EERE eXCHANGE: FAQs

Question 1: For areas of interest 7 and 9, may an applicant submit a concept paper on a commercialized technology? Also, for areas of interest 7 and 9, may an applicant submit a concept paper to make improvements to a commercialized technology?
Answer 1:

The AOI 7 technical description states, DOE recognizes that some of the technologies being considered need further development to achieve cost competitiveness with current technologies and a payback period that is acceptable to the customer; and the AOI 9 technical description states, The objective of this AOI is development of technologies enabling medium- and heavy-duty engines fueled by natural gas, or a natural gas derived fuel, with diesel-like efficiency. The existing technologies being referred to in the AOI descriptions could be commercialized technologies, and concept papers that propose new and innovative improvements to the commercialized technologies would be considered for AOI 7 -Enabling Technologies for Heavy Duty Vehicles and AOI 9 - High Efficiency Medium and Heavy-Duty Natural Gas (Dedicated or Dual-Fuel) Engine Technologies.

Question 2: Is the class 6 truck considered “heavy duty”? For the purposed of this FOA, heavy duty trucks are defined as Class 7 and Class 8 trucks. Therefore, a Class 6 truck is not considered heavy duty.
Answer 2:

For the purposes of this FOA, heavy duty trucks are defined as Class 7 and Class 8 trucks. Therefore, a Class 6 truck is not considered heavy duty.

Question 3: From the description of project #8 (CFD modeling/sub model development), we have the following: To ensure that perspectives of different CFD community experts are included, applications must include a partnership with a DOE Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) that has expertise in the proposed submodel(s) research area. Does this mean we can collaborate with someone in a DoE lab that works EXPERIMENTALLY in the sub-model research area, and who can provide some validation data for our simulation/model development? OR Does this mean that the only DOE personnel we can work with is someone that does model development ?
Answer 3:

The intent of the requirement for DOE FFRDC participation in a project under Area of Interest 8 is to ensure a collaborative approach to the development and validation of a submodel(s) to yield the most acceptable and high-quality product by using the unique capabilities and experience of DOE FFRDCs. The nature and scope of involvement of the DOE FFRDC in the project is up to the applicant and could include, but is not limited to, CFD expertise and/or experimental testing and validation.

Question 4: Is this program limited to USA nationals studying locally and abroad or is there opportunities for Australian nationals studying in Melbourne, Australia to enter into the program?
Answer 4:

In accordance with Section III.A.3 of the FOA, only individuals who are U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are eligible to apply for funding as a Prime Recipient or Subrecipient.

Question 5: The FY2015 Vehicle Technologies Office Program Wide FOA Webinar forum held on the 4th Feb between 1-2pm is held in which city?
Answer 5: The webinar is being held in West Virginia, which is Eastern Time.

Question 6: What is the cost share requirement for FFRDCs? Are they allowed to have the reduction, similar to domestic institution of higher education?
Answer 6:

Consistent with Section III.A.4 DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are eligible to apply for funding as a Subrecipient, but are not eligible to apply as a Prime Recipient. And Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs and non-DOE GOGOs are eligible to apply for funding as a Subrecipient, but are not eligible to apply as a Prime Recipient.

If you are an FFRDC that is intending to participate as a team member for a proposed project, note that consistent with Section III.B.2 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.

Please see the table in Section III.B of the FOA for minimum cost share requirements for each AOI for different types of Applicants (Prime).

Question 7: Section 1A states that…activities in this FOA support both solution pathways….1) use conventional fuels more efficiently, and 2) replace them with cost-competitive domestically-produced alternatives. Consistent with that message, would material/manufacturing processes, independent of chemistry, for HEV and Start-Stop batteries be eligible for funding under AOIs 4 & 5?
Answer 7:

Concept papers/applications addressing manufacturing/material processes for improved HEVand start-stop batteries would be considered for AOIs 4 and 5.

