Question 1:
Is the funding for this FOA dependent on Congress's 2011 appropriations?
If the cuts published this week as a part of the last minute 2011 budget deal become law, (http://republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/41211ProgramCutsListFinalFY2011CR.pdf), and even more specifically do the following cuts affect this FOA?
NSF-Research more than $444 million below 2011 budget request
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy more than -$550 million below 2011 budget request
If so, what is the anticipated effect of these cuts to the number and size of awards anticipated under this FOA?
I know it is unlikely that detailed answers are unlikely at such an early stage of developments, but even high level guidance such as "No Effect, Marginal Impact, or Substantial Impact" on this FOA would be very helpful.
Answer 1:
As noted in the subject FOA, approximately $30,000,000 is expected to be available for new awards under this announcement. Total funding for the FOA would be distributed over multiple appropriation years. Also as noted in the FOA, all funding amounts are subject to the availability of annual appropriations. At this time, it has not been determined what, if any impacts, appropriations below the President's request level for fiscal year 2011 or fiscal year 2012 will have on the subject FOA. In the event that less funding were to be available for the FOA, DOE anticipates fewer awards would be made than indicated. Additionally, final selections could be delayed.
Question 2:
We are a global company whose headquarters are in Europe. We have laboratories throughout the world. In the US we have several manufacturing sites and significant operations. Is it correct that 90% of the funding must be spent in the US for us to get an award?
Answer 2:
2. Please refer to Section III.A., Eligible Applicants, in the FOA. Foreign entities, such as your company, may be eligible as the Prime Recipient for an award under this FOA if your company has (1) a place of business in the United States or its Territories AND (2) can demonstrate that your company's use of DOE funds will be in the economic interests of the United States (including, for example; creation of domestic manufacturing capability; use of American products, materials or labor; payment of United States taxes; or United States technological advancements). There is no pre-determined amount of funds that you must spend in the U.S. if you meet these eligibility criteria.
Entities that do not meet this eligibility criteria are not eligible to apply as the prime applicant. However, entities not meeting this criteria are allowed as subrecipients to an eligible applicant provided that, in aggregate, not more than 20% of the total estimated federal funding is provided to entities that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Question 3:
If applicant is a private for-profit small business, is it required to involve and/or have a academic contingency involved with the research?
Answer 3:
3. Academic involvement is required per the Funding Opportunity Announcement's Preliminary Merit Review Criterion #2 on page 22 that lists "Educational component" as 1 of 3 "Go" / "No-Go" requirements that must be met. Under this specific criterion, it is stated that each application will be reviewed to determine if "graduate- or postdoctoral-level research training is a significant and intrinsic aspect of the proposed scope of work."
Question 4:
On page 6, the FOA states, [In other words, researchers are expected to take a novel idea from TRL 1 ("basic principles observed and reported") and transition it through TRL 2-3 ("technology concept and/or application formulated" and "analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept")]. However, on page 22, the FOA lists the following criterion: [Does the proposed research begin at a Technology Readiness Level of 2-3: "Technology concept and/or application formulation" to "Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept"]. What should the initial Technology Readiness Level (TRL) be 1 or 2-3?
Answer 4:
4. Applicants are expected to propose concepts that are currently in or entering into TRL 2 or 3, per the merit review criterion for preliminary applications that states, [Does the proposed research begin at a Technology Readiness Level of 2-3: "Technology concept and/or application formulation" to "Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept?"]. The proposed research is expected to have completed TRL 1 and be ready for advancing through TRL 2 and/or 3. Therefore, as stated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, "applicants will need to draw clearly the connection between previous basic science research [TRL 1] and proof-of-concept in a proposed photovoltaic device or component."
Question 5:
My PI had a question in regards to submission eligibility. If she submits 2 pre-proposals in the role as lead PI, can she also participate in a third proposal as a co-PI? Thank you!
Answer 5:
5. Each application should only identify one Principal Investigator (all Co-PIs would be considered collaborators on the project). As stated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, Principal Investigators are allowed to submit up to two pre-applications total for the Four-Year Topic and the Two-Year Topic combined (in any combination between the topics); however, multiple Principal Investigators may submit applications from a single entity.
Question 9:
As a consortium application in response to your Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II, Funding Opportunity Announcement Number: DE-FOA-0000387, would you allow international organization to take part? More specifically, we would be interested to have a partner from the Mexican Academy of Sciences.
Answer 9:
9. As stated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, an eligible applicant is 1) a legal entity established pursuant to United States Federal or State laws, with operations in the United States or its Territories or; 2) a foreign legal entity having a place of business in the United States or its Territories. An eligible entity must be able to demonstrate that its use of DOE funds will be in the economic interests of the United States, including, for example; creation of domestic manufacturing capability; use of American products, materials or labor; payment of United States taxes; or United States technological advancements.
Eligible applicants include but are not limited to: (1) institutions of higher education; (2) National Laboratories; (3) nonprofit and for-profit private entities; (4) State and local governments; (5) consortia of entities (1) through (4). If applying as a consortium, one member of the consortium that is an established legal entity must be designated as the lead applicant.
Entities that do not meet this eligibility criterion are not eligible to apply as the prime applicant. However, entities not meeting this criterion are allowed as subrecipients to an eligible applicant provided that, in aggregate, not more than 20% of the total estimated DOE funding is provided to entities that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Question 10:
Would an extremely fast wafer slicing technology be a suitable proposal under this category?
Answer 10:
10. Research into materials, processes, or devices applicable to development of innovative and revolutionary future-generation photovoltaic technologies will be considered responsive to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The particular suitability of a specific, proposed PV technology or approach will be assessed through the merit review process, according to the evaluation criteria described in the FOA.
Question 15:
We are a non-profit within the definition of 10 CFR 600.3 and are interested in submitting an application for DE-FOA-0000387 and may be interested in using the available cost share waiver for non-profits. Is there a specific process we have to follow in order to obtain the waiver or can we just submit an application without cost share and in the justification say we are a non-profit? Thank you.
Answer 15:
15. Documentation to justify entity type is not required with your initial application. An entity's registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) will generally demonstrate if the applicant is an eligible entity for the cost-share waiver. Please note that CCR registration is required to submit an application. However, DOE reserves the right to request additional documentation, if necessary.
Question 16:
I write to inquire whether a PI in a Canadian university is permitted to collaborate as a co-PI on a Next Generation Photovoltaics II (DE-FOA-0000387) project as long as the PI is US-based.
Answer 16:
16. Each application should only identify one Principal Investigator (all Co-PIs would be considered collaborators on the project).
An eligible applicant is 1) a legal entity established pursuant to United States Federal or State laws, with operations in the United States or its Territories or; 2) a foreign legal entity having a place of business in the United States or its Territories.
An eligible entity must be able to demonstrate that its use of DOE funds will be in the economic interests of the United States, including, for example; creation of domestic manufacturing capability; use of American products, materials or labor; payment of United States taxes; or United States technological advancements.
