EERE eXCHANGE: FAQs

Question 1: For the AOI 1 (page 6), what does the processing temperature refer? This AOI seeks applications to support high-strength aluminum alloy and process development meeting the following requirements: Processing temperature of no greater than 225 °C; and Is it a stamping temperature or heat treatment temperature (before/after stamping)?
Answer 1:

The maximum processing temperature of 225 °C refers to the stamping temperature. Pre-and post-stamping heat treatment can be done at any temperature.

Question 2: Will DOE make determinations on eligibility or on specific technologies or if a potential application falls within a specific area of interest and/or within the scope of the FOA?
Answer 2:

Thank you for your interest in the Vehicle Technologies Program. The Department of Energy does not make recommendations regarding specific Areas of Interest or technologies outside of the full technical review process which is outlined in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). It is the full responsibility of the applicant to review the requirements of the FOA and make the determination of whether the technology is in line with those requirements.

DOE will not provide submission recommendations prior to submission of a Concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper DOE will either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. An applicant who receives a “discouraged” notification may still submit a Full Application. However, by discouraging the submission of a Full Application, DOE/EERE intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the proposed project. Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 3: The FOA states "Applicants may provide graphs, charts, or other data to supplement their Technology Description." I was just wondering if the graphs, charts, or other data counts on the page limit? If it does not count as a page under the technology description or addendum section is there a limit to the amount of graphs, charts, or data that can be submitted? Could a schematic or picture be attached instead of a graph/chart and not count against the page limit?
Answer 3:

In reference to the Concept Paper Content Requirements contained under Section IV-Applications and Submission Information, the technical description is limited to two pages maximum and the addendum which may contain graphs, charts, or other data to supplement your technology description is limited to one page. Any pages beyond three total will not be reviewed by DOE.

Question 4: The directions for the Concept Paper did not specify that estimated costs and timelines were required. Is that correct?
Answer 4:

For detailed information about the Concept Paper Content Requirements, please review Section IV.C 1. of the FOA. Information regarding cost and timelines is not required as a part of the Concept Paper, however, there is no prohibition from including it as long as it fits within the page limit requirements. Although cost information is not required as part of the concept paper process, it is important to keep cost in mind based upon the federal funding available for awards in each individual Area of Interest. This information is contained in Section II-Award Information under Part A-Award Overview.

Question 5: Is it possible to gain a control number prior to submitting the Concept Paper?
Answer 5:

A control number will be issued when an Applicant begins the Exchange application process. This control number must be included with all Application documents, as detailed in Section IV-Application and Submission Information, Part A- Application Process of the FOA.

Question 6: Are we going to receive this presentation?
Answer 6: Copies of the webinar presentation will not be provided. The presentation materials are duplicative of information within the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The most recent version of the FOA shall be used as the primary source of information.

Question 7: Who is eligible to receive a cost share waiver?
Answer 7:

As outlined in Section III, Part B-Cost Sharing. A Only prime applicants under Area of Interest (AOI) 3 who are a Federal Laboratory, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), or Educational Institution would be eligible for the cost share waiver. This applies when the applicant is selected for award as the prime applicant. When the prime applicant receives a cost share waiver, any project partners other than National Laboratories, FFRDCs, and Universities shall provide at least 20 percent cost share based on the total value of the work they will contribute.

Question 8: Can an entity submit multiple proposals each directed to a specific AOI?
Answer 8:

As outlined in the executive summary of the announcement, applicants may submit more than one application to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project. All applications must be for a standalone project that is not dependent or contingent upon another application submitted to this or any other FOA.

Question 9: if the cost share is 50 percent, and the award from DOE is 1,000,000, would the required share be 500,000, or 1,000,000?
Answer 9:

Please review Section III, Part B-Cost Sharing along with Appendix B-COST SHARE INFORMATION AND APPENDIX C-– SAMPLE COST SHARE CALCULATION FOR BLENDED COST SHARE PERCENTAGE of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for examples of how to calculate cost share. Cost share is based upon a total allowable cost of the project (i.e the sum of the Government share including FFRDC cost if applicable, and the recipient share of allowable cost project cost).

Question 10: Can the concept paper include a cover page that is not counted as the page limit?
Answer 10:

A cover page is not required for the Concept Paper. Please review the Concept Paper Content Requirements contained under Section IV-Applications and Submission Information, Part C- Content and Form of the Concept Paper. The technical description is limited to two pages maximum and the addendum which may contain graphs, charts, or other data to supplement your technology description is limited to one page. Any pages beyond three pages will not be reviewed by DOE. The applicant must include the Area Of Interest to which they are submitting the concept paper as part of the information contained in the concept paper.

Question 11: Can we use the value of in kind contributions toward total cost share?
Answer 11:

Please refer to Section III.B.3.of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for further details on cost share allowablility. Every cost share contribution must be allowable under the applicable Federal cost principles, as described in Section IV.I.1 of the FOA. In addition, cost share must be verifiable upon submission of the Full Application.

Project Teams may provide cost share in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Cash contributions may be provided by the Prime Recipient or Sub-recipients. Allowable in-kind contributions include, but are not limited to: personnel costs, indirect costs, facilities and administrative costs, rental value of buildings or equipment, and the value of a service, other resource, or third party in-kind contribution.

Project teams may use funding or property received from state or local governments to meet the cost share requirement, so long as the funding was not provided to the state or local government by the Federal Government.

The Prime Recipient may not use the following sources to meet its cost share obligations including, but not limited to:

· Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the project period;

· Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity;

· Federal funding or property (e.g., Federal grants, equipment owned by the Federal Government); or

· Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate Federal Technology Office.

In addition, Project Teams may not use independent research and development (IR&D) funds to meet their cost share obligations. Project Teams may not use the same cash or in-kind contributions to meet cost share requirements for more than one project or program.

Cost share contributions must be specified in the project budget, verifiable from the Prime Recipient’s records, and necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of the project. As all sources of cost share are considered part of total project cost, the cost share dollars will be scrutinized under the same Federal regulations as Federal dollars to the project. Every cost share contribution must be reviewed and approved in advance by the Contracting Officer and incorporated into the project budget before the expenditures are incurred.

Applicants are encouraged to refer to 10 CFR Part 600for additional guidance on cost sharing, specifically 10 CFR §§600.30, 600.123, 600.224, 600.313.

Question 12: We have a Brazilian university as a subawardee, would that conflict with the 100% US based labor requirement?
Answer 12:

Please refer to Section III.A.1.of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for further details on Performance of Work in the Untied States. EERE requires all work (100% of all direct labor, including contract/subrecipient labor) under EERE financial assistance agreements to be performed in the United States.

Question 13: Since most of us could not call in and this was not proper WebEx hosted with audio, will there be a recorded version or transcript of the audio made available?
Answer 13:

There will not be an audio version of the webinar; however, if you have further questionsthat have not been answered in the FAQs on eXHANGE, please submit it to DE-FOA-0000991@netl.doe.gov.

Question 14: How will the Intellectual Property be handled?
Answer 14:

Given the general nature of the question, it is difficult to provide a clear answer since the answers depends on the type of data. Please review sections VI.C.9 Intellectual Property Management Plan, VI.C.11 Intellectual Property Provisions, within the Funding Opportunity Announcement concerning intellectual property related requirements.

