DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF DEFENSE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

CONSORTIUM FOR NUCLEAR FORENSICS

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

(NOFO) NUMBER: DE-FOA-0003567

NOFO TYPE: NEW AND RENEWAL

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 81.113

NOFO Issue Date: March 04, 2026

Applications Submission Deadline (Mandatory) June 10, 2026

Anticipated Selection Notifications December 16, 2026

Estimated Award Date April 14, 2027

*Full applications are due at 11:59:59 PM Eastern time.

CONSORTIUM FOR NUCLEAR FORENSICS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: DE-FOA-NA0003567

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

B. PRIMARY PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

C. INTEGRATION WITH DNN R&D NEEDS

D. STATUTORY AUTHORITY

E. APPLICABLE REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE

F. UNCLASSIFIED…

G. MISSION AREA REQUIREMENTS

H. COLLABORATION WITH DOE/NNSA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

I. LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM APPLICANT’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH

SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD INSTRUMENT

B. ESTIMATED FUNDING

C. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM AWARD SIZE

D. EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS

E. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F. TYPE OF APPLICATION

G. SELECTED APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

H. DATA MANAGEMENT AND SHARING PLAN

SECTION III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. APPLICANTS

B. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

C. RESTRICTED ELIGIBILITY

D. COST SHARING

E. PROGRAM INCOME

F. UNCLASSIFIED WORK

SECTION IV – APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

A. MANDATORY OVERALL APPLICATION ELEMENTS

B. GRANTS.GOV APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND RECEIPT PROCEDURES

C. MANDATORY STANDARD FORMS REQUIRED OF PRIME AND SUBAPPLICANTS

D. MANDATORY APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PRIME APPLICANT

E. SUBAPPLCANT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND MANDATORY FORMS ..... ………40

F. BUDGET BY BUDGET CATEGORIES EXPLAINED

G. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

SECTION V - APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. CRITERIA

B. APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY – COMPETITIVE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS

C. COMPREHENSIVE MERIT REVIEW

D. MERIT REVIEW CRITERIA

E. PROGRAM POLICY REVIEW

F. REPORTING OF MATTERS RELATED TO RECIPIENT INTEGRITY

G. ANTICIPATED SELECTION OF AWARD

H. ANTICIPATED NOTICE OF SELECTION AND AWARD DATES

SECTION VI – FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. NOTICE OF AWARD - COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

C. TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS

SECTION VII - QUESTIONS/AGENCY CONTACTS

A. QUESTIONS

B. AGENCY CONTACT

C. UNAUTHORIZED COMMUNICATION

D. OTHER PERTINENT RESOURCES

Attachment 1. Applicant and Subapplicant Required Forms – For Reference Only

Attachment 2. DOE National Laboratories – For Reference Only

Attachment 3: Policy Provisions

Attachment 4. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Attachment 5: Glossary of Terms and Conditions

Attachment 6: Reference Materials - WEBLINKS

Attachment 7: R&R Budget Narrative Justification Worksheet - Attached as Separate Document

Attachment 8: NEPA Checklist - Attached as a Separate Document

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) drives innovative research that develops technologies and expertise to detect foreign nuclear proliferation activities and produces technologies for integration into operational systems by leveraging capabilities at the DOE National Laboratories, Plants, and Other Field Sites, as well as at universities and within private industry. DNN R&D supports U.S. nuclear security objectives to reduce global nuclear security threats through the innovation of unilateral and multi-lateral technical capabilities to detect, identify, and characterize:

1. Foreign nuclear weapons development activities.

2. Illicit diversion of special nuclear materials.

3. Nuclear explosions globally.

Additionally, DNN R&D sustains and develops foundational nonproliferation technical capabilities by providing targeted, long-term support for enabling infrastructure, science and technology, and an expert workforce.

For DNN R&D, the role of Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs, defined in Section III) is to innovate, develop, and prove some of the most challenging basic aspects of new technology and methods in coordination with the DOE National Laboratories, which can in turn fulfill their unique role to perform mission-specific research and development that improves on capabilities until they are either adopted by operational enterprises or transitioned into private industry for commercialization. Transparency and effectively linking the roles of these IHEs and DOE National Laboratories represent the core of how DNN R&D proposes to meet its objectives.

The DOE NNSA Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), DE-FOA-0003567, and succeeding awarded agreements, are made possible from NNSA’s statutory authority, and are managed by applicable guidance, regulations, and laws.

Throughout this document, the term DOE National Laboratories is used to collectively refer to DOE National Laboratories, Plants, Other Field Sites, and complexes.