Question 8: On page 32 of the solicitation, you outline a condition under which the cost sharing requirement is reduced to 10%: the lead proposer is a domestic academic institution and performs more than 50% of the work. If the team involves multiple domestic academic institutions (one of which is the lead), and together they perform more than 50% of the work, does this reduced cost sharing rate apply? That is, the lead academic institution might not perform 50% of the work by itself, but all of the domestic academic institutions cumulatively will. Thank you.
Answer 8:

No, the arrangement you propose would make the project ineligible to receive the cost share reduction. The FOA is very specific that the prime applicant must perform 50% or more of the work regardless of the entity type of the projects team members. See Section III.B of the FOA, The recipient cost share requirement for applied research and development activities projects is reduced to 10% and applied when the Prime Applicant selected for an award is a domestic institution of higher education and performs more than 50% of the project work as measured by the total project

Question 9: My company was recently acquired. My SAM registration has become inactive, while the new parent company files for their CAGE code. Can I submit a concept paper or proposal through EERE_Exchange while my SAM registration is inactive? I anticipate it will take the parent company several more weeks to get their CAGE code before I can update my SAM registration.
Answer 9:

Consistent with the Registration/Submission Requirements of the FOA, in order to submit a full application, an applicant must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). So no, an active SAM registration is not required to submit a concept paper. However, please note that the FOA suggests that Applicants allow at least 44 days to complete the registration process, and suggests that the process be started as soon as possible.

Question 10: Could you tell us the specific needs for electrodeposition in AOI5?
Answer 10:

For a full description of AOI 5, please see section I.B of the FOA. The description includes a table with examples of technologies that could fit the goals and intent of AOI 5. The list is not exclusive and no specific technical approach is encouraged or discouraged.

Question 11: Please define “natural gas derived fuel”. Taking a broad interpretation, this could include natural gas liquids co-produced with natural gas including ethane, propane, and butane, along with fuels produced from natural gas including hydrogen, methanol, dimethyl ether, and GTL fuels.
Answer 11: For the purpose of this FOA the term "natural gas derived fuel" does not include the natural gas liquids typically co-produced at the well (propane, butane, ethane, etc.). Furthermore, the natural gas derived fuels of interest to the program would exclude hydrogen and methanol. NOTE: The answer to this question is being incorporated into Amendment 000002 to the Funding Opportunity Announcement. Amendment 000002 is in progress and should be available in Exchange this week.

Question 12: In Section III.2 (page 29), the FOA 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." Can you please clarify the meaning of "direct labor"? In addition, can work performed out side the US, which is integral part of the proposed work, be accounted as the cost-share (including labor) from industry?
Answer 12:

Consistent with federal regulations, specifically 2 CFR §200.413, direct costs are those costs that can be identified specifically with a particular final cost objective, such as a Federal award, or other internally or externally funded activity, or that can be directly assigned to such activities relatively easily with a high degree of accuracy.

Regarding your second question, consistent with the FOA Section III.2 There may be limited circumstances where it is in the interest of the project to perform a portion of the work outside the United States. To seek a waiver of the Performance of Work in the Unites States requirement, the Applicant must submit an explicit waiver request in the Full Application. Therefore, if a waiver is submitted and approved, then the work outside of the United States that has been approved via the waiver could be considered allowable as cost share. Waiver requirements are specified in the FOA Section III.2, and should be carefully reviewed if an applicant intends to submit a waiver.

Question 13: May demos be applied to vocational trucks?
Answer 13:

Unfortunately, due to the competitive nature of this process, we are unable to state if a particular technology or concept is or is not of interest. Applicants should review the technical description and non-responsive criteria associated with each Area of Interest (AOI) to determine a demonstration approach based on the the nature and scope of the proposed technology, prior to submitting concept papers.

In accordance with the FOA, Section III. G. Questions Regarding Eligibility, EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. EERE will not provide submission recommendations on concept papers prior to submission of a Concept paper. At that time, EERE makes an independent assessment of each Concept Paper based on the criteria in Section V.A.1 of the FOA. EERE will encourage a subset of Applicants based upon this assessment to submit Full Applications. Other Applicants will be discouraged based upon this assessment 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, EERE intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the proposed project. See section IV. C.1 of the FOA for more information regarding the submission of concept papers. Please note that all Full Applications that pass compliance review will undergo comprehensive technical merit review according to the criteria identified in Section V.A.2 of the FOA.

Question 14: Can a concept paper be submitted that builds on a program that is currently funded by the DOE-VT office?
Answer 14: Concept papers may be submitted that propose projects that are based on a program that has been previously funded or is currently funded by DOE. It must be noted that the proposed technology or project must be innovative and NOT DUPLICATE work that is currently or recently funded by DOE. Concept Papers that propose work that is duplicative of work that is currently or has recently been funded by DOE will be discouraged.

Question 15: At the concept paper stage, when you encourage and discourage full applications, will you disclose to each proposer how many proposals you are encouraging per subject area and how many you discouraged?
Answer 15: 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

Question 16: For area of interest 8, are PI's required to make contact with companies who sell cfd codes?
Answer 16: The FOA does not contain a requirement in AOI 8 for Principal Investigators to contact for-profit companies who sell CFD codes. Please review Section I.B of the FOA for the description and requirements of AOI's applicable to this FOA.

