FY_2022_CINR_FOA_DE-FOA-0002516.pdf

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

U. S. Department of Energy

Idaho Operations Office

Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research

Funding Opportunity Announcement:

DE-FOA-0002516

Announcement Type: Initial – August 30, 2021

Amendment 003 – January 26, 2022

CFDA Number: 81.121

Informational Webinar: August 9-12, 2021 (Video links and presentations are available at www.neup.gov)

Issue Date: August 30, 2021 Letter of Intent (Mandatory only for NSUF Applications) Due Date: September 9, 2021 at 7 p.m. ET

R&D/NSUF Pre-Applications (Mandatory except for IRPs) Due Date: September 22, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. ET NSUF Preliminary Statement of Work Due Date: November 10, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. ET

NSUF Final Statement of Work Due Date: January 20, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Full R&D/NSUF and IRP Applications Due Date: February 23, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. ET

NOTE: Deadlines are the dates/times by which DOE must receive the specified submittal.

http://www.neup.gov/

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AMENDMENT 003: This amendment removes language concerning eligibility restrictions for the Distinguished Early Career Program Funding Opportunity from Part III, Section A.5.

AMENDMENT 002: This amendment is an administrative amendment that updates Full R&D/NSUF and IRP Application due dates, the Checklist for Avoiding Common Errors, as well as updates technical points of contact. Updates include:

• Provides an updated due date for Full R&D/NSUF and IRP applications

• Provides updates to the Current and Pending Support and Budget Justification sections of the Checklist for Avoiding Common Errors

• Provides an update for the IRP-MS-1 technical point of contact.

AMENDMENT 001: This amendment is an administrative amendment that updates links and templates for applicants as well as updates listed technical points of contact. Updates include:

• Clarifies where to find information Minority Serving Institution information

• Provides an updated link to the NSUF Statement of Work template

• Updates the FC-5 and MS-NE-1 technical points of contact.

• Part III, Section A- clarifies that non-university collaborators can have no more than 20% of the overall budget in both Appendix A and C.

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Registration Requirements

There are several one-time actions applicants must complete in order to submit an application in response to this Announcement (e.g., obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and create an account on NEUP.gov. Applicants, who are not registered with SAM, should allow up to five weeks to complete this requirement. It is suggested that the process be started as soon as possible.

If an applicant has not already done so, it must:

1. Obtain a DUNS number. DUNS website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

2. Register with the SAM. SAM website: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

3. Create an account on the NEUP.gov website at www.NEUP.gov using the ‘Sign In’ tab in the top right hand corner. To create an account: 1) Click “Create a new account”; 2) Fill out the required information and click “Create User”; and 3) Fill out the information in the “My Information” section.

Questions

Questions regarding the content of the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) must be submitted using the contact information found in Part VII, Section B of this FOA. DOE will try to respond to a question within three (3) business days, unless a similar question and answer have already been posted on the website.

Application Preparation

Applicants must prepare the application package and application forms from the NEUP.gov website: https://neup.inl.gov/SitePages/Home.aspx

Additional instructions are provided in Section IV of this FOA.

Application Submission

Apply for this FOA at www.NEUP.gov. Electronic applications and instructions are available at the NEUP.gov website. To access these materials: (1) go to www.NEUP.gov; (2) select “Sign In” from the top right hand corner of the screen; (3) enter your user credentials; (4) select “Applications” from the menu; and (5) click on “Create New Application” for the type of application you are creating.

Apply at www.NEUP.gov. If you have any questions about your registration, contact the INR Integration Office at 208-526-1602 or at neup@inl.gov.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ http://www.neup.gov/ http://www.neup.gov/ https://neup.inl.gov/SitePages/Home.aspx https://neup.inl.gov/SitePages/Home.aspx https://www.neup.gov/ https://www.neup.gov/ https://www.neup.gov/ https://www.neup.gov/ https://www.neup.gov/ mailto:neup@inl.gov

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CHECKLIST FOR AVOIDING COMMON ERRORS

Item Issue Page Limits Strictly followed throughout application, including particular attention to:

- Technical Abstract

- Technical Narrative

- CVs

Protected Personally Identifiable Information Ensure none are present in the application.

Collaborators List all collaborators in application form. This includes any individual appearing in the project summary, technical narrative, benefit of collaboration, coordination and management plan, or budget documents.

Project Summary / Abstract Name of applicant, Principal Investigator (PI), PI’s institutional affiliation(s).

Budget - Use current negotiated indirect cost and fringe benefit rates.

- Include separate subward budgets, if applicable.

Budget Justification - Justify all requested costs.

- Include separate subaward budget justifications, if applicable.

Current and Pending Support Ensure complete listing of all federal funded activities, regardless of funding level.

Certifications and Assurances Ensure that signatures are completed for both sections of the Certifications and Assurances documentation.

R&R Other Project Information - If marking proprietary information, clearly mark the sections where proprietary information is in the narrative or other documents using the procedure outlined in the FOA.

