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Q&A

General

I am collaborating with a national laboratory. In the "Other Eligibility Requirements" section of the NOFO it states that a FFRDC contractor (national laboratory) must obtain written authorization (Letter of Authorization) from its cognizant contracting officer. Do I need to obtain and include this written authorization in my application?

Currently, submission of this documentation is optional for all national laboratory participants during the full application stage. If the application advances to the award negotiation stage, submission of this documentation will become mandatory for all listed national laboratories regardless of funding level or tier.

Current and Pending Support is not required for FFRDC participants. DOE FFRDCs[1], Non-DOE FFRDCs, and Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to participate as a subcontractor but are not eligible to apply as a recipient.

[1] FFRDCs are public-private partnerships that conduct research for the U.S. government. A listing of FFRDCs can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/.

 

The Field Work Proposal needs to be signed, routed, and approved internally by the due date.

 

The REU budget should be listed under participant supports costs. This is found on tab C-E in the SF-424 RR-budget form (the number before C-E indicates year, therefore you will need to add a budget for each year you are requesting funds). The participant cost is listed in section E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs.

 

Yes, the foreign government sponsorship will need to be included in the current and pending documents and disclosed in the same manner as other active awards.

Yes, you can use the SciENcv to generate the required current and pending documents.

If using the SciENcv format, the “Synergistic Activities” should be submitted as a separate 1-page document with the following name: FY26 Synergistic [Last Name] [Tracking ID#].pdf

Biographical sketches can be submitted using either the NSF or DOE format.

Once you have created a new application, scroll down and Save immediately to create the application tracking ID. Scroll back to the top of the page and you will see “Tracking ID: RPA-YEAR-XXXX” This will be the ID# used in naming your files and the number used to return results to applicants. In addition, the same tracking number from the Pre-Application will be carried over to any full application that is submitted.

You must withdraw your submission by scrolling to the bottom and clicking “Withdraw Submission” button. Then, edit your application and resubmit before the deadline. You will not lose any content.

Yes. Reporting is a requirement for all projects and is the responsibility of the lead PI.

The date designation is for the period of performance (e.g., if you have an active project during one of those years).  Therefore, eligibility restrictions are not being enforced on FY 2017 – FY 2019 projects.  

NE maintains a database of university professors and industry and lab researchers who are qualified to evaluate proposals in the technical work scopes. They are assigned proposals based on their areas of expertise. We are always looking for additions to this database! Please send your recommendations to neup@inl.gov.

All teaming has to be done by the participants with no federal involvement.  The Nuclear Science and Engineering Sourcebook is a publicly available tool that may be helpful and can be found at neup.inl.gov/documents.

No, it is not. Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) is a Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) initiative. The NEUP Integration Office (also referred to as the Innovative Nuclear Research Integration Office or INR-IO), located in Idaho Falls, administers the program on behalf of NE. The INR-IO is staffed by Idaho National Laboratory employees.​

The limit is applied to an individual, specifically the Principal Investigator (PI), rather than the organization.

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NE Mission Overview​

Concerning accident tolerants, does NE have any activity related to reactors in war zones? For example, protecting against ballistic impact.

No we do not. We are working on enhancing the fuel capability under severe accidents, such as what happened in Fukushima. We do not have any activities at the moment. DOD is working on it and is a part of DARPA.

Even though the consortia is already formed, there are other vehicles for engagement and for going forth in areas of interest. You are encouraged to reach out the team to see what’s available.

The ability to talk with program managers, there will be an open opportunity May 28-30 for a program manager Q&A session. Program managers and other individuals at DOE are not allowed to review pre-applications or other application ideas before the deadline. That review will happen during the formal review process.

There are no limits on the number of collaborators or co-PIs. That is dictated by the PI on what resources are needed to complete the project.

We present to nuclear engineering department heads some of those statistic breakdowns and summary of awards and where they go to various levels. It is not published, so to speak.

The structural material will be a separate program which is managed by Sue Lesica in the material program. One does not need to worry about which part it would fall under. If you provide the best idea and brightest thought, we will then decide internally how to bin them. There are general topic areas and you should look for which of those best represents the overarching concept.

No. Comments are provided back to a principal investigator on both their preapplications and full applications. Ratings are not something that is released to the PI or to anybody else.

As long as the timeframe goes as planned, the due date will be late June.

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CINR Overview

Does the statement for Topic Area 8 “Aligned with direction from the current Administration, the Office of Nuclear Energy's policy priorities have shifted. Consequently, this proposal is no longer relevant to NE’s mission…“ mean that submittals regarding the subject NOFO are no longer of interest to DOE-NE?

In order to more accurately reflect the Administration’s priorities described, for example in Executive Order 14302 and the recent issuance of the Request for Information for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (the Campus), Topic Area 8 is still valid but the focus has shifted substantially. For example:

  • From an integrated waste management perspective, each Campus is expected to anchor integrated, full‑cycle nuclear ecosystems that could co-locate and support the entire nuclear value chain including permanent disposal of commercial used nuclear fuel and high-level waste. This also includes novel initiatives such as recycling of used nuclear fuel. Topic Area 8 is no longer specifically limited to interim storage. 
  • From a public perception perspective, each State interested in hosting a Campus is expected to lead the development and implementation of a unique plan and subsequent agreement that clearly identifies private, state, and federal roles with respect to public engagement, including outreach to local communities, Tribal nations, and environmental groups, to build support for Innovation Campus activities. Collaboration in all aspects of the siting process is still integral to siting a Campus. Studying generic aspects of public perception and gathering sentiment analysis data in relation to a collaboration-based siting approach that is exclusively led by DOE is no longer a desired focus. 

For Topic Area 8, DOE now primarily seeks innovative research projects related to 1) full lifecycle facility designs reflective of technical and social lessons-learned and/or strategic goals, and 2) innovative approaches that integrate Federal and State collaboration on topics such as education, public outreach, training, workforce development, facility design, siting criteria, and technical/science/risk communication.

