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  • General
    • Is NEUP just Nuclear Energy Research Initiative with a new name?
      • They are not the same program although they do have similar elements. Like NERI, NEUP funds university-led nuclear energy research and development projects. But NEUP also funds infrastructure and equipment grants and scholarships and fellowships for students, which NERI did not. The last of the NERI research projects will wrap up in 2010.
    • Are NEUP fellowships and scholarships only for nuclear engineering students?
      • No. The awards are open to students in a variety of nuclear-related fields, including radiochemistry, health physics, nuclear physics and other fields of engineering. Students enrolled in two-year technical programs in nuclear also are eligible for scholarships.
    • Can national laboratories submit proposals?
      • They cannot submit proposals as principal investigators. They can collaborate with universities, but cannot receive more than 20 percent of a project's overall funding.
    • How is NEUP funded?
      • DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy set aside approximately 20 percent of its research budget to fund NEUP. Congress allocated an additional $5 million in FY09 and FY10 to NE for an integrated university program. If awarded in FY11, these funds will be used for scholarships and fellowships.
    • Is NEUP an Idaho National Laboratory program?
      • No, it is not. Nuclear Energy University Program is a Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy initiative. The NEUP Integration Office, located in the Center for Advanced Energy Studies building in Idaho Falls, administers the program on behalf of the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy. The NEUP Integration Office is staffed by Idaho National Laboratory employees.
    • My school isn't on the list of universities and colleges approved to administer NEUP scholarships and fellowships. Am I still eligible for an award?
      • 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. See the section on universities for details.
      • Additional Information
    • So how much money is NEUP awarding to universities and students next year?
      • DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy makes that decision once Congress and President Obama have approved its budget.
    • The pricing guidance mentions "use a separate excel worksheet for each partner". Will there be a combining worksheet too if there is more than one participating institution? Does each budget year need a separate worksheet or can they be combined into a multiple-year budget worksheet?
      • The intent is to have one workbook with multiple worksheets. A revised example will be given under the PI link on the website as of January 19.
    • Where do you get your reviewers?
      • The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy maintains a database of university professors and industry and lab researchers who are qualified to evaluate proposals in the technical workscopes. They are assigned proposals based on their areas of expertise. We are always looking for addition to this database! Please send your recommendations to neup@inl.gov.
    • Why aren't reviewer scores released to principal investigators?
      • NEUP does not view this as being as helpful to researchers as the reviewers' comments, which are released.
    • Why does NEUP use a semi-blind review for the research and development component?
      • NEUP decided early on to use this method to ensure the technical and scientific merit of projects were evaluated as fairly as possible by reviewers. The names of the principal investigators are withheld during the first phase of the review so proposals are evaluated and scored on technical and scientific merit. During the second phase, reviewers assess the research team qualifications as well as the budget and facility capabilities.
  • Infrastructure
    • A Co-PI involved in computational chemistry research already has a computer with necessary software but needs the updated version, as well as an more powerful computer to run the software. Are purchases of software and computer upgrades allowable?
      • Software upgrades and computers can be included in an application as long as it supports the objectives of the NEUP stated in the FOA including to support, maintain, or enhance the University’s capacity to attract and teach high quality students interested in nuclear energy related studies or to build the University’s NS&E basic research and education capabilities.
    • Can the same university apply to both the General Scientific Infrastructure Support FOA and the Reactor Upgrades FOA?
      • Yes. Universities can submit a single, separate proposal to all three areas of the FOAs including General Scientific Infrastructure Support, Reactor Specific Infrastructure Major Reactor Upgrades, and Reactor Specific Infrastructure Minor Reactor Equipment. Grants awarded under the Reactor Upgrades FOA will fund only one area, either minor or major reactor specific infrastructure. That university could still be eligible to receive a general scientific award along with their minor OR major reactor upgrades award.
    • Can you clarify the cost sharing/matching section for all the Infrastructure calls?
      • The ceiling is the maximum amount a proposal will be awarded. This includes the cost sharing/matching amount. For example, if the ceiling is $300,000 and the cost matching is $50,000, the university may request up to $250,000 and cost match up to an additional $50,000 not to exceed $300,000 in Government funds. Cost matching is available for the General Scientific Equipment Infrastructure Support and Minor Reactor Upgrades. There is no cost sharing/matching for Major Reactor Upgrades.
    • I am having difficulty accessing the full announcement for DOE - Nuclear Engery University Programs - Reactor Upgrades. I am looking for a basic description of what is desired in terms of project content from DOE. When I click on “full proposal” I get to Grants.gov site and it has checklists but no description of desired program content.
      • In order to access the Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for the NEUP – Reactor Upgrades, please click on the Fedconnect link. Once the Fedconnect page loads, please select "Search Public Opportunities", look for FOAs issued on 10/27/2011 and then look for the FOA number ending with 614. When you click on the FOA announcement, the body to the announcement is located on the upper right hand corner.
    • I attempted follow the link to FedConnect but was unable to locate the FOA documents. Can you direct me to where the documents can be viewed?
      • Both Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) issued under DCFA 81.121 can be found on Fedconnect by clicking on "Search Public Opportunities", looking at the FOAs issued on 10/27/2011 and then looking for the FOA numbers. When you click on the FOA announcement, the body to the announcement is located on the upper right hand corner.
    • In regards to matching funds – can we use some of the non-federal student support funds as matching funds?
      • Refer to Section III, B - Cost Sharing/Matching. As stated in this paragraph DOE will provide a maximum of $50,000 for installation and/or facility upgrades directly supportive of the equipment indicated in the application. Applicants are required to provide support letters for any matching included in the application. It shall be the applicant's responsibility to identify the funds available to support the match and to ensure the use of the funds (to support installation and/or facility upgrades for the equipment included in the application) do not violate any requirements invoked by the funding source and the funds intended use. Non-federal student support funds do not appear to be intended for the purposes required by this FOA.
    • Is the support limited to instruments related expenses only or can we request any funds to support students/lab assistants and/or research related activities?
      • Refer to Section I, Description which includes a description of items applicants can and cannot include in their applications. The FOA states "applications can be submitted for all equipment and instrumentation and associated facility upgrade requests that support nuclear energy-related R&D or education". Applications should only include costs specific to equipment or instrumentation and should not include hiring, human capital costs, operation and maintenance of equipment, non-stand installation costs, or institution-specific costs. Based on the direction contained in the FOA, research related activities should not be included in an application.
    • Is this a limited submission opportunity (each university can submit only one proposal)?
      • Refer to Section I, second to last paragraph which states: “Only one application can be submitted in response to this FOA..."
    • Page 6 of the FOA states "…if you have a major reactor upgrade in progress you are precluded from receiving major reactor upgrade awards in FY 2012 unless the existing project is complete and all associated funds are costed prior to the application closure date." If we had received a major reactor upgrade award in FY2011, would we be eligible to submit a major reactor upgrade proposal to DE-FOA-0000614 if we have completely spent-out our FY2011 award prior to 2/8/12?
      • Section H of the FOA indicates an applicant must have all in-progress major reactor upgrade projects completed and the funding costed prior to the application closure date, which is 2/8/12 for this FOA. For example, an applicant with an in-process major reactor upgrade resulting from a grant received in FY2010 or FY2011 would need to complete the project and cost the funding prior to 2/8/2012 in order to be considered for a new grant under this FOA. The project will be considered to be complete when the Statement of Objectives associated with the Grant have been completed and any federal funding fully invoiced.
    • Please forward the full announcement for the grant opportunity (DE-FOA-0000614) titled Nuclear Energy University Programs. Please, also correct a typo in the title (Energy instead of Engery) of the announcement.
      • The full announcement is available on Fedconnect for you to view. We are aware of the typo and will look into having it corrected.
    • We have an existing nuclear power systems program. Does our program fall within the description of this announcement?
      • You are requesting direction as to whether an existing nuclear power systems program would be considered for a grant under FOA 613 – General Scientific Infrastructure. In order to make this determination, the University will need to consider the description and evaluation criteria contained in the FOA. The FOA specifically states:

        "This FOA is seeking applications from U.S. universities and colleges for equipment and instrumentation infrastructure to support nuclear energy-related engineering and science teaching and research laboratories.

        The infrastructure requested by a university should be individual, discrete, and definable items or capabilities that will support, maintain, or enhance the university’s or college’s capacity to attract and teach high quality students interested in nuclear energy-related studies; build the university’s or college’s NS&E basic research or education capabilities; or enhance the university’s or college’s capability to perform R&D that is relevant to DOE-NE’s R&D mission."

        As long as the University can demonstrate in its application that the requested equipment falls within these general parameters, it will be considered as part of the merit review.
    • Is the Table of Contents required, and if so, can it be incorporated into the Cover Page or must it be on a separate page?
      • You may place the Cover Page and Table of Contents on the same page.
  • Integrated Research Projects
    • Are international partners (no-government funding) subject to the mandatory requirements?
      • Yes, all teaming partners are subject to the mandatory requirements.
    • Do CV's count towards the 50 page narrative limit?
      • No. CV's do not count towards the 50 page limit for the narrative.
    • Do all partners, including international, need to provide a CV?
      • Yes. All partners that contribute significantly to the project must submit a CV.
    • How much IRP funding can go to partners in industry/utility, national laboratories, etc?
      • On page three of the IRP CFP it states, "No more than 20 percent of the project funds provided by the government can go to non-university participants, including all government-funded national laboratories and industry/utility partner shares combined. Cost-sharing is encouraged, but not required."
    • In past NEUP submittals we have been allowed to upload a Technical Expertise document as supplementary information. This document has provided additional information on qualifications/expertise for the project team. The current submittal form indicates only budgetary information as an example of supplementary information. Can we include a Technical Expertise document in this section?
      • Yes, applicants can include a Technical Expertise document in the supplementary information section. The budgetary information is only an example of what could be uploaded. There is not a page maximum for the upload but a two-page maximum is recommended.
    • In the submission form and on the "Additional Conflict of Interest Information Form" it asks for disclosure of all projects that are currently funded with nuclear energy-related Federal funding. Does this include current projects and proposed projects?
      • Yes. Applicants are requested to list all current R&D projects funded by nuclear energy-related Federal sources along with proposed projects that would come from the same type of funding source.
    • On page 15 of the solicitation, are the bulleted items intended to be headings/sections of the 50 page narrative?
      • No. The intent of the bulleted items is to be used as a check list to ensure each item is discussed in your narrative.
    • Section 10.5.2 of the CFP references Form PROC-3204 and indicates it is avaiable on the NEUP website. The proposal submittal , however, provides a link to the Additional Conflict of Interest Information Form. Please clarify whether the PROC-3204 is required.
      • PROC-3204 has been replaced with the "Additional Conflict of Interest Information Form" that is available in the IRP proposal submittal system. The "Additional Conflict of Interest Information Form" is required for all IRP proposals.
    • The capabilities document and bulleted item from the narrative of "Type/description of facilities that will be used to execute the scope" seem very similar. Are they the same?
      • No. The narrative should not directly identify a facility to allow for a semi-blind review process. Only a brief description of the facility and how it is capable is to be included. The capabilities document is where the facility can be directly identified with specific capabilities.
    • What level of detail is expected in an IRP proposal? Specifically, will it be expected that the proposal outline a reference design for the new reactor or can the proposal simply list the various innovative design features that will be explored during the project?
      • Thank you for your interest and question. Either approach (a reference design or a list of various innovative design features) would be acceptable. However, with a focus on the innovative features, some discussion of the reference design concept would be needed to understand the big picture.
    • A retired faculty member is part of our team. Is it possible to pay him as a consultant?
      • Yes. If she/he will be receiving $50,000 or more for the life of the subcontract, she/he will also need to be listed as a collaborator.
    • As awards will be announced on June 22, 2011, would it be advisable to use a July 1, 2011 start date or a date in the future?
      • The start date will depend on how soon a contract is put in place. Once a proposal is selected, it typically takes three to five weeks to get a contract in place. This all depends on if the university has supplied all the required additional documentation (i.e., vendor quotes for equipment, materials and supplies price lists, etc).
    • Regarding the limitation on number of lead applications, can a university submit proposals to each key area?
      • Yes. Universities may apply to both areas of the IRP call. For each area, the first application received from a deignated lead university will be the application accepted.
  • R&D CFP
    • Are 4 year proposals still allowed as long as the costs do not exceed the cap?
      • Yes, as long as the costs of the project are appropriate for the workscope and do not exceed the cap as outlined in the solicitation.
    • Are all national laboratories directly funded by DOE?
      • No. The lead institution is required to subcontract all sub-tier work from other universities, industry, and national laboratories, with one exception. Work done by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is directly funded and does not require the lead university to subcontract. Therefore, indirect charges should not be charge to INL dollars.
    • Can national laboratory personnel, whose salary is being paid by the federal government, be paid to act as a consultant on a NEUP project?
      • Yes. They will be paid through a subcontract from the university. It is very important to remember that if the consultant's time is being used on a NEUP project, you must account for their total cost in your budget form. DO NOT assume that their salary will be paid for by the federal government.
    • Does NEUP offer "no-cost extensions" on R&D contracts if the contract still has unspent money?
      • Because federal program dollars and priorities are based on critical, timely research results, “no-cost extensions” on NEUP contracts are only approved for cases with extenuating circumstances (death of a collaborator, long-term facility shutdown, etc). “No-cost extensions” will not be granted in other cases.
        If you feel your project requires a “no-cost extension” please contact Val Seeley at 208-526-0830 to submit the necessary documentation for your request to be reviewed.
    • Does the Additional COI request need to include grants awarded in the last 3 years or that were active at any time during the last 3 years? Also is are all projects to be listed, including from NRC, NSF etc?
      • Yes. Any government funding related to nuclear energy work should be included and any agencies, not just DOE, should be listed.
    • For those national laboratory subcontracts (except INL administered by NEUP) administered by the lead university (if awarded), would you please confirm that, as last year, a restriction on adders for subcontracts (between universities and national labs or industry) will be imposed, with adders (F&A) only applied to the first $25K to these pass-through subcontracts.
      • You are correct. The lead university can charge G&A on the first $25K only; however, none on the INL portion.
    • How do I refer to my (minor) collaborator if he/she is not going to be receiving funding from this program? Is it ok for me to mention him/her - and the nature of our collaboration - in the proposal under these circumstances?
      • You may refer to PI and partners as Partner One, Professor One, Lead PI, Collaborating PI 1, Industry Partner 1 and National Lab Partner 1 or any generic designation you prefer, but you must not call them out by name.
    • I am submitting to the MS-NT3 topic. The CFP indicates a max budget of $600K for MS projects. However, my invitation letter clearly states that the maximum budget is $500K. I presume that I need to follow the $500K limit, but wanted to verify that.
      • Yes. The total cost for proposals submitted under the MN-NT3 workscope only cannot exceed $500,000. It is recommended to stay within this pricing range to remain competitive within the MS-NT3 workscope.
    • I am working on my proposal submission in response to the FY 2012 Call for Proposals. When I go to create my application (under the "Proposals" tab on the NEUP website), there are two different ID numbers listed in the table. What ID number do I use when naming my files?
      • Use the last four digits provided in the Tracking ID Number that is found both in that table and at the top of the application submission form. The other ID is an internal number used by the NEUP Integration Office.

