Nuclear Forensics FOA DE-FOA-0002781.docx

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT: DE-FOA-0002781

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT

DNN R&D UNIVERSITY PROGRAM:

CONSORTIUM FOR NUCLEAR FORENSICS

NOTICE FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) NUMBER:

DE-FOA-0002781

FOA TYPE: INITIAL

CFDA NUMBER: 81.113

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT OVERVIEW

Questions

Questions regarding the content of the funding opportunity announcement must be submitted through the FedConnect portal. You must register with FedConnect to respond as an interested party to submit questions, and to view responses to questions. It is recommended that you register as soon after release of the FOA as possible to have the benefit of all responses. DOE/NNSA will try to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer have already been posted on the website. For instructions on registering for FedConnect, refer to the website: www.fedconnect.net.

Questions relating to the Grants.Gov registration process, system requirements, or how an application form works must be directed to Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) program applications. Please read the following instructions carefully and completely.

1. Electronic Delivery The DOE/NNSA is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. DOE/NNSA encourages applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov.

2. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

a. Instructions: Read the instructions below about registering to apply for DOE/NNSA funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and Grants.gov account to apply for grants. If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity, then you may begin with step 3, Create a Grants.gov Account, listed below.

Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but UEI and SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Organizations that are already registered will be assigned a UEI number automatically.

Complete organization instructions can be found on Grants.gov here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

Additional administrative requirements for DOE grants and cooperative agreements are contained in 2 CFR, Part 25 (See: http://www.eCFR.gov). Prime awardees must keep their data at the System for Award Management (SAM) current at http://www.sam.gov current SAM is the government-wide system that replaced the CCR. If you had an active registration in the CCR, you have an active registration in SAM. Subawardees at all tiers must obtain UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) numbers and provide the UEI to the prime awardee before the subaward can be issued.

1) Register with SAM: All organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

2) Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step is to register an account with Grants.gov. Follow the on-screen instructions or refer to the detailed instructions here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

3) Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the UEI Number for the organization in the UEI field while adding a profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html

4) EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been assigned the AOR role. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html

5) Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

b. Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

3. How to Submit an Application to DOE/NNSA via Grants.gov Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

a. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

b. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

c. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

d. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

e. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS Number. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

f. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

g. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the DOE/NNSA with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

4. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

Online Submission. All applications must be received by September 20, 2022, Not Later Than 23:59:59 PM Eastern Time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov.

5. The Applicant with the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).

a. AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. This applicant with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When DOE/NNSA successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by DOE/NNSA.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL NOT BE REVIEWED OR CONSIDERED FOR AWARD.

Section I - FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. SUMMARY

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) is to drive innovative research that develops technologies and expertise to detect foreign nuclear proliferation activities and produces technologies for integration into operational systems by leveraging capabilities at the national laboratories, plants, and sites, as well as at universities and within private industry. DNN R&D supports U.S. national and nuclear security objectives in reducing global nuclear security threats through the innovation of unilateral and multi-lateral technical capabilities to detect, identify, and characterize: 1) foreign nuclear weapons development activities; 2) illicit diversion of special nuclear materials; 3) nuclear explosions globally; and 4) stewarding U.S. technical capabilities in nuclear nonproliferation.

Throughout this document the term, DOE National Laboratories, is used to collectively refer to DOE and NNSA National Laboratories, Plants, Sites, and Complexes. For DNN R&D, the role of Institutions of Higher Education (IHE; as defined in Section III.A. below) is to innovate, develop, and prove some of the most challenging basic aspects of new technology and methods in coordination with the DOE National Laboratories which can in turn fulfill their unique role to perform mission-specific research and development that improves on capabilities until they are either adopted by operational enterprises or transitioned into private industry for commercialization. Transparently and effectively linking the roles of these IHE and DOE National Laboratory represents the core of how DNN R&D proposes to meet its objectives.

The intent of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to award ONE five-year cooperative agreement(s) to a consortium consisting of accredited IHE’s to allow them to receive and administer funds for student and faculty research, fellowships, and scholarship funding awarded by DOE/NNSA, DNN R&D.

