Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003043

  • The Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2024 Distinguished Early Career Program" 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 12, 2023.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 07, 2023 Application Due Date September 7, 2023, at 500 p.m. Eastern Time. (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 $625,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
Apply for DE FOA 0003043

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Opportunity Summary:

The Fiscal Year 2024 Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP) is a competitive grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), designed to support outstanding early career faculty who are just beginning their independent academic research careers. Framed as NE's most prestigious early career award, the program is meant to give recipients stable, meaningful support so they can build high-impact research groups, launch innovative and ambitious lines of inquiry, and develop educational approaches that strengthen the pipeline of future nuclear energy professionals. A central theme of the opportunity is long-term capacity building: helping promising faculty establish the research infrastructure, collaborations, and curricular contributions that can shape the next generation of nuclear energy innovation. DOE also emphasizes broadening participation and explicitly encourages applications from women, individuals from underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities.

Applications are expected to present a clear and compelling integrated plan that combines research and education. On the research side, applicants should articulate a strong technical vision aligned with DOE Office of Nuclear Energy mission areas, describe the novelty and expected outcomes of the work, and show how the proposed effort will advance the applicant's research focus while opening up new directions for the field. On the education side, the proposal should explain how the applicant will translate their research strengths into training and workforce development, such as mentoring students, developing curriculum, creating learning experiences, and otherwise contributing to education in ways that strengthen nuclear science and engineering talent. The solicitation highlights that reviewers will be looking for an overall vision that supports the faculty member's development and enables durable, high-value contributions, not just a single short-term project.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number DE-FOA-0003043, with an activity focus in the energy domain (CFDA 81.121). Eligible applicants are limited to U.S. institutions of higher education, including both public and state-controlled universities and private colleges and universities. The awarding agency is the Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office. The FOA was created on June 12, 2023, and the application deadline was September 7, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. DOE anticipated making approximately 4 awards, with an award ceiling of $625,000 per award, indicating a highly selective program aimed at supporting a small cohort of particularly promising early career faculty with substantial resources.

Overall, DECP is best understood as a flagship early career development award in nuclear energy that rewards both technical excellence and a credible plan for building a research-and-education platform. Successful proposals are likely to be those that clearly connect an innovative research agenda in an NE mission area with a thoughtful, practical strategy for training students and strengthening nuclear energy education, while also demonstrating how the award would accelerate the applicant's ability to establish an enduring and influential program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - FY 2024 Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP)

What is the Fiscal Year 2024 Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP)?

The Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP) is a competitive grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). It is described as NE's most prestigious early career award and is intended to support outstanding early career faculty who are at the beginning of their independent academic research careers.

What is the main purpose of the DECP award?

The program aims to provide stable, meaningful support so recipients can build high-impact research groups, launch innovative and ambitious research directions, and develop educational approaches that strengthen the pipeline of future nuclear energy professionals. A core emphasis is long-term capacity building, including research infrastructure, collaborations, and curricular contributions that can shape the nuclear energy workforce and innovation ecosystem.

Who is the sponsoring office within DOE?

The opportunity is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (NE).

What kind of funding mechanism is DECP?

DECP is offered as a discretionary grant under a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

What is the FOA number for this opportunity?

The FOA number is DE-FOA-0003043.

What is the CFDA number and activity focus listed for this opportunity?

The activity focus is in the energy domain and the CFDA listing is 81.121.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to U.S. institutions of higher education. This includes public and state-controlled universities as well as private colleges and universities.

Are non-university organizations eligible to apply directly?

Based on the opportunity description provided, eligibility is limited to U.S. institutions of higher education. No other applicant types are listed as eligible.

Which DOE office is listed as the awarding agency?

The awarding agency is the Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office.

When was the FOA created?

The FOA was created on June 12, 2023.

What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was September 7, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

How many awards did DOE anticipate making?

DOE anticipated making approximately 4 awards.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $625,000 per award.

How competitive is this opportunity?

It is described as highly selective, with DOE anticipating approximately four awards and positioning it as the Office of Nuclear Energy's most prestigious early career award.

What types of activities are applicants expected to propose?

Applications are expected to present a clear and compelling integrated plan that combines research and education. The solicitation emphasizes an overall vision that supports the faculty member's development and enables durable, high-value contributions, rather than focusing only on a single short-term project.

What is expected in the research portion of the proposal?

Applicants should articulate a strong technical vision aligned with DOE Office of Nuclear Energy mission areas, describe the novelty and expected outcomes of the work, and explain how the proposed effort advances the applicant's research focus while opening new directions for the field.

What is expected in the education portion of the proposal?

The education plan should explain how the applicant will translate research strengths into training and workforce development. Examples mentioned include mentoring students, developing curriculum, creating learning experiences, and other educational contributions that strengthen nuclear science and engineering talent.

What will reviewers be looking for according to the solicitation?

Reviewers are expected to look for an overall, integrated vision that supports the faculty member's development and enables durable, high-value contributions. The solicitation frames DECP as supporting a research-and-education platform, not just a stand-alone project.

What is meant by "long-term capacity building" in this program?

In the context provided, long-term capacity building refers to helping promising faculty establish research infrastructure, collaborations, and curricular contributions that can influence and strengthen the next generation of nuclear energy innovation and workforce development.

Does the program emphasize diversity and broadening participation?

Yes. DOE emphasizes broadening participation and explicitly encourages applications from women, individuals from underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities.

How should an applicant connect the research and education components?

The opportunity description emphasizes a proposal that clearly connects an innovative research agenda in an NE mission area with a thoughtful, practical strategy for training students and strengthening nuclear energy education, showing how the award accelerates the applicant's ability to build an enduring program.

What overall characteristics are suggested for a strong proposal?

Based on the description, successful proposals are likely to demonstrate technical excellence, novelty and clear outcomes in an NE mission area, and a credible, practical plan for education and workforce development. They should also show how the award will help establish an enduring and influential research-and-education program.

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