        For example, if your Tracking ID Number is CFP-12-1234, use "1234".
    • If there are 2 university partners, will the funding go directly to both universities or will the lead university have to subcontract to the other university?
      • If selected, funding to the 2 partnering universities will be through a subcontract
    • Is a minor revision of the proposal title allowed?
      • Yes. As long as you aren't making significant changes to the workscope itself, you can make minor adjustments to the title of your project.
    • Is the PROC-2120 required at time of proposal submission and where can I find this form?
      • No. PROC-2120 is not required and has been removed from the application process.
    • My Pre-Application was scored as “Highly Relevant/High Program Priority” yet I was not invited to submit a full proposal. How can a proposal that is scored highly relevant be excluded from the full proposal process?
      • There are several reasons why a proposal can be scored “Highly Relevant/High Program Priority” and still be excluded from the full proposal process. First, the highest scoring category for a relevancy review is “Unquestionably Relevant/Unquestionable Program Priority”, meaning other proposals could still be scored higher than “Highly Relevant”. Second, a proposal can score well in the relevancy review and poorly in a technical review. If this is the case, proposals could be excluded on technical merit. Third, each workscope area defines its own competitive range; therefore, competitive scores will be different for each workscope area. For example, highly competitive workscope areas may only invite proposals with “Unquestionable Relevance” because there are enough competitive proposals to do so.
    • On the conflict of interest form, do I need to list national lab partners?
      • No. National lab partners do not need to be listed on the COI form.
    • One of our collaborators has had numerous coauthorships, enough to take up most of the two pages. Does he need to include all of these coauthors for the last 4 years? All in the last 2 years? All that were "substantial" collaborations? or all that he been funded or has applied for funding with?
      • Our CVs do not need to include this information. Elsewhere in the application, you are required to list any conflicts of interest or funding received by the collaborators from entities related Nuclear Energy Federal Funding.
    • Section 5.7 of the CFP states "Provide the following types of supporting documents with the budget spreadsheet: published fee schedules for laboratory equipment use, vendor quotes for equipment purchases, catalog prices for materials and supplies, details of the basis of estimate for the proposals budget and indirect rate agreement." Is the information required with the full proposal submission?
      • No. The information should be on file in the event your project is awarded. If your proposal is selected you would need to provide those documents of detail.
    • Should anonymity be maintained in the Capabilities document?
      • No. In the Capabilities document of your submission, you may use the names of the lead organization as well as any collaborating organizations.
    • Should costs for INL subaward be included in our budget, or will that funding be awarded directly to INL, as it was in the first NEUP awards?
      • If selected, the national laboratory will receive their funding through the lead university UNLESS that laboratory is INL, in which case the funds will be administered through NEUP. If INL is a collaborating organization of your project, you WILL still need to create a budget sheet for them.
    • Should names be included in the technical abstract?
      • Since the technical abstract will not accompany the technical narrative throughout the review process, you may use the names of the organizations involved in the project.
    • Should our proposal be selected for award, what would be the earliest start date that we could consider funding students? Can an earlier date be used than the anticipated one outlined in the Call for Proposals?
      • The day that the project contract is awarded is issued is when you can start invoicing BEA for salaries, students, etc. What makes this difficult is that that date varies from project to project, so if selected, your project could be awarded a(contract signed) s early as August, or it could be the end of September. There isn't a definitive date to provide; however, just keep in mind that nothing can be invoiced prior to that date of issuance.
    • The INL budget form indicates we should include a CV for each degreed person. If we have more than 4 degreed persons on the project (CVs will be provided for the PI and in the technical expertise document), how should the additional CVs requested for degreed persons be submitted?
      • These additional documents should be uploaded to the "Supplemental Information" portion of your submission.
    • The RFP indicates that a copy of the indirect rate agreement should be included in the supporting documents, given that where it should be included?
      • This document and other supporting documents only need to be on file at this time. If your proposal is selected to be funded, then those documents will need to be provided.
    • The RFP instructions indicate both a limit on the number of vitae (4), the length of each vita (2 pgs), and the total length (8 pgs). If we are able to remain with in the total 8 page limit, may we include more than 4 vitae?
      • Only one CV can be uploaded under the Principal Investigator Vitae section. For all other collaborators, you can list them individually under the Technical Expertise and Qualifications section. If you still need to provide additional names, you can list them under the Supplementary Information section.
    • What flexibility do we have to modify the workscope in the full proposal from that in the pre-application?
      • If you are making minor tweaks to your workscope, or want to make minor adjustments to address the comments/suggestions you received during the pre-application review process, then there is some flexibility. Major changes to the workscope are not recommended.
    • What forms do I need to fill out for conflict of interest? Do I still need to fill out PROC 3204 like I have in past years?
      • The only conflict of interest form that needs to be filled out for the R&D CFP is the "Required Additional Conflicts of Interest Form". This form can be found in your R&D CFP application materials under "Supplementary Information". This form can be up to two pages.

        (The "Required Additional Conflicts of Interest Form" has replaced PROC 3204; therefore, PROC 3204 is no longer needed.)
    • What is the definition of "underrepresented groups" in the context of NEUP proposals?
      • Underrepresented groups include, but are not limited to, those groups that have participation rates significantly below the national average. Examples of such groups may be women, lower socioeconomic groups, certain minority ethnic groups, or disabled people.
    • Where can I find form PROC 2113?
      • Should your proposal be selected for an award, you may be required to submit this form; however, it is not needed at this time.
    • Where can I find the guidance for the CFP requirements, for example, how to reference a partner without identifying their name or institution in the Technical Narrative?
      • The link to the guidance for the CFP requirements is located in the application at the bottom of the Technical Proposal section. It is labeled (Guidance) and is after the sentence instructions of how to label a file.
    • As a Co-PI, does the national lab personnel have restrictions for the budget? Does he/she have to put down hours to perform the research or he/she can use budget all for other purposes, such as travel and supplies/materials?
      • The Co-PI from a national laboratory will need to work with their own contracts/financial people to determine how they will be supporting a project, whether it is by hours, material supplies, or travel and preparing the budget spreadsheet. A proposal will need to include a budget for whatever time, materials and supplies, travel etc. that pertains to his/her involvement in the project.
    • Can letters of support/endorsement be attached to the proposal? If so, where?
      • No. Letters of support from partners may not be included in the application.
    • Do we have to list preferred reviewers or is it optional?
      • It is optional. When you save and submit your proposal, you'll receive an error box if anything required is missing.
    • I am a little confused by the last two sentences of the reviewer's comments and would like clarification as to what they mean. In particular, am I being asked not to propose work whose ultimate success would take more than three years or that is more like a 'BES/NSF-type of project? I thought the 'Blue skies' program was intended to look further off in to the future than the more targeted program.
      • It is advised to propose the funded work within the allowed 3-4 years time of the subcontract. Be sure to be claer what is proposed versus what may be the future of the project.
    • I did not see any request for a list of current and pending proposals for the PI and co-PIs to be included with the package. Is this not required?
      • It is required and would be listed under the Supplementary Information section in the additional conflicts of interest form.
    • In the Mandatory Requirements Page 8 no. 5 quality assurance, it reads, ...In accordance with this review, QA requirements were identified on the QA Requirements Form. Offerors and partners who are selected to perform work in accordance with this CFP agree to adhere to the specified QA requirements.....
      Question: Is the QA Requirements Form available now?

