FundOpp_DE-FOA-0003577.pdf

Financial Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity

Part 1

Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy – Idaho Operations Office Silicon Carbide Cladding Research and Development Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003577

Application due date: December 07, 2026

Table of Contents

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A. Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity ………………………………………………………………………………………….4

I. BASIC INFORMATION

A. Key Facts ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

1. Funding Details

2. Period of Performance

B. Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 C. Agency Contact Information …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. Eligible Applicants …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

1. Domestic Entities

2. Foreign Entity Participation

3. Performance of Work in the United States

4. Ineligible Participants

B. Limitation on Number Applications Eligible for Review …………………………………………………………………………9 C. Cost Sharing ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

1. Cost Share Requirements

2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources

D. FFRDC Eligibility Criteria ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 DOE and Non-DOE FFRDCs as a Subrecipient

III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Background and Context …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 B. Program Purpose ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12 C. Program Goals and Objectives ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 D. Expected Performance Goals ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12 E. Applications Specifically Not of Interest …………………………………………………………………………………………….13 F. Statement of Subsantial Involvement ………………………………………………………………………………………………..13 G. Statutory Authority ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

IV. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORM

A. Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14 B. Application Content Requirements …………………………………………………………………………………………………….14

1. Covered Individual Definition, Designation, and Responsibility

2. Summary of Application Requirements

3. Technical Volume

4. Biographical Sketch

5. Current and Pending (Other) Support

C. Additional Requirements ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………24

1. Buy America Preference for Infrastructure Projects

V. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

A. Submission Date and Times ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..25 B. Intergovernmental Review …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………25

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VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Standards for Application Evaluation ………………………………………………………………………………………………….26 B. Responsiveness Review ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………26 C. Review Criteria ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………26

1. Compliance Criteria

2. Technical Review Criteria

D. Other Selection Factors ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………27

VII. SELECTION AND AWARD NOTICES

VIII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Post-Award Requirements and Administration …………………………………………………………………………………..28

1. Cybersecurity Plan

2. Government Rights in Data

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

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Notice of Funding Opportunity, Part 1

Before You Begin

A. Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity

To reduce the burden on applicants in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process and limit the length of the NOFO information requests, we separated the NOFO into two parts.

The NOFO Part 1 describes the DOE program goals and evaluation criteria, eligibility, and other components specific to each funding opportunity. NOFO Part 2 includes the fixed DOE requirements that generally do not change from NOFO to NOFO, including standard information for the application phase, expectations for award negotiations, and post-award requirements. You must review both parts before applying. To assist you in the process, you will find references throughout this document to additional information in Part 2.

You must also take several one-time actions before applying. Some of these actions may take several weeks, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to complete them. If you don’t complete all required steps, it could interfere with application and negotiation deadlines or your ability to receive an award if selected. If you have already completed these one-time registrations, make sure they are active and up to date. All registrations are free. You can find additional information about registration in NOFO Part 2, Get Registered.

Hyperlinks are provided for the applicant’s ease of reference. Links, and the information contained in them, may change over time. It is up to an individual applicant to make sure that they have the current information that is contained in the links.

This announcement is published with NOFO Part 2 Version 4.

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I. Basic Information A. Key Facts Issuing Agency

Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy – Idaho Operations Office

Funding Opportunity Title

Silicon Carbide Cladding Research & Development

Announcement Version

Initial Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Number

DE-FOA-0003577

Funding Instrument

Cooperative Agreement: in accordance with 2 CFR 200

Expected Total Available Funding

$ 50,000,000

Assistance Listing Number and Name

81.121

Announcement Type

Research and Development

Funding Opportunity Description

Research, development, and fabrication of Silicon Carbide cladding specimens for research reactor insertion, irradiation, and post-irradiation examinations by 2030.

Program Goals & Objectives

The objective of this program is to advance the scientific and technological maturity of silicon carbide cladding for nuclear fuel rods for future use in commercial light water reactors.

Eligible Applicants Domestic Entities (Institutes of higher education; for-profit entities;

non-profit entities; state and local government entities and Indian Tribes)

Foreign Entities (see Part II.A.2)

DOE and non-DOE Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Federal Research Agencies may be eligible to apply as subrecipients but may not apply as Prime recipients. (Subject to Contracting Officer or Federal Agency approval)

Application Submission

Application Due Date: December 07, 2026 Submit Application via email to SiC_Cladding_NOFO@id.doe.gov

KEY DATES

All deadlines are 5:00 p.m. ET unless indicated otherwise

Notice of Funding Opportunity Issue Date:

October 05, 2026

Application Deadline:

December 07, 2026

Last Day to Submit NOFO Questions to DOE: November 30, Anticipated Selection Notification Date:

February 05, 2027

Anticipated Award Date:

April 06, 2027

Estimated Period of Performance:

3 year project - Start Date: April 06, 2027

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Grants.gov • Registration Link: https://grants.gov

• HELP: Grants.gov provides 24/7 support. You can call 1-800-518-

4776 or email support@grants.gov. It is advised you hold onto your ticket number

1. Funding Details

• Approximate total government available funding, contingent upon future appropriations:

$50,000,000

• Approximate number of awards: 1

• Approximate total project costs (government share + recipient minimum cost share of project costs): $ 62,500,000

• Minimum cost share required: 20%

• Approximate award project period: 3 years

• Anticipated length of each budget period: 12 months

2. Period of Performance

We anticipate making awards under multiple periods. Project continuation will depend on several elements, including satisfactory performance throughout the period of performance and our Go/No-Go decision. You can find a complete list of post-award requirements and more information on the Go/No-Go review in NOFO Part 2, Award Administration Information.

B. Executive Summary

The goal of this award is to develop a potentially revolutionary Light Water Reactor (LWR) Silicon Carbide (SiC) cladding material that can withstand significant accident and transient conditions. This program seeks to support research and development of SiC cladding technology, including mechanical, thermal-hydraulic, high temperature, and corrosion testing for both unirradiated and irradiated SiC cladding samples. This will provide the useful performance data to enable future commercial lead test rods (LTRs) irradiation testing. Irradiation campaigns in research reactors (e.g., INL ATR, ORNL HFIR, MITR) and Post Irradiation Evaluations (PIEs) are expected to provide irradiation performance data for fuel vendor licensing and accident analyses methods needed for NRC licensing review. Improvements in SiC/SiC composite cladding fabrication methods are expected to be made.

C. Agency Contact Information

Office of Nuclear Energy - Idaho Operations Office U.S. Department of Energy 1955 N. Fremont Avenue Idaho Falls, ID 83415

For questions relating to this specific NOFO, please send emails to SiC_Cladding_NOFO@id.doe.gov https://grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

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Subject title: NOFO DE-FOA-0003577: Silicon Carbide Cladding Research & Development.

DISCLAIMER: Applicants are discouraged from submitting information considered proprietary unless it is deemed essential for proper evaluation of the application. If the application contains information that the applicant organization considers to be trade secrets, information that is commercial or financial, or information that is privileged or confidential, the pages containing that information must be identified as specified in the application instructions. When such information is included in the application, it will be withheld from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information Act, with the understanding that the information will be used or disclosed only for evaluation of the application. The information contained in the application will be protected by DOE from unauthorized disclosure, consistent with the need for merit review of applications of financial assistance awards to assure the integrity of the competitive process and the accuracy and completeness of the information.

If a federal financial assistance award is made as a result of or in connection with an application, the federal government has the right to use or disclose the information to the extent authorized by law. This restriction does not limit the federal government’s right to use the information if it is obtained without restriction from another source.

II. Eligibility To be considered, your submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If your application does not meet these eligibility requirements, it will be removed from consideration for any award. DOE will not determine eligibility for potential applicants before the application due date. The information in this document is specific to this NOFO. You can find the eligibility requirements that apply to all NOFOs in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility.

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Domestic Entities

• The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a recipient or subrecipient of this NOFO:

• Institutions of higher education (as defined in Title 20 U.S.C. § 1001)

• For-profit organizations

• Nonprofit organizations

• State and local government entities

• Indian Tribes (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education

Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. § 5304)1

1 “Indian Tribe,” as defined in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and

Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. § 5304), means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2010-title20-section1001&num=0&edition=2010 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:25%20section:5304%20edition:prelim)

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To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be:

• Organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a state or territory of the United States or under the laws of the United States

• Have majority domestic ownership and control

• Have a physical place of business in the United States

Participation of the following entities is limited as follows:

• Provided there is no conflict, DOE FFRDCs2 are eligible to apply for funding as a subrecipient.

• Non-DOE FFRDCs are eligible to participate as subrecipients but are not eligible to apply as a recipient

• Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to participate as a subrecipient but are not eligible to apply as a recipient.

• NETL is eligible to apply as a subrecipient

2. Foreign Entity Participation

Foreign entities are not eligible to apply as either a recipient or subrecipient. In limited circumstances, we may approve a waiver to allow a foreign entity to participate as a recipient or subrecipient, but the application must be accompanied by an explicit written waiver request in your application for each proposed foreign subrecipient.

A foreign entity may not apply to this NOFO without an explicit written waiver request.

Likewise, if you want to include a foreign entity as a subrecipient, you must submit a separate explicit written waiver request in your application for each proposed foreign subrecipient.

NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements, explains the requirements for submitting a foreign entity waiver request. DOE’s determination of a waiver request is final, and you cannot appeal an adverse decision on a waiver request.

3. Performance of Work in the United States

All work for the awards under this NOFO must be performed in the United States. To request a waiver of this requirement, you must submit an explicit waiver request in the application. Without an approved waiver, such costs will not be allowed under the award.

NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements, lists the requirements for submitting a foreign work waiver request.

corporation as defined in or established according to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. § 1601, et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.

2 FFRDCs are federally funded research and development centers that conduct research for the U.S. government. You can find a list of FFRDCs at https://ncses.nsf.gov/resource/master-gov-lists-ffrdc.

https://uscode.house.gov/statutes/pl/92/203.pdf#:%7E:text=688%20PUBLIC%20LAW%2092-203-DEC.%2018%2C%201971%20%5B85%20STAT.,and%20for%20other%20purposes.%20Alaska%20Native%20Claims%20Settlement https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:43%20section:1601%20edition:prelim) https://ncses.nsf.gov/resource/master-gov-lists-ffrdc https://ncses.nsf.gov/resource/master-gov-lists-ffrdc

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4. Ineligible Participants The following entities are ineligible for this NOFO as a recipient, subrecipient, or subcontractor:

• In accordance with 2 CFR 200.214, Entities banned from doing business with the U.S.

government, such as entities debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in federal programs (2 CFR § 200.214)

• Entities identified in the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control Treasury’s Sanctions Program Specially Designated Nationals list. (OFAC – Sanctions List Service [treas.gov])

• Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995

Entity of Concern Prohibition

Entities of Concern are prohibited from participating in projects under this NOFO. You can find details and definitions in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility, Other Eligibility Information, Entity of Concern Prohibition.

B. Limitation on Number Applications Eligible for Review

You can submit only one application for this NOFO. If you submit more than one, we will only review the last timely submission. Any other submissions listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible. This limitation does not prohibit you from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) if you are not listed as the applicant on more than one application for each topic area of this NOFO.

C. Cost Sharing

You must follow through on the estimated cost share commitments you proposed in your application if selected for award negotiations. You can find more information on cost sharing in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility.

1. Cost Share Requirements

The cost share must be at least 20% of the total project costs3 for research and development projects.4

Applications that do not meet the minimum required cost share will be deemed ineligible during the initial compliance review. The cost share must come from nonfederal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.

The cost share percentage is calculated by dividing the cost share by the total allowable project costs for the award. Total allowable project costs include the government share

3 Total project costs are the sum of the government share, including Federal Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) costs if applicable, and the recipient share of project costs.

4 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, sec. 988. Also see 2 C.F.R. 200.306 and 2 C.F.R. 910.130 for additional cost sharing requirements.

https://sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList https://sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList

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(including Federal Funded Research and Development Center [FFRDC] costs, if applicable) and cost share. You can find a cost share information sheet and sample cost share calculation in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility—Cost Sharing, Cost Share Calculation Examples.

2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources

The recipient or subrecipients may not use the following sources to meet cost share obligations including but not limited to:

• Cost share derived from Federal sources (unless otherwise authorized by law).

• Cost share that does not meet:

o Requirements set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.306 and 910.130 o Cost principles set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.400-476 and 2 C.F.R. §§ 910.352 o For State Energy Programs, requirements set forth in 10 C.F.R. §§ 420

• Cost share derived from the DOE Energy Dominance Financing Program

• Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the project period

• Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity

• Federal funding or property (e.g., Federal grants, equipment owned by the Federal

Government)

• Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate Federal program

• Cash or in-kind contributions used to meet cost share requirements for another Federal project or program

• Existing data as an in-kind contribution (e.g., data owned by an entity that is not routinely sold commercially but is instead donated to the project and assigned a value)

D. FFRDC Eligibility Criteria

DOE and Non-DOE FFRDCs as a Subrecipient

If no conflict exists, DOE and non-DOE FFRDCs may be proposed as subrecipients on another entity’s application subject to the following guidelines.

Authorization for non-DOE FFRDCs

The Federal agency sponsoring the FFRDC must authorize in writing the FFRDC’s participation on the proposed project, and you must submit this authorization with the application. The FFRDC’s use must be consistent with its authority under its award.

Authorization for DOE FFRDCs

The Cognizant Contracting Officer for the FFRDC must authorize in writing the FFRDC’s participation on the proposed project, and you must submit this authorization prior to any award. The FFRDC’s use must be consistent with the contractor’s authority under its award.

