Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001359
Apply for DE FOA 0001359
- 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 Diagnostic Measurements of Spherical Torus Plasmas" 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 Jul 1, 2015 and posted on Jul 1, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 18, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- 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.In accordance with 2 CFR 910.126, Competition, eligibility for award is restricted to domestic institutions.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity (DOE Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences), titled "National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade Diagnostic Measurements of Spherical Torus Plasmas" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001359), sought applications for collaborative research centered on building, improving, deploying, and using advanced plasma diagnostic instruments on the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) located at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The core purpose was to strengthen NSTX-U experimental capabilities by funding teams that can implement diagnostic tools, operate them during NSTX-U experiments, and then analyze the measurements to produce scientifically valuable results that directly support NSTX-U program goals.
The scientific motivation behind the call was twofold. First, DOE FES wanted better measurements to advance the fundamental science of magnetically confined plasmas specifically in the spherical torus configuration, which has distinct geometry and performance characteristics compared to more conventional tokamaks. Second, the call emphasized developing the scientific understanding needed for materials that can survive or function in a burning plasma environment. In particular, it highlighted research that helps explore both solid and liquid metals as plasma-facing materials, a topic where high-quality diagnostics are essential for understanding plasma-material interactions, heat fluxes, impurity behavior, erosion/deposition, and related edge and boundary physics.
The scope was intentionally narrow: proposals needed to be primarily focused on diagnostic instrumentation and the resulting experimental data. That includes activities such as designing or upgrading diagnostic systems, integrating them with NSTX-U, commissioning and calibrating them, executing measurement campaigns, and performing analysis and interpretation of the diagnostic outputs. The announcement explicitly stated that collaborative research proposals not mainly about implementing and operating a diagnostic instrument and analyzing the produced data were outside the scope and should not be submitted under this FOA. In other words, NSTX-U-centered work was required, and the work had to be measurement-driven rather than purely theoretical, computational, or otherwise tangential to diagnostics.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, this was a discretionary grant opportunity under the Office of Science financial assistance program (CFDA 81.049). DOE anticipated making around 10 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of about $4.5 million. Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of $1 to a ceiling of $500,000. Cost sharing was not required, which is typical for many Office of Science research grants and lowers the barrier for universities and other research organizations to participate.
Eligibility was broadly open with a few specific exclusions and restrictions. All applicant types could apply except Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying after December 31, 1995. In addition, consistent with 2 CFR 910.126, eligibility for award was restricted to domestic institutions, meaning the competition was limited to organizations based in the United States. The FOA also served as the designated route for both new and renewal applications for NSTX-U diagnostic research support planned for Fiscal Year 2016.
Key dates show the opportunity was posted on July 1, 2015, with an application deadline (original and final listed) of September 18, 2015, and an archive date of October 18, 2015. The sponsoring agency was DOE’s Office of Science, with program contacts listed within Fusion Energy Sciences: Dr. Mark Foster (Mark.Foster@science.doe.gov, 858-455-3360) and Dr. Curtis Bolton (Curt.Bolton@science.doe.gov, 301-903-4914), who were identified as technical/scientific program contacts for questions about the announcement or fit to scope.
In practical terms, the FOA was aimed at strengthening NSTX-U’s ability to measure what matters most for spherical torus plasma performance and plasma-facing component development. Successful projects would be expected to contribute directly to NSTX-U experimental objectives by producing reliable, high-resolution measurements (and the analysis to make them useful) that help explain plasma behavior in this configuration and inform pathways toward materials and operational regimes relevant to future fusion devices.
FAQs: National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) Diagnostic Measurements of Spherical Torus Plasmas (DE-FOA-0001359)
What is this funding opportunity?
This was a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) discretionary grant opportunity titled "National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade Diagnostic Measurements of Spherical Torus Plasmas" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001359). It sought collaborative research focused on plasma diagnostic instruments for NSTX-U at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).
What was the main purpose of the FOA?
The core purpose was to strengthen NSTX-U experimental capabilities by funding teams that can implement advanced diagnostic tools, operate them during NSTX-U experiments, and analyze the resulting measurements to produce scientifically valuable results that directly support NSTX-U program goals.