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

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

B. BACKGROUND

The direct outcome of this program is the development of a diverse and highly-talented cadre of nuclear forensics professionals with skill-sets grounded in foundational disciplines including but not limited to radiochemistry, geochemistry, nuclear physics, nuclear engineering, materials science, and analytical chemistry. These professionals will have careers as scientists, engineers, technicians, operational personnel, and intelligence professionals, among others, and will be leaders in active in nuclear forensics, nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear arms control, nuclear incident response, nuclear intelligence activities, nuclear energy, and other nuclear-related fields. These professionals are expected to benefit academia, private industry, and several US government agencies, including Energy, Homeland Security, Defense, State, Justice, and the Intelligence Community.

C. INTEGRATION WITH DEFENSE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION R&D NEEDS

The management plan and structure for the proposed consortium should include mechanisms that support responsiveness to emerging research direction and needs. New research results and challenges continually emerge from DNN R&D-sponsored research at the DOE National Laboratories, and with small business, and the academic community can and should leveraged these advances. The management plan should detail novel ideas or formal mechanisms for leveraging these capabilities. Where topically appropriate, DNN R&D encourages collaboration and innovative thinking across disciplines to develop technologies and approaches that will advance our mission.

Awardees and subawardees should expect that DNN R&D management will be an active partner in the award and that they should participate in DNN R&D’s annual University Program Review (UPR). Additionally, awardees should expect that DNN R&D will conduct other assessments to verify awardees' progress towards proposed topical/focus areas and their milestones. These assessments will focus on, but may not be limited to, the IHE's effective and efficient use of provided resources; maintaining disciplines in nuclear forensics through research and development; and, conducting work pertinent to nuclear nonproliferation activities.

The envisioned cooperative agreement will be awarded to a consortium made up of universities with the participation of at least one DOE National Laboratory as a consortium partner. Individual consortium-member universities will make specified contributions and will receive specified portions of the funding. The consortium should include student and early career research fellowships and have a long-term vision to build expertise in nuclear forensics and nonproliferation. Students, faculty, and researchers must be able to work unencumbered across organizational and bureaucratic boundaries of the academic and governmental facilities engaged in the consortium, while properly protecting critical information and materials. Thus, the consortium should establish reciprocal arrangements between the home academic institution and other degree-granting institutions as well as relationships with appropriate DOE National Laboratories.

D. TECHNICAL SCOPE

DNN R&D is looking to establish a university consortium to support topical areas in nuclear forensics.

DNN R&D sponsors research and development across all disciplines of nuclear science and security in support of the Nation’s nuclear security and nonproliferation goals. The role of universities for nuclear forensics research and development is to innovate and develop some of the most challenging basic aspects of new technology and methods. Once these basic aspects have been proven at the university level, the DOE National Laboratories can fulfill their unique role to perform mission-specific research and development that improves on capabilities until they are either adopted by operational enterprises or transitioned into private industry for commercialization. Transparently and effectively linking the roles of these Universities and DOE National Laboratories represents the core of how DNN R&D proposes to meet its objectives.

A successful consortium is a rich collaborative environment between the university members, their student and faculty researchers, and the DOE National Laboratory scientists and staff. This environment should have a priority on building skill sets in critical disciplines such as, but not limited to:

· radiochemistry;

· geochemistry;

· nuclear physics, science and engineering;

· nuclear material science;

· shock physics;

· quantum-enabled sensing;

· analytical chemistry.

Thus, the proposed consortium should address:

· Producing research results in nuclear forensics science of a basic or fundamental nature;

· Enabling collaborative research relationships between universities, the DOE National Laboratories, and other government agencies;

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

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

The consortium may support (other concepts are also encouraged):

· Creation of early-career professorial fellowships relating to nuclear forensics to include research support funds;

· Post-doctoral research fellowships relating to nuclear forensics or nonproliferation research at DOE National Laboratories;

· Undergraduate basic research internships and graduate research fellowships relating to nuclear forensics;

· Consortium undergraduate and graduate internships at team member DOE National Laboratory performing nuclear forensics or nonproliferation basic research and development. This can be in a collaborative environment with or using DOE Laboratory contractor personnel in an adjunct faculty role;

· Improvements to university and college infrastructures for conducting basic research and development relating to nuclear forensics;

· Incorporation of outcomes of sponsored research into continuous nuclear forensics expertise development improvement (e.g., curriculum improvements).