Question 15: For AOI#2 or any other AOI, must we have our OEM partner solidified for concept paper submission in order to be considered?
Answer 15:

Applicants should review the area of interest technical description and non-responsive criteria associated with each AOI to determine if participation of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is required, prior to submitting concept papers.

EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit an concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 16: Can you submit the same concept for both FOAs 991 and 988?
Answer 16: The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) does not limit submission of concept papers or applications to other announcements. However, your concept paper or application must meet the requirements of each FOA.

Question 17: You mentioned that each concept paper should focus on a single topic. Some areas of interest have multiple topics cited. Does this eliminate addressing a particular area of interest with multiple or combined ideas?
Answer 17:

Applicants may submit more than one concept paper/application to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), provided that each concept paper/application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project. All concept papers/applications must be for a standalone project that is not dependent or contingent upon another application submitted to this or any other FOA.

Question 18: Are we correct in understanding the Other Sources of Funding Disclosure and PMC 123.1 forms will NOT be required for this proposal?
Answer 18:

The PMC 123.1 form is now called Form EERE 159 and it is a required. Please reference Section IV.D.4. and Section IV D.4. 7 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for further details. The Other Sources of Funding Disclosure is not required under this FOA.

Question 19: What performance limitations set by anyone including the auto industry, would be upper limits to the performance of a system, for example, previous DoE FOAs have limited energy storage devices to only 10% higher than the current commercial products, and any technology better than that would be rejected.
Answer 19:

The required performance of technology solicited under this Funding Opportunity Announcement is identified in each area of interest. These requirements will serve to provide sufficient information for development of concept papers and applications.

Question 20: Can cost share come from outside the US, if direct costs are 100% US?
Answer 20:

Cost share associated with direct labor must occur in the United States. Please review the Funding Opportunity Announcement Section III, EERE requires all work (100% of all direct labor, including contract/subrecipient labor) under EERE financial assistance agreements to be performed in the United States.

Please also refer to Section III.B.3.of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for further details on cost share allowablility. Every cost share contribution must be allowable under the applicable Federal cost principles, as described in Section IV.I.1 of the FOA. In addition, cost share must be verifiable upon submission of the Full Application.

Cost share contributions must be specified in the project budget, verifiable from the Prime Recipient’s records, and necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of the project. As all sources of cost share are considered part of total project cost, the cost share dollars will be scrutinized under the same Federal regulations as Federal dollars to the project. Every cost share contribution must be reviewed and approved in advance by the Contracting Officer and incorporated into the project budget before the expenditures are incurred.

Applicants are encouraged to refer to 10 CFR Part 600 for additional guidance on cost sharing, specifically 10 CFR §§600.30, 600.123, 600.224, 600.313.

Question 21: What is the up-load speed (MB/sec) of the DOE link.
Answer 21:

eXCHANGE has a file size limit of 10Meg per file which can upload.

Applicants should not wait until the last minute to begin the submission process. During the final hours before the submission deadline, Applicants may experience server/connection congestion that prevents them from completing the necessary steps in EERE-E Exchange to submit their applications. EERE will not extend the submission deadline for Applicants that fail to submit required information and documents due to server/connection congestion.

Question 22: Can an entity win multiple awards targeted a different AOIs?
Answer 22:

The Funding Opportunity Announcement does not identify a limitation on awards to a single entity.

Question 23: Can new (organizational) team members be added after a concept paper is submitted, or does the team need to be fully specified from the start?
Answer 23:

Please reference Section IV C of the FOA regarding the content and form of the concept paper. The team members may change after submission of the concept paper. However, the prime applicant must be the same for both the concept paper and the full application.

Question 24: Are the big automakers staff the reviewers or will there be independent, unbiased, innovation centered, non-political reviewers?
Answer 24: The reviewers are well qualified, by training, experience or both, in the particular scientific or technical fields that are the subjects of the funding opportunity announcement and applications being reviewed. The reviewers are screened for conflicts of interest and also sign non-disclosure agreements.

Question 25: How many concept papers did you receive last time and how many full submissions?
Answer 25:

The number of concept papers and full applications received is procurement sensitive information and cannot be disclosed. Project selections resulting from a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) are typically announced via Energy Efficiency and renewable Energy (EERE) Progress Alerts, see http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts_archive.cfm. As an example, selections made under the FY13 Vehicles Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement are located at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/news_id=20547.

Question 26: For the concept paper, does the control number fall within the margins or can it be in the header. Same with page numbers.
Answer 26:

Please refer to Section IV-Application and Submission Information, Part A-Application Process. The Control Number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page. Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page. The page number and control number header and footer would not be required to be within the 1 inch margins. For detailed information about the Concept Paper Content Requirements, please review Section IV.C 1. Of the FOA.

Question 27: Does the area of interest needed on the concept paper or is it defined by the control number
Answer 27: The applicant must include the Area Of Interest to which they are submitting the concept paper as part of the information contained in the concept paper. For detailed information about the Concept Paper Content Requirements, please review Section IV.C 1. of the FOA.

Question 28: Is there a form respondents should use in preparing the required U.S. Manufacturing Plan?
Answer 28:

Please review the requirements for submission of the U.S. Manufacturing Plan which are contained in Section IV.D.12 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Question 29: Would partnering with a foreign OEM be viewed negatively? Even if the cost sharing was in cash and all of the labor for the project was performed in the US?
Answer 29:

All applications are reviewed in accordance with the information contain in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and against the technical criteria included within the FOA.

Question 30: How important is "cost sharing in cash"? Will EERE give our company more points if we provide cost share in cash instead of equipment?
Answer 30:

All applications are reviewed in accordance with the information contained in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and against the technical criteria included within the FOA.

Question 31: Will there be a notification to the participants of this conference call once the update is posted?
Answer 31:

There will not be a notification to webinar participants that an amendment has been posted. Anyone that is registered in www.grants.gov under this FOA or technology description should receive an email notification that a change has been made to the FOA.

Question 32: Are there any limits on funds needed for licensing/purchasing software especially from other countries?
Answer 32:

EERE requires all work (100% of all direct labor, including contract/subrecipient labor) under EERE financial assistance agreements to be performed in the United States. This requirement does not apply to the purchase of supplies and equipment; however, the Prime Recipient should make every effort to purchase domestically produced supplies and equipment. All project related cost must be considered necessary for the successful completion of the project and considered reasonable, allocable, and allowable within the applicable cost principles.

Question 33: Are there any limitations on funds needed for foreign travel?
Answer 33:

Foreign travel may be allowable if it meets the requirements identified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Section IV.I.4. In addition, the travel must be necessary for the project and within scope of the project.

Question 34: Will selected concepts be published for public review after the selection process is finalized?
Answer 34:

Concept papers will not be published, however, as a part of the full application package Applicants are required to submit a Summary/Abstract for Public Release. Please reference Section IV.D.5. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for further details.

