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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to hftofoa@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-FOA0002792 - Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2022-08-23","Labs/FFRDCs","For Topic 4 of DE-FOA-0002792, are all personnel at the M2FCT national laboratories listed in footnote 59 (LANL, LBNL, ANL, NREL, ORNL, BNL, and PNNL) not eligible to respond or is it just M2FCT national laboratory personnel who are currently funded by M2FCT (i.e., all other personnel at these labs would be eligible to respond)?","RESPONSE REVISED 09/08/2022\nA FOA modification was issued on 09/08/2022 to revise the FFRDC eligibility (Section III.A.2 and footnote 59) to indicate that for Topic 4 only core FFRDC members of the M2FCT consortium are ineligible to apply as subrecipients. Core FFRDCs in M2FCT include Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This restriction does not apply to the M2FCT affiliate national labs (BNL and PNNL). \n\nFor Topic 4 of DE-FOA-0002792, ALL personnel at the M2FCT core FFRDCs are NOT eligible to apply to the FOA as either prime or subrecipients. "]
[2,"2022-08-23","Other","I am trying to download and open DE-FOA-0002792: Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience. Unfortunately, the file is corrupt and it is impossible to open it. Could you please provide an updated version of the FOA.","We are aware that certain browsers present this issue when opening .PDF documents. We recommend that users try a different web browser to open the document. Also, you can try to set Adobe as the default software for opening .PDF documents, as opposed to automatically having your browser attempt to render the .PDF in a browser window. If you continue to encounter this error, download the .PDF and save a copy to your computer. Try opening the file via Adobe.  "]
[3,"2022-08-24","Foreign Entities/Work","Is it possible as a University from Mexico to apply from funding to do research related to Hydrogen and Fuel Cells?","Yes, foreign entities, whether for-profit or otherwise, are eligible to apply for funding under HFTO FOA 2792. Please see Sections III.A.iii, IV.D.xv (a,b, and c), and IV.J.iii of the FOA for a full discussion of foreign entity eligibility.  In summary:\n-- Foreign entities are eligible to apply as prime recipients for Topics 1-4 of HFTO FOA 2792. A “Waiver for Foreign Entity Participation as the Prime Recipient” is required with the Full Application.\n-- Topic 5 is limited to United States universities as the prime recipient, but foreign entities may apply as subrecipients.\n-- Foreign entities may apply to all topics of HFTO FOA 2792 as a subrecipient.  Any work to be performed outside of the United States must be approved through the DOE foreign work waiver process (a “Foreign Work Waiver” is required with the Full Application).\n"]
[4,"2022-08-24","Foreign Entities/Work","Is it possible to be part of the Teaming Partner List? ","Yes, anyone is welcome to be included in the Teaming Partner List, including foreign entities. Please note that by facilitating this Teaming Partner List, EERE does not endorse or otherwise evaluate the qualifications of the entities that self-identify themselves for placement on the Teaming Partner List. "]
[5,"2022-08-24","Foreign Entities/Work","There is an University Research Consortium where Mexico could participate. How would that be and how can we apply to this collaboration? ","Please see the reply to question 3 regarding foreign entity eligibility in general for HFTO FOA 2792. Yes, organizations from Mexico may join a team to apply to Topic 5 for the University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience. As mentioned in the reply to question 1, the prime applicant for Topic 5 is restricted to U.S. universities, but organizations from Mexico may participate and receive funding as subrecipients. We encourage you to add your organization(s) to the Teaming List and reach out to your colleagues and networks with expertise in the grid resilience space."]
[6,"2022-08-24","Other","What is the process for a company to be included on the Teaming Partner List? ","Any organization that would like to be included in the Teaming Partner list should submit the following information to HFTOFOA@ee.doe.gov, with the subject line “Teaming Partner Information FOA-0002792”: Topic Area(s) of Interest, Organization Name, Contact Name, Contact Address, Contact Email, Contact Phone, Organization Type (including MSI designation or disadvantaged community status, if relevant), Area of Technical Expertise, and Brief Description of Capabilities."]
[7,"2022-08-25","Other","We wish apply the program of H2@scale. But we don't know how to apply and where is the application entrance. Could you help us? ","We are currently accepting concept papers for FOA-0002792 titled Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience. Concept papers must be submitted through EERE eXCHANGE. More information about this funding opportunity can be found here: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId47252393-c846-4779-9760-86414eddda9f\n\nFor future hydrogen and fuel cell funding opportunities from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, please check the list of open opportunities here: https://www.energy.gov/eere/funding/eere-funding-opportunities. \n\nYou may also subscribe to the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office newsletter at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-and-fuel-cell-technologies-office-newsletter. Our newsletter includes information on future requests for information, funding opportunity announcements, and webinars."]
[8,"2022-08-25","Technical Topics","Recently we developed a near-neutral Fe-Cr redox flow battery system that can store electricity at <0.01$/kWh. We are building 1MW 4MWh demonstration units based on this novel technology. Our next target is to use low-cost electricity to deliver on-demand hydrogen to end users. We have a question about the recently released DE-FOA-0002792, Topic 3: Materials-based H2 Storage Demonstrations: Does the concept we are working on right now belong to your topic 3? ","RESPONSE REVISED 8/31/2022\nWe cannot discuss specific proposal concepts during open funding opportunity announcements. As described in the FOA, Topic 3 specifically addresses materials-based hydrogen transport and storage technologies to provide benefits over traditional compressed or liquid hydrogen transport and storage systems. We are currently accepting Concept Papers, which is the process we use to review a proposed concept and consider its applicability to a topic area. Concept Papers for this FOA must be submitted through EERE eXCHANGE: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId47252393-c846-4779-9760-86414eddda9f.\n\nDOE will review each submitted Concept Paper based on the criteria in Section V.A.i. of the FOA. DOE will encourage a subset of applicants to submit Full Applications. Other applicants will be discouraged from submitting a Full Application. An applicant who receives a “discouraged” notification may still submit a Full Application. However, by discouraging the submission of a Full Application, EERE intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the proposed project in an effort to save the applicant the time and expense of preparing a Full Application that is unlikely to be selected for award negotiations."]
