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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to cmacceleratorfoa@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-FOA-0003155 - Critical Materials Accelerator"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2023-10-27","Application Content/Format","When will DE-FOA-0003154 open for applications? I am seeing the 'Apply' icon online is still locked. Also, is there a standard application form that I can begin working on until the application opens? ","Applications are now available. The concept paper deadline is 5 PM ET on 01/05/2024. "]
[2,"2023-10-30","Foreign Entities/Work","Is this opportunity available to domestic entities or if it will be open to organisations outside of the US as well?","Please see Section III.A.ii and Appendix C of the FOA for information about the foreign entity waiver request process."]
[3,"2023-10-31","Application Content/Format","When I click the 'Apply' link for grant DE-FOA-0003154, I receive a \"Bad Request\" error message. Could you please advise how to proceed?","Please see answer #1.  If you continue to have problems, please contact the Exchange Help Desk at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov"]
[4,"2023-11-20","Foreign Entities/Work","When will the Accelerator full notice be published? Also, will we be able to bid as a foreign-registered business, i.e., before US incorporation? ","The FOA was published on 11/22/2023. Please see answer #2 about foreign entities."]
[5,"2023-11-22","Cost Sharing","Do FFRDCs qualify for the cost share waiver mentioned on page 44 of DE-FOA-0003155?","See Section III.B. iv. Cost Share Contributions by FFRDCs."]
[6,"2023-11-24","Eligibility","Is it possible to perform the proposed project at a third-party site within the US? ","Yes, please see Section IV.D.xvii of the FOA for information about the Locations of Work submission requirement."]
[7,"2023-11-27","Concept Paper","We have a question regarding the limitation on the number of submissions for the Critical Materials Accelerator FOA. Are topics 1a and 1b considered separate topic areas, such that an entity can submit one concept paper to topic 1a and one concept paper to topic 1b? Or are topics 1a and 1b considered to be the same topic area, such that an entity can only submit one concept paper to either topic 1a or topic 1b?","See Section III. F. of the FOA document."]
[8,"2023-11-27","Concept Paper","For the attached FOA that was just announced, Critical Materials Accelerator, does the limit apply to the sub-topics under Topic 1? For example, can an institution have two proposals under each of those sub-topic or only one proposal for Topic 1?","Please see answer #7."]
[9,"2023-11-27","Technical Topics","We are interested in helping the US replace critical minerals use in the US. Specifically on AOI4, AMMTO says there is no interest in “Alternative cathode materials for lithium ion batteries”. Is that to say that there is no interest, or just a definition of “alternative”? Would domestically and economically sourced and manufactured LFP be of interest here?","Sourcing and manufacturing Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) would be of interest to this FOA if it the lithium is recovered from scrap or post-consumer products (Topic 3) or if it is manufactured with improved efficiencies and life-cycle footprints compared to current production practices (Topic 2)."]
[10,"2023-11-27","Concept Paper","We have a question regarding the limitation on the number of submissions for the Critical Materials Accelerator FOA. Are topics 1a and 1b considered separate topic areas, such that an entity can submit one concept paper to topic 1a and one concept paper to topic 1b? Or are topics 1a and 1b considered to be the same topic area, such that an entity can only submit one concept paper to either topic 1a or topic 1b?","Please see answer #7."]
[11,"2023-11-27","Concept Paper","The limitation section says, “An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA.” Since there are 2 subtopics within topic area-1, can an institution submit a total of 5 applications for all topic areas including the subtopics (1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4)?","Please see answer #7."]
[12,"2023-11-28","Application Content/Format","I am interested in the above referenced opportunity. I cannot however open the document \"DE-FOA-0003155 AMMTO CM Accelerator\". Have others had challenges opening it? I can download the document but it shows \"error\" when I try to open it. Thanks for your help.","The FOA PDF has been updated with Mod 0001 on 12/06/2023. Please try again and consider using an alternative PDF viewer."]