Eligible applicants include but are not limited to: (1) institutions of higher education; (2) National Laboratories; (3) nonprofit and for-profit private entities; (4) State and local governments; (5) consortia of entities (1) through (4). If applying as a consortium, one member of the consortium that is an established legal entity must be designated as the lead applicant.
Entities that do not meet this eligibility criterion are not eligible to apply as the prime applicant. However, entities not meeting this criterion are allowed as subrecipients to an eligible applicant provided that, in aggregate, not more than 20% of the total estimated DOE funding is provided to entities that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Question 18:
Are Preliminary Applications to DE-FOA-0000387 to be submitted via EERE Exchange by the principal investigator or must these applications be submitted by the authorized institutional representative?
Answer 18:
18. "Applicant" means the legal entity or individual signing the Application. This entity or individual may be one organization or a single entity representing a group of organizations (such as a Consortium) that has chosen to submit a single Application in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement. Therefore, depending on your specific situation, the Applicant can be either the Principal Investigator or the authorized institutional representative.
Question 19:
Question regarding Section III, Paragraph A. Eligible Applicants. (Page 10 of the announcement). (Name removed), LLC is a for-profit small business registered and operating in the State of Vermont. Please confirm that (Name removed), LLC is an eligible applicant under Section III, Paragraph A, Second Subparagraph, Item (3) nonprofit and for-profit private entities? If not, is (Name removed), LLC eligible under other criteria? Thank you.
Answer 19:
19. While we cannot address your individual organization, an eligible applicant is 1) a legal entity established pursuant to United States Federal or State laws, with operations in the United States or its Territories or; 2) a foreign legal entity having a place of business in the United States or its Territories. An eligible entity must be able to demonstrate that its use of DOE funds will be in the economic interests of the United States, including, for example; creation of domestic manufacturing capability; use of American products, materials or labor; payment of United States taxes; or United States technological advancements.
Eligible applicants include but are not limited to: (1) institutions of higher education; (2) National Laboratories; (3) nonprofit and for-profit private entities; (4) State and local governments; (5) consortia of entities (1) through (4). If applying as a consortium, one member of the consortium that is an established legal entity must be designated as the lead applicant.
Entities that do not meet this eligibility criterion are not eligible to apply as the prime applicant. However, entities not meeting this criterion are allowed as subrecipients to an eligible applicant provided that, in aggregate, not more than 20% of the total estimated DOE funding is provided to entities that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible to apply or to be a subrecipient to an eligible applicant.
Question 20:
Will you accept proposals which work along the line of photons to heat to electricity?
Answer 20:
20. DOE will accept proposals pursing research into devices for the conversion of photons to heat to electricity, as long as the conversion of heat to electricity does not rely upon a thermomechanical process such as a turbine or a Stirling engine.
Question 21:
FOA states, "postdoctoral-level research training a significant and intrinsic aspect of the proposed scope of work". Could you please define the word, "training" in this context, and give examples of post-doc training activities at a small for-profit technology company.
Answer 21:
21. DOE is requesting that the "applicant" present their approach or ideas specific to "training". We appreciate that small, for-profit companies may not typically work with or employ graduate students or post-doctoral fellows as compared to universities. However, DOE is soliciting projects that not only offer advancement in the state of the art of Photovoltaics (PV), but also projects that will train individuals "who will ultimately lead the development and commercialization of PV technologies in future years," thereby providing them a pathway to becoming Principal Investigators on similar types of future projects.
Question 22:
Can I submit my proposal/application to the NextGen@go.doe.gov mailbox?
Answer 22:
22. No, all application submissions are to be made via the EERE eXCHANGE at http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange. To gain access to the EERE eXCHANGE, the applicant must first register and create an account on the main EERE eXCHANGE site. This account will then allow the user to register for any open EERE FOAs that are currently in eXCHANGE. It is recommended that each organization or business unit, whether acting as a team or a single entity, utilize one account as the appropriate contact information for each submission.
Question 23:
I am the Licensing Associate working with a team of researchers at [Applicant Name Removed] who may be considering responding to DE-FOA-0000387, and there is the potential that this submission may contain material for which we will be considering filing a patent.
My question, therefore, is whether or not this initial submission due on May 9 would be considered a public disclosure by US patent law (which could limit our patent rights).
Also, if this initial submission is not considered a public disclosure, is there a point later on in the process (assuming we advance) where it will become a public disclosure, such as at proposal award time, or at some other point?
Any information you can provide me on this topic, and as soon as convenient for you, would be very much appreciated, and would help me to make the right decisions regarding the filing of patents on the intellectual property involved.
Answer 23:
23. It is strongly recommended that you consult with independent legal counsel regarding the best way to protect any proprietary information. For example, you may consider filing a provisional patent application on any information that you submit with your proposal. However, if you need to include patentable information into your proposal, you can mark the information as being proprietary and confidential which will limit DOE's use of the information and prevent it from being available to the public. Specifically, see Section VIII-Other Information, D. Proprietary Application Information of the FOA for more details and the markings that should be used. With the use of the proper markings, it is unlikely the parts of the proposal with the patentable information would be considered a public disclosure because those parts will not be available to the public.
Question 24:
We will be submitting a pre-application to the "Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II" solicitation, and we had a few questions. On the EERE submission web site under the General tab for the pre-application, it states that we must upload an Abstract. It states that this Abstract must match the Abstract in the main Full Application document. Is "Full Application document" referring the proposal that will be submitted if our pre-application is selected for funding?
My second question is regarding our subcontractor who is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center. Page 11 of the solicitation (under Section III "Other Eligibility Requirements") states that an FFRDC is "eligible for funding as a prime applicant or a subcontractor on another entity’s application if its cognizant contracting officer provides written authorization and this authorization is submitted with the application." Does this written authorization need to be provided with the pre-application or only with the full application?
Answer 24:
24. Yes, the "Full Application Document" refers to the Full Application that is submitted after the Preliminary Application. After completing merit reviews of preliminary applications, DOE will send letters formally inviting those applicants selected to submit full applications. See Section V.B. for further information.
Authorization for non-DOE or DOE-FFRDC’s, is not required for the preliminary application. See Section IV. C. “Content and Form of Preliminary Application” for further information.
Question 25:
Page 13 item C of the Announcement provides Preliminary Application instructions….
Is the SF424 Budget form required along with the SF424 for the Preliminary Application? This is not clear to me. And what other specific forms are required for submittal along with the Preliminary Application.
Answer 25:
25. The SF-424, Research & Related Budget is not required with the Preliminary Application.
The following documents are required for the Preliminary Application:
-SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance
-Preliminary Project Narrative (including cover page, preliminary technical proposal, bibliography and references).
Please see Section IV C. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for specific information.
Question 26:
I had a question regarding collaborator status on proposals. As clearly stated in the FOA, I understand that a PI may submit up to two pre-applications. Having done so, can that PI ALSO be listed as a collaborator on a third pre-application submitted by a different PI?
