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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to SystemsInnovation@ee.doe.gov."]
[2,"All questions pertaining to EERE Exchange should be emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than 3 business days prior to the application due date. Questions submitted after this date will not be answered."]
[6,"Questions are assigned a number in accordance with when they are reviewed by DOE.  "]
[7,"Questions are assigned a topic area by DOE when reviewed."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the question tabs of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrow on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]

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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA0002793 - Marine Energy Systems Innovation at Sea"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2022-09-29","Eligibility","Is this opportunity exclusively for U.S. citizens and residents?","See FOA Section III.A.iii \"Foreign Entities\".  "]
[2,"2022-09-30","Concept Paper","By what date will the Concept Paper Notifications for DE-FOA-0002793 referred to on page 84 become available?","DOE intends to provide feedback on compliant Concept Paper submissions around the beginning of December."]
[3,"2022-10-02","Technical Topics","We were excited to see your announcement about the Marine Energy FOA, but upon reading the topics description it is mostly about waves and desalinization. In other documents you published we understood this to be an open call for innovative ocean energy generation projects. We need clarification about what topics will be legitimate for review prior to investing time in preparing a submission.","Please refer to Sections I.B and I.C. of the FOA for topics that are applicable for funding under this FOA and what applications are not of interest. You may want to monitor the EERE Exchange website for opportunities you are interested in and eligible to apply -  https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Note that there are drop-downs near the top of the homepage that allow you to search by Technology Office.\n\nIn some instances, DOE does accept unsolicited proposals. Information can be found here - https://www.netl.doe.gov/business/unsolicited-proposals"]
[4,"2022-10-02","Other","We also question if this complies with Congress’ funding request which specifically asks for funding “high risk/high reward” sustainable energy projects. If this FOA does not cover the high risk/high reward requirement, which one does?","The “high risk/high reward” requirement is not applicable to this FOA. See https://eere-exchange.energy.gov for additional funding opportunities. "]
[5,"2022-10-03","Labs/FFRDCs","I have questions pertaining to the above topic, specifically about the TA1/TA2 National Laboratory Support/Partnership - NREL communication restriction. Are we to understand that any NREL contribution to the project will be considered part of the cost share base? If so, how will an applicant be able to budget for his/her cost share without communicating with NREL staff to develop a budget for the laboratory support portion? Also, how will an applicant forecast compliance with stipulation (Limit on FFRDC Effort) ","As described in Section III.A.ii of the FOA, for Topic Areas 1 and 2, NREL is not eligible to apply as a subrecipient, “Topic Areas 1 & 2: DOE/NNSA FFRDCs/National Laboratories are NOT eligible to apply as prime recipients. DOE/NNSA FFRDCs/National Laboratories (except the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)) may apply as subrecipients;”. In addition, Section I.B under headers \"TA1 National Laboratory Support and Partnership\" and “TA2 National Laboratory Support / Partnership” further clarify NREL’s technical assistance role by stating \"DOE has allocated funding outside of this FOA for NREL to support FOA awardees. Accordingly, applicants do not need to reserve budget to pay for NREL’s support out of their awarded project, though staff resources to inform and support activities undertaken with NREL should be planned for in the project scope.\"  Additionally, this section states, \"For awarded projects, the details and scope of the support that will be provided will be finalized during award negotiations between the awardee, DOE, and the institution/s providing support.\" Furthermore, NREL support should not be considered as part of any cost-share support or as part of the project budget. "]
[6,"2022-10-04","Webinar","I am writing to ask if there is another webinar link for the information webinar for DE-FOA-0002793? I have tried clicking the link available on grants.gov, however I am redirected to a page that says “This page is no longer available.\"","The webinar link has been updated for DE-FOA-0002793 in https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Note you will need to register to attend and this link will direct you to a site that asks you sign in to start the webinar - enter in your information and \"join\". You will then be redirected to register for the webinar, if the webinar is not currently live. Also note that a full recording and transcript will be available shortly after the live webinar is completed."]
[7,"2022-10-05","Technical Topics","Does topic 2 invite components and subsystems (as well as full desalination systems) as is clearly indicated in T1Ab?  ","Current and tidal energy generation projects are encouraged under Topic Area 2: Open Topic Area (Marine Energy Powered Desalination), however we expect these project would power a desalination process or use case. Please note we would invite approaches that focus on component, subsystem, and full desalination systems, however we are not providing the same level of funding as TA1b (please see Section II.A.i Estimated Funding)."]
