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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to XX@ee.doe.gov. "]
[2,"All questions pertaining to EERE Exchange should be emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than 3 business days prior to the application due date. Questions submitted after this date will not be answered."]
[6,"Questions are assigned a number in accordance with when they are reviewed by DOE.  "]
[7,"Questions are assigned a topic area by DOE when reviewed."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the question tabs of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrow on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]

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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA0003329 - Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2024-05-28","Other","Please provide information on any manufacturing funding opportunities.","The U.S. Department of Energy supports a number of grant, loan and financing programs. Learn more about these programs and how they can help you  by visiting https://www.energy.gov/ and https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/"]
[2,"2024-07-18","Concept Paper","Please confirm the deadline date for the concept papers.","Dates have been corrected on all communications. Concept papers are due 8/22/2024, 5:00 p.m. ET"]
[3,"2024-07-18","Technical Topics","Under Topic Area 2, it states \"In the context of this FOA, sustainable transportation refers to transitioning from traditional internal combustion engine-based vehicles to electric vehicles (based on either batteries or fuel cells across all vehicle types from automobiles to fleets to all truck classes) as selected by applicant.\"\n\nWould DOE fund a zero emission passenger rail manufacturer retooling project if it meets the other criteria listed in the NOFO?","Off-road vehicles of any type are not the focus of Topic 2.  They may however be relevant for “Many project innovations may also apply to other clean energy applications. Detailing any such broader application potential is not required but is encouraged.”"]
[4,"2024-07-18","Eligibility","On page 47 of FOA DE-FOA-0003329, it states that an entity may submit one concept paper for each topic area.  This FOA has 4 topic areas with 9 areas of interests.  Would you please confirm that an entity is limited to one submission per topic area, or one area of interest? ","Please See Section III.F: An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. If an entity submits more than one Concept Paper and one Full Application to the same topic area, EERE will request a determination from the applicant’s authorizing representative as to which application should be reviewed. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible for further consideration."]
[5,"2024-07-19","Eligibility","I have a question regarding the limitation on the number of concept papers and full applications eligible for review for DE-FOA-0003329. I see that page 45 of the FOA states, “This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA.” \n\nDoes this mean that the limit of one concept paper and one full application for each topic area does not apply to concept papers/full applications on which an entity is a subrecipient? In other words, can an entity be a subrecipient on multiple concept papers/full applications per topic area?","Please See Section III.F: An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. If an entity submits more than one Concept Paper and one Full Application to the same topic area, EERE will request a determination from the applicant’s authorizing representative as to which application should be reviewed. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible for further consideration. This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one."]
[6,"2024-07-19","Other","I am trying to download this new FOA, and I keep getting an error message that the file cannot be opened and might be damaged. \nDo you have any suggestions?","We have not identified any issues with the Exchange site and have tested to ensure the FOA document can be accessed/downloaded externally.  If you continue to experience issues, please contact your IT department and/or contact Exchange EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Please email the FOA mailbox if you cannot resolve the issue.  "]
[7,"2024-07-20","Eligibility","I have a question about the Section F \"Limitation on Number of Concept Papers and Full Applications Eligible for Review\". It indicates that \"An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA.\" Could you confirm that \"each topic area\" here refers to the four topics listed. Also, please clarify if the limit applies to both prime and subrecipient or prime only.","Please See Section III.F: An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. If an entity submits more than one Concept Paper and one Full Application to the same topic area, EERE will request a determination from the applicant’s authorizing representative as to which application should be reviewed. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible for further consideration. This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one"]
[8,"2024-07-23","Eligibility","If the recipient reports to the same governance board, are the considered one organization? ","Please see Section III.A of the FOA document for information on eligible entity types. In addition, please review Section IV.G regarding UEI and SAM requirements. If each agency within the university system has its own distinct UEI number then they can apply to the same topic. When submitting the application please distinguish between which agency within the university system so there is no confusion when reviewing the concept paper."]
[9,"2024-07-23","Technical Topics","I am trying to understand if a business is eligible for this grant. We are working in the collection, sortation and recycling of textiles (that currently make up a high % of the waste stream). We are looking to acquire advanced machinery to help facilitate the circular use of textiles, including mechanical and advanced recycling technologies. I think this would fall under \"smart manufacturing for circular economy\". \nWould the investment for machinery qualify under this program? Is there someone I could speak with to understand more about this program? ","Please follow the Concept Paper submission process as outlined in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, Section IV.A beginning on page 46, and please refer to Section IV.C. EERE makes an independent assessment of each Concept Paper based on the criteria in Section V.A.i. of the FOA. EERE will encourage a subset of applicants to submit Full Applications. Other applicants will be discouraged from submitting a Full Application. See Section VI.A."]
[10,"2024-07-24","Technical Topics","We are interested in the “Topic 2: Smart Manufacturing of Tooling and Equipment for Sustainable Transportation” from a recent FOA. Under the Area of Interest 2, it asks “Include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or Tier 1 suppliers, including in the Northern Great Lakes region, in the sustainable transportation market sector”. Is the OEM mentioned here with respect to EV or tool/equipment? Thanks for any clarification.","The OEM mentioned may be either an electric vehicle (EV) or tool/equipment manufacturer or both .  A successful application must show how the OEM or Tier 1 selected will advance sustainable transportation. OEM or Tier 1 selected should also show how they will work with their suppliers (that could include SMMs).  Smart manufacturing improvements to tool/equipment products without a specific role in supporting sustainable transportation would be non-compliant."]
[11,"2024-07-25","Technical Topics","Topic area 1 identifies an interest in improving the ability of MRFs to identify, sort, and characterize materials, and therefore increase the purity of recovered materials that are recycled into new products. Would the manufacturing of a technology to improve material recovery purity at MRFs be eligible as a standalone project under topic area 1? Does Topic Area 1 require the involvement of an end user for the recovered materials to be included in the application? If so, to what extent (i.e., as a subrecipient or simply as an offtaker)? ","Would the manufacturing of a technology to improve material recovery purity at MRFs be eligible as a standalone project under topic area 1?\n\nImprovement of material recovery anywhere on the circular supply chain is of interest.\n\nDoes Topic Area 1 require the involvement of an end user for the recovered materials to be included in the application? If so, to what extent (i.e., as a subrecipient or simply as an offtaker)? \n\nStandalone projects are eligible an industry partner/end user would strengthen application due to illustrating a potential transfer to market uptake"]
[12,"2024-07-29","Technical Topics","Would it be possible to clarify the definition of “all vehicles” at page 16 of the guidelines, specifically: off-road vehicles such as construction machines are also included?","Off-road vehicles are not the focus of Topic 2.  They may however be relevant for “Many project innovations may also apply to other clean energy applications. Detailing any such broader application potential is not required but is encouraged.”"]