Correct, Notice Regarding the Purchase of American-Made Equipment and Products – Sense of Congress. It is the sense of the Congress that, to the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased with funds made available under this award should be American-made. 

No, there is no maximum or minimum allowable cost share requirements. 

The comments cannot be released prior to the award or no award notifications.

No. Comments are provided back to the principal investigator on both their pre‑applications and full applications, however, ratings are not released to the PI or to anybody else.

The structural material will be a separate program managed by Sue Lesica in the materials program. One does not need to worry about which part it would fall under. If you provide the best idea and brightest thought, we will decide internally how to bin them.

There are no limits on the number of collaborators or co‑PIs. That is dictated by the PI on what resources are needed to complete the project.

Yes, the 3-page CV is only required for the Lead PI on the pre-application. For the full application CVs (resumes) are required for each PI or Lead Project Manager, Senior/Key Personnel, and all covered individuals.

The publications list includes only those publications where the lead Principal Investigator (PI) is the lead PI on the Office of Nuclear Energy funded projects (CINR, CINR II, DECP, IRPs, RS&O, NEET, NSUF, etc.). Publications do not need to be added if the lead PI is a collaborator, postdoc, research scientist, or an unfunded advisor on a funded CINR project.

There is no floor. There is a $1M cap on topic areas 1-11, $500,000 on topic area 12, and up to $3M for IRPs. NSUF cost is defined by NSUF. The time period in relation to the requested amount is at the discretion of the PI. It should be driven by the scope being completed.

That is unknown. We don’t have our FY 2025 budget. There is a commitment from DOE that if it puts out a topic area and there are quality applications, the intention is to provide an award in each area. Outside of that, there is too much uncertainty to provide a specific answer.

Yes, it will be changing back to 3 years.

REUs can only be provided as a supplement.

REU funds are intended for undergraduate research experiences only. The MSI faculty type activities would likely come out of the traditional R&D portion of the budget.

There are some considerations for a summer program that is outside the student stipend. The baseline we have used to inspire our own REU program is NSF’s REU program. We look at those costs similarly to how NSF does. Student support costs could include food, housing, and travel support. Those are all considered as part of the stipend.

No, it is a supplement after the overall project cost has been considered.

They are integrated together. There is a stipulation of the FOA that DOE can choose to fund any portion of the application as they see fit. If the project has merit and going forward for negotiation, whether it has the REU supplement or not, it won’t really matter.

We would entertain that type of situation. There are rules that govern those types of changes on how it would take place. Please reference the 4.2.8 section of the Financial Assistance guide because it outlines the rules. If both institutions are on board with the move then that could be entertained by DOE. You do need prior approval from the DOE contracting officer once the application has started the submission process.

It is effective immediately.

The guidance is Times New Roman, 11-point font. The purpose and idea of that requirement is to provide the exact same space for all applicants. If it’s equivalent, there may not be a major issue, but it is slightly smaller, it will be flagged as noncompliant.

It would be complicated on a software development side. We continually try to update the system and will provide that feedback to the software developing team.

If there is a change from one topic area to another, that is going to be an interaction between the Integration Office to let you know it was a recommendation provided by a program manager and see if you approve of the change.

It is lead PI, not the co-PI that those eligibility restrictions apply to. The 6 and 3 application requirement applies to every university professor regardless of PI, co-PI, or collaborator status. The IRP, no cost extension or active project type restrictions apply to the lead PI only.

It would be the lead PI only

We would have to check with the contracting office on what kind of data can be provided. It is a small number when you think in the less than 5% range.

We have a review and evaluation plan that we follow on a very strict basis. The key components are provided in the FOA. We do a very extensive review over the course of our review panels to make sure no individual is solely contributing to tanking or elevating a proposal in a way that puts it in consideration or not in consideration. Not only do we have independent review input and then have full review panels for each and every one of the topic areas, both at the pre-application and full application stage. We also have a process through that panel that identifies any outlying evaluations and we specifically talk about those and take action as appropriate. The team ensures peer reviewers selected are enough to make an overall evaluation of the project and can consider any bias, conflict of interest, and any input that isn’t well aligned with the overall consensus of the reviewers.

As a part of the NSUF, there is the ability to have DOE HPC resources provided. NSUF can add more details. If the national lab or other facility partner is providing “in-kind” cost share, that is an option for the application. It does not count as part of the 20% overall federal budget request.

Co-PIs typically do not fall under those eligibility restrictions. Just the 6 and 3 restriction.

No, evaluations for these applications are based on technical merit review

We will accept no cost extensions with the guidance provided today. Get those requests in as soon as you know you need them, but no less than 90 days before the project end date.

No, we do not take reviewer suggestions from PIs or others. If you do feel like there is a critical conflict of interest that has not been declared that you can declare a conflict of interest to the NEUP office at any point in time through email.

All of the due dates talked about are anticipated and planned but if there is a major delay in the release of the FOA, it may force us to re-consider the overall due dates. We want to make sure enough time is given to prepare pre-applications and full applications while still meeting the overall schedule.

We do not have a formal mechanism in the FOA or review process. It is not anticipated that it would be established but we understand the desire to have that type of process. There are a variety of considerations that go into that in which the speed of which we could provide feedback and overall evaluation of awards. If you do feel like there was something unfair or biased, you can provide that feedback to John Gilligan or Drew Thomas and they can walk you through the review process to prevent any unfair assessments or biased assessments.

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R&D Pre-Applications

In my FY 2026 CINR pre-application I have a collaborator from industry who doesn't have an ORCID iD. What should I do?

Yes, all collaborators will need a ORCID ID. They can go to the ORCID.org site and register for an ORCID ID#.