[8,"2022-10-06","Foreign Entities/Work","Does the proposed research area have to be within the USA?","See FOA Section IV.D.j; specifically subsections iii. Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver) and v. Foreign Travel."]
[9,"2022-10-06","Eligibility","I wanted to know if it is fine and alright to apply [to this FOA], as I do not live in the USA. ","See FOA Section III.A.iii \"Foreign Entities\" and Q&A #1, above. "]
[10,"2022-10-07","Technical Topics","Will proposals under Topic Area 2 that are not related to desalinization or Ocean currents be accepted?","See FOA Section I. B under the header Topic Area 2: Open Topic Area (Marine Energy Powered Desalination)\", where the FOA states, \"WPTO will consider applications in the areas of wave energy, tidal energy, ocean current energy, ocean thermal energy, or salinity gradient powered desalination.\" WPTO expects Topic Area 2 proposals to advance solutions broadly related to marine desalination as noted above proposals can identify marine energy other than ocean currents. "]
[11,"2022-10-11","Technical Topics","How should an applicant work with NREL to develop an appropriate scope during the proposal process? Does the applicant need to work with the NREL team to develop an agreed upon scope prior to submitting an application, or should the applicant write in a desired request and then negotiate time and/or budget during the project negotiation phase? ","An applicant should not contact NREL during the proposal process, as noted in Section I.B under headers \"TA1 National Laboratory Support and Partnership\" and “TA2 National Laboratory Support / Partnership,” where the FOA states “Applicants are not allowed to communicate with NREL staff about laboratory support on this FOA before FOA awards are made. Instead, applicants should identify the areas in which they would benefit from NREL support in their application…For awarded projects, the details and scope of the support that will be provided will be finalized during award negotiations between the awardee, DOE, and the institution/s providing support. Questions regarding NREL capabilities should be submitted to the FOA mailbox.” It is DOE’s intent to match potential NREL support with needs identified in  any proposal with the appropriate technical and scientific capabilities as well as matching technical assistance with the highest priority R&D challenges. "]
[12,"2022-10-13","Technical Topics","What’s the best way to access hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis (HERO) wave energy converter (WEC) technical specs?","Currently, NREL has published a report is to provide the public with a summary of the electrical subsystem designed for the HERO WEC as well as highlight the technical limitations of fabricating a WEC with a reliable electrical power take-off at this scale. Please refer to Appendix I of the FOA (added with FOA Mod 0001) to view the publicly accessible link to find the published report. \n"]
[13,"2022-10-13","Labs/FFRDCs","We’re currently engaged with [an FFRDC] for a [another DOE] application. Does this need to be disclosed in the application/concept paper?","This does need be disclosed in the application under \"Current and Pending Support\". Please see FOA Section IV.D.xvi for additional details. "]
[14,"2022-10-13","Technical Topics","Please clarify or provide guidance concerning the readiness level requirement (TRL) under sub-topic 1b. I would like to submit under sub-topic 1b by starting with a clean sheet to re-imagine the energy recovery device (ERD) based on our deployment experience. We have fabricated and deployed two different ERD devices, so in that sense we comply, but the device we want to design is new and has not yet been built. Does the piece of equipment we want to test need to be built already to meet the TRL requirements for Topic Area 1B?”","For an existing system under TA1b, new designs and builds are encouraged and are considered redesigns if existing scientific and technical discoveries are incorporated from TRL 1-4 prior activities. Re-imagining devices would not reset any self-assessment of TRL. For example, the later stages of the W2W prize would meet the TRL requirements of TA1a and TA1b based on built designs or components as well as in-laboratory or in-water testing performed – WPTO is not expecting exact replica designs to meet FOA TRL requirements but is assuming applicants are leveraging existing designs to advance their technologies."]