      • No. The form is not required during the CFP application process. It is available to view under the Principal Investigators tab. If your proposal is selected to be funded, then the form will be necessary.
    • In the separate document for capabilities, is it okay to mention the identification of the PI and collaborators?
      • Yes. It will be viewed after the Blind is removed.
    • Is it OK to identify the partner national lab by name in the proposal? (without identifying the Co-PIs from the lab).
      • No. Identification, by individual name or name of institution, of any teaming partner shall not be included.
    • My collaborator with a national lab is not familiar with this whole process because he/she is not in nuclear related divisions. Does he/she need to ask someone for special approval to get a subcontract from our university through NEUP?
      • That person should ask their contracts/financial people about the correct process.
    • On the NEUP proposal application form, instructions to name files to be uploaded are: 11-XXXX Technical Proposal.pdf (replace XXXX w/your proposal's CFP ID #). On page 3 of the CFP, instructions to name files are: 2011 CFP Narrative 11-xxxx. Which format should be used?
      • Use the format from the solicitation of: 2011 CFP Narrative "Insert ID" and replace the ID# with the Full Request identification number from the top of the application form. Note: full proposals will receive a new identification number different than the RPA number.
    • On the NEUP website under partner can we list our National Lab Partner? Can a vitae be uploaded in the technical expertise section?
      • Yes you can list a National Lab partner under the Partner section. The vitae would be uploaded individually under the Technical Expertise section.
    • On the abstract template, we are to identify the program name.
      [Program: Program Name] Is this the final workscope?
      • Yes. Of the four programs, identify which one your proposal is being submitted under, for example, Fuel Cycle, Reactor Concetps, NEAMS, or Blue Sky. The template form has been updated to help identify this.
    • One of the teams preparing a proposal for the FCS asked if there is any documentation on potential use cases for it. In particular, how does fuel cyclce system analyses use simulation in their work?
      • The report Dynamic Systems Analysis Report for Nuclear Fuel Recycle provides a number of examples of dynamic analysis of three specific fuel cycles. This report was prepared for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program, which was a predecessor to the current DOE Fuel Cycle Technology Program the FCS will support. The Fuel Cycle Technology program is assessing a much broader range of fuel cycle options.

        Initial scoping for the Fuel Cycle Simulator was performed last year, resulting in the report Draft Next Generation Fuel Cycle Simulator Functions and Requirements Document. This early vision of the FCS will be substantially revised this spring/summer, including input from a much broader range of stakeholders. Since the revision is not yet available, the initial document is being provided to assist proposal developers. In particular, Section 7 discusses a number of potential use cases in five general areas. While these use cases document many of the analyses envisioned by national laboratory fuel cycle analysts, we are very interested in additional use cases for university and industry applications. The information in this document should be considered as initial ideas for the FCS, and not as a set of requirements that must be met.