Question 35: If the technology resulting from a sponsored project was commercialized by a foreign OEM, would that be viewed negatively in an application?
Answer 35:

All applications are reviewed in accordance with the information contained in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and against the technical criteria included within the FOA.

Question 36: Are we allowed to purchase large experimental data sets from international sources?
Answer 36:

As indicated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, Section III.A.1, “EERE requires all work (100% of all direct labor, including contract/subrecipient labor) under EERE financial assistance agreements to be performed in the United States. This requirement does not apply to the purchase of supplies and equipment; however, the Prime Recipient should make every effort to purchase domestically produced supplies and equipment.” All project related cost must be considered necessary for the successful completion of the project and considered reasonable, allocable, and allowable within the applicable cost principles.

Question 37: Is this foa targeted to small business?
Answer 37:

The eligibility requirements for this Funding Opportunity Announcement are identified in section III.A –Eligible Applicants

Question 38: Are there any limitations on purchasing dedicated computing hardware/parallel computer?
Answer 38:

Equipment purchased under the project must be necessary for the successful completion of the project. The equipment must also be considered reasonable, allocable and allowable in accordance with the applicable cost principles.

Question 39: Are there any limitations imposed on publishing results from this research?
Answer 39:

If selected, the resulting award would contain a requirement to acknowledge DOE funding similar to this: “An acknowledgment of Federal support and a disclaimer must appear in the publication of any material, whether copyrighted or not, based on or developed under this project, as follows:

Acknowledgment: "This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE000XXXX."”

Question 40: Will applications on Powertrains and Advanced Energy Storage Technology (unified or as separate modules) be acceptable since this is not specifically listed. By this I mean not batteries and not electromagnetic motors, much more advanced technologies.
Answer 40:

EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit an concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 41: Will EV Infrastructure technology be eligible for this FOA?
Answer 41:

EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit an concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 42: Is there a place where we can find a history of VOT awards (program description and institution) like NSF makes that information available?
Answer 42:

Project selections resulting from funding opportunity announcements are typically announced via Energy Efficiency and renewable Energy (EERE) Progress Alerts, see http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts_archive.cfm. As an example, selections made under the FY13 Vehicles Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement are located at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/news_id=20547. Additionally, Vehicles Technology Office projects are reviewed annually during an annual merit review, information on the projects reviewed is located at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/resources/vt_merit_review_13.html.

Question 43: For AOI 2- would hybrid materials that contain carbon fiber along with other fibers be considered responsive to the FOA?
Answer 43:

As stated in Area of Interest (AOI) 2, "For the purposes of this AOI, a carbon fiber composite is defined as a composite that combines carbon fiber with polymer resin." Therefore, an application that proposes a composite combining materials other than carbon fiber and polymer resin would be considered non-responsive as outlined in the non-responsive criteria contained within the FOA under AOI 2.

Question 44: For area of interest 8 - is this intended for gasoline or diesel vehicles or both.
Answer 44:

Proposed technologies should apply to both gasoline and diesel vehicles.

Question 45: Is there a requirement for TRL maturity for submission to this solicitation? (i.e. is there a threshold TRL below which one shouldn't bother submitting)
Answer 45:

The Areas of Interests (AOI) contained in this funding opportunity announcement do not state specific technology readiness levels for submission. It is recommended that applicants read the topic narrative carefully to determine if their proposed technology is consistent with the AOI requirements.

Question 46: Will applicants for topic 3 that apply alone -- without any subcontractors -- be at a disadvantage?
Answer 46:

Applicants must read the technical requirements of the FOA and specific AOIs and determine the best approach which will meet these requirements outlined in the FOA. All applications are reviewed in accordance with the requirements of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and against the technical criteria included within the FOA.

Question 47: What is the technical qualification of the reviewers do we have to assume they are non technical in our proposal
Answer 47:

The reviewers are well qualified, by training, experience or both, in the particular scientific or technical fields that are the subjects of the funding opportunity announcement and applications being reviewed. The reviewers are screened for conflicts of interest and also sign non-disclosure agreements.

Question 48: What is the minimum TRL for AOI #14 ?
Answer 48: A minimum technology readiness level (TRL) is not specified for AOI 14.

Question 49: Are dedicated alternative fuel (e.g., natural gas) project concepts applicable to AOI 13, or must the proposed system be dual-fuel or bi-fuel?
Answer 49:

EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit a concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 51: For AOI#2, must we have our OEM partner solidified for concept paper submission in order to be considered?
Answer 51:

Any potential original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners may be included in the Concept Paper as needed to describe the proposed project team. Letters of commitment from project partners such as OEMs are not included in the concept paper. Letters of commitment should be submitted with the full application as outlined in the FOA.

Question 51: Are you interested in biofuel submissions?
Answer 51:

EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit a concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 52: Could we submit for feasibility study at a cost less than the $500,000 suggested minimum - say $100,000?
Answer 52:

EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit a concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 53: are costs borne by subcontractors, or consultants to a business part of the prime companies cost?
Answer 53: Cost incurred by subcontractors, sub-recipients, or consultants would be considered a total project cost and would fall under the contractual line item of the budget. All cost must be necessary for the successful completion of the project and considered reasonable, allocable and allowable in accordance with the applicable cost principles.

Question 54: Will hybrid materials that contain fibers other than carbon fiber ( i.e. Glass fibers) be responsive to this solicitation?
Answer 54: As stated in AOI 2, "For the purposes of this AOI, a carbon fiber composite is defined as a composite that combines carbon fiber with polymer resin." Therefore, an application that proposes a composite combining materials other than carbon fiber and polymer resin would be considered non-responsive as outlined in the FOA.

Question 55: 1) In the webinar yesterday, it was mentioned that the cost share for universities is 0%. Our organization is a non-profit research institute affiliated with a university. Does our designation qualify us to be exempt from cost share? 2) Is there a place (i.e., website) where I can find information (e.g., title, description, award amount and awardee affiliation) for the previous grants given by the DOE under this program? 3) What does the technology readiness level (TRL) need to be for the technology proposed for research? The only thing that comes to mind was on pages 35 and 37, where it was stated that the technology must have been previously demonstrated on a single cylinder engine. Also, does this need to be demonstrated by the group proposing the work or simply done by any researcher previously?
Answer 55:

Response 1: As outlined in Section III, Part B-Cost Sharing. Only prime applicants under Area of Interest (AOI) 3 who are a Federal Laboratory, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), or Educational Institution would be eligible for the cost share waiver. This applies when the applicant is selected for award as the prime applicant. When the prime applicant receives a cost share waiver, any project partners other than National Laboratories, FFRDCs, and Universities shall provide at least 20 percent cost share based on the total value of the work they will contribute.

Response 2: Project selections resulting from funding opportunity announcements are typically announced via Energy Efficiency and renewable Energy (EERE) Progress Alerts, see http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts_archive.cfm. As an example, selections made under the FY13 Vehicles Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement are located at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/news_id=20547. Additionally, Vehicles Technology Office projects are reviewed annually during an annual merit review, information on the projects reviewed is located at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/resources/vt_merit_review_13.html.

Response 3: The Areas of Interests (AOI) contained in this funding opportunity announcement do not state specific technology readiness levels for submission. It is recommended that applicants read the topic narrative carefully to determine if their proposed technology is consistent with the AOI requirements.