After receiving pre-application feedback, the applicant will need to notify our office of the change request. This notification must include a justification of the request and be submitted at least 7 calendar days prior to the full application due date. The request will then be evaluated, and the PI will be notified of the outcome.

No. For the pre-application only the lead PI’s CV is required. The lead PI and collaborators (co-PIs) CVs are needed for the full application.

That depends on the process your institution follows. It would be best to coordinate with your Office of Sponsored Programs to make sure you follow your own protocol. We do not specifically require them for the Pre-Applications, but a complete and signed SF-424 application form is required for Full Application submissions.​

As a university PI, you may submit up to 6 total Pre-Applications (up to a maximum of 3 as lead PI) for the entire CINR FOA solicitation. For more details, please see the Application Restrictions in Part III Section B of the CINR FOA.

Yes, applicants can submit multiple applications to the same topic area.  The same application cannot be submitted more than once.

An employee with a joint appointment between a university and a DOE national laboratory can apply through the institute of higher education (IHE) if the institution pays his or her salary and provides his or her benefits. ​

There are no issues preventing a pre-application from being submitted in this scenario if the university is in concurrence.  The Dean and Department Chair of the University should be informed of the Pre-Application submission plans. ​

National laboratories can only submit proposals as lead principal investigators in NSUF-2 workscopes (Appendix C). They can collaborate with universities for proposals submitted to university-led applications, but cannot receive more than 20% of a project’s overall funding.

The composition of researchers, whether from a single institution or multiple institutions, should be tied to their relevance in accomplishing the scope of work and achieving the outcomes of your proposal. This should also be clearly described in the Pre-Application. The FOA also describes requirements for participation by different types of institutions.

PIs can only add new collaborators to their full application with the consent of the Contracting Officer. If you need to change a collaborator, please contact the Integration Office at NEUP@inl.gov.

NE does not differentiate between co-PIs and collaborators.  You can indicate that they are a co-PI in the narrative itself, but you should add the individual(s) to the senior/key personnel section in the application form.

To the best of their ability, PIs need to list funding amounts for each individual collaborator, regardless of the collaborator’s affiliation.

Yes, you must include unfunded collaborators in advisory roles or other capacities in which they will make an R&D contribution for your project.  In fact, the identification of all collaborators is required, as either ‘Senior/Key Personnel’ or ‘Other Collaborators and Personnel’. 

A collaborator is an individual who makes a defined, material contribution that is critical to the success of the project and/or contributing to joint publications. Any individual appearing in the project summary, technical narrative, benefit of collaboration, coordination and management plan, or budget documents should be listed directly on the application form. All collaborators must be added to the application form with complete information. Any individuals that do not meet these criteria should not be listed as collaborators on the application.  The applicant must have full consent of all collaborators prior to submitting the application.

This depends on the institution’s rules regarding who can participate.  NEUP does not restrict a post-doc from being a co-PI, unless it is not allowed by the institution.

The CINR FOA does not prohibit post-docs that are working at U.S. institutions from participating.  The designation as co-PI or participation is regulated at the institutional level and would need to be allowed by the institution that is employing the individual.

No, a national laboratory co-PI is not required, nor is any other type of co-PI required.  A project can be led and executed by a single​ faculty member.

No, a national laboratory co-PI is not required, nor is any other type of co-PI required.  A project can be led and executed by a single​ faculty member.

No, university leads do not need to cost share.

The national laboratory PI will not flow-through the university as a sub-award. They will receive funding through DOE directly. The cost of the national laboratory collaborator should be included in the federal request and total funding request for the project.

No. If you are unsure where your proposal should be submitted, please contact neup@inl.gov.

A publication list for the lead PI should be included, at a minimum.  A publication list for any co-PI is encouraged, but is not required.  The publication list would be for CINR projects (NEUP, NEET, NSUF).  The list does not need to include any other NE work.​

Evaluation scores are based upon the criteria outlined in the “Application Review Information” section of the FOA. General explanations of the meaning of each review score are provided by the NEUP Integration Office, not the reviewer. These explanations are generic in nature to give a descriptive explanation of the given score in comparison to other scores. Reviewer comments, specific to the proposal, are provided in addition to the evaluation scoring explanation with the intention of helping the PI improve future applications. Applicants should see general scoring criteria explanations and proposal-specific comments in their pre-application scoring and comment summary.

NEUP project funding is allowable for consultants and contractors.

Yes, international collaborations are permitted and encouraged. No international collaborator can be funded by R&D funds.

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R&D Full Applications

Can you provide clarification on the CRADA/TAA requirement outlined in DE-FOA-0003538: “All DOE FFRDCs are required to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement4 (CRADA) or, if the role of the DOE FFRDC is limited to technical assistance and intellectual property is not anticipated to be generated from the DOE FFRDC’s work, a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA), with at least the recipient. A fully executed CRADA or TAA must be in place or be compliant with a Master Scope of Work process prior to the FFRDC starting work directly allocable to the FA award.”

All collaborations with Department of Energy (DOE) Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) must comply with the DOE FFRDC Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and Technology Assistance Agreement (TAA) requirements as stated in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Universities working with their FFRDC collaborator should have them consult the laboratory’s technology transfer office and/or general counsel to determine how to fulfill these requirements. For example, a university might establish a CRADA to outline the terms of collaboration, use a TAA to manage technology transfer, or leverage their Management and Operating (M&O) contract to ensure compliance. These steps help ensure all regulatory and contractual obligations are met when partnering with DOE FFRDCs.

A waiver for foreign entity is not needed if work is performed with the territories of the United States.  If you had work performed out of United States, then a waiver would need to be requested.

Yes. The maximum award ceilings identified in the CINR FOA are based on the requested federal funding amount. An applicant may include cost share that results in a total project cost greater than the maximum award ceiling. 

