Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001568
Apply for DE FOA 0001568
- The DOE-NNSA in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Laser Users' Facility (NLUF)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.112.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 31, 2016 and posted on May 31, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2016. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Laser Users Facility (NLUF) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001568) is a discretionary grant program run by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE-NNSA), specifically through the Office of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation under Defense Programs (NA-10). It seeks applications for new or renewal research awards under the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances Program (SSAAP), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) 81.112. The basic purpose is to fund university and industry-led research projects that will be carried out using the OMEGA Laser Facility at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), giving external investigators access to a major high-energy-density experimental platform that supports national stewardship science priorities.
At the center of the program is the OMEGA Laser System operated by LLE, a laboratory established in 1970 to study how high-power lasers interact with matter. The facility includes the OMEGA system, described as a 60-beam ultraviolet laser with about 30 kJ of energy at a wavelength of 0.35 micrometers, and OMEGA EP, a four-beam extension that supports additional operating modes. Two OMEGA EP beams can run at energies up to about 6.5 kJ in the ultraviolet with pulse durations on the order of 10 nanoseconds, while the other two beams can operate either in a similar ultraviolet mode or as petawatt-class infrared beams with up to about 2.6 kJ at roughly 1.054 micrometers. Through NLUF, these capabilities are made available to outside researchers, while the facility itself is maintained and run by the University of Rochester/LLE for DOE/NNSA.
NLUF is positioned within the broader Joint Program in High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas, which is co-sponsored by NNSA (Office of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation) and the Office of Fusion Energy within DOE's Office of Science. Although the experiments take place at Rochester, the financial assistance awards are administered through the NNSA Albuquerque Complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A key feature of the program is that it does not merely provide funding in the abstract; it couples the award to actual access to a scarce national user facility, including the scheduling of laser time and the practical support needed to execute complex experiments.
For the time period referenced in the announcement, roughly 17 percent of the operating time on OMEGA and OMEGA EP was planned to be available to NLUF users in Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018. That detail matters because it signals both the competitiveness of the program and the expectation that proposals will be tightly designed around feasible shot plans and well-justified experimental campaigns. The notice also emphasizes collaboration with LLE scientists and staff: user teams can receive technical and scientific support, and principal investigators are encouraged to partner with LLE researchers to strengthen experimental design, diagnostics planning, target considerations, and overall execution.
In terms of research scope, the opportunity is aimed at experiments in high energy density (HED) physics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF), broadly defined. It explicitly includes laser-matter interactions and related subfields such as laboratory astrophysics, the behavior and properties of materials under extreme (HED) conditions, and laser-plasma instabilities, among other topics. The announcement points applicants to the National Research Council report "Frontiers in High Energy Density Physics: The X-Games of Contemporary Science" (2003) as a useful framing document, noting that many of the regimes discussed there can be accessed at OMEGA. In practical terms, this means proposals are expected to be grounded in HED/ICF-relevant science that benefits from the unique conditions created by high-power laser drivers and the diagnostics environment available at LLE.
Eligibility is relatively broad but still focused on research-performing organizations. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, certain nonprofit organizations (including those without 501(c)(3) status, as specified), and other categories referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility language. The award ceiling listed is $500,000, with an anticipated total of about 14 awards, indicating a program size that supports multiple projects while remaining selective. The posting and creation dates are May 31, 2016, with an application closing date of June 30, 2016, reflecting a defined one-month submission window for that cycle.
Anyone looking for operational details beyond the announcement, such as facility descriptions, expectations for user experiments, and planning guidance, is directed to the LLE website and the NLUF Users Guide at http://www.lle.rochester.edu/. This is where applicants typically confirm current facility configurations, diagnostics availability, shot rates, proposal formatting expectations, and other practical constraints that can make or break a realistic experimental plan.
National Laser Users Facility (NLUF) Grant (DE-FOA-0001568) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Laser Users Facility (NLUF) grant opportunity?
The National Laser Users Facility (NLUF) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001568) is a discretionary grant program run by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE-NNSA). It supports new or renewal research awards under the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances Program (SSAAP), CFDA 81.112, for projects that use the OMEGA Laser Facility at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE).