Question 56: Area of Interest 1 specifies a cost target of “…no greater than $2 per pound of weight saved when compared to a comparable, baseline part”. How is the baseline part defined? Is the baseline a mild steel part that we would now intend to fabricate out of the high-strength Al alloy, or is the baseline an existing Al part that does not meet some/all of the current FOA requirements (strength, ductility, etc.)?
Answer 56:

The baseline part should be a stamped or cast component or subcomponent from a 2002 or later passenger vehicle. The part can be made of any material provided that it is cast or stamped and produced for a 2002 or later passenger vehicle. The applicant should specify the baseline part, process, and material for purposes of cost comparisons.

Question 57: I participated in the webinar for this FOA and intend to submit a concept paper. One thing they mentioned was the three page length limit for the concept paper. When I click on the EERE link to submit a concept paper (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/SubmissionDetailsEdit.aspx?foaId=d95c8658-d41c-4447-9c66-a6051fe1f726), there is only the option to submit text on the webform. Are there alternatives for submission? Is it possible to include figures and diagrams in the concept paper?
Answer 57:

The applicant must click on the tab labelled “Upload and Submit” in order to upload the Concept Paper file. Concept papers must be in Adobe PDF format.

The Concept paper format includes a page for figures and diagrams. Please see section IV.C for more information regarding Concept Paper content requirements.

Question 58: I did not see a requirement for a cover/first page (title, period of performance, project funding request, et.) for the concept paper. Is this correct?
Answer 58:

For detailed information about the Concept Paper Content Requirements, please review Section IV.C 1. of the FOA.

Question 59: Section III.E.2.ii states that an authorization statement that must be submitted with the application if a DOE/NNSA FFRDC is to be included as a sub-recipient for the proposed work. Is this required at the concept paper stage? If so, is it to be appended to the end of the concept paper?
Answer 59:

The DOE FFRDC authorization is not required to be submitted as a part of the concept paper submission. As described in Section IV. D. 9. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the authorization statement must be submitted as a part of the full application package if a DOE/NNSA FFRDC is be included as a sub for the proposed effort.

Question 60: Our Company is planning to submit a Concept Paper and Full Proposal in Response to DE-FOA-0000991. The company has an account under the Authorized Signatory Official’s name. Do we submit under that account or do we create a new account under the Principal Investigator’s (PI) name and submit under the PI’s name?
Answer 60:

This is up to the discretion of the entity to determine.

Question 61: I have trouble continuing in website. When I get in website with URL https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ I get message # 1 When accept and say yes, I get message # 2 When click OK I get message # 3
Answer 61:

Please contact EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov regarding issues or questions with the website.

Question 62: We have planning to submit a proposal to AOI-9 "Dual Fuel Tech", and have questions about DE-FOA0000991: 1. There is another DE-FOA0000988 with similar RFP. What are the differences? 2. If we want to use a national lab as a subcontractor, is there any issue that we should consider? Do we just allocate budget, and sign contract with the national lab, similar to other subcontractor? 3. There was a webinar on this FOA. Please provide the link. 4. We were told that there is a road map for EERE Dual Fuel tech. Please provide the link.
Answer 62:

1. Please review both Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) as there are too many differences to list. It is up to each potential applicant to review the subject FOAs and determine which FOA they should apply to

2. Please review Section IV Application and Submission Information of the FOA for more details on the submission requirements.

3. There is not a link to the webinar slides or audio. All questions were answered on the EERE eXCHANGE site.

4. Information regarding the dual-fuel roadmap may be found at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/resources/fcvt_plans_roadmaps.html

Question 63: Do national laboratories like PNNL have to cover 20% cost share it they are subcontracting to a small business under Area of Interest 3 under “Beyond Lithium on Technologies” FOA0000991?
Answer 63:

When the prime applicant receives a cost share waiver, any project partners other than National Laboratories, FFRDCs, and Universities shall provide at least 20 percent cost share based on the total value of the work they will contribute. The prime applicant is ultimately responsible for providing the required cost share under the award if a sub is unable to come up with the required share for its portion of work. It is up to the prime applicant to determine how the cost share will be provided for the subs.

Question 64: I am looking at Area of Interest 3 in the VTO FOA 0000991, and particularly the sample topic “Developing tools to investigate speciation and reaction kinetics in the sulfur electrode …” The Specific Deliverables for AOI 3 include submission of 10 and later 12 cells for government testing. Could you confirm this will be a required deliverable for this AOI when the main purpose of the investigation is to “develop tools” as opposed to improve devices (for example).
Answer 64:

The AOI states, "Developing tools to investigate speciation and reaction kinetics in the sulfur electrode with the aim of controlling the spatial and temporal distribution of solid and liquid species." The aim is to control distribution of species in a cell and thus cells would most likely be needed to test this aspect of the work.

Question 65: We would like to submit a concept paper and would like to know where to submit it and if we need to fill out the applications. We would greatly appreciate any help that you can provide. Thanks!
Answer 65:

Please submit concept papers to https://eere-exchange.energy.gov . Please review the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for details on the requirements of a concept paper submission. The concept paper requirements must be followed as outlined in the FOA to be considered eligible.

Question 66: I just submitted a concept paper. We had to include some details on budget and cost share. I would hope that the numbers that we had to put in there can be adjusted to some extend. We may be able to come up with more cost share. Please confirm.
Answer 66:

There is not a requirement that cost share be finalized at the time of the concept paper submission.

Question 67: For detailed information about the Concept Paper Content Requirements, please review Section IV.C 1. of the FOA. Information regarding cost and timelines is not required as a part of the Concept Paper, however, there is no prohibition from including it as long as it fits within the page limit requirements. Although cost information is not required as part of the concept paper process, it is important to keep cost in mind based upon the federal funding available for awards in each individual Area of Interest. This information is contained in Section II-Award Information under Part A-Award Overview.
Answer 67:

For detailed information about the Concept Paper Content Requirements, please review Section IV.C 1. of the FOA. Information regarding cost and timelines is not required as a part of the Concept Paper, however, there is no prohibition from including it as long as it fits within the page limit requirements. Although cost information is not required as part of the concept paper process, it is important to keep cost in mind based upon the federal funding available for awards in each individual Area of Interest. This information is contained in Section II-Award Information under Part A-Award Overview.

Question 68: 1) The stated target is 4% fuel efficiency improvement. What is the baseline to compare against? 2) Since the area of interest includes “powertrain”, does it mean engine and driveline technologies be combined to meet the stated goal? 3) There are many low friction engines today in the market place. Lowering engine friction further is a challenging task. One particular coating on a specific component may not deliver the stated goal. It may need a system approach. Improvement may be needed on the interfacing components and/or on other sub-system components either through design or different coating technologies. Is this within the scope?
Answer 68:

1) For AOI 11A, the baseline to compare against is the pre-existing, unmodified drivetrain component, engine, or system that is being advanced under the proposed work. If the technology being proposed does not have an existing application, or the existing application is scheduled for replacement in the product cycle, a similar application can be substituted with justification, e.g., a current or recent (past 3 model years) application may be used as a baseline for future products of similar power and weight.