[15,"2022-10-20","Due Dates","Modification 0001: 1. Extended Concept Paper due date from 11/4/22 to 12/2/22.  \n\nCould you please send information regarding this?  Additionally does that mean that there are now three stages?\n\n1. 6 page Concept Paper due 11/4/22\n2. Extended Concept Paper due 12/2/22\n3. Full application if go/no go due 2/24/23\n\nWhere can I get information on the requirements for the extended Concept Paper?","FOA Modification 0001 extended the Concept Paper due date to 12/2/22.  This action is simply an extension to the original Concept Paper due date. There are not 2 different Concept Papers. See the table of dates on the FOA Cover Page (page 1) and FOA Section IV.C for more information. "]
[16,"2022-10-21","Technical Topics","On the NREL support: If we need to model our WEC system and its coupling with the desalination system, what support is to be expected? Is NREL going to provide the modeling platform for us to perform the modeling, or are we going to collaborate, in the sense that they will do the modeling task of our research? How should we rely on NREL in terms of planning on personnel, research load distribution, and time effort?","Please review FOA Section I.B under the following headers, TA2 National Laboratory Support / Partnership and TA1 National Laboratory Support / Partnership, to understand potential NREL support of FOA awardees. Please also see Q&A responses to questions #5 and #10. Any identified modeling needs or expectations concerning a WEC systems and its coupling with desalination should be detailed in the application and any specific support will determined when awards are made and projects negotiated. In addition, please note that applicants should NOT contact NREL during the FOA application process and should only contact NREL regarding technical assistance after selection for an award."]
[17,"2022-10-21","Technical Topics","On the NREL support: What is the tank size that NREL can provide? ","NREL’s Marine Renewable Energy small wave tank can be use for hydrodynamic testing of small-scale wave energy prototypes or other offshore systems where wave interactions are of interest (e.g. floating platforms). Combined with NREL’s data acquisition and instrumentations capabilities, test articles can be rapidly tested and assessed. The tank specifications are:\n•\tLength: 14m, Depth: 1.3m, Width: 2.5m\n•\tWave actuator capable of producing up to 0.2m waves at frequencies >0.5s"]
[18,"2022-10-21","Technical Topics","Also, how about TEAMER and the wave testing capabilities available there? Can we use these capabilities instead of those of NREL?","There are no restrictions on using the TEAMER program capabilities if TEAMER approves an applicant for technical support at a TEAMER facility.  Anyone can apply to use a facility in the TEAMER Network provided the activity is not already federally funded, i.e. can be complementary but not duplicative of other federally funded activities."]
[19,"2022-10-14","Other","We have questions about a project we are considering for this funding opportunity, and would like to speak to someone on your team.  Is it possible to have someone there call us to discuss our ideas and how they may fit into this funding opportunity? ","Unfortunately, this FOA is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) posted at EERE eXCHANGE is comprehensive and designed to allow prospective applicants to assess their proposed projects versus the requirements and criteria of the FOA. If you have specific questions related to how your ideas may fit into this Funding Opportunity, please submit them to the FOA mailbox."]
[20,"2022-10-22","Other","What does the acronym IOM&D stand for on page 31 of the FOA?","IOM&D stands for installation, operations, maintenance, and decommissioning."]
[21,"2022-10-24","Foreign Entities/Work","Just to confirm according to the CFR 33 Part 2, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is part of the US EEZ and is therefore an appropriate place for a pilot under this FOA.  Correct?","Yes, testing in this location is acceptable."]
[22,"2022-10-28","Cost Sharing","If a sub-recipient is a for profit but the prime is a higher education or non-profit, is the cost share requirement waived?","If the Prime recipient is an institution of higher education or a non-profit organization, for-profit subrecipients are NOT required to provide cost share. "]
[23,"2022-10-28","Cost Sharing","[The FOA] says that there is no cost sharing requirement for universities and non-profits, and for all others it’s at-least 20%.\n \n[The FOA] says that FFRDC (e.g., DOE labs) cannot do any cost sharing, so the cost sharing amount should be covered by other entities (e.g., the lead company).\n \nSo, if a lab participates in a university-led FOA proposal, how should we handle lab’s cost-sharing requirement.  Can it also be waived?\n \n[And if it is a] proposal that involves a university, a company, and a lab, how should we handle the cost-sharing requirement?","The cost share requirement is determined by the type of entity of the Prime Applicant (the entity submitting the application in Exchange). Per Section III.B. of the FOA: For institutions of higher education and non-profit organizations: Cost sharing is not required under this FOA, 0%.  For all other entities: The cost share must be at least 20% of the total project costs. See also Sections III.B.iv. and III.B.vi. of the FOA. "]
[24,"2022-10-27","Technical Topics","In the Concept Paper submission we are required to input budget $, project time, Team members, TRL and other information.\nCan the more accurate information we will have ready for the Full Application differ from these initial estimates?","Yes, this information can change from Concept Paper to Full Application.  "]
[25,"2022-10-27","Other","What does the acronym IOM&D on page 31 stand for?","See Q&A #20 and updated FOA Modification 0002. "]