        The two documents can be found in the 2011 Archive or at the link provided here.
      • Additional Information
    • Do I need to submit any letters of commitment from my partners when I submit the pre-
      • No. You just need to check the box on the submission form indicating your partners are committed.
    • If a university proposes to collaborate with two national laboratories, can each national laboratory obtain 20% of the total funding (i.e., 40% of the total budget to the national labs), or do the labs have to share 20% of the total budget between them?
      • No, the CFP specifically states that the sum total of all funds that go to the all national laboratory and industrial partners may not exceed 20% of the total funding request.
  • R&D RPA
    • Are 4 year proposals still allowed as long as the costs do not exceed $1.5 million?
      • Yes, as long as the costs of the project are appropriate for the workscope and do not exceed the $1.5M cap
    • Are all national laboratories directly funded by DOE?
      • No. The lead institution is required to subcontract all sub-tier work from other universities, industry, and national laboratories, with one exception. Work done by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is directly funded and does not require the lead university to subcontract. Therefore, indirect charges should not be charge to INL dollars.
    • Are national laboratories allowed to participate on R&D proposals? What is the budget limit for lab participation?
      • Yes, 20% -- please read the RFP for more detail.
    • Can national laboratory personnel, whose salary is being paid by the federal government, be paid to act as a consultant on a NEUP project?
      • Yes. They will be paid through a subcontract from the university. It is very important to remember that if the consultant's time is being used on a NEUP project, you must account for their total cost in your budget form. DO NOT assume that their salary will be paid for by the federal government.
    • Can the collaborators at the lab be Co-Principal Investigators?
      • No. The lab folks would be considered collaborators not PIs.
    • Can you please clairfy the recent change to the RPA - "Collaborations with foreign organizations are allowed if their role is focused on fundamental research and they are not a denied party or a party that requires an export license. Foreign organization participants are not eligible for U.S. funding". Are collaborations with foreign partners in France allowed the be paid on a subcontract?
      • No.
    • Do I need to submit any letters of commitment from my partners when I submit the pre-application?
      • No. You just need to check the box on the submission form indicating your partners are committed.
    • Do references count within the page maximum of the Technical Abstract?
      • Yes they do.
    • How do I add partners and reviewers?
      • After each line item, there is an "Add" option to click on. This will save each line and then it can be edited and/or deleted.
    • I have been asked to contribute to more than one preapplication in different areas of research. Is being a PI or Co-PI on two or more preapplications allowed?
      • Yes.
    • If we believe a proposal could be funded under different workscopes, should we submit the same proposal twice?
      • No. If you are unsure where your proposal should be listed, you should refer to the Technical Points of Contact list and discuss with them where they would suggest you submit your proposal under. It is not recommended to submit a proposal more than once.
    • Should costs for INL subaward be included in our budget, or will that funding be awarded directly to INL, as it was in the first NEUP awards?
      • If selected, the national laboratory will receive their funding through the lead university UNLESS that laboratory is INL, in which case the funds will be administered through NEUP. If INL is a collaborating organization of your project, you WILL still need to create a budget sheet for them.
    • Should we upload CV's for the Co-PIs?
      • At this phase we allow only the lead PI full CV. All others should be described succinctly within the Benefit of Collaborations document.
    • I am very encouraged by the addition of FC-7 to the RFP, but there is some confusion in this category. This new addition refers clearly to a "over-arching framework, or information backbone, for the FCS and will be lead by the Fuel Cycle Technologies Systems Analysis Campaign." It is difficult to write proposals without more clarity on what this "over-arching framework" will look like.
      • The Fuel Cycle Simulator (FCS) framework is being initiated by a DOE laboratory team within the Fuel Cycle Technologies Systems Analysis Campaign. Since a successful proposal will not receive funding until September 2011, much of the framework development will have taken place by the laboratory team before the NEUP projects begin. To provide assistance in pre-proposal development, the following are the framework development activities the laboratory team will perform and approximate timing. The due date for proposals responding to the FCS will now be due by 5 PM MST on December 19th, 2010. Update and Expand FCS Functions and Requirements - Includes what the FCS must do from the perspective of the nuclear fuel cycle (domain perspective). An initial draft of this document will be updated and expanded using a collaborative process to identify the core and eventual extended use cases the simulator is to support, and identify the functionality that is to be added through the first few stages of expansion from the initial core implementation. The activity will also finalize user types to be supported and identify interface and data requirements to support functionality. The collaborative process will include workshops open to interested individuals with relevant experience from laboratories, universities, and industry as well as other stakeholders. To be completed by September, 2011. Develop Software Functions and Requirements - Identifies what the FCS must do from a computer science perspective to implement FCS functions and requirements. Participate in collaborative process to update the FCS F&Rs, providing insights on software capabilities. Convert FCS F&Rs into software F&Rs, including identification of data flow requirements and database F&Rs. Harvest formulas/equations and data from existing simulation tools. Started in Spring 2011, but may not be complete until Fall 2011. Develop Software Architecture to support the software F&Rs - In collaboration with the hardware F&R activity, identify options for and select the primary programming, interface, and database software and development tools. Develop a plan and schedule for software development. Scheduled to start in Summer 2011 and be completed by end of 2011. Develop Hardware Functions and Requirements - Identifies the hardware architecture to support the extended functionality of the FCS, including compute engine and user platforms. Participate in the collaborative process to update the FCS F&Rs, providing insights on hardware capabilities. In collaboration with the software architecture activity, identify the initial hardware configuration to support the framework development and fielding of the core functionality. Scheduled to start in the Summer 2011 and be completed by end of 2011.