The duty-cycle used for the baseline should be one representative of standard operating conditions or certification conditions, e.g., on-road driving, LA4, or FTP test cycles for light-duty vehicles. Multiple temperature conditions and cold-starts are acceptable for consideration in the driving cycle.

2) Yes, multiple technologies can be combined.

3) EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit a concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. An applicant who receives a “discouraged” notification may still submit a Full Application Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project

Question 69: I represent a catalyst manufacturer that's interested in applying for this FOA but is very reluctant to share its advanced technology intellectual property with an OEM (or a Tier 1 supplier, though with somewhat less concern). Is there someone I can talk to about how this IP would be protected?
Answer 69:

It is the responsibility of the Applicant to negotiate these details with potential partners as DOE would not have privy of contract with the subawardees under an award if an applicant was selected for negotiations leading to award.

Question 70: We were hoping to have the following question answered for FOA 0000991 (AOI 1), if possible: 1. Area of Interest 1 specifies a cost target of “…no greater than $2 per pound of weight saved when compared to a comparable, baseline part”. How is the baseline part defined? Is the baseline a mild steel part that we would now intend to fabricate out of the high-strength Al alloy, or is the baseline an existing Al part that does not meet some/all of the current FOA requirements (strength, ductility, etc.)? 2. We were hoping to have the following question answered for FOA 0000991 (AOI 3), if possible: “One interest area in Topic 3 is “Ensuring adequate ionic and electronic conduction in solid-state cathodes.” Please clarify the term “solid-state cathode” in this context. Does this refer to the cathode powder used in solid state batteries? Does this include any cathode or only a sulfur cathode?”
Answer 70:

1. The baseline part should be a stamped or cast component or subcomponent from a 2002 or later passenger vehicle. The part can be made of any material provided that it is cast or stamped and produced for a 2002 or later passenger vehicle. The applicant should specify the baseline part, process, and material for purposes of cost comparisons.

2. This refers to the cathode material whether powder or otherwise and can include materials other than sulfur.

Question 71: I work for company X LLC a wholly owned subsidiary of Company Y. Company Y is a Tier 1 supplier to the automotive OEMs and retains Company X as engineering resources for R&D activities in advanced applications. We have IP relating to AOI#6 in the form of several transmission concept patents and clutch device patents, as well as many surrounding technologies. We are excited to apply for funding to carry out further development work around our IP in partnership with a domestic electric delivery truck manufacturer, but we have a few questions regarding IP and cost share considerations. 1) In Appendix D section (m) of the FOA states the following regarding "Other Inventions": Nothing contained in this clause shall be deemed to grant to the Government any rights with respect to any invention other than a subject invention, except with respect to Background Patents, above. section (k) above this paragraph has the title "Background Inventions" but contains no text other than [Reserved] What is the status of background inventions applicable to this AOI? Will all background IP and Invention be wholly owned and protected under existing patents by the original inventor? Will these background IP and Inventions, if used in the pursuance of activities related to the program, be subject to the "unlimited rights" by the Government? 2) Since the purpose of this program is develop a commercialized product, will advanced patent waivers be given by the Government? Will the inventor be allowed to keep IP developed in this program for the purposes of manufacturing and selling the products of that IP? 3) These funds would be used by us to support ongoing research and development activities. Would all hardware and testing equipment developed and/or manufactured during the course of the program be retained by us? The prototypes and testing equipment would be part of a larger programs and would be highly valuable to further research efforts.
Answer 71:

1) The Government does not take any rights in "Background Inventions" but will have unlimited rights in any background data that is specifically used under the project unless that data qualifies as limited rights data or restricted computer software (as those terms are defined in the data rights clause in the resulting award).

2) DOE has issued a class waiver for inventions conceived or first actually reduced to practice under an EERE award resulting from a funding opportunity announcement release during fiscal year 2014. Under the class waiver, any large business prime recipient or subaward recipient will be granted a patent waiver as long as the entity meets the requirements to participate in the class waiver. While DOE would also accept a petition for an advance waiver, the Department's preference would be to utilize the class waiver.

3) For for-profit Recipients, title to property would be in accordance with 10 CFR 600.321 Real property and equipment.

Question 72: Can you please let us know if in accordance with the provisions for the treatment of application information a national laboratory can refer to information as being subject to a “patent hold” in order to have information protected as proprietary? We would not have trade secrets.
Answer 72:

The Government has authority to withhold release of potentially patentable info until a patent application is filed. It is allowable to place a "patent hold" marking on your application.

Question 73: Our Company is planning to submit a Concept Paper and Full Proposal in Response to DE-FOA-0000991, under AOI 3, “Beyond Lithium Ion Technologies.” One of our team members is a FFRDC. Is Cost Share required for the FFRDC portion of the program?
Answer 73:

As outlined in Section III, Part B-Cost Sharing. A Only prime applicants under Area of Interest (AOI) 3 who are a Federal Laboratory, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), or Educational Institution would be eligible for the cost share waiver. This applies when the applicant is selected for award as the prime applicant. When the prime applicant receives a cost share waiver, any project partners other than National Laboratories, FFRDCs, and Universities shall provide at least 20 percent cost share based on the total value of the work they will contribute.

Question 74: Do we need to include the information to specify the institution that provides the "Non-Federal Share" in the concept paper?
Answer 74:

There is not a requirement that cost share be finalized at the time of the concept paper submission.

Question 75: Is the AOI -3 specific to Lithium based battery technology only? Are Sodium metal based battery technologies are of interest also?
Answer 75:

AOI 3 is open to all chemistries that could be considered for vehicle applications.

Question 76: I am wondering if the "other fuel" considered in the AOI 9 can be electricity? In this case, the added dual fuel system would be a hybrid kit that recovers braking energy for subsequent mechanical assist and improves fuel economy.
Answer 76:

Electricity is not an acceptable option for this AOI as it is an energy source and not a fuel. Fuels being considered under this AOI must be liquid or gaseous.

Please keep in mind, that EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Please review the entire FOA along with the technical requirements of the FOA to determine if your concept or technology fits within the requirements of this announcement. The decision whether to submit a concept paper/application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

Please review the FOA to determine if you wish to submit a concept paper. At that time, based upon review of the concept paper, EERE can either encourage or discourage your organization from submitting a full application. An applicant who receives a "discouraged" notification may still submit a Full Application Please also note that all full applications are subject to further review as outlined in the FOA, and that receipt of correspondence encouraging submission of a full application does not authorize the applicant to commence performance of the project.

Question 77: One of the required fields on the Concept paper application is for the program’s Abstract. The stated length is 4000 characters plus that it has to exactly match the Abstract on the full application. We want to make sure that: 1) the Abstract field is really a required field on the Concept paper and 2) that the Abstract must be finalized on the Concept paper and changes won’t be allowed on the full application
Answer 77:

1) Applicants must complete the public abstract field with no more than 4000 characters.

2) At the time the Applicant submits the full application, this abstract field will be required to be completed along with the required Summary/Abstract for Public Release PDF file as described in Section IV.D.5. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for further details.