[26,"2022-11-01","Webinar","I am inquiring as to the availability of the October 13 Webinar recording and transcript as indicated on the EERE Exchange. ","The Power Point slides with presentation script has  been uploaded and is available for viewing on the EERE-Exchange website:  https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. "]
[27,"2022-11-02","Technical Topics","I have questions relating to the Subtopic 1b: \"Project Structure\" wording of the FOA:\n\nDoes \"Implement integrated test and design plan (spec details)\" mean that we will actually build and test the component in budget period (BP)1? If not that, what does it mean? \n\nOr is the actual build and test (i.e. spend $$) meant to take place in BP2? \n\nIs this the meaning of \"Develop final testing exercise in partnership with award partners or national lab support\" in the BP2 section? \n\nDoes the word \"final\" imply that there were previous tests undertaken, i.e. test work is done both in BP1 and BP2?","Please review FOA Section I.B. under the header TA1a Deployment-Based Innovation. The following language defines an integrated test and design approach, “The structure of this development path employs an integrated test and design approach. This implies that new and/or high-risk components or additions should be validated either at sub-scale or in the lab prior to system integration. Technical quality and accuracy of system designs, potential at sea testing, and iterative process of design and testing will be the primary criteria for success.”  For TA1b Components and Sub-Assemblies, the integrated test and design approach can be considered broadly by applicants to focus on an iterative process of design and testing to advance component or sub-assembly technologies. Additional guidance for developing an integrated test and design plan can be found in FOA Section I.B. in the expected scopes/task table for subtopic 1a, BP 1: System Evaluation and Testing – however, please note these suggested tasks are aimed at TA1a Deployment Based Innovation. Ultimately, DOE expects to see well-intentioned, logical approaches to design and testing, but leaves to the applicant broad interpretation and scoping of how this is defined and implemented across an award. \n\nYes, the word “final” implies there are previous tests undertaken (bench, lab, or in-water), i.e., test work is done both in BP1 and BP2. "]
[28,"2022-11-03","Technical Topics","Can NREL provide access to a bench-testing rig capable of exercising a Power Takeoff (PTO) system consisting of a piston connected to a hydraulic circuit incorporating a Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane (assuming the PTO/RO system is supplied by the project team)?  \n\nIf so, can the device be programmed to simulate the impact of regular and irregular motions on a typical Wave Energy Converter (WEC), and what is the range of force, velocity, acceleration & stroke that can be achieved by the rig? ","Please review FOA Section I.B under the following headers, TA2 National Laboratory Support / Partnership and TA1 National Laboratory Support / Partnership, to understand potential NREL support of FOA awardees.  We will not address specific NREL capabilities in this Q&A. Any identified modeling needs or expectations concerning a WEC systems and its coupling with desalination should be detailed in the application and any specific support will determined when awards are made and projects negotiated. "]
[29,"2022-11-03","Technical Topics","Is NREL able to make wave climate monitoring equipment available for use in sea trials?","Please see the answer to Question #28."]
[30,"2022-11-14","Other","I have experience applying to SBIR's but am not that familiar with the process of identifying the correct amount and time period for a FOA application.  Given the broad range, if you could give a sense of the preferences regarding timelines and amounts that the department would like to see that would be really helpful.","Please see the FOA Document Cover Page (page 1) for a summary of due dates and FOA Section II.A.i: \"Award Information/Award Overview/Estimated Funding\""]
[31,"2022-11-21","Application Content/Format","I have questions on the required Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan. Are there resources available? ","Yes, DOE has added a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan Applicant Reference Guide in Exchange under the \"Documents\" section (same place where you find this Q&A Spreadsheet).  "]
[32,"2022-11-21","Application Content/Format","Do proposal writers need to draft the Cover Sheet themselves, or is it automatically generated as it is for NSF submissions? If it is not automatically generated, what is the best resource for formatting guidance?","Please see Section IV. Application and Submission Information of the FOA for format requirements. "]
[33,"2022-11-30","Concept Paper","I am trying to submit a concept paper to this FOA, however, it is not removing the 20% cost share requirement from the concept paper forms, despite applying as an academic institution.","This technical issue has been resolved. Please try to resubmit and ensure you check the box that states \"Applicants are required to contribute a percentage of their total project cost as cost share. Certain Applicants may be eligible for a reduced cost share obligation\". This box is located below the section where proposed cost share is entered. (Answer updated 12/2/2022)"]
[34,"2022-12-01","Concept Paper","Is there any title convention for the file name? Also, do the three sections (cover page, technology description, addendum) need to be saved together in one (PDF) file or uploaded separately?","The naming convention for the Concept Paper is:\n{{ControlNumber}}_{{LeadOrganization}}_ConceptPaper\n\nSave the three sections your question references in one PDF file. See FOA Section IV.C for more information. \nSave the three sections your question references in one PDF file."]
