Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003038
The Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003038) is a competitive Department of Energy grant program run through the DOE Idaho Field Office on behalf of the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). Its core purpose is to fund research, development, and related university infrastructure efforts that directly advance DOE-NE priorities for civilian nuclear energy. NE frames the program around national needs: strengthening U.S. energy security, supporting economic competitiveness, and delivering cleaner energy options by moving nuclear technologies forward from early research toward practical deployment and long-term operation.
This FOA is anchored to four mission priorities that applicants must clearly address. Projects are expected to align with at least one of these: keeping the current U.S. reactor fleet operating safely and economically for extended lifetimes, enabling deployment of new reactors (including advanced designs), securing and sustaining the nuclear fuel cycle (from fuels and materials through supply chain resilience and back-end considerations), and expanding international nuclear energy cooperation. The FOA also emphasizes that funded work should support broader DOE priorities such as combating the climate crisis, creating clean energy jobs (including attention to fair labor practices), and promoting equity and environmental justice through the delivery of innovative clean energy technologies. A key screening point is relevance: proposals in areas outside NE mission interests, specifically called out as including fusion energy, medical physics, nuclear forensics, or environmental management, are not reviewed or considered.
CINR consolidates two major pathways for supporting nuclear innovation: the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) and the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF). Through NEUP, DOE supports university-led research and development as well as infrastructure projects that strengthen the university base for nuclear energy science and engineering. Through NSUF, the FOA enables researchers to access specialized national capabilities that are difficult or impossible to replicate on a campus or in a typical private laboratory, such as materials test reactors, beamline facilities, and post-irradiation examination infrastructure. In practical terms, this means the opportunity can support both the scientific work itself and, where appropriate, the specialized testing and characterization environments needed to generate credible nuclear-grade data.
The opportunity is open to a wide set of applicants that reflects the program’s intent to encourage collaboration across the nuclear innovation ecosystem. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), and small businesses. NE also signals a strong preference for integrated and collaborative research approaches, often involving combinations of universities, national laboratories, industry, and sometimes international partners, as long as the work remains clearly aligned with NE’s mission and program direction.
From a funding and administrative perspective, the FOA is a discretionary grant opportunity under the Energy funding activity category (CFDA 81.121). The anticipated maximum award amount is listed as up to $4,000,000 per award, and DOE projected roughly 59 awards under this announcement. The FOA was created on June 22, 2023, with full R&D/NSUF and IRP applications due by December 20, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. DOE also reserves the right to adjust to shifting R&D priorities during FY 2024 due to external events, policy changes, or Congressional and budget direction, and it explicitly notes it may choose to fund all or only part of an application. This is an important signal for applicants to build proposals that are modular and well-justified, with clear prioritization of tasks and deliverables in case DOE elects to scope an award to a subset of the proposed work.
Overall, CINR is designed as a practical pipeline for nuclear energy innovation: it funds mission-relevant R&D, strengthens university capacity, and provides access to national user facilities so researchers can generate high-quality experimental results in nuclear materials and systems. Successful applications, based on the FOA language, are those that make a direct and defensible connection to one or more NE mission priorities, show how the work contributes to DOE-wide climate and equity goals, and fit squarely within the civilian nuclear energy scope DOE-NE is targeting.Apply for DE FOA 0003038
- The Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.121.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 22, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 20, 2023 Full RampD/NSUF and IRP ApplicationsDue Date December 20, 2023, at 500 p.m. ET. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 59 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) (DE-FOA-0003038) - FAQs
What is the FY 2024 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) funding opportunity?
The Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003038) is a competitive Department of Energy (DOE) grant program administered through the DOE Idaho Field Office on behalf of the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). It supports research, development, and related university infrastructure efforts that directly advance DOE-NE priorities for civilian nuclear energy.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The core purpose is to fund work that moves nuclear technologies forward from early research toward practical deployment and long-term operation, in ways that support national needs such as U.S. energy security, economic competitiveness, and cleaner energy options.
Which DOE office is responsible for the program?
The FOA is run through the DOE Idaho Field Office on behalf of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE).
What mission priorities must proposals address?