[13,"2024-07-19","Technical Topics","I am interested in Topic Area 3. The emphasis in the FOA is on conductors. I would like to expand this to also include other properties of high-performance materials, specifically insulators and magnetic materials (both soft and hard). The application is motors and generators produced by additive manufacturing. Would this extension be acceptable?","Q: Are conductivity enhanced materials limited to electrical conductivity? \nA: No, enhanced thermal conductivity also is of interest as well as combinations of electrical and thermal conductivity where one or both are enhanced. For example, conductivity-enhanced materials can include materials where the conductivity enhancement is part of an energy conversion performance improvement.\n\nQ: Are high performance materials that do not relate to harsh environment materials or conductivity enhanced materials in scope for Topic 3? \nA: No, applications must describe how the proposed innovation relates to one of these two material classes. "]
[14,"2024-07-23","Technical Topics","Specifically, I would like to inquire about the alignment of our technology with Topic 4, Area of Interest 1: Sustainable and Competitive Domestic Mining. Our solution focuses on the electrochemical recycling of sodium sulfate, converting it into valuable chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. This process not only mitigates waste but also supports the circular economy within the mining of battery supply chain by providing essential materials for refining battery metals and manufacturing cathode active materials.\n\nGiven the emphasis on novel smart manufacturing technologies that create more sustainable, safer, and competitive mining practices in the United States, and the interest in technologies that valorize mining wastes and byproducts, could you please provide guidance on whether our sodium sulfate recycling technology would be a suitable candidate for this area of interest? Additionally, would an electrochemical process technology development project such as ours fall under the definition of \"smart manufacturing technology\" as intended by this FOA?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[15,"2024-07-23","Technical Topics","1. Are projects related to Uranium recovery and purification from in situ mining of interest to this topic? Uranium is listed in the 2023 DOE Critical Materials List as a high importance, near critical material.\n\n2. Additionally, are projects already in the pilot stage aiming to expand to significantly larger pilot systems of interest? For example, scaling a technology from 5gpm to 200gpm.","The focus of the topic is improving mining competitiveness in the United States through beneficiation of byproducts. To the extent that uranium recovery and purification improves the economics of US mining, it is responsive to the FOA topic. While uranium was identified as near critical in the 2023 DOE Critical Materials Assessment, it is not considered a critical material due to its potential use as a fuel. \n\nPer the FOA language, “Technologies should be in the applied research and development (TRL 2-4) range and should seek to advance to pre-pilot scale (TRL 4-6) by the end of the award. AMMTO will not fund work through this FOA at the pilot scale or larger. "]
[16,"2024-07-24","Technical Topics","is it possible to get insight into alignment between the focus of the call and my proposal? \n\nSpecifically, I am curious about Topic 1.1: Smart manufacturing for a circular economy – improved sorting and characterization. ","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[17,"2024-07-29","Eligibility","I have not yet registered a company and would like to first secure funding approval before registering a company and hiring staff. I was wondering if this approach is acceptable to the Department of Energy. ","Please see section III.A.i: To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States."]
[18,"2024-07-31","Foreign Entities/Work","I would like to inquire about foreign collaboration considerations for DE-FOA-0003329. I am planning to apply for this call and would like to collaborate with two foreign institutions, Kindly inform me if these two institutions are cleared to work on this proposal.","Please see section III.A.ii:In general, foreign entities are not eligible to apply as either a prime recipient or subrecipient. In limited circumstances, DOE may approve a waiver to allow a foreign entity to participate as a prime recipient or subrecipient. A foreign entity may submit a Full Application to this FOA, but the Full Application must be accompanied by an explicit written waiver request. Likewise, if the applicant seeks to include a foreign entity as a subrecipient, the applicant must submit a separate explicit written waiver request in the Full Application for each proposed foreign subrecipient.\nAppendix C lists the information that must be included in a foreign entity waiver request.\n\nSee also: III.G.: EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[19,"2024-08-01","Eligibility","The REE/CM ore is neither a hard rock nor typical clay deposit.  It primarily consists of REEs concentrated within lithological transition boundaries, that is, from the carbon ore into the carbonaceous, clay dominated roof or floor.\n \nWe are interested in researching and developing unconventional mining and downstream processing methods under this FOA to precisely target the REE/CM-rich ore materials and minimizing mining of adjacent carbon ore material.  Would our REE/CMore deposit be eligible and of interest to the Department under Topic 4 of DE-FOA-0003329?","Please see Section I.B.iv for details regarding Topic area 4 and section I.B.C for applications specifically not of interest. EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[20,"2024-08-01","Due Dates","Can you please confirm that the due date for concept papers for DE-FOA-0003329 is Thursday, 8/22/24 5pm ET? The announcement email states 8/21/24, but this contradicts the FOA and EERE eXCHANGE. ","Dates have been corrected on all communications. Concept papers are due 8/22/2024, 5:00 p.m. ET"]
[21,"2024-07-31","Webinar","Will your office organize the webinar for Q&A on this FOA? If not, may I schedule a virtual meeting to clarify few questions on this topic? ","We will not be hosting a Webinar for Q&A.  Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process. Please direct any questions to the SM.FOA.FY24@ee.doe.gov mailbox."]
[22,"2024-08-01","Technical Topics","Wind towers are becoming larger, pushing the boundaries of the foundation design. Attached is a short summary of the research idea. This study would also aim to better understand methods of evaluating wind turbine foundations for potential reuse with now towers as many towers are reaching the end of their service life.\n\nI would appreciate any comments to know if the recently released FOA on Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) might be good fit for this topic.","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[23,"2024-08-02","Other","I would like to talk with the program director to determine if the project idea I am proposing is suitable for topic 2 (DE-FOA-0003329).\n\nIs it possible to have a zoom meeting?","Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process. Please direct any questions to the SM.FOA.FY24@ee.doe.gov mailbox.          EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.    "]
[24,"2024-08-02","Cost Sharing","I was interested in this FOA, and I was wondering if the cost sharing could be with another PI at the same institution (UC Berkeley in my case). Please let me know if we could do something like this.","Please see Section III.B. for cost sharing specifics and requirements."]
[25,"2024-07-25","Other","1)\tWill proposals focused on enhancing thermal conductivity meet the intended focus on conductivity under Topic Area 3 or will submissions focused only on electrical conductivity be viewed favorably?\n2)\tCan an offeror submit on two or more areas of interest under the same topic on separate submissions or are we limited to only one submission per topic?","1.\tNo, enhanced thermal conductivity also is of interest as well as combinations of electrical and thermal conductivity where one or both are enhanced. For example, conductivity-enhanced materials can include materials where the conductivity enhancement is part of an energy conversion performance improvement.\n2.\tPlease See Section III.F: An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. If an entity submits more than one Concept Paper and one Full Application to the same topic area, EERE will request a determination from the applicant’s authorizing representative as to which application should be reviewed. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible for further consideration. This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one"]
[26,"2024-08-05","Eligibility","In relation to your funding opportunity announcement, specifically, Topic 4: Smart Technologies for Sustainable and Competitive U.S. Mining, we are seeking funding to support our research and development efforts for heavy-duty hydraulic electric jack tailored for mining vehicles. We believe that our innovative approach will not only enhance the efficiency and sustainability of mining operations, but also contribute to competitiveness of U.S manufacturing in this critical sector. We are eager to explore how our project aligns with the goals of the EERE and would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss our proposal further.","Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process. EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[27,"2024-08-05","Application Content/Format","For the concept paper, may I ask if \"Bibliography & References Cited\" is included in 4-page limit or not?","Please see section IV.C for more detail on the content of concept papers. "]
[28,"2024-08-06","Other","For Topic 2, can you further define what is meant by Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Tier 1 suppliers in the context of this FOA?","Generally, OEM is considered as the top of the supply chain hierarchy. OEM gets their parts, components, services from their supply chain for their product. Tier 1 is a company that is a direct supplier for OEM."]
[29,"2024-08-04","Eligibility","Topic 4 aims at smart manufacturing for mining, but I got the idea that the sensors have to be geared toward ore deposit exploration.\nDo you think that sensing techniques for mining occupational safety have a chance under this call?","As long as all FOA requirements are met, the purpose of the sensing equipment is not restricted to exploration. For Area of Interest 2, among other requirements, the “Proposed instrument or sensor technologies must present significant benefits over existing commercially available technologies in one or more of the following areas: inexpensive to end-users, more compact or portable, or enabling high throughput and faster sampling.”"]
[30,"2024-08-05","Other","Could you kindly provide additional insights or clarifications on the following aspects of the 'Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation'.\n•\tKey innovations are of high interest for this topic\n•\tParticular subtopics or aspects within this topic that are of higher priority or interest to the agency\n•\tSpecific evaluation criteria reviewers will use to assess proposals for this topic.\n•\tAny changes or modifications if this topic has been re-released from previous versions.","Please review the FOA on Exchange."]
