on anticipating and leveraging the opportunities offered by the emergence of leading-edge and future-of-the-art technologies including, but not limited to, rapidly advancing artificial intelligence along with its subset of machine learning; specialized sensor technologies; alternative realities; and wearable technologies and smart devices.

Topic Areas (continued)

Robotics

♦ This topic area covers use of robotics, remote systems, and related technologies to support EM’s broad mission areas. Devices include:

• Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV): Tracked, wheeled, legged, and marsupial UGVs

• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS): Fixed wing, rotary wing, and counter-/anti-UAS

• Wearable Systems: Exoskeletons, exosuits and other wearable robotic devices

• Industrial and Specialty Robots: Articulated robots, Cartesian robots, delta robots, polar robots, collaborative robots, and selective compliance assembly robot arm robots; aquatic and submersible robots; marsupial and hybrid robots; and other specialty robotic devices

Preferences

Partnerships with other MSIs

Partnerships with DOE Sites where EM cleanup work is being conducted

Engagement in other DOE EM activities (i.e. site visits, workshops, etc.)

Existing working relationship with DOE Sites

Submission Guidelines

Restricted to accredited U.S. Minority Serving Institutions with a population of less than or equal to 5,000 enrolled students

Two-Step NOFO

1) First Step: Concept Paper, six (6) pages in length, including cover page (refer to NOFO pages 16-18 for content requirements)

2) Second Step: Full Application

Submission Guidelines (continued)

Notification: E-mail your Expression of Interest and Intent to submit a Concept Paper to msipp-foa@emcbc.doe.gov

Submission: Submit your Concept Paper to msipp-foa@emcbc.doe.gov

♦ Note: A Concept Paper must have been submitted to be eligible to submit a Full Application

Key dates and deadlines

September 19, 2024, 11:00 AM ET: Informational Webinar

October 4, 2024, 5:00 PM: Deadline for submitting Expression of Interest/Intent

October 15, 2024, 5:00 PM ET: Deadline for submitting Concept Papers

Concept Paper Content

Section Page Limit Description

Cover 1 page The cover page shall include the project title, lead organization/entity, organization type and size (i.e., number of employees and students enrolled), the specific announcement Topic Area(s) being addressed, both the technical and business points of contact, names of all collaborating institutions, and any statements regarding confidentiality.

Project Description

4 pages Applicants are required to describe succinctly:

• The proposed program, including its basic operating principles and how it is unique and innovative;

• The proposed program’s target level of performance (applicants should provide program metrics and goals or other support to show how the proposed target could be met);

• The relevance and application to DOE-EM field sites, including key shortcomings, limitations, and challenges;

• How the proposed program will overcome the shortcomings, limitations, and challenges in the relevant field and application; and the potential impact that the proposed program would have on the relevant field and application;

• The key risks/issues associated with the proposed program;

• The impact that EM funding would have on the proposed program; and

• Cost Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for the program and length of award.

Concept Paper Content (continued)

Section Page Limit Description

Addendum 1 page Applicants are required to describe succinctly the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the proposed Project Team, including:

• Whether the Principal Investigator (PI) and Project Team have the skill and expertise needed to successfully execute the program plan;

• Whether the applicant has prior experience which demonstrates an ability to perform tasks of similar risk and complexity;

• Whether the applicant has worked together with its teaming partners on prior projects or programs; and

• Whether the applicant has adequate access to equipment and facilities necessary to accomplish the effort and/or clearly explain how it intends to obtain access to the necessary equipment and facilities; and

• Applicants may provide graphs, charts, or other data to supplement their Program Description.

Concept Paper Evaluation Criteria

Overall NOFO Responsiveness and Viability of the Project

♦ The applicant clearly describes the proposed program objectives and link to EM priorities;

♦ The applicant has identified risks and challenges, including possible mitigation strategies, and has shown the impact that EM funding and the proposed project would have on the relevant field and application;

♦ The applicant has the qualifications, experience, capabilities and other resources necessary to complete the proposed program;

♦ The applicant references whether partnering with other MSI’s, including 2-year institutions, is an approach used in application;

♦ The applicant references partnering with other EM sites and/or National Laboratories; and

♦ The proposed work, if successfully accomplished, would clearly meet the objectives as stated in the NOFO.

Next Steps

Concept Papers will be evaluated in accordance with criteria listed in the NOFO (refer to prior slide and NOFO pages 34 and 35)

Based on the Concept Paper evaluations, selected applicants will be notified to request a Full Application (tentatively, January 15, 2024)

♦ Additional information/instructions for Full Application will be provided at that time

DOE EM-MSIPP

LinkedIn Page

DOE EM-MSIPP

Program Page