[9,"2022-08-27","Other","I was wondering where I can download the full version of the announcement?","A complete copy of the Funding Opportunity Announcement can be found here: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId47252393-c846-4779-9760-86414eddda9f"]
[10,"2022-08-29","Technical Topics","In Topic 3, what is meant by \"hydrogen-rich liquids\"?  Could this be a liquid chemical carrier of hydrogen such as light alcohols (e.g., methanol and ethanol), as well as diesel and jet fuels (e.g., from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis)?","As stated in the FOA, any system based on a carrier material investigated under this topic must demonstrably provide benefits over traditional compressed or liquid hydrogen methods of storage for a specified use case. Data showing any environmental or safety concerns relevant to the operation of the carrier must be included. Applicants must address the entire life cycle of the carrier material, including synthesis/production, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrogen purification, transport, potential side products/end of life issues, and toxicity. All of these factors will be assessed for the specific carrier chosen and this information will inform the degree to which the carrier can provide benefits over traditional storage methods."]
[11,"2022-08-29","Cost Sharing","For DE-FOA-0002792 Topic 3: Does the stated $5 million maximum per award include the applicants cost share?  Or does the $5 million per award cap represent the government-only portion?  Is it permissible to propose a total project cost of say, $6 million, where $3 million is the applicants cost share and $3 million is the government funded portion?","The stated $5 million maximum per award is federal share only. This maximum amount does not include recipient cost share. Since this topic requires a 50% recipient cost share, the example you provided in your question is correct. It would be permissible to propose a total project cost of $6 million where $3 million is recipient cost share and $3 million is federal share."]
[12,"2022-08-29","Labs/FFRDCs","The topic 4 of DE-FOA-0002792 stated that members from LANL, LBNL, ANL, NREL, ORNL, BNL, and PNNL could NOT apply. I am from Argonne, but also associated with a university. Could I apply either as prime or a sub from the university?","Argonne National Laboratory is a core national laboratory of the M2FCT consortium and is therefore ineligible to apply for funding as a prime or subrecipient on Topic 4. Universities are eligible to apply for and receive funding under Topic 4 as prime or subrecipients."]
[13,"2022-08-30","Technical Topics","Specifically, for Topic 4 - would you consider the development of a novel (non-PFSA) catalyst ink (ionomer) and integration into an MEA (with optimized design and durability studies etc) as within the scope of this call?","As described in the FOA, Topic 4 is focused on novel and innovative catalysts integrated into MEAs that will reduce the cost and enhance the durability and performance of PEM fuel cell stacks for heavy-duty applications, in line with DOE targets. Specifically, proposed catalyst designs submitted in response to this topic should meet, when integrated in an MEA, the following M2FCT 2025 end-of-life MEA target: Demonstration of 2.5 kW/gPGM power output (1.07 A/cm2 current density at 0.7 V; 750 mW/cm2 at 0.7 V) after running a heavy-duty AST equivalent to 25,000 hours. The target is for MEA-level performance with total PGM loading constrained to 0.3 mg/cm2. Proposals on innovative technologies responsive to these topics will be considered. Concept papers for this FOA are currently being accepted, which is the process we use to review a proposed concept and consider its applicability to a topic area. Concept Papers for this FOA must be submitted through EERE eXCHANGE: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId47252393-c846-4779-9760-86414eddda9f"]
[14,"2022-08-30","Technical Topics","We are interested in topic 4 of the recent release of DE-FOA-0002792 (MEAs for heavy duty applications) whereupon we have high temperature MEAs that operate between 80C and 240C, thus solving the thermal management issue for HD applications.  However, this technology involves an anion exchange membrane whereby the OH- is replaced with a phosphoric acid anion.  Is this technology defacto prohibited from applying due to your exclusions below?\n\nTopic 4 Applications Specifically Not of Interest\n• Anion-exchange fuel cell technologies\n• PGM-free catalysts and electrodes\n• Phosphoric acid-based fuel cell technologies\n• Solid oxide fuel cells","As described in the FOA, Topic 4 is focused on novel and innovative catalysts integrated into MEAs that will reduce the cost and enhance the durability and performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cell stacks for heavy-duty applications, in line with DOE targets. Hence, the Topic focus is on proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. The Topic specifically excludes anion-exchange membrane and phosphoric acid-based fuel cell technologies."]
[15,"2022-08-31","Concept Paper","On page 52 of the FOA, the page limit maximum for the Concept Papers “Sections” are provided as:  Cover Page – 1 page maximum; Technology Description – 3 page maximum; Addendum - 1 page maximum. As long as the entire Concept Paper is 5 pages or less and the requested content is provided, are the page maximums for the “Sections” within the Cover Page strictly enforced?  For instance, can the “Technology Description” section start on page 1 beneath the “Cover Page” information and run 3.5 pages? Is the only “hard” requirement that the entire Concept Paper is less than 5 pages or are the page limit maximum for each “Section” within the Concept Paper strictly enforced?  ","Concept Papers must conform to the requirements for page limits and section content provided in Section IV.C.i of the FOA. Page limits will be enforced for each section. The maximum page limit for the Technology Description section is 3 pages."]
[16,"2022-08-31","Eligibility","My company is seeking funding to potentially bring research on capillary-fed electrolysis of hydrogen from Australia to the U.S. Please let us know if this is a possibility.","The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) associated with Notice of Intent DE-FOA-0002807 has been issued. More information about the specific topics being solicited through this FOA (FOA-0002792 titled Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience) can be found here: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId47252393-c846-4779-9760-86414eddda9f. We are currently accepting concept papers for this FOA. Concept papers must be submitted through EERE eXCHANGE, as detailed in the FOA.\n\nAny organization that would like to be included in the Teaming Partner list for the FOA should submit the following information to HFTOFOA@ee.doe.gov, with the subject line “Teaming Partner Information FOA-0002792”: Topic Area(s) of Interest, Organization Name, Contact Name, Contact Address, Contact Email, Contact Phone, Organization Type (including MSI designation or disadvantaged community status, if relevant), Area of Technical Expertise, and Brief Description of Capabilities."]
[17,"2022-09-01","Labs/FFRDCs","On page 48, it says that FFRDCs are limited to 25% of less of the award. Is that for only certain topics and if so, which topics?","The FOA language, “The FFRDC effort, in aggregate, shall not exceed 25% of the total estimated cost of the project, including the applicant’s and the FFRDC’s portions of the effort”, applies to all Topics in this FOA."]
