Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000968
Apply for DE FOA 0000968
- The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade Collaborative Research on Configuration Optimization" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049 Office of Science Financial Assistance Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 12, 2013 and posted on Aug 12, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 10, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- All types of applicants are eligible to apply, except Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) Contractors, and nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995. Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Program Director/Principal Investigator are invited to work with their organizations to develop an application for assistance. Individuals from underrepresented groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for assistance.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000968) comes from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program and seeks grant applications for collaborative research tied to the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The central aim is to support outside researchers working in coordination with the NSTX-U team on research that helps optimize plasma configuration and advance the scientific basis for spherical torus operation. NSTX-U is positioned as a major national facility for studying high-performance magnetic confinement in a compact, spherical tokamak-like geometry, and the FOA is essentially an invitation for the broader research community to contribute new ideas, modeling, theory, and integrated experimental research that can strengthen NSTX-U mission outcomes.
The FOA frames NSTX-U as directly supporting two overarching FES goals. First, it targets better understanding of magnetically confined plasma behavior and improved methods to control that behavior, which includes issues like stability, turbulence and transport, energetic particle effects, magnetic reconnection and disruption avoidance/mitigation, boundary physics, and scenarios for reliable plasma sustainment. Second, it highlights the need to develop scientific understanding relevant to materials that can survive fusion-reactor conditions, which often connects to plasma-facing components, heat and particle exhaust, edge/SOL physics, divertor concepts, and the coupled plasma-material environment. In practice, the FOA is about research that informs how future fusion systems might operate more predictably and how they might handle extreme thermal and particle loads without unacceptable erosion or failure.
A key boundary in this announcement is what it does not want. The DOE explicitly states that applications primarily focused on implementing a diagnostic instrument on NSTX-U, or primarily focused on operating a diagnostic and analyzing the resulting diagnostic data, should not be submitted under this FOA. In other words, proposals centered mainly on building, installing, running, or maintaining diagnostics (and straightforward data analysis tied to that operation) are out of scope here. The intent is to fund collaborative research that goes beyond diagnostic deployment and routine operation, emphasizing physics understanding, configuration optimization, and advances that leverage NSTX-U as a research platform rather than treating it as a diagnostics program. Applicants needed to align their ideas with the collaborative research and optimization emphasis, and consult the full FOA text for the specific topical priorities and proposal requirements.
The opportunity is a discretionary grant program under CFDA 81.049 (Office of Science Financial Assistance Program), categorized under science and technology / research and development. No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed. Eligibility is broadly open to many entity types, with notable exclusions: Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors are not eligible to apply, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are also excluded. The DOE also signals an inclusive intent by encouraging applications from individuals from underrepresented groups and individuals with disabilities, provided the applicant has the skills and resources to serve as Program Director/Principal Investigator through an eligible organization.
In terms of timing, the FOA was posted August 12, 2013, with an original and current closing date of October 10, 2013, and an archive date of January 10, 2014, indicating it was targeted to Fiscal Year 2014 new or renewal funding submissions. The listing does not specify an award ceiling, award floor, or estimated total funding in the provided source fields (all shown as 0), which usually means applicants needed to consult the full FOA text on FedConnect for any detailed funding ranges, expected number of awards, period of performance, and budget guidance. The full announcement and the grant application package instructions are provided through FedConnect at the link included in the notice.
For applicants needing help accessing the announcement, the technical/scientific program contact is Stephen A. Eckstrand at DOE Office of Science (phone 301-903-5546; email steve.eckstrand@science.doe.gov). Overall, this FOA is best understood as a call for tightly integrated, facility-linked research collaborations that strengthen NSTX-U’s ability to explore optimized spherical torus configurations and deliver physics and plasma-material insights relevant to future fusion energy systems, while steering proposers away from projects whose main purpose is diagnostic installation or routine diagnostic operation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?
The funding opportunity number is DE-FOA-0000968.
Which agency and program are offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, under the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The FOA seeks grant applications for collaborative research tied to the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The central aim is to support outside researchers working in coordination with the NSTX-U team on research that helps optimize plasma configuration and advance the scientific basis for spherical torus operation.
What is NSTX-U and why is it important in this FOA?