B. PRIMARY PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The primary purpose of this opportunity is to direct-fund basic research at universities that complement applied research in nuclear forensics at the DOE National Laboratories. This includes foundational disciplines of radiochemistry; geochemistry; shock physics; nuclear physics, science and engineering;

radiation detector science; nuclear material science engineering; nuclear chemical engineering; modeling, simulation and optimization methods for nuclear applications; and seismology and infrasound methods supporting yield determination. A secondary benefit to this research is the development of a diverse and highly talented cadre of technical professionals, including scientists, engineers, technicians, and operational personnel, who will become the next generation of technical leaders in nuclear missions, such as nuclear forensics, nonproliferation, incident response, intelligence, and energy. These professionals are expected to primarily benefit the DOE National Laboratories as future research staff but will also benefit academia, private industry, and U.S. government agencies, including Energy, State, Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and the Intelligence Community.

The intent of this NOFO is to award one (1) five-year cooperative agreement to a consortium consisting of accredited IHEs to provide the opportunity to receive and administer Federal financial assistance funds for student and faculty research, fellowships, and scholarship funding awarded by DOE/NNSA, DNN R&D.

The envisioned cooperative agreement will be awarded to a consortium of IHEs which will include the participation of DOE National Laboratories as consortium-member(s). Individual IHEs consortium-member shall make specific contributions and shall receive specified portions of the funding.

The consortium may include student and research fellows and must have a long-term objective of building expertise in scientific disciplines directly relevant to nuclear forensics. Research results should be incorporated readily into IHE curricula. Students, faculty, and researchers must be able to work unencumbered while moving across organizational and bureaucratic boundaries of the academic and governmental facilities engaged in the consortium, while properly protecting critical information and materials. The consortium should establish reciprocal DOE National Laboratory arrangements between the lead IHE and other IHEs as well as relationships with appropriate DOE National Laboratories (See Attachment 1).

C. INTEGRATION WITH DNN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

Integration of the research and development efforts provides the technical base for U.S. security agencies to meet their nonproliferation, counterproliferation, and counterterrorism responsibilities.

Sponsored research at the DOE National Laboratories conducted by small businesses and the academic community are leveraged to ensure the advancement of research. New research results and challenges continually emerge from the U.S. Government’s nuclear nonproliferation needs; thus, the management plan must detail innovative ideas with formal mechanisms for leveraging these capabilities. Where topically appropriate, DNN R&D encourages collaboration and innovative thinking across all nuclear science disciplines to develop technologies and approaches that will advance its mission.

DNN R&D management expects to be an active partner in the award. Therefore, recipients and subrecipients will participate in DNN R&D’s annual University Program Review (UPR) and should budget accordingly. DNN R&D will conduct periodic assessments to verify progress towards meeting the proposed topical/focus areas and applicable milestones. These assessments focus on, but are not limited to, the effective and efficient use of provided resources; maintaining nonproliferation-related disciplines through research and development; and conducting work pertinent to current and emerging nonproliferation activities.

D. STATUTORY AUTHORITY

• Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, Section 31, Public Law 83-703, 68 Stat. 919, 42 U.S.C.

2051 found at Text - H.R.9757 - 83rd Congress (1953-1954): Atomic Energy Act of 1954 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

• Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, Title 1, Section 107, Public Law 93-438, 88 Stat. 1240, 42 U.S.C. 5817 found at H.R.11510 - 93rd Congress (1973-1974): Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

• Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-577;

Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, as amended, Public Law 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101

et. seq.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/83rd-congress/house-bill/9757/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/83rd-congress/house-bill/9757/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/house-bill/11510 https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/house-bill/11510

E. APPLICABLE REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE

Applicable regulations and guidance include, but are not limited to the following:

• Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, codified at 2 CFR 200.

• U.S. Department of Energy Financial Assistance Requirements, codified at 2 CFR 910 found at eCFR :: 2 CFR Part 910 -- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

• Department of Energy – Guide to Financial Assistance found at Department of Energy - Guide to Financial Assistance | Department of Energy.

F. UNCLASSIFIED

All projects funded through the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN R&D) program announcement are required to be unclassified.

Reminders:

• The Technical Project Officer (TPO) and Grant Officer are the only NNSA federal staff members that are allowed to provide direction on the Consortium for Nuclear Forensics awarded cooperative agreements.

• Appropriated funds for the use under the cooperative agreement may not be used to pay for any

DOE NNSA staff to include those staff members of the proposed DOE National Laboratory.

G. MISSION AREA REQUIREMENTS

For DNN R&D, the role of IHEs is to innovate, develop, and demonstrate some of the most challenging basic aspects of new technology and methods in coordination with the DOE National Laboratories that in turn fulfill their unique role to perform mission-specific research and development that improves on capabilities until they are either adopted by operational enterprises or transitioned into private industry for commercialization. Transparency and effectively linking the roles of these IHE and DOE National Laboratories enables the attainment of DNN R&D’s objectives. To lead the investment in research and development of new technologies in support of the Nation’s nuclear security and nuclear forensics goals, DNN R&D sponsors research and development across all disciplines of nuclear science and security.