[18,"2022-09-06","Labs/FFRDCs","Per page 48 of DE-FOA-0002792:\nf. Limit on FFRDC Effort\nThe FFRDC effort, in aggregate, shall not exceed 25% of the total estimated cost of the project, including the applicant’s and the FFRDC’s portions of the effort.\n\nDoes this apply to a Government Owned, Government Operated (GO-GO) National Laboratory (NETL) that is not a member of the M2FCT consortium?","NETL, owned and operated by the Government, is a DOE national laboratory that is not an FFRDC. Per FOA Section III.A.2, Eligibility (Domestic Entities): Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to apply for funding as a subrecipient, but are not eligible to apply as a prime recipient."]
[19,"2022-09-06","Registration Requirements","I am having trouble obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov. Am I required to provide a UEI when I register in EERE eXCHANGE?","RESPONSE REVISED 9/15/2022\nNo, it is not required that you provide your UEI in EERE eXCHANGE. When creating your profile in eXCHANGE, under the \"Business Contact Information\" section, scroll down to the UEI field and check the box next to \"N/A\". This will allow you to complete your user profile without having a UEI on record.\n\nDue to the high demand of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process. Entities should start the UEI and SAM registration process as soon as possible. If entities have technical difficulties with the UEI validation or SAM registration process they should utilize the HELP feature on SAM.gov. SAM.gov will work entity service tickets in the order in which they are received and asks that entities not create multiple service tickets for the same request or technical issue. Additional entity validation resources can be found here: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=1b5f22581b2115102fe5ed7ae54bcb4e&spa=1"]
[20,"2022-09-07","Technical Topics","I’m writing with a question pertaining to topic 3 “Materials-based H2 Storage Demonstrations” under DE-FOA-0002792. The FOA states that, “The project scale should be based on the relevance to the specific use case and to the current state of the technology.” \n\nWe initially interpreted this to mean that a relatively smaller scale demonstration (e.g. a system involving tanks that store 1 kg hydrogen each) might be of interest for this funding opportunity, if that hydrogen storage capacity is greater than those already demonstrated for current state-of-the-art for the proposed material/system, and if that scale effectively meets the user requirements of a well-defined, marketable hydrogen delivery use case. However, we also noticed that the list of Topic 3 applications specifically not of interest includes “Onboard vehicle or man-portable power application demonstrations.” \n\nWould you please explain what is meant by “man-portable power” application demonstrations? Does this mean that you are not interested in demonstrations of any use cases that involve materials-based H2 storage in tanks that are light enough to be lifted by a human unaided (i.e. tanks weighing less than ~60 pounds)? If this is indeed the intended meaning, any explanation of your reasoning for excluding such use cases from the FOA would be very much appreciated. ","\"Man-portable power\" is a portable power device that is intended to be either carried on a person (such as a power device for recharging or extending the runtime of electronic devices like smartphones), or low-power, easily moved power generating devices of approximately a kW or less."]
[21,"2022-09-08","Technical Topics","In page 16 of this FOA, Topic 1 General Requirement section, the point 4 says ‘STCH system must demonstrate hydrogen production at a rate of 1g/h’. I am wondering is this the target metric that this FOA is looking for? Technically, this metric is not very meaningful, assume you have a material that has very small hydrogen productivity per gram of oxide, I would expect that you can achieve this target easily by constructing a reactor with 1ton of such material, which means all existing materials can achieve this target.\n\nSeparately, do applicant must demonstrate in solar reactor level to reach this target? Technically, to achieve this target, you will need kg-scale of materials, would the goal be too ambitious, probably unrealistic for this FOA?","Yes, applicants must meet the requirement for STCH system where ‘STCH systems must demonstrate hydrogen production at a rate of 1g/h’ among other requirements. This must be done on-sun or in a solar simulator which can be accomplished through HydroGEN consortium node support. EERE will provide access to nodes in HydroGEN at no cost to the selected projects based on award negotiations.\n\nYes, it is likely that kg scale would need to be produced and tested at the end of the project term (up to 3 years). This is meant to be an ambitious goal."]
[22,"2022-09-08","Other","If an existing consortia applies with the lead university acting as the Prime, do all universities need to be listed as a subrecipient in order to receive federal funds or offer cost share or can the prime/consortia handle disbursement based on existing policies?\n\nPut another way:\nIf an existing center/consortium applies and they have their own methods for fund disbursement including a competitive solicitation already in place, does DOE require that all center university members still be listed as subrecipients on the DOE proposal? Or, in other words, can a Prime take the funds from this center and disburse the money through its center to entities that are not listed as subrecipients? (note that the applicant would submit documentation on its existing rules and membership).\n\nThere is a portion of the FOA dedicated to existing consortia. It is not clear if all consortia members must be listed as a subrecipient in order to receive federal funds or provide cost share.","Any project partner scheduled to receive federal funds must be listed as either a subrecipient or contractor in the prime recipient's project budget. Cost share must be reported by the recipient, subrecipient, or third party (an entity that does not have a role in performing the scope of work) for costs incurred and paid for during the project. Please refer to the Budget Justification Workbook template for additional project budget guidance."]
[23,"2022-09-09","Cost Sharing","Topic 3 (Materials Based Hydrogen Storage) is the only Topic in this FOA that requires a 50% cost share.  The other topics in this FOA  require only a 20% cost share.    We are a small business and a 50% cost share is problematic.  Is there any considerations given to small business where a 20% cost share would be permissible?  Alternatively, if the scope of the project matches the lower funding level cap of the other topic numbers, i.e., less than $2 million federal share, as an example, would a 20% cost share be permissible?  Why is a higher cost share required only for Topic 3?  It does not seem equitable. ","The non-federal cost share requirements for DOE financial assistance are statutory and  come from section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Section 988 requires 50% non-federal cost share for demonstration projects and 20% non-federal cost share for research and development projects. Topic 3 of the FOA requests applications for demonstration projects. Therefore, the 50% cost share requirement applies to Topic 3. A cost share waiver determination is not in place for this FOA."]