    • Although I am from a minority serving institution, the web form does not allow me to enter my university in the fields provided. How should I enter it?
      • Those fields are no longer requiring input. You can choose the state your university is located in, choose "Other" for the university and enter the name of your institution.
    • Can a graduate student be a PI?
      • No. We encourage graduate students to work on the projects, but PIs should be University Professors.
    • Can a project have multiple PIs?
      • Projects can have as many collaborators as necessary, but only one lead PI.
    • Do you have guidelines on international collaborators?
      • We do not have specific guidelines. There are export control criteria that needs to be met--usually this is handled during contracting. If you have specific questions, please let us know.
    • Does "team member" refer to the institution or the individual under collaboration commitment? If there are two individuals from a national lab is that one or two commitments?
      • It refers to one commitment and it's by institution.
    • For a team member not to be identified as a collaborator, would I list their share at $50,000 or $49,999 in my budget?
      • In order to remain a minor contributor, they cannot be allocated $50,000 or more for their participation in the project. You would allocate them $49,999 and under.
    • How are DOE laboratory personnel associated with the Fuel Cycle R&D Program funded?
      • DOE laboratory personnel associated with the Fuel Cycle R&D Program will be funded programmatically and should not be included in NEUP proposals. National Laboratory collaborators working on tasks specific to the proposal in other areas (such as computer scientists, social scientists, etc.) should be part of a proposal (including funding).
    • How do I upload documents to my application?
      • The upload options will become available after the proposal is saved for the first time.
    • I am a jointly employed by a university and a laboratory. Am I able to be a lead PI?
      • It is not recommended unless you are employed more than half of your time with the university.
    • I am submitting applications on behalf of the PI. The web form indicates I must check the box indicating I am the PI. Is that a problem?
      • No. The proposal will be tied to the PI so this does not create a problem.
    • Is a Benefit of Collaboration document needed for collaborators from the same university?
      • You would provide any information on collaborators and facilities that benefit the proposal here.
    • Is any part of the pre-application made public?
      • No. Pre-applications are considered part of a competitive contract solicitation and are not publicly available. They are shared with project personnel as designated by the appropriate Federal and Technical liaisons in their role as a reviewer or funding agency. They are also reviewed by a technical review panel of university folks, but they are not allowed to share or use the data presented.
    • Is it necessary to fill out the "Benefit of Collaborators" if there are none?
      • No. It is not necessary if there truly are no collaborators.
    • One of my partners is from an organziation not listed in the drop down menu. Where should I list this partner?
      • Choose "Other including Foreign Entities" and enter the partner's organization accordingly.
    • When submitting an application, an error is received that states "Additional References Required to Submit." What does this mean?
      • The error is indicating a required field is missing information. It will highlight a message in red at the far right of the error to show what is missing. Check the "Recommended Reviewers" field to ensure three experts have been identified.
    • Would funds to a laboratory be part of the overall proposed budget?
      • Yes. Laboratory portions of a proposal will need to be shown as part of the proposal budget.
    • Can a proposal have one year under one workscope and a different year under a different workscope if the project is applicable to both workscopes?
      • No. Due to the allocation of funds, review process, and other programmatic procedures, only one workscope is available to a project at a time. To submit to a different workscope would require a separate proposal.
    • Did anything else change besides the header of the NEAMS area with the amendment to the FY 2012 RPA?
      • No. The header was changed to include "PROGRAM SUPPORTING" in order for applicants to request the funding available to that area.
    • Is an adjunct professor at a U.S. based university while also employed at a foreign institution eligible for U.S. funding?
      • Only if they are working for and at the U.S. university on U.S. soil can they receive U.S. funds. We cannot send funds to a foreign institution.
    • Is it mandatory to put in reviewers for the submission of the RPA?
      • Yes, this is a mandatory field. We reserve the right to use or not use the suggestions considering other factors including conflict of interest, but we have found this self identification extremely useful in obtaining appropriately qualified expert reviewers.
    • Is it possible to request NEUP funding for a foreign collaborator if they work at a U.S. university?
      • Yes, it is possible to request NEUP funding as long as the collaborator is working for the U.S. university and performing the work at the U.S. university.
    • There doesn't seem to be an indication of how to include budget information in the pre-proposal. Should this be part of the narrative or is there a separate form that needs to be filled out? Perhaps it waits until the full-proposal call?