- If marking ‘yes’ to international collaboration, list all institutions and countries.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTIONS

A. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

A.1 Background and Objectives A.2 Major DOE-NE Funded Research Programs

A.2.1 Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FC R&D) Program A.2.2 Reactor Concepts Research, Development and Demonstration (RC RD&D)

Program A.2.3 Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Program A.2.4 Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Crosscutting Technology

Development (CTD) A.2.5 Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) A.2.6 NSUF Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library

B. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

B.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects

B.1.1 Note for U.S. University-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-1) Access Projects

B.1.2 NSUF Readiness B.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User

Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects B.2.1 NSUF Readiness

B.3 U.S. University-led IRP Projects

PART II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. TYPE OF AWARD INSTRUMENT

B. ESTIMATED FUNDING

B.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects B.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User

Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects B.3 U.S. University-led PD IRP Projects

C. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM AWARD SIZE

C.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects C.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User

Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects C.3 U.S. University-led IRP Projects

D. EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS

D.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects D.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User

Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects D.3 U.S. University-led PD IRP Projects

E. ANTICIPATED AWARD SIZE

E.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects

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E.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects

E.3 U.S. University-led PD IRP Projects

F. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

G. TYPE OF APPLICATION

PART III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. COST SHARING

C. OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

C.1 FFRDC Contractors

PART IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

B. DOCUMENT FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

C. NSUF Application Submittal Instructions C.1 Letter of Intent (LOI)

C.1.1 LOI Submittal Instructions C.1.2 Agreement Requirements

C.2 Pre-Application C.3 NSUF Preliminary Statement of Work (Prelim SOW) C.4 NSUF Final Statement of Work (Final SOW) C.5 Full Application

D. CONTENT AND FORM OF ALL PRE-APPLICATIONS (Mandatory except for IRPs) D.1.1 Pre-application Narrative D.1.2 Benefit of Collaboration D.1.3 Publications D.1.4 Principal Investigator Vitae D.1.5 Collaborators D.1.6 Agreement Requirements

E. CONTENT AND FORM OF ALL FULL APPLICATIONS

E.1 Conflict-of-Interest (COI) Acknowledgement (Checkbox) E.2 SF-424 Research and Related (R&R) E.3 R&R Other Project Information E.4 Project Summary/Abstract E.5 Project Narrative E.6 Vitae (Technical Expertise and Qualifications) E.7 Benefit of Collaboration E.8 Capabilities E.9 Letters of Support (IRPs, MS-NE-1 and MS-NE-2 scopes only), if applicable

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E.10 Budget Documents E.10.1 R&R Lead Budget Form: (TOTAL FED & NON-FED) (Required for all lead institutions, not required for NSUF-2 applications) E.10.2 R&R Subaward Budget Form: (TOTAL FED & NON-FED) (Required for

University and Industry collaborators, not required for NSUF-2 applications)

E.10.3 Budget for DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) Contractor (Required for National Laboratory participants, not required for NSUF-2 applications)

E.10.4 Budget Justification (Required for all university and industry participants, not required for NSUF-2 applications)

E.11 Additional Attachments E.11.1 Current and Pending Support E.11.2 Coordination and Management Plan E.11.3 Letter of Authorization for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs (Required for all national laboratory participants listed on the application regardless of funding level or tier)

E.11.4 Project/Performance Site Location(s) E.11.5 Environmental Checklist E.11.6 Data Management Plan (DMP) E.11.7 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities E.11.8 Certifications and Assurances E.11.9 Foreign Government Ownership Disclosure (Required for All Leads)

F. SUBMISSION FROM SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS

G. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

G.1 NSUF LOI Due Date G.2 R&D/NSUF Pre-Application Due Date G.3 NSUF Preliminary Statement of Work Due Date G.4 NSUF Final Statement of Work Due Date G.5 Integrated Research Projects (IRP) Due Date G.6 Full R&D/NSUF Application Due Date G.7 Late Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals of Pre-Applications, Applications, and NSUF Statement of Work

H. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

I. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

I.1 Cost Principles I.2 Pre-Award Costs

J. OTHER SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

J.1 Where to Submit J.2 Application Validity Timeframe

PART V – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. CRITERIA

A.1 Pre-application Review (PS, MS, and NSUF)

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A.1.1 Pre-Application Initial Review Criteria of Pre-Applications A.1.2 Relevancy Attributes A.1.3 Program Priority A.1.4 Merit Categories A.1.5 Diverse Team Review

A.2 Feasibility Review (NSUF Projects Only) A.3 Readiness Review (NSUF Projects Only) A.4 Initial Review Criteria of Full Applications A.5 PS/MS/NSUF R&D Merit Review Criteria: Full Applications

A.5.1 Program Relevancy/Priority Attributes A.5.2 Technical Merit Attributes

A.6 Program Directed (PD) Integrated Research Projects (IRP) Merit Review for Full Application A.6.1 Relevancy Attributes A.6.2 Technical Merit Attributes A.6.3 Diverse Team Review

A.7 Other Selection Factors

B. SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

B.1 PS/MS/NSUF Pre-applications B.2 PS/MS/NSUF Full Applications B.3 IRP Full Applications B.4 Reporting of Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance

C. ANTICIPATED NOTICE OF SELECTION

PART VI – AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

A.1 Notice of Selection A.2 Nondisclosure and Confidentiality Agreements Representations A.3 Notice of Award