A successful consortium must be comprised of a rich collaborative environment between university members, their students, faculty researchers, and the DOE National Laboratory scientists and staff. This environment should have a priority on building skill sets in the critical nuclear disciplines such as:

• radiochemistry

• geochemistry

• shock physics

• nuclear physics, science and engineering

• radiation detector science

• nuclear material science

• nuclear chemical engineering

• modeling, simulation and optimization methods for nuclear applications

• seismology and infrasound methods supporting yield determination https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-910 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-910 https://www.energy.gov/management/articles/department-energy-guide-financial-assistance https://www.energy.gov/management/articles/department-energy-guide-financial-assistance

Therefore, the proposed consortium must address:

• Producing research results in nuclear forensics science of a basic or fundamental nature.

• Enabling collaborative research relationships among universities, the DOE National Laboratories, and other government agencies.

• Transitioning basic science and technology from universities to U.S. government applications.

• Motivating talented researchers toward careers in universities, the DOE National Laboratories, and government agencies with nuclear missions.

The application must contain:

• A minimum of three other university partners who meet the above definition of IHE as consortium members. An integrated approach to the work will be essential in tackling the proposed tasks under the consortium. The lead university is discouraged from including an overly large number of loosely connected university partners.

• A minimum of one or more DOE National Laboratories as consortium members in accordance with the “Other Eligibility Requirements” under Section III. It is essential that the IHEs engage DOE National Laboratory partners early in application development to forge a connection to collaborate on future work and have unique and innovative approaches to accomplish proposed tasks.

The proposed consortium may focus on other concepts and support:

• Creation of early-career professorial fellowships relating to nuclear forensic science to include research support funds.

• Post-doctoral research fellowships relating to nuclear forensic science, including nonproliferation research at DOE National Laboratories.

• Undergraduate basic research internships and graduate research fellowships relating to nuclear forensic science.

• Improvements to university and college infrastructures for conducting basic research and development relating to nuclear forensic science.

• Incorporation of outcomes of sponsored research into continuous nuclear forensic expertise development improvement (e.g. curriculum improvements).

H. COLLABORATION WITH DOE NATIONAL LABORATORIES

The consortium is required to collaborate with DOE National Laboratories. The IHE’s prime applicant (lead) Principal Investigator (PI) must contact the Grants Officer immediately should they have any concerns or issues with any required or optional collaboration.

Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) must engage with DOE National Laboratories as early as possible in their application process. Universities are encouraged to engage with a moderate number of well-considered DOE National Laboratories, identifying specific areas of collaboration rather than simply providing generic support partnership letters to the proposed consortium. The DOE National Laboratory members will leverage existing DNN R&D funding to support involvement to the extent it delivers mutual benefit. DNN R&D will provide management consortium support funds directly to DOE National Laboratory team members (as done for previous consortia awards) to assist in managing the Laboratory- University interactions and manage student and faculty rotations with the DOE National Laboratory.

The consortium should include student and early career research fellowships and have a long-term vision to build expertise in nuclear security and nuclear forensics. Students, faculty, and researchers must be able to work unencumbered across organizational and bureaucratic boundaries of the academic and governmental facilities engaged in the consortium, while properly protecting critical information and materials. Thus, the consortium should establish reciprocal arrangements between the home academic institution and other degree-granting institutions as well as relationships with appropriate DOE National Laboratories.

DOE National Laboratory Rotations Postdoctoral (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) will be expected to conduct a lab/site/complex rotation with one of the partner DOE National Laboratories. A reasonable number of professors must be prepared and expect to participate in a short detail, 4-8 weeks, at a Laboratory with their student(s). The intent is to motivate professor and student teams to forge new collaborative relationships with the DOE National Laboratories and provide access to varying degrees of professional knowledge, application, and equipment resources. Universities should plan accordingly and budget to participate in these rotations. In addition, cost efficiencies for travel should be considered for long-term stays (e.g., 4-8 weeks). For example, some hotels may offer better daily rates for longer stays than standard hotels or standard lodging per diem rates on GSA Travel.

Collaboration with DOE National Laboratories Collaborations with DOE National Laboratories may include but are not limited to DOE/NNSA staff serving in ancillary activities such as guest lectures or on doctoral committees; mentoring students and staff;

and presenting congruent topics at symposia or workshops. Because NNSA staff are held to a specific Code of Ethics, NNSA staff may need to obtain approval by NNSA Office of the General Counsel to serve or collaborate in some requested areas.

While DOE National Laboratory staff may mentor the consortium’s participants (staff and students), DOE/NNSA staff are not authorized to perform any portion of the technical work or research authorized in the awards under this NOFO.

