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["Date of Inquiry","Question","Answer"]
["2021-03-29","One question that came up internally was whether the “Estimated DOE Funding Available\" mentioned in each topic is per project or total for the topic area","The funding listed in each area of interest is the total estimated for the is for the total area. It is not per project funding. "]
["2021-04-15","My nonprofit foundation is thinking of applying to BTO for a CRADA.\nBefore we invest our time I want to know if registering with SAM is necessary or if fees will be charged to register and apply with NREL.Please reply as soon as possible.","Only national laboratories are eligible to submit applications to the Laboratory CRADA Call. Nonprofits are welcome to partner with national laboratories on collaborative projects of mutual interest. Please note that all funding under this call will be costed at national laboratories. Partners do not need to apply in Exchange. \n\nHowever, entities partnering on a CRADA with a national lab may need to be registered in SAM. There are no fees for registering with SAM- Yes, they must be registered in SAM and there is not a registration fee directly through SAM.  https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ "]
["2021-04-15","An early circulated version of the draft CRADA call includes AOI7 Technical Assistance for Communities and Local Governments.\n\nIn this official version AOI7 is removed. Any clarification is helpful.","AOI 7 has been removed from the CRADA Call"]
["2021-04-15","Is a National Lab allowed to provide DOE funding to a subcontract performer under this Lab Call? There is a section in the Exchange to enter Performer/Subcontractor information, but the language in the Call says DOE funds provided to national labs for projects may not be costed outside of the national laboratories. Please clarify if subcontracts are permitted. Thank you.","No, national labs may not subcontract any of the work performed under this CRADA call out to a third party. "]
["2021-04-15","The Exchange has the following list of documents required to be uploaded for this Lab Call that are not typically required for a Lab Call and not mentioned as required documents in the Lab Call. Can you please confirm if these documents are all required for submission? Thank you.","The only documents required are the Technical Volume, Cover Page, Resumes, References. "]
["2021-04-22","AOI 4a states “BTO seeks innovative technologies that can significantly improve the utilization energy factor of conventional residential electric water heaters by 30%...”  Can you clarify what is meant by “utilization energy factor”?  Is this similar or same as Uniform Energy Factor? Can you clarify what is meant by “conventional residential electric water heater”?  Is this an electric resistance tank water heater?  ","This should be Uniform Energy Factor, the solicitation will be updated accordingly. Conventional residential electric water heater is intended to focus on electric resistance tank water heaters."]
["2021-04-22","Is a National Lab allowed to provide DOE funding to a subcontract performer under this Lab Call? There is a section in the Exchange to enter Performer/Subcontractor information, but the language in the Call says DOE funds provided to national labs for projects may not be costed outside of the national laboratories. Please clarify if subcontracts are permitted. ","No, subcontracts are not allowed under this CRADA Call. We recommend that applicants do NOT complete the “Performers” tab in their Exchange submission."]
["2021-04-22","Is an FFRDC partnering with a university on the CRADA Call permitted to execute an internship between the FFRDC and university using DOE funds?","It is allowed if the funding is costed at a national laboratory. "]
["2021-04-22","Is it possible to provide a list of relevant national labs’ specific area of interest/expertise, unique capabilities, and contact information? For example, are there labs that specialize in specific building technologies, such as next generation roofing, walls, electrical, windows, flooring, insulation, etc.?","Please explore each lab's website and contact the lab points of contact for information about capabilities. We will also be posting a teaming list with National Lab contacts and will post it to Exchange."]