B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

B.1 Administrative Requirements

B.1.1 DUNS and SAM Requirements B.1.2 Subaward and Executive Reporting

B.2 Special Terms and Conditions and National Policy Requirements B.3 Intellectual Property Provisions B.4 Lobby Restrictions B.5 Corporate Felony Conviction and Federal Tax Liability Representations B.6 Statement of Substantial Involvement

C. REPORTING

PART VII – QUESTIONS/AGENCY CONTACTS

A. QUESTIONS

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B. AGENCY CONTACT

C. INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

PART VIII – OTHER INFORMATION

A. MODIFICATIONS

B. GOVERNMENT RIGHT TO REJECT OR NEGOTIATE

C. COMMITMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS

D. PROPRIETARY APPLICATION INFORMATION

E. EVALUATION AND ADMINISTRATION BY NON-FEDERAL PERSONNEL

F. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEVELOPED UNDER THIS PROGRAM

G. UNDERSTANDING COST SHARING REQUIREMENTS

H. NOTICE REGARDING ELIGIBLE/INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

I. NO-COST TIME EXTENSIONS

J. REBUDGET REQUEST

K. CONFERENCE SPENDING

PART IX – APPENDICES/REFERENCE MATERIAL

Appendix A: Work Scopes for U.S. University-led Program and/or Mission Supporting R&D Projects

Appendix B: Work Scopes for U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Projects

Appendix C: Work Scopes for U.S. University-led Integrated Research Project (IRP) R&D

Appendix D: Accessing Nuclear Science User Facilities

Appendix E: Draft Nuclear Science User Facilities User Agreement

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LIST OF ACRONYMS

CFDA Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

CFA Call for Full Applications

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

CINR Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research

COI Conflict of Interest

CTD Crosscutting Technology Development

DE Department of Energy (FOA Number)

DMP Data Management Plan

DOE Department of Energy

DUNS Data Universal Numbering System

EPSRC Engineering and Physical Science Research Council

FC R&D Fuel Cycle Research and Development

FFATA Federal Funding and Transparency Act of 2006

FFRDC Federally Funded Research and Development Center

FOA Funding Opportunity Announcement

FSRS FFATA Subaward Reporting System

FWP Field Work Proposal

FY Fiscal Year

GAIN Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear

HBCU Historically Black Colleges and Universities

HTGCR High-temperature Gas-cooled Reactor

ID Identification

IHE Institute of Higher Education

IRP Integrated Research Project

LOI Letter of Intent

LWRS Light Water Reactor Sustainability

M&O Management and Operating

M&TE Measuring and Test Equipment

MOOSE Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment

MS Mission Supporting

MSI Minority Serving Institution

MSR Molten Salt Reactor

NCE No Cost Extension

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NE Office of Nuclear Energy

NEAMS Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation

NEET Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies

NEUP Nuclear Energy University Program

NFML NSUF Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NSUF Nuclear Science User Facilities

NNSA National Nuclear Security Administration

OMI Other Minority Institutions

PD Program Directed

PDF Adobe Portable Document Format

PIE Post-irradiation Examination

PI Principal Investigator

POC Point of Contact

PS Program Supporting

QA Quality Assurance

R&D Research and Development

RC RD&D Reactor Concepts Research, Development and Demonstration

RCUK Research Councils United Kingdom

RPA Request for Pre-applications

SAM System for Award Management

SF Standard Form

SMR Small Modular Reactors

SOW Statement of Work

TCU Tribal Colleges and Universities

UK United Kingdom

U.S. United States

Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research PART I

PART I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTIONS

A. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

This FOA is for Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) and is thus referred to in this document as the “CINR FOA”.

A.1 Background and Objectives The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy’s (DOE-NE) mission is to advance U.S. nuclear power in order to meet the nation's energy needs by:

1. Enhancing the long-term viability and competitiveness of the existing U.S. reactor fleet;

2. Developing an advanced reactor pipeline; and,

3. Implementing and maintaining the national strategic fuel cycle and supply chain infrastructure.

Collectively, all NE-sponsored activities support the Department’s priorities to combat the climate crisis, create clean energy jobs with the free and fair chance to join a union and bargain collectively, and promote equity and environmental justice by delivering innovative clean energy technologies for nuclear energy systems.

All applications submitted under this CINR FOA must demonstrate a strong tie to at least one of these three mission priorities and highlight how it supports the DOE priorities.

NE conducts crosscutting nuclear energy research and development (R&D) and associated infrastructure support activities to develop innovative technologies that offer the promise of dramatically improved performance for its mission needs as stated above, while maximizing the impact of DOE resources.

DOE has established a Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) team, which has been working closely with the advanced nuclear design community to identify R&D objectives and work scopes that may be appropriately addressed through DOE programs.

Several of the work scopes contain explicit language as guidance; however, there are many additional work scopes that, at least tangentially, address needs identified in technology specific workshops. Work scopes that may be addressed in activities funded under this CINR FOA are identified in Part IX, Appendices A-C of this CINR FOA. Generally speaking, applications that offer flexibility or provision for addressing measurements, materials, and conditions relevant to private sector developers of fast-spectrum reactors (lead-cooled, sodium cooled, and gas cooled), molten salt reactors (MSR), or high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGCR) are encouraged.