[24,"2022-09-12","Other","If one were to join a Teaming Partner List, would that preclude them from applying to the above FOA?","No, joining a Teaming Partner List does not preclude an organization from applying to the FOA. Per section I.A.iv. of the FOA, the Teaming Partner list is being made available by EERE to facilitate the formation of applicant teams for topics in the FOA."]
[25,"2022-09-13","Technical Topics","I am interested to submit a concept paper for topic 4 of DE-FOA-0002792. Very recently, my group has developed a novel Fe-based heterostructures (a PGM-free catalyst) that have shown amazing ORR performances with a potential to replace Pt/C electrodes. The electrocatalysts surpassed the ORR catalytic activity of Pt/C benchmark catalysts rendering an onset potential value of 1.00 V vs. RHE and a half-wave potential value of 0.89V vs. RHE, which are placed among the top 5 more active ORR electrocatalysts reported up to date. The catalysts are not yet optimized, and we haven’t carried out in-depth characterizations to disentangle the origin of such amazing electrocatalytic responses. Taking into account that FOA has specifically excluded PGM-free catalysts, I wonder if you would still consider a concept paper from us?","As stated in the FOA (Section 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 submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.  As described in the FOA, Topic 4 is focused on novel and innovative low-PGM catalysts integrated into MEAs that will reduce the cost and enhance the durability and performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cell stacks for heavy-duty applications, in line with DOE targets. The Topic specifically excludes PGM-free catalysts and electrodes."]
[26,"2022-09-14","Other","Can investigators/researchers participate in multiple submissions to the two areas and/or  various topics (1-5) of this FOA?","Yes, investigators/researchers may participate in multiple submissions to the two areas and/or various topics (1-5) of this FOA, subject to the eligibility restrictions described in Section III of the FOA."]
[27,"2022-09-16","Technical Topics","My colleagues and I are pursuing a research thrust focused on the resilience of electric grids to seismic hazards. Knowing this is not explicitly contemplated in the FOA, we were wondering if this may still suit the Area of Interest 2: Improving Electricity Grid Resilience (Topic 5) University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience). Before moving forward with the submission of the concept paper, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to provide any feedback. ","As stated in the FOA, this Topic's objective is to develop, \"...the modeling tools, baseline information, data, analysis, plans, metrics, analytics, workforce, and methods needed to develop and implement successful grid resilience programs, establish decarbonization and emission reduction goals, and prioritize infrastructure investments aimed at achieving these goals.\" Seismic hazards are one of many challenges to the resilience of the electric grid and would therefore fall under the purview of this FOA."]
[28,"2022-09-16","Other","Can a PI on a concept paper be a participant on another submitting concept paper for this call? Can a PI on a proposal be a participant on another submitting proposal for this call?","Yes, principal investigators may be a participant in multiple concept papers or proposals, subject to the eligibility restrictions described in Section III of the FOA."]
[29,"2022-09-20","Other","Can the Lead Institution submitting the Concept Paper be changed for the Full Proposal? In other words, can the prime institution be modified after the concept paper submission (still part of the consortium listed in the Concept Paper)??","The prime applicant can be changed between the concept paper and the full application phases at the request of the prime listed on the concept paper. To do so, please include documentation of a mutual agreement to transfer/change the prime applicant from the transferor to the transferee. An email exchange between the current principal investigator and the new principal investigator showing both respective organizations acknowledge and agree to the change would meet the confirmation requirement. This documentation should be included as an Appendix to the Technical Volume.\n\nNote that the concept paper is assigned a Control Number when it is created in EERE eXCHANGE.  That Control Number is carried throughout the submission process, concept paper to full application. Whichever entity assumes responsibility for the full application will need access to the Control Number assigned to the concept paper so that the submission chain remains intact within EERE eXCHANGE."]
[30,"2022-09-21","Concept Paper","I can not locate a specific concept paper document on the EERE website. Could you please point me to a template? ","Concept Papers must conform to the requirements for page limits and section content provided in Section IV.C.i of the FOA. Note that concept papers must be uploaded to EERE eXCHANGE as a separate attachment and formatted to a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file type. A concept paper template has not been created for this funding opportunity. "]
[31,"2022-09-22","Other","Will the abstract or the application itself be publicly accessible?","Please see FOA Section VIII.D “Treatment of Application Information” regarding treatment of application information."]
[32,"2022-09-23","Due Dates","Regrettably, we missed the deadline to submit our concept paper by a couple of minutes. Is there anyway we can apply for an exception of an waiver or an exception and submit our concept paper?","We are sorry but we cannot make exceptions for late submissions unless the applicant can demonstrate there was an issue with EERE eXCHANGE (unrelated to normal server/connection congestion) or there were other extraordinary extenuating circumstances (e.g., natural disaster)."]
[33,"2022-10-03","Technical Topics","As an unincorporated consortium, we already issue our own annual competitive solicitation across our members. Are we allowed to dedicate a portion of the budget towards a (new, URCGR focused) competitive solicitation? The topics would be identified in the full application. We would work with DOE accordingly. If allowed, how should this be reflected in the budget?","For Topic 5, you are allowed to allocate a portion of the project budget towards a competitive solicitation. Since the expense of facilitating a competitive solicitation can be attributed to the formation and overall function of the consortium, it would be considered a direct cost in the project budget. "]
[34,"2022-10-04","Application Content/Format","The following template is included in the application forms and templates section of the subject FOA: HFTO2792_Summary_Slide_Template. However, I cannot open it because it appears to be in a PowerPoint ppt file. Can it be converted to a pptx file.","Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The Summary Slide Template has been reformatted to the latest Microsoft PowerPoint file type, .PPTX. You may access the reformatted Summary Slide Template in EERE Exchange, under the \"Application Forms and Templates\" section of the funding announcement."]
[35,"2022-10-06","Application Content/Format","What is the timeline for receiving a notification regarding our concept paper? The full proposal is due in less than two months, so it would be helpful to make plans based on the timeline for getting the notification about the concept paper.","We hope to publish in EERE eXCHANGE the Encourage/Discourage notifications  the week of October 24th. This is subject to change."]