Research is sought in multi-disciplinary pursuits designed to advance the science of nuclear forensics (for an overview, see the referenced National Academies report (2021)). This includes ways to identify diagnostic technical information that resides within material samples and how quickly and accurately that information can be obtained. Research will improve the accuracy, precision, timeliness, discriminating power, and/or robustness of nuclear forensics methods and will improve scientific understanding of underlying phenomena (e.g., surface interactions of alteration phases of uranium oxides or fallout debris formation in the nuclear fireball), as follows:

· Improve techniques to analyze and evaluate interdicted materials (e.g., samples of uranium or plutonium metals and oxides) found outside of institutional control to identify characteristics that help age-dating and provenance determinations (e.g., time-history of material processing steps or exposures to various environmental conditions).

· Advance current methods (for recent summaries, see Moody et al. (2015), Keegan et al. (2016), and Kristo (2020)) to discover diagnostic features at various length scales (e.g., based on material, physical, chemical, isotopic, and/or other characteristics) probed by modern scientific methods of material analysis (e.g., various microscopies, spectroscopies, and spectrometries, to include quantum-enabled techniques and machine-learning algorithms (see for example Burr et al. (2021)). This includes improving nuclear fuel-cycle modeling of major, minor, and trace isotopes in various processing steps to interpret measurements of observable effects that persist within a material sample.

· Improve techniques in the nation’s preparedness to analyze and evaluate post-detonation signals and fallout debris samples for technical evidence that identifies and distinguishes device characteristics for answering nuclear forensics questions, such as determining its origin.

· Discover diagnostic information (e.g., in the composition of fallout debris such as Trinitite samples) probed by modern scientific methods of analysis. This includes improving radiochemistry separations (see for example Straub et al. (2020)) and precision experimental measurements of several nuclear cross sections that are nuclear data parameters used in calculations (e.g., see https://nucleardata.berkeley.edu/wanda and Rundberg (2013)).

The university selected for award will be the lead organization and the prime award recipient and will be held responsible for managing the entire scope, schedule and cost of the project, to include all reporting.

At a minimum:

1. the lead university must propose at least three other university partners that meet the above-definition of “university” as consortium member. An integrated approach to the work will be essential in tackling the proposed tasks under the consortium. The lead university is discouraged from including an overly large number of loosely connected university partners;

1. the lead university must also propose one or more DOE National Laboratory as consortium members in accordance with the “Other Eligibility Requirements” under Section III below. It is essential that the IHEs engage DOE National Laboratory partners early in proposal development as to forge a connection in collaborating on future work and having unique and innovative approaches to accomplishing proposed tasks.

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

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

· Eligible Students for Direct Benefit: Students who are directly funded and/or provided benefit by assisting with research and associated projects should be undergraduates in at least junior year or graduate students who are pursuing degrees that relate to the topics of this FOA. The program will periodically request corroborating eligibility data when assembling metrics and various internal reports.

· DOE National Laboratory Rotations: Postdocs (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) will be expected to conduct a lab/site/complex rotation with one of the partner DOE National Laboratories. A reasonable number of professors should expect to participate via a short detail (4-8 weeks) at the lab with their student(s). The intent is to motivate professor and student teams in forging new collaborative relationships with the DOE National Laboratories and provide access to varying degrees of professional knowledge, application and equipment. Universities should plan accordingly and budget to participate in these rotations.

Universities will need to engage with DOE National Laboratories as early as possible in their application process. Universities are encouraged to engage with a moderate number of well-considered DOE National Laboratory partners who’ve really thought through their participation rather than having labs issue generic partnership letters.

Section II - AWARD INFORMATION

A. TYPE OF AWARD INSTRUMENT

DOE/NNSA anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement under this funding opportunity announcement.

B. ESTIMATED FUNDING

Approximately $5 million a year is expected to be available for an award under this announcement, contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds.

C. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM AWARD SIZE

The ceiling amount of $25,000,000 is expected to be available contingent upon the availability of funds for all five years.

D. EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS

DOE/NNSA anticipates making one award under this announcement but reserves the right to make more or less than one award.

E. ANTICIPATED AWARD SIZE

DOE/NNSA may fund $25 million under this FOA, contingent upon the availability of appropriate funds for all five years.

F. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

DOE/NNSA anticipates notifying the applicant selected for award by January 2023. The award is expected to start on July 01, 2023, depending on availability of funds. DOE/NNSA anticipates making award(s) that will run no longer than 5 years.

G. TYPE OF APPLICATION

DOE/NNSA will only accept new applications under this announcement.

Section III - ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. GENERAL

To be considered for evaluation, an applicant‘s submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If the application does not meet these initial requirements, it will be considered non-responsive, removed from further evaluation, and ineligible for any award. Applicants should submit packages in advance of the deadline to ensure there is time to address and make corrections if needed. No exceptions will be made to the deadline.

B. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Restricted Eligibility (DECEMBER 2014) In accordance with 2 CFR 910.126(b), Competition, eligibility for award is restricted to domestic IHEs (as defined below) because the purpose of the DNN R&D University Program is to support university research and development. IHEs provide a different, more fundamental, theoretical, innovative perspective on research and development than that provided by the laboratories or industry. IHEs are also the best sources for innovative, long-term ideas because of their inherent close ties to new developments in the basic sciences, their ability to construct cross-disciplinary teams, and their ability to test new concepts and ideas with theoretical and experimental rigor. Further, the support provided to IHEs will help foster a recruitment pipeline of future nuclear non-proliferation and other nuclear security professionals who will contribute significantly to the national security of the United States.

For the purpose of this announcement, an IHE is defined as:

(a) A public or private nonprofit educational institution that—

(1) Is in a State;

(2) Admits as regular students only persons who—

(i) Have a high school diploma;

(ii) Have the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma; or

(iii) Are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution is physically located;

(3) Is legally authorized to provide an educational program beyond secondary education in the State in which the institution is physically located;

(4)(i) Provides an educational program—

(A) For which it awards an associate, baccalaureate, graduate, or professional degree;

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

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

(ii) May provide a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program, as described in 34 CFR part 668, subpart O; and

(5) Is—

(i) Accredited or pre-accredited; or

(ii) Approved by a State agency listed in the FEDERAL REGISTER in accordance with 34 CFR part 603, if the institution is a public postsecondary vocational educational institution that seeks to participate only in Federal student assistance programs.

The program seeks the long-term development of expertise in the field of the nuclear forensics. One of DNN R&D’s goals within the university program is to support development for nuclear nonproliferation and arms control careers in the DOE National Laboratories and U.S. government. These careers require the ability to attain and maintain a national security clearance. As such, it is important to restrict the eligibility for Senior/Key Persons, such as Principal Investigators, to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Several of the DOE/NNSA goals are not achievable by foreign nationals.

In accordance with DOE O 142.3A Chg 1(MinChg) 1-18-2017, applicants selected for award are required to submit/complete a form prior to award that Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator(s) are U.S. citizens or permanent residents (refer to “Research & Related Personal Data” form at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/r-r-family.html#sortby=1) and resubmit as needed (example: Replacement of a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator). The FOA further restricts the eligibility of scholarships and fellowships (Post-doctoral Fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students) to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Non-U.S. citizens are not precluded from necessarily assisting with associated work under the selected consortia; however, they are precluded from receiving any type of associated Government funds under this agreement.

A DOE/NNSA Point of Contact (POC) List, as well as links to further information on lab/site/complex research specialties, are as listed:

The POC List identified below is not intended to be all inclusive of all available DOE/NNSA Federally Funded R&D Centers (FFRDC). Applications collaborating with other DOE/NNSA FFRDCs (including sites/complexes) not listed in the table below will be accepted. Other collaborators may be found at: https://www.energy.gov/maps/department-energy-facilities and https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/locations.

Website: https://www.ornl.gov https://www.ornl.gov/sponsored-research https://www.ornl.gov/partnerships

matthew.d.smith@cns.doe.gov

Website: https://www.y12.doe.gov/ https://www.y12.doe.gov/mission/technologies-and-research-capabilities https://www.y12.doe.gov/contact

David W. Peters, Technical POC dwpeter@sandia.gov

Website: https://www.sandia.gov https://www.sandia.gov/working_with_sandia/technology_partnerships/universities/index.html

David Chichester, Technical POC david.chichester@inl.gov

Website: https://inl.gov/research-program/nuclear-nonproliferation/ https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/education/