Question 17: The question refers to AOI 8. Multiple universities may contact the same national lab that has the greatest experience in chemical kinetics while addressing the same submodel area (e.g., engine knock prediction) to use as a partner. Usually there is only one group at the national lab that deals with a specific area, but it is composed of multiple researchers. If one researcher from the group works with just one university, and the national lab partner does mostly advising work, is the proposal accepted ?
Answer 17: The intent of the requirement for DOE FFRDC participation in a project under Area of Interest 8 is to ensure a collaborative approach to the development and validation of a submodel(s) to yield the most acceptable and high-quality product by using the unique capabilities and experience of DOE FFRDCs. The nature and scope of involvement of the DOE FFRDC in the project is up to the applicant as long as it meets the overall requirements of the FOA. Due to the competitive nature of this process, we are unable to state if a particular teaming arrangement or partnership is acceptable or not. Applicants should review the technical description and general FOA requirements and make an informed decision.

Question 18: Will new electric motor technology that saves energy and may extend the range of an electric vehicle (on a single battery charge) be considered? What category would be appropriate for electric motor technology?
Answer 18:

Unfortunately, due to the competitive nature of this process, we are unable to state if a particular technology or concept is or is not of interest. Applicants should review the technical description and non-responsive criteria associated with each Area of Interest (AOI).

In accordance with the FOA, Section III. G. Questions Regarding Eligibility, EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. EERE will not provide submission recommendations on concept papers prior to submission of a Concept paper. At that time, EERE makes an independent assessment of each Concept Paper based on the criteria in Section V.A.1 of the FOA. EERE will encourage a subset of Applicants based upon this assessment to submit Full Applications. Other Applicants will be discouraged based upon this assessment 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, EERE intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the proposed project. See section IV. C.1 of the FOA for more information regarding the submission of concept papers. Please note that all Full Applications that pass compliance review will undergo comprehensive technical merit review according to the criteria identified in Section V.A.2 of the FOA.

Question 19: Does 100% direct labor include cost-share from private entities?
Answer 19: Yes. See Section III.B.3 of the FOA, 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. All cost share must be allocable, allowable and within scope of the proposed project objectives.

Question 20: Will there be a list of interested organizations or webinar attendees that will be available to help facilitate teaming?
Answer 20: No, the webinar attendees will not be released to the public.

Question 21: Where/how do we get a Control Number?
Answer 21: 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.A of the FOA.

Question 22: Is the anticipated award size a firm requirement or can we submit something that is less?
Answer 22: The anticipated award sizes are guidelines to assist the applicant in determining the appropriate scope of their proposed project.

Question 23: If the Prime needs to do 20%, do the subs, such as a National Lab, need only match 10% (which reduces the Prime's match percentage on the final full budget)?
Answer 23: If the minimum cost share requirement for the Area of Interest (AOI) under which you are applying is 20%, then you (as the Prime Recipient) are responsible for ensuring that the requirement is met. Consistent with III.B.1 of the FOA, The Prime Recipient is solely responsible for managing cost share contributions by the Project Team and enforcing cost share obligation assumed by Project Team members in subawards or related agreements.

Question 24: Can we have a copy of this presentation?
Answer 24: The webinar is not available for viewing; questions asked during the webinar along with the answers will be available in the FOA FAQ section in eXCHANGE. Please note that presentation materials are duplicative of information within the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The most recent version of the FOA is available on eXCHANGE and is the primary source of information.

Question 25: Re AOI 8, must the FFRDC partner be listed on the concept paper?
Answer 25: Consistent with the Section IV.C of the FOA, the concept paper must contain the Key Team Member(s). An FFRDC partner would be considered a Key Team Member, so yes.

Question 26: Is the minimum funding level of $2M for area of interest 1 fixed? Can we propose a smaller size project?
Answer 26: The anticipated funding levels are guidelines to assist the applicant in determining the appropriate scope of their proposed project. These numbers are based upon EERE budgets and funding available for particular AOIs within the FOA.

Question 27: Is there a specific percentage of the total budget for the required FFRDC partner in area of interest 8?
Answer 27: The intent of the requirement for DOE FFRDC participation in a project under Area of Interest 8 is to ensure a collaborative approach to the development and validation of a submodel(s) to yield the most acceptable and high-quality product by using the unique capabilities and experience of DOE FFRDCs. The nature and scope of involvement of the DOE FFRDC in the project is up to the applicant.