[13,"2023-11-29","Technical Topics","We are unsure of which CMA topic best suits our innovation. Our technology addresses challenges associated with the critical materials supply chain by creating sustainable and highly efficient motor technology. Our machine functions using static electricity, removing any rare earth materials. magnets, electrical steel, and reducing copper usage by more than 90% of a traditional motor. Not only are these electrostatic motors unique in their lack of critical raw-materials, but they deliver greater than 90 percent energy efficiency as a direct-drive motor system in a wide array of applications. \n\nWith the above in mind, we are interested in submitting a concept paper. Additionally, I am interested in learning more about the FOA and opportunities to support our RDD&D of our motors. We recently unveiled the technology at Rockwell Automation Fair in Boston, where we are the only company in the world designing this technology. You can view our recent press release here regarding an investment from Rockwell Automation and highlights from the Fair. \n\nThis government funding is critical as we continue to increase the torque value and lifetime expectancy of our motors. It would be immensely helpful to establish a connection with the DOE and EERE to address these supply chain challenges together and explore additional opportunities for collaboration. Do you have any availability to connect with us and discuss the Critical Materials Accelerator FOA with us and help us determine fit? ","Per Section B.ii. of the FOA, Topic 1b applications on the design of motor assemblies or drivetrains that use permanent magnet-free motors of generators are specifically not of interest. Per Section B.v. of the FOA, Topic 4 applications of particular interest include: \n-Applications to prototype and validate technologies that reduce or eliminate the use of the following materials in clean energy technologies are of interest: aluminum, cobalt, copper, electrical steel (grain-oriented steel, nongrain-oriented steel, and amorphous steel), fluorine, gallium, iridium, lithium, magnesium, natural graphite, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, terbium, silicon, and silicon carbide; A list of critical materials and the clean energy technologies that depend on them can be found in Appendix H; \n-Proposals that address technology’s benefits to sustainability through reduced waste, emissions, and energy consumption, and resource intensity are also encouraged.\n-Proposed projects should target a 12-to-18-month scope of work that focuses directly on producing components for clean energy technologies at industrially relevant scales (TRL 6)."]
[14,"2023-11-29","Application Content/Format","Regarding DE-FOA-0003155, we’re under the impression that the limitation of one submission per topic applies across all subtopics. That is, sub-topics 1a and 1b both fall under Topic 1, for which only one only submission is allowed (not two, for a and b separately). Is this correct?","Please see answer #7."]
[15,"2023-11-30","Technical Topics","I just have a question about 2023 Final Critical Materials List. Natural graphite is in the Critical materials for energy list. However, my company is working on recycle graphite from synthetic graphite scrap or used lithium ion battery anodes. As we know, the majority active material in the anode nowadays is synthetic graphite. Will the recycling of synthetic graphite meet the requirement of Topic 3 – Critical Material Recovery from Scrap and Post-Consumer Products?","Per Section B.iv. of the FOA, “Projects funded under Topic 3 should advance the development and validation of innovative approaches for the recycling and recovery of [critical minerals and materials] CMM from postconsumer products and manufacturing scrap… The recycling of critical materials from end-of-life lithium batteries is not of interest.” Per Section B.v. of the FOA, project should seek to demonstrate:\n-Reduction or elimination of critical material composition by weight by at least 25%;\n-Materials or technologies meet or exceed 90% of the key performance indicators of equivalent end-use materials or technologies that have been commercially deployed since 2013 or later.\n- Materials or technologies that exhibit key performance indicators sustained through similar operating conditions of the same end-use technology commercially deployed since 2013 or later.\n-Partnerships and collaborations to validate the integration of solutions into relevant clean energy applications.”"]
[16,"2023-12-01","Technical Topics","I am interested to apply for this FOA. Is recovery and reuse of construction materials within the scope of this funding opportunity? I noticed that there are a few definitions and terms regarding this in the main document, but would like to confirm (specifically for topic 3). ","Recovery and reuse of construction materials is not of interest for this FOA."]
[17,"2023-12-01","Technical Topics","Question 1:\nFor topic 1b, can gap magnets be proposed for EV/wind applications where the energy product is lower than commercial NdFeB magnets (cited in Ref. 34) but machine performance can be compensated by innovative design and other enabling technologies? Ref 34 from the FOA states: “Please refer to the following link for a table listing a NdFeB magnet grades and their corresponding magnetic properties. https://www.arnoldmagnetics.com/products/neodymium-iron-boron-magnets/”\nWe are confused that only industrial motor application mentioned gap magnets, while performance metric table requires baseline to be one of the commercial NdFeB magnets (cited in Ref. 34). \n\nQuestion 2:\nFor topic 1b, are concepts that enable the use of commercially-available rare-earth free magnets in electric machines within scope for this topic?","Response to question 1: Per Section B.ii. of the FOA, “*If the proposed solutions exhibit performance metrics (such as magnetic or mechanical properties) that are not equal to or exceeding Nd magnets, applications must explain why the performance exhibit diminished properties and justify why they are suitable for the intended end-for the application they are designed for.” The table listing of NdFeB magnet grades and their corresponding magnetic properties is provided as a reference for applicants as they develop their metrics and baselines and is not intended to inform the eligibility of the magnet compositions for Topic 1b.\n\nResponse to question 2: Per Section A. of the FOA, “The goal of this FOA is to engage industry in the prototyping and validation of technologies and processes proven at the bench scale to accelerate commercial readiness and adoption.” Per Section B.ii. of the FOA, “Proposed projects may target either a multi-year research plan that advances a proof-of-concept to a prototype (TRL 3-6) or a 12- to-18-month scope of work that focuses directly on producing a prototype (TRL 6). For proposed projects focused directly on producing a prototype, proof of concept on the electric machine, motor assembly, or drivetrain should have already been demonstrated.”"]
