Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives - Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number DE-FOA-0003361

Summary

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (FES) invites applications for the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives. The initiative seeks to form virtual, centrally managed multidisciplinary teams to bridge foundational science research and the commercial fusion industry, focusing on key Fusion Science and Technology (FS&T) drivers to de-risk gaps in fusion energy development. Total funding of up to $180 million is anticipated over a four-year performance period across selected projects.

Cover Page

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) OFFICE OF SCIENCE (SC) FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES (FES)

FUSION INNOVATION RESEARCH ENGINE (FIRE) COLLABORATIVES

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) NUMBER DE-FOA-0003361 FOA TYPE: INITIAL CFDA NUMBER 81.049

FOA Issue Date: May 22, 2024 Submission Deadline for Pre-Applications: July 9, 2024, at 5 pm ET A Pre-Application is required. Pre-Applications must be submitted by an authorized institutional representative. Pre-Application Response Date: July 19, 2024, at 11:59 pm ET Submission Deadline for Applications: August 27, 2024 at 11:59 pm ET

UPDATES AND REMINDERS … I SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION … 1 SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION … 13 II.A. TYPE OF AWARD INSTRUMENT … 13 II.B. ESTIMATED FUNDING … 13 II.C. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM AWARD SIZE … 13 II.D. EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS … 14 II.E. ANTICIPATED AWARD SIZE … 14 II.F. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE … 14 II.G. TYPE OF APPLICATION … 14 SECTION III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION … 16 III.A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS … 16 III.B. COST SHARING … 17 III.C. ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS … 17 III.D. LIMITATIONS ON SUBMISSIONS … 17 SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION … 19 IV.A. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE … 19 IV.B. LETTER OF INTENT (LOI) AND PRE-APPLICATION … 19 IV.C. GRANTS.GOV APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND RECEIPT PROCEDURES … 22 IV.D. CONTENT AND APPLICATION FORMS … 22 IV.E. SUBMISSIONS FROM SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS … 35 IV.F. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES … 36 SECTION V - APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION … 38 V.A. CRITERIA … 38 V.B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS … 40 V.C. ANTICIPATED NOTICE OF SELECTION AND AWARD DATES … 42 SECTION VI – AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION … 43 VI.A. AWARD NOTICES … 43 VI.B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS … 43 VI.C. REPORTING … 44 VI.D. REPORTING OF MATTERS RELATED TO RECIPIENT INTEGRITY AND PERFORMANCE (DECEMBER 2015) … 44 VI.E. INTERIM CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE … 45 SECTION VII - QUESTIONS/AGENCY CONTACTS … 46 VII.A. QUESTIONS … 46 VII.B. AGENCY CONTACTS … 46 SECTION VIII – SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL … 47 VIII.A. HOW-TO GUIDES … 47 VIII.B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS … 71 VIII.C. REFERENCE MATERIAL … 87

Updates and Reminders

RECOMMENDATION: The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) encourages you to register in all systems as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to submit pre-applications and applications well before the deadline.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR AND FAQS: SC plans to hold an informational webinar about this FOA on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 3pm ET. Registration instructions and other details will be posted at https://science.osti.gov/fes/Funding-Opportunities.

PROMOTING INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE RESEARCH (PIER) PLAN: All applications must provide a Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plan as an appendix to the project narrative.

INTERAGENCY FORMATS FOR CURRENT AND PENDING SUPPORT AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: The SciENcv system will support forthcoming common instructions and formats. SC strongly encourages use of SciENcv.

INDIVIDUALS WHO SHOULD NOT SERVE AS MERIT REVIEWERS: Follow instructions in Section VIII and consider using the Collaborator Template.

LIVING WAGES: SC considers a reasonable living wage for graduate students to be an annual income of $45,000, excluding benefits.

SC STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT: Fully committed to fostering safe, diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments.

UPDATING PAMS PROFILE: All applicants are encouraged to update profiles regularly, including demographic fields.

PDF GENERATION: Project narrative must be one single machine-readable PDF file attached in Field 8 on Grants.gov without advanced security features or portfolios.

Checklist for Avoiding Common Errors outlines submission rules for Grants.gov, PAMS, page limits, required attachments, and formatting constraints.

Section I – Funding Opportunity Description

GENERAL INQUIRIES: Technical: [email protected]; Administrative: Ms. Marty Carlin (301-903-3287, [email protected]).

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Section 646 of Public Law 95-91, Section 901 et seq. of Public Law 109-58.

SUMMARY: FES is establishing the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives as virtual, centrally managed teams bridging foundational science and commercial fusion applications. They focus on three primary science drivers: Sustain a Burning Plasma, Engineer for Extreme Conditions, and Harness Fusion Energy.