Answer 26:
26. Yes, an individual is limited to submitting a maximum of 2 pre-applications where they are listed as Principal Investigator (PI). As stated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, "Principal Investigators are allowed to submit up to two pre-applications total for the Four-Year Topic and the Two-Year Topic combined (in any combination between the topics); however, multiple Principal Investigators may submit applications from a single entity." There is no limit to the number of pre-applications an individual may collaborate on (in a non-PI role).
Question 27:
Dr. [Name Removed] is unavailable until May 8, and I don’t know if we have an account or not, and we do not want to miss this opportunity. Would it be possible for you to find out of if [Recipient Name Removed] has an account? If not, I will go ahead and open one myself and then find out when Dr. [Name Removed] returns.
Answer 27:
27. Questions related to use of the EERE eXCHANGE website, including account set-up, should be submitted to: EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.
Question 28:
We are planning to submit a preliminary proposal for Next Gen. I was wondering if we need to submit any budget of sort with the preliminary proposal.
Answer 28:
28. The following documents are required for the Preliminary Application:
SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, which includes limited budget information.
Preliminary Project Narrative (including cover page, preliminary technical proposal, bibliography and references).
Please see Section IV C. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for specific information.
Question 29:
I am working with a PI here at (Name Removed) to submit a pre-application for DE-FOA-0000387. We are experiencing a problem in which the online system is giving us cost sharing error when we try to submit. The announcement from 4/7/11 states that Institutions of Higher Education are eligible for a waiver of the cost sharing requirements. We are therefore trying to submit a pre proposal with $0 in cost share. Is there anything special that needs to be done for this waiver or is it automatic?
Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.
Answer 29:
29. Questions related to use of the EERE eXCHANGE website, including cost sharing errors, should be submitted to: EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.
Question 30:
[Company Name Removed], committed to promote the use of organic food and green energy, is a start-up company. To begin with, we want to do research, development and demonstration of tracking mechanism for photovoltaics, parabolic toughs for stand-alone farm houses. We were wondering whether you include this subtopic into your grant program?
Answer 30:
30. No, this is not a viable topic for this FOA. Per the Preliminary-Application Merit Review Criteria, the application must address "a photovoltaic technology, for converting solar energy / light directly to electrons".
Question 31:
I am planning to submit a pre-application to:
DE-FOA-0000387: Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II
I am not registered with EERE and neither is (Name Removed) University. People from the Research Office at (Name Removed) told me that if the pre-application could be done through grants.gov then they could take care of it immediately.
Is that possible or not?
(I am asking because if not, then I will have to register with EERE and according to this FOA such registration might take weeks??)
Answer 31:
31. All application submissions are to be made via the EERE eXCHANGE at http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange. Besides the eXCHANGE registration system, which does not have a delay, the other registration requirements (Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System, the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), and FedConnect), could take several weeks to process and are necessary in order for a potential applicant to receive an award under this announcement. Therefore, although not required in order to submit a preliminary or full application, all potential applicants lacking a DUNS number or not yet registered with CCR should complete the registrations as soon as possible.
Question 32:
If more than one university participates jointly in a pre-application, does the contribution of the lead university have to be at least 50%? i.e. what happens if the lead university is at 34% and the other university is at 66%? Is this considered responsive, or should we reverse the roles?
Answer 32:
32. For this Funding Opportunity Announcement, there are no eligibility requirements regarding the minimum or maximum contributions of a prime applicant or a subrecipient except as noted in Section III.A of the FOA under Eligibility Requirements. For your convenience, this section is stated below:
"An eligible applicant is 1) a legal entity established pursuant to United States Federal or State laws, with operations in the United States or its Territories or; 2) a foreign legal entity having a place of business in the United States or its Territories. An eligible entity must be able to demonstrate that its use of DOE funds will be in the economic interests of the United States, including, for example; creation of domestic manufacturing capability; use of American products, materials or labor; payment of United States taxes; or United States technological advancements.
Eligible applicants include but are not limited to: (1) institutions of higher education; (2) National Laboratories; (3) nonprofit and for-profit private entities; (4) State and local governments; (5) consortia of entities (1) through (4). If applying as a consortium, one member of the consortium that is an established legal entity must be designated as the lead applicant.
Entities that do not meet this eligibility criterion are not eligible to apply as the prime applicant. However, entities not meeting this criterion are allowed as subrecipients to an eligible applicant provided that, in aggregate, not more than 20% of the total estimated DOE funding is provided to entities that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible to apply or to be a subrecipient to an eligible applicant."
Question 33:
On Page 13 of the FOA instructions it states that the SF424 be included within the Preliminary Application. However, we cannot locate an area within the EERE Exchange where you can upload the SF424. When reading the FOA instructions they do not seem to coincide with the EERE Exchange website at all. Please advise.
Answer 33:
33. A “User Guide” for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange/Manuals.aspx after logging into the system. Page 14, Section 3.6 Upload and Submit, may address your question. If you have further questions related to use of the EERE eXCHANGE website should be submitted to: EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.
Question 34:
I would like to know whether organic or bulk heterojunction photovoltaics research would fit for the Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II Funding Opportunity (Announcement Number: DE-FOA-0000387)? If so are there any particular areas that are encouraged, or indeed discouraged?
Answer 34:
34. The particular suitability of a specific, proposed PV technology or approach will be assessed through the merit review process, according to the evaluation criteria described in the FOA. The Merit Review Criteria for Preliminary Applications is provided below for you convenience.
Criterion 1: Relevance to $1/W (score on scale of -1, 0, or 1)
• Is the proposed research relevant to achieving or exceeding $1/W installed PV system costs?
• Does the proposed technology have a viable pathway to at least 20% energy conversion efficiency?
• Does the proposed research begin at a Technology Readiness Level of 2-3: “Technology concept and/or application formulation” to “Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept? ” (See Appendix D for full description of Technology Readiness Levels.)
Criterion 2: “Go” / “No-Go” Requirements (ALL Requirements below must be met)
• Light to electrons: Is the proposed research for a photovoltaic technology, for converting solar energy / light directly to electrons?
• Physically possible: Is the proposed technology physically possible and scientifically sound?
• Educational component: Is graduate- or postdoctoral-level research training a significant and intrinsic aspect of the proposed scope of work?
Question 35:
I am trying to submit my application however I keep getting an error of “Proposed Cost Share is required and must be greater than 0” However I am submitting as a FFRDC and the cost share portion has been waived for this application. This is how it is listed on my submission:
Federal Share (DOE) (in whole dollars):*
Non-federal Share (in whole dollars):*
Proposed Cost Share is required and must be greater than 0
Proposed Cost Share Percentage:
0.0%
Total Projected Costs:
$(Number Removed)
Proposed Period of Performance (months):*
How do I get around this error message, I have tried submitted with and without the check mark.