Yes. The maximum award ceilings identified in the CINR FOA are based on the requested federal funding amount. An applicant may include cost share that results in a total project cost greater than the maximum award ceiling. 

Yes. The maximum award ceilings identified in the CINR FOA are based on the requested federal funding amount. An applicant may include cost share that results in a total project cost greater than the maximum award ceiling. 

The FWP should be included as a pdf file in the “Budget for DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) Contractor” section of the online application form. The FWP is due at the time of Full Application submission.

No. It is not possible to shift topic areas after the Pre-Application has been submitted. The PI or the submitter is responsible for placement into the correct topic area at the time of Pre-Application.

Please use the format specified in the FOA with a slight modification to tell them apart. For example, “‘Fiscal Year’ CFA Subaward Budget Michigan.xls” This is the format to follow to show the different subtier budgets.

Yes, DOE may allow for a no-cost time extension (NCE) for up to 12 months on each R&D project. DOE has established as policy that university PIs who request and receive approved no-cost extensions to existing NE R&D projects will be ineligible to be PIs for new project awards while any no-cost extension remains in effect.
Yes. The written authorization requirement is an agreement between a FFRDC contractor and their cognizant contracting officer. National laboratory collaborators should be familiar with this requirement and who they need to contact at DOE to obtain this letter. University PIs are required to obtain a copy of the written authorization and include it in the Full Application.  (The letter does not need to be included in Pre-Applications.) This is applicable for all national laboratory collaborators, even if they are not receiving funds.

If they are not receiving funding, they will need a Letter of Authorizations but do not need to provide an FWP.

Yes, reference do count toward page limitations.

Yes, you can subdivide the budget in any way that will be beneficial to the project.  For example, some PIs allocate less funding in Year 1 while they recruit graduate students, etc.

No, the FOA specifically states that the sum total of all funds that go to all national laboratory and industrial partners may not exceed 20% of the total funding request. However, this restriction is not applicable to the NSUF-2 workscopes in Appendix C.​​

Yes, international collaborations are permitted and encouraged. No international collaborator can be funded by R&D funds.  

Graphite recovery/recycle/management is definitely an area of interest for Topic Area 3: Nuclear Fuel Recycle.

Yes, all the new concepts related to metallic fuel and others, including CER-MET/CER-CER fuels, will be a good fit for Topic Area 4. Yes, Topic Area 4 will be the best fit for manufacturing techniques, materials performance, and other impacts related to fuels and fuel cladding materials; other Topic Areas such as 12 (ADVANCED NUCLEAR MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES) also support manufacturing techniques, materials performance study on nuclear structural materials, fuel cladding materials, and immobilization materials.

The reference should be NOFO Part 1, Program Description.

IES covers any reactor because it’s really more of a product than a reactor technology itself. It is best to read through each topic area description and determine which topic area fits your research. 

Begin by thoroughly reading through each topic area description and determine which topic area fits your research. There are multiple acceptable areas for both experimental and computer simulation. 

No, Yes.

The development of primary coolants is a high priority. 

This is dependent on several factors including funding, number of proposals, quality of proposals, etc.

Yes. 

Yes, if the NCE request is approved then the PI is ineligible to submit an R&D application for this CINR NOFO. Refer to Part 1. Section B. Limitation on Number of Applications Eligible for Review in the NOFO for additional information. The PI and named collaborators identified in the Pre-Application may not be changed in the Full Application without adequate justification and consent of the Contracting Officer. If a change is necessary, the applicant shall provide this request and justification at least 7 calendar days prior to the full application due date.

No, you would not be disqualified from the CINR R&D 2025 awards if you propose the same project for the 2026 cycle. However, if you receive and accept an award for the CINR R&D 2025 cycle, your 2026 proposal would be disqualified.

The MSTEC facility at INL is anticipated to be operational in March 2026. If you are interested in using the MSTEC facility as part of the CINR topic area NSUF-1 or NSUF-2, please contact nsuf.inl.gov for the capability owner point of contact and additional information. It is strongly recommended to contact the capability owner prior to submission via nsuf.inl.gov.

In Part 1. Section B. Limitation on Number of Applications Eligible for Review. NOTE: Applications submitted to this CINR NOFO will be awarded to the applicant entity listed and will typically not be transferred to another institution if a lead PI changes institutions.  However, DOE may consider PI requests for transferring or subawarding an award from the original institution to the PI’s new institution. In the event a PI changes institutions, the PI must contact the Contract Specialist for approval prior to the award being transferred.

Correct. A letter of Intent is only required for topic area NSUF-1: Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Joint R&D and Access and topic area NSUF-2: Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Access Only.

DOE is evaluating disposal programs in different rock types, including argillite and crystalline rock types. Under the YM scenario, it made sense to move away from bentonite for the reasons identified.  However, the same is not or may not be true in other rock types so DOE is (re)evaluating the influence, function, and limits of bentonite in a repository system. 

Salt property measurements are generally better suited for Topic Area 4. As stated in the NOFO, Topic Area 4 identifies R&D needs that include “fuel salt characterization and qualification”, whereas Topic Area 1 includes a specific focus on “material and operational challenges presented by molten salts (as distinct from fuel development described in Topic Area 4)”. In other words, R&D related to molten fuel salt properties generally falls closer to Topic Area 4, whereas R&D related to the impact of molten fuel salt properties on MSR material and operational challenges generally falls closer to Topic Area 1.

No, the due dates for CINR can’t be changed at this time. DOE recognizes the mismatch between the anticipated award date and typical student recruitment timeframes and has increased the award period to 3 years and 6 months (February 1, 2027 – July 31, 2030) to provide PIs with flexibility.

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Integrated Research Projects (IRP)

The NOFO mentions:  “U.S. university and college PIs may submit up to six pre-applications (three of those applications may be as lead PI).”  Please clarify whether participation in an IRP proposal as a co-PI would count toward the six-application limit since IRP does not require a "Pre-Applications". 