Question 28: Can you distinguish the DOE's goal for area of interest 1 from that of the recently formed Power America-NNMI institute regarding Wide-Band Gap power electronics?
Answer 28: While there may be similarities between this Area of Interest (AOI) and the goals of other organizations, proposed projects must address the specific goals, targets and requirements of this FOA. Please review Section I.B of the FOA for the description of AOI's applicable to this FOA.

Question 29: On cost sharing, my understanding was that any university-led team could qualify for the reduced cost sharing requirement. You said it is for area of interest 8 only. Please clarify.
Answer 29:

Consistent with Section III.B of the FOA, EERE has issued a Cost Share Reduction determination pursuant to Section 988(b)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that is applicable to certain entities applying under this FOA. This determination applies to the following Areas of Interest:

• AOI 1, entitled “Wide Bandgap (WBG) Power Module R&D – Integrated Power Modules”

• AOI 4, entitled “Advances in Next-Generation Battery Material Manufacturing Processes”

• AOI 5, entitled “Advances in Electrode and Cell Fabrication Manufacturing”

• AOI 6, entitled “Electric Drive Vehicular Battery Modeling for Commercially Available Software”

• AOI 8, entitled “Physics-Based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Sub-Model Development and Validation”

Question 30: Can one apply for more than one FOA?
Answer 30: Consistent with the Executive Summary of the FOA, Applicants may submit more than one application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project. All applications must be for a stand-alone project that is not dependent or contingent upon another application submitted to this or any other FOA.

Question 31: Do we have limit to number of concept papers from each organization intending to propose?
Answer 31: Consistent with the Executive Summary of the FOA, Applicants may submit more than one application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project. All applications must be for a stand-alone project that is not dependent or contingent upon another application submitted to this or any other FOA. Please remember that consistent with Section IV.C of the FOA, to be eligible to submit a Full Application, Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by the specified due date. Therefore, if you intend to submit more than one application, then you must submit a concept paper for each full application you intend to submit.

Question 32: For a Research and Development project between universities and industry, what is cost sharing for industry?
Answer 32: The cost share requirement is determined by the type of entity of the Prime Recipient. Consistent with the FOA Section III.B.2 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. See the FOA, Section III.B for the required minimum cost share for each Area of Interest (AOI).

Question 33: If an Institute of Higher Education is eligible for 10% cost-share, does the reduced rate also extend to industry partners or will they be subject to the applicable cost-share rates as per the table in the FOA?
Answer 33: Consistent with Section III.B of the FOA, The recipient cost share requirement for applied research and development activities projects is reduced to 10% and applied when the Prime Applicant selected for an award is a domestic institution of higher education and performs more than 50% of the project work as measured by the total project costs. For projects that are eligible for the cost share reduction, the cost share requirement of 10% applies to the total project costs. The Prime Recipient is responsible for ensuring that the cost share requirement is met. Consistent with III.B.1 of the FOA, The Prime Recipient is solely responsible for managing cost share contributions by the Project Team and enforcing cost share obligation assumed by Project Team members in subawards or related agreements.

Question 34: Is cost share information required in EERE Exchange when submitting the Concept Paper
Answer 34: Consistent with Section IV.C.1 of the FOA, While the content and form of the Concept Paper does not require proposing a cost share amount during this concept paper submission phase, the Exchange system will require entering a proposed cost share as a step in the submission process. Any proposed cost share at the Concept Paper stage of the application process can be updated or amended at the time of full application submission.

Question 35: Can universities partner with DOE labs?
Answer 35: There are no restrictions in this FOA regarding applicants partnering with FFRDCs/National Labs.

Question 36: Are budgetary estimates required for concept papers?
Answer 36: Concept paper requirements are discussed in Section IV.C.1 of the FOA, and budget information is not required at the time of the concept paper. However, keep in mind that the Exchange system will require entering a proposed cost share as a step in the submission process. Any proposed cost share at the Concept Paper stage of the application process can be updated or amended at the time of full application submission. Budget information is not required in the concept paper document.