NE strives to promote integrated and collaborative research conducted by national laboratory, university, industry, and international partners under the direction of DOE-NE’s programs, and to deploy innovative nuclear energy technologies to the market in order to meet the strategic goals and optimize the benefits of nuclear energy. DOE-NE funds research activities, through both competitive and direct mechanisms, as required to best meet the needs of DOE-NE. This approach ensures a balanced R&D portfolio and encourages new nuclear power deployment with creative solutions to the universe of nuclear energy challenges. This CINR FOA addresses the competitive portion of DOE-NE’s R&D portfolio, as executed through the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) and the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF). NEUP utilizes up to 20% of funds appropriated to DOE- NE’s R&D program for university-based infrastructure support and R&D in key DOE-NE program-related areas: Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FC R&D), Reactor Concepts Research Development and Demonstration (RC RD&D), Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS), and Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies Crosscutting Technology Development (NEET CTD). By establishing the NSUF in 2007, DOE-NE opened up access to material test reactors, beam lines, and post-irradiation examination facilities to researchers from U.S. universities, industry, and national laboratories, by granting no-cost access to world-class nuclear research facilities.

While this CINR FOA specifies many of DOE-NE’s current and upcoming R&D priorities, DOE-NE reserves the right to respond to potential shifts in R&D priorities during Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 that may be driven by events, policy developments, or Congressional/budget direction. Further, DOE-NE reserves the right to fund all or part of an application to this

CINR FOA.

A.2 Major DOE-NE Funded Research Programs A.2.1 Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FC R&D) Program The mission of the FC R&D program is to develop used nuclear fuel management strategies and technologies to support meeting the federal government responsibility to manage and dispose of the Nation’s commercial used nuclear fuel and high-level waste and to develop sustainable fuel cycle technologies and options that improve resource utilization and energy generation, reduce waste generation, enhance safety, and limit proliferation risk.

The program’s vision is that by mid-century, strategies and technologies for the safe, long-term management and eventual disposal of U.S. commercial used nuclear fuel, and any associated fuel cycle technologies that enhance the accident tolerance of light-water reactors and enable sustainable fuel cycles are demonstrated and deployed. Together, these technologies and solutions support the enhanced availability, affordability, safety, and security of nuclear-generated electricity in the United States.

Current challenges include the development of high burn-up fuel and cladding materials to withstand irradiation for longer periods of time with improved accident tolerance;

development of simplified materials recovery technologies, waste management (including storage, transportation, and disposal), and proliferation risk reduction methods; and development of processes and tools to evaluate sustainable fuel cycle system options, and to effectively communicate the evaluation results to stakeholders.

A.2.2 Reactor Concepts Research, Development and Demonstration (RC RD&D) Program

The RC RD&D program supports research and development (R&D) on existing and advanced reactor designs and technologies to enable industry to address technical challenges with maintaining the existing fleet of nuclear reactors, and to promote the development of a robust pipeline of advanced reactor designs and technologies and supply chain capabilities.

Program activities are designed to address technical, cost, safety, and security issues associated with the existing commercial light water reactor fleet and advanced reactor technologies, such as small modular reactor (SMR) and microreactor designs, fast reactors using liquid metal coolants, and high temperature reactors using gas or liquid salt coolants.

A.2.3 Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Program The mission of the NEAMS program is to accelerate early-stage development of advanced reactor concepts and enable improved economics of new and existing designs by providing leading-edge computational tools to U.S. industry. The primary program objective is to develop and deploy these predictive tools and methods to industry, academia, and government, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), for research, analysis, design and regulatory acceptance of advanced reactor and fuel cycle systems These advanced computational tools employ scalable simulation methods on high performance computing architectures in combination with a science-based, mechanistic approach to physics modeling to allow scientists and engineers to better understand reactor materials properties and coupled phenomena in nuclear energy systems. Consequently these tools span length scales from atomic to mesoscale to engineering and time scales from picoseconds to seconds to days.

These tools are currently being used to move certain advanced reactor concepts forward to commercialization in several key ways, including design optimization, which is required to fully realize the economic and technological advantages of those concepts. NEAMS capabilities also support development of advanced nuclear fuels, design and analysis of nuclear fuel experiments, and expansion of NRC confirmatory analysis capabilities in the advanced reactor area.

A.2.4 Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Crosscutting

Technology Development (CTD) The NEET CTD program supports R&D in crosscutting technologies that directly support and enable the development of new and advanced reactor designs and fuel cycle technologies. These technologies will advance the state of nuclear technology, improve its competitiveness, and promote continued contribution to meeting our Nation’s energy and environmental challenges. The activities undertaken in this program complement those within the RC RD&D and FC R&D programs, and support the DOE-NE’s mission to advance U.S. nuclear power in order to meet the nation's energy needs by: 1) enhancing the long-term viability and competitiveness of the existing U.S. reactor fleet; 2) developing an advanced reactor pipeline; and 3) implementing and maintaining the national strategic fuel cycle and supply chain infrastructure. The knowledge generated through these activities will allow DOE-NE to address key challenges affecting nuclear reactor and fuel cycle deployment with a focus on crosscutting innovative technologies.