[18,"2023-12-01","Concept Paper","According to the eligibility, an entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. The Topic area 1 is subdivided in two. I would like to know if the number of submissions by an institution is 4, in which only one submission can be done for either 1a or 1b; Or if and institution can submit 5 submissions as follows: Topic 1a, Topic 1b, Topic 2, Topic 3, Topic 4, and Topic 5.","Please see answer #7."]
[19,"2023-12-01","Concept Paper","The FOA indicates that “An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA”. Can an entity submit a concept paper for both Topic 1a and 1b, or is Topic 1a and 1b considered a single topic with regard to limit on submissions?","Please see answer #7."]
[20,"2023-12-02","Application Content/Format","I am interested in submitting a concept paper for the above FOA. I tried to download the file titled \"DE-FOA-0003155 AMMTO CM Accelerator\" (Last Updated: 11/22/2023 10:40 AM ET). The file that I downloaded cannot be opened. I have spoken to others who had similar issues. Can you please confirm that this document is in a pdf format? Thanks.","Please see answer #12."]
[21,"2023-12-04","Cost Sharing","If a university is the prime applicant and includes for-profit partners, can you confirm that the university is not required to cost-share on their budget items and the for-profit partners are required to cost-share on their budget items?","See Section III. B.iii. of the FOA document."]
[22,"2023-12-04","Cost Sharing","1.) If the lead/prime is an exempt entity, are all entities in the project team exempt from cost share? i.e., if a University is the lead/prime, does the industry partner have to provide cost share on its portion of the funding? How is an FFRDC subrecipient treated in this situation?\n2.) Is a proposal led by an FFRDC exempt from the cost share requirement? If yes, same as above: is the industry partner also exempt?","Please see answer #21."]
[23,"2023-12-04","Eligibility","Our target is topic 3 of the FOA: Critical Material Recovery from Scrap and Post-Consumer Products. We have a relationship with an industry partner and have identified process samples from their scrap and post-production products as a focus for the critical materials recovery. My questions are:\n- Other than identifying the industry partner, in what ways are we able to incorporate the industry partner into these proposals? Does the industry partner need to be a Co-I? Do they need to provide cost share?\n- Can funds be directed to the industry partner in any capacity? Or should they be mentioned as an example beneficiary that the technology will help?","Industry partners are most commonly included on proposals as subrecipients. An industry partner could be a Co-PI, but it is not a requirement. Industry partners can provide cost share but it is not a requirement. If an industry partner is a subrecipient or contractor on a selected project, a portion of project funds can be directed to them for their portion of the scope of work."]
[24,"2023-12-04","Technical Topics","Is recovery of carbon fiber from end-of-life carbon fiber composite parts included as a Critical Material?","This FOA is only interested in Critical Materials as defined by the 2023 DOE Critical Materials Assessment https://www.energy.gov/cmm/what-are-critical-materials-and-critical-minerals, which does not include carbon fiber."]
[25,"2023-12-04","Technical Topics","For topic 3 of DE-FOA-0003155, I’m looking for clarification on whether recovery of any critical mineral falls within the FOA scope, or if you intend to limit applications to recovery of critical materials for energy. I’m considering the submission of a response targeting the recovery of zirconium and platinum group metals from used nuclear fuel, but I don’t want to waste everyone’s time if this is not of interest.\n\nIf this type of recovery is of interest to you (and this FOA), I’d appreciate the opportunity to discuss the topic further with you.","This FOA is only interested in Critical Materials as defined by the 2023 DOE Critical Materials Assessment https://www.energy.gov/cmm/what-are-critical-materials-and-critical-minerals, which includes platinum but not zirconium."]