For all collaboration activities that have associated travel, applicants should use their entity’s travel and per diem policy when requesting funding. If an entity does not have a travel per diem policy, they may use GSA’s guidelines for per diem rates which can be found at, Travel management policy overview | GSA.

The budget justification must reflect each cost requested.

DOE National Laboratories DOE National Laboratories are not eligible to compete as the prime or subapplicant under this NOFO;

however, each lead IHE application must propose one or more DOE Laboratories as collaborators subject to the below guidelines.

Authorization for DOE National Laboratories participation: The cognizant Grants Officer for the DOE National Laboratory must authorize in writing the participation of the DOE National Laboratory(s) on the proposed project and this authorization is requested at selection and must be submitted upon request.

Further, collaboration letters from the collaborating DOE National Laboratory employee(s) must be submitted with the application to include a statement that no grant funds will be provided to the DOE National Laboratory and/or site/complex from the awarded cooperative agreement.

https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/policy/travel-management-policy-overview

The following language is acceptable for the cognizant Grant Officer authorization and may be used when selected and upon request:

"Authorization is granted for the [Name] Laboratory and/or Site/Complex to participate in the proposed project. The work proposed for the laboratory and/or Site/Complex is consistent with or complimentary to the missions of the laboratory and/or site/complex, will not adversely impact execution of the DOE/NNSA assigned programs at the laboratory and/or site/complex, and will not place the laboratory and/or site/complex in direct competition with the domestic private sector."

The portion of the effort to be performed by all DOE National Laboratory’s collaborators in aggregate shall not approach or exceed 50% of the total effort. In addition, the DOE National Laboratories’ effort should be well thought out rather than having all labs and/or site/complexes issue generic partnership letters to all university applicants. The intent is that the DOE Laboratories may not play a role comprising most of the teaming arrangement and work effort.

DOE National Laboratories are to provide a draft of the Authorization discussed above and a Field Work Proposal in accordance with the Work Authorization System or NNSA SD 412.1, Work Authorizations, as applicable, Work Authorization System with the PRIME (Lead) university consortium application, and a final to be submitted 30-45 days from notice of selection. This authorization is sought by and submitted by the Prime Applicant.

Funding for any work being done by a DOE National Laboratory will be funded directly by the program office. This funding will be transmitted to the laboratory via an internal Work Authorization Implementation Plan (IP) process. The amount of funds that a laboratory uses in teaming with the IHE will not be factored into the IHE’s total award amount.

• Value/Funding: The value of, and funding for, the DOE National Laboratories’ portion of the work should not be included in the prime IHEs proposed budget.

DOE/NNSA will examine the continuity and consistency of program objectives and assure that the objectives are responsive to all disciplines of nuclear forensic science needs of DOE/NNSA and the nation.

NNSA members will include the Program Manager and other senior DOE/NNSA officials as required.

The Nuclear Detonation Detection Office, as a part of DNN R&D, will fund the DOE National Laboratories to support the consortium. The funding will be resourced in accordance with a Life Cycle Plan (LCP) to be submitted by each participating DOE National Laboratory. The consortium can freely discuss participation with their DOE National Laboratory partners, but the Program Office retains control of funding and scope.

• Collaborative DOE National Laboratories will facilitate coordination of research between National Laboratories and the consortium.

• Laboratory employees may rotate through the IHE to aid in research, and the laboratory will cover their associated fees that may include per diem, lodging, and travel expenses.

The following DOE/NNSA Roles and Responsibilities are not all-inclusive but are highlighted to better define the expectations of participant organizations. Upon selection, the following will be added to the consortium’s award:

• DOE/NNSA will participate in overall program management of the Consortium and is primarily represented by the NNSA Program Manager. The Program Manager coordinates the activities of https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/migrated/nnsa/2017/11/f45/sd_412.1_final_1-18-17.pdf

IHE with Headquarters and the Grants Officer.

• The DOE/NNSA Program Manager reviews all deliverables and reviews/recommends approval of any other changes to the Cooperative Agreement to the Grants Officer.

• The DOE/NNSA Program Manager also reviews, recommends, and submits a Purchase Requisition

(PR) to the Grants Officer for annual incremental funding on the Cooperative Agreement and assures orderly progression of work from year-to-year which is referred to as the Continuation Application and included in the Terms and Conditions of the Cooperative Agreement.

Consortium Role and Responsibilities Consortium professor/student teams may detail to a DOE National Laboratory collaborator for forging new relationships and conducting research and the IHE will cover all associated fees that may include stipends, tuition, per diem, lodging and travel expenses.

Responsibility of Successful Applicant PRIME (Lead IHE) The selected applicant of the award (PRIME/Lead for the university) is the PRIME/Lead recipient, and responsible for managing the entire scope, schedule, and cost of the project, to include all reporting. The selected Prime (lead) applicant will be the responsible authority regarding the settlement and satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues, including but not limited to, disputes and claims arising out of any agreement between the applicant and the DOE National Laboratories and other consortium members.