Answer 35:
35. Please try again. We recently made a change in the eXHANGE system that should correct the problem and allow for 0% cost share.
Question 36:
I work in the sponsored research office at a university and we have multiple faculty submitting preliminary proposals as PIs. Would it be acceptable for each PI to register with the EERE eXCHANGE system and submit their individual applications? My concern is that your instructions state that DOE would prefer all applications go through one account, however it would be more advantageous for us to have the PIs each submit them separately. Each application will contain a SF424 signed by our authorized representative, and therefore the proposals will be approved by the university.
Answer 36:
36. Correct, while it is recommended that each organization or business unit, whether acting as a team or a single entity, utilize one account as the appropriate contact information for each submission, it is not required.
Question 38:
Hello, I was just verifying that these are the only requirements for the preliminary application due next week for DE-FOA-0000387 Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II.
Content and Form of Preliminary Application
You must complete the following mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms found on the EERE eXCHANGE website at http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange, in accordance with the instructions.
A control number will be issued when an applicant begins the preliminary application submission process. This control number must be included in the full application documents, as described below.
1. SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (Mandatory)
Complete all required fields in accordance with the instructions on the form. The list of certifications and assurances in Field 21 can be found at http://management.energy.gov/business_doe/business_forms.htm, under Certifications and Assurances. Note: The dates and dollar amounts on the SF 424 are for the complete project period and not just the first year, first phase, or other subset of the project period. Save the information in a single file named “Control#_Institution_App424.pdf.”
2. Preliminary Project Narrative (Mandatory, 4-page limit)
The Preliminary Project Narrative must not exceed 4 pages, including cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs when printed using standard 8.5” by 11” paper with 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right), single spaced. EVALUATORS WILL REVIEW ONLY THE NUMBER OF PAGES SPECIFIED IN THE PRECEDING SENTENCE. The font must not be smaller than 11 point. Do not include any Internet addresses (URLs) that provide information necessary to review the application. See Section VIII.D for instructions on how to mark proprietary application information. Save the information in a single file named “Control#_Institution_Preliminary_Narrative.pdf.” The preliminary project narrative must include the following:
i. Cover Page (1-page limit):
The Preliminary Project Narrative cover page should indicate the name and type of organization, the announcement number, the project title, and both the technical (Principal Investigator) and business points of contact for the applicant, denoting the names, titles, addresses, telephone numbers, and electronic mail addresses. The cover page should also identify the names for all other participants (subrecipients). Finally, the cover page must specify which topic the applicant is applying to (the Four-Year Topic or the Two-Year Topic).
ii. Preliminary Technical Proposal (3-page limit):
The Preliminary Technical Proposal should provide a clear, concise statement of the specific objectives, primary approaches, and expected outcomes and impacts of the proposed project. It should address each of the Merit Review Criteria for Preliminary Applications listed in Section V.A.2. It must provide sufficient information that reviewers will be able to evaluate the technical merits of the preliminary application in accordance with these merit review criteria. The justification for the proposed project should include a clear statement of the importance of the project in terms of the utility of the outcomes and the target community of beneficiaries. For multi-organizational or multi-investigator projects, briefly describe the roles and the work to be performed by each participant/investigator.
iii. Bibliography and References (not included in the 4 page limit):
Provide a bibliography for any references cited. This section must include only bibliographic citations.
Answer 38:
38. Correct-the items you list are the required documents for a preliminary application.
Question 39:
A team including two universities will be submitting a preliminary application for a "Four-Year Topic." In determining an estimated budget, is it acceptable for one university to include graduate students for four years and the other university to include a post-doc for the first two years and a post doc for the second two years?
Answer 39:
39. DOE does not determine how the applicant should structure its budget in terms of how many graduate students or post-docs to include. It must be noted that a key requirement for this FOA is the academic involvement and substantial education and/or training of graduate students and/or post-doctoral fellows, who will ultimately lead the development and commercialization of PV technologies in future years. Please see Criterion 2 listed under Section V A.2. of the FOA. It states, "Educational component: Is graduate- or postdoctoral-level research training a significant and intrinsic aspect of the proposed scope of work?" It is up to the applicant to determine how best to address this criterion.
Question 40:
The FOA states, "The justification for the proposed project should include a clear statement of the importance of the project in terms of the utility of the outcomes and the target community of beneficiaries." Could you please define the timescale of beneficiaries in this context? Breakthrough technologies could impact and benefit all people / nations worldwide in the long-term. But perhaps you are looking for shorter term beneficiaries of job creation, economic development, etc.
Answer 40:
40. Certainly near-term job creation and economic development would be a side-bonus of successful research, however this Funding Opportunity Announcement is focused on the research to achieve and accelerate commercial production of photovoltaics in the 2017-2025 timeframe. Specifically in Section I, the FOA states, "Recognizing that a decade or longer is often required to fully mature new technologies, funding this early stage research now is necessary to achieve and accelerate commercial production in the 2017-2025 timeframe. Investments in technology that can enable systems that are even lower than $1/W beyond 2020 will further accelerate the deployment of solar energy in the US and open up tremendous new export markets for US firms."
Question 41:
I had a question regarding the 4 page maximum for the concept paper. It says that the 4 pages includes cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs. Is the cover page to be a full dedicated page? Is there a template for the cover page? If not, what kind of information should be included?
Answer 41:
41. There is not a template for the cover page. The required information is outlined in Section IV. C. 2. i.: "The Preliminary Project Narrative cover page should indicate the name and type of organization, the announcement number, the project title, and both the technical (Principal Investigator) and business points of contact for the applicant, denoting the names, titles, addresses, telephone numbers, and electronic mail addresses. The cover page should also identify the names for all other participants (subrecipients). Finally, the cover page must specify which topic the applicant is applying to (the Four-Year Topic or the Two-Year Topic)".
Question 43:
The submission site for a preliminary application requires an abstract be entered which is the same as the full application abstract. Since no one has been selected for a full application what are you requiring be entered in that section?
Answer 43:
43. A full abstract is not required to be submitted with the Preliminary Application. Applicants may use the brief (one or two sentence) description of the proposed project from the Preliminary Application in the abstract field required by the EERE Exchange online form.
Question 44:
We are a government entity that is in its final phase of currently completing a Judicial/Administrative Complex. We are trying to find ways of using green energy such as solar panels to generate the buildings cooling and heating systems. We would like to install solar panels on the roof of this complex. Would this grant assist in the construction, installation and purchase of these panels?
Answer 44:
44. No, this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is only soliciting applications for applied research to develop the next generation of photovoltaics. Construction, installation, or purchasing of solar panels for real-world use is not the intent of this FOA and will be deemed unresponsive if submitted in response to this FOA.
Question 45:
Is a (<4000 character) abstract required for the Next-Generation pre-application, as indicated on the EERE Exchange online form?
Answer 45:
45. A full abstract is not required to be submitted with the Preliminary Application. Applicants may use the brief (one or two sentence) description of the proposed project from the Preliminary Application in the abstract field required by the EERE Exchange online form.