[26,"2023-12-04","Cost Sharing","Can you clarify the cost share waiver? Does the waiver only apply if academic or nonprofit organizations apply as the prime recipient, or does the waiver apply to their portion of the costs if they are a subrecipient to a different type of organization? ","See Section III.B of MOD0001 of the FOA document."]
[27,"2023-12-04","Technical Topics","We intended to propose a rare-earth and critical materials free soft ferromagnetic material for transformers and inductors. Would that be appropriate to submit to topic 1a? If not, which topic area would be most appropriate? ","This technology may be a good fit for Topic 1a, if it meets the requirements specified in section I.B.i."]
[28,"2023-12-05","Labs/FFRDCs","If a University submits an application (as lead institution) in partnership with a FFRDC, is the entire project budget exempt from the cost sharing requirement (per III-B of FOA), or is only the University’s share of the budget exempt from cost sharing? ","See Section III.B of MOD0001 of the FOA document."]
[29,"2023-12-06","Cost Sharing","I am looking for clarification on the cost sharing requirement for the referenced proposal RFP.  The guidelines indicate that cost sharing is waived for institutions for higher education, of which we are.  If we partner with a for-profit company and they serve as a subrecipient on the project, are their costs subject to the 20% cost share requirement?  Or is the whole project exempt from cost sharing since the educational institution will be the prime applicant? Could you also clarify the exemption that expires in August 2024 and what it means for the cost sharing requirement for this RFP?  Are educational institutions exempt since the full proposal will be submitted prior to the expiration?","Please see answer #21."]
[30,"2023-12-06","Technical Topics","Topic 3 of this FOA states \"The recycling of critical materials from end-of-life lithium batteries is not of interest. The recovery of materials from coal combustion residues or mine drainage are not of interest. The recovery of materials from oil and gas production is not of interest.\" Would you mind clarifying whether repurposed lithium batteries are of interest or are also out of scope? ","Remanufacturing, reuse, repair, and other Re-X pathways are in scope for Topic 3. Recycling to recover critical materials from end-of-life lithium ion batteries is not in scope. You can read more about Re-X pathways here: https://www.pbl.nl/sites/default/files/downloads/pbl-2016-circular-economy-measuring-innovation-in-product-chains-2544.pdf"]
[31,"2023-12-06","Concept Paper","According to the eligibility, an entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. The Topic area 1 is subdivided in two:\n•\tTopic 1 – Use of Magnets with Reduced Critical Materials Content \no\tTopic 1a – Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets for Clean Energy Technologies: Projects will validate alternative magnet compositions that reduce or eliminate the use of critical materials by at least 25 wt.% \no\tTopic 1b – Motors and Drivetrains using Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets: Projects will prototype electric machines or drivetrains that use magnets that reduce or eliminate the use of critical materials by at least 25 wt.% \nI would like to know if the number of submissions by an institution is 4, in which only one submission can be done for either 1a or 1b; Or if and institution can submit 5 submissions as follows: Topic 1a, Topic 1b, Topic 2, Topic 3, Topic 4, and Topic 5.","Please see answer #7."]
[32,"2023-12-12","Technical Topics","I note the lithium ion battery exclusion. Would solid state battery materials be responsive to the FOA? Because there’s no liquids, some do not consider them Li ion chemistries.","Solid state battery materials are not in scope for this FOA."]
[33,"2023-12-13","Technical Topics","1.\tIn the ‘Applications Specifically Not of Interest,’ it says “The recycling of critical materials from end-of-life lithium batteries is not of interest.” I was wondering if it also includes the scrap electrodes generated during the battery manufacturing process? \n2.\tIs it necessary that we are at the TRL 3 (bench top pilot) to be eligible for proposal submission? We already have a benchtop system which is in the process of full integration. Would this qualify as TRL 3?  ","1. Manufacturing Scrap would be in scope. 2. Projects funded under this solicitation will advance technologies from bench scale to prototyping. "]
[34,"2023-12-13","Technical Topics","Alternative lithium-ion cathodes are listed as specifically not of interest. Are sodium-ion cathodes with reduced critical mineral content of interest?","Sodium-ion cathodes with reduced critical mineral content would not be of interest."]
