Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001913

The Fiscal Year 2019 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001913) is a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) competitive solicitation aimed at accelerating research, development, and enabling infrastructure for advanced nuclear reactors and fuel cycle technologies. The central purpose is to support crosscutting nuclear energy R&D that can significantly improve performance, safety, and deployment readiness of next-generation reactor and fuel cycle concepts while making efficient use of federal resources. DOE-NE frames this as part of a broader strategy to move innovative nuclear technologies closer to market by funding work that addresses key technical barriers and strengthens the national research base.

A major theme in the opportunity is alignment with real-world needs identified by the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN). GAIN has engaged with advanced reactor developers and the broader design community to pinpoint R&D objectives that can be tackled effectively through DOE programs. As a result, the opportunity encourages proposals that are practical and developer-relevant, particularly those that can produce measurements, material data, experiments, validation datasets, or testing approaches that reflect the conditions advanced reactor companies actually face. DOE-NE explicitly highlights interest in work applicable to fast-spectrum reactor developers (including lead-cooled, sodium-cooled, and gas-cooled concepts), molten salt reactors (MSRs), and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). Proposals that are flexible and broadly useful across multiple designs, or that can be adapted to different reactor environments, are especially encouraged.

The solicitation also emphasizes collaborative, integrated research efforts. DOE-NE signals a preference for projects that connect national laboratories, universities, industry partners, and in some cases international collaborators, with the intent of leveraging specialized capabilities and avoiding duplication. Under this approach, DOE-NE maintains a balanced R&D portfolio by using both competitive awards (like this FOA) and non-competitive/direct mechanisms when needed. The competitive portion covered here is meant to draw in new ideas, strengthen university and lab pipelines, and generate “creative solutions” to persistent nuclear energy challenges, including those tied to advanced fuels, materials behavior in extreme environments, modeling and simulation, and experimental validation.

This FOA consolidates several DOE-NE pathways under one umbrella, specifically the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Crosscutting Technology Development (CTD), and access opportunities through the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF). NEUP is described as using up to 20 percent of funds appropriated to DOE-NE’s broader R&D program to support university-based infrastructure and R&D in priority areas tied to DOE-NE programs, including Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FC R&D), Reactor Concepts Research, Development and Demonstration (RC RD&D), and Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS). NEET CTD, in contrast, is positioned to support crosscutting technology development led by national laboratories and universities, generally focusing on enabling technologies that benefit multiple reactor and fuel cycle pathways rather than a single design. NSUF, established in 2007, is highlighted as a mechanism for providing researchers from universities, industry, and national labs with no-cost access to high-end nuclear research infrastructure such as material test reactors, beamlines, and post-irradiation examination facilities, allowing teams to generate high-quality data that would otherwise be difficult or prohibitively expensive to obtain.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is issued by the Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office, and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically implies more substantial federal involvement during project execution than a standard grant. It is categorized under the Energy funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 81.121. The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (including but not limited to small businesses), small businesses, and additional eligible entities as clarified in the FOA’s eligibility section. This wide eligibility is consistent with DOE-NE’s stated intent to promote cross-sector collaboration and ensure that both academic research and industry-relevant development needs are addressed.

Key timeline and scale details included in the source information are that the FOA was created on September 10, 2018, with an original closing date of February 12, 2019. The stated award ceiling is $1,000,000, and DOE anticipates making approximately 67 awards, indicating a portfolio approach that spreads investment across many projects rather than concentrating all funding into a small number of large awards. DOE-NE also explicitly reserves the right to adjust to shifting R&D priorities during FY 2019 due to events, policy changes, or Congressional and budget direction, and it reserves the right to fund all or only part of an application. In practice, that means applicants should expect that final selections and award sizes may reflect evolving programmatic needs and available appropriations, and that partial funding outcomes are possible even for meritorious proposals.

Overall, this funding opportunity is designed to strengthen the U.S. advanced nuclear innovation ecosystem by pairing competitive R&D awards with access to unique national capabilities, while keeping the work grounded in the data, materials, testing, and modeling needs that advanced reactor developers and fuel cycle innovators must solve to support licensing, demonstration, and eventual commercialization.

  • The Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2019 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.121.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Sep 10, 2018.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 12, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 67 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Fiscal Year 2019 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research FOA (DE-FOA-0001913)?

It is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) competitive funding opportunity focused on accelerating research, development, and enabling infrastructure for advanced nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel cycle technologies. The FOA is designed to support crosscutting nuclear energy R&D that improves performance, safety, and deployment readiness for next-generation concepts.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The central purpose is to fund R&D and enabling infrastructure that addresses key technical barriers for advanced reactors and fuel cycle concepts, strengthens the national research base, and helps move innovative nuclear technologies closer to market while making efficient use of federal resources.

Which DOE office is sponsoring this opportunity?

The opportunity is sponsored by DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE).

Which DOE issuing office is associated with the solicitation?

The solicitation is issued by the Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office.