Question 46:
For DE-FOA-0000387 “Next Generation Photovoltaics II” is an FFRDC authorization letter required as part of the Preliminary Application?
Answer 46:
46. The FFRDC authorization letter is not required with the Preliminary Application.
The following documents are required for the Preliminary Application:
-SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance
-Preliminary Project Narrative (including cover page, preliminary technical proposal, bibliography and references).
Please see Section IV C. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for specific information.
Question 47:
Can a lower tier sub-contractor provide a higher cost share amount than the prime contractor?
Answer 47:
47. In accordance with the Cost Share Waiver granted by the Under Secretary for EERE on April 7, 2011, Recipients and subrecipients that are Non-profit organizations (as defined in 10 CFR 600.3), Institutions of Higher Education, U.S. National Laboratories, or U.S. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCSs) funded under this FOA are eligible for a waiver of cost share requirements. (Note that only R&D in Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 2 or 3 will be funded under this FOA and see Appendix D for a more detailed explanation of TRLs).
Recipients and subrecipients not eligible for the cost share waiver as defined above must provide at least 20% of that Recipient or subrecipient’s allowable project costs (i.e. the sum of the Government share and the Recipient or subrecipient’s share of allowable costs equals the allowable project cost) which must come from non-Federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law (See Appendix C entitled “Cost Share Information When Cost Share Waiver Applies” for a more detailed explanation of how the waiver will be applied).
As long as these requirements are met, there is no further requirement that the prime provide more cost share than a subrecipient or vice versa under this FOA.
It must also be noted that, by accepting Federal funds under this award, the Prime Recipient/Consortium Lead agrees to be responsible for any subrecipient/Consortium Member cost share requirements if the subrecipient/Consortium Member does not meet its cost share requirements.
Additionally, cost sharing above the minimum level required and cost sharing at least commensurate with the maturity of the technology is strongly encouraged and may be considered by the Selection Official in making his/her selection (see Section V.A.3).
Question 73:
We submitted two pre-proposals: for DE-FOA-0000387 and DE-FOA-0000492 and received two responses: one pre-proposal was "Encouraged" and response summary is more generic and the other one was "Invited" and the response summary is more specific. Would you please explain the difference between "Encouraged" and "Invited" if any?
Answer 73:
73. For FOA DE-FOA-0000387, the two possible responses were "Invited" or "Not Invited". The pre-application was a down-select mechanism, therefore only applicants with "Invited" pre-applications are allowed to submit a full application.
For FOA DE-FOA-0000492, the two possible responses were "Encouraged" or "Discouraged". In this case, there was not a down-select, and therefore there is no restriction against "Discouraged" concept paper applicants submitting full applications.
Question 88:
Could you define some of the terms in the budget justification for personnel? You are asking for 1)”Estimated costs” for each person (is that direct labor and fringe)? 2)”Composite base pay rate” (is that an hourly rate? Divide hours into “estimated costs”)? 3) “Total direct personnel compensation” (is that the same as 1 or is it direct labor-no fringe)?
Answer 88:
88.
1) "Estimated costs" for each person should be total direct labor for that person. Please record fringe costs for each person separately.
2) "Composite base pay rate" is the hourly rate, however, please show the component parts (e.g., $13 hourly rate, of which 30%/$3 is fringe costs).
3) "Total direct personnel compensation" is the total cost for all personnel working on the project. Please record the total fringe costs for all personnel working on the project separately.
Question 92:
For DE-FOA-0000387 (Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II) I do not see a requirement for a statement of ‘Current & Pending support’ by each key personnel to be included in the resume file of the Final Technical Proposal. Is a C & P required? Recommended? Does it count against the 2 page resume limit?
Answer 92:
92. Per the FOA, a ‘Current & Pending support’ statement for each key personnel is not required.
Question 94:
Dear sir/Madam,
If we are not doing lobbying activities, do we still need to complete SF-LLL disclosure form?
Is NEPA Environmental Checklist form a necessary document. If yes, should it be submitted along with the full proposal? Or later if awarded?
Answer 94:
SF-LLL:
As stated in the FOA under Section IV.D.2., this form is only required if applicable:
SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)
If applicable, complete the SF- LLL form. Applicability: If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the grant/cooperative agreement, you must complete and submit Standard Form - LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying.” Save the information in a single file named “Control#_Institution_SF-LLL.pdf.”
NEPA Environmental Form:
As stated in the FOA under Section IV.D.2., this form is a mandatory submission with the full application:
NEPA Environmental Form (Mandatory)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Form should be provided. Save the NEPA Compliance Form as “Control#_ Institution_Environmental.pdf.”
Question 96:
Is an Applicant required to have a DUNS number, registration in CCR, and registration in FedConnect in order to submit an application to this FOA?
Answer 96:
These registration requirements could take several weeks to process and are necessary in order for a potential applicant to receive an award under this announcement. Therefore, all potential applicants lacking a DUNS number, or not yet registered with CCR or FedConnect should complete those registrations as soon as possible. Applicants that do not have this requirement in place prior to September 1, 2011 may not receive an award under the announcement.
Question 98:
I am preparing to submit a 4 yr Full proposal for the DOE FOA, Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II.
Two questions:
1. When is the deadline? 6/23/11 as in the original FOA or 6/27/11 indicated in the amended FOA?
2. Is it Ok to include Supporting Letters from relevant solar Cell companies?
Answer 98:
98. The deadline is 6/27/2011, as indicated in the amended FOA.
Yes, it is okay to include supporting letters from relevant solar cell companies. With regards to Final Project Narrative page limit, Letters of Support will be treated similarly to Letters of Commitment, and are not included in the 16-page limit (please see section IV.D.3.v of the FOA).
Question 99:
If a national laboratory is the lead on the proposal partnering with industry or university, would the partnering funds flow directly from DOE to the partner, or would the funds flow to the national laboratory to be sent out by the laboratory to the partner as subcontract funds?
Answer 99:
99. If a national laboratory is the lead on the proposal partnering with industry or university, the funds flow to the national laboratory to be sent out by the laboratory to the partner as subcontract funds. Please see Section III.C of the FOA, which states:
"Please be advised that those entities that form teams with National Laboratories in which the Laboratory is a Prime Recipient (i.e., lead participant) will be required to enter into subcontracts with the Laboratory. As such, the terms and conditions of the Management and Operating contract between the Laboratory and the Department of Energy will be in effect for any subcontracts, and not the traditional provisions associated with a financial assistance award. National Laboratories acting as Prime Recipients must make all applicable terms and conditions available to their subcontractors prior to submission of their applications. Any entities considering such teaming arrangements should request the Laboratory to provide the applicable terms and conditions prior to the Prime Recipient submitting a response to this FOA."
Question 100:
I am preparing an EERE budget. The 424 R&R budget template has an error on the Non-Federal total. This cell is locked as a protected formula.