This cooperative agreement will ONLY provide funding to the university members of the consortium. The DOE National Laboratory members will leverage existing DNN R&D funding to support involvement – including any mentoring – to the extent it delivers mutual benefit. DNN R&D will provide management consortium support funds directly to DOE National Laboratory team members (as done for previous consortia awards) to assist in managing the laboratory-University interactions. This includes managing:

• IHE Credit for Student: The lead IHE and consortium members should establish a program to acknowledge students who participate in DOE National Laboratory stints and working with DOE National Laboratory mentors. This can be done at the discretion of the IHE; for example, by providing a one semester credit or internship for that student.

• Eligible Students for Direct Benefit: Students who are directly funded and/or provided benefit by assisting with research and associated projects should be in their junior year or beyond for undergraduate academic studies or a graduate student who is pursuing studies toward a subject pertaining to the topic(s) being supported by their group. The program will periodically request corroborating eligibility data when assembling metrics and various internal reports.

I. LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM EACH OF THE APPLICANT’S VICE-PRESIDENT FOR

RESEARCH

Applicants are required to include a letter of support from the applicant’s Vice President for Research, or someone in a comparable position, which affirms the proposed Consortium will comply with the following performance requirements:

• The IHE’s PRIME (Lead), once an award is made, Principal Investigator and all personnel on the award will actively participate in the DNN R&D’s Annual University Program Review (UPR) and interface with the DOE National Laboratories. All costs associated with the proposed travel, tentatively scheduled in Albuquerque, NM, must be submitted in the budget.

• The Principal Investigator will provide an annual progress report that describes key advances in their scientific discipline and/or enabling technology development, and other issues, in addition to responses to the recommendations of the annual consortium review meetings. Reports will include the consortium’s technical goals for the coming year and provide an updated project plan, as appropriate.

• The Prime (Lead) entity will be held responsible for managing the entire scope, schedule, and cost of the project, to include all financial and program reporting, per the DOE F-4600.2, Federal Assistance Reporting Checklist and Instructions contained within the document. The Prime (Lead) entity is also responsible for managing each of the subawards of the consortium.

• The Prime (Lead) will provide a list of major items of equipment already available to the personnel on the application as well as annually; thereafter, providing a list of any new items of equipment purchased through this award.

SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD INSTRUMENT

DOE/NNSA will award a cooperative agreement under this NOFO. DOE/NNSA seeks a multi-institution team submitted as a prime and subaward model with one application submitted by a Prime (Lead) institution (prime applicant). For definition of a cooperative agreement, please see 2 CFR 200.1.

DOE/NNSA will be substantially involved with each awarded Consortium and will collaborate with each PRIME (Lead) recipient in evaluating, accepting, and achieving proposed milestones. The DOE/NNSA Federal Technical Project Officer (known as the Program Manager) will provide technical direction to the overall program, as well as the individual program elements as it is determined to be necessary and appropriate by DOE/NNSA. DOE/NNSA subject matter experts will meet with recipients at least annually to provide time to collaborate and exchange ideas and best practices. DOE/NNSA will also have the right to have DOE National Laboratories perform independent tests and evaluations of each deliverable(s) to provide an additional measure of technical progress.

The DOE/NNSA Grants Officer and DOE/NNSA Federal Technical Project Officer will negotiate a Statement of Substantial Involvement with the selected Consortium (applicant) or PRIME (Lead) recipient prior to award in respect to individual needs beyond what is listed in the Terms and Conditions. The substantial involvement by DOE/NNSA under the award will remain in effect for the term of the cooperative agreement unless otherwise amended in writing by the Grant Officer. The statement of substantial involvement by DOE/NNSA does not increase the Department of Energy's liability under the agreement award.

B. ESTIMATED FUNDING

Approximately $25,000,000 is available to be awarded a cooperative agreement under this NOFO. Funding for this award and future budget periods are contingent upon the availability of funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of this program and the availability of future-year budget authority.

DOE/NNSA will not provide funding for any costs associated with preparing of or work related to submission of an application and reserves the right to fund, in whole or in part, any, all, or none of the applications submitted in response to this NOFO.

NOTE: Federal funds, including any funds of current NNSA awards, are not allowed to be used to prepare or submit an application under this NOFO.

C. AWARD SIZE

Maximum and Minimum Award Size

Ceiling (i.e., the maximum amount for an individual award made under this NOFO): $25,000,000 is expected to be available contingent upon the availability of funds for all five (5) years for award under this announcement. The award will be incrementally funded in 5 tranches, approximately $5 million per year.

D. EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS

DOE/NNSA anticipates making no more than one (1) award from this NOFO and is dependent on the availability of appropriated funds, the meritorious application, and other program policy factors. NNSA reserves the right to make no awards under this NOFO for applications.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1

E. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

DOE/NNSA anticipates making an award with an estimated project period of up to five (5) years from the date of award. The overall project duration will be subdivided into annual budget periods and incrementally funded. Continuation funding (funding for subsequent budget periods, past year 1 of the base award) is contingent on the following: 1) availability of funds appropriated by Congress and future year budget authority; 2) substantial progress towards meeting the objectives of the approved Statement of Work; 3) submittal of required reports; and 4) compliance with the terms and conditions of the award.

DOE/NNSA anticipates notifying the applicant selected for an award on the dates as specified per the NOFO Cover Page and is contingent on the availability of Federal government funds.

DOE/NNSA anticipates making one (1) award that will not exceed a 5-year period of performance nor $25 million.

F. TYPE OF APPLICATION

DOE/NNSA will accept new and renewal applications under this announcement. Renewal applications are requests for additional funding for a period after that provided by a current award. Renewal applications compete with all other applications and must be submitted by the established due date/deadline. In preparing a renewal application, applicants should assume that reviewers will not have access to previous applications.

The application, whether it is a renewal or new application, should be developed as fully and as thoroughly as possible and as though the applicant is applying for the first time. The application must include all the information required for a new project as well as include within the project narrative element a discussion of the results from previous awards if applying for a renewal, and whether there is a current funded award currently in process.

G. SELECTED APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

The selected PRIME (Lead) recipient of the award is considered the lead university and is responsible for managing the entire scope, schedule, and cost of the project, including all reporting. The PRIME (Lead) recipient of this cooperative agreement is authorized to provide funding to the IHE subrecipient members of the consortium and is responsible for managing all subawards in the consortium.

H. DATA MANAGEMENT AND SHARING PLAN

If selected for an award, a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) must be provided for Research and Development efforts following DOE/NNSA and DOE/NNSA Sponsoring Office guidelines. If needed, updates to the DMSP, through the course of the award, must be provided to DOE/NNSA for review and approval. In general, A DMSP should address the requirements on the DOE Requirements and Guidance for Digital Research Data Management website located at DOE Requirements and Guidance for Digital Research Data Management | Department of Energy. Recipient must provide the Grant Officer with a DMSP not later than 90 days after the effective date of the award.

The DMSP must explain how the scientific data generated during the research or work performed under an assistance award will be shared and preserved or, when justified, explain why data sharing or preservation is not possible or scientifically appropriate.

https://www.energy.gov/datamanagement/doe-requirements-and-guidance-digital-research-data-management https://www.energy.gov/datamanagement/doe-requirements-and-guidance-digital-research-data-management

SECTION III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. APPLICANTS

In accordance with 2 CFR 910.126(b) and DNN’s mission, eligibility for award is restricted to U.S.

Institutes of Higher Education (IHE), defined at 20 USC 1001: General definition of institution of higher education, with professional doctorate degrees.

Eligible Entities For this funding opportunity, an applicant must be an IHE that offers programs for graduate students to earn professional doctorate degrees. It must be an IHE in any State, Federal District, or United States (U.S.)

territory that is a public or private nonprofit educational institution that:

• Admits as regular students only persons who have:

- A high school diploma.

- The recognized equivalent of a high school diploma; or

- Are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution is physically located.

• Legally authorized to provide an educational program beyond secondary education in the State in which the institution is physically located.

• Provides an educational program —

- For which it awards an associate, baccalaureate, graduate, or professional degree.

- That is at least a two-academic-year program acceptable for full credit toward a baccalaureate degree; or

- That is at least a one academic year training program that leads to a certificate, or other non-degree recognized credential, and prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation; and

- May provide a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program, as described in eCFR :: 34 CFR Part 668 Subpart O -- Financial Assistance for Students With Intellectual Disabilities; and is an accredited or pre-accredited entity; or approved by state agency listed in the FEDERAL REGISTER in accordance with eCFR :: 34 CFR Part 603 - Secretary's Recognition Procedures for State Agencies, if the institution is a public postsecondary vocational educational institution that seeks to participate only in Federal student assistance programs.

Restricted Eligibility Should an award result from this NOFO, the recipient must exercise ongoing due diligence to reasonably ensure that no individuals participating in the DOE/NNSA-funded projects are participating in a Foreign Government-Sponsored Talent Recruitment Program of a Foreign Countries of Concern found at eCFR ::

28 CFR 202.601 -- Determination of countries of concern.. Consequences for violations of this prohibition will be determined according to applicable law, regulations, and policy. Further, the recipient must notify the DOE/NNSA Federal Technical Project Officer and Grants Officer/Specialist within five (5) business days upon learning that an individual on the project team is or is believed to be participating in a foreign government talent recruitment program of a foreign country of concern. DOE/NNSA may modify and add requirements related to this prohibition to the extent required by law.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-910/subpart-B/section-910.126 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2010-title20-section1001&num=0&edition=2010 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2010-title20-section1001&num=0&edition=2010 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-668/subpart-O https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-668/subpart-O https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-668/subpart-O https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-603 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-28/chapter-I/part-202/subpart-F/section-202.601 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-28/chapter-I/part-202/subpart-F/section-202.601

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) (both DOE National laboratories and other Federal Agency-Sponsored FFRDCs) are not eligible for a direct award under this NOFO. However, FFRDCs may participate as collaborators to:

• Promote and sustain scientific interactions between the academic community and scientists at the FFRDC Laboratories through exchange of information and/or personnel.