Question 78: What is the "Control Number"? I am preparing to submit and my assumtion was that it means this number but I want to confirm. FOA0000991
Answer 78:

The EERE Exchange system assigns a Control Number after an applicant Clicks the Apply button on the Funding Opportunity Announcement on the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange web page then fills in the Details page and clicks the “Create………...” button that is located on the bottom of the form.

Question 79: Question A Regarding Q&A B: Please clarify the second part of the answer. As written, I believe it implies that if the Prime is an FFRDC and receives a cost-share waiver, then a university partner does not have to provide 20 percent cost share. Question B: Who is eligible to receive a cost share waiver? Answer B: As outlined in Section III, Part B-Cost Sharing. A Only prime applicants under Area of Interest (AOI) 3 who are a Federal Laboratory, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), or Educational Institution would be eligible for the cost share waiver. This applies when the applicant is selected for award as the prime applicant. When the prime applicant receives a cost share waiver, any project partners other than National Laboratories, FFRDCs, and Universities shall provide at least 20 percent cost share based on the total value of the work they will contribute.
Answer 79:

Answer A - Your interpretation is correct with regards to the cost share waiver that applies only to AOI 3. If the prime applicant is an FFRDC and has a sub that is a National Laboratory, FFRDC, or University as a project partner, cost share is not required for those entities efforts under the proposed project. If the sub is other than National Laboratory, FFRDC, or University cost share is required for the portion of the subs effort under the project.

Question 80: Can Concept Papers be marked as confidential by including the following note in the footer of each page? "“May contain trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential and exempt from public disclosure." Or should we not disclose confidential information in the Concept Paper?
Answer 80:

Concept papers will not be published, however, as a part of the full application package Applicants are required to submit a Summary/Abstract for Public Release. Please reference Section IV.D.5.Of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for further details regarding the public abstract.

Question 82: I am uploading my concept paper and I was unsure as to the required format for the filename.I am assuming it is the format of ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Project Can you confirm or provide other guidance.
Answer 82:

There is not a required format for the file name of the concept paper. Please refer to the FOA Section IV.C for further concept paper guidance.

Question 83: The FOA indicates that for AOIs 3-7, 11 & 14 “One or more projects awarded may be managed collaboratively with U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC).” Can you provide more detail on how this joint management will work, as well as how it might impact reporting requirements?
Answer 83:

Awards will be issued and administered by DOE. The award will be between DOE and the selected Recipients. TARDEC and DOE will jointly work together as necessary to effectively manage the selected projects.

Question 84: It appears that on page 11 of the FOA there may be a contradiction in task description of AOI 2. Per Table 2: Minimum Modeling Elements by Manufacturing Phase, the developed models are expected to be gauged against the experimental results from the assembly crush tests. On the same page below the table, it says: However, construction and testing of the completed assembly will not be funded under this AOI. The question is how can we check the developed models and make sure the predictions are within 15% of experimental results if we are not expected to physically construct and test the assembly?
Answer 84:

Tools and models developed under this AOI should be amenable to later validation of assembly-level properties to enable the required weight reduction and cost. Construction and testing of the completed assembly shall be limited to 25% of the total project cost. Applications shall describe the methodology that will be used to compare the cost of the developed end item with the baseline system identified along with any assumptions used in the analysis. This will be clarified in a forthcoming amendment to the funding opportunity announcement.

Question 85: For Area of Interest 1, regarding team membership, does a Tier 1 supplier to the truck industry (e.g. 18-wheelers) qualify as a team member, or must the team member be a Tier 1 supplier to the car/light truck industry?
Answer 85: It has to be to the automotive industry. In accordance with the funding opportunity announcement, "Project teams shall include at least one automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)..."

Question 86: We have two questions pertaining to AOI 5: 1) Does the DOE assume a specific fuel efficiency to rolling resistance conversion factor? For example a 4% reduction in fuel consumption would require a X% reduction in rolling resistance. If so, what is the conversion? 2) Does the DOE expect a single project to achieve all of these goals, or will the 4% result from parallel efforts focused on different aspects of tire design that add up to the 4%. It is not clear how a single project can efficiently integrate all of these variables.
Answer 86:

1) DOE does not assume a specific conversion factor. Fuel consumption testing is expected to be part of a project to demonstrate the achievement of the 4% goal.

2) 4% is a stretch R&D goal, and DOE expects a single project to achieve this goal.

Question 87: Please see the attachments regarding the submission in response to the subject funding opportunity.
Answer 87:

In accordance with the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the full application must be submitted through EERE EXCHANGE to be considered eligible.

Question 88: I have PI who plan to submit to DE-FOA-0000991, Topic #8 which can be up to 5 years, but the EERE 159 form only allows for 3 years. How do we get years 4 & 5 on the form?
Answer 88:

For projects that exceed three budget periods, you may upload a second EERE 159 form that breaks out Budget Period 4, Budget Period 5 (if applicable), and the total Project Costs.

Question 89: We, at the University of X, received a notice to submit a Full Application for this Funding Opportunity: DE-FOA 0000991. Please let us know how many other organizations has DOE notified to submit Full Application for this Opportunity.
Answer 89:

That is procurement sensitive information and cannot be disclosed.

Question 90: 1. The SF-424A form downloaded from the announcement page is Rev. 4-92. There is another version (OMB Number: 4040-0006) with an expiration date of 6/30/2014. They are very different. Which one is to be used? 2. Where can I find instructions for the SF-424 form? 3. Regarding the U.S. Manufacturing Plan: Is there a template or an example? The requirement states that a plan must be submitted but does not give any instructions or illuminating guidance. 4. The SF-424 block 13 requests a Competition Identification Number/Title: We have not received nor see any reference to such a number. How do we get the CIN? 5. We have several areas affected by the project. The information does not fit in the space provided and the radial button for Add Attachment does not work. How do we complete this information? 6. There is no signature line on the SF 424. How do we sign the form? 7. The instructions call for the applicant to enter data on the form but it is a pdf and non-editable. Do we hand write the required information and then make a pdf copy of the final version?
Answer 90:

1. Please use the form that is downloaded into Exchange.

2. Please find the instructions located at: http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/SF424Instructions.pdf

3. Please review the requirements for submission of the U.S. Manufacturing Plan which are contained in Section IV.D.12 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

4. This field is not required under this CFDA number.

5. Please utilize the space provided. If your organization is selected for negotiations leading to award, you can provide DOE the additional information at that time.

6. Submission into eXCHANGE by an authorized representative of your organization constitutes an electronic signature and is acceptable. Or if you prefer, you can print out, sign, and can the file to submit it.

7. This is an editable form. Please be sure you are using the most current version of the Adobe Reader and that your settings allow you to make edits.

Question 91: On page 66 of the FOA, para 2 states: 2. COST SHARE ALLOCATION Each Project Team is free to determine how best to allocate the cost share requirement among the team members. The amount contributed by individual Project Team members may vary, as long as the cost share requirement for the project as a whole is met. Does the Prime contractor need to be awarded at least 50% of the value of the award? For example we estimate that as the Prime applicant our percentage of the overall project will be less than our subcontractors.
Answer 91:

There is no requirement under this Funding Opportunity Announcement that the prime must complete at least 50% of the work. However, please understand the agreement is between the Department of Energy and the Prime Applicant if selected. Therefore, the prime applicant if selected is ultimately responsible for completing the project and meeting the cost share requirement set forth for the award.