Funding, Cost Share, and Sub-Award with FFRDCs

DOE FFRDCs participating as a subrecipient on a project will be funded directly through the DOE Work Authorization process in accordance with DOE O 412.1A, Work Authorization System, subject to availability of funding. The total available DOE funding listed in Section 1 includes any funding that needs to be provided directly to the FFRDC(s). Non-DOE FFRDCs https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0412.1-BOrder-a-chg1-AdmChg/@@images/file

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Although the FFRDC portion of the work is excluded from the award, your cost share requirement will be based on the total cost of the project, including the applicant’s, all subrecipient’s, and all FFRDC’s portions of the project.

All DOE FFRDCs must enter into either a Cooperative Research and Development

Agreement5 (CRADA) or a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) with at least the recipient.

Use the TAA if the DOE FFRDC‘s role is limited to technical assistance and is not expected to generate any intellectual property. A fully executed CRADA or TAA must be in place or comply with a Master Scope of Work process before the FFRDC starts work directly related to the award.

A CRADA ensures accountability for project work and provides the appropriate management of intellectual property (IP), e.g., data protection and background IP. The Data Management and Sharing Plan is not suited for this purpose.

Limit on FFRDC Effort

The FFRDC’s scope of work should not be more significant than the applicant’s scope of work.

III. Program Description A. Background and Context

The DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Awards made under this NOFO will be funded, in whole or in part, with appropriations under the Next Generation Fuels (NGF) Silicon Carbide Cladding Program.

The NGF Silicon-Carbide Cladding program focuses on continued fabrication development, thermal-hydraulic, corrosion resistance, and mechanical strength testing, irradiation performance experimentation, and accident simulation code development. So far, the Silicon Carbide Cladding program has successfully demonstrated the initial fabrication of small, short-length SiC cladding rodlets and has used smaller specimen sections for unfueled SiC cladding performance testing and initial neutron irradiation experiments.

The activities to be funded under this NOFO are authorized by the Energy Water

Development appropriations package (H.R. 6938), which became Public Law No. 119-74 on January 23, 2026. This initiative aims to advance nuclear fuel cycle cladding technologies to ensure a safe, sustainable, and efficient supply. The programmatic authority for this initiative stems from SEC. 953. FUEL CYCLE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATION of the Energy Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-68), and Part (a) of

5 A cooperative research and development agreement is a contractual agreement between a national laboratory contractor and a private company or university to work together on research and development. You can find more information in DOE O 483.1B.

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Section 2001 “Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability” of the 2020 Energy Act (P.L. 116-260) and the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169). Awards are anticipated to be awarded in Fiscal Year 2027.

B. Program Purpose

The primary mission of DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) is to advance nuclear power as a resource capable of meeting the Nation's energy and national security needs.

This is accomplished by resolving technical, cost, regulatory, and safety issues through research and development as appropriate. The development of advanced nuclear reactor technologies and improvements in the operation of the existing domestic fleet of nuclear power plants are important aspects of assuring that nuclear power will remain an effective and productive energy option for the United States energy needs for generations to come.

DOE-NE is operating the SiC Cladding Development Program. This program is focused on de-risking and supporting industry efforts to develop next generation cladding for nuclear fuel, with an emphasis on maintaining or improving current fuel cladding neutronic and irradiation performance, while improving accident scenario safety margins.

This NOFO supports the goals laid out in section C below by funding United States commercial nuclear industrial entities, institutions of higher learning, non-profit organizations or government entities to produce vital work to qualify SiC clad fuel rods for use in power reactors.

C. Program Goals and Objectives

SiC Cladding for nuclear fuel offers many potential advantages over historical cladding materials but further study is warranted to evaluate how to best develop those advantages and explore the potential for widespread adoption in the U.S. commercial nuclear fleet at large.

The fundamental objective of this NOFO is to drive the development of this technology to the point of qualification and licensing of this technology for testing and use in power reactors. Further developments to include insertion of Lead Test Rods (LTRs) and Lead Test Assemblies (LTAs) in commercial power reactors are anticipated in later stages of this program.

The SiC Cladding Development program is oriented toward efforts that can improve the maturity of SiC cladding in all areas, including technology and science, mechanical testing, irradiation performance, and post-irradiation experimentation, supply chain, economics, commercial viability, regulatory and licensing readiness, and all other necessary considerations.

D. Expected Performance Goals

DOE is seeking proposals that leverage SiC cladding to achieve greater nuclear accident tolerance and safety while maximizing its irradiation performance for power generation and reactor efficiency. Areas of study needed to develop SiC cladding for nuclear fuel include:

• SiC cladding irradiation performance qualification

• SiC cladding response to irradiation damage

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• SiC cladding thermal-hydraulic corrosion and erosion characteristics

• SiC cladding thermal/mechanical characteristics

• Effect of fabrication methods on SiC cladding characteristics

• Development of advanced SiC cladding and fiber/tow fabrication methods

• Accident and transient scenarios testing

• Modeling and simulation tool development

• Methods to quantify and evaluate SiC cladding fuel rods

• SiC cladding supply chain and infrastructure development

The intent of this award is to support research and development of SiC cladding along the lines of the above topics.