[35,"2023-12-15","Technical Topics","I am writing to inquire about the scope of the proposal for the FOA under the EERE-AMMTO's Critical Materials Accelerator program. Our project concept aligns closely with both Topic 2 (Improved Unit Operations of Processing and Manufacturing of Critical Materials) and Topic 3 (Critical Material Recovery from Scrap and Post-Consumer Products). We would appreciate some clarification on the following points:\n\n1.\tIs the engineering of microbial strains an area of research that would be considered relevant and appropriate for inclusion under either Topic 2 or Topic 3?\n2.\tIs it permissible for a proposal to encompass both Topic 2 and Topic 3? If not, could you provide guidance on how to distinguish between these two topics effectively and decide which one to focus on? For more targeted planning, what is your recommendation on choosing between the two topics?","1. Engineering of microbial strains is not of interest for this FOA\n2. Each proposal can only be for a single topic area. The proposal should be for the topic area that best aligns with its technological focus."]
[36,"2023-12-15","Other","I am looking for the teaming list for the Critical Materials Accelerator. Can you help me find where the document is?","Go to this page and look for TPL-0000023. https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/TeamingPartners.aspx "]
[37,"2023-12-15","Technical Topics","We have two deposits in Brazil containing 15 rare earth elements, anomalous to cerium, vanadium, neodymium and praseodymium. I have been following the Critical Materials Collaborative (CMC) project for days and we are interested in participating in the project. Our intention is to be a reliable supplier of rare earths to the United States.\nMy doubt is. At what stage could we collaborate with the CMC? Could we write to FOA-0003155 or are we eligible? Would it be better to wait for a more suitable FOA?\nIs there a Foa better suited for mining collaboration?","We are unable to comment on other FOAs or comment on eligibility via Q&A. One way to colloborate as part of this FOA is the use the Teaming Partner List available on the eere-exchange.energy.gov website."]
[38,"2023-12-19","Intellectual Property","1. Which IP Provision is applicable to a small business doing R&D in the DOE3155 call? The guidelines state that \"EERE generally uses cooperative agreements to provide financial and other support to prime recipients” but there is no actual confirmation on the Type of Award associated with this call; is it considered to be a grant or a cooperative agreement? That will help us narrow down which IP Provision to review. \n\n2. The hyperlink listed in the guidelines takes us to a page that lists multiple Standard Intellectual Property (IP) Provisions for Financial Assistance Awards. Should we consult the first one \"IP Provisions 2023 10-2” which is listed as applicable to ALL types of awards, or should we focus on a specific IP provision listed there, depending on whether it’s a grant or cooperative agreement?\n\n3. The IP provisions speak of the government’s 'unlimited rights in(i) Data first produced in the performance of this agreement.’ Does this mean that the government can lay claim to any data and IP generated throughout the project?\n\n4. Are the terms in the IP Provisions negotiable or not? If they are negotiable, what would be the process? (i.e. do we simply send back our redline of the terms with the project letter i.e. by Jan 5th?)  Or can we start the back and forth negotiations sooner?","1. The awards from this FOA will be in the form of Cooperative Agreements.\n\n2. The IP Provisions 2023 10-2 is a dynamic PDF used to build out the IP clause set depending on certain factors like the recipient type, type of agreement and applicable of data protection or patent waivers.  You may use that to understand the applicable IP clause sets for awards under this FOA.  For this FOA, the “US Comp. (S&E DEC)” will apply for US Manufacture/DEC and “the EPACT” will apply, provided the selectee opts for it, for the special data statute.   In the case of a domestic large business, the “S3/S4” will apply for the Patent Waiver. The other more specific IP clause sets on the page are complete IP clause sets with the other factors already accounted for in the document.  https://www.energy.gov/gc/standard-intellectual-property-ip-provisions-financial-assistance-awards\n\n3. No.  It means the government has unlimited rights in data first produced in the performance of the agreement.  Unlimited rights is defined in the IP clause set and is subject to the copyright provision and data protection.  See FOA “Rights in Technical Data” for more information.  \n\n4. For the most part, the IP Provisions are based on statutory and regulatory requirements and are not negotiable.  DOE and a selectee can negotiate the categories of data generated under the award that may be protected or whether limited rights data, if any, would need to be delivered.  There is a waiver process for the U.S. competitiveness provision requirement in which DOE and selectee could modify the U.S. competitiveness provision."]
[39,"2023-12-19","Application Reviews","Will full proposals be accepted even if the concept paper is discouraged?","Yes."]
[40,"2023-12-20","Technical Topics","Alternative lithium-ion cathodes are listed as specifically not of interest. Is sodium-air battery technology that reduces dependence on critical minerals of interest?","Battery technology that reduces reduces, substitutes or eliminates use of critical minerals may be of interest for Topic 4 if the application meets the requirements for that topic area."]