Which DOE/NNSA office runs this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is run by DOE-NNSA through the Office of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation under Defense Programs (NA-10).
What is the main purpose of this program?
The main purpose is to fund university- and industry-led research projects that will be carried out on the OMEGA Laser Facility at LLE, providing external investigators access to a major high-energy-density experimental platform aligned with national stewardship science priorities.
What facility must funded research use?
Funded projects are designed to be executed using the OMEGA Laser Facility at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), including the OMEGA system and/or OMEGA EP capabilities, as appropriate for the proposed work.
What is the OMEGA Laser System (as described in the announcement)?
The OMEGA system is described as a 60-beam ultraviolet laser with about 30 kJ of energy at a wavelength of 0.35 micrometers.
What is OMEGA EP and what operating modes are mentioned?
OMEGA EP is described as a four-beam extension that supports additional operating modes. Two OMEGA EP beams can operate up to about 6.5 kJ in the ultraviolet with pulse durations on the order of 10 nanoseconds. The other two beams can operate either in a similar ultraviolet mode or as petawatt-class infrared beams with up to about 2.6 kJ at roughly 1.054 micrometers.
Does NLUF only provide funding, or does it also provide facility access?
NLUF couples financial assistance with access to a scarce national user facility. This includes the scheduling of laser time and the practical scientific and technical support needed to execute complex experiments at OMEGA and/or OMEGA EP.
Who operates and maintains the OMEGA facility?
The OMEGA Laser Facility is maintained and run by the University of Rochester/LLE for DOE/NNSA, while NLUF makes the capabilities available to outside researchers.
Where are the experiments performed, and where are the awards administered?
Experiments take place at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) in Rochester. The financial assistance awards are administered through the NNSA Albuquerque Complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
How does NLUF fit into broader DOE programs?
NLUF is positioned within the broader Joint Program in High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas, which is co-sponsored by NNSA (Office of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation) and the Office of Fusion Energy within DOE's Office of Science.
How much OMEGA/OMEGA EP operating time was planned to be available to NLUF users?
For the time period referenced, roughly 17 percent of operating time on OMEGA and OMEGA EP was planned to be available to NLUF users in Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018.
What does the planned 17 percent user time imply for applicants?
It signals that facility time is limited and competitive, and that proposals are expected to be tightly designed around feasible shot plans and well-justified experimental campaigns.
Are applicants encouraged to collaborate with LLE scientists and staff?
Yes. The announcement emphasizes collaboration with LLE scientists and staff. User teams can receive technical and scientific support, and principal investigators are encouraged to partner with LLE researchers to strengthen experimental design, diagnostics planning, target considerations, and overall execution.
What research areas are in scope for this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is aimed at experiments in high energy density (HED) physics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). It explicitly includes laser-matter interactions and related areas such as laboratory astrophysics, the behavior and properties of materials under extreme (HED) conditions, and laser-plasma instabilities, among other topics.
What reference does the announcement cite for scientific framing?
The announcement points applicants to the National Research Council report "Frontiers in High Energy Density Physics: The X-Games of Contemporary Science" (2003) as a useful framing document, noting that many of the regimes discussed there can be accessed at OMEGA.
Who is eligible to apply based on the announcement?
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, certain nonprofit organizations (including those without 501(c)(3) status, as specified), and other categories referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility language.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $500,000.
How many awards were anticipated?
The announcement indicates an anticipated total of about 14 awards.
What were the key dates for this posting?
The posting and creation dates are May 31, 2016, and the application closing date is June 30, 2016.
Where can applicants find operational details and user guidance for planning experiments?
Applicants are directed to the LLE website and the NLUF Users Guide at http://www.lle.rochester.edu/ for facility descriptions, expectations for user experiments, planning guidance, and practical constraints such as diagnostics availability and shot planning considerations.
What practical planning considerations does the announcement highlight?
The announcement highlights the importance of realistic, well-justified experimental campaigns, including feasible shot plans, and encourages leveraging LLE collaboration for diagnostics planning, target considerations, and execution support. It also notes that the LLE website and NLUF Users Guide are where applicants typically confirm current facility configurations and related operational details.
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