Nina Rosenberg, Partnership POC shirey@lanl.gov nina@lanl.gov

Website: https://www.lanl.gov/collaboration/index.php?source=globalheadernavhttps://www.lanl.gov/collaboration/index.php?source=globalheadernav https://www.lanl.gov/collaboration/research-opportunities/energy-security.php

Christine Zachow, University Relations POC olivier1@llnl.gov zachow2@llnl.gov

Website: https://www.llnl.gov/ https://st.llnl.gov/about-us/university-relations and https://st.llnl.gov/about-us/contact-us

John Valentine, Technical POC jdvalentine@lbl.gov

Website: https://www.lbl.gov/

Suresh Baskaran, University Partnership POC robert.brigantic@pnnl.gov suresh.baskaran@pnnl.gov

Website: https://www.pnnl.gov/academia ;

https://www.pnnl.gov/connect-us

Alex Heifetz, University Partnership POC pereira@anl.gov aheifetz@anl.gov

Website: https://www.anl.gov/nse https://www.anl.gov/tcp/collaborative-partnerships and https://www.anl.gov/tcp/meet-our-team

Martine Duff, University Partnership POC james02.bollinger@srnl.doe.gov martine.duff@srnl.doe.gov

Website: https://srnl.doe.gov/university_programs/index.htm

Website: https://www.bnl.gov/world/ https://www.bnl.gov/partner/

C. COST SHARING

Cost sharing is not required but may be offered. This will not bolster chances of selection since this will not be a consideration under the merit review criteria.

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

Voluntary Committed Cost Sharing: DOE/NNSA will consider any voluntary cost sharing offered at the application stage as “committed” cost sharing at the award stage. So any quantified cost sharing offered in any submitted applications become fiscally and/or programmatically auditable and must be documented and reported to DOE/NNSA if the application is funded. Any IHE who provides voluntary committed cost sharing will be required to provide a revised R&R Fed/NonFed Budget Form. In addition, some universities at their discretion may require sub-awards to cost share.

D. OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

DOE National Laboratories are not eligible to compete as the prime recipient under this FOA; however, each lead IHE application must propose one or more DOE National Laboratories as collaborators subject to the following guidelines:

· Authorization for DOE National Laboratory Participation: The cognizant Contracting Officer for the DOE National Laboratory must authorize in writing the participation of the DOE National Laboratory on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted upon selection. However, collaboration letters (to include a statement that no grant funds will be provided to the lab and/or site/complex from the awarded cooperative agreement) from the collaborating employee must be submitted with the application.

The following wording is acceptable for the aforementioned Contracting Officer authorization to be submitted upon selection.

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

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

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

A DOE National Laboratory is to provide a Draft of the aforementioned Authorization and Field Work Proposal in accordance with DOE O 412.1A or NNSA SD 412.1 as applicable, Work Authorization System with the lead university consortium application, and a Final to be submitted 30-45 days from notice of selection.

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

F. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following roles and responsibilities are not all-inclusive but are being highlighted to better define the expectations of participant organizations. Upon selection, the following will be added to the consortium’s award:

DOE/NNSA:

1. DOE/NNSA will participate in overall program management of the Consortium, and is primarily represented by the DOE/NNSA Program Manager. The Program Manager coordinates the activities of IHE with Headquarters, the Contracting Officer, and the Grant Specialist.

2. The Program Manager reviews all deliverables and reviews/recommends approval of any other changes on the Cooperative Agreement to the Contracting Officer. The Program Manager also reviews, recommends, and submits a Purchase Requisition (PR) to the Contracting Officer for annual incremental funding on the Cooperative Agreement and assures orderly progression of work from year-to-year.

3. DOE/NNSA will examine the continuity and consistency of program objectives, and also assure that the objectives are responsive to the needs of DOE/NNSA and the nation. DOE/NNSA members will include the Program Manager and other senior DOE/NNSA officials as required.

Consortia:

1. As consortia professor/student teams may detail to a laboratory and/or site/complex collaborator for forging new relationships and conducting research, the IHE will cover their own associated fee that may include: stipends, tuition, per diem, lodging and travel expenses.

2. Access to the IHE equipment, colleagues and students, and facilities will be coordinated by the IHE and a listed point of contact and/or Principal Investigator at that site.