[31,"2024-08-05","Foreign Entities/Work","1.) What FAR clauses will apply to this FOA?  I am concerned about the fact that while we do employ primarily U.S. citizens, we do have engineers who are employed and are here on visas (i.e. F-1, H1-B).  WIll this disqualify us from being considered?\n\n2.) With respect to the R&D Community Benefits Plan on the table on page 48, we are concerned about if what we do satisfies the requirements. However, the other criteria (Contribute to the Justice40 initiative and Advance DEIA are more difficult to tie directly to our technology (because it pertains to Area 2 of Topic 4 and not Area 1).  With respect to Justice40, our technology definitely trends towards the training and workforce development--whether it's due to the need to hire engineers and technicians in the STEM field, or geologists that will be needed in the mining industry to utilize the technology, but it doesn't directly positively or negatively impact climate, clean energy, pollution reduction, etc.  Additionally, we are struggling to understand what is intended/required with respect to connecting our mining technology to DEIA initiatives.  Is there guidance on these areas?","\n1)\tIf your entity is for-profit, the award will be governed by 2 CFR 910 and the cost principles found in FAR Part 31. Personnel that are employed through visas will not disqualify you from receiving an award. \n2)\tPlease review sections I.D., IV.D.viii and Appendix H. "]
[32,"2024-08-06","Eligibility","We would like to submit a concept paper on topic 4 AOI 2 for the development of automation and onsite testing the rare earth minerals analysis using advanced technologies.\nThe mining company we are collaborating is having The REO tonnage with approximately 60 percent within clays only in the clay carbonaceous ore.\nIn the FOA, “proposals must substantially and directly relate to operations on rock or clay deposits and/or other mining activities related to production of critical minerals”.\n\nCould you please clarify we can submit the concept paper for the above?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[33,"2024-08-06","Technical Topics","In this FOA, the definition of ‘sustainable transportation,’ given in Topic 2, seems to imply this topic area only applies to the automotive industry:\n“sustainable transportation refers to transitioning from traditional internal combustion engine-based vehicles to electric vehicles (based on either batteries or fuel cells across all vehicle types from automobiles to fleets to all truck classes)”\n\nHowever, later in Topic 2, there are examples given for sustainable transportation:\n\n“Machinery helps create output in almost all the other sectors of the U.S. economy:\n• Some machines are used to manufacture other goods,\n• Machinery, industrial controls, and automation are used in sustainable transportation (for example, automotive and aerospace industry),”\n\nFor this FOA, does sustainable transportation include a variety of vehicles which are transitioning from traditional IC vehicles to electric vehicles, including automotive, rail, and aircraft?","Off-road vehicles of any type are not the focus of Topic 2.  They may however be relevant for “Many project innovations may also apply to other clean energy applications. Detailing any such broader application potential is not required but is encouraged.” Proposed project teams might include members representing such broader application potential, but this is also not required.  An application whose primary focus is on off-road vehicles such as construction machines, passenger rail, or other similar horizontal applications would not be compliant with the sustainable transportation intent of this FOA."]
[34,"2024-08-06","Technical Topics","I am inquiring if R&D into manufacturing a zero-emission hybrid aircraft would fall under the scope of Topic 2: Smart Manufacturing of Tooling and Equipment for Sustainable Transportation? ","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant"]
[35,"2024-08-06","Other","Can applications to the subject opportunity be submitted via a system to system software such as Cayuse or is the EERE eXCHANGE the only portal for submission."," To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials \nthrough EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE’s online \napplication portal."]
[36,"2024-08-06","Eligibility","We have come across the following FOA: DE-FOA-0003329. Reading the document, we would like to consult with you on whether our project would be considered for funding:\n1.\tArea of Interest 3: Improved Data Transparency for Accurate Lifecycle Assessments \nAlso, can you comment whether our process also meets your criteria request in:\n2.\tArea of Interest 1: Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Improved Sorting and Characterization","Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process. Please direct any questions to the SM.FOA.FY24@ee.doe.gov mailbox.          EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.    "]
[37,"2024-08-07","Eligibility","My team and I are interested in submitting a Concept Paper for Topic 1: Smart Manufacturing for a Circular Economy, Area of Interest 2: Interoperable and Open Supply Chain. We noticed that the instruction asks for Concept Papers to be limited to one concept or technology - we are non-profit that works with technology partners. While we don’t have technology innately, so can we create a concept that is supported by multiple technology types (of which we could provide details for specific examples)?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[38,"2024-08-07","Application Content/Format","I have a quick question on this FOA regarding the format for Concept Papers. What should be the line spacing for text in a Concept Paper? Please let me know at your convenience.","See Section IV.A for applciation process and submission form and content requirements.  "]
[39,"2024-08-08","Other","Our team is starting to prepare proposal for the call. In the mean time, there are some questions the University would like to ask the program manager of the call. I was wondering if we can have their name and email address, please?","Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process. EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[40,"2024-08-08","Technical Topics","For manufacturing does it also include nuclear battery electrodes?","See Section I.B.ii for applications specfically not of interest: Applications Specifically Not of Interest:\n• Applications that do not advance technology beyond state of the art, \n• Applications that duplicate work funded by DOE in previous solicitations or \nprojects, including:\no Battery-related projects. \no Projects that duplicate efforts funded under AMO’s FY20 and FY21 \nMulti-Topic FOAs, which included machine learning topics.10,11,12 "]
[41,"2024-08-08","Eligibility","Our idea for the grant was to suggest an R&D program to develop and produce the first 3D printer, which would be specifically adopted for geopolymer material to utilize all its advantages and build a couple of mockups (one or two test houses) printed exclusively from geopolymer material. \nI added a few presentations in the attachment. I will appreciate it if you can take a quick look and share your opinion if we should apply for the grant or not. ","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[42,"2024-08-08","Eligibility","I have a new research proposal in mind, but I am seeking a way to communicate with stakeholders to begin drafting a comprehensive proposal. I am contacting you using the email address on the \"grants.org\" webpage.","Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process. EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[43,"2024-08-09","Eligibility","I have a quick question related to DE-FOA-0003329.  Entities are permitted to provide only one concept paper and full proposal per Section III.F.  Since each topic listed has multiple areas of interest, does this indicate that when Section III.F refers to each “topic area of this FOA” it should be interpreted as a corresponding area of interest listed?","Please See Section III.F: An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. If an entity submits more than one Concept Paper and one Full Application to the same topic area, EERE will request a determination from the applicant’s authorizing representative as to which application should be reviewed. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible for further consideration."]
[44,"2024-08-11","Application Content/Format","I would like to make sure that the foreign waiver request is only required at the full application stage and not the concept paper stage.  Thank you for you assistance. ","See Section IV.A for applciation process and submission form and content requirements, and section IV.D.xvi, \"For projects selected under this FOA, all recipients and subrecipients must \nqualify as domestic entities. See Section III. To request a waiver of this \nrequirement, the applicant must submit an explicit waiver request in the Full \nApplication\""]
[45,"2024-08-12","Application Content/Format","I am curious if there is a format or requirements for the concept paper for the following grant\n\nDE-FOA-0003329","See Section IV.A for applciation process and submission form and content requirements.  "]
[46,"2024-08-12","Labs/FFRDCs","One of those industry partners reached out about potential collaboration on the subject FOA. As I read through the FOA requirements, I noted specific discussion of DOE/NNSA FFRDCs; however, KCNSC, while operated under a NNSA Management and Operations (M&O) prime contract to the NNSA is not designated an FFRDC. It was unclear to me if all DOE M&Os are eligible to participate under this FOA or if, indeed, the intent was to limit only to FFRDCs.","This entity is considered a federal instrumentality and therefore per Section III.A.i, may participate as a subrecipient."]