["2021-04-22","I wish to clarify if a university is allowed to be participant in a proposal submitted by lab, and then receive subcontract from the lab for part of the proposal tasks. \n\nIn the CRADA call document, it lists 10% cost share for universities, but I wish to confirm if this implies that a university can be a participant like a small/large business does. Just now at the webinar, one of the panelists seemed to say that a university cannot receive funding from this CRADA call; I am just curious if that means a university cannot even get subcontract from the lab for this CRADA funded project, it just means that a university cannot be the applicant for this funding. As the document lists 10% cost share for universities, I would rather think university can be involved, but just want to clarify if I misunderstood.","No funding is going to entities other than national labs through this CRADA Call. Subcontracts are not allowed, so universities cannot receive funding under this CRADA Call either directly or indirectly. Yes, universities can be involved and bring their time, expertise, and resources to the project at a minimum level of 10%. Cost share may be cash or in-kind. "]
["2021-04-22","Can you please elaborate on current and current-leakage reduction? Are we talking about refrigerant leak reduction? Is refrigerant leak detection eligible for this CRADA call?","Referencing AoI5a regarding MELs, this is about what is often described as \"vampire loads.\" It is not about refrigerant leakage."]
["2021-04-22","What do we fill out in the Tasks portion of the Project Plan tab in Exchange?","Refer to CRADA Call under \"Submission.\" At the time of submission, only one milestone needs to be included in the Project Plan tab. If your project is selected, you will update the tasks portion during the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) process. "]
["2021-04-22","When will answers to questions be posted in Exchange FAQs?","We strive to post answers to all questions on EERE Exchange within three business days. "]
["2021-04-22","Should partners have any concerns regarding intellectual property ownership for participating in this lab call?","Potential partners should refer to the standard CRADA terms and make their own determinations regarding concerns about intellectual property rights. "]
["2021-04-22","AoI 4a states “BTO seeks innovative technologies that can significantly improve the uniform energy factor of conventional residential electric water heaters by 30%\" - it sounds like this talking about electric resistance water heaters - is that correct?","Yes."]
["2021-04-22","Funding in the CRADA call refers to DOE’s funding to the Lab and not total project costs? Do I understand correctly from cost share?","Yes. All funding from DOE will go to national labs. The total project cost will be higher when accounting for partner cost share. "]
["2021-04-22","How do you certify veteran owned, LGBT, other types of business?","We will verify business types through various certification bodies such as: U.S. Small Business Administration (https://certify.sba.gov/), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (https://www.nglcc.org/get-certified), and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (https://www.va.gov/osdbu/verification/)."]
["2021-04-22","Could you kindly recommend contacts at one of the participating National Labs?  ","We are working on a teaming list and will post it to Exchange."]
["2021-04-22","Would a subsidiary of a foreign owned company be an acceptable partner for this call?","Subsidiaries of foreign-owned companies are eligible, but will require approval by DOE. "]
["2021-04-22","Is there overlap between AoI 2 and AoI 3f (the last item in AoI 3)?","There is some overlap between these topics, however the distinguishing factor is that AoI 3 focuses on the envelope elements while AoI 2 is focused on the control systems."]
["2021-04-22","If a solution is successfully commercialized, does DOE retain any rights to the income and/or IP, or does the commercial partner have full commercial rights?","A copy of the \"Standard Term\" template is available on Exchange. It is a link titled \"CRADA - Standard Single Participant,\" which details IP arrangements. "]
["2021-04-22","Is there criteria for small vs. large businesses? (e.g., number of employees, annual revenue). Are there any documents needed to justify that?","Please use the U.S. Small Business Administration, “Size Standards.” https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards to classify the size of your business. The applicant should categorize each non-lab partner in the application. "]
["2021-04-22","Does the technology normally come from the lab, or can the CRADA focus on testing and analysis services to demonstrate durability of a new product concept?","The technology may come from a lab or non-lab partner under this CRADA call. Demonstrating a new product concept is an acceptable scope under this CRADA call. "]
["2021-04-22","What would an industry partner can get from participating this call? Maybe exclusive IP licensing?","The industry partner gets the support of national laboratory experts and facilities to commercialize a technology, funded by the DOE (from 50% to 90%). The licensing and IP terms are not different under this CRADA call than they are in any CRADA. "]
["2021-04-22","Since the submissions that favor traditionally underrepresented groups are considered a bonus, do you have a list of these we could engage if they are in our idea space?","We do not have a specific list of underrepresented groups interested in this CRADA Call, but the University of Michigan published a list of the 100 most disadvantaged communities nationwide that you can reference at https://news.umich.edu/new-index-ranks-americas-100-most-disadvantaged-communities/. "]
["2021-04-22","Can universities receive funding from labs?","No. "]
["2021-04-22","A non-lab partner without any current ties to a lab must find and establish a relationship with a lab by April 30 in order to participate is that correct?­","No. This must be done by the submission date, which is May 14th. "]
["2021-04-23","Any chance there is a recording available from the informational webinar?","The webinar can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnz0DN_66oQ. This link and the slides from the informational webinar are also available through Exchange."]