This award will support awardees in their licensing efforts with the Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

All research and development supported by this award must be completed within the

United States. Materials for research and development may be acquired from foreign sources.

To address the needs of this funding opportunity, DOE is considering SiC cladding concepts that include SiC-only composite structure as well as concepts that incorporate SiC with other cladding materials. Applications will describe how the unique characteristics of SiC will be utilized to produce nuclear fuel cladding with superior performance.

Meritorious applications will demonstrate understanding of nuclear fuel and cladding development, provide a description of the improvements that are being pursued and developed, and will present a reasonable path to NRC licensure and, ultimately, commercial adoption.

E. Applications Specifically Not of Interest

DOE will not review or consider the following types of applications as determined by DOE without appeal (also refer to the Responsiveness Review section below):

• Applications that fall outside the technical parameters specified in technical volume in section IV.B.4.

• Project concepts or approaches not based on established scientific principles.

F. Statement of Subsantial Involvement

DOE anticipates awarding cooperative agreements under this NOFO, which include a statement of DOE’s “substantial involvement” in the work performed under the resulting awards.

For cooperative agreements, DOE does not limit its involvement to the administrative requirements of the award. Instead, DOE has substantial involvement in the direction and redirection of the technical aspects of the project. DOE’s substantial involvement in resulting awards may include the following:

A. DOE shares responsibility with the recipient for the management, control, direction, and performance of the project.

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B. DOE may intervene in the conduct or performance of work under this award for programmatic reasons. Intervention includes the interruption or modification of the conduct or performance of project activities.

C. DOE may redirect or discontinue funding the project based on the outcome of DOE’s evaluation of the project at the Go/No-Go decision point(s) as identified in the applicant’s workplan.

D. DOE participates in major project decision-making processes.

G. Statutory Authority

The programmatic authorizing statute is Section 953, “Fuel Cycle Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application,” of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. § 16273), as amended by Section 2003(b) of the Energy Act of 2020, Division Z of P.L. 116-260.

Awards made under this announcement will be supported using $30 million in funds appropriated through the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-74). Additional funding of up to $20 million may be made available for awards under this NOFO, subject to the availability of future appropriations in fiscal years (FYs) 2027 and 2028.

Awards made under this announcement are subject to the OMB Guidance for Federal

Financial Assistance (e.g., 2 C.F.R. Part 200), as adopted by DOE, and DOE’s Financial Assistance Regulations, 2 C.F.R. Part 910.

IV. Application Content and Form This section includes application information specific to this NOFO. Refer to NOFO Part

2, Application Content and Form, for standard information that applies to all DOE NOFOs, such as formatting and content requirements and other requirements.

A. Summary

The application process includes submission of the application package. DOE may ask for further information concerning submitted application packages.

Application Submission Phase Eligibility for Submission

Application Must be submitted by the specified due date and time to be eligible for comprehensive merit review.

B. Application Content Requirements

Each application must be limited to a single conceptual design. Applications must conform to the following requirements and must not exceed the stated page limits. NOFO Part 2, Application Content and Form, includes a complete list of application requirements. You can

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1. Covered Individual Definition, Designation, and Responsibility

Several of the Application Content Requirements in the table below and in NOFO Part 2 are required for Covered Individuals.

For this NOFO, Covered Individual is an individual who both:

• Contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to develop and execute the scope of work of a project proposed for DOE

• Is designated as a Covered Individual by DOE

Often, these individuals have doctoral or other professional degrees, although the following may be considered Covered Individuals if their involvement meets this definition:

• Individuals at the master’s or PhD-candidate level

• Consultants

• Graduate students

• Individuals with a postdoctoral role

DOE designates Covered Individuals as any:

• Principal investigator (PI)

• Project director (PD)

• Co-principal investigator (Co-PI)

• Co-project director (Co-PD)

• Project manager

• Any individual functionally performing as a PI, PD, Co-PI, Co-PD, or project manager

You must assess how DOE’s definition of a Covered Individual applies to each person listed on your application. You are also responsible for identifying any individual to DOE who should be designated as a Covered Individual if DOE does not already designate them as described above.

When you submit a current and pending support disclosure and biosketch or resume for a person, you are acknowledging that DOE designates that person as a Covered Individual.

We may further designate Covered Individuals during award negotiations or the award period of performance.

Throughout the life of the award, you have an ongoing responsibility to submit:

• Current and pending support disclosure statements and resumes or biosketches for any new Covered Individuals.