The IRP proposals as a co-PI wouldn’t count toward the six-application limit, it would count as the lead PI. See eligibility requirements in the CINR NOFO for additional information regarding the lead PI and IRP eligibility requirements.

 

DOE will assign a subject matter expert (SME) from an unidentified national lab to the project after the project has been awarded. This will be done considering a number of resource and logistical considerations, and the FTE will be covered by DOE funds not NEUP funds.

 

DOE will make available conceptual model reports and data for Argillite and Crystalline repositories. These reports will include text, graphs, and tabular data. DOE may also be able to provide underlying data for recent reports. An example is available at Disposal Concepts for a High-Temperature Repository in Shale. (Technical Report) | OSTI.GOV

 

 

Regarding your question about submitting an idea to both the Genesis RFA and CINR R&D NOFO IRP topic area, and the potential for disqualification or synergy: The short answer is no.  You cannot submit the exact same idea to both Genesis and the IRP. The CINR R&D NOFO is quite explicit on this, stating that “Applications that describe performing actions that result in duplicating existing capabilities are specifically not of interest.” Submitting identical or overlapping applications would almost certainly lead to disqualification from the CINR R&D NOFO.

However, this doesn’t preclude pursuing multiple opportunities if your broader research interests align. The critical aspect is to develop a distinct and non-duplicative application for the CINR R&D NOFO. 

 

In addition, no IRP or other topic area have been cancelled from the NOFO.

Correct. Pre-applications are not required for IRP proposals. The Initial Review is done for Pre-Applications (if required) and for Full Applications. DOE will perform an initial review to determine 1.) applicant is eligible for an award, 2.) the information required by the announcement has been submitted and all mandatory requirements are satisfied. (On page 33 of the NOFO, the “Initial Review Criteria for IRPs” is listed under “C. IRP Merit Review for Full Applications”.)

Yes. If an IRP applicant is requesting the REU component, the application must include the Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Plan along with including the dollar amount in the funding table in the proposal application.

Yes, you are correct. Access to NEST funds (if funds are available) do require investigators to agree to participate in NEST. Investigators must clearly indicate in their application if they are willing to join as a NEST project or not.

Yes, international collaborations are permitted and encouraged. No international collaborator can be funded with IRP funds.

Yes, the focus should be on U.S. workforce.

Yes, team participants must be students at a participating U.S. institution or employed at a participating U.S. institution to receive funds as part of any NEUP project.

IRP project durations are dependent on the specific workscope. With approval, projects can only extend for one 12-month no cost time extension​.

Yes, applicants can only lead one IRP project. Individuals can collaborate as a Co-PI or collaborator on multiple IRP projects​.  

Yes, you can submit an IRP application, but potential awards could be impacted for individuals or institutions who have delinquent reporting, including final reports​.

Yes, IRP applicants can only have one active CINR R&D project when they apply for an IRP​.

You may choose to submit a pre-application and then not submit a full application. You may not be awarded a full application and an IRP application at the same time, but you could have a pre-application you submit along with an IRP application then you could make a decision on whether to submit the full application or not​.

Yes, if a lead PI chooses to submit an IRP application and has no currently funded R&D projects (as a lead PI) that will still be active after December 21, 2026, the PI is allowed to submit up to one R&D application as the lead PI. In the event, that both the IRP and R&D applications are successful, only one award will be made with priority given to the IRP project.

Yes, if you submit an IRP proposal, you may be a Co-PI for an R&D proposal. The maximum number of R&D proposals you may serve as a Co-PI is six (6).

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Nuclear Science User Facility (NSUF)

For NSUF Joint R&D access (NSUF-1) and for U.S. university-led, national laboratory, or industry-led NSUF Access only (NSUF-2) CINR topic areas, where and how do I submit my NSUF Full Application Statement of Work (SOW)?

Full Application SOW documents are submitted by appending to the already submitted pre-application. To append the full application SOW, (1) find the submitted pre-application in the “My Applications” section of the submission website, (2) open the submitted pre-application by using the ‘pencil’ icon, (3) scroll to the bottom of the application form, and (4) click “Attach File” on the “Post Submission Attachment” section. Attach the full application SOW. Do not delete the pre-application SOW. Applicants must submit a full application SOW even if there are no changes from the pre-application SOW. A timestamp will appear in the “File Upload Date” area, which is confirmation that the SOW was appended correctly.

Applicants should demonstrate that fabrication methods for the proposed materials are already established and successfully executed by the project team on similar or identical materials. While specimens do not necessarily need to be fully fabricated at the project start, applicants must show that fabrication techniques are available and well understood, and that basic thermal, chemical, and physical properties are known to a degree that supports irradiation design. Proposals focused on developing new fabrication techniques are generally not suitable for NSUF access.

NSUF readiness expectations as outlined in the NOFO, require a clear plan for material availability, timeline for delivery (typically within the first few months of project initiation), and clarity on ownership and transferability of materials to DOE when applicable. These expectations exist to ensure that awarded projects can proceed without delays related to material development or procurement.

NSUF evaluates feasibility by considering how well the proposed work fits within available facility resources and the broader NSUF portfolio. Many factors will be considered as part of the feasibility review including the following: type of project; duration of project; experimental degree of complexity; types of samples; number of samples; need for shipping and containment; potential needed capability or facility enhancement or upgrade; project schedule; and cost. The feasibility review may include input from partner facilities’ authorization processes to ensure that facility-specific factors have been considered. Projects requiring an outsized share of instrument time or personnel effort (for example, work that would occupy a specialized microscope or technical team for extended periods) are generally not feasible, as NSUF facilities serve multiple programs and user groups. Although users do not see a cost for NSUF partner facility access during their CINR project, NSUF must still evaluate the opportunity cost when balancing selections. Scientific merit is the primary selection criterion, but resource balancing can influence decisions for projects near the funding threshold. Applicants are encouraged to consult with facility technical leads to understand realistic instrument schedules, while recognizing that overall portfolio-level resource constraints may also apply.