Question 92: Is a Table of Contents required for the Technical Volume?
Answer 92:

A table of contents is not a requirement. However, given the EERE Technical Volume requirements outlined in the FOA, an applicant may choose to include one as part of the 35 pages if they choose to do so.

Question 93: For the Phase I deliverables, DOE asks for “Confirmed vehicle application from a vehicle OEM to proceed into second phase of award.” Can DOE define what is meant by the word “confirmed” in the deliverables statement above? For some vehicle OEM’s, this word has a very significant meaning which could be beyond the scope of this program.
Answer 93: A confirmed vehicle application must include at least either a commitment from a vehicle OEM for a specific vehicle application, or detailed explanation of a vehicle where technology proposed will demonstrate: 1) the value proposition of WBG semiconductors; 2) improvements over state of the art technologies and Si devices; 3) demonstration platform to confirm performance; and, 4) defined commercialization path and plan.

Question 94: In the problem that is being incurred, in trying to submit through EERE Exchange and the Summary Slide section will not upload any pdf files while keep stating no support for the file; all other uploads work properly. Can this be fixed promptly in so I can complete my application.
Answer 94:

In accordance with the Funding Opportunity Announcement, the Summary Slide is required in Power Point format and PDF will not be accepted by eXCHANGE.

Question 95: 1. Under AOI 12, page 44, there are 3 instances of Footnote #6, yet there is no Footnote #6 at the bottom of the page. Please clarify 2. Under AOI 12, page 45, the BTE table shows 3 rows for Gasoline Fuel, but only one of them has a distinguishing footnote. Please clarify
Answer 95:

1. Footnote 6 is on the first page containing the description to Area of Interest 6.

2. This question is answered as a part of Amendment 00004.

Question 96: Budget for FFRDCs: would you be able to provide a template? I wasn’t able to locate the corresponding file on the Funding Exchange Portal. 2. Project start date: does DOE have a preferred start date or is it at the discretion of the applicant to determine project start?
Answer 96:

1. For FFRDCs who are applying as the lead applicant or are applying as a subrecipient, use the EERE159 budget detail form.

2. Awards are expected to be made by September 30, 2014. Typically projects have a start date of 9/30 or 10/1 with some flexibility depending on the type of project being selected.

Question 97: If we have not lobbied on behalf of this particular FOA, are we still required to submit the SF-LLL? In the FOA announcement on page 83, the language says the Primes and Subs have to submit SF-LLL if any non-federal funds have been paid or will be paid to any person influencing…. Your application. However, on the Exchange submission page, SF-LLL appear to be required.
Answer 97:

As indicated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, this form is required if any non-Federal funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence any of the following in connection with your application:

• An officer or employee of any Federal agency;

• A Member of Congress;

• An officer or employee of Congress; or

• An employee of a Member of Congress.

Question 98: Our concept paper was encouraged for full application submittal. Page 74 of the FOA states that “In order to provide Applicants with feedback on their Concept Papers, EERE will include general comments provided from independent reviewers on an Applicant’s Concept Paper in the encourage/discourage notification sent to Applicants at the close of that phase.” Comments are not provided however on our submittal page, nor in the concept paper encouraged notification we received via email. Will reviewer comments from the concept paper be provided?
Answer 98:

The written response received by your organization regarding your concept paper constitutes the Reviewer feedback.

Question 99: I anticipate a proposed partner of ours will purchase fuels for our project from a commercial fuel supplier and ship them directly to us as a portion of their cost-share. Do we need an environmental form from either our proposed partner (who will receive no federal dollars) or the commercial fuel supplier?
Answer 99:

The prime recipient along with each project partner is required to submit a NEPA questionnaire for each location they plan to perform work for the proposed project. For example, if company x has two different work locations or facilities to which they plan to perform project related activities they must submit a NEPA questionnaire for each location. If selected further information and documentation maybe required by DOE to perform a proper NEPA assessment.

Question 100: The SF 424 form listed under DE-FOA-0000991- full application documents and your web site https://www.eere-pmc.energy.gov/forms.aspx are different as well as both expired. Nor are there any instructions. The signature box is filled in with “Completed by Grants .gov” on the one under full application requirements for 0000991. What is the correct form with instructions.
Answer 100:

Please use the form that is uploaded into Exchange. Please find the instructions located at: http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/SF424Instructions.pdf Submission into eXCHANGE by an authorized representative of your organization constitutes an electronic signature and is acceptable. Or if you prefer, you can print out, sign, scan and upload the file eXCHANGE with the signature with the rest of the application files.

Question 101: I am very much interested in the topic on combustion for this call (Area 10 - Fuel property impacts on combustion) but I didn't submit the concept paper last February. Am I excluded then? Or I can still submit my proposal by April 1?
Answer 101: In accordance with the Funding Opportunity Announcement, an applicant that did not submit a concept paper would not be eligible to submit a full application.

Question 102: Does VTO intend to obtain a Class Patent Waiver for awardees under Area of Interest 5 of DE-FOA-0000991?
Answer 102:

Please note as indicated in Section VIII L. in the FOA, “EERE has an approved “class patent waiver” under which large businesses and foreign entities that meet certain stated requirements may elect to retain title to their subject inventions.”

Question 103: The SF 424 form listed under DE-FOA-0000991- full application documents and your web site https://www.eere-pmc.energy.gov/forms.aspx are different as well as both expired. Nor are there any instructions. The signature box is filled in with “Completed by Grants .gov” on the one under full application requirements for 0000991. What is the correct form with instructions.
Answer 103:

Please use the form that is uploaded into Exchange. Please find the instructions located at: http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/SF424Instructions.pdf Submission into eXCHANGE by an authorized representative of your organization constitutes an electronic signature and is acceptable. Or if you prefer, you can print out, sign, scan and upload the file eXCHANGE with the signature with the rest of the application files.

Question 104: We noticed that Version 6 changed the number of awards from 21 to 20 and the amount of awards from $51,400,000 to $49,400,000 but there was no explanation of which AOI’s were cut.
Answer 104:

The current version is the relevant document which is Amendment 000005. It indicates $51,100,000 and 21 awards. Please view the full Funding Opportunity Announcement at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov for further details.

Question 105: Page 76 of the FOA has a table with two headers 1. SECTION/PAGE LIMIT 2. DESCRIPTION Since there are no page limits listed in column One are we to assume the following page limits taken from the Full Application Content Requirements (under Components File) starting on page 74 (and elsewhere in the FOA) are the only limitations on pages? Please clarify. Technical Volume – 35 pages Budget Justification – no limit Summary/Abstract for Public Release – 1 page Summary Slide – 1 page Resumes – 1 page Letters of Support – 1 page Letters of Commitment – no limit
Answer 105:

Your assumption is correct with the clarification that Resumes and Letters of Support are limited to 1 page per item.