Answer 100:
100. You are correct, there is an error in the formula in cell AL97 of tab “Budget 1 A”. To repair the formula, complete the following:
1. Click on “Review” in the Excel menu bar
2. Click on “Unprotect Sheet” (there is no password).
3. Paste the following into cell AL97: “=SUM(AL19,AL28,AL37,AL46,AL66,AL75,AL84,AL93,AL95)”
Question 101:
Question 13:
We have a lead organization and a subcontractor, both US universities.
The online submission form requires to indicate percent of effort for each organization. Is it the same as the percent of dollars going to the lead and subcontractor, or something else? Is it required that the lead must have more than 50% of effort?
Question 14:
In the online submission tab "Funds and Costs", there is an unexplained check box. What are the consequences of checking this box or not checking it?
Answer 101:
Answer to Question 13:
To report the percent of total work effort for each organization, the response should be based on the percent of dollars for each entity: prime recipient and subrecipient(s). The prime recipient does not have to contribute more than 50% of the total work effort.
Please note that entities that do not meet the eligibility criterion listed under Section III, Eligibility Information, on Page 10 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement are not eligible to apply as the prime applicant. However, entities not meeting this criterion are allowed as subrecipients to an eligible applicant provided that, in aggregate, not more than 20% of the total estimated DOE funding is provided to entities that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Answer to Question 14:
Disregard the box on "Funds and Costs" tab as it is not applicable to this Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Question 102:
In the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance, required for the pre-application, it asks for the CFDA number and title. I know the number is 81.087, but the title is ...?
Answer 102:
Yes, the CFDA Number is 81.087. The title is: Renewable Energy Research and Development.
Question 103:
The program guidelines instruct applicants to name the files in the preliminary application in a specific way, beginning with a Control #.
Is there a format for the Control #, or can that number to be in a format of the applicant’s choosing?
Answer 103:
Please use the following naming convention for the preliminary application documents:
•SF-424: Control#_Institution_App424.pdf
•Preliminary Project Narrative: Control#_Institution_PreliminaryProjectNarrative.pdf
Question 104:
Principal Investigators are allowed to submit up to two pre-applications total for the Four-Year Topic and the Two-Year Topic combined (in any combination between the topics); however, multiple Principal Investigators may submit applications from a single entity.
If one is a co-PI on the preliminary application, does that count towards the limit of two?
Answer 104:
Each application should only identify one Principal Investigator. All Co-PIs would be considered collaborators on the project. There is no limit to the number of pre-applications an individual may collaborate on (in a non-PI role).
Question 105:
On the SF424, #13 asks for Competition Identification Number and Title. Is this referring to the DE-FOA # and Title?
Answer 105:
The SF-424 instructions state that box #13 is only to be completed, "if applicable". It is not applicable, so it can be left blank. The FOA # and Title are entered in box #12.
Question 106:
I am a first time user of the EERE Exchange and I am wondering on the above solicitation if on the general info. tab is the abstract information required? The abstract does not appear to be required in the FOA for the pre application. Please advise.
Answer 106:
A full abstract is not required to be submitted with the Preliminary Application. Applicants may use the brief (one or two sentence) description of the proposed project from the Preliminary Application in the abstract field required by the EERE Exchange online form.
Question 107:
Please clarify if all tabs must be completed in full or all Red Asterisked items only for Pre-Application.
Answer 107:
Yes, the red asterisked items must be completed. If required information is outstanding or needs modification, an explanation in red text will appear on the Upload and Submit tab. These items must be corrected before the application can be successfully submitted for a FOA. Submissions that fail to include required information will not be considered for review. A “User Guide” for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange/Manuals.aspx after logging into the system.
Question 108:
We would like to request clarification on the naming convention for our application. In the solicitation for DE-FOA-0000387, Section C1 (pg 13) SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance it indicates that we should save the information in a single file named "Control#_Institution_Preliminary_Narrative.pdf."
Could you please let us know what "Control#" should be used for the pre application?
Answer 108:
A control number will be issued when an applicant begins the preliminary application submission process. This control number must be included in the full application documents, as described in the FOA. Please also reference Pages 9 and 10 of the EERE Exchange “User Guide”, General Registration for Pre-Application. This guide can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange/Manuals.aspx after logging into the system.
Question 109:
I have a question regarding the Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II Funding Opportunity (Announcement Number: DE-FOA-0000387). I currently have a proposal pending with the Office of Science, Early Career Research Program and I expect to get a response to that application in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, I would like to submit a preliminary application for the Next Gen PVs funding opportunity. Would it be acceptable to submit a proposal that covers a similar topic area as the one I submitted for the Early Career program, but with a different research focus?
Answer 109:
Yes, you may apply to both funding opportunities with applications containing similar scopes of work. However, you may not receive funding from two different federal sources for the same scope of work.
Question 110:
Is the Word version of the SF424 I find here https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=ec2bd01a-1b16-4be7-ab04-c67fc238214f the right document? It states it expired in 2009, and everyone has been using the PDF version since the advent of Grants.gov.
Just wanted to be sure I'm not missing an important download somewhere.
Answer 110:
The Word version of the SF424 has been updated on the EERE eXCHANGE website with the current PDF version. However, we will accept the SF424 that was posted previously, and any more current version, as long as it is completed in accordance with the instructions.
Question 111:
Should the control number appear anywhere on the SF424 form?
2. We will be hiring a post-doc or grad student to work on this project, but do not yet have a name. For the pre-application, under the Team Members tab in Key Participants field, is it okay to list the name of the university contact we will be working with on this matter?
Answer 111:
1. The control number is not required in the SF424 document. However, the control number should be included in the file name such as Control#_Institution_App424.pdf.
2. If the team member information is not known at the time of the Preliminary Application submission, applicants may omit that information from the online form, on the EERE Exchange website, by indicating 100% of the work is to be performed by the prime applicant. The applicant will be able to edit the team member information on the online form prior to submitting the full application.
Question 112:
We are in the process of preparing a 4-page Project Narrative for this solicitation. We have limited the entire document to 4 pages at 11 point font. However, part of our narrative begins on page 1, just below the cover page information (which only occupies 1/2 a page). Is this acceptable?
Answer 112:
As described in Section IV.C.2. of the FOA, the Preliminary Technical Proposal is limited to 3 pages when printed using standard 8.5” by 11” paper with 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right), single spaced. Evaluators will review only the number of pages specified in the FOA.
Question 113:
I am preparing the pre-application to DE-FOA-0000387: Transformational PV Science and Technology: Next Generation Photovoltaics II.
When I log in to the EERE pre-application website, I see there is an required "abstract" fill-in form.
Abstract:*
Please ensure that this Abstract matches the Abstract in your main Full Application document
What should I do for this? This will be only a 3-page preapplication why would we need another one page abstract, and furthermore I will not know the full application abstract for sure at this stage yet...