A.2.5 Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) DOE-NE funds access to world-class capabilities to facilitate the advancement of nuclear science and technology. This mission is supported by providing access, at no cost to the user, to state-of-the-art experimental irradiation testing and Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE) facilities as well as technical assistance, including the design and analysis of reactor experiments. This unique model is best described as a distributed partnership with each facility bringing exceptional capabilities and expertise to the relationship, including reactors, beamlines, state-of-the-art instruments, hot cells, and, most importantly, expert technical and scientific assistance. Together, these capabilities and people create a nation-wide infrastructure that allows the best ideas to be proven using the most advanced capabilities.

Through NSUF, researchers and their collaborators are building on current knowledge to better understand the complex behavior of materials and fuels under irradiation.

The NSUF allows research teams to obtain access to designated capabilities at various unique facilities provided on the NSUF website at NSUF.inl.gov/.

Part I, Section B.2 of this CINR FOA describes application options for projects requiring NSUF capabilities.

NOTE: Applicants may request funding for NSUF “Access Only” projects and/or joint NSUF access combined with R&D funding. Applicants requesting R&D financial support with a joint request for NSUF access will be limited to the work scopes in NSUF. Work scopes in eligible areas have been tailored to align NSUF capabilities with focused DOE-NE program and mission priorities. Applicants requesting NSUF Access Only will apply to one of the NSUF-2 work scopes, a broader set of work scopes focused on DOE-NE mission priorities and also tailored to align with NSUF capabilities.

All NSUF research must be non-proprietary and awarded projects must publish their results at the DOE, Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) website for public access (https://www.osti.gov/).

A.2.6 NSUF Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library The NSUF Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library (NFML), which is owned by DOE-NE and curated by the NSUF, is a collection of specialized information and nuclear fuel and material specimens from past and ongoing neutron irradiation test campaigns, as well as real-world components retrieved from decommissioned power reactors, and donations from other sources. The NFML can be accessed at NSUF.inl.gov/. In order to continue the expansion of the NFML, any specimens created as the result of an awarded NSUF neutron irradiation project will be added to the NFML. The project lead will be given exclusive rights to the specimens for a three-year period of PIE following completion of the neutron irradiation portion of the project. The specimens will be listed as Not Available in the NFML throughout the three-year exclusivity period. In order to populate the NFML, the NSUF program office may recommend irradiating a larger number of specimens than required for an awarded project. These extra specimens, not subject to the three-year exclusivity period, will be added to the NFML and made available for further research immediately after the completion of irradiation. Principal Investigators (PIs) of all future awarded applications requesting https://nsuf.inl.gov/ https://nsuf.inl.gov/ specimens from previous awarded neutron irradiation tests are encouraged to contact the original PI(s) for potential collaboration. Although collaboration with original PI(s) is encouraged, permission from the original PI(s) to use previously generated materials that are currently Available in the NFML is not required. It is strongly suggested that CINR FOA applicants contact the NFML Coordinator, listed at NSUF.inl.gov/Home/Staff, to confirm availability of specimens to be requested.

B. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

DOE is seeking applications from U.S. universities, national laboratories, and industry to conduct Program Supporting (PS), Mission Supporting (MS), and NSUF supported nuclear energy-related research to help meet the objectives of the major DOE-NE funded research programs.

Specifically, this CINR FOA contains the following three separate funding opportunity areas:

U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects; U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects; and University-led Integrated Research Projects (IRP) Projects. These three funding opportunity areas are described in detail in Part I, Sections B.1-B.3 below:

B.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects The U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects funding opportunity area is are available to U.S. university-led teams. In general, PS R&D is focused more directly on programmatic needs and is defined by the statement of objectives developed by the responsible programs.

PS R&D and NSUF affiliated work scopes must be focused and responsive to the representative statement of objectives, which is not specific to a discipline, but can be limiting as defined by the project objective. In comparison, MS R&D is generally more creative, innovative, and transformative than PS R&D, but it must also support the DOE-NE mission. MS R&D activities could also produce breakthroughs in nuclear technology or could include research in the fields or disciplines of nuclear science and engineering that are relevant to DOE-NE’s mission, but may not fully align with the specific initiatives and programs represented by PS objectives. U.S. university PIs are invited to propose research projects in response to this area of the CINR FOA, and the associated PS and MS work scopes contained in Part IX, Appendix A of this CINR FOA.

International Collaboration - The Research Councils United Kingdom (RCUK) Energy Program, led by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) in the United Kingdom (UK) has announced a UK funding opportunity for certain workscopes in Appendix A. The UK funding opportunity will support UK researchers in US/UK collaborations in the following areas:

• Understanding, Predicting, and Optimizing the Physical Properties, Structure, and Dynamics of Molten Salts (FC-1.2)

• Next Generation LWR Fuels for SMR Applications (FC-2.1)

• Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition: Disposal (FC-4.1)

• Advanced Small Modular Reactor R&D (RC-6) https://nsuf.inl.gov/Home/Staff

• Automated Optimization for Reactor Core Design (NEAMS-2)

B.1.1 Note for U.S. University-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-1) Access Projects

NSUF access project applications require a Letter of Intent (LOI) in addition to the pre-application and, if invited (see Part V, Section B.1 of this CINR FOA), a full application.

