Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001598
Apply for DE FOA 0001598
- The DOE-ARPAE in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information - Enabling Technologies for Ultra-Safe and Secure Modular Nuclear Energy Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 17, 2016 and posted on May 17, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 17, 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 $1.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (DOE ARPA-E) under opportunity number DE-FOA-0001598. It is not a funding opportunity announcement and it does not accept applications for grants or other financial assistance. Instead, ARPA-E is using the RFI to gather technical input from the community to shape potential future ARPA-E programs related to modular nuclear energy systems, especially concepts that could speed up development timelines and improve the chances of regulatory acceptance for advanced reactor options that include Generation III or Generation IV design features. The information submitted in response may be used strictly for ARPA-E program planning and topic formation.
The RFI signals ARPA-E's interest in early-stage, high-risk, high-reward research and development that is genuinely disruptive, rather than proposals that focus mainly on integrating or incrementally improving existing commercial technologies. ARPA-E is casting a wide net for ideas and seeks perspectives across many disciplines, including nuclear science and engineering, materials science, sensors and instrumentation, controls and automation, power systems engineering, and "safety by design" approaches. The underlying motivation is that modular reactor technologies, if they become technically credible and economically competitive, could complement large conventional nuclear plants by delivering carbon-free electricity and also providing high-value thermal energy for non-electric applications such as industrial process heat, mining operations, hydrogen production, and desalination.
Technically, ARPA-E emphasizes a set of ambitious performance and safety outcomes that it wants enabling technologies to support. First, it highlights the goal of inherent safety that goes beyond traditional passive safety, specifically seeking multiple safety mechanisms capable of preventing core melting during a loss of coolant accident (LOCA). Second, it calls for extreme security and containment performance, aiming for designs that avoid release or exposure of radioactive nuclides even under LOCA conditions or if an enclosure is breached, with an aspirational objective of achieving a zero or near-zero emergency planning zone (EPZ). Third, ARPA-E is interested in reactor concepts that can respond quickly to external load changes (a nod to grid flexibility needs) while using control mechanisms that also contribute additional safety margin beyond simple passive cooldown behavior.
Beyond safety and security, the RFI highlights operational and safeguards-related capabilities that would make modular reactors easier to deploy at scale. ARPA-E wants concepts that can run for long periods, roughly 10 to 20 years, without refueling, which would reduce operational complexity and potentially improve economics and security. It also seeks substantially autonomous operation with minimal operator intervention, implying advanced instrumentation, diagnostics, control algorithms, and automation approaches that could reduce staffing burdens while maintaining or improving safety. Finally, it emphasizes proliferation resistance, indicating interest in technologies and design approaches that reduce the attractiveness or accessibility of nuclear materials for misuse and that strengthen barriers to diversion across the reactor lifecycle.
From an administrative standpoint, the notice is categorized under science and technology and other research and development, associated with CFDA number 81.135, and lists eligibility as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full text). While the posting includes fields that resemble typical funding opportunity metadata (such as a cooperative agreement instrument type and an award ceiling), the body of the notice repeatedly clarifies that no FOA exists and that ARPA-E is not making awards through this announcement. The RFI was posted May 17, 2016, with a response deadline of June 17, 2016, and it functions strictly as a mechanism for ARPA-E to collect ideas, identify promising technical directions, and understand what breakthroughs might enable ultra-safe, ultra-secure, long-lived, flexible, autonomous, and proliferation-resistant modular nuclear systems in future ARPA-E solicitations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DOE ARPA-E RFI DE-FOA-0001598
What is DE-FOA-0001598?
DE-FOA-0001598 is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to gather technical input from the community about modular nuclear energy systems and enabling technologies.
Is this a funding opportunity or grant solicitation?
No. This notice is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and it does not accept applications for grants or other financial assistance. ARPA-E is not making awards through this announcement.
What is the purpose of this RFI?
The purpose is to collect technical ideas and perspectives that ARPA-E may use strictly for program planning and topic formation related to potential future ARPA-E programs in modular nuclear energy systems.
Will ARPA-E make awards based on responses to this RFI?