[35,"2022-12-19","Application Content/Format","I have downloaded the SF424 from the EERE exchange site, but it is non-fillable. How can I get a fillable form?","There was an Adobe update that impacted the form. Please try and redownload it. If you continue to experience website technical difficulties, contact the Exchange Help Desk at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov, ensuring to include the FOA number and title. "]
[36,"2023-01-06","Other","I am unable to access the various forms on EERE-Exchange including SF 424 and SF LLL.  Through Google I found SF 424A forms but they are expired by 2022.  Could you please let me know how to access the various needed templates and forms?","Please try opening the documents on EERE Exchange using Edge or Chrome and then download them to your computer. "]
[37,"2023-01-12","Technical Topics","We are planning on applying for topic 1B (subsystem development) and we don't plan to include independent offshore testing as part of this project (we will do wave tank testing and would like to incorporate at sea testing on the NREL HERO system if possible). The FOA indicates that the Site Assessment Questioner is required for topics 1 and 2. However, it does not seem to be applicable in our case. Is it ok to not include this form (or mark it N/A) for subtopic 1B application that does not include at-sea testing independent of the national lab platform?","The Site Assessment Questionnaire is required for all Topic Area 1 and Topic Area 2 submissions that involve any proposed site locations for at-sea testing. The Site Assessment Questionnaire would be applicable for any proposed at sea testing via the NREL HERO-WEC system. "]
[38,"2023-01-19","Other","1. The general question is, can we change the roles of the Project Team members if/when the internal approvals are received, before the application is due?  a. Can Applicant Change within the concept paper Project Team between Concept Paper and Application? b. Can Primary Change within the concept paper Project Team between Concept Paper and Application? c. Can principal Investigator change within the concept paper Project Team between Concept Paper and Application?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   2. Can we substitute and/or add a new team member in the time between the Concept Paper and the Application?","1. The team roles can be modified between the Concept Paper and Full Application, please see specific responses below. See Section III. A. Eligible Applicants for further information.  a. The Primary Applicant can change between the Concept Paper and Full Application submission.  In order to be compliant with the Concept Paper requirement, ensure the control number remains the same for the Full Application submission. Note, there may be updates required if the type of organization changes (i.e.: University to For-Profit). Also, ensure the Personnel Table aligns with any changes for the Full Application submission. b. Primary is the applicant, please see response above. c. The Principal Investigator can change between the Concept Paper and Full Application submission.                                                                                                                                              \n2. Team members/Project Partners can be added and finalized between the Concept Paper and the Full Application submission. "]
[39,"2023-01-23","Application Content/Format","Is there a template for the Letter of Commitment or any specific points that need to be addressed in the Letter of Commitment?","There is not a specific template for the Letter of Commitment. Letters should identify the organization and what type of financial or in-kind support the entity will provide to the application. \n\nSubmit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from partners/end users (one-page maximum per letter). Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_LOCs”. See Section IV. D. iv."]