      • During the RPA stage, only the requested amount is necessary. The technical narrative should support the requested amount and further information will be required during the CFP stage if a proposal were submitted.
    • Will DOE disqualify all pre-applications from an institution if you receive more than 6 pre-applications and/or if there are more than 3 as lead PI?
      • No. The limitations are per person, not institution. This affects the number of pre-applications per PI and/or collaborators. The institutions are invited to submit any amount of proposals.
  • Scholarships & Fellowships
    • The Fellowship RFA says that only first and second year graduate students are eligible to apply. I am going into my third year of graduate school but the first two years were completing a MS degree and now I am moving onto my third year for my Ph.D. Do I qualify as a first year Ph.D student?
      • Graduate students are not eligible for a fellowship if they are beginning their third or more year of continuous, full-time graduate study for the fall semester.  If a student started graduate school, but then left for a job or other reasons for more than two continuous semesters, then upon return to full-time graduate study, they would be considered a new student in their first year.
    • What happens to my application materials if scholarship and fellowship awards are not issued?
      • If scholarship and fellowship awards are not issued, all application materials will remain on file with the NEUP Integration Office (NEUP-IO).

        If a solicitation is issued the following year, students who wish to reapply can contact the NEUP-IO to see what scores/transcripts are still on file so that they do not have to be resubmitted. In addition, students have the option of using the same essays as the previous year as long as they are still considered current/up-to-date. (Students will need to once again upload these essays to the online application form.)

        Please note that new reference letters will need to be submitted, as previous letters will not be accepted.
    • When submitting a request to have my GRE scores sent to the NEUP Integration Office, the website requests a Department Code in addition to the 4470 Institution Code that is provided in the Request for Applications. What Department Code should applicants use?
      • You should be able to submit your request without having to provide a Department Code. If the system does not allow you to do so, please give the NEUP Integration Office a call so that they are aware of the issue and can help get it resolved.
    • Will NEUP scholarship and fellowship awards definitely be funded in FY 2012? I applied for a NEUP scholarship/fellowship last year and was disappointed when awards were not issued after having spent so much time preparing my application. What are the chances that the same thing will happen again this year?
      • NEUP will be funding scholarship and fellowship awards in FY 2012. On December 23, 2011, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-74) directing the Department to invest $5 million in nuclear energy-related student education. Approval of this appropriation ensures that funding will be available for scholarships and fellowships in FY 2012.
    • Are permanent residents eligible to apply for a NEUP scholarship or fellowship?
      • 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 NEUP scholarship or fellowship.
    • Can the $1,000 research travel allowance given to NEUP fellowship recipients be used for foreign travel?
      • No. Unfortunately, due to the complications of approving international travel, we cannot support students traveling internationally on our fellowships.
    • How many scholarship and fellowship awards is NEUP expecting to issue in FY 2012?
      • Scholarships: It is anticipated that approximately 70 undergraduate scholarships will be awarded ($5,000 award per student.