[47,"2024-08-07","Eligibility","For topic 3 of the call (Smart Manufacturing for High Performance Materials), the background discussion focuses strongly on technology with pathway toward application (i.e. cost, able to work under harsh environments).  On the other hand, area 1 of the topic, high performance materials and process discovery, leans more toward fundamental materials discovery, which may include materials in exotic forms (non-bulk, 2D, materials under high pressure, etc).  Is there a preference between more application-ready materials/process discovery and blue-sky concepts that are high-risk, high-reward, and will be far from technology readiness?","Please see section I.B.iii. This topic has two distinct areas of interest aimed at different TRL ranges Area of Interest 1 (High-performance Materials and Process Discovery) is generally lower TRL and is focused on optimizing materials and process discovery that is enabled by smart manufacturing approaches for materials characterization, manufacturing, and testing platforms. Proposed projects may include demonstration of proof of concept (TRL 3) but should show progress over the project period to at least TRL 5. Area of Interest 2 (High-performance Materials Manufacturing, Assembly and Scaleup) is generally higher TRL and is focused on smart manufacturing for materials processing to optimize scale-up of manufacturing processes and assembly for these materials (e.g., embedded sensing, monitoring, control, etc.). Proposed projects may begin after proof of concept (TRL 4) but should then proceed to production of components for clean energy technologies at industrially relevant scales (TRL 6). For this area of interest, methods for tuning manufacturing process parameters to achieve optimal component designs tailored according to application requirements are encouraged. For both Areas of Interest, high-throughput experimentation, modeling, and simulation for machine learning, physics-informed models, analytical models, or combinations thereof are encouraged. In addition, the two material focus areas, harsh environment materials and conductivity enhanced materials differ in that the former is focusses on applications in harsh service environments, and the latter is focused on materials with enhanced conductivity performance."]
[48,"2024-08-09","Technical Topics","We have a question about the scope of the above funding opportunity, in particular Topic 2: Smart Manufacturing of Tooling and Equipment for Sustainable Transportation.  \n\nWould the scope consider submissions in the area of bringing automation to final vehicle logistics at automotive plants?  This involves updating plants with connectivity, infrastructure, and software solutions to automate and optimize movement of assembled vehicles from the assembly line to parking lots to points of onward travel (such as trains and ships).  We would like to ask if these would fall under smart manufacturing and could be considered in the FOA.  ","Please see section I.B.ii for the areas of interest under Topic 2:\nArea of Interest 1: Automation. Integrating hardware and software systems into manufacturing tooling and equipment to improve component productivity.\nArea of Interest 2: Manufacturing Asset Management for Improving System Performance. Improving the performance (cost, quality, and throughput) of the tooling and equipment, industrial controls, and automation network.       "]
[49,"2024-08-13","Cost Sharing","I have a question regarding the cost share requirement for this FOA. Our institution plans to apply to Topic Area 1, Area of Interest 3. Per the FOA, cost share may be waived for institutions of higher education, which we are. However, III. 3b. States \"The exemption is available for the two-year period beginning on August 9, 2022. Codified at 42 U.S.C. 16352.\"  Please clarify if this exemption did expire on August 9, 2024 and does not apply to the submission due 11/18/2024.","The FOA was released prior to the cost share waiver deadline, therefore the cost share waiver for Topic Area 1, AOI 3 applies for this FOA. "]
[50,"2024-08-13","Technical Topics","Under Topic 4 area of interest 1 it states, “Proposals must substantially and directly relate to operations on rock or clay deposits and/or other mining activities related to production of critical minerals and materials as defined in the 2023 DOE Critical Materials Assessment.”\n\nWould the DOE fund a project related to Uranium recovery from Clay as long as it meets the FOA and Topic specific metrics?","See response to question 12 "]
[51,"2024-08-12","Technical Topics","I’m reaching out to clarify whether the tooling and equipment used to manufacture the key components of EV batteries would fall under Topic 2: Smart Manufacturing of Tooling and Equipment for Sustainable Transportation. I ask because, on Page 22 of theFOA, it mentions that battery-related projects are not of interest. But on Page 16/139, it states \"...electric vehicles (based on either batteries or fuel cells across all vehicle types from automobiles to fleets to all truck classes) as selected by applicant. Successful projects would: (a) make tooling and equipment needed to produce applicant-selected key components of these vehicles faster and more economically through the application of smart manufacturing concepts...\"","Manufacturing of battery cells has been covered by FOA-0003236 and is not in scope for this topic. Tooling and equipment to manufacture other components of electric vehicles (e.g. battery box) not covered by FOA-0003236 can be considered."]
[52,"2024-08-10","Technical Topics","Regarding Area of Interest 2, the FOA states,” this topic seeks unprecedented improvements in key material performance characteristics for energy related technologies,” and,” The overarching objective of this topic applied to harsh environment materials is to advance materials and manufacturing technologies that increase the performance and/or durability…”  \n\nWould an application proposing only process improvements through smart manufacturing technologies be considered responsive to the FOA, all else held equal?  \n\nCan you please clarify whether the FOA allows for “either/or,” or solely on advancing manufacturing technologies and resulting in material performance characteristics?      \n","Would an application proposing only process improvements through smart manufacturing technologies be considered responsive to the FOA, all else held equal?  \n\nEERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.\n\nCan you please clarify whether the FOA allows for “either/or,” or solely on advancing manufacturing technologies and resulting in material performance characteristics?      \n\nThe objective of Area of Interest 2 is to leverage smart manufacturing for materials processing to optimize scale-up of manufacturing processes and assembly for high performance materials. Approaches should focus on advancing the scale up and  manufacturing of these materials."]
[53,"2024-08-08","Eligibility","Thanks for the recent FOA, we are planning to submit a concept paper for Topic 2, Area 1.  \n\nPlease can you clarify the wording on page 22, Applications Specifically Not of Interest.\n\nApplications that duplicate work funded by DOE in previous solicitations or projects, including:\no Battery-related projects. \no Projects that duplicate efforts funded under AMO’s FY20 and FY21 \nMulti-Topic FOAs, which included machine learning topics.10,11,12\n\nWhile bullet point 2 has links to previous FOAs, bullet point 1 does not. \n\nIs there a database of battery-related projects funded by the DOE that we can search, to check whether our concept paper would be a duplicate?","All DOE FOA’s are posted on exchange."]
[54,"2024-08-15","Cost Sharing","I am preparing a proposal for Topic Area 1: Smart Manufacturing for a Circular Economy, Area of Interest 2: Interoperable and Open Supply Chains for Expanded Re-X with a material manufacturer. Can the materials to be used in the product be allowed as cost sharing-in kind ? The material manufacturer will be a teaming partner in the project.","Please see section III.B.iii: In-kind contributions are those where a value of the contribution can be readily determined, verified, and justified but where no actual cash is transacted in \nsecuring the good or service comprising the contribution. Allowable in-kind \ncontributions include but are not limited to the donation of volunteer time or \nthe donation of space or use of equipment. And also Appendix A - Cost Share Information."]