["2021-04-26","\nDoes sub-topic area 1A support the development of bio-based products which reduces vehicle fuel consumption only but does not/will produce any biofuels?","I think you may have emailed the incorrect email address. This is the inbox for a different opportunity- (LC-0000008). Your subject line references DE-FOA-0002396."]
["2021-04-26","Regarding this statement in the Call: “Multiple collaborative research projects are sought under this Lab CRADA call, subject to the availability of funding. Project selections will continue to be made on a rolling basis given the availability of funds.” \n\nDoes this mean DOE BTO may add additional funds? Will only proposals submitted in this round be funded or will future proposals be accepted?","Subsequent CRADA calls may be issued if all funds are not awarded under this CRADA call.  "]
["2021-04-27","As a small startup we'd welcome partnering with one of your labs in regard to developing our patented air cleaning approach to retarding condenser coil fouling in refrigeration units (patent attached). Coil you identify a lab to contact? Isn't thatr the first step? ","Please refer to the lab contacts included in the teaming list located under DE-LC-0000008 on Exchange. You may follow the instructions on Exchange to add yourself to the teaming list if desired. "]
["2021-04-27","I just received a notice of the 2021 CRADA call. I had a question about the suitability of a set of technologies we are developing and commercializing for such a project.\n\nWe have been developing XXXXX. XXX National Laboratory has been developing some technology upon which we are building. I would like to approach them about a possible CRADA project.\n\nIs this a suitable topic area for the current call?","Each partner and applicant must make their own determination as to the relevance of their technology to each Area of Interest (AOI). Note that AOI 6 is for commercialization of  technologies not listed in other AOIs. Please connect with the national laboratory contacts listed in the teaming list document located under DE-LC-0000008 on Exchange to explore partnership opportunities. "]
["2021-04-29","Are costs incurred by the FFRDC for materials, supplies, and/or equipment using DOE funds allowable under this CRADA call?","Yes, costs for materials, supplies, and/or equipment are allowable suing DOE funds as long as the materials, supplies, and/or equipment are directly needed for the associated CRADA project. "]
["2021-04-30","Are there any issues with submitting two letters of intent for the separate projects?\n","You may submit two separate notifications of intent to apply. "]
["2021-04-30","Are we allowed to apply with a foreign entity? Would there be any additional requirements there?","Yes, you may partner with a foreign entity. Please work with your lab's technology transfer office to determine your lab's requirements for foreign CRADA partners. "]
["2021-05-03","Our collaborator -- a university -- proposes to use the funds supporting a Ph.D. student from a Fulbright Fellowship as a cost-share.  Are Fulbright fellowships considered acceptable cost-share?  (Note that this graduate student's Ph.D. research directly relates  to the CRADA.)  If the answer to the above question is no, then are any Fellowships supporting graduate student research acceptable as cost-share?","Federally funded positions may not be used as cost share. Project teams may use fellowships to meet the cost share requirements, so long as the funding was not provided to the funding entity by the federal government. A fellow may volunteer their time for the project. Allowable in-kind contributions include the donation of volunteer time.  \n\n"]
["2021-04-22","What is the cost share requirement for a proposal with multiple partners of different types (e.g., a mix of for-profit large business and small business)? Do we need to break down the work relevant to each partner and calculate the cost share accordingly?","For teams with multiple non-lab partners with different cost sharing requirements, cost share is dictated by the partner with highest cost share requirement. For example, if a team includes a national lab, large business and small business, the project team must provide 50% cost share. Please refer to Modification 001 of the Lab Call on EERE Exchange for additional examples. "]
["2021-04-29","In prior experiences with CRADA calls, there has been a requirement that Labs cannot incur cost against the proposal award until the CRADA is fully signed and approved.  Is that the same situation with this call?  ","Correct, costs should not be incurred until the CRADA is executed and approved. "]