NSUF access project applications will also require a feasibility review and readiness review in addition to the relevancy and technical reviews. Important aspects of NSUF access applications are described in Appendix D of this CINR FOA and should be seriously considered when preparing applications. It is strongly recommended that all potential proposers review the contents of the NSUF website for vital information at NSUF.inl.gov/.

The NSUF does not provide funding to the PI to support salaries, tuition, travel, or other costs typically supported via DOE-NE Program R&D funds.

DOE intends to fully fund all awarded NSUF access projects for the entire duration of the project, subject to any conditions or limitations contained in the award instruments. NSUF access project attributes include:

• U.S. university PIs may apply for NSUF access with a joint request for R&D financial support as stated in the NSUF-1 work scope.

Eligible work scopes for a NSUF R&D project are found in Part IX, Appendices A and B of this CINR FOA, and applications must comply with the provisions of Part IX, Appendix D of this CINR FOA. Since NSUF projects involving reactor neutron irradiation and PIE combined may last up to seven years in duration, greater flexibility in the R&D funding distribution can be established in order to better accommodate the actual resource allocation requirements of the project. Those applications requesting research support may request a project period of performance to spread the funding over the entire length of the project. The PIE phase of all NSUF projects is limited to three years in duration. R&D funding shall not be utilized to directly supplement activities funded by NSUF.

B.1.2 NSUF Readiness Applicants must demonstrate readiness for NSUF access. In the NSUF pre-application, a summary (one or two paragraphs) of readiness is required. In the full application, a detailed description (up to one page) of readiness is required. Applications that do not adequately demonstrate readiness will not be considered for selection. Awarded projects that are found to not be ready for NSUF access may be cancelled. Additional information on the NSUF process is included in Part IX, Appendix D.

The following items must be completed prior to submitting a Pre-Application requesting NSUF access:

• Development and qualification of fabrication techniques, processes and methods;

• Pre-irradiation characterization (physical, mechanical, thermal, chemical and other applicable properties);

• Material interaction studies (at irradiation temperature and chemistry);

• Corrosion studies (at irradiation temperature and chemistry); and

• Pre-irradiation qualification of sensors, including functional and operational testing, and endurance testing at the irradiation environmental conditions (pressure, temperature, corrosion, etc.).

A plan for delivery of fuel, material, or sensors must be addressed with specific attention to the following:

• Structural and cladding materials for neutron irradiation must be supplied to NSUF three months after project initiation in order for the material to be machined to proper sample configuration prior to encapsulation. Provide a statement of the supplier’s commitments including lead times.

• For previously irradiated fuels and materials not residing in the NSUF NFML, the location (as specific as possible), condition, provenience, pedigree, radioactivity levels, isotopic content, material composition, configuration, ownership, and any other available information that will be needed in order to ship and/or prepare the fuel or material for examination must be identified.

• For fuels and materials residing in the NSUF NFML, identify the specific specimen(s).

• For any fuels or materials supplied for the purpose of neutron irradiation, the applicant must own and have full authority to transfer ownership and title (free of any liens, claims of ownership, or other liabilities) to DOE.

• Supplier information and lead times for sensors needs to be provided.

• For fuels or materials coming from other DOE programs (not NSUF), a statement of program commitment is required. If invited to submit a full application, a statement that includes concurrence from the DOE federal program manager or national technical director is to be attached in the Pre Application in the section titled Post Submission Attachments.

o Name File: 2022 Program Concurrence “Insert ID #”

Projects whose relevancy is based solely or primarily on fusion energy needs will not be considered. Pre-applications must include a list of publications that resulted from previous NSUF supported projects.

Projects not requiring R&D financial support, but rather just seek access to NSUF capabilities to perform research in nuclear science, may apply for NSUF access only work scopes in response to this area of the CINR FOA and the associated work scope contained in Part IX, Appendix B of this CINR FOA.

NOTE: Access to NSUF capabilities will require agreement and final signature to the User Agreement (copy provided in Part IX, Appendix D).The terms and conditions of the User Agreement are non-negotiable, and failure to accept the terms and conditions of the User Agreement will terminate processing and review of the NSUF applications. In order to ensure compliance throughout the application review process, applicants must indicate in the LOI and full application submission that the User Agreement has been read, understood, and the terms and conditions are accepted. Further, submission of a pre-application and a full application indicates the applicant will comply with and agree to the terms and conditions of the User Agreement. Upon award of an NSUF supported project, the User Agreement must be signed before activities will begin on the project. Failure to sign the non-negotiable User Agreement within 30 days of receipt of the User Agreement may result in cancellation of an awarded project.

B.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects

NSUF access project applications require an LOI in addition to the pre-application and, if invited (see Part V, Section B.1), a full application. NSUF access project applications will also require a feasibility review and readiness review in addition to the relevancy and technical reviews. Important aspects of NSUF access applications are described in Appendix D of this CINR FOA and should be seriously considered when preparing applications. It is strongly recommended that all potential proposers review the contents of the NSUF website for vital information at NSUF.inl.gov/.