[55,"2024-08-15","Application Content/Format","Can you please verify if a Rough order of magnitude (ROM) figure is necessary for submittal of concept papers for the subject FOA?","Submission requirements are detailed in section IV.C of the FOA"]
[56,"2024-08-15","Application Content/Format","1) In the FOA it says the Technical Description is limited to 4 pages. Elsewhere, it says that page limits on submission include references. So, does this mean that the technical description for th concept paper is 4 pages including references?\n\n2) Also, it says that references may be either endnotes or footnotes.  If the references are foot notes, will this be acceptable given the requirement for 1 in margins? (The margins will not be empty).","1.\tSee section IV.A for the application process, and section IV.C. for the specific content and form for concept papers.\n2.\tSee section IV.A: References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement;"]
[57,"2024-08-15","Technical Topics","I’ve got a small business venture that is producing conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for structural, thermal, and electrical applications; the material is exceptional in harsh environments.  While the material is not as conductive as copper, it is being explored for use where its conductivity is useful combined with its structural and/or thermal properties.  Would this category of conductive materials fit the FOA or is it only metals?","Yes, proposals developing an enhanced conductivity material or material system that also is durable in harsh service environments are of interest. A smart manufacturing aspect is required for all applications and should be described. "]
[58,"2024-08-14","Eligibility","Is it this proposal aligned with Topic 2 (Smart Manufacturing of Tooling and Equipment for Sustainable Transportation) of the FOA number DE-FOA-0003329?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[59,"2024-08-19","Concept Paper","I have navigated around the DOE website, and cannot find specific instructions for preparation of the Concept Paper, which is due 8/22/24. If you could please provide me with a link to the instructions, it would be greatly appreciated.","As noted on the first page of the FOA, To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE’s online application portal. Additionally see section IV.C for content and form of the concept paper. "]
[60,"2024-08-18","Application Content/Format","Can participating organizations be added in the full proposal, assuming a concept paper was submitted, and the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal?","Yes, you can add partners between the concept paper phase and the full application phase. However, if you are encouraged to submit a full application, you would not want to change the concept that was submitted, since the feedback provided by DOE would no longer be relevant."]
[61,"2024-08-16","Eligibility","We are in process of applying for an UEI. Can we submit our concept paper for an application before obtaining the UEI?","See page 1 of the FOA: - Each applicant (unless the applicant is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110) is required to: (1) register in the SAM at https://www.sam.gov before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid UEI number in the application; and (3) maintain an active SAM registration with current information when the applicant has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. DOE may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant."]
[62,"2024-08-16","Eligibility","The research project that we are working on is a joint project - a small industry and university. Could you please tell us if we submit a proposal with an academic lead institution collaborating with an industry partner, would it be admissible while submitting our concept paper? \n\nDoes the concept paper come just from the principal investigator (a singular individual listing on behalf of proposed collaborators) or does it have to be in a proposal that comes from the lead institution with all necessary institutional signatures?\n\nWe are interested in a combination of topics 1 and 2. Is there a suggested funding limit per proposal that is recommended? \n","The research project that we are working on is a joint project - a small industry and university. Could you please tell us if we submit a proposal with an academic lead institution collaborating with an industry partner, would it be admissible while submitting our concept paper? \n\nSee section III.A. for information regarding eligible applicants. \n\nDoes the concept paper come just from the principal investigator (a singular individual listing on behalf of proposed collaborators) or does it have to be in a proposal that comes from the lead institution with all necessary institutional signatures?\n\nSee Section III.A for information regarding eligible applicants. Applications should be submitted by the prime recipient of the award. \n\nWe are interested in a combination of topics 1 and 2. Is there a suggested funding limit per proposal that is recommended? \n\nSee Section II.A.i. for the estimated funding for this FOA. "]
[63,"2024-08-19","Application Content/Format","I am working with a client that is interested in submitting a concept paper for the Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation FOA, however, this client does not currently have an active SAM registration. While they are rapidly trying to get their SAM registration updated, it may not be completed by the Concept Paper deadline of 8/22. If that's the case, can they still submit, with an understanding that they will have their registration situation fixed by the full application deadline and prior to potentially receiving any funds? Any insight you have on this matter would be greatly appreciated.","See Section IV.G for details on the UEI and SAM requirements."]
[64,"2024-08-19","Technical Topics","I am seeking clarification regarding the eligible materials for Topic Area 4 of the FOA. Specifically, we have conflicting information regarding the inclusion of uranium and vanadium: the DOE Critical Materials Report indicates uranium as a \"Key Material\" due to meeting the cutoff score in Figure 3.1, while also stating that uranium is a fuel material, which is therefore excluded from the \"critical\" designation. Vanadium is listed as a critical mineral by the Department of the Interior but does not meet the threshold in the DOE Critical Materials Report. Would a proposal focusing on uranium remediation be within the scope of Topic Area 4? Would a proposal focusing on vanadium remediation be within the scope of Topic Area 4? Additionally, is the focus on \"Critical Materials\" as defined by the DOE, or should \"Critical Minerals\" from other official lists (Department of the Interior) also be considered?","Would a proposal focusing on uranium remediation be within the scope of Topic Area 4? Would a proposal focusing on vanadium remediation be within the scope of Topic Area 4?\n\nSee question 15. \n\nAdditionally, is the focus on \"Critical Materials\" as defined by the DOE, or should \"Critical Minerals\" from other official lists (Department of the Interior) also be considered?\n\nSee Appendix J of the FOA."]
[65,"2024-08-17","Eligibility","Do you think I should apply for this grant or others? Please let me know if I should apply in a different DOE program or would this 0003329 be my best option. ","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[66,"2024-08-17","Eligibility","I hope this email finds you well. We are proposing to submit a concept paper with the synopsis below. I would like to know what topic area is suitable for our concept paper. \n\nWe are considering submitting to either topic 1 (Smart Manufacturing for a Circular Economy; area of interest 1: Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Improved Sorting and Characterization) or topic 4 (Smart Technologies for Sustainable and Competitive U.S. Mining; area of interest 2: Sensing, Analytics, and Data-Driven Decision Making in Mining). ","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[67,"2024-08-17","Concept Paper","I would like to check if a postdoc researcher can be a Co-PI of the DOE funding opportunity FOA-0003329.","Yes, a postdoc researcher can be a co-PI on a FOA "]
[68,"2024-08-16","Technical Topics","I have a question regarding DE-FOA-0003329, specifically Topic 3, Area of Interest 1: Smart Manufacturing for High-Performance Material, High-Performance Materials and Process Discovery.\n\nWould high-throughput superconducting materials discovery be responsive to this topic area?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[69,"2024-08-20","Concept Paper","Our Concept Paper has Proprietary content.  The FOA requires two copies to be submitted: Copy 1 marked “non-confidential” and all Proprietary information deleted, and Copy 2 marked “confidential” and including Proprietary Information with proper markings.\n\nThe EERE eXCHANGE site only allows one Concept Paper file to be uploaded and submitted.  What is the process for submitting the required two copies?","A second slot has been added to Exchange to accommodate a confidential copy."]
[70,"2024-08-20","Other","Upon downloading and viewing the recent update to the Q&A file on eXchange, it appears the PDF print was made in error. Please see attached. Several questions and responses are truncated or not viewable. ","PDF has been updated and fixed"]
[71,"2024-08-20","Other","I am attaching, respectfully, a grant proposal to request funding for this proposal.","To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE’s online application portal. DOE will not review any applications not sent through the eXCHANGE website. "]
[72,"2024-08-21","Concept Paper","The FOA clearly states that applicants should upload 2 versions of the concept paper if there is confidential information. However, we are only able to upload one document to the portal. Should we combine both versions into one upload?","See question 69"]
[73,"2024-08-21","Due Dates","The due date for submitting the Concept Paper for the Opportunity of Reference is upcoming. If the Application is due at a later time, how do we share the Concept Papers? \nDoes your answer also apply to the “Application for Federal Assistance SF-424”?","Please review the FOA on Exchange for submission information."]
[74,"2024-08-21","Other","1.\tIf the proposal moves to the second round is it possible to extend the research team beyond the team members/PIs that were included in the concept paper?","See question 60"]
[75,"2024-08-26","Due Dates","Would there be any deadline extension for this FOA?","There will not be an extension to the August 22, 2024 due date for the concept paper."]