["2021-04-29","Will cost associated with preparing the AOP/negotiating scope be unallowable to the project until CRADAs are in place","Correct, costs should not be incurred until the CRADA is executed and approved. "]
["2021-04-29","Under the “Project Plan” tab within Exchange Portal, it is our understanding that one (and only one) milestone should be included at this stage of the proposal.  Is it acceptable to list more than one task as appropriate?","Only one milestone is required in the Project Plan tab in the Exchange Portal at the time of submission. However, you may add additional tasks or milestones if desired. "]
["2021-04-29","Should the proposal title and/or project partner change between the NOI and full proposal submittal, is it acceptable to make updates to that information?  ","Yes, you may make updates to project titles and partners between the notice of intent to apply and submission of the application. Please email bto.crada.call@nrel.gov to update the notice of intent information should it change. "]
["2021-04-30","Though this CRADA call does not appear to match our current research focuses, our company is interested in applying for future CRADA calls that are more applicable to our business focus. Can you direct me to where we can get on the distributions list for future CRADA funding announcements?","For information about future BTO funding opportunities, subscribe to the US DOE Building Technologies Office newsletter. You can sign up for it on their website here- https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office"]
["2021-05-03","\nI am curious about the documentation required of partners for this call? Do we need to include Letters of Commitment, resumes of their key participants as well, etc.? What specific documentation is required from partners? \n","Please refer to the CRADA Call document, Proposal Preparation section for required information on parnters, section 8.0 Team.  Please identify how the partner meets the eligibility requirements in your proposal as stated in the Eligibility section of the CRADA Call document. Letters of Commitment or Support are not required."]
["2021-05-03","Mod 002 indicates that a summary slide is optional. Will the summary slide be evaluated by reviewers?","The summary slide will not be evaluated by peer reviewers. The slide will be sent to DOE with reviewer scores as part of the review package and used in the selection process. A summary slide will be created for all meritorious projects that do not have a summary slide submitted by May 14th.  "]
["2021-05-05","What should be included under section 7.0 References?","Applicants may provide citations and references to the technical narrative to justify the applicants claims and approaches in Refereces section (7.0). However, EERE and reviewers are under no obligation to review cited sources."]
["2021-05-05","Is the anticipated start date 10/1/2021?","The start of the project may begin in FY20 (before 10/1/21). "]
["2021-05-05","DE-LC-0000008 page 11 #5.0 says, “This should include a budget of all project expenses by each national lab and project partner.”  \n\nShould the proposal budget section be mainly a narrative description of the budget and include a summary budget table showing totals by fiscal year for each National Lab and Project Partner, similar to that shown on the Financials tab in the EERE Exchange?","Yes, a narrative description of the budget and include a summary budget table showing totals by fiscal year for each National Lab and Project Partner, similar to that shown on the Financials tab in the EERE Exchange will suffice. "]
["2021-05-05","The CRADA – Standard Single Participant document Article II D shows the Participant’s contribution as either “in-kind” or “cash funds-in”.\nA standard EERE FOA or Budget defines in-kind vs cash cost share differently. From the EERE FOA or Budget, cash would not necessarily be funds-in to the recipient organization. It could be spent at the partner organization (third party). Could you confirm that an industry partner can spend funds internally and it would be deemed as cash cost share?","For this CRADA Call, the Participant’s contribution is categorized either as “in-kind” or “cash funds-in”, so an industry partner spending cash internally does not count as cash cost share under this CRADA Call. Only funds-in to a national labs is counted as cash cost share under this CRADA Call. "]
["2021-05-05","We are a company partnering up with an Energy lab. Few of our team members are based in Israel and Spain while the rest are in US. Can we participate with our foreign team through the cost share principle, or is it only applicable to US citizens? ","Foreign and domestic in-kind and cash funds-in cost share are both applicable (coverted to USD).  "]