[36,"2022-10-06","Application Content/Format","If we are encouraged to submit a full proposal, will we need to submit a collaboration agreement (as described on page 43 of the FOA) by December 1, 2022? Or would we only need to submit that agreement if our full proposal was selected for funding?","You do not need to submit a collaboration agreement with your full application. For projects selected for an award, the DOE Contracting Officer reserves the right to request a collaboration agreement during award negotiations."]
[37,"2022-10-27","Application Content/Format","How are we to submit more than 10 subrecipient budget justifications when the system limits it to 10?","We recognize that applicants under Topic 5 may have a large number of subrecipients that exceed the dollar thresholds that trigger the requirement for a separate budget justification specifically for a subrecipient. See FOA Section IV.D.xi -- \"Applicants must provide a separate budget justification for each subrecipient that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less).\" The eXCHANGE system has been modified to allow a maximum of 30 subrecipient budget justification files to be included with a full application. "]
[38,"2022-10-28","Due Dates","Do you plan to extend the December 1, 2022 full application deadline?","At this time we do not anticipate an extension."]
[39,"2022-10-28","Concept Paper","Is it possible to receive feedback or a debriefing on our concept paper?","The Department of Energy does not provide debriefings on the Concept Paper review.  For more information on the Concept Paper Notification, please see page 78 of the FOA."]
[40,"2022-10-28","Cost Sharing","Do you have futher details regarding the 20% cost share requirement for FOA Topic #2? Is there a possibility for a Waiver of Cost Share?","The non-federal cost share requirements for DOE financial assistance are statutory and come from section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Section 988 requires 20% non-federal cost share for research and development projects. Topic 2 of the FOA requests applications for research and development projects. Therefore, the 20% cost share requirement applies to Topic 2. A cost share waiver determination is not in place for this FOA. Please see Appendix A for additional Cost Share information."]
[41,"2022-10-31","Other","If an international subrecipient does not currently have a negotiated indirect rate, but it is understood they will at a future date, what is recommended? If the budget is proposed using the de minimis rate, is it possible to switch to a negotiated infirect rate at award negotiation?","If the organization does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate agreement, they can provide an indirect rate proposal in support of the proposed costs, or they can elect to apply a 10% de minimis rate in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f). Any non-Federal entity that has never negotiated Indirect Cost rates can elect the de minimis rate to be able to submit the application and can switch to negotiated Indirect Costs rates later during budget negotiations, if selected."]
[42,"2022-10-28","Application Content/Format","If a concept paper proposes a specific platform for research, can the platform be expanded in the full application submission?","Yes, per section III.C.i.b of the FOA, Full Applications are deemed compliant if:\n•\t  The application submitted a compliant Concept Paper;\n•\t  The Full Application complies with the content and form requirements in Section IV.D. of the FOA; and\n•\t  The application successfully uploaded all required documents and clicked the “Submit” button in EERE eXCHANGE by the deadline stated in the FOA."]
[43,"2022-11-01","Labs/FFRDCs","Is National Energy Technology Lab considered as a FFRDC, which has to comply with 25% maximum funding allocation?","NETL, owned and operated by the Government, is a DOE national laboratory that is not an FFRDC. Per FOA Section III.A.2, Eligibility (Domestic Entities): Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to apply for funding as a subrecipient, but are not eligible to apply as a prime recipient."]
[44,"2022-11-02","Application Content/Format","Pages 59 and 60 of the subject funding opportunity details the diversity, equity, and inclusion plan. That section mentions “applicants”. How should this be interpreted? Should the plan be only prepared by the leading organization or should it be a cohesive effort by all team organizations?","The DEI plan should be coordinated and drafted by the prime applicant but the prime applicant should make an effort to collect input from all project partners so that the DEI plan is all encompassing. Developing a DEI plan should be a cohesive effort with all project partners. "]
[45,"2022-11-02","Cost Sharing","In preparing an application for Topic 5, many of our proposed research activities will be on the development of tools and analytical approaches to support communities in developing their grid resiliency plans. While some of these may lead to deployments and pilot projects, the bulk of the work is gathering data and developing tools. It appears that such efforts be treated as falling under the 0% cost share requirement or the 20% cost share requirement? Is that correct? The FOA refers to R&D cost share as 20% but that appears to refer to pilot projects only but normally we see 20% cost share on regular R&D. Can you clarify please?","As stated in the FOA, any activities related to analysis, outreach, education, and workforce development do not require recipient cost share. DOE will not require cost share on work that is focused on collecting baseline data, developing metrics, setting decarbonization goals, creating a list of best practices, developing modeling tools, developing grid resilience plans, or identifying workforce development needs. Any activities that are focused on technology R&D, such as the design and development of a regional grid resilience pilot project, require a 20% recipient cost share.\""]
[46,"2022-11-03","Cost Sharing","We wanted to seek clarification to see how the budget should be allocated for Topic 2. The maximum federal funding for this topic is $1.5 million with a 20% cost share. Does this mean that the proposed amount for the FFRDC would be in addition to the $1.5 million federal share since it says that “the funding will be provided directly to the FFRDC(s) by DOE. Or would we need to allocate the FFRDC budget under the $1.5 million federal share ” Please advise on how we should proceed with proposing the budget.","Even though FFRDCs will be funded directly by DOE, FFRDC funding is factored into the total federal funding allowed per award. For Topic 2, the maximum federal funding that can be requested is $1.5M which includes all requested FFRDC funding. Therefore, the dollar amount stated in the project budget for FFRDC work will need to be factored into the total amount used to calculate cost share and ensure the 20% cost share requirement for Topic 2 is met.\n\nFor example:\n\n$1M non-FFRDC federal funding requested + $500K FFRDC federal funding requested\n= $1.5M total federal funding requested\n\n20% recipient cost share \n= .2 x $1.5M \n= $300K\n\nTotal Project Cost (federal share + recipient cost share)\n= $1.5M + $300K \n= $1.8M"]
[47,"2022-11-05","Labs/FFRDCs","Is the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) a FFRDC? ","Yes"]
[48,"2022-11-05","Labs/FFRDCs","Does NREL budget come from DOE directly or it has to be budgeted in the prime budget?  ","Even though FFRDCs will be funded directly by DOE, FFRDC funding is factored into the total federal funding allowed per award. In the budget justification template, in the \"Contractual\" tab, you will find a section specifically for FFRDCs. Please be sure to enter the amount of funding requested by the FFRDC for each budget period in the prime recipient's budget justification."]