What is the funding instrument for awards under this FOA?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means DOE expects more substantial involvement during project execution than would occur under a standard grant.

What funding activity category does this opportunity fall under?

It is categorized under the Energy funding activity category.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The FOA is associated with CFDA number 81.121.

What research areas or technologies does DOE-NE want to advance through this FOA?

The FOA targets crosscutting nuclear energy R&D relevant to advanced reactors and fuel cycle technologies, including work tied to advanced fuels, materials behavior in extreme environments, modeling and simulation, and experimental validation. It emphasizes practical outputs such as measurements, material property data, experiments, validation datasets, and testing approaches aligned with real deployment and licensing needs.

How does this FOA relate to GAIN (Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear)?

A major theme is alignment with real-world needs identified by GAIN. GAIN engagement with advanced reactor developers and the broader design community is used to identify R&D objectives that DOE programs can tackle effectively. The FOA therefore encourages proposals that are developer-relevant and grounded in conditions that advanced reactor companies actually face.

Which advanced reactor types are explicitly highlighted as relevant?

DOE-NE explicitly highlights interest in work applicable to fast-spectrum reactor developers (including lead-cooled, sodium-cooled, and gas-cooled concepts), molten salt reactors (MSRs), and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs).

Are proposals required to support only one reactor design?

No. The FOA encourages proposals that are flexible and broadly useful across multiple designs, or that can be adapted to different reactor environments.

What kinds of project outcomes does DOE-NE appear to be seeking?

Based on the description, DOE-NE is interested in outputs such as measurements, material data, experiments, validation datasets, and testing approaches, particularly those that help overcome persistent technical challenges in advanced nuclear technology development and support improved readiness for deployment.

Does the FOA emphasize collaboration?

Yes. The solicitation emphasizes collaborative, integrated research efforts and signals a preference for projects that connect national laboratories, universities, industry partners, and in some cases international collaborators, to leverage specialized capabilities and avoid duplication.

What program pathways are consolidated under this FOA?

This FOA consolidates multiple DOE-NE pathways under one umbrella: the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Crosscutting Technology Development (CTD), and access opportunities through the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF).

What is NEUP in the context of this FOA?

NEUP is described as using up to 20 percent of funds appropriated to DOE-NE’s broader R&D program to support university-based infrastructure and R&D in priority areas tied to DOE-NE programs. The named priority areas include Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FC R&D), Reactor Concepts Research, Development and Demonstration (RC RD&D), and Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS).

What is NEET CTD in the context of this FOA?

NEET Crosscutting Technology Development (CTD) is positioned to support crosscutting enabling technologies led by national laboratories and universities. It generally focuses on technologies that benefit multiple reactor and fuel cycle pathways rather than a single design.

What is NSUF and how is it described here?

The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF), established in 2007, is described as a mechanism that provides researchers from universities, industry, and national labs with no-cost access to high-end nuclear research infrastructure. Examples listed include material test reactors, beamlines, and post-irradiation examination facilities, enabling teams to generate high-quality data that could otherwise be difficult or prohibitively expensive to obtain.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant pool is described as broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (including but not limited to small businesses), small businesses, and additional eligible entities as clarified in the FOA’s eligibility section.

Is industry eligible to apply, including for-profit entities?

Yes. For-profit organizations are included in the eligible applicant pool, and the description notes that this includes (but is not limited to) small businesses.

Is this FOA intended only for universities?

No. While NEUP supports university-based R&D and infrastructure, the overall FOA includes multiple pathways and emphasizes cross-sector collaboration among universities, national labs, and industry partners.

What is the award ceiling?

The stated award ceiling is $1,000,000.

How many awards does DOE anticipate making?

DOE anticipates making approximately 67 awards.

What does it mean that DOE anticipates about 67 awards?

It indicates a portfolio approach where DOE spreads investment across many projects rather than concentrating funds into a small number of large awards.

When was the FOA created and what was the closing date?

The FOA was created on September 10, 2018, and the original closing date was February 12, 2019.

Can DOE fund only part of an application?

Yes. DOE-NE explicitly reserves the right to fund all or only part of an application, meaning partial funding outcomes are possible.

Can DOE change priorities during the fiscal year?

Yes. DOE-NE reserves the right to adjust to shifting R&D priorities during FY 2019 due to events, policy changes, or Congressional and budget direction. This can affect final selections and award sizes.

How does DOE-NE describe the broader strategy behind this FOA?

DOE-NE frames the FOA as part of a broader strategy to move innovative nuclear technologies closer to market by funding work that addresses key technical barriers and strengthens the national research base.

What is the overall intent of consolidating NEUP, NEET CTD, and NSUF access under one FOA?

Based on the description, the intent is to strengthen the U.S. advanced nuclear innovation ecosystem by combining competitive R&D awards with access to unique national capabilities, while keeping work grounded in practical needs such as data generation, materials testing, modeling, simulation, and validation.

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