No. The notice repeatedly clarifies that ARPA-E is not making awards through this RFI and that no FOA exists under this announcement.
What topic area is ARPA-E exploring through this RFI?
ARPA-E is exploring modular nuclear energy systems, particularly concepts that could speed up development timelines and improve the chances of regulatory acceptance for advanced reactor options that include Generation III or Generation IV design features.
What kind of R&D is ARPA-E looking for in the ideas submitted?
ARPA-E is signaling interest in early-stage, high-risk, high-reward research and development that is genuinely disruptive. It is not primarily seeking concepts focused on integrating or incrementally improving existing commercial technologies.
What disciplines does ARPA-E want input from?
ARPA-E is seeking perspectives across many disciplines, including nuclear science and engineering, materials science, sensors and instrumentation, controls and automation, power systems engineering, and "safety by design" approaches.
Why is ARPA-E interested in modular reactor technologies?
The RFI describes modular reactor technologies as potentially able to complement large conventional nuclear plants by delivering carbon-free electricity and providing high-value thermal energy for non-electric applications.
What non-electric applications are mentioned for modular nuclear systems?
The notice specifically mentions industrial process heat, mining operations, hydrogen production, and desalination as examples of non-electric applications that could use high-value thermal energy.
What safety outcome is ARPA-E emphasizing beyond passive safety?
ARPA-E highlights a goal of inherent safety that goes beyond traditional passive safety, specifically seeking multiple safety mechanisms capable of preventing core melting during a loss of coolant accident (LOCA).
What does ARPA-E say about security and containment performance?
ARPA-E calls for extreme security and containment performance, aiming for designs that avoid release or exposure of radioactive nuclides even under LOCA conditions or if an enclosure is breached.
What is the aspirational objective related to the emergency planning zone (EPZ)?
The RFI includes an aspirational objective of achieving a zero or near-zero emergency planning zone (EPZ).
What operational flexibility does ARPA-E want modular reactor concepts to have?
ARPA-E is interested in reactor concepts that can respond quickly to external load changes, reflecting grid flexibility needs, and that use control mechanisms contributing additional safety margin beyond simple passive cooldown behavior.
How long does ARPA-E want these modular reactors to operate without refueling?
ARPA-E indicates interest in concepts that can run for long periods, roughly 10 to 20 years, without refueling.
What level of autonomy is ARPA-E interested in for reactor operations?
The RFI emphasizes substantially autonomous operation with minimal operator intervention, implying the use of advanced instrumentation, diagnostics, control algorithms, and automation approaches.
Why does the RFI emphasize autonomous operation?
The notice links autonomy to reducing staffing burdens while maintaining or improving safety, enabled by instrumentation, diagnostics, control algorithms, and automation.
What does ARPA-E mean by proliferation resistance in this RFI?
ARPA-E emphasizes proliferation resistance as interest in technologies and design approaches that reduce the attractiveness or accessibility of nuclear materials for misuse and strengthen barriers to diversion across the reactor lifecycle.
How will ARPA-E use information submitted in response to this RFI?
Information submitted may be used strictly for ARPA-E program planning and topic formation, including identifying promising technical directions and understanding what breakthroughs might enable the outcomes described in the notice.
What are the key outcomes ARPA-E is trying to enable through future programs?
The RFI frames interest in breakthroughs that could enable modular nuclear systems that are ultra-safe, ultra-secure, long-lived, flexible, substantially autonomous, and proliferation-resistant.
Who is eligible to respond, according to the notice?
The notice lists eligibility as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full text.
What is the CFDA number associated with this notice?
The notice is associated with CFDA number 81.135.
How is this notice categorized?
It is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.
When was the RFI posted and what was the response deadline?
The RFI was posted on May 17, 2016, and the response deadline was June 17, 2016.
Does the notice include typical funding metadata even though it is not an FOA?
Yes. The posting includes fields resembling typical funding opportunity metadata (such as a cooperative agreement instrument type and an award ceiling), but the body of the notice repeatedly clarifies that no FOA exists and no awards will be made through this announcement.
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