[76,"2024-08-23","Other","Could you, please, let me know the status of the three grant proposals I submitted, if possibel? ","EERE makes an independent assessment of each Concept Paper based on the \ncriteria in Section V.A.i. of the FOA. EERE will encourage a subset of applicants to \nsubmit Full Applications. Other applicants will be discouraged from submitting a \nFull Application. See Section VI.A. EERE will notify applicants of its determination to encourage or discourage the submission of a Full Application. EERE will post these notifications to EERE eXCHANGE. "]
[77,"2024-08-23","Due Dates","I understand I missed the deadline for concept paper submission even though I had it ready. \nIt will be very fortunate if i can get an opportunity to submit the concept paper. ","See Section III.C for compliance criteria: Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5:00 p.m. ET on the due date listed on the FOA cover page to be eligible to submit a Full Application. Applicants who do not submit a Concept Paper cannot submit a full application. "]
[78,"8/28/024","Due Dates","I submitted a white paperand received the Control Number in this email heading before the submission deadline.\n\nI reviewed my EERE funding portal and the concept paper submissions table says that the status is not submitted. Could you help me understand how to resolve the \"submission validations\" issues that my account seems to have? I tried to follow all of the whitepaper rules for the first due date. I hope that you all will help me navigate through this process through the appropriate channels as I continue to develop and refine my application for the November deadline.","See Section III.C for compliance criteria: Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5:00 p.m. ET on the due date listed on the FOA cover page to be eligible to submit a Full Application. Applicants who do not submit a Concept Paper cannot submit a full application. "]
[79,"2024-08-23","Concept Paper","Should our team expect to receive feedback on it? Are all concept papers invited to submit a full proposal or should we wait to work on it until we hear positive feedback on our concept paper? If so, when should we expect to hear back? ","See question 76"]
[80,"2024-09-10","Application Content/Format","I am writing to request clarification of the requirements for the R&D Community Benefits Plan for DE-FOA-0003329, as the descriptions in the FOA are inconsistent and do not fully match the provided R&D CBP outline.\n•\tThe FOA section viii. R&D Community Benefits Plan states that the CBP is max 5 pages has 3 sections: (1) advancing DEIA; (2) contributing to the Justice40 Initiative and other considerations linked with energy and/or environmental justice; and (3) investing in quality jobs.\n•\tAppendix H states the CBP has 3 sections: 1) DEIJ, 2) Energy Equity, and 3) Workforce but does not mention Justice40. It states to include SMART milestones for each budget period, but does not specify that a table is required.\n•\tThe R&D CBP template that was provided by EERE is 15 pages and has 5 sections (Summary, Quality jobs, DEIJ, & Justice40, Summary table), with specific commitments and budget commitments associated with each. The detailed template, particularly section F, \"Summary Table: Community Benefits Outcomes and Objectives,\" is not fully consistent with and would exceed the 5-page limit stated in the FOA.\nCould you please clarify the requirements for CBP submission?","For CBP guidance please refer to Section IV.D.viii R&D Community Benefits Plan and an updated CBP R&D Template found in Exchange. At this time please ignore Appendix H, R&D Community Benefits Plan Guidance, Section IV.D.viii and the updated CBP R&D Template provides the necessary guidance for this funding opportunity. \n\nThe maximum page limit for the CBP is still 5 [five] pages including the summary table. Please take note that Section A should only be 1 [one] paragraph long, Section B is omitted for R&D projects, Sections C – E should be 3  [three] pages max (1 [one] page for each section) and is specific to your proposed project and locations. As the template states, all commitments in Sections C – E do not need to be included. Section F is the Summary Table and the length of that is contingent upon the commitments stated in Sections C – E."]
[81,"2024-09-19","Cost Sharing","Do we need to revise and resubmit the budget of the concept paper with the appropriate cost share or wait until the full proposal to address this? ","Applicants do need to revise the budget in the concept paper. The revised budget inclusive of the required cost share should be included in the full application, along with letters of commitment from any cost share providers.  "]
[82,"2024-09-20","Cost Sharing","We received your notice regarding our Concept Paper submission to Funding Opportunity DE-FOA-0003329 Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material Process Innovation about the cost share reduction being removed from Topic Area 1, Area of Interest 3. \n\nAre we able to submit a revised Concept Paper with a cost share proposal included? Please advise us on next steps..","See answer to Question 81 above."]
[83,"2024-09-20","Cost Sharing","Looking for clarification on section IV. D. v. of DE-FOA-0003329. When it says, \"Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project will not be accepted,\" does this include third-party cost share providers like a VC firm? Or would those be considered as having a \"substantive role in the project\"?","See Section IV.D.v of the FOA where it states: \"Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third‐party cost share providers. If applicable, the letter must state that the third party is committed to providing a specific minimum dollar amount or value of in‐kind contributions allocated to cost sharing.\""]
[84,"2024-09-24","Cost Sharing","1.\tCan you advise why DOE/EERE removed the cost share exemption that had been specifically created for Topic Area 1, Area of Interest 3 requirement after the first stage of the FOA?\n2.\tCan you confirm that Topic Area 1, Area of Interest 3 will now require 20% cost share of the total project costs?","1. The 2-year cost share reduction expired on August 9, 2024 for all DOE financial assistance awards.\n2. Topic Area 1, AOI 3 requires 20% cost share of the total project costs, as do all other topic areas and AOIs."]
[84,"2024-09-24","Concept Paper","Can you provide feedback on our concept paper and why it was encouraged/discouraged?","DOE will not be providing comments or specific feedback on concept papers. "]
[85,"2024-09-27","Foreign Entities/Work","Can an individual with dual citizenship (USA-Russia) work on a project funded under this FOA?","An individual with dual citizenship may participate in a project funding by this FOA, however DOE may request additional information about any foreign national to satisfy the requirements for foreign national participation. Please see Section VI.B.iii Foreign National Participation for more information."]
[86,"2024-09-27","Eligibility","As a federal academic institution, we do not qualify to be prime on this FOA. \n\nCan we switch the prime recipient at this stage, when submitting the full proposal, to be an eligible entity while we would then be attached as a sub-recipient? This would of course necessitate a higher budget as two performers would be involved. ","Prime applicants may change from the concept paper phase up until the full application submission deadline. In addition, the new prime applicant must be an eligible entity per Section III.A Eligible Applicants, and have all the necessary registration requirements per Section VI.B.i.  To update the new prime entity in Exchange, please work with the Exchange helpdesk by contacting: ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov"]
[87,"2024-09-26","Other","The website listed above for DE-FOA-0003329 is not working for the 2 listed templates.  The will not download.  We have Adobe Acrobat which allows us to read all adobe pdf’s.  ","We have not identified any issues with the Exchange site and have tested to ensure the FOA document can be accessed/downloaded externally.  If you continue to experience issues, please contact your IT department and/or contact Exchange EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Please email the FOA mailbox if you cannot resolve the issue.  "]
[88,"2024-09-27","Application Content/Format"," is this the correct version of the SF424 to use?","See Section D.ii. For a link to the SF424 form and in the Application Forms and Templates section of this FOA posting in Exchange."]