FUSION ENGINE ECOSYSTEMS (FEE):

FEE1: Fusion Materials and Technology (Advanced plasma-facing components, structural materials)
FEE2: Fusion Blanket and Fuel Cycle Systems (Tritium breeding, extraction, separation)
FEE3: Fusion Enabling Technologies (Magnets, RF actuators, laser drivers, target injection)
FEE4: Advanced Simulations for Design and Optimization (HPC, AI/ML, multiphysics modeling, V&V)
Crosscutting: Breeder blanket materials compatibility, data repositories, model V&V.

KEY ELEMENTS OF A COLLABORATIVE:

Collaborative’s Purpose and Management Plan
Integrated Thinking & System Interdependencies
Cross-Disciplinary & Multi-Institutional Teaming
Capability-Driven Framework with Quantifiable Milestones
Maturation Assessment via Quantitative Metrics
Stakeholder Engagement with Industry, International Partners, and FES.

Section II – Award Information

TYPE OF AWARD INSTRUMENT: Cooperative agreements and National Laboratory authorizations.

ESTIMATED FUNDING: Up to $180 million across current and future fiscal year funds subject to appropriations.

AWARD CEILING & FLOOR:

Ceiling: $5,000,000 per year (total costs)
Floor: $2,000,000 per year (total costs)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Anticipated project period of four (4) years, subject to continuation funding reviews (including Year 1 management review and mid-term review).

TYPE OF APPLICATION: Only new applications will be accepted.

Section III – Eligibility Information

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: All domestic entities except 501(c)(4) nonprofits engaged in lobbying. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories are eligible as leads or subrecipients via Field-Work Proposals. Non-DOE FFRDCs and other Federal agencies may be subrecipients.

LIMITATIONS ON SUBMISSIONS: Applicant institutions are limited to no more than four (4) pre-applications/applications as lead institution, and no more than one per individual PI.

COST SHARING: Not required for basic and fundamental research under Section 988 of EPAct 2005.

Section IV – Application and Submission Information

PRE-APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Submitted via PAMS by an authorized institutional representative. Limited to 4 pages (excluding cover page and budget tables), 11 pt font, 1-inch margins.

FULL APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS (Grants.gov):

Project Narrative: Maximum 30 pages technical content.
Appendix 1: Bibliography & References Cited
Appendix 2: Facilities & Other Resources
Appendix 3: Equipment
Appendix 4: Data Management Plan (DMP, max 4 pages)
Appendix 5: Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plan (max 3 pages)
Appendix 6: Project Distinguish from Other Support (max 2 pages)
Appendix 7: Letters of Collaboration/Access (2-sentence standardized format) and Other Project Information
Standard forms: SF-424 (R&R), Senior/Key Person Profile, Budget and Budget Justification, SF-LLL if applicable.

Section V – Application Review Information

MERIT REVIEW CRITERIA (First 4 weighted equally and more heavily than the final two):

Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project
Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach
Strength of the FIRE Collaborative Management Plan
Competency of Applicant’s Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources
Quality and Efficacy of the Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plan
Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget

PROGRAM POLICY FACTORS: Availability of funds, SC/FES priorities, portfolio balance, industry collaboration quality, career-stage distribution, DOE user facility usage, data sharing commitments, and institutional diversity.

Section VI – Award Administration Information

AWARD NOTICES: Issued via Assistance Agreements by DOE Contracting Officers.

REPORTING: Federal Assistance Reporting Checklist (DOE F 4600.2), quarterly virtual meetings, annual coordination conference attendance, and annual data deposits to the FIRE Data Repository.

POLICY REQUIREMENTS: Buy America requirement for infrastructure, Conflict of Interest policy compliance, Foreign government talent recruitment prohibitions, and export controls.

Section VII – Questions / Agency Contacts

GRANTS.GOV SUPPORT: 1-800-518-4726, [email protected] PAMS HELP DESK: (855) 818-1846 / (301) 903-9610, [email protected] SCIENTIFIC / PROGRAM CONTACT: [email protected] ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT: Ms. Marty Carlin, 301-903-3287, [email protected]

Section VIII – Supplementary Material (How-To Guides, Policies, and Glossary)

Detailed procedural instructions including:

Distinguishing between new and renewal applications
National Lab, FFRDC, and Consortia participation guidelines
Step-by-step PAMS and Grants.gov registration and submission procedures
Preparation guidelines for SciENcv Biographical Sketches, Current & Pending Support, and Collaborator Conflict Lists
Data Management Plan (DMP) specifications adhering to FAIR principles and open science
Administrative terms, Buy America Requirements, Export Controls, IP rights, and Bayh-Dole Determinations of Exceptional Circumstances (DEC)
Glossary of useful grants and cooperative agreement terms (Acquisition Cost, Allowable Cost, Carryover, Effort, Subaward, UEI, etc.).