The project title should be consistently used across other application documents (Letter of Intent, Preapplication, statement of work, and full application). You will need to request a title change and get approval from the Integration Office (NEUP).

Applicant will need to notify us of the change request with a justification of the request. The request will be evaluated, and the PI will be notified.

Yes.

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CINR Phase II Continuation (CINR II)

Does the cover page in the LOI template count toward the five-page limit for the CINR Phase II Continuation LOI, or is a five-page Project Description plus the cover page acceptable?

The cover page in the template does not count toward the five-page limit unless it includes any part of the Project Description.

The no-cost extension does not prevent applicant from submitting an application to the CINR Phase II NOFO. 

CINR II continuation opportunities are available for prior NEUP awards that are in the amount of $600k.  A modification to the current NOFO will be issued to reflect this update.

Yes. CINR II LOIs will undergo a peer review process and only invited LOIs will be eligible to submit a full application. LOIs that are not invited cannot submit full application.

Under the current circumstances, all applicants for FY 2026 CINR II will experience a funding gap between the end of their CINR project and the start of CINR II. Unfortunately, this situation is beyond our control. Applicants are encouraged to provide justification and a mitigation plan to address this funding gap. 

They will be reviewed using the criteria outlined in the FOA.

This may be an extenuating circumstance that may need specific guidance. The lead institution and lead PI should match. If that is not the case, then we would need to walk through the situation with the PI and make DOE aware so they can approve before the LOI application comes in.

No. The CINR restrictions do not apply to Phase II Continuation CINR. Only one LOI can be submitted per active CINR. There is no overall capping on how many applications you can do in a particular year.

No, it is up to the lead PI to decide who the collaborators will be for the proposed Phase II Continuation project.

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Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP)

Does USMA qualify as a domestic government entity, and is the Transparency of Foreign Connections form required to be submitted? The FY 2026 DECP NOFO states: “U.S. National Laboratories and domestic government entities are not required to respond to the Transparency of Foreign Connections disclosure.”

USMA qualifies as a domestic government entity. Therefore, the Transparency of Foreign Connections disclosure is not required in this case.

For the FY 2026 DECP NOFO, there is no option to include additional letters of support as part of the DECP proposal application.

The recommended period of performance is February 1, 2027, to July 31, 2032.

This timeline ensures alignment with the reporting cycle, completion of the full 5-year performance period, and provides an additional 6 months to accommodate final reporting and closeout activities.

As outlined in the FY26 NOFO (Part 2, Section IV: Application Content and Form), the Current and Pending Support disclosure must include:

  • “A list of all sponsored activities, awards, and appointments, whether paid or unpaid; provided as a gift with terms or conditions or provided as a gift without terms or conditions; full-time, part-time, or voluntary; faculty, visiting, adjunct, or honorary; cash or in-kind; foreign or domestic; governmental or private-sector; directly supporting the individual’s research or indirectly supporting the individual by supporting students, research staff, space, equipment, or other research expenses.”

Based on this guidance, all in-kind contributions—whether they directly support your research or indirectly support it through resources such as students, staff, equipment, space, or other research-related expenses—must be disclosed in the Current and Pending Support section. This ensures full transparency and compliance with DOE requirements.

Yes, it is allowable to include URLs in the Budget Justification document. The guidance restricting URLs applies specifically to the Technical Volume. For the Budget Justification, you may include URLs to provide information such as published rate schedules, websites for rates, or institutional travel policy details as requested.

The Cover/ Title Page is a part of the Technical Volume and does not need to be a standalone document. It can be included at the beginning of the Technical Volume, immediately followed by the main content.

Yes, the Cover/ Title Page counts toward the 10-page limit for the Technical Volume. As noted in FY 2026 DECP NOFO Part 2, Page 17, under “Technical Volume”:
“The Technical Volume must not exceed a page limit of 10 printed pages, including title page, table of contents, charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial presentations, and must include all information listed in the table below, while complying with all document format instructions.

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The cover page should not list a specific program manager. Instead, it should include only the technical and business points of contact from your organization, as specified in the NOFO requirements.​

Based on the information provided in the DECP NOFO (DE-FOA-0003540) Part 2:

  • The Technical Volume must not exceed the 10-page limit and should include only the required content outlined in the NOFO. Merit reviewers will evaluate only the content included within this 10-page limit.
  • Additional letters of support, beyond the required endorsement letter from the department head, are not listed as required documents in the NOFO and may not be reviewed if submitted.

Considering this, it may be best not to include the additional letter of support in the Technical Volume or as a separate attachment, as it could fall outside the scope of the required materials. However, it is ultimately up to the applicant to decide whether to include it based on this information.

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The proposal needs to be submitted in Proposals.inl.gov to be considered for evaluation. You, as the applicant, are typically responsible for submitting the proposal. However, you have the option to add a delegate to your account at proposals.inl.gov. This allows the delegate to assist with tasks such as uploading documents and reviewing the final version before submission. Ultimately, the proposal is usually submitted by the applicant, not the institution.​​

Yes, an FFRDC designation would still be required to access ORNL facilities, even if no budget is allocated to the lab. A Field Work Proposal (FWP) would be necessary in this case and could include a $0 budget to clearly define the roles of each party in the project.​​

COVID-related delays were already considered when setting the program eligibility requirements. Unfortunately, an extension cannot be granted, as this does not qualify as an extenuating circumstance.​​

The DECP and CINR R&D requirements are separate and do not overlap. Submitting a DECP application will not count toward the CINR R&D application limit of three pre-proposals as PI. ​​

No, untenured Associate Professors are not eligible for the DECP award.​​

The limit is applied to an individual, specifically the Principal Investigator (PI), rather than the organization.​​