Can I just fill in "see pre-application"?
Answer 113:
A full abstract is not required to be submitted with the Preliminary Application. Applicants may use the brief (one or two sentence) description of the proposed project from the Preliminary Application in the abstract field required by the EERE Exchange online form.
Question 114:
We are planning to submit a pre-proposal for DE-FOA-0000387. I was wondering if there is a budget requirement for this pre-proposal.
Answer 114:
The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, which includes limited budget information, is required for the preliminary application submission. Please see Section IV.C. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for specific information.
Question 115:
Should the SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance that is due with the preliminary application only be filled out and submitted for the Prime Recipient, but include the budget for the total (prime recipient + sub recipient)?
Answer 115:
Enter the amount of the entire proposed application, both federal and non-federal amounts in the SF424.
Question 116:
I am assisting one of our professors with preparing the preliminary application in response to this announcement. Before we proceed, I would like to confirm that the Naval Postgraduate School meets the eligibility criteria. The Naval Postgraduate School is a university operated by the Department of Defense, thus, making it a federal government agency. Please let us know if we are eligible to apply. Thank you very much for your time.
Answer 116:
If the federal agency has its own statutory authority to apply for other federal awards, it would be eligible. To establish such eligibility to apply for funding under this announcement, a cognizant Contracting Officer from the federal entity should provide a written verification letter along with its application materials.
The following wording is acceptable for the verification letter:
“In consultation with legal counsel for the _____________ [federal agency], I have verified that this agency does have the statutory authority to apply for funding under this DOE funding opportunity announcement [insert FOA #] and to participate in the performance of the proposed project. The work proposed for this agency is consistent with or complementary to the missions of the agency, authorized by the following statute ________________.”
In the event that the federal agency is named as a sub-recipient on the award, the value of, and funding for, the federal agency portion of the work will not normally be included in the award to a successful applicant. If the federal agency applies as the prime or as a sub-recipient, DOE will fund the federal agency through an interagency agreement with the agency. In such case, the applicant’s cost share requirement will be based on the total cost of the project, including the applicant’s and the federal agency's portions of the effort.
Question 117:
Will we be accepting email submissions of preliminary applications if the Exchange website is having technical problems? Will we require some evidence that they have contacted Exchange support?
Answer 117:
All Pre-Applications for Full Applications must be submitted using the eXCHANGE system. In the event that an applicant encounters an error submitting a Pre-Application for Full Application to the eXCHANGE system, such as the one described, and the applicant is unable to successfully complete their submission prior to the closing, the applicant should immediately submit their application via e-mail to the FOA mailbox. Along with the required submission documents, the applicant should provide a detailed description of the error encountered, including screen shots showing the error, as appropriate. DOE will evaluate acceptance of the application on a case-by-case basis.
Question 118:
In reading the solicitation, we have determined that we are exempt from the cost sharing requirement and our subaward is not. Therefore, while we do not have to cost share at all, our subaward must commit 20% cost sharing off of their budget. This means the when we complete the necessary information in the EERE eXCAHNGE system online and it automatically calculates the percentage of cost sharing being committed, it looks like the project is not meeting the 20% requirement. Is this going to cause problems? We believe we are following the guidelines correctly, but are concerned this very general cost sharing calculation is going to be misleading and may prevent our document from being reviewed.
Answer:
Answer 118:
Check off that you are exempt from the cost share, and enter the totals with percentage below 20%. The sub-awarded cost share is taken into account by the program manager of the FOA during review. The system does not collect or evaluate cost share of sub-awardees. You will be able to submit your pre-application as long as you check off being exempt from cost share.
Question 119:
Can you please direct me to the correct site for instructions on how to submit the preliminary application for the above funding opportunity? We are unclear as to which portal or submission process should be used, and what is required. I have seen the instructions for submission of the full proposal on the www.grants.gov/ site but it does not give instructions for the preliminary submission.
Answer 119:
The full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange. Applications must be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website to be considered for award. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A user Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website at: http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system. Information on where to submit questions regarding the content of the announcement and where to submit questions regarding submission of applications is found in the full FOA posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website.
Question 120:
I would like to revise an attachment to my Preliminary Application. How would I do that?
Answer 120:
The pre-application period for this Funding Opportunity closed at 11:59 pm Eastern on Monday, May 9. The Department is no longer accepting new submissions, or revisions, to submissions, under this announcement.
Question 121:
This FOA makes references to a Cost Share Waiver granted by the Under Secretary for EERE on April 7th, 2011. However, we have been unable to locate the documentation of this Cost Share Waiver as issued. Could you please provide this document in an attachment or provide a link to the document?
Answer 121:
All the information that potential applicants need to have in order to understand cost share under this FOA is listed in the FOA itself at Section III, B. Cost Sharing on page 10, and Appendix C - Cost Share Information (When Cost Share Waiver Applies) on page 37, and reference to the waiver itself should not be necessary. If you have reviewed Section III, B. Cost Sharing on page 10, and Appendix C - Cost Share Information (When Cost Share Waiver Applies) on page 37, and still have a question regarding cost share under this FOA, please feel free to submit another question here.
Question 122:
Today was the day to receive invitations(or not) for the full application for 0000387. Is it too soon to inquire?...…realize you probably have more pre applications than anticipated.
Answer 122:
All applicants will be notified via email today or tomorrow at the latest that "you are now able to view the status of your Pre Application online" in eXCHANGE. Once this email is received, applicants must log back into eXCHANGE to view the status of their pre-applications. A message notifying each applicant if they are "invited" or "not-invited" to submit a full-application along with a short justification will be provided in eXCHANGE.
Question 123:
We are submitting full proposals to DE-FOA-000387,492, and 493. In some cases, we will have subcontractors, who due to their costs charged to the projects, are required to be identified as Team Members. As Team Members, they must submit to us, so that we may in turn submit, their confidential salary and indirect rate data. The Team Members do not want to share this data directly with us. Under these circumstances, we have normally been able to allow subcontractors to submit their confidential data directly to the funding agency. However, these proposals must all be uploaded, and cannot be mailed or emailed.
How can we get supply this confidential data, and respect our subcontractor’s need for confidentiality?"
Answer 123:
Applicants have two options. Applicants can sign confidentiality agreements with Subcontractors/Team Members, stating they will maintain the salary and indirect rate information in a confidential manner, and only share the information with the Dept. of Energy. The second option is that the subcontractors can submit information directly to the mailbox for each FOA, if necessary. However, we will need a letter from the Applicant to give the subcontractor permission to submit the information separately and give the Dept. of Energy permission to speak to the subcontractor directly should we have any questions.
Question 125:
My question regards the budget for full applications to DE-FOA-0000387. Is the total projected cost included in a pre-application concept paper binding for the full application, or is there some flexibility in the final budget?
Answer 125:
We understand that, upon completion of the budget justification as part of the full application package, there may be some minor revisions required in the proposed budget. Thus, the total projected cost included in the pre-application is not binding for the full-applications and may be revised.