Question 37: The FOA states that foreign entities are eligible to be subrecipients. Is a waiver required for participation of foreign subrecipients?
Answer 37: The FOA does not restrict foreign entities from participating as a subrecipient on a project; however, consistent with Section IV.C.3 Foreign National Involvement - All applicants selected for an award resulting from this FOA may be required to provide information to the Department of Energy (DOE) in order to facilitate our responsibilities associated with foreign national access to DOE sites, information, technologies, and equipment. Foreign national is defined as any person who was born outside the jurisdiction of the United States, is a citizen of a foreign government, and has not been naturalized under U.S. law. If the selected applicant, including subrecipients/contractors, anticipates utilizing a foreign national person in the performance of an award, the selected applicant may be responsible for providing to the DOE representative specific information of the foreign national(s) to satisfy compliance with all of the requirements for access approval. Access approval for individuals from countries identified on the U.S. Department of State list of State Sponsors of Terrorism may impact project schedule.

Question 38: For area of interest 8, can a DOE FFRDC partner with more than one university?
Answer 38: Consistent with Section III.A of the FOA, FFRDC's are not eligible to apply as Prime Recipients. FFRDC's are permitted to apply as subrecipients; however, and the FOA does not restrict FFRDC's from partnering with more than one university as a team member.

Question 39: If an Institute of Higher Education (IHE) is the lead organization for area of interest 2, will the IHE be subject to 10% or 50% minimum cost-share?
Answer 39: Consistent with Section III.B of the FOA, The recipient cost share requirement for applied research and development activities projects is reduced to 10% and applied when the Prime Applicant selected for an award is a domestic institution of higher education and performs more than 50% of the project work as measured by the total project costs. For projects that are eligible for the cost share reduction, the cost share requirement of 10% applies to the total project costs. The Prime Recipient is responsible for ensuring that the cost share requirement is met. Consistent with III.B.1 of the FOA, The Prime Recipient is solely responsible for managing cost share contributions by the Project Team and enforcing cost share obligation assumed by Project Team members in subawards or related agreements.

Question 40: Is there any issue with applying to multiple FOAs with the same project scope?
Answer 40: Applicants may submit more than one application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project. All applications must be for a stand-alone project that is not dependent or contingent upon another application submitted to this or any other FOA.

Question 41: Is area of interest 7 primarily for industry given the large cost share and time line requirements?
Answer 41: Area of Interest (AOI) 7 is subject to the eligibility information contained in Section III.A of the FOA along with requirements outlined within the AOI technical description.

Question 42: What's the breakout again for technical merit, project approach, and marker transformation?
Answer 42: Consistent with Section I.B of the FOA, the only Area of Interest that requires an FFRDC in order to be considered responsive is Area of Interest (AOI) 8. The FOA does not require applicants to partner with Insitiutes of Higher Education. Please review the Section I.B to determine if or what kind of teaming arrangements are encouraged for each AOI.

Question 43: Is partnering with an academic institution and/or federal lab encouraged or is it a requirement?
Answer 43: Consistent with Section I.B of the FOA, the only Area of Interest that requires an FFRDC in order to be considered responsive is Area of Interest (AOI) 8. The FOA does not require applicants to partner with Insitiutes of Higher Education. Please review the Section I.B to determine if or what kind of teaming arrangements are encouraged for each AOI.

Question 44: Can "Key team members" change for the final application (to be different from the Concept Paper?
Answer 44: The applicant may propose team members in the full application that are different from those proposed in the concept paper.

Question 45: Should we disclose we submitted concept paper to to another EERE FOA if we submit to this one?
Answer 45: The FOA does not require that an applicant disclose this information for the concept paper phase.

Question 46: For area of interest 7, is it feasible to address several enabling technologies simultaneously if a system solution is proposed?
Answer 46: Consistent with Section I.B of the FOA, Area of Interest 7 states Increased efficiency may be achieved using one or more proposed enabling technologies on a baseline engine.

Question 47: Is the cost share requirement of 50% firm for area of interest 7 even for university based lead applicants?
Answer 47: Consistent with Section III.B of the FOA, the cost share reduction waiver does not apply to Area of Interest (AOI) 7. The cost share requirement of 50% is the minimum requirement for all entities applying to AOI 7.

Question 48: Are National Labs FFRDCs?
Answer 48: See section III.A.4 for discussion regarding FFRDCs and National Laboratories. And Appendix A of the FOA for the definition of an FFRDC, and other definitions.

Question 49: Is there a hot link to more information that defines what DOE means by "Unincorporated" consortia, including legal definitions?
Answer 49: See Section III.A.7 for discussion regarding unincorporated consortia. And see Appendix A of the FOA for other definitions.

Question 50: Will the proposals handled confidentially to protect the applicant's Intellectual Property rights?
Answer 50: Please see Section VIII.E for EERE policy on the treatment of application information.