[49,"2022-11-05","Cost Sharing","Another question is whether NREL can contribute for the cost sharing? ","No. Since FFRDCs are federally funded, and federal funds cannot be used as cost share, FFRDCs are not allowed to contribute cost share. See Appendix A in the FOA document for more information related to cost sharing."]
[50,"2022-11-08","Application Content/Format","Is there a required minimum budget for proposals submitted to Area of Interest 1 Topic 3 (i.e., $4,000,000, with 50% cost-share)?  Can proposals with smaller budgets be acceptable (e.g., $3,000,000 with 50% cost-share)? Thank you.","For Topic 3, the FOA requests applicants to propose 3-4 year projects for a total DOE funding amount of $2,000,000 to $5,000,000. Applications that propose less than the anticipated minimum award amount will still be considered. The funding request should be commensurate with the level of work proposed and be sufficient to complete all aspects of the work required by the FOA."]
[51,"2022-11-09","Technical Topics","For Topic 2, the objective states ‘Develop Hydrogen sensor technologies capable of environmental monitoring, with a specific interest in high-resolution sensing and quantification of hydrogen losses’. I want to inquire if the requirement is only to detect and quantify hydrogen concentrations alone, or measure/quantify the hydrogen emission rate from a relevant facility as well?","This topic is primarily aimed at developing technologies which can detect and quantify hydrogen at ppb concentrations. Applications should include a detailed description of plans for performance validation (whether laboratory or field), and are encouraged to clearly state whether field validation will take place at real-world hydrogen facilities. Field validation and demonstration at real-world hydrogen facilities, while of interest, is not a requirement."]
[52,"2022-11-09","Labs/FFRDCs","Since FFRDCs are prohibited from lobbying, would partnering FFRDCs still be required to provide a signed SF-LLL:  Disclosure of Lobbying Activities","No, FFRDCs do not need to submit a signed SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities."]
[53,"2022-11-09","Labs/FFRDCs","DOE FFRDCs should address the required authorization for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs to whom, name, title, and mailing address, please?  Past funding announcements have provided this information via FAQ.","You may address FFRDC authorization letters to:\n\nDOE Contracting Officer\nU.S. Department of Energy\nGolden Field Office\n15013 Denver West Parkway\nGolden, Colorado 80401"]
[54,"2022-11-09","Labs/FFRDCs","In most cases partnering FFRDCs will be funded independently of the project team.  Should those partnering FFRDCs still provide their project lead a completed sub-recipient budget justification for the Full Application submission if the FFRDCs proposed share will exceed $250K or 25% of the total project costs?","No, FFRDCs are not required to submit a budget justification if they exceed $250K in total project cost. In the prime recipient's budget justification template, in the \"Contractual\" tab, you will find a section specifically for FFRDCs. Please be sure to enter the amount of funding requested by the FFRDC for each budget period. Note that FFRDCs cannot request more than 25% of the total project cost, regardless of dollar amount. See FOA Section III.E.i.f. for details."]
[55,"2022-11-11","Labs/FFRDCs","In the Q&A, #54 asked if FFRDC’s needed to provide a Budget Justification since they were being funded independently from the rest of the project team.  I’m not sure the question was understood correctly so I want to confirm.  If an FFRDC is part of a submission that is awarded, the FFRDC would provide an FWP which is their version of a budget.  If the budget of the FFRDC is over $250K or 25%, would the FFRDC have to provide the completed Budget Justification file in addition to the FWP?","Thank you for circling back to question #54 and pointing out an important detail that we did not include in our response. Regardless of the FFRDC budget amount, all FFRDCs are required to submit a “DOE WP,” which includes a project budget, as an attachment to the FOA application (see FOA section IV.D.xii for details). A separate “Budget Justification” file is not needed for FFRDCs – this file (as described in section IV.D.viii and IV.D.xi. of the FOA) is only required for the prime recipient and any non-FFRDC subrecipient whose portion of the project budget is more than $250K or 25% of the total project cost. The prime recipient will enter the FFRDC portion of the total project budget in their Budget Justification file, in the FFRDC section under the \"Contractual\" tab. As a reminder, FFRDCs cannot request more than 25% of the total project cost, regardless of dollar amount, as explained in FOA Section III.E.i.f."]
[56,"2022-11-14","Labs/FFRDCs","We have a question regarding the representation of subrecipient costs on the budget template. As Topic 5 is separated into two activity types, one requiring cost share, and one that does not, we are seeking information on how to represent this on the subrecipient tab and cost share tabs of the budget template. Should we separate the subrecipient budget totals by activity type and then record the cost share required on the cost share tab, or take a different approach?","In the prime recipient’s budget justification, you may categorize a subrecipient’s budget by activity type in the “Contractual” tab with the cost per budget period of each activity on its own row in the table. You may also record the cost share required from each of those activities on the “Cost Share” tab by entering the cost share contributed per budget period to each activity on its own row in the table. This approach is not required, though. All that is required is to 1) list a subrecipient’s total project cost by budget period in the “Contractual” tab and 2) list a subrecipient’s total cost share commitment by budget period in the “Cost Share” tab. The Special Terms and Conditions will include details on how cost share is applied to each budget period."]
[57,"2022-11-14","Application Content/Format","If an applicant for an Energy Department FOA has registered lobbyists for congressional activities – but no contact has been made or will be made in connection with the DOE FOA application – does the applicant have to fill out SF-LLL? We see that the form is required for submission in the FOA, but there is no option to list “NO LOBBYING ACTIVITY” of any kind. Is it permissible to simply not include this form as it is not relevant?","The SF-LLL is required for Prime Recipients and Subrecipients (excluding FFRDCs). If the form is not applicable, applicants complete all \"Reporting Entity\" fields (Box 4). In the required \"Lobbying Registrant\" name fields (Boxes 10a and 10b) list \"Not Applicable - None.\""]
[58,"2022-11-15","Application Content/Format","Quick question on the hydrogen shot, if I submitted a Concept paper on topic area of interest A, can I change what topic area of interest I submit the full application on?","We would not look favorably on full applications that significantly depart from the concept proposed in an applicant's concept paper, particularly if the full application focuses on a FOA topic that differs from the FOA topic addressed in the concept paper."]