[41,"2023-12-22","Eligibility","Is it permissible for one organization to participate as a subrecipient in multiple applications on the same topic?\n\nThe FOA document's Section III. F. is ambiguous, stating: \"This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA\".\n\nIt's unclear whether the \"entity\" refers to only the lead organization or includes all participating organizations.","One organization can participate as a subrecipient in multiple project applications on the same topic."]
[42,"2023-12-22","Technical Topics","I am expressing my intention to apply for the accelerator opportunity. Following a thorough review of the FOA and a detailed examination of Topic area 2 (page 26), it is evident that lithium-ion battery cathode and cell manufacturing are outside the scope of this FOA. However, my primary focus lies in the recycling of graphite, fluorine, and lithium from anodes and electrolytes within lithium-ion batteries. I am inquiring whether my proposal could be considered under Topic area 2.","Recycling of lithium batteries is not of interest for this FOA."]
[43,"2023-12-27","Foreign Entities/Work","If my company employs remote workers in India, but all the manufacturing is in the United States, do each of these workers need a Foreign Work Waiver? ","Any project work done outside of the US will require a foreign work waiver, even if it isn't manufacturing."]
[44,"2023-12-28","Technical Topics","FOA 3155 excludes recycling CMM from EoL Li batteries, coal combustion residues or mine drainage. Would CMM recovery from alumina refinery residues be of interest to this FOA?","CMM recovery from alumina refinery residues is not excluded. It may be a good fit for Topic 2 or 3."]
[45,"2024-01-01","Technical Topics","My compan is considering applying for a grant under Topic 4 of this FOA. We have created a new type of carbon host material for a Lithium Sulfur battery cathode. It is derived from bio-mass material rather than critical materials.  It would seem to qualify for Topic for except for the reference on Page 37 under Topic 4 Applications Specifically Not of Interest which includes \"Alternative cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries\". Can you briefly elaborate on this and the reason why a biomass derived cathode material would not be of interest to you?","The project in question is not in scope for the Critical Material Accelerator FOA because it is addressed through other EERE Program Offices (i.e., VTO) and their funding opportunities."]
[46,"2024-01-02","Eligibility","Can we discuss?","We cannot offer 1:1 discussions of applications. Please send questions via email for answer here."]
[47,"2024-01-02","Cost Sharing","We are an institute of higher learning and one of our subrecipients is an FFRDC.  According to this solicitation, cost-share isn't required.\n\nHowever, a second subrecipient is a for-profit entity.  I'm trying to determine what the cost-share requirements are, when just one of the subrecipients isn't exempt from this cost-share requirement.  Does this mean that 20% cost share is required for just the amount requested from the subrecipient?  Or, does having one subrecipient that is a for-profit entity mean that there is a 20% cost share requirement for the total project budget?","The cost share waiver was corrected in Section III.B of MOD0001 of the FOA document. FFRDC cost share is described in Section III.B. iv. Cost Share Contributions by FFRDCs."]
[48,"2024-01-02","Registration Requirements","I am in a loop. I sign in to EERE-exchange. I click on Apply. I log in thru login.gov. It takes me back to EERE-Exchange. I click on Apply. Etc. I never get to where I submit. What am I doing wrong. ","If you have any technical problems with eXCHANGE, please send an email to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov with the FOA name and number in the subject line."]
[49,"2024-01-03","Cost Sharing","I see there are several questions in the Q&A posed about the exemption for higher ed from cost sharing with responses directing us to Section III. B.iii. of the FOA document.\n\nAs the class deviation states programs have the discretion to impose, is the DOE imposing cost share requirements for IHE under this FOA? ","The cost share waiver was corrected in Section III.B of MOD0001 of the FOA document. Universities are required to cost share."]
[50,"2024-01-03","Cost Sharing","As an institution of higher education, the FOA states, “The cost share must be at least 20% of the total project costs for research and development projects. Cost sharing is not required for institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations.” However, the concept paper submission does not allow us to enter $0.00 for the cost share amount.","Please see answer #50."]
[51,"2024-01-03","Concept Paper","In regards to subject FOA, I am planning to submit a concept paper this week that is due Friday 1/5. Per section VII.D of the FOA, we are requested to submit two copies of our concept paper: a “confidential” version containing our proprietary information, and a non-confidential version with proprietary information deleted. I just checked the portal and I am only allowed to upload one file to the submission page. Please advise on how I should handle submitting the two copies, or if there is someone else I should reach out to regarding this manner. Thank you. ","Exchange has been updated to allow two attachments in the Concept Paper section."]
