DOE/NNSA DNN R&D is offering the University Program Consortium for Nuclear Forensics Grant to advance nuclear nonproliferation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.