[59,"2022-11-15","Application Content/Format","I’m writing on behalf of a domestic small business that is preparing a full application for FOA number DE-FOA-0002792, topic 3 on materials-based H2 storage. Our concept paper proposed a project with four phases, each lasting 12 months. We had imagined aligning our budget periods to the phases and go/no-go decisions in the work plan, which would mean 4 budget periods, each lasting 12 months. However, the budget justification workbook only has 3 budget periods, and the help text advises to not modify the template. Does this mean that we should organize the work around 3 budget periods of 18 months each? Or would it be appropriate to modify the template to add one additional budget period? Thanks in advance for your advice!","A version of the budget justification template that includes space for up to five budget periods is now available in EERE eXCHANGE. See the Application Forms and Templates section in EERE eXCHANGE to access either the three or five budget period version of the budget justification template."]
[60,"2022-11-15","Foreign Entities/Work","If an organization is located outside the United States but only provides cost share, is it still necessary for that organization to submit a foreign entity and foreign work waiver request?","The foreign entity can provide cost share without submitting a waiver request provided that they are (1) not the prime applicant and (2) the work is being performed in the U.S."]
[61,"2022-11-15","Application Content/Format","Under AOI 1: Topic 3. Materials-based H2 Storage Demonstration the project period is expected to be 3-4 years. The budget justification template only allows for three (3) Budget Periods.  If we want to have a 4-year project period, does this mean we need to have two 18-month budget periods and one 12-Month or reduce the project term to three years and with three 12-month budget periods?","See response to question #59."]
[62,"2022-11-16","Due Dates","I was wondering if there is any chance that the December 1 deadline will be extended for the full proposal for DE-FOA-0002792? Please let me know if this is a possibility. ","See response to question #38."]
[63,"2022-11-16","Cost Sharing","Section III.B.iii of the Hydrogen Shot FOA (DE-FOA-0002792) states, on page 44, under the heading Cost Share Types and Allowability:\n\n“Cash contributions include, but are not limited to: personnel costs, fringe costs, supply and equipment costs, indirect costs and other direct costs.”\n\nHowever, Note 7 on the Budget Justification workbook states “A Recipient cannot claim “unrecovered indirect costs” as a cost share contribution, without prior approval.”\n\nWhich provision governs? The FOA, which says that cost-share can include unrecovered indirect costs, or the budget justification workbook, which says that these require prior approval? We want to make sure we do the budget right.","For the purposes of submitting a project budget with your full application, applicants are allowed to include unrecovered Indirect Costs as cost share in the budget justification template. Note 7 is a reminder that if unrecovered Indirect Costs are included in the \"Cost Share\" tab of the budget justification it simply means that you intend to request approval of this cost share arrangement during award negotiations. Once an award is made, unrecovered Indirect Costs will not count toward a recipient's cost share unless prior approval of this arrangement is granted by the Contracting Officer.\n\n "]
[64,"2022-11-17","Application Content/Format","We submitted a Concept Paper in response to DE-FOA-0002792 and were encouraged to submit a Full Application. We were wondering if a slight increase (~10%) in the requested DOE budget for the Full Application compared to the budget proposed in Concept Paper is allowed. ","Yes, this is acceptable. Be sure that you don't request more than the maximum federal funding allowed for the FOA topic. "]
[65,"2022-11-17","Application Content/Format","The FOA states (p. 85) that yearly participation in one U.S. DRIVE technical team meeting is required – but no information is available about where these meetings are held. The U.S. DRIVE 2022 partnership plan (page 5) merely notes that teams meet “on a regular basis, typically monthly.” Are these meetings in-person, or is a virtual option available (e.g., Zoom, Slack, Teams)? If in-person, please indicate locations so we can develop the budget accordingly.","A virtual option is typically available for U.S. Drive technical team meetings. If awarded, recipients will be advised by their assigned Project Officer what level of involvement will be required. It's uncommon for a recipient to attend on a monthly basis in-person meetings at U.S. Drive's headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. Recipients may be asked on a semi-annual basis to present to the U.S. Drive technical team the latest findings from their research. For budget planning purposes, you are welcome to allocate a once yearly trip to Southfield, Michigan to attend a U.S. Drive technical team meeting. You may also request to attend these meetings exclusively through a virtual teleconference platform if you would rather allocate project dollars elsewhere in your budget.    "]
[66,"2022-11-21","Application Content/Format","The current and pending support form is advised to use NSF form.  We are not sure whether this form needs to be signed.  Also we would like to ask whether after we filled all our current and pending support, the rest of  blank pages of this form should be removed.   We have a large team. Some team members signed this form and some did not.","In Section IV.D.xvi., the FOA states that if the NSF form is used, the individual must include a signature, date, and a certification statement using the language cited in this section. Prior to submittal, you may delete any blank pages in the NSF form that are not needed.\n\n"]
[67,"2022-11-21","Application Content/Format","Also for the letter of commitment.  Does each PI or Co-PI write this letter of commitment or it needs to come from each institution where the PI or Co-PI is associated?","Per Section IV.D.v., letters of commitment must be submitted by all subrecipient and third party cost share providers. If applicable, project partners and end-users must also submit letters of commitment. Neither principal investigators nor the institutions they represent need to submit letters of commitment."]
[68,"2022-11-21","Application Content/Format","We are applying to the solicitation DE-FOA-0002792: Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience. What is the expected start date on this project? I could not find it anywhere. I am assuming its after the latest negotiations period (Aug 2023)?","For project planning purposes, you may use September 1, 2023 as an expected project start date; however, be aware that this date is subject to change and is entirely dependent on how much time is required to navigate the award negotiation process. DOE estimates that award negotiations will occur between April and August 2023, but negotiations may conclude sooner than August 2023 or extend beyond August 2023. "]
[69,"2022-11-22","Technical Topics","We note that the measurement range is listed as 10 ppb +/- 0.5 ppb in Table 1 for Topic 2.  Given that atmospheric hydrogen levels are on the order of ~500 ppb, would you clarify how this Property of Interest should be interpreted?  For example, is a primary desire to detect a quantifiable change of 10ppb in the atmospheric hydrogen concentration relative to a background level of ~500 ppb the intent of this description of the measurement range?    Or to ask the question in a different way: Is a quantifiable absolute detection of hydrogen at level of 10ppb (50X below atmospheric hydrogen levels) a primary goal of this Property of Interest in Topic 2 of the FOA or would a quantifiable measurement of the relative differences of 10ppb (and greater) be the preferred primary goal for Measurement Range Property of Interest in Table 1?","The interest to detect 10 +/- 0.5 ppb refers to a change of 10 ppb from the background hydrogen level with +/- 0.5 ppb accuracy to the actual change from the background hydrogen level."]