DOE intends to fully fund all awarded NSUF access projects for the entire duration of the project, subject to any conditions or limitations contained in the award instruments. NSUF access project attributes include:

U.S. university, national laboratory, and industry PIs may apply for NSUF access without a joint request for R&D financial support as stated in the NSUF-2 work scope.

Eligible work scopes for a NSUF R&D project are found in Part IX, Appendices A and B, and applications must comply with the provisions of Part IX, Appendix D of this CINR FOA.

Since NSUF projects involving reactor neutron irradiation and PIE combined may last up to seven years in duration, greater flexibility in the R&D funding distribution can be established in order to better accommodate the actual resource allocation requirements of the project.

Those applications requesting research support may request a project period of performance to spread the funding over the entire length of the project. The PIE phase of all NSUF projects is limited to three years in duration.

R&D funding shall not be utilized to directly supplement activities funded by NSUF.

The NSUF does not provide funding to the PI to support salaries, tuition, travel, or other costs typically supported via DOE-NE Program R&D funds.

B.2.1 NSUF Readiness Applicants must demonstrate readiness for NSUF access, as described in Part I, Section B.1.2 of this CINR FOA.

B.3 U.S. University-led IRP Projects IRPs comprise a significant element of DOE’s innovative nuclear research objectives and represent the program directed (PD) component of the DOE-NE strategy to provide R&D solutions most directly relevant to the near-term, significant needs of the DOE-NE R&D programs. IRPs are significant projects within specific research areas. IRPs are intended to develop a capability within each area to address specific needs, problems, or capability gaps identified and defined by DOE-NE. These projects are multidisciplinary and require multi-institutional partners. IRPs may include a combination of evaluation capability development, research program development, experimental work, and computer simulations. IRPs are intended to integrate several disciplinary skills in order to present solutions to complex systems design problems that cannot be addressed by a less comprehensive team.

Although a proposing team must be led by a lead university PI and include at least one additional university collaborator, the proposed project team may include multiple universities and non-university partners (e.g., industry/utility, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), national laboratories, and international partners).

Information on Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) can be found at:

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst-list-pg4.html. This information predominately covers institutions that have been awarded grants through the Department of Education and does not include all institutions that may meet the definition of an MSI. This resource is not an exhaustive list of minority serving institutions.

For purposes of identifying MSIs in DOE-NE’s application system, DOE-NE is using a directory based off of 2020 U.S. Department of Education data compiled by Rutgers University’s Center for MSIs which can be found here:

https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/content/msi-directory. This list is also not an exhaustive list of MSIs but will be used as a starting point for auto-identifying MSIs.

If applicants believes that their institution qualifies as an MSI and is not listed, please contact neup@inl.gov with an explanation for how the university meets the conditions of being considered an MSI.

U.S. university PIs are invited to propose research projects in response to this area of the CINR FOA and the associated PD work scopes contained in Part IX, Appendix C of this CINR FOA. As described above, work scopes for the respective CINR FOA areas may be found in the Part IX appendices to this CINR FOA as follows:

• Appendix A: “Work scopes for U.S. University-led Program and/or Mission Supporting R&D Projects.” R&D support and associated NSUF access can only be proposed in specific work scopes.

• Appendix B: “Work scopes for U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Projects” NSUF Access Only can be proposed in specific work scopes.

• Appendix C: “Work scopes for U.S. University-led Program Directed Integrated Research Projects (IRP).”

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst-list-pg4.html https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/content/msi-directory https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/content/msi-directory

Table 1. FY 2022 Work Scope Overview

W ork Scope

C ode

A ppendix

N

SU

F A ccess

Led by:

Work Scope Title

U niversity

N ational

L aboratory

Industry

FC-1.1 A No X Nuclear Fuel Cycle Aqueous Separations Chemistry

FC-1.2 A No X Understanding, Predicting, and Optimizing the Physical Properties, Structure, and Dynamics of Molten Salts

FC-1.3 A No X Understanding the Structure and Speciation of Molten Salts at the Atomic and Molecular Scale

FC-1.4 A No X Iron Phosphate Process: Evaluation of Processing Parameters on the Product Properties

FC-2.1 A No X Next Generation LWR Fuels for SMR Applications

FC-2.2 A No X Accident Tolerant Control Rods

FC-2.3 A No X Accelerated Fuel Testing Method Development

FC-3 A No X Materials Protection, Accounting and Control Technology

FC-4.1 A No X Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition: Disposal

FC-4.2 A No X Earthquake Response of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Dry Storage Facilities

FC-4.3 A No X Experimental Validation of Particulate Deposition Mechanisms on Dry Storage Canisters

FC-5 A No X Accelerated Fast Reactor Metal Fuel Cladding Material Development

RC-1.1 A No X Improving Construction Cost and Schedule Outcomes

RC-1.2 A No X Environmental Justice and Equity Considerations in Siting Energy or Industrial Facilities to Inform Advanced Nuclear Energy Siting

RC-1.3 A No X Implementation Consideration for Alternative Applications of Advanced Nuclear Reactors

RC-2 A No X Innovative Microreactor Solutions for End-User Applications

RC-3.1 A No X Liquid Metal-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology Development and Demonstration to Support Deployment

RC-3.2 A No X Experimental Validation of Fast Reactor Fuel Failure Modes

RC-4 A No X High Temperature Gas Reactor Pebble Fuel Testing Development

*University-led and collaboration with minority serving institutions (MSIs), historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) is required.