Question 51: Does topic 8 require a CFD person or is experimentalist okay as long as still otherwise responsive to the sub model validation?
Answer 51: The intent of the requirement for DOE FFRDC participation in a project under Area of Interest 8 is to ensure a collaborative approach to the development and validation of a submodel(s) to yield the most acceptable and high-quality product by using the unique capabilities and experience of DOE FFRDCs. The nature and scope of involvement of the DOE FFRDC in the project is up to the applicant.

Question 52: Is USABC eligible as a participant?
Answer 52: See section III.A of the FOA to determine if you or your organization are eligible to apply to the FOA.

Question 53: Should the proposal include an industrial partner?
Answer 53: Please review the Section I.B to determine if or what kind of teaming arrangements are required and/or encouraged for each AOI.

Question 54: Does area of interest 8 require a CFD person or is an experimentalist okay as long as it is still otherwise responsive to the sub model validation?
Answer 54: The intent of the requirement for DOE FFRDC participation in a project under Area of Interest 8 is to ensure a collaborative approach to the development and validation of a submodel(s) to yield the most acceptable and high-quality product by using the unique capabilities and experience of DOE FFRDCs. The nature and scope of involvement of the DOE FFRDC in the project is up to the applicant.

Question 55: For area of interest 1:If an unincorporated consortia is led by an Institute of Higher Education, does the Institute need to perform more than 50%? What is the cost share if other consortium members are identified to provide 20%?
Answer 55: Consistent with Section III.B of the FOA, The recipient cost share requirement for applied research and development activities projects under AOI 1 is reduced to 10% and applied when the Prime Applicant selected for an award is a domestic institution of higher education and performs more than 50% of the project work as measured by the total project costs. For projects that are eligible for the cost share reduction, the cost share requirement of 10% applies to the total project costs. The Prime Recipient is responsible for ensuring that the cost share requirement is met. Consistent with III.B.1 of the FOA, The Prime Recipient is solely responsible for managing cost share contributions by the Project Team and enforcing cost share obligation assumed by Project Team members in subawards or related agreements.

Question 56: If we are interest in two different EERE FOA's, how do you advise we determine which (or both) to submit to?
Answer 56: EERE will not provide information regarding the differences between FOAs. It is the responsibility of the applicants to carefully review each FOA and determine which (if any) FOA to apply based upon their technology and the requirements of the announcements.

Question 57: Question related to area of interest 9: would the development of a more cost-effective CNG refueling solution onboard the vehicle qualify?
Answer 57: It is the responsibility of the Applicant to carefully review the FOA to determine whether to submit a concept paper. DOE will not provide this type of advisement outside of the Concept Paper process.

Question 58: For area of interest 7, is there a specific definition available for "new engines" that are considered non-responsive to this FOA?
Answer 58: For Area of Interest 7, a new engine is defined as an engine that is not currently in production. See Amendment 000002 to the FOA which is forthcoming.

Question 59: For area of interest 9, can you better describe the degree to which the subject engine's performance characteristics has to be demonstrated, e.g. is a dynamometer demonstration sufficient?
Answer 59: Generally speaking, a dynamometer demo or in vehicle testwould be sufficient. See Amendment 000002 to the FOA, which is forthcoming.

Question 60: The FOA states that EPA certified fuels, which we would be in compliance. The question is about other fluids such as "new lubricants." Do they need to be certified?
Answer 60: Generally speaking. fluids used in the proposed project should be consistent with those used in existing production engines.

Question 61: For area of interest 8, do you want to see involvement from companies who sell software?
Answer 61: Applicants should review the technical description and non-responsive criteria associated with each Area of Interest (AOI) to determine the best mix of resources and team members to include on their application.

Question 62: In area of interest 2 you mention that 5$ per pound cost limit. Against what do we gauge costs? Do you have standards by which you cost the typical traditional door builds?
Answer 62: The cost penalty should be calculated by comparison to the baseline door of the vehicle selected by the applicant. The applicant must determine the cost of the baseline door and the door developed during the program in order to calculate the cost penalty

Question 63: In area of interest 8, by "sub-model" do you mean a reduced-order model for inclusion into a CFD engine simulation?
Answer 63: The intent of this topic is to develop more detailed and accurate submodels to improve the performance of CFD models for engine simulation models. It is expected that submodels resulting from this work will have greater complexity and sophistication than current submodels and will not likley be reduced-order models.

Question 64: Area of interest 6 requires the delivery of the completed model/simulation/tool. Does it mean the source code, or compiled code will be OK?
Answer 64: The deliverables for AOI 6 must include compiled code.