NSTX-U is described as a major national facility for studying high-performance magnetic confinement in a compact, spherical tokamak-like (spherical torus) geometry. The FOA positions NSTX-U as a platform where the broader research community can contribute new ideas, modeling, theory, and integrated experimental research to strengthen NSTX-U mission outcomes.
Is this opportunity focused on collaborative research?
Yes. The FOA is framed as an invitation for outside researchers to work in coordination with the NSTX-U team. It emphasizes tightly integrated, facility-linked research collaborations.
What kinds of research topics are encouraged under the first overarching FES goal mentioned in the FOA?
The FOA highlights improving understanding and control of magnetically confined plasma behavior. Example issue areas listed include stability, turbulence and transport, energetic particle effects, magnetic reconnection and disruption avoidance/mitigation, boundary physics, and scenarios for reliable plasma sustainment.
What kinds of research topics are encouraged under the second overarching FES goal mentioned in the FOA?
The FOA also emphasizes developing scientific understanding relevant to materials that can survive fusion-reactor conditions. Topics connected to this goal include plasma-facing components, heat and particle exhaust, edge/scrape-off-layer (SOL) physics, divertor concepts, and the coupled plasma-material environment.
What is the FOA trying to achieve in practical terms?
In practice, the FOA supports research that informs how future fusion systems might operate more predictably and how they might handle extreme thermal and particle loads without unacceptable erosion or failure, while also advancing spherical torus operation and configuration optimization using NSTX-U as the research platform.
Are diagnostic installation projects allowed under this FOA?
No. The DOE explicitly states that applications primarily focused on implementing a diagnostic instrument on NSTX-U should not be submitted under this FOA.
Are projects focused on diagnostic operation and routine diagnostic data analysis allowed?
No. The DOE states that applications primarily focused on operating a diagnostic and analyzing the resulting diagnostic data should not be submitted under this FOA.
If diagnostic-focused proposals are out of scope, what is the FOA looking for instead?
The FOA’s intent is to fund collaborative research that goes beyond diagnostic deployment and routine operation, emphasizing physics understanding, configuration optimization, and advances that leverage NSTX-U as a research platform rather than treating it as a diagnostics program.
Where should applicants look for the specific topical priorities and proposal requirements?
Applicants are directed to consult the full FOA text for specific topical priorities and proposal requirements. The full announcement and application package instructions are provided through FedConnect at the link included in the notice.
What type of funding mechanism is this?
This is a discretionary grant program under CFDA 81.049 (Office of Science Financial Assistance Program), categorized under science and technology / research and development.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed in the provided information.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broadly open to many entity types, with specific exclusions noted in the FOA.
Who is not eligible to apply?
Two explicit exclusions are listed: (1) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors are not eligible to apply, and (2) 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are excluded.
Does the FOA encourage participation from underrepresented groups or individuals with disabilities?
Yes. The DOE encourages applications from individuals from underrepresented groups and individuals with disabilities, provided the applicant has the skills and resources to serve as Program Director/Principal Investigator through an eligible organization.
When was the FOA posted?
The FOA was posted on August 12, 2013.
What is the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed is October 10, 2013.
When was (or is) the FOA archived?
The archive date listed is January 10, 2014.
What fiscal year is this opportunity associated with?
The notice indicates it was targeted to Fiscal Year 2014 new or renewal funding submissions.
How much funding is available (award ceiling, award floor, total funding)?
The provided source fields do not specify an award ceiling, award floor, or estimated total funding (they are shown as 0). Applicants would need to consult the full FOA text on FedConnect for any detailed funding ranges, expected number of awards, period of performance, and budget guidance.
Where do applicants find the full announcement and application package?
The full announcement and grant application package instructions are provided through FedConnect at the link included in the notice.
Who is the technical/scientific contact for questions about the FOA?
The technical/scientific program contact is Stephen A. Eckstrand at the DOE Office of Science. Phone: 301-903-5546. Email: steve.eckstrand@science.doe.gov.
What is the overall theme of the FOA in one sentence?
It is a call for integrated, NSTX-U-linked collaborative research that advances optimized spherical torus configurations and improves physics and plasma-material understanding relevant to future fusion energy systems, while avoiding proposals mainly centered on diagnostics implementation or routine diagnostic operation.
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