[70,"2022-11-22","Technical Topics","With respect to the measurement range property of interest in Table 1 of Topic 2, we would like to confirm that it is allowable to include noise reduction and signal processing from the sensor output as part of the quantification measurement strategy to meet the metric listed for measurement range in Table 1?","Noise reduction and signal processing may be considered part of the detection and quantification technology proposed. The response and recovery times of interest listed in Table 1 are less than 30 seconds and less than 60 seconds, respectively, which refer to sensor detection times. Off-site processing is allowable, but the proposed technology must have continuous monitoring capability."]
[71,"2022-11-22","Technical Topics","Can the tolerance/error bar on the measurement range listed as 10 ppb +/- 0.5 ppb in Table 1 for Topic 2 be interpreted as meaning the preferred relative difference in hydrogen concentration that at a minimum could be quantified by the sensor is 9.5ppb?  For example, is the 9.5ppb change in hydrogen concentration intended as a minimum sensor measurement resolution?","See response to question #69."]
[72,"2022-11-22","Application Content/Format","If an applicant for an Energy Department FOA is a member of associations which conduct lobbying, which may nor may not be on behalf of the applicant more generally, but which has no activity in connection with the specific DOE FOA application, is it permissible to fill in the form SF-LLL, but in boxes 10a and 10b list “Not applicable – None”, or should those associations be listed in the form?","If any person is paid to influence or attempt to influence any of the following in connection with the application: \n\n• An officer or employee of any federal agency; \n• A Member of Congress; \n• An officer or employee of Congress; or \n• An employee of a Member of Congress; \n\nthat person must be listed on the SF-LLL. It is permissible to complete the SF-LLL and enter “Not applicable – None” in boxes 10a and 10b if you do not have any relevant lobbying activities to report."]
[73,"2022-11-23","Foreign Entities/Work","We're editing several Foreign Work Waiver forms and were wondering: should the information be listed in bullet points or presented as a narrative? And the waiver requests need to be listed separately, but included in the same PDF?","When drafting a foreign work waiver request, please present it as a narrative. The bulleted lists in Appendix C are meant to highlight key information that must be included in your foreign work waiver request. These bulleted lists do not indicate the desired format. If you have multiple waivers, please save all waivers in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Waiver”."]
[74,"2022-11-23","Eligibility","The industrial partner in the concept paper withdrew participation. Is our team still eligible for application to the full proposal if the cost-share requirement is met?","Yes, you may submit a full application if you are still able to comply with the cost share requirement. Since your concept paper was submitted under Topic 1, the FOA does not require an industry partner for this topic area."]
[75,"2022-11-28","Labs/FFRDCs","I’m writing on behalf of a domestic small business that is preparing a full application for FOA number DE-FOA-0002792, topic 3 on materials-based H2 storage. Our project involves research collaborators at FFRDCs and we noted the requirement on page 63 of the FOA that we provide a DOE WP in accordance with the requirements in DOE Order 412.1A. Our National Labs collaborators weren’t sure what this is, and the PDF document we found at the suggested link only includes 2 attachments, the referenced 3rd attachment appears to be missing. Is this DOE WP the same document that our National Labs colleagues submitted internally in the process of securing a support letter for the project, or is it something different? ","Thank you for bringing this to our attention. In FOA section IV.D.xii, any reference to Attachment 3 in DOE Order 412.1A, Work Authorization System is a typo. Using the file link provided in this section, national labs should reference Attachments 1 and 2 when creating their project work plan. This project work plan will need to be submitted with the full application along with the FFRDC authorization letter referenced in FOA section IV.D.xiii. "]
[76,"2022-11-29","Application Content/Format","The solicitation states that the resumes are to be two (2) pages in length but it also states that the NSF approved biosketch format is acceptable.  Since the latter are three (3) pages long, will the three-page NSF biosketch be accepted in our application? ","To fulfill the resume requirement, applicants may choose either format. Since the NSF template is three pages in length, we will also accept resumes that are three pages in length. "]
[77,"2022-11-29","Cost Sharing","I am working on completing the budget justification worksheet that is required for this opportunity. I am having a hard time figuring out where to put a 3rd party match on the required form. We have a company providing us with what is sort of consultant work as well as use of their facilities at no charge in order to help us meet the match requirement. They are not a subrecipient nor a contractor and the justification worksheet states that contractors are not allowed to contribute to the cost share, yet the RFA states that 3rd party matches are allowed. I am really confused as where to put the nominal value of this match. I know it goes on the cost share tab, but the cost share tab says it should also be reflected in one of the other tabs as well (a-i). I want to make sure I am doing this right to ensure we meet our 20% match requirement.","Cost share provided by third parties (i.e. - entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work), should be recorded only under the \"cost share\" tab in the budget justification template. Since the third party's contribution is not dedicated to any particular project task(s), it's not necessary to define how those cost share funds are allocated to other cost categories.\n\nBased on your description of the third party who will provide, “consultant work as well as use of their facilities,” this entity appears to be actively engaged in performing the scope of work. This entity would not fit the definition of a third party and would be considered a subrecipient. If you wish to structure your project budget under the assumption that this entity is a third party cost share provider and not a subrecipient, further justification will be needed in your application to explain this arrangement.  "]
[78,"2022-11-29","Other","We would like to request funds to travel to an international conference. We would like written permission to include foreign travel in our budget.","Per section IV.J.v. of the FOA “Foreign travel costs are allowable only with the written prior approval of the Contracting Officer assigned to the award.” Decisions on foreign travel are not made in advance of project selection. Applicants should submit a request for approval of foreign travel costs if the project is selected for award.   "]

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["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"]