[89,"2024-09-30","Eligibility","For this call, is it acceptable for the Lead PI to change at the Prime Institution? \n\nIs it acceptable if the Prime changes to a different institution from the original submission for the Concept Paper to the Full Application? ","For this call, is it acceptable for the Lead PI to change at the Prime Institution? \n\nFor application purposes the PI may change up until the full application submission.\n\nIs it acceptable if the Prime changes to a different institution from the original submission for the Concept Paper to the Full Application?\n\nSee answer to question 86"]
[90,"2024-09-30","Other","I would like to inquire if it is permissible to add new project partner(s) to the original team at the full application stage. If this would be acceptable, are there any specific steps we should take to include the additional partners prior to full application submission?\"","See answer to Question 60"]
[91,"2024-09-30","Eligibility","We want to apply for this FOA Grant.  \nWe only recently saw the notice and did not file a Concept Paper.\nCan we still apply for the FOA?","Applicants who do not submit an eligible Concept Paper cannot submit a full application. The concept paper deadline has passed and are no longer accepting concept paper submissions. "]
[92,"2024-10-02","Other","I received a “discourage” regarding the original concept paper that I submitted.  Is it acceptable to submit a full proposal on a different concept at this stage in the process?","Applicants may submit a Full Application even if they receive a notification\ndiscouraging them from doing so. By discouraging the submission of a Full\nApplication, EERE intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the\nproposed project. However, you may not submit a full application on a different concept under the same control number as the concept paper. The full application must expand upon the submitted concept paper."]
[93,"2024-10-02","Concept Paper","Can we add additional partners to the concept letter for the full proposal?","See answer to question 60"]
[94,"2024-10-02","Eligibility","1.\tAre we bound by the budget (federal share) that was requested in the concept paper stage in the EERE-Exchange application portal? Can a modified budget be requested for the full proposal application?\n2.\tWe have identified industry partners who would like to collaborate on the proposal. Can we include them for the full proposal given that they were not part of the concept paper?\n3.\tWhat is the total number of co-PIs that can be listed on the proposal, in addition to the PI?","1.\tAre we bound by the budget (federal share) that was requested in the concept paper stage in the EERE-Exchange application portal? Can a modified budget be requested for the full proposal application? Federal share is expected to fall within the Topic-specific ranges listed in the FOA (see Table II.A.i ).  Applicant is free to suggest a different budget than in the concept paper stage if, for example, they wish to provide more cost share either directly or by adding project partners (who contribute additional cost share) beyond what was envisioned in the concept paper. The result of increased or decreased funds cannot alter the orignal scope of the concept paper.\n\n\n2.\tWe have identified industry partners who would like to collaborate on the proposal. Can we include them for the full proposal given that they were not part of the concept paper?\nSee answer to question 60.\n\n3.\tWhat is the total number of co-PIs that can be listed on the proposal, in addition to the PI?\nThere is not a limit. "]
[95,"2024-10-02","Concept Paper","The FOA indicates that \"EERE may include general comments provided from reviewers on an applicant's Concept Paper in the encourage/discourage notifications.\" However, I do not see any comments on EERE eXCHANGE. Can you please clarify if there are any comments on our concept paper, and if so where I can access them?","DOE will not be providing comments or specific feedback on concept papers. "]
[96,"2024-10-07","Application Content/Format","1.\tThe application states that we need to include a TEA and LCA with our technical volume except where noted in the topics. I didn't see any copy across the topics mentioning exclusions. Do we need to include a TEA and LCA for Topic Area #1?\n2.\tI'm not able to find the SOPO template on the Funding and Application and  Management Forms page","1.\tThe application states that we need to include a TEA and LCA with our technical volume except where noted in the topics. I didn't see any copy across the topics mentioning exclusions. Do we need to include a TEA and LCA for Topic Area #1?\nApplicants must propose to perform a techno-economic analysis (TEA) and a lifecycle assessment (LCA) as part of their potential projects except where otehrwise noted in the specific topics for which they are applying. Topic 1 does require TEA/LCA to be proposed within the scope of work.\n\n2.\tI'm not able to find the SOPO template on the Funding and Application and  Management Forms page\nThe SOPO template is available in the Application Forms and Templates section of this FOA posting in Exchange and https://www.energy.gov/eere/funding/eere-funding-application-and-management-forms"]
[97,"2024-10-08","Cost Sharing","I am referring to a point in Appendix A - Cost Share Information, which reads (key phrase in question bolded):\n\n\"While it is not possible to explain what specifically qualifies for cost sharing in one or two sentences, in general, if a cost is allowable under the cost principles applicable to the organization incurring the cost and is eligible for reimbursement under an EERE grant or cooperative agreement, it is allowable as cost share. Conversely, if the cost is not allowable under the cost principles and not eligible for reimbursement, it is not allowable as cost share. In addition, costs may not be counted as cost share if they are paid by the federal government under another award unless authorized by federal statute to be used for cost sharing.   \n\nWe have made R&D contributions in the form of time and equipment purchases. Do those qualify for cost sharing under this provision? We want to ensure that our proposal is fully compliant, so your advice would be greatly appreciated.","Per Appendix A - if a cost is allowable under the cost principles applicable to the organization incurring the cost and is eligible for reimbursement under an EERE grant or cooperative agreement, it is allowable as cost share. For for-profit applicants please see the federal cost principles found in 2 CFR 910 Subpart E as codified in 48 CFR Part 31, and for all other entity types please see federal cost principles in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E."]
[98,"2024-10-09","Labs/FFRDCs","Do FFRDCs need to submit a signed SF-LLL form even though we are prohibited from lobbying and there is nothing to report?","FFRDCs are not required to submit an SF-LLL"]
[99,"2024-10-14","Other","I have been trying to read the recent mod as we prepare our full proposal.  The FOA mod online seems to be corrupted - at least, I cannot open it in Acrobat for MacOS or iOS, Mac Preview, or any of the iOS or Mac PDF viewers. \n\nIs there a PDF 1.3 or open PDF format version of the mod? (And the original FOA - even in Acrobat, it’s a little hard to read)?","We have not identified any issues with the Exchange site and have tested to ensure the FOA document can be accessed/downloaded externally.  If you continue to experience issues, please contact your IT department and/or contact Exchange EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Please email the FOA mailbox if you cannot resolve the issue.  "]
[100,"2024-10-14","Cost Sharing","A subcontractor of a subrecipient can provide a cost share? Additionally, who will provide the Letter of Commitment? The subcontractor, the subrecipient or both?","See section III.B Cost sharing. Cost share may be provided by the prime recipient, subrecipients, or third parties (entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work). Cost sharing commitment letters from subrecipients must be provided with the original application"]
[101,"2024-10-15","Other","I have one question. Is it allowed to change a lead PI and lead institute from the white paper submission to the full proposal submission?\nOr, since the white paper is linked to the lead institute, we need to keep the same institute as a lead?","See answer to question 86"]
[102,"2024-10-16","Application Content/Format","For the required forms listed in the funding opportunity – if the form does not apply to the applicant and/or project, how does the DOE want applicants to respond? For example, if the project does not have any impact to Indian Tribes or Tribal lands, should the applicant prepare a statement confirming no impact and upload that statement – or just not upload a form/document at all?","Please see Section IV.D.vi. \"For any application that potentially impacts Indian Tribes or is on Tribal land, including when the potentially impacted Indian Tribe is the applicant, applicants are required to submit additional documentation at the time of application, and possibly during negotiation and prior to award. For any project that potentially impacts Indian Tribes, applicants are required to submit documentation demonstrating that an authorized representative of each potentially impacted Indian Tribe is, at a minimum, aware of the nature of the application and its potential impacts to the relevant Indian Tribes.\"\n\nIf there is zero potential for indian tribes or lands to be impacted as a result of the proposed project, then this document is not required as part of the application."]