[40,"2023-01-25","Application Content/Format","We understand that our budget and budget justification, as the prime recipient, must be on the attached budget justification workbook. We are also planning to include a subrecipient as part of our proposal. Can you please let me know if they should also input their own budget and budget justification to their own budget justification workbook? The FOA instructions indicate that they must provide the same information as required for the prime recipient's budget, but it doesn't specify that they need to use the same workbook. ","Per Section IV.D.x. Subrecipient Budget Justification, the budget justification must include the same justification information described in the “Budget Justification” section IV.D.vii, which refers specifically to the Budget Justification workbook template available on EERE eXCHANGE. Applicants must provide a separate budget justification workbook for each subrecipient that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less). "]
[41,"2023-01-27","Technical Topics","We are preparing a full proposal for this solicitation and have been discussing doing some testing for our proposed work at Sandia. The FOA says that we cannot discuss proposed work with NREL. Is it ok for us to talk to individuals at Sandia involved with their Lake Facility and potentially include them in our proposal? We had begun discussions with them but they were recently contacted about being part of the review process.","Under FOA Section III.A.ii  Domestic Entities, the role for DOE / NNSAs FFRDCs is defined except NREL. \"Topic Areas 1 & 2: DOE/NNSA FFRDCs/National Laboratories are NOT eligible to \napply as prime recipients. DOE/NNSA FFRDCs/National Laboratories (except the \nNational Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)) may apply as subrecipients.\" It is fine to discuss with Sandia potential testing needs and to include them in a proposal as a subrecipient. "]
[42,"2023-01-27","Technical Topics","Reading the FOA language, it states some qualifications on funding that would need to be included if work with NREL is included. Sandia is not mentioned. Does that mean that we should explicitly include funds for testing at Sandia in our budget or would they be handled in a similar way as NREL?","Any guidance on NREL funding is not applicable to Sandia or other DOE / NNSA FFRDCs. Any proposed testing at Sandia would need to account for resources such as time and funding as part of the application. "]
[43,"2022-01-29","Application Content/Format","On the site assessment questionnaire: \n\nShould we also include details for the NREL site that we intend to use? Or is this only for other sites we intend to use?","Please see repsonse to Question #37. \"The Site Assessment Questionnaire is required for all Topic Area 1 and Topic Area 2 submissions that involve any proposed site locations for at-sea testing.\" Only include details where at-sea testing will be planned. "]
[44,"2023-02-06","Foreign Entities/Work","We are working on preparing the documents for this FOA, and I have a question related to the \"Waiver for Performance of Work in the United States.\" We have a U.S. company listed as a consultant/sub-recipient in our budget. And, the person (U.S. citizen) we work with from this company is currently working remotely in Europe, and will probably remain outside the US in the next two years. His role in this proposed project is mainly consultation, and all research activities will be performed in the U.S.  Does he still need a \"Waiver for Performance of Work in the United States\"? ","Yes, There may be limited circumstances like this where it is in the interest of the project to perform a portion of the work outside the United States. To seek a foreign work waiver, the applicant must submit a written waiver request to EERE. Appendix C lists the necessary information that must be included in a request for a foreign work waiver."]
[45,"2023-02-06","Technical Topics","We are not performing at-sea testing and therefore will not populate the Site Assessment Questionnaire. Do we still need to include the Site Assessment Questionnaire document and label it as not applicable in our full application?","If the Site Assessment Question is not required for your application, you do not need to include it the application documents. "]
[46,"2023-02-08","Application Content/Format","It is clear that the PI will fill out the Budget justification workbook given on the eere-eXCHANGE website for all work to be performed by the prime recipient and its subrecipients and contractors.  However, for a subrecipient, performing work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less), should they fill out the same second workbook? ","Yes."]
[47,"2023-02-13","Foreign Entities/Work","I have been a bit confused with respect to your answer in question #44. We have a consultant that is outside the United States and will merely provide consulting services to our project. All research work, however, will be performed in the United States. Do we need to fill a Waiver for Performance of Work in the United States or not?","Yes, all work performed for the project outside of  the United States requires a Foreign Work Waiver. See Section IV.J.iii of the FOA for details."]
