Energy Frontier Research Centers | DE FOA 0001514

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001514

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, through the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), is inviting applications to establish new Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) focused on fundamental science that supports DOE's environmental management mission. The intent is to fund large, coordinated research centers that bring together multiple investigators and disciplines to push for major scientific advances that could eventually make nuclear waste cleanup and long-term storage significantly more effective and less costly. These EFRCs are framed as basic research efforts aligned with BES strengths in materials sciences and chemical sciences, with an emphasis on breakthrough, use-inspired foundational science rather than incremental development work.

The funding opportunity narrows the research scope to two specific topical areas. The first is the development of novel, innovative methods for the characterization, transformation, and separation of nuclear waste. This theme is aimed at enabling better ways to understand complex waste chemistries, change waste into more manageable forms, and separate or isolate problematic components, all of which can influence downstream processing, treatment, and disposition strategies. The second topical area is the discovery and design of new materials for the long-term storage of nuclear waste, including waste forms. This includes materials that can immobilize radionuclides over long time frames or improve the durability, stability, and performance of storage and disposal solutions. Notably, the announcement explicitly states that research on contaminant fate and transport in subsurface geological environments is outside the scope, so proposals centered on groundwater transport, plume migration, or broader subsurface geoscience contamination pathways would not fit this call.

The mechanism is a discretionary grant under CFDA 81.049, categorized under science and technology and other research and development. The opportunity number is DE-FOA-0001514, administered by DOE's Office of Science. DOE anticipated making about five awards, with an award ceiling of $4,000,000. The original posting date was February 8, 2016, and the original closing date was April 19, 2016, indicating this specific solicitation was time-bound to that cycle.

Eligibility is broad and is structured to encourage large, collaborative center proposals while still requiring a clear prime recipient. Individuals who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents may participate either as the prime recipient (lead organization) or as a subawardee (team member). Domestic entities that are incorporated or otherwise formed under U.S. state or territorial law are eligible as lead organizations or subawardees, including for-profit companies, universities and other educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state, local, and tribal government entities. DOE/NNSA National Laboratory contractors are also eligible to serve either as the lead or as a team member, which is important for EFRC-scale efforts that often require major facilities and specialized capabilities.

Some federal research entities have limits on their role. Non-DOE/NNSA federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) and non-DOE government-owned, government-operated (GOGO) laboratories may participate as subawardees but cannot be the lead organization. Similarly, federal agencies and instrumentalities other than DOE may participate as subawardees but are not eligible to lead. These constraints preserve DOE's preference for a domestically incorporated prime recipient while still allowing specialized federal capabilities to contribute as collaborators.

Foreign participation is allowed, but with conditions for who can serve as the lead. Foreign entities are eligible to apply under the announcement, including as collaborators or subawardees, and they may even apply as a lead only if the lead organization receiving funds is incorporated under U.S. state or territorial law. If a foreign entity seeks to lead, it must name a U.S.-incorporated subsidiary or affiliate as the lead organization in both the Letter of Intent and the full application and must explain the corporate relationship. There is also a waiver pathway: a foreign entity can request that DOE waive the domestic-incorporation lead requirement in the full application, and DOE may grant it at its discretion if doing so advances the goals of the FOA and aligns with DOE interests.

The solicitation also addresses how multi-organization teams can be structured. Incorporated consortia (whether domestic or foreign) may apply as lead organizations or subawardees, but they must have an internal governance structure and written internal rules, and they may need to provide those governance documents to the DOE Contracting Officer if requested. Unincorporated consortia (more informal team arrangements) can also apply, but they must designate a single prime recipient/consortium representative that is incorporated under U.S. state or territorial law. In that case, DOE may require a formal collaboration agreement (often called articles of collaboration) describing how the group will operate, including management structure, how funds flow to partners, and how the consortium will ensure and oversee each member's work. This reflects the EFRC model, where DOE expects strong project management and clear accountability across a large, interdisciplinary team.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Energy Frontier Research Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-02-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-04-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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