[52,"2024-01-05","Eligibility","Regarding the Concept Paper submission due today, are there any restrictions on Government Employees being the Principal Investigator?","See Section III.A.i of the FOA for eligible applicants. It describes how FFRDCs and federal agencies are allowed to participate as prime or subrecipients."]
[53,"2024-01-05","Application Content/Format","Can I use Times New Roman 10 or 10.5?","See Section IV.A of the FOA. Use Calibri 12-point or larger except in figures, tables, footnotes, and endnotes, which may be 10-point font. "]
[54,"2024-01-05","Registration Requirements","We are trying to submit our concept paper for FAO 0003155.  We have used the login.gov system for two recent grants. However, the links on the EERE page and (our attempt to solve this through Login.gov) are not working... We are very aligned with this grant and would hate to miss this opportunity due to a login/website issue!  Can you please share a functional link so that we can upload our PDF, or help us get this PDF to the right online portal?  ","Answer to come."]
[55,"2024-01-07","Concept Paper","Was our Concept Paper file uploaded? If not, can it be added now after the deadline? Also, if the Concept Paper submission was not complete why did I get the Concept Paper Details indicating I had submitted?","The Concept Paper Details page in the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange displays two columns in the Submission files section.  The first column “Original Submission File” contains the files uploaded by the applicant and the second column “Redacted Version” is for the use of the funding opportunity managers."]
[56,"2024-01-08","Technical Topics","Can you tell me if either of these 2 projects may be a good fit to apply for the Critical Materials Accelerator?\n\n1) Statewide Metal Recycling Program Feasibility Study: Kentucky has a booming metals and advanced manufacturing industry but does not have a statewide recycling program so tons of precious metals and critical materials are being thrown away. They are seeking funding to develop plan a statewide recycling program to help the state develop a circular economy for metals.\n2) Southern Coil, Automated Metals Warehousing and Shipping Facility: will be the first fully automated warehousing system for the metals industry in the USA. Based in Bowling Green, KY, this company is about to open their first facility this year and is seeking funding to open a larger facility to serve more metals and advanced manufacturing companies. They offer a fully automated warehousing system that is needed for metals companies to store their products and sort for distribution. Some benefits include:\n•\tReduced Product Damage: warehouses where humans store materials often have errors that result in damage to materials, but this is fully automated which leads to reduced damage to products. \n•\tFaster: historically a drop-off or pick-up for one truckload would take about 45 minutes, but this reduces the time to an average of 10 minutes.\n•\tSmaller Space Requirements: this method reduces the amount of space needed between each metal coil. They would need a space 2.5 times as large to store the same amount of materials in a traditional storage facility. \n•\tGreener: they don't burn fossil fuels to run this warehouse. They use green energy and recycled products when possible. They also have no condensation in the vapor barrier with sensors triggering fans when the dew point of the facility approaches the threshold.\n•\tSafer, Better Jobs: this project reduces low-paid, dangerous jobs. Storing large metal products is traditionally a highly dangerous job, but this type of facility keeps workers away from the dangerous area (on the floor) and workers have high-paid automation jobs instead. This same technology has been operating in Canada for 22 years with ZERO fatalities, which is unheard of compared to the fatalities common for traditional facilities such as at Logan Aluminum, CSX, etc. when workers have died moving metals coils for transportation due to human error.","1)\tThis may be a fit for topic 3, if it is specific to critical materials and it meets the requirements for that topic area.\n2)\tThis is not of interest for this FOA"]
[57,"2024-01-09","Application Reviews","Can you please tell me who the correct contact manager is for Topic 3: Critical Material Recovery from Scrap and Post-Consumer Products? I cannot find the name in the call for papers.","Please send all questions to CMAcceleratorFOA@ee.doe.gov. "]
[58,"2024-01-09","Technical Topics","Would feedstock used for biofuels count as a critical mineral?\nSo a manufacturing plant that increases feedstock oils for SAF, renewable diesel (RD), or biodiesel (BD)? \nExample – Building a Crush plant that crushes camelina strictly for biofuel (SAF, RD, BD) production\n\nUnderstanding that the the definition is: \nAny non-fuel mineral, element, substance, or material that the Secretary of Energy determines: (i) has a high risk of a supply chain disruption; and (ii) serves an essential function in one or more energy technologies, including technologies that produce, transmit, store, and conserve energy","Feedstocks for biofuels are not of interest for this FOA."]