• Updated disclosures if a current and pending support disclosure statement, resume, or biosketch previously submitted to DOE changes.

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2. Summary of Application Requirements

Component File Format

Page Limit

File Name

*Application for Federal Assistance

(SF-424)

** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 13)

PDF N/A Lead Applicant Name_SF-424

Technical Volume ** (NOFO Pt. 1 pg. 17)

PDF 30 Lead Applicant Name _Technical Volume

Letters of Commitment ** (NOFO Pt 2 pg. 13)

PDF 1 page each

Applicant Name _ Letter of Commitment

Impacted Indian Tribes Documentation (If applicable) ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 14)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name _ Impacted Tribes

*Statement of Project Objectives

(SOPO)

** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 13)

MS

Word

5 Lead Applicant Name _SOPO

*Project Management Plan ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 14)

PDF 10 Lead Applicant Name _PMP

*Budget Justification-Applicant ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 14)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name_ Budget Justification-Applicant

*Budget Justification-Subrecipient (If Applicable) ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 14)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name Budget_ Justification-Subrecipient Name

*Research and Related Budget – Section A-B Form ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 18)

MS

Excel n/a Lead Applicant Name_ Budget Justification Workbook-Applicant

*Budget Justification workbook- Subrecipient (If Applicable) ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 14)

MS

Excel n/a Lead Applicant Name __Budget Justification Workbook- Subrecipient Name

*Field Work Proposal for FFRDC, (see

DOE O 412.1A)

** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 17)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name_ FFRDC Work Proposal

Authorization for Non-DOE or DOE FFRDCs ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 17)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name _FFRDC Authorization

Resumes (Research and Development- R&D) (Includes Subrecipients and Consultants) ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 17)

PDF 2 pages each

Lead Applicant Name _Partner Docs

*Current and Pending Support (for each covered individual) ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 35)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name _CPS

Digital Persistent Identifier (for each covered individual) ** (NOFO Pt. 2, pg. 17) n/a n/a Include in Current & Pending Support Document

Research Security Training Requirement (for each covered individual) ** (NOFO Pt. 2, pg. 17) n/a n/a Include in Current & Pending Support Document https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0412.1-BOrder-a-chg1-AdmChg

Version 4.0 Page 17 of 31

Transparency of Foreign Connections ** (NOFO Pt. 2, pg. 17)

PDF n/a Business Sensitive_ Lead Applicant Name_ TFC

Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice ** (NOFO Pt. 2, pg. 18)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name_ PDFN

Data Management Plan ** (NOFO Pt. 2, pg. 38)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name_DMP

*Location(s) of Work ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 18)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name_LOW

*Environmental Report ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 33)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name _EIV

*Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable (SF-LLL) – (Two Forms) ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 19)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name _DLL

Certification Regarding Lobbying (use if Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF- LLL) is not required) ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 31)

PDF n/a Lead Applicant Name_ Certification Regarding Lobbying

*Summary for Public Release ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 31)

PDF 1 Lead Applicant Name _ Summary

Summary Slide ** (NOFO Pt. 2 pg. 32)

MS

Power Point

1 Lead Applicant Name_ Slide

* DOE forms are provided as part of this NOFO solicitation package.

** These references explain where further information can be found within NOFO Parts

1 or Parts 2 concerning the application topic.

Submit completed applications via email to :

Application Submission: SiC_Cladding_NOFO@id.doe.gov

3. Technical Volume

The Technical Volume must conform to the following content and form requirements and address the technical review criteria in Technical Review Criteria.

You must provide sufficient citations and references to the primary research literature to justify the claims and approaches made in the Technical Volume. However, DOE and reviewers are under no obligation to review cited sources.

The Technical Volume to the application may not be more than 30 pages. The page count includes the cover page; table of contents; all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or other graphics and all information below. You should consider the weight of each technical review criteria (see Technical Review Criteria) when preparing the Technical Volume.

Technical Volume Content Requirements Overview

Section Approximate Percent Content of the Technical Volume mailto:SiC_Cladding_NOFO@id.doe.gov

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Cover Page N/A Project Overview 10% Technical Description, Innovation, and Impact

30%

Workplan in Statement of Project Objectives

40%

Technical Qualifications and Resources 20%

Cover Page:

• The project title

• Specific NOFO topic areas (if applicable)

• Technical and business points of contact

• The project team, including recipient name, entity type, and names of all team member organizations

• The project locations

• The proposed Federal funding level, cost share, and performance period

• Senior and key personnel and other individuals

• Statements regarding confidentiality

Project Overview

• Background:

o Discuss the history, successes, and current research and development status (i.e., the technical baseline) relevant to the technical topic addressed in the application