The PI must be an untenured assistant professor on the tenure track and no more than seven years beyond his/her doctorate at a U.S. academic institution as of the last day of January 2024. The PI must be employed in the eligible position as of the last day of January 2024.​​

Yes, you may submit to multiple agencies but only eligible for one. ​​​

 No co-PIs nor collaborators are allowed.​ ​​​

No

No

It is recommended that the focus be on the infrastructure needs and associated schedule and form a short paragraph addressing how the university already has systems and procedures in place. Your contract lead could likely help with wording on quality assurance, research excellence, etc…​

Any project funds going to an FFRDC would be provided directly by DOE to the FFRDC via the FWP process. A Field Work Proposal and DOE Contracting Officer Letter of Authorization will be required to be submitted by the applicant.  In addition, funding provided to an FFRDC by DOE should be included in your total budget (i.e. As part of the $625,000).  Upon successful award negotiation, the funding provided to the University (prime awardee) will be the award amount, minus the FFRDC funding (provided directly by DOE).​​

Only requested documents, as outlined in the FOA, will be made available for review.

Yes, if any other federally funded early career award is accepted, you become ineligible for continued performance under your DECP award and must notify DOE immediately.
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CINR Infrastructure (GSI & RU)

Which university research reactors are eligible to submit reactor upgrade applications?​

The 24 research reactors fueled by DOE-NE are eligible for reactor upgrade awards. A list is provided in the FOA.

Yes, you can add non-funded co-PIs from national laboratories to your proposal. Please be sure to include CVs for all staff providing significant and required expertise on the project. Please note that a Letter of Authorization for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs is required for all National Laboratory participants listed on the application regardless of funding level or tier.

Supporting letters are not requested, nor considered. However, please be sure to include, if proposed, commitment letters from each third party contributing to the cost sharing (required).

Each university can submit one GSI application each cycle.  

Universities must make a 1:1 dollar match for requests above $250,000 for applications under the General Scientific Infrastructure Support area.

There is no restriction on requesting multiple pieces of equipment though applicants should avoid creating a laundry list of unrelated pieces of equipment.

Any single item over $5,000 requires a basis of estimate, catalog price, or vendor quote. This should be provided by the vendor or be publicly published. All quotes or pricing must be attached to the application.  

Building modifications that immediately support the installation and operation of the equipment requested are allowable.

Yes, equipment that significantly improves or expands the research, instruction, training capabilities, or operating capabilities related to NE program missions of the research reactor facility are allowable.

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University Nuclear Research Infrastructure Revitalization

Neither the DOE nor NSF SciENcv format contains a Synergistic Activities section. If using the SciENcv format, how should applicants supply this required information?

If using the SciENcv format, the “Synergistic Activities” should be submitted as a separate 1-page document with the following name: FY26 Synergistic [Last Name] [Tracking ID#].pdf

Biographical sketches can be submitted using either the NSF or DOE format.

It is encouraged to provide justification for how the proposed goal or capability significantly adds to the current U.S. capacity to support advanced reactor R&D, education, and workforce development.

Unless marked “optional” or “if applicable,” it is expected that all documents and/or components outlined in the NOFO will be submitted. These materials are required to assess the potential for the application to achieve the stated goals of the NOFO.

Collaborative proposals will not be accepted. A prime recipient should be identified along with subrecipient(s).

Applications involving the planning or construction of new university nuclear reactors will not be considered under the University Nuclear Research Infrastructure Revitalization NOFO. The proposed effort must strengthen and revitalize the academic community’s nuclear energy infrastructure, which could include enhancements of existing infrastructure or creation of new capabilities. Sufficient justification would be required in the application to confirm that the relocation would not be considered planning or construction of a new reactor and that enhancements of existing infrastructure or creation of new capabilities would be proposed.

Eligibility is notrestricted to U.S. citizens. Prime applicant eligibility is restricted to U.S. Universities and Colleges to ensure the Nuclear Energy University Program supports university research, collaborations with industry and national laboratories, and training and educating the next generation nuclear workforce.

There is no U.S. citizenship requirement for students.

The 50% requirement is for the entire award. That is, 50% of the entire award needs to go toward physical equipment and infrastructure.

The change from FOA to NOFO is a DOE-wide initiative. The application process for funding opportunities is very similar, but the NOFO is now composed of two parts; the first part includes an overview of the specific DOE programmatic goals of the funding opportunity and the second part focuses on general DOE requirements. PIs should carefully read through both parts of the NOFO to make sure all of the required documents are submitted on time.

The NOFO states that applications that describe performing actions that result in duplicating existing capabilities are specifically not of interest. However, context will play an important role in this assessment. In the event the applicant is proposing to develop a capability which exists at another institution, the applicant should make a compelling justification as to why having a duplicate piece of equipment at a different institution is necessary and clearly describe the impact of this effort.

Applications involving the planning or construction of new university nuclear reactors will not be considered.

Applications describing the development and fabrication of specific nuclear reactor components designed for experimental purposes may be considered, assuming that applicants provide compelling justification for the research need, demonstrate alignment with the advanced reactor technologies being deployed by the U.S. nuclear industry and establish a commitment to utilize the components strictly for R&D purposes.

University system entities that are co-located in the same city with the prime applicant (e.g., submitting organization) are not considered separate organizations for the purposes of submitting to this NOFO. University system entities not located in the same city as the prime applicant may be considered separate organizations for the purposes of submitting applications to this NOFO.

It is not possible for us to recommend possible project partners.

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University Reactor Sharing and Outreach

Do you have the list of contacts for the Reactor Sharing and Outreach eligible host institutions?

The information can be found on the Test, Research and Training Reactors website under the TRTR Member Facilities (TRTR Member Facilities).