Question 127:
[Name Removed] who created this account is now out of country for the next 45 days. Although she provided me with our account ID and password, but since I am using a different computer, the security system is asking the security question and expect the answer (that I don’t know what is that). Is there anyway that I can check the status of this request? I just registered as a new user on EERE Exchange.
Answer 127:
In the event that the person who created the submission is unavailable for an extended time and this absence would otherwise prevent the applicant organization from submitting their application prior to the submission deadline, an authorized representative may contact the EERE Exchange helpdesk and request that access to the application be granted to another individual within that organization. The requestor must demonstrate that they are authorized to act on behalf of the organization in this matter, be able to identify the name and e-mail address for the individual who created the submission, provide an explanation of why that individual is unable to modify the submission themselves, and be able to identify the control number for the submission as well as other pertinent information regarding the submission (e.g. project title, technical POC, etc).
Question 129:
I noticed on the Summary Slide template under Program Summary it indicates ARPA-E Funds. Is that correct, or should it be changed to be “Federal Funds”?
Answer 129:
You are correct. ARPA-E funds should state "Federal Funds". This has been changed on the website.
Question 130:
The instructions for the budget justification form state that it must be a .xls file. However, the instructions also requests vendor quotes, labor distributions, etc. to justify costs. I believe this form would be more clear if it was submitted as a .pdf with a scans of the cost justification documents. Would this be an option, or does the application strictly review only .xls budget justification forms.
Answer 130:
The budget justification must be an excel file. You can paste any additional backup documentation (vendor quotes, labor distributions, etc.) into additional tabs of the excel file.
Question 131:
I just became aware of the subject grant opportunity via Grants.gov Opportunities Posting that I recently subscribed.
Our organization does have interest in this area of research.
However in the amendment, I note the following:
Current Closing Date for Applications:
Jun 23, 2011 Preliminary Applications Due: 05/09/2011 Invitations for Full Applications Sent: 05/23/2011 Full Applications Due: 06/23/2011
Does this mean that only those who submitted preliminary applications by 5/9/11 and receive invitations to submit full applications are eligible?
Thank you in advance for your response.
Answer 131:
Yes, only those who submitted preliminary applications by 5/9/11 and received invitations are eligible to submit full applications.
Question 132:
Our institution typically submits all budgets rounded up to the nearest dollar but the SF424 budget spreadsheet is not allowing us to enter whole dollar values in the Total Fed + Non-Fed Indirect Costs field (cell AI13) on the Section H-K tab for each budget year.
Can we unlock the spreadsheet and adjust this cell to round the Indirect Cost values up to whole dollars? Otherwise, if we enter a rounded number into the Federal Indirect Costs field (cell W13), it will automatically populate a value in the Non-Federal field (cell AC13), because it is calculating the difference between the Federal amount and the Total Fed and Non-Fed amount (formula is AH 13-W13), which we don’t want to do.
Answer 132:
Yes, you may unlock the spreadsheet. The steps are as follows:
1. Click on “Review” in the Excel menu bar
2. Click on “Unprotect Sheet” (there is no password).
Question 133:
We have (2) subrecipients. Therefore, we have (2) Subrecipient SF424RR and (2) Subrecipient Budget Justification files. However, we can only upload (1) file under each category. Is there someway we can add another file in each category, or do we need to combine both recipients documents into one file?
Answer 133:
Multiple subrecipient budget files can be uploaded as a New Additional File, under Additional Files in the Upload and Submit tab.
Question 134:
We may have a need for using an external vendor for part of the solar cell processing. We anticipate spending about $50K/year on this vendor's services. Do we have to mention the vendor by name? Are there any restrictions on the use of this vendor? Should we mention the specific names? The vendor is not a sub-recipient nor a contractor on this proposal but has some pieces of equipment that we would like to use.
Thank you.
Answer 134:
Yes, in the budget justification, you should list each vendor by name. Costs associated with the vendor will not be prohibited unless the costs are not adequately justified, or if they are unallowable according to the applicable Cost Principles.
Question 135:
I am now registered with the xCHANGE system, but cannot access the application for the funding opportunity referenced above. I can see the list, but only two of the FOAs have the radio button "Apply." attached to them. What do you advise?
Answer 135:
Only those who submitted preliminary applications by 5/9/11 and received invitations are eligible to submit a full application. If you were invited to submit a full application, and you are trying to submit a full application, but are not the same person who submitted the preliminary application, please contact: EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.
Question 136:
In the FOA, there is no reference to listing a “go-no go” milestone. In the invitation to submit a final proposal on the website, the following statement appears:
“Overall Summary: Please ensure that in the full application that there are clear go/no go technical milestones and decision points on an annual basis. In the full application, the proposal needs to clearly articulate the technical pathway to reach efficiencies of 20% or higher at $0.50/W in the long term.”
Question: include such a milestone for a 2-year submission, or not?
Answer 136:
Per the FOA (see language below), a Go/No-Go decision point is only required for the 4-year topic. The 2-year topic applications do not need to contain specific Go/No-Go points. However, the 2-year applications should still contain yearly milestones and there is no need to remove Go/No-Go's from the 2-year applications if you have already added it in accordance with the language included in the invitation to submit a full application.
F. Period of Performance
•For the Four-Year Topic, DOE anticipates making awards that will run for up to 4 years. Funding will be contingent upon continued satisfactory performance and progress towards the milestones and objectives delineated in the application. A critical stage gate review will be held at the midpoint in the 4 year program and will include an evaluation of the performance and mid-point deliverable(s) that were defined in the application.
•For the Two-Year Topic, DOE anticipates making awards that will run for up to 2 years and will be contingent upon continued satisfactory performance and progress towards the milestones and objectives delineated in the application.
Question 138:
To Whom It May Concern,
I noticed I am late for submission but was wondering how else I may get involved with the SunShot initiative while working on a Solar Fashion and Accessory line. I have a (Information removed). Just think of the possible economic implications of eventually not needing to have our portable electronic devices and provide light sources and eventually built in radios at affordable cost and eventually create a NPO. I look forward to a response.
Answer 138:
You may search for grant opportunities through the EERE eXCHANGE website at http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange or through grants.gov (click on Find Grant Opportunities on the left hand side of the screen).
Question 139:
I checked the status of my full proposal (Private Information Removed) on the EERE Exchange website. It says the review is completed, but is there a place where I can see whether it is recommended for funding or not? Or access the reviews?
Answer 139:
The selections will be announced soon.
Question 140:
I have received word that the proposal I submitted to DE-FOA-0000387 was not funded, and I would like to view the reviewers’ comments. Please advise me how to do so as the email sent last Friday did not make it clear how to access the proposal and reviews.
Answer 140:
1) Log in; 2) Select “My Submissions” from the left navigation; 3) Select the control number for the full application (this shows the full application information); 4) Scroll down the page, the final determination will be displayed.