• Project Goal:

o Explicitly identify the targeted improvements to the baseline technology and the critical success factors in achieving that goal

• DOE Impact:

o Discuss the impact DOE funding would have on the proposed project, specifically how DOE funding, relative to prior, current, or anticipated funding from other public and private sources, is necessary to achieve the project objectives

Technical Description, Innovation, and Impact

• Relevance and Outcomes:

o Provide a detailed description of the technology or focus area, including the scientific and other principles and objectives you will pursue during the project o Describe the relevance of the proposed project to the program and performance goals and objectives as described in section III of this NOFO, including the potential to meet specific DOE technical targets or other relevant performance targets o Clearly specify the expected outcomes of the project

• Feasibility:

o Demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed technology and the likelihood it will achieve anticipated performance targets, including a description of previous work done and prior results

Version 4.0 Page 19 of 31 o Address the project’s access to necessary (including existing) infrastructure (e.g., transportation, water, electricity transmission) and to a skilled workforce

• Innovation and Impacts:

o Describe the current state-of-the-art in the applicable field, the specific innovation of the proposed technology or focus area, the advantages of proposed technology over current and emerging technologies, and the overall impact on advancing the state-of-the-art and technical baseline if the project is successful

Workplan

A detailed statement of project objectives (SOPO) is a separate part of the application.

The summaries provided below should be consistent with the SOPO, which will contain a more detailed description of the WBS and tasks. The required elements of the Workplan are outlined below:

• Project objectives:

o Provide a clear and concise (high-level) statement of the goals and objectives of the project as well as the expected outcome

• Technical scope:

o Provide a summary description of the overall work scope and approach to achieve the objectives o Divide the overall work scope by performance periods that are separated by discrete, approximately annual, Go/No-Go decision points (you can find more information in NOFO Part II, Section XIII.A.2) o Describe the specific expected outcome(s) of each performance period

• WBS and Project tasks:

o Describe the work to be accomplished and how you will achieve the milestones, accomplish the final project goals, and produce all deliverables o Structure the Workplan with a hierarchy of performance period (approximately annual) and tasks and subtasks o Describe concisely the specific activities to be conducted over the life of the project, which must be a full explanation and disclosure of the project being proposed (i.e., a statement such as “we will then complete a proprietary process” is unacceptable) o Prepare an adequately detailed task plan to describe the proposed project and the plan for addressing the objectives of this NOFO

• Milestones:

o Summarize the appropriate milestones (either a progress measure, which can be activity based, or a SMART technical milestone) throughout the project to demonstrate progress and success o Must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART), and they must demonstrate a technical achievement rather than simply completing a task

Version 4.0 Page 20 of 31 o Must have at least one milestone per quarter for the duration of the project with at least one SMART technical milestone per year (depending on the project, more milestones may be necessary to comprehensively demonstrate progress).

o Explain how the milestone will be verified o Ensure the summary is consistent with the Milestone Summary Table in the

SOPO

• Go/No-Go decision points:

o Summarize the project-wide Go/No-Go decision points at appropriate points in the Workplan o Have at least one project-wide Go/No-Go decision point for each budget period

(typically a 12-month period) of the project (Key Facts provides Go/No-Go and budget period information) o Provide specific technical criteria to evaluate the project at the Go/No-Go decision point o Ensure the summary is consistent with the SOPO o Consider Go/No-Go decision points as SMART milestones, which can fulfill the requirement for an annual SMART milestone

• End of project goal:

o Include a summary of the end-of-project goals o Have at least one SMART end-of-project goal

• Project schedule (Gantt Chart or similar):

o Provide a schedule for the entire project, including task and subtask durations, any milestones, and any Go/No-Go decision points

• Build America, Buy America (BABA) Requirements for Infrastructure Projects:

o Include a short statement in the first two pages of the Workplan on whether the project will involve construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of public infrastructure in the United States o See Build America, Buy America and 2 C.F.R. 184 for definitions and other information regarding Infrastructure Projects and the Buy America Requirement

• Project management:

o Discuss the team’s proposed management plan, including:

The overall approach to and organization for managing the work The roles of each project team member Any critical handoffs or interdependencies among project team members Technical and management aspects of the management plan, including systems and practices, such as financial and project management practices The approach to project risk management, including a written plan for mitigating risks to project performance such as the strategy to address known resource constraints or challenges, including intellectual property and real property https://www.energy.gov/management/build-america-buy-america https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-184

Version 4.0 Page 21 of 31

The approach to addressing permits and other approvals, including compliance with any current permits and any permits and natural or cultural resource issues that could require discretionary permits or approvals

A description of how project changes will be handled The approach to Quality Assurance and Control in accordance with ASME