The NOFO states proposed “recipient and subrecipients.” Transparency of Foreign Connections would not be required for unfunded collaborators.

We are limited based on how much we are appropriated for these types of funding opportunities.
The larger amount of funds was intentional. We took feedback from the previous program so something more impactful can be done. Now, it’s not just to support public visits, or offset some of those costs. It’s about how do you develop the reactor outreach? DOE is always interested in feedback on how these programs are going and about making adjustments.

Lead universities will receive funding through DOE, and depending on the activity, the university will distribute funds to partners as participant supports costs as defined by 2 CFR 200 or, in some cases, through subaward/subcontract arrangements. DOE will only provide funds to the lead university. 

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University Nuclear Leadership Program (Scholarship & Fellowship)

I read the question concerning eligibility of students not in a nuclear engineering program, and I did not see anything concerning any other majors. My university does not offer nuclear engineering to undergraduate students, and only offers a minor, therefore I declared my major to be in mechanical engineering, hoping later to focus in the nuclear field. Also, I cannot declare this minor so early in my college career, so I was wondering if I was still eligible.

Students pursuing nuclear energy-related disciplines such as nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, health physics, nuclear materials science, radiochemistry, applied nuclear physics, nuclear policy, radiation protection technology, nuclear power technology, nuclear maintenance technology, nuclear engineering technology, computer science, and cybersecurity, etc., are eligible to apply for an UNLP scholarship or fellowship. Please keep in mind that because medical isotopes, fusion, nuclear forensics, or environmental management topics do not fit into the mission of the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, students pursuing studies in these fields are not eligible to apply.

Industry internships are allowed and approved on a case by case basis, as are other internships at DOE, a DOE national laboratory, or other facility approved by DOE.​

If a fellow will have unused Cost of Education funds at the end of each academic year, the student can use those funds for additional UNLP-approved travel, health insurance (for the fellow only), and/or housing (rent only) for during the fellowship tenure. Funds cannot be utilized for other expenses such as utility costs. The university administrator will need to provide a breakdown of the student’s fellowship and how it’s being spent so that the fellow will know what is still available. If, at the end of the three-year fellowship, a student still has remaining funds, then the unused award funding will remain with the university and will be applied to future scholarship or fellowship awards. Unused funds do not distributed to the fellow.

 

Yes, conditionally. Your chosen university must be able to demonstrate a program or field of study related to nuclear energy and must apply and be approved prior to any transfer of funding. For your school to be added to the approved list, a person designated as a PI at your institution will need to apply to the university Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002265 on The process takes about six weeks from when the application is received, so it is important that your university submit this as soon as possible. It is preferable that the application on neup.inl.gov be submitted from someone at the school that has the authority to agree to the terms of the FOA and who can administer the awards without charge.

No, the UNLP fellowship does not allow deferments for internships or job opportunities. In this case, it is recommended that the applicant apply for a fellowship in the next application cycle, when he/she will be attending school during the very next fall semester.

No. Unfortunately, due to the complications of approving international travel, we cannot support students traveling internationally on our fellowships.

If an applicant has not completed a full semester of graduate study at the time of submission, the cumulative undergraduate GPA will be used to determine if the applicant has a 3.25 GPA for the undergraduate requirement to apply for the UNLP Fellowship opportunity. If the applicant has completed one or more semesters of graduate study (2 semesters maximum), then both the undergraduate (minimun 3.25 GPA) and graduate cumulative GPA (minimum 3.5 GPA) will be used. They will not be combined and/or averaged. For an applicant to be eligible, they must have a cumulative 3.25 GPA at the undergraduate and a cumulative 3.5 GPA at the graduate levels. GPAs are not rounded for this requirement.

No, GPAs are not rounded in any way. Applicants must have a 3.25 cumulative GPA in undergraduate work, and a 3.5 GPA in graduate work or higher to apply for a fellowship and a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher to apply for a scholarship.

Reference letters need to be submitted by the application deadline in the system by the letter author. Be sure to make direct contact with your reference writers before using the “notify” button in your application in the online application system. You should directly contacat your letter authors so they are aware that a request will be coming their way by email. They can either upload their letters through the link that is provided in the automatic email from the system (once the applicant uses the system to click “notify”) or, if they are having trouble with the system, they can email it to neup@inl.gov and we can upload it on their behalf. It is recommended that students reach out to their references as early as possible to ensure timely receipt. Students may re-notify their reference letter writers by clicking on the “notify” button in their application even after submitting their application, and up until the application due date. No late application materials can be accepted.

If you applied for a fellowship or scholarship last year, then the INR Integration Office should have any applicable transcripts and scores on file; however, just to be sure, please send an email to neup@inl.gov letting us know that you applied last year and are planning to do so again, so we can locate your records and upload them to the new application file. An updated current transcript from the institution currently being attended, is required for the application to be considered complete.

Yes. Legal permanent residents holding a green card are eligible to apply; however, applicants holding a F1 student visa are not eligible to apply for a UNLP scholarship or fellowship.

No

No. A student must attend the school selected on their application.

Yes, publication charges related to fellowship graduate research are allowable charges on a fellowship award.

Funding from the UNLP program will reside in the Office of Sponsored Programs or the grants/contracts office at the different institutions. The funding will not normally be located in the Financial Aid office.

No

No, all awards must go through DOE’s competitive award funding process. Any leftover funding from the student leaving will remain at the university for future scholars or fellows who are awarded at the same institution.
If the student is working through 14 days of the last month, they are allowed to be paid for the full last month. If they work less than 14 days, their stipend will be prorated according to the number of days worked.

Yes, the UNLP office is always in need of high quality UNLP Scholar and Fellow photos for publications and brochures. Images from nuclear energy work or research are often appropriate photos used for publications. Please contact our office at neup@inl.gov if you have an opportunity to have some photos taken.

The material covered in the papers should be different for the various conferences.

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