• Increase the availability of unique experimental facilities sited at the FFRDC Laboratories to the academic community, particularly for collaborations in areas of relevance to stockpile stewardship.

• Develop and maintain a long-term recruitment plan for the DOE/NNSA FFRDC’s by increasing the visibility of the DOE/NNSA Laboratory’s scientific activities to the U.S. faculty and student communities.

NOTE: FFRDCs are not eligible to receive any funding under this NOFO.

B. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator (PI) are invited to work with their entity to develop an application. The Lead (Prime Applicant) is responsible for submitting the application and coordinating with subapplicants. Co-PIs may serve under this NOFO.

• Each prime applicant is required to have an identified Lead PI from the prime applicant’s entity.

• Applications may have co-PIs from the prime applicant or subapplicant’s IHE.

• Each identified PI and Co-PI for proposed agreements are required to be a U.S. Person and must be an active member of the teaching/research faculty of an IHE (see Section III(A)1).

• Adjunct professors, visiting professors, and post-doctoral fellows are ineligible to be PIs or Co- PIs.

• Individuals employed by foreign entities, irrespective of citizenship, are ineligible to be PIs or Co-

PIs.

C. RESTRICTED ELIGIBILITY

The DNN R&D University Consortium Program seeks the long-term development of expertise in academic fields supporting nuclear forensics. Furthermore, one of DNN R&D’s goals within this program is to support the development of talent that is well- prepared for nuclear forensics careers in the DOE National Laboratories and within the U.S. Government.

These careers require the ability to attain and maintain National Security Clearance. Thus, it is important to restrict the eligibility for Senior/Key Persons, such as Principal Investigators, and supported students to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Several of the DOE/NNSA goals are not achievable by foreign nationals.

In conformity with the Department of Energy Order 142.3A (Unclassified Foreign Visits and Assignments https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/100-series/0142.3-BOrder-A-chg2-ltdchg/@@images/file

Program), applicants selected for award are required to submit a form prior to award attesting that the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator(s) are U.S. citizens or permanent residents (refer to “Research & Related Personal Data” form found at Grants.gov R&R Family Forms and resubmit as needed). The NOFO further restricts the eligibility of scholarships and fellowships (post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students) to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

NOTE: Non-U.S. persons are prohibited from receiving direct government or cost share funding under the cooperative agreement.

A U.S. person is defined as an individual that is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (eCFR :: 22 CFR 120.62 -- U.S. person).

Adjunct professors, visiting professors, and post-doctoral fellows are ineligible to be PIs. Investigators from foreign universities or academic institutions, irrespective of citizenship, are ineligible to be PIs.

Such individuals may receive funding under a subaward if the Principal Investigator requests and receives written permission for such funding from the Technical Project Officer of DNN R&D. There may be security restrictions on participation by foreign nationals at certain facilities and conferences, in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Energy Security Policy, Directives, Regulations, or Requirements. If awarded, the PRIME (Lead) applicant must discuss with the program official prior to any discussions with the Non-US Person(s).

All persons receiving funding or direct involvement in the activities supported under this cooperative agreement must be a U.S. Person or the Director/Principal Investigator must request and receive written permission for such funding from the program official of DNN. Requests for addition of non-US-persons is required throughout the period of the award.

D. COST SHARING

This award does not require cost sharing but may be offered. Cost share must come from non-federal sources, offering cost share will not bolster chances of selection since, under 2 CFR 200, Federal agencies are no longer allowed to use voluntary committed cost share as a consideration in the merit review process.

For further information, there are two types of cost share:

• Voluntary Cost Sharing: Cost share is considered voluntary when the applicant describes a quantifiable amount of resources it will contribute to the project.

• Voluntary Committed Cost Sharing: NNSA will consider any voluntary cost sharing offered at the application stage as committed cost sharing at the award stage. This occurs when the applicant/subapplicant pledges cash or in-kind resources towards a project but is not obligated to do so by the NOFO.

Any quantified cost sharing offered in submitted applications becomes fiscally and/or programmatically auditable and must be documented and reported to DOE/NNSA, if the application is funded.