Which DOE office and program sponsored this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency was DOE's Office of Science, within Fusion Energy Sciences (FES).
What facility and experiment were central to the work?
The work needed to be centered on the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) located at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
What kinds of projects were in scope?
The scope was intentionally narrow and primarily measurement-driven, centered on diagnostic instrumentation and the experimental data it produces. Examples of in-scope activities included:
- Designing, building, or upgrading diagnostic systems
- Integrating diagnostics with NSTX-U
- Commissioning and calibrating diagnostic instruments
- Executing measurement campaigns during NSTX-U experiments
- Analyzing and interpreting diagnostic outputs to produce scientifically useful results
What kinds of proposals were explicitly out of scope?
Collaborative research proposals that were not mainly about implementing and operating a diagnostic instrument and analyzing the produced data were outside the scope. Work that was purely theoretical, purely computational, or otherwise not centered on NSTX-U diagnostic measurements was not a fit under this FOA.
Did proposals have to be NSTX-U-centered?
Yes. The announcement required NSTX-U-centered work, with a focus on diagnostics deployed on NSTX-U and the measurements and analysis produced from NSTX-U experiments.
What scientific motivations drove this call for applications?
The scientific motivation was twofold:
- Improve measurements that advance the fundamental science of magnetically confined plasmas in the spherical torus configuration, which has distinct geometry and performance characteristics compared to conventional tokamaks.
- Support development of scientific understanding relevant to materials that can survive or function in a burning plasma environment, including research on solid and liquid metals as plasma-facing materials where diagnostics are essential for understanding plasma-material interactions.
What research topics were emphasized related to plasma-facing materials?
The FOA highlighted the need for diagnostics that can help investigate plasma-material interaction and boundary/edge physics topics such as heat fluxes, impurity behavior, erosion and deposition processes, and related phenomena important to solid and liquid metal plasma-facing components.
How many awards did DOE expect to make?
DOE anticipated making around 10 awards under this opportunity.
What was the estimated total funding level?
The estimated total program funding level was about $4.5 million.
What was the expected size of individual awards?
Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of $1 up to a ceiling of $500,000.
Was cost sharing required?
No. Cost sharing was not required.
What type of funding mechanism was used?
This was a discretionary grant opportunity under the DOE Office of Science financial assistance program.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity was 81.049.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broadly open to applicant types, with specific exclusions and restrictions. The FOA stated that all applicant types could apply except for certain excluded entities, and award eligibility was restricted to domestic institutions.
Which organizations were not eligible to apply?
The FOA excluded Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying after December 31, 1995.
Was eligibility limited to U.S. institutions?
Yes. Consistent with 2 CFR 910.126, eligibility for award was restricted to domestic institutions, meaning the competition was limited to organizations based in the United States.
Was this FOA used for new proposals, renewals, or both?
The FOA served as the designated route for both new and renewal applications for NSTX-U diagnostic research support planned for Fiscal Year 2016.
When was the FOA posted?
The opportunity was posted on July 1, 2015.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline (original and final listed) was September 18, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was October 18, 2015.
Who were the technical/scientific program contacts?
The FOA listed the following technical/scientific program contacts within Fusion Energy Sciences:
- Dr. Mark Foster (Mark.Foster@science.doe.gov, 858-455-3360)
- Dr. Curtis Bolton (Curt.Bolton@science.doe.gov, 301-903-4914)
What was DOE looking for in successful projects?
Successful projects were expected to contribute directly to NSTX-U experimental objectives by producing reliable, high-resolution measurements, and performing the analysis needed to turn those measurements into useful scientific results aligned with NSTX-U program goals.
What does "measurement-driven" mean in the context of this FOA?
In this FOA, "measurement-driven" meant the proposal needed to be primarily about diagnostic implementation and operation on NSTX-U and the analysis and interpretation of the data generated by those diagnostics, rather than work that is mainly theoretical, computational, or not tied to NSTX-U measurement campaigns.
What does "collaborative research" refer to here?
The FOA sought collaborative research centered on building, improving, deploying, and using advanced plasma diagnostic instruments on NSTX-U, with the expectation that teams would implement diagnostics, run them during experiments, and analyze the resulting data to produce outcomes that support NSTX-U goals.
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