Question 65: Does area of interest 9, High-efficiency, medium and heavy -duty Natural Gas (dedicated or dual-fuel) engine technologies require a demonstration on a Class 8 truck defined by Tier One or Automotive OEM?
Answer 65: Generally speaking, a dynamometer demo or in vehicle testwould be sufficient. See Amendment 000002 to the FOA.

Question 66: For areas of interest 4 and 5 would an application concerning lead-acid batteries be considered?
Answer 66: Consistent with Section I.B of the FOA Area of Interest (AOI) 4 and AOI 5 do not limit applications to a specific battery chemistry.

Question 67: Page 33 of the FOA says for AOI 5 that the required cost share for us is 20% but that the cost share for FFRDC (like ANL and ORNL) is 10%. On page 30 it says FFRDC’s can not be Prime recipients but only subrecipients. My questions are: 1. Page 33 of the FOA says the cost share requirement for a US Corporation is 20% and the cost share for a FFRDC is 10%. We understand the FFRDC can not cost share. How do we calculate the cost share requirement if we were to propose with a DOE FFRDC as a subrecipient? 2. If we wish to propose with a DOE FFRDC as a subrecipient, will we fund the subrecipient as a subcontractor under Work for Others or will the DOE fund them directly?
Answer 67: For your first question, the cost sharing table you are referring to in section III.B of the FOA reflects the required minimum cost share based on the entity type of the prime applicant. The required minimum cost share is calculated by applying the rate to the total the total project costs. Assuming you're a for-profit entity, the minimum required cost share for AOI 5 is 20%, regardless of the entity type of the subrecipients. And you are correct that section III.A of the FOA states that FFRDC's are not eligible to apply as prime applicants. For more information regarding how cost share is calculated, see Appendix B of the FOA.

For your second question, yes FFRDC's will be funded directly by DOE. However, if you are proposing an FFRDC, please ensure that you follow the instructions in the FOA. See section IV.D. Items 8 and 9: Application and Submission Information/Content and Form of the Full Application/Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC and Authorization for non-DOE/NNSA or DOE/NNSA FFRDCs.

Question 68: Can an applicant submit the same concept paper to more than one FOA?
Answer 68: The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) does not limit submission of concept papers to other announcements. Consistent with the Executive Summary of the FOA, all applications must be for a stand-alone project that is not dependent or contingent upon another application submitted to this or any other FOA. Please remember that consistent with Section IV.C of the FOA, to be eligible to submit a Full Application, Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by the specified due date.

Question 69: The Exchange system requires an abstract of up to 4000 characters. Are we really supposed to include an abstract for a 2-page concept paper?
Answer 69:

Applicants must complete the public abstract field in Exchange with no more than 4000 characters. It is a systems requirement.

Please see Section IV.C.1 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for full requirements of the concept paper. The concept paper has a total page limit of 4 pages maximum, which includes a Title Page (1 page Maximum), the Technology Description (2 pages maximum), and the Addendum (1 page maximum)

Question 70: Of importance to our budget justification, the EERE 150 budget justification template only provide fields for 3 budget years even though page 33 of the instructions (Period of Performance) states that EERE anticipates making awards 24-48 months in length.
Answer 70:

For projects that exceed three budget periods, you may upload a second EERE 159 form that breaks out Budget Period 4.

Question 71: For area of interest 1, if an Institute of Higher Education is the Prime Recipient within the team of proposers, and does NOT perform more than 50% of the work, is the cost share then 20% for the contract?
Answer 71:

Consistent with Section III.B of the FOA, the cost share reduction is applied when the Prime Applicant selected for an award is a domestic institution of higher education and performs more than 50% of the project work as measured by the total project costs.

If the Prime Applicant is an Institute of Higher Education that is not performing more that 50% of the work as measured by total project costs, then the requirements to receive the reduction would not be met, and the required cost share would default to the 20% minimum requirement.

Question 72: For AOI 7 "Enabling Technologies for HD Vehicle": 1. Does the project need to culminate in testing of technology on track, road, or laboratory? 2. Identification of baseline engine means engine that is currently in production like time frame 2014-2018 or can be of prior to 2014?
Answer 72:

1) As stated in the description of Area of Interest 7 in Section I.B of the FOA, the proposed project must include design, build, and component validation in laboratory setting.