3. Responsibility of Successful Applicant (Lead IHE): The applicant will be the responsible authority regarding the settlement and satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues, including but not limited to, disputes and claims arising out of any agreement between the applicant and the DOE National Laboratories and other consortium members.

DOE National Laboratories:

1. The DOE National Laboratories, participating as a collaborator, will be represented and their participation facilitates coordination of research being conducted by the Laboratories with that of the consortium.

2. As laboratory employees may rotate through the IHE to aid in research and assist postdocs, the laboratory will cover their own associated fees that may include: per diem, lodging, and travel expenses.

3. Access to lab equipment, mentors, and facilities will be coordinated by the laboratory and a listed point of contact and/or project coordinator at that site.

4. The DOE Laboratories are responsible for the cost of equipment or facility usage incurred by Consortia’s Postdocs, Graduate Fellows or Interns, except for reimbursement for use of facilities that require “user fees” in accordance with the labs policies and procedures.

Section IV - APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Application and Submission Definitions

Pre-award terminology

Applicant (Prime) – An organization submitting an application to DOE/NNSA for assistance under this Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Sub-applicant - An organization submitting a sub-application as part of a larger application package to an Applicant for assistance.

Post-award terminology

Recipient - An Applicant whose application has been approved and federal award obligated.

Subrecipient - A Sub-applicant whose sub-application has been approved and sub-award obligated.

A. Application Process

DOE/NNSA performs an initial eligibility review of applicant submissions to determine whether they meet the eligibility requirements of Section III of the FOA. DOE/NNSA will not review or consider submissions that do not meet the eligibility requirements of Section III.

All submissions must conform to the following form and content requirements, including maximum page lengths (described below) and must be submitted as specifically stated. DOE/NNSA will not review or consider submissions submitted through means other than specifically stated in the FOA, submissions submitted after the applicable deadline, and incomplete submissions. DOE will not extend deadlines for applicants who fail to submit required information and documents due to server/connection congestion.

Problems with computer systems at the applicant organization, Adobe compatibility settings issues, failure to follow instructions in the Request for Applications (RFA), or failure to attach documents to the application package correctly are not considered system issues.

NOTE: All Applicant and Sub-Applicant application requirements, regardless if the applicant or sub-applicant is listed as, or a part of a University System, or integrated by, or under a university organization or listed as a member university under a Board of Regents, or considered inclusive to a university system, must provide all mandatory application documents as outlined in the FOA. Under no circumstances will deviations or exceptions from FOA requirements be allowed. Failure to provide the required application documents per the FOA requirements, will deem your application to be non-responsive and dropped from further consideration or review.

B. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov, select "APPLICANTS”, then select “Apply for Grants," and then select "Get Application Package” button. Enter the funding opportunity number (DE-FOA-000XXXX). Under the PACKAGE tab, select “Apply” under the Actions column, and under Option: 1 Apply Now Using Workspace, select the Login to Apply Now button. Follow the prompts in Workspace to complete the application package. You are encouraged to review the Applicant FAQs in Grants.gov as you prepare and submit your application.

C. Letter of Intent and Pre-Application

1. Letter of Intent

Letter of Intent not required.

2. Pre-application

Pre-applications are not required.

D. Content and Application Forms

All applicants including sub-applicants must complete the mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms in accordance with the instructions on the forms and the additional instructions below. Files that are attached to the forms must be in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) unless otherwise specified in this announcement. Attached PDF files must be plain files consisting of text, numbers, and images without editable fields, signatures, passwords, redactions, or other advanced features available in some PDF-compatible software. Do not use PDF portfolios or binders.

Please note: you may only use the following UTF-8 characters when naming your application attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period. You must limit the file name to 50 or fewer characters. Attachments that do not follow this rule may cause the entire application to be rejected or cause issues during processing.

To avoid interfering with the selection of peer reviewers, please do NOT include general letters of support for the proposal or list collaborators that do not have an active part in the project. General letters of support will not be used in making funding decisions.

Optional letters of collaboration for unfunded or funded collaborations may be placed in Appendix 6 (Other Attachments). Letters of collaboration should state the intention to participate, but they should not be written as recommendation or endorsement letters, which are not allowed.

1. Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 (R&R) [MANDATORY for Prime Applicant and Sub-Applicants]

For the Prime…