NQA-1

How communications will be maintained among project team members

• Technical Qualifications and Resources o The project team’s unique qualifications and expertise, including those of key subrecipients o The project team’s existing equipment and facilities or equipment or facilities already in place on the proposed project site that will facilitate the successful completion of the proposed project; include a justification of any new equipment or facilities requested as part of the project o Relevant, previous work efforts, demonstrated innovations, and how these enable you to achieve the project objectives o The commitment of the key team members to support the project o The technical services to be provided by DOE FFRDCs, if applicable o The skills, certifications, or other credentials of the construction and ongoing operations workforce o For multi-organizational projects, describe succinctly:

The roles and the work to be performed by the project manager and senior or key personnel at the recipient and subrecipient levels

Business agreements between the applicant and subrecipient How the various efforts will be integrated and managed Process for making decisions on technical direction Publication arrangements

4. Biographical Sketch

Every Covered Individual at the applicant and subrecipient levels must submit a biographical sketch (biosketch). Use SciENcv (Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae) to produce a DOE-compliant PDF version of the biosketch. The biosketch does not have page limits, though some fields in SciENcv have character limitations for consistency.

Use the NOFO-Specific Biosketch Instructions and the NSPM-33, Implementation Guidance Pre- and Post-Award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support6 to develop the biosketch.

Instructions for First-Time SciENcv Users:

1. Navigate to SciENcv (Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae)

2. To log in, click More Options, Login.gov, then sign in

6 This table supersedes in its entirety Table 2a and Paragraph 7 of the Disclosure

Requirements and Standardization Section of the NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/ https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/disclosures_table/may2024.pdf https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/disclosures_table/may2024.pdf https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/disclosures_table/may2024.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/

Version 4.0 Page 22 of 31

3. From the dashboard, click Manage SciENcv, then click Create New Document

4. Select DOE Biographical Sketch

5. From there, it’s an easy web interface to add education and work history

6. When ready, click Download PDF, which will prompt the user to certify their responses, then the document will download and can be added to the NOFO application

The biosketch must include a list of all sponsored activities, awards, and appointments, and weather:

• Paid or unpaid

• Full-time, part-time, or voluntary

• Faculty, visiting, adjunct, or honorary

• Cash or in-kind

• Foreign or domestic

• Governmental or private sector

• Directly supporting your research

• Indirectly supporting your research by supporting students, research staff, space, equipment, or other research expenses.

Every covered individual must also identify all connections with malign foreign talent recruitment programs.

Please note the following:

• All definitions in the biosketch except Covered Individual (which is defined in the NOFO Part 1, Application Content and Form—Application Content Requirements, Covered Individual Definition, Designation and Responsibility) are available at: NSPM-33, Definitions.

• If the NOFO-Specific Biosketch Instructions conflict with the NSPM-33, Implementation Guidance Pre- and Post-Award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support, follow the DOE NOFO-Specific Biosketch Instructions.

DOE/NNSA NOFO-Specific Biosketch Instructions Persistent Identifier (PID) of the Covered Individual

The PID field is required for all NOFOs and awards for R&D activities or technical assistance to support R&D activities.

For NOFOs and awards that do not meet the criteria above, the PID field is optional.

Appointments and Positions Reporting Timeframe

Identify all domestic and foreign professional appointments and positions, both inside and outside the primary organization. There should be no lapses in time over the past 10 years or since age 18, whichever is shorter.

Products:

Limitation on Number Provided

List up to 10 products most closely related to the proposed project.

https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/researchprotection/nspm33definitions.pdf https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/researchprotection/nspm33definitions.pdf https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/disclosures_table/may2024.pdf

Version 4.0 Page 23 of 31

5. Current and Pending (Other) Support Current and pending (other) support (CPS Common Form) helps us identify potential duplication, overcommitment, potential conflicts of interest or commitment, and all other sources of support.

Every Covered Individual at the applicant and subrecipient levels must submit a CPS

Common Form. Use SciENcv (Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae) to produce a DOE-compliant PDF version of the CPS Common Form. The CPS Common Form does not have page limits, though some fields in SciENcv have character limitations for consistency.

Use the NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance Pre- and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support7 and the DOE NOFO-Specific CPS Instructions below to develop the CPS Common Form. The CPS Common Form and Biosketch Common Form must together include a list of all sponsored activities, awards, and appointments, whether:

• Paid or unpaid

• Provided as a gift with terms or conditions

• Full-time, part-time, or voluntary

• Faculty, visiting, adjunct, or honorary

• Cash or in-kind

• Foreign or domestic

• Governmental or private sector

• Directly supporting your research

• Indirectly supporting your research by supporting students, research staff, space, equipment, or other research expenses.

Every covered individual must identify all connections with malign foreign talent recruitment…