2) As stated in the description of Area of Interest 7 in Section I.B of the FOA, a production engine is any engine that is currently in production in 2015. Any engine that is anticipated to be in production but is not currently in production would be considered a new engine, and therefore non-responsive. An engine that is not currently in production (including an engine that was but no longer is in production) would also be considered non-responsive to this AOI.

Question 73: Was there a concept paper requirement or deadline for this FOA?
Answer 73: Yes, consistent with Section IV.A of the FOA, Only applications who have submitted an eligible Concept Paper will be eligible to submit a Full Application. Concept papers were due on February 26; therefore, the deadline has passed and if you did not submit a concept paper, you are not eligible to submit a full application.

If you are interested in other opportunities, please visit EERE's website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov for a complete listing of all announcements.

Question 74: In DE-FOA-0001201 there is a manufacturing plan commitments component to the full application. It does not specify in the FOA that there is a page limit.
Answer 74: No, there is not a page limit for the U.S. Manufacturing Plan.

Question 75: We are considering hiring a consultant for our proposal. Can the consultant pay for his cost share out of his other earnings?
Answer 75: Please see Appendix B of the FOA for Cost Share Information such as how cost share is calculated and what qualifies as cost share. Also see the rules associated with what is allowable as cost share according to the type of organization that is receiving funds under the grant or cooperative agreement, though are generally the same for all types of entities. The specific rules applicable to:

1) 2 CFR 200.29 and 2 CFR 200.306 for awards with Institutes of Higher Education (IHE), Nonprofit Organizations, State Governments, Local Governments or Indian Tribes; or

2) CFR 910.130 for awards with For-Profit organizations.

Question 76: With regard to Area of Interest 4 in the FOA, what exactly is meant by “compositional heterogeneity” appearing near the end of the first paragraph?
Answer 76: Compositional heterogeneity means the chemical composition may vary as function of position (radius) in a particle of an energy storage material. For example, a particle could be nickel-rich in its center, but near the outside of the particle it could be manganese-rich. The reasons this might be useful—to make particles so—is that overall performance properties of the material could be improved over those for a related system that is compositionally homogeneous.

Question 77: I had a question about the software implementation for the battery modeling software in Area of Interest 6. 1.) Can the compiled software be based on Matlab code? 2.) If not, is there a preferred programming language?
Answer 77: The final product must have a user interface that is specific towards battery modeling and simulation. If Matlab does not have this, the applicant must ensure the programming language used is compatible with the ORNL Open Architecture.

Consistent with the FOA, Area of Interest 6, additional information regarding the CAEBAT open architecture software is located at the following link: http://batterysim.org.
Additional information regarding programming languages and schema specifications may be found at http://energy.ornl.gov/BatML/home/home.cgi. For specific questions regarding the Open Architecture you may also contact Sreekanth Pannala at pannalas@ornl.gov.

Question 78: Can an applicant propose TARDEC as a team member or in an advisory role on an application.
Answer 78: Consistent with Section III.A.b of the FOA, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) is ineligible to participate as a prime applicant or as a team member/sub-recipient on another entities application because of TARDEC's role in developing the requirements for this announcement.

Question 79: It appears that the in order to fill out Section 1/Project Summary of the Environmental Questionnaire, the following information is required: 1) NEPA Control Number 2) DOE Technology Office Point of Contact 3) DOE Grant Management Specialist Where does an applicant get this information or are these questions left blank until an award is made?
Answer 79:

The NEPA Control Number, Award Number, DOE Technology Office Point of Contact and the DOE Grant Management Specialist are all reserved for use by DOE. Therefore, these fields would be left blank when submitting a full application.

Question 80: Is R&D that includes the power electronics for the electric motor, powertrain controller, and thermal management system for the electrified powertrain within the scope of AOI 1?
Answer 80: Yes, R&D for the electrified powertrain is within the scope of the FOA. Per the FOA "The powertrain control and architecture may be optimized for a typical duty cycle to improve efficiency." Thermal management system development may be necessary for integration of the system within a vehicle.

Question 81: Can you please define OEM more specifically? Does it only include only vehicle manufacturers or are Tier 1 and 2 Suppliers also included in this category?
Answer 81: The FOA states “Extent of involvement of an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or technology developer in the project” and “Examples include participant support letters from OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.” For this FOA, the OEM would be a vehicle manufacturer and the technology developer would be a supplier or development partner.

Question 83: What is the demonstration period for the FOA?
Answer 83: The demonstration period for Phase 3 of Area of Interest 1 is “for at least one year but may not exceed two years.” The demonstration period for Area of Interest 2 is a “period not to exceed one year.”

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