If voluntary committed cost share is provided, the R&R Fed + NonFed Budget Form must be utilized by both the Prime applicant and subapplicant. This form may be found at R&R Family | Grants.gov.

In addition, some universities at their discretion may require subapplicants to cost share. Voluntary committed cost-share occurs when applicant/subapplicant pledges cash or in-kind resources towards a https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/100-series/0142.3-BOrder-A-chg2-ltdchg/@@images/file https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/chapter-I/subchapter-M/part-120/subpart-C/section-120.62 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family project but is not obligated to do so by the program solicitation/announcement.

Required Format of Cost Share Letters All institutions listed as providing cost share are required to provide a detailed letter as described below.

Cost Share Letter Format – Cost Share Letters must satisfy the following format criteria:

1. Letterhead of contributing institution.

2. Written signature (not a typed name that is not an electronic signature) of authorized individual at the contributing agency authorized to make the commitment attesting to the cost share as indicated in the budget form. The letter must indicate the resource is firmly committed and that the cost share will be available to participants during the implementation timeframe.

3. Indicate the total dollar value of commitment per year and overall, of the Federal financial assistance award (note: the award term is 60 months or 5 years).

4. The source and type of funds must be clearly stated but calculations are not necessary.

5. Indicate whether the source is in-kind or cash. If in-kind, the unit of measurement (e.g., # of staff hours, services, sq.ft., months, etc.) or cost of resource unit.

6. Total amount committed.

NOTE: Eligible Cost Share Commitments. In-kind contributions may be included, but are not limited to, items on the following list: a) Time and services contributed by volunteers; and b) Staff salaries and benefits of those staff salaries (partners).

NOTE: Ineligible Cost Share Commitments. The following contributions may not be used as cost share to meet or exceed the amount of cost share committed (%): a) Federal sources generally may not be used as match to meet or exceed the total dollar value committed threshold unless otherwise permitted by that program’s authorizing statute; b) Operating and Capital Funds may not be used as cost share but may be used if used for purposes eligible under the project; and c) The staff salaries and benefits of the Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator or Senior Key Persons

E. PROGRAM INCOME

Program income is allowable under this NOFO. Applications that choose to use program income are to include estimated income and source of income planned to be used with this project. Any program income funds with the award must be used to further project directives and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award. If program income is not reviewed at the time of award, postaward prior approval for the use of program income must be received and approved prior to use by the Grants Officer.

F. UNCLASSIFIED WORK

All proposed work to be funded through this NOFO is required to be UNCLASSIFIED. No applications for CLASSIFIED work will be accepted.

SECTION IV – APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

Applications must include three main elements in their applications to the DOE/NNSA for NOFO DE- FOA-0003567: 1) Standard Forms, Assurances, and Certifications; 2) Budget and Budget Justification; 3) Project Narratives and Other Attachments. The content, forms, and format for each element are included in this section.

NNSA is accepting complete applications under this NOFO and must be submitted via Grants.gov to be considered for merit review and award.

You may use this section as a checklist to ensure you submit a complete application. If you do not provide the required documents in the correct format, your application is incomplete. Do not submit password protected or encrypted files.

NOTE: A new application is one in which DOE/NNSA support for the proposed research is being requested for the first time. As stated, DOE/NNSA will accept new and renewal applications under this NOFO. DOE/NNSA does not make use of the Resubmission or Continuation options under this

NOFO.

Element Submission Form Standard Forms, Assurances, and Certifications Upload using each required form.

Budget and Budget Narrative Justification Worksheet

Use the required budget form.

Project Narrative or Technical Project Narrative and Other Attachments

Insert each in the Attachments form.

Must be double spaced and a minimum of 11-point Times New Roman font on letter sized paper (8 1/2 x 11 inches) with at least 1-inch margins on all sides.

Limit file names to 50 or fewer characters. All attachments to the application must have a unique name. Do not attach any documents with the same name. Use only the following characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Attachments that do not follow this rule may cause the entire application to be rejected or cause issues during processing.

NOTE: In Windows, the maximum file name length is 50 characters. This limit includes the full folder name and the file name. If your file name exceeds this limit, DOE/NNSA may encounter errors when trying to open or manage the file.

A. MANDATORY OVERALL APPLICATION ELEMENTS FOR PRIME (LEAD) AND

SUBAPPLICANTS

The applications should include the following information, with the font size no smaller than Times New Roman 11 and in a Portable Document Format (PDF). An entity may submit more than one application, given that it meets all the required conditions and serves a different purpose or research. Therefore, the following applies if the applicant is submitting more than one application:

1. Each submission must have a different lead Principal Investigator (PI) or PRIME (Lead) Applicant.

2. Each submission must target a significantly different application and/or enabling research and https://simpler.grants.gov/search?utm_source=Grants.gov development.

Required Letters

1. A letter on entity letterhead from the Vice President for Research or someone in…