        Fellowships: DOE-NE expects to award about 30 fellowships under the current RFA ($150,000 over three years).
    • What would happen if, after all costs related to the student's fellowship were paid, there were still funds leftover? Would the student be given the funds, or would they be returned to NEUP?
      • If there are funds remaining at the end of a student's fellowship, then the student's university needs to work with the DOE Idaho Operations Office to return the funding to NEUP. Students do not keep the leftover funds.

        Exception: should a student from a university be selected for award at the time another student's fellowship at the same university is ending, then the DOE Operations Office would work with the university to simply transfer the funding over to the new student.
    • When are the reference letters due? How should they be submitted to NEUP?
      • They are due on February 8, 2012. Once you enter each reference's information into the online application form, click on the "Notify" link and an automatic email will be sent, informing them on how to submit their letters.

        Please be sure to make direct contact with your reference writers as well, so that they are aware that a request will be coming their way. They can either upload their letters through the link that is provided in the automatic email 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.
    • I applied for a NEUP Fellowship award last year and am applying again this year. Do I need to resubmit transcripts or GRE scores, or do you still have them on file?
      • If you applied for a Fellowship or Scholarship last year, then NEUP should have your previously submitted transcripts and test 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 this year so that we can go ahead and pull your records to create a new file. In addition, we recommend that you make mention of this within your personal statement in case something is overlooked.
    • I was not required to take the GREs. Am I still eligible to apply for a NEUP Fellowship?
      • Yes. You are still eligible to apply for a NEUP Fellowship. Someone from your admissions office (or a professor) will need to send an email to neup@inl.gov letting us know that they weren't required for admittance into your graduate program so we can note it in your file.
    • My school isn't on the list of universities and colleges approved to administer NEUP scholarships and fellowships. Am I still eligible for an award?
      • Your university or college will need to apply to the U.S. Department of Energy's Fellowship/Scholarship Program Funding Opportunity Announcment (DE-FOA-0000304) on www.grants.gov to be added to the list. The process takes about six weeks from when we receive the application, so it is important that your university submit this as soon as possible. If you are selected to receive an award and your school is not on the current list but has applied, we will expedite the process. It is preferable that the application on www.grants.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.
    • When will applicants be notified of the status of their application for the FY 2012 NEUP scholarship and fellowship programs?
      • Announcement of this year's scholarship and fellowship recipients is anticipated for the end of April 2012.

        All applicants will receive an email from the NEUP Integration Office informing them of the selections.
    • If a student purchases property, can the housing allowance be used to help pay the mortgage? Is there any difference between paying a housing allowance for rental property vs. owned property?
      • Yes. If a student has funds remaining from his/her NEUP fellowship once tuition, fees, etc., have been paid, then that money can be used to help pay for the student's housing, rented or owned.
    • Once all tuition, fees, books, etc., have been covered by a NEUP fellowship, can a student use the leftover funds to pay utility costs, such as water and electricity as part of their "housing" allowance?
      • No. Leftover funding, once all tuition, etc., has been paid, cannot be used to pay utility costs. It can be used for rent or for a mortgage payment, however. In addition, it can also be used for pre-approved NEUP-related travel. Students wishing to do additional travel will need to submit a travel request form (which can be found on the NEUP website).
    • The Fellowship RFA states that GRE scores are required. If I have not yet taken the GRE, but plan to within the next couple of weeks, am I still eligible to apply? It also mentions that the GRE Subject Test is recommended. Is this required?
      • As long as your GRE scores are submitted prior to the February 8, 2012 deadline, they will be accepted. The GRE Subject Test is recommended; however, if it was not required for acceptance into your graduate program, you will need to submit an explanation to NEUP@inl.gov so it can be placed with your application.
    • Although I will be pursuing a graduate degree from a university participating in the program, I have not yet decided (accepted an offer) which Nuclear program I will be participating in. How should I fill out the "University Selection" portion of the online application - should I just choose any one of the schools I am considering?
      • Provide the NEUP Integration Office with the university you anticipate on attending. If that changes, let us know as soon as possible so that if you are selected for award, we can distribute funds to the appropriate university.
    • Are NEUP fellowships and scholarships only for nuclear engineering students?
      • No. The awards are open to students in a variety of nuclear-related fields, including radiochemistry, health physics and nuclear physics. Students enrolled in two-year technical programs in nuclear are also eligible.
    • Chemical Engineering was not specifically listed as a nuclear-energy related discipline within the introduction of the RFA. As a Chemical Engineering student, am I also eligible to apply for this scholarship?
      • Yes.
    • I am currently a senior and will be going to school for one more year to complete my undergraduate degree. Am I still eligible to apply for a NEUP Scholarship even though I am going to be a fifth year senior?
      • Yes. You are still eligible to apply for a NEUP Scholarship.
    • 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. Thank you for any information.
      • Students pursuing nuclear energy-related disciplines such as nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, health physics, nuclear materials science, radiochemistry, etc., are eligible to apply for a NEUP 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.

        More information on student eligibility can be found on the NEUP website in the FY 2012 Request for Applications for both scholarships and fellowships.
    • To be eligible for a scholarship or fellowship, must a student be part of a NEUP funded project, or may they only be doing work in a nuclear related field.
      • There is no requirement that a student be part of an existing project. They need only be pursueing a course of study related to nuclear energy.
    • To what mailing address should official transcripts and test scores be sent for the NEUP scholarship/fellowship programs?
      • Official transcripts and scores for both scholarship and fellowship applications can be sent to the following address: NEUP Integration Office Attn: Jenna Payne Idaho National Laboratory PO Box 1625 MS 3560 Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415

Questions?

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