Question 106: My company does not current have a federally approved rate agreement, so we have used the Sample Rate Proposal word document (available at https://www.eere-pmc.energy.gov/forms.aspx) to guide us in calculating our fringe rate and indirect rate using an excel spreadsheet based on the "Two Rate Method" (paragraph D), and using our expenses last fiscal year. However, the Budget Justification Worksheet requests several indirect cost categories, i.e., "Overhead Costs, G&A Costs, FCCM Costs, and OTHER Indirect Costs". Since the Sample Rate Proposal only instructs us on how to calculate the fringe rate and one indirect rate, should we enter our total indirect rate as "OTHER Indirect Costs", or do we need to estimate the other categories requested as well? If we need to estimate and enter the other categories (i.e., Overhead, G&A, etc.), is there a guiding document for calculating these? Also, does the excel spreadsheet we used to calculate indirect and fringe rates count as our Provisional Indirect Rate Proposal? If so, where do we attach or submit this excel spreadsheet?
Answer 106:

In the EERE 159 form, please be sure to indicate under Tab b. (Fringe) and Tab i. (Indirect) that your organization does not have a Federally approved rate and that your indirect rate cost proposal is attached as file entitled, “X.” If selected for an award DOE will perform a review of the rates and determine if an audit is necessary to ensure compliance of the accounting system in accordance with the applicable Federal regulations.

Question 107: Should the costs be provided in fiscal year or calendar year? Are there any special forms subcontractors are expected to provide?
Answer 107:

Cost should be provided by Budget Period. In accordance with the Funding Opportunity Announcement Section IV. D. 7., subcontractors are required to complete the Sub-award Budget Justification (EERE 159) form.

Question 108: 1. If a go/no-go decision point is very close in timing to an annual merit reviews, should they be combined for timing purposes? 2. If a project is selected for funding and officially starts in November 2014 for example, should the first budget period end 12 months later or exactly on December 31, 2015? 3. Without changing the project scope, can the project title on the Full Application be modified from that submitted on the Concept Paper ?
Answer 108:

1. The Annual Merit Review (AMR) is considered a deliverable as part of the SOPO and should not be combined with a go/no-go decision point.

2. Budget Periods are typically 12 months in length; however, this can be altered if necessary during negotiations.

3. Yes, the applicant may change the title as long as the proposed technology in the full application is consistent with that described in the submitted concept paper.

Question 108: For Area of Interest #12 on DE-FOA-0000991 what is the definition of Phase 1?
Answer 108:

The goal of Phase 1 of this effort was to develop a light-duty vehicle capable of attaining at least a 25% fuel economy improvement for gasoline fueled vehicles and at least 40% fuel economy improvement for diesel fueled vehicles while meeting future emissions standards. Development of the engine and powertrain system can include improvements to in-cylinder combustion, engine mechanics, waste heat recovery, friction reduction, emission control, fuels, materials, electrification, and reduced ancillary load requirements. The engine system can be designed to accommodate a hybrid system, CVT or other advanced transmission.

Question 109: Dear sirs. It is not clear to me how the final submission will be done in this FOA. I noticed that when I logged in, there was no button "Apply" on this 991. There was such a button in other FOA's. Can we expect that the apply button will when we get closer to the deadline? Is it going to be rather obvious from there? Also, are we supposed to attach all supporting files in the SF424 form, and then somehow the SF 424 gets up-loaded in the website? Also, what is the start date? Also, line 15 is asking a "descriptive title". What does that mean? Can we use the same title? Is there a document for the directions of filling this form?
Answer 109:

Please contact eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov for questions about the Apply button.

All files are to be directly uploaded in eXCHANGE, not as a part of the SF 424. The Awards are expected to be made by September 30, 2014. Typically projects have a start date of 9/30 or 10/1 with some flexibility depending on the type of project being selected. Block 15 is for the Project Title.

Question 110: We are preparing a full proposal in response to FOA-0000991. The area of interest is beyond lithium ion technologies (topic 3). In the connect paper that we submitted, we proposed five year of work. The solicitation (page 56) states " making awards that will have durations up to sixty (60) months in lengths". But on page 57, it states the period of performance up to three years" for topic 3. Our concept paper was encouraged. I was wondering if I should propose three-year or five-year work in the full proposal. I will appreciate your responses. Let me know if you have questions.
Answer 110:

As stated on page 56 of Amendment 000005 of the FOA, under Period of Performance, the statement "EERE anticipates making awards that will have durations up to sixty (60) months in length." is a general statement in that some awards may be that long but applicants should refer to table on page 57 for specific project period length depending on Area of Interest.

Question 111: 1) FOA page 82, Item 7. Sub-Award Budget Justification (EERE159) – The 1st sentence of this paragraph states that a sub awardee budget is to be provided “for each sub awardee that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $100,000 of the total work effort (whichever is less)”. This statement seems incomplete, what is the other factor that we are to gauge whichever is less against? 2) If a sub awardee is under $100,000, what budget documentation is needed? 3) Does the Environmental Questionnaire (Form 541 1-1-3) only need to be completed by the prime?
Answer 111:

1) Please disregard the (whichever is less). This statement was left in by mistake.

2) For each sub-recipient with total project costs of $100,000 or more, a separate budget form and justification must be submitted. These sub-recipient forms must be completed by either the sub-recipients themselves or by the preparer of this form. The budget totals on the sub-recipient's forms must match the sub-recipient entries below. If the cost is under $100,000 than a Sub-Award Budget Justification is not required but maybe used.

3) The prime recipient along with each project partner is required to submit a NEPA questionnaire for each location they plan to perform work for the proposed project. For example, if company x has two different work locations or facilities to which they plan to perform project related activities they must submit a NEPA questionnaire for each location. If selected further information and documentation may be required by DOE to perform a proper NEPA assessment.

Question 112: We would like to formally request an extension from April 1 to April 22 of the deadline for submission of complete funding applications under DE-FOA-000991.
Answer 112: The deadline will not be extended.

Question 113: We have a partner who is only providing in-kind cost share. They will not be receiving any federal funds. We plan on providing a letter of commitment that reflects the amount of in-kind cost. The company will NOT be providing a SF-LLL or a NEPA EQ form. Is this a satisfactory approach to including their in-kind cost share in our proposal effort?
Answer 113:

The prime recipient along with each project partner is required to submit a NEPA questionnaire for each location they plan to perform work for the proposed project. For example, if company x has two different work locations or facilities to which they plan to perform project related activities they must submit a NEPA questionnaire for each location. If selected, further information and documentation maybe required by DOE to perform a proper NEPA assessment.

As indicated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement Section IV. D. 10., the SF-LLL form is required if any non-Federal funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence any of the following in connection with your application:

• An officer or employee of any Federal agency;

• A Member of Congress;

• An officer or employee of Congress; or

• An employee of a Member of Congress.

Question 114: Could you please provide a copy of the EERE-approved Class Patent Waiver referenced on page [127] of the attached Funding Opportunity Announcement?
Answer 114:

Please reference Appendix D – Patent Rights - Waiver As Modified By 10 C.F.R. 784, Doe Patent Waiver Regulations of the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

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