[48,"2023-02-14","Technical Topics","Is the Cost Breakdown Structure still needed for projects performing laboratory testing under Topic 2? Even if no at-sea tests are planned in the project? If the CBS is still required in the aforementioned case, should it be done based on rough estimates of costs?","The Cost Breakdown Strucuture is required for all TA 1 and 2 submissions. Applicants are encouraged to provide their best estimate as practically feasible. "]
[49,"2023-02-16","Technical Topics"," Topic 2: If the proposal is to further the research and development needs of the marine energy desalination industry as a whole, without a particular device in mind, how should we complete the Cost Breakdown Structure? Would it be sufficient to leave this blank since the work is not specific to a particular marine energy device and our team is not proposal to commercialize a specific marine energy device?","The Cost Breakdown Strucuture is required for all TA 1 and 2 submissions.  If this application is limited to paper study activities ONLY, then it would be appropriate to not use the suggested template but propose a cost breakdown structure that is relevant to research objectives and project activites. "]
[50,"2023-02-16","Technical Topics","Topic 2: If the proposal does not involve any field deployments of the system but instead lab-scale testing at a university setting and potential with support from TEAMER, how should we complete the Site Assessment Questionnaire? Is it sufficient to simply input the details about the lab facilities we have access to at the university-level and mention TEAMER facilities more generally?","Please see responses to Question #37 and Question #43. The Site Assessment Questionnaire is required for all Topic Area 1 and Topic Area 2 submissions that involve any proposed site locations for at-sea testing. Only include details where at-sea testing will be planned. "]
[51,"2023-02-17","Foreign Entities/Work","I have a follow-up question for the answer to question #47. We have two voluntary consultants for the project outside of the U.S. We will not allocate a budget for them since it is for consultation and voluntary. Should we still include a Foreign Work Waiver for them?","If the consultant work is not in the budget as DOE share or Cost Share, it would not be considered as part of the project and a Foreign Work Waiver is not needed. Any budgeted items for subrecipients or vendors performing work outside of the US require a waiver request.  "]
[52,"2023-02-17","Application Content/Format","Since we are not planning to perform any at-sea site testing as part of this FOA (Topic 2), do we still need to submit a Cost Breakdown Structure?","Please see the response for Question #49."]
[53,"2023-02-21","Technical Topics","I am preparing an application for the above referenced FOA, and I have a question regarding the allowed durations for Budget Period 1 and Budget Period 2. My application is in response to Topic Area 1b. In the TA 1b project structure table on pages 22-24 of the FOA, it shows that BP1 may be up to 24 months and BP2 may be up to 12 months, with a go/no-go occuring at the end of BP1.  However, elsewhere in the FOA, specifically on page 56, it refers to a budget period as 12-18 months. Could you please confirm whether the maximum allowable duration for Budget Period 1 of a Topic Area 1b application is 24 months, or 18 months?","24 months is an allowable duration for Budget Period 1 with a proposed go/ no-go able to fall at the end of that period. "]
[54,"2023-02-28","Foreign Entities/Work","The FOA lists a number of documents to upload.  On the final tab of the EERE site associated with the Full Application there is a button associated with each of the documents to be uploaded – apart from one – the ‘Foreign Entity and Foreign Work Waivers’.   How do I upload this document?","This has been corrected. Applicants are now able to upload Foreign Entity and Foreign Work Waivers, if applicable.  "]
[55,"2023-03-01","Application Content/Format","For the FOA Number: DE-FOA-0002793:\n\nThe language for Current and Pending Support (CPS) and Resume is different in the FOA.\n\nFor Resumes: 'Applicants are required to submit three-page resumes for the Principal Investigator and all Senior/Key Personnel'. \n\nAs I understand from this all team members should submit their Resumes.\n\nFor CPS: 'As part of the application, the principal investigator and senior/key personnel at the applicant and subrecipient level must provide a list of all sponsored activities, awards, and appointments...'. \n\nAs I understand from this, only the PI and Co-PI, who will receive funds from this project should submit the CPS file, and other team members who are not subrecipient (not receiving funding from this proposal), do not need to submit CPS based on the FOA.","These are two separate requirements for a Full Application submission. \n\nThree page resumes are required for the Principal Investigator and all Senior/Key Personnel. See Section IV.D.iii. Resumes for further details on what is required. \n\nCurrent and Pending support documentation and disclosure is required for all principal investigators and senior/key personnel at both the applicant and subrecipient level. See Section IV.D.xvi. Current and Pending Support for further details on what is required including the signed disclosure. "]
[56,"2023-05-22","Application Reviews","For the FOA Number: DE-FOA-0002793: Is there a specific date for the EERE Selection Notifications? In the FOA, it only shows May 2023.","There is not a specific notification date. Applicants will be notified of selections in May or June 2023. "]
[57,"2023-06-30","Application Reviews","In a reply to a question for the FOA, it says 'Applicants will be notified of selections in May or June 2023'. Could you share an updated date for the notifications?","As noted in the response to Question 56, there is not a specific notification date. At this time, WPTO estimates that applicants will be notified of selections by the end of July 2023 subject to final review processes."]

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["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["Other"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]