[59,"2024-01-09","Technical Topics","I started a company to develop tandem solar modules based on all-perovskite compositions. Part of the motivation was to move away from silicon, which the U.S. does not have the capacity to process to meet its energy needs.\n\nDoes the critical materials accelerator support this kind of work?","Perovskite solar cells are not of interest for this FOA."]
[60,"2024-01-17","Technical Topics","I am reaching out on behalf of a new urban mining company based out of Texas that will be using proprietary technology to extract and recirculate precious/rare earth metals and possibly even magnets from e-waste and solar panels. If someone could please reach out to my cell phone at 512-743-6881 I would greatly appreciate it. I am hoping to understand current and future opportunities for grants, team participation, R&D, etc. and am confident that our capabilities will be of interest. ","Unfortunately, the deadline for concept papers has already passed."]
[61,"2024-01-18","Concept Paper","I hope this finds you well. I am reaching out to request an extension for the concept paper submission for CMA. ","Unfortunately, we cannot accept concept papers submitted after the deadline."]
[62,"2024-01-22","Technical Topics","I came across this opportunity and was curious to learn more. I have a synthetic fuels project that uses CO2 as a feedstock that might be of interest. If you think it might be a good fit could you let me know the next steps for applying? ","Unfortunately, the deadline for concept papers has already passed."]
[63,"2024-01-22","Concept Paper","We submitted a concept paper.  It was confirmed and currently shows \"In Review\".  The deadline was January 5th 2024. Is it reasonable to expect an \"encourage/discourage full application\" decision by February 5th, 2024 (30 days)? Will we receive an email with the decision, or do we have to check the status on our dashboard at about that time?","Yes, decisions should be available by early February. You will receive an email when the decision is ready prompting you to check the dashboard."]
[64,"2024-01-24","Foreign Entities/Work","I am writing to you on behalf of a company in Sri Lanka. We have a board of advisors from the USA and closely working with the US where a collaboration between the US and Sri Lanka can be achieved. We ares looking to develop graphite mines and production facilities of active anode material in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the USA. We have projected to add 40,000 jobs to the workforce and produce 450,000 metric tonnes of graphite per year when the full vision is achieved in a decade. This would put Sri Lanka as the second largest graphite producer in the world subordinate only to China.\n\nPlease advise me on how we can apply for any grants and accelerators as a sole Sri Lankan company that wants to have deep collaboration with the US. ","Please see answer #2 for information about foreign entities applying to this FOA. The deadline to submit a concept paper has already passed."]
[65,"2024-01-24","Concept Paper","My company is interested in submitting for this but we did not see the January 5 LOI date. Is it possible to still apply for this round of funding? Will the accelerator be open again for another round? If so, when?","Unfortunately, the deadline for concept papers has already passed. Future rounds have not been announced."]
[66,"2024-01-28","Concept Paper","I have an innovation that submitted the patent pending and have 8 more months left to build the prototype and make it full utility patent and seriously looking for funding to be able to pursue my dream full-time and make some positive effect. I really appreciate your advice.","Unfortunately, the deadline for concept papers has already passed."]
[67,"2024-01-29","Other","How can I view the entities that have applied for or expressed interest in this grant?","A list of awardees will be published after selections are made."]
[68,"2024-01-29","Concept Paper","I just wanted to reach out to inquire if a late submital concept paper was possible or if a similar opportunity would be available for DE-FOA-0003155 in the future. ","Please see answer #65."]
[69,"2024-04-25","Due Dates","What is the Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments?","Reviewer comments are now posted for applicant review (4/30/2024), and replies to reviewer comments will be due on 5/3/2024."]
[70,"2024-05-04","Application Reviews","Can I submit updated application materials?","We cannot accept new/revised documents after the application deadline."]
[71,"2024-08-14","Application Reviews","According to the FOA the expected date for EERE Selection Notifications was 07/26/2024. However, the decision is not yet available on EERE exchange. When do you expect to announce the results so we can plan accordingly?","The selection notifications have been delayed. Current ETA is early September."]
[72,"2024-09-18","Application Reviews","When will selections be made?","The selection notifications have been delayed. Current ETA is October."]

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["Pick List"]
[]
["Registration Requirements"]
["Webinar"]
["Concept Paper"]
["Eligibility"]
["Labs/FFRDCs"]
["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["Other"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]