Information on Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) can be found at:

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst-list-pg4.html. This information predominately covers

RC-5 A No X Materials Research Pathway: Characterization and Modeling of the High Fluence Effect and Thermal Aging on Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels

RC-6 A No X Advanced Small Modular Reactor R&D

NEAMS-1 A No X Improvement of Low-Order Transport Methods

NEAMS-2 A No X Automated Optimization for Reactor Core Design

CT-1 A No X Crosscutting Research-Cyber Security Research

CT-2 A No X Integrated Energy Systems

CT-3.1 A No X Multi-Material Systems

CT-3.2 A No X Advanced Creep Mechanisms

CT-3.3 A No X High Throughput Testing for Advanced Manufactured Materials

CT-4 A No X Advanced and Small Modular Reactor Materials Accountancy and Physical Protection

CT-5 A No X Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation

MS-NE-1 A No X Integral Benchmark Evaluations

MS-NE-2 A No X Nuclear Data Needs for Nuclear Energy Applications

NSUF-1 A Yes X Core and Structural Materials and Nuclear Fuel Behavior and Advanced Nuclear Fuel Development

NSUF-2.1 B Yes X X X Core and Structural Materials and Nuclear Fuel Behavior and Advanced Nuclear Fuel Development

NSUF-2.2 B Yes X X X High Performance Computing at Idaho National Laboratory

IRP-FC-1 C No X ATF Cladding Tests in the MITR Pressurized Water Loop

IRP-RC-1 C No X Development of Enabling Fabrication Technology for Compact Heat Exchangers for Advanced Reactors

IRP-RC-2 C No X High Temperature Reactor Graphite Core Waste Processing

IRP-RC-3 C No X Developing the Technical Basis and Risk Assessment Tools for Flexible Plant Operation

IRP-NEAMS-1 C No X

Combined Experimental-Modeling Assessments of Impurities/Fission Products in Molten Salts and Fundamental Corrosion Mechanisms of Relevant Structural Alloys

IRP-MS-1* C No X Nuclear Energy Workforce Pipeline Gap Analysis

IRP-MS-2* C No X Consent-Based Siting institutions that have been awarded grants through the Department of Education and does not include all institutions that may meet the definition of an MSI. This resource is not an exhaustive list of minority serving institutions.

For purposes of identifying MSIs in DOE-NE’s application system, DOE-NE is using a directory based off of 2020 U.S. Department of Education data compiled by Rutgers University’s Center for MSIs which can be found here:

https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/content/msi-directory. This list is also not an exhaustive list of MSIs but will be used as a starting point for auto-identifying MSIs.

If applicants believes that their institution qualifies as an MSI and is not listed, please contact neup@inl.gov with an explanation for how the university meets the conditions of being considered an MSI.

https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/content/msi-directory

Fiscal Year 2022Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research PART II

PART II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. TYPE OF AWARD INSTRUMENT

DOE anticipates awarding cooperative agreements under this CINR FOA, with the exception of awards to national laboratories, which will be funded through field work proposals (FWPs) and NSUF Access Awards which will be funded through an NSUF User Agreement.

B. ESTIMATED FUNDING

The estimated amounts identified for each of the CINR FOA areas are specified in Part II, Sections B.1-B.3 of this CINR FOA with ceilings and floors specified in Section C below.

Funding for all awards is contingent upon the availability of funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of this program.

B.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects DOE currently estimates that it will fund approximately $46 million in awards for the U.S.

University-led PS/MS R&D Projects CINR FOA area.

B.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects

DOE currently estimates that it will fund approximately $3 million in award value for the U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects CINR FOA area.

B.3 U.S. University-led PD IRP Projects DOE currently estimates that it will fund approximately $28 million in awards for the U.S.

University-led PD IRP Projects CINR FOA area.

C. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM AWARD SIZE

The ceiling (i.e., the maximum amount for an individual award made under each area) and floor (i.e., the minimum amount for an individual award made under each area) for each of the three CINR FOA areas are identified in Part II, Sections C.1-C.3 below:

C.1 U.S. University-led PS/MS R&D Projects

• Ceiling:

PS: up to $800,000 (3-year project), except as explicitly noted in individual work scopes.

MS: up to $400,000 (3-year project), except as explicitly noted in individual work scopes.

NSUF: up to $500,000 (up to 7-years) for R&D as noted in individual work scopes.

• Floor: None.

C.2 U.S. University-, National Laboratory-, or Industry-led Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF-2) Access Projects

• Ceiling: Irradiation/PIE Project: $5,000,000 NSUF Access Value (up to a 7-year project).

• Floor: None.

C.3 U.S. University-led IRP Projects

• Ceiling: PD: up to $5,000,000 (3-year project), except as explicitly noted in individual work scopes.

• Floor: None.

D. EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS

The number of awards for each of the three CINR FOA areas is identified in Part II, Sections D.1-3 of this CINR FOA below. The number of awards is dependent on the size of the awards.