[103,"2024-10-16","Concept Paper","Is it possible to schedule a call with someone to discuss reasoning for discouragement and/or the opportunity to appeal the decision? We would like to better understand the reasoning for future concept paper submissions.","DOE will not be providing comments or specific feedback on concept papers. "]
[104,"2024-10-18","Cost Sharing","We recognize that a Vendor/Contractor may not provide cost share. Is that a distinction made due to the vendor/contractor corporate structure in general, or is the distinction made based on the company’s role in the project?\n\nTo clarify with an example: if a company – under normal circumstances providing goods and services to the public as a vendor - commits a decommissioned windblade as a test article valued at cost of production and not cost of resale, but they are not named in the SOW as research partners, not named in the EERE as vendors from whom goods/services will be purchased, or otherwise have any other defined role in the project, are they then allowed to provide third party cost share?\n\nIf this is allowable, my assumption is this commitment cost would then be captured on the EERE Cost Share and Other Direct Costs tabs?","In general, contractors may not provide cost share to a DOE federal award because the terms and conditions of the award do not flow down to contractors, they only flow down to subawards/subrecipients. Any cost share contributed to a DOE federal award must abide by the terms and conditions of the award so, since the terms do not flow down to contractors, DOE cannot accept their cost share contributions.\n\nDOE cannot provide determinations on the allowability of certain costs or cost share contributions during the application phase. If your entity is selected for negotiations DOE will review the project budget in more depth including cost share contributions at that time. In addition to the cost share section of the FOA document, please also see the cost share regulations at 2 CFR 200.306.\n "]
[105,"2024-10-23","Application Content/Format","We have industry partners that are committing cost share. They’ve sent us their resumes as well. Are we able to include these with the application?","See section IV.D.iv. Resumes"]
[106,"2024-10-24","Application Content/Format","On page 67, article XVIII Transparency of Foreign Connection, the first paragraph states that U.S. National Laboratories, domestic government entities, and institutions of higher education are only required to respond to items 1, 2, and 9.  From previous EERE FOAs, we were always to list:\n\nAny foreign business entity, offshore entity, or entity outside the United\nStates related to the proposed recipient or subrecipient;\n\nWhich is #10 in this FOA.  In this FOA, #9 states:\n\n9. Any foreign equipment that will be used on the project:\na. Coded equipment where the source code is written in a foreign\ncountry of risk.\nb. Equipment from a foreign country of risk that will be connected to\nthe internet or other remote communication system.\nc. Any companies from a foreign country of risk that will have\nphysical or remote access to any part of the equipment used on\nthe project after delivery.\n\nI'm wondering if there is a mistake, and the instructions should actually state that U.S. National Laboratories, domestic government entities, and institutions of higher education are only required to respond to items 1, 2, and 10?","There is no mistake, US National Labs, domestic government entities, and IHEs are to provide information for items 1, 2, and 9."]
[107,"2024-10-24","Other","We were encouraged for a full proposal, however our previously committed cost share partner has now reversed their position. I wanted to check if our team is able to seek a different cost share partner than the one previously listed on our concept paper?","See answer to question 60."]
[108,"2024-10-30","Other","We have partnered with a concept paper submission to be a sub-recipient. For form SF-LLL, do we leave boxes 10 a. and 10 b. blank if we do not do/pay for any lobbying at all? ","If an entity does not engage in lobbying activities you may mark the relevant boxes 'N/A'."]
[109,"2024-10-31","Application Content/Format","For DE-FOA-0003329 Statement of Project Objectives, the document ask for the award number and Mod number in the title. Are these the same number as the announcement number?","A control number will be issued by the eXCHANGE system when an applicant begins the EERE eXCHANGE application process. The control number must be included with all application documents. Specifically, the control number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page and included in the file name."]
[110,"2024-11-01","Application Content/Format","Since the proposed idea is more related to the expertise of CO-PIs at our subrecipient institute, I want to check whether we can change the PI from. One note is that FOA-3329 is for limited submission, and one proposal can be submitted for each topic for each institution. ","See answer to question 86"]
[111,"2024-11-07","Application Content/Format","We understand that FFRDCs need to provide a DOE/NNSA authorization letter. There is confusion with the FOA letter of commitment language ” Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers.” It is interpreted that LOCs are required for all subrecipients – not subrecipient cost share providers. Are FFRDCs required to submit LOCs in addition to the DOE authorization latter?","FFRDCs are only required to submit 1) FFRDC Authorization letter signed by the cognizant contracting officer of the FFRDC, and 2) the Field Work Proposal. "]
[112,"2024-11-07","Labs/FFRDCs","Hello!  If a FFRDCs budget is greater than $250k, do they need to supply the Subrecipient Budget Justification AND the DOE Work Proposal?  Or since they are a FFRDC, is only the DOE Work Proposal required?  ","Only the DOE Field Work Proposal and FFRDC Authorization letter are required."]
[113,"2024-11-10","Application Content/Format","We are preparing submission to AMMTO FOA.  I suppose the NSF current pending form can be used for this submission.  Can you confirm?","Please see section IV.D.vxii: Current and Pending Support: \"The information may be provided in the approved common disclosure format available at Common Form for Current and Pending (Other) Support (nsf.gov). Regardless of the format used, the individual must include a signature, date, and a certification statement using the language included in the paragraph above.\""]
[114,"2024-11-12","Application Content/Format","We are anticipating a Period of Performance of  06/01/2025 – 05/31/2028 on our proposals for DE-FOA-0003329.\n\nThis 36 month period runs over 4 fiscal years, however, the budget justification template provided only provides 3 fiscal years.\n\nHow do we proceed in order to have the bottom line accurate on this estimate?","The budget justification template is seperated into budget periods, associated costs should be broken out into budget periods, not fiscal years. "]
[115,"2024-11-12","Due Dates","We are pleased that our concept paper was encouraged. As we develop the full proposal, we have two requests:\n \n1.\tAddition of New Recipient and Transfer of Prime Recipient Role: We would like to add a recipient and transfer the prime recipient role to them.R&D will continue on the project in a sub-recipient role.\n\n \n2.\tDeadline Extension Request: To accommodate this change and finalize all necessary documents for the full proposal, we kindly request a deadline extension of at least two weeks. We understand this may affect your timeline and appreciate your consideration.  We would be grateful if you could let us know what the options are in this regard.","\n1.\tAddition of New Recipient and Transfer of Prime Recipient Role: We would like to add a recipient and transfer the prime recipient role to them.R&D will continue on the project in a sub-recipient role.\n\nPrime applicants may change from the concept paper phase up until the full application submission deadline. In addition, the new prime applicant must be an eligible entity per Section III.A Eligible Applicants, and have all the necessary registration requirements per Section VI.B.i.  To update the new prime entity in Exchange, please work with the Exchange helpdesk by contacting: ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov\n\n\n \n2.\tDeadline Extension Request: To accommodate this change and finalize all necessary documents for the full proposal, we kindly request a deadline extension of at least two weeks. We understand this may affect your timeline and appreciate your consideration.  We would be grateful if you could let us know what the options are in this regard.\n\nAt this time we do not plan to issue any deadline extensions for this FOA. All applications that are to be considered for review are due 11/18/2024 at 5:00 pm EST."]
[116,"2024-11-12","Eligibility","I just saw this grant on Grants.Gov and realized the submission deadline is in a week. However, I have missed the deadline for concept papers. \n \nDoes this make me completely ineligible, or can an exception be made?","Applicants must submit a Concept Paper on the due date listed to be eligible to submit a Full Application."]
[117,"2024-11-13","Application Content/Format","The FOA states:\n\"If an applicant chooses to submit trade secrets or business-sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information, the applicant must provide two copies of any document of the submission (e.g., Concept Paper, Full Application) that contains such information. The first copy should be marked “non-confidential,” with the information believed to be confidential deleted. The second copy should be marked “confidential” and must clearly and conspicuously identify the trade secrets or business-sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information and must be marked as described below.\"\n\nEERE Exchange had two submission slots for the concept paper, one for a confidential version and another for a redacted version. It appears there is only one submission slot for the full application. What is the process for submitting the two copies?","A confidential technical volume submission slot has been added to Exchange for this FOA."]

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["Registration Requirements"]
["Webinar"]
["Concept Paper"]
["Eligibility"]
["Labs/FFRDCs"]
["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["Other"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]