Applicants are expected to clearly align their projects with at least one of four NE mission priorities:
- Keeping the current U.S. reactor fleet operating safely and economically for extended lifetimes
- Enabling deployment of new reactors, including advanced designs
- Securing and sustaining the nuclear fuel cycle (including fuels and materials, supply chain resilience, and back-end considerations)
- Expanding international nuclear energy cooperation
Do proposals have to align with all four mission priorities?
No. The FOA indicates projects are expected to align with at least one of the four mission priorities, and applicants must clearly address the alignment they are claiming.
What types of work does CINR support?
CINR supports research and development (R&D) and related university infrastructure efforts. It is positioned as a pipeline that funds mission-relevant R&D, strengthens university capacity, and enables access to specialized testing and characterization environments to generate credible nuclear-grade data.
How does CINR relate to NEUP and NSUF?
CINR consolidates two major pathways for supporting nuclear innovation:
- Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP): Supports university-led research and development and infrastructure projects that strengthen the university base in nuclear energy science and engineering.
- Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF): Enables access to specialized national capabilities (for example, materials test reactors, beamline facilities, and post-irradiation examination infrastructure) that are difficult or impossible to replicate in typical campus or private labs.
What is NSUF access intended to provide to researchers?
NSUF access is intended to provide specialized national capabilities for testing and characterization, such as materials test reactors, beamline facilities, and post-irradiation examination infrastructure, helping researchers generate high-quality experimental results and nuclear-grade data.
Who is eligible to apply?
The FOA states that eligibility is broad and includes:
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- For-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
Does the FOA encourage collaboration?
Yes. NE signals a strong preference for integrated and collaborative research approaches, often involving combinations of universities, national laboratories, industry, and sometimes international partners, as long as the work remains clearly aligned with NE mission and program direction.
Are international partners allowed?
The FOA notes collaboration may sometimes include international partners, provided the work stays clearly aligned with DOE-NE mission and program direction. It also lists expanding international nuclear energy cooperation as one of the mission priorities.
What topics are explicitly not considered under this FOA?
A key screening point is relevance. The FOA states that proposals outside NE mission interests are not reviewed or considered. Examples specifically called out include fusion energy, medical physics, nuclear forensics, or environmental management.
What broader DOE priorities does the FOA emphasize?
In addition to NE mission alignment, the FOA emphasizes that funded work should support broader DOE priorities such as combating the climate crisis, creating clean energy jobs (including attention to fair labor practices), and promoting equity and environmental justice through the delivery of innovative clean energy technologies.
What is the funding activity category and assistance listing for this opportunity?
The FOA is a discretionary grant opportunity under the Energy funding activity category and is listed under CFDA 81.121.
What is the maximum award amount?
The anticipated maximum award amount is listed as up to $4,000,000 per award.
How many awards does DOE expect to make?
DOE projected roughly 59 awards under this announcement.
When was the FOA created?
The FOA was created on June 22, 2023.
What was the application deadline?
Full R&D/NSUF and IRP applications were due by December 20, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Can DOE change priorities or adjust what it funds during FY 2024?
Yes. The FOA states DOE reserves the right to adjust to shifting R&D priorities during FY 2024 due to external events, policy changes, or Congressional and budget direction.
Can DOE fund only part of a proposed project?
Yes. The FOA explicitly notes DOE may choose to fund all or only part of an application. This signals that proposals benefit from being well-justified and modular, with clear prioritization of tasks and deliverables in case DOE elects to scope the award to a subset of the proposed work.
What is an important proposal screening factor mentioned in the FOA?
Relevance to DOE-NE mission interests is a key screening factor. If a proposal falls outside NE mission interests (with examples listed such as fusion energy, medical physics, nuclear forensics, or environmental management), it will not be reviewed or considered.
What kind of projects are likely to be competitive based on the FOA description?
Based on the FOA language provided, competitive applications are those that make a direct and defensible connection to one or more NE mission priorities, show how the work contributes to DOE-wide climate and equity goals, and fit squarely within the civilian nuclear energy scope DOE-NE is targeting.
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| Materials, Operation, and Recycling of Photovoltaics (MORE PV) - Funded in part by BIL Apply for DE FOA 0002985 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002985 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $8,000,000 |
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| Puerto Rico - Energy Resilience Fund Apply for DE FOA 0003096 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003096 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $200,000,000 |
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