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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to SETO.FOA@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-FOA0001840 - Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) FY2018 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) "]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2018-04-17","Registration Requirements","When must our DUNS number registered?","An Applicant must have their DUNS number registered and active in www.SAM.gov prior to the closing of the FOA.  If an applicant it found to not have a valid or active DUNS number this could jeopardize any potential selection."]
[2,"2018-04-17","Webinar","It is unclear how to sign up for the informational webinar …Topic 3: Photovoltaic Research and Development Webinar scheduled for April 24, 2018 at 4:PM [EDT]\n\nPlease provide instructions.\n\nAlso, will there be an electronic version of the webinar available for review and reference?","Each webinar will be recorded and posted along with slides and script sometime after webinars are complete."]
[3,"2018-04-18","Webinar","Do we need to sign up before the FOA webinars next week? If so, where is sign up on the web site?","No prior registration is required."]
[4,"2018-04-19","Application Content/Format","I am interested in finding out if people/teams interested in turning in a concept paper have to turn in a letter of intent on EERE Exchange by May 4th. ","Please see Section IV.B.i of the FOA regarding requirement for Letters of Intent."]
[5,"2018-04-19","Application Content/Format","I am interested in the recent SETO FOA on solar energy and I am considering submitting an SIPS proposal. I just want to make sure that \n\n(1) this submission does not require any detailed budget and justification as others, since Section IV.D. only indicates \n\n“Budget - Include a high-level overview of estimated total project budget”\n\n\n(2) The 4 pages of project description counts as the “full proposal”","Please see Section IV.D of the FOA regarding Content and From for SIPS Applications."]
[6,"2018-04-19","Application Content/Format","Would a proposal be considered if submitted for the full topic award amount, or should two separate applications be submitted to compete for each of the $1.25M awards. Would a full amount submission rank below two $1.25M submissions assuming all else equal? ","As noted in the table on page 31 of the FOA, the intent is to select 2 awards, with a ceiling of $1.25M, although DOE retains the right to fund projects at whatever level is deemed appropriate, based upon the content of the proposal, including at levels above and below $1.25M.  All applications will be reviewed based on Section V of the FOA."]
[7,"2018-04-20","Application Content/Format","I am planning to apply funding for DE-FOA-0001840.\nhttps://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=303633\nFrom the above Grants.gov web site, it is shown that the estimated total program funding is $2.  Is it mistake? or Does it mean that you already selected who will get the funding?","As referenced on the grants.gov website, please use EERE Exchange https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId731692d0-c60d-42e0-a6ff-617ce4510d77."]
[8,"2018-04-20","Technical Topics","We are interested in submitting a white-paper toward Topic 3 (Photovoltaic Research and Development), specifically under Topic 3.3 (Collaborative Cross-Cutting PV Research), and our team has a question in this regard.\n \nWe plan to propose an idea that will...","Please see Section I.B Topic 3.3 regarding PVRD areas of interest."]
[9,"2018-04-20","Technical Topics","I am very interested in the recent FOA from the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), FOA Number: DE-FOA-0001840. I have a few questions about Topic 4: Improving and Expanding the Solar Industry through Workforce Initiatives. ","Please see Section I.B Topic 4 regarding Improving and Expanding the Solar Industry through Workforce Initiatives areas of interest."]
[10,"2018-04-20","Application Content/Format","Is there a limitation to the number of awards that a single company can receive under this solicitation? If so, is there a limitation at earlier steps as well (number of LOIs, Concept Papers, Full Applications that can be submitted)?","Please see Section III.F of the FOA."]
[11,"2018-04-23","Technical Topics","Can you please let me know if any Power Electronics Hardware design and development can be considered as a scope of work under any of the following topics (Topic 1.1, 1.3)?","Please see Section I.B Topic 1 regarding Advanced Solar Systems Integration Technologies areas of interest."]
[12,"2018-04-23","Technical Topics","If we have an \"Innovative Pathway\" that could apply to multiple technologies, is it possible to apply to multiple topic areas with the same application? (Ex. Topics 1.4 & 3.4). If so, how should we record this in our application?","Please see Section III.F of the FOA."]
[13,"2018-04-23","Application Content/Format","Can you kindly let me know if there is a requirement under this call for the Prime Recipient to perform a greater percentage of the effort than any of the other partnering organizations or subrecipients? ","Please see Section III.A regarding eligibility information."]
[14,"2018-04-23","Technical Topics","On Topic 2.1 (SIPS: CSP), the examples given are specific to component-level improvements, such as tracking and improving optics. Would …","Please see Section I.B Topic 2 regarding Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Research and Development areas of interest."]
[15,"2018-04-23","Technical Topics","Does a project need to have a demonstration component to be \ncompetitive for Topic 1.1 ( Adaptive Solar Grid Integration), or is \"pen \nand paper\" research that develops methods and algorithms ok?","Please see Section III.G of the FOA."]
[16,"2018-04-23","Application Content/Format","The link to the FAQ page for this FOA returns me to the same page on \nthe EERE exchange.","The Q&A spreadsheet is posted under the Documents Section on EERE Exchange."]
[17,"2018-04-23","Application Content/Format","I couldn't find a form for the grant, or information for the letter of intent and application.","Please review the FOA document listed under the Documents section of the FOA posting in Exchange."]
[18,"2018-04-22","Application Content/Format","There are two conflicting max page lengths for the concept paper due on May 9 in the FOA guidelines. \nCan you please advise if the Project Description is supposed to be 4 pages as stated on pg. 50 of the FOA guidelines, or 3 as stated on pg. 42? ","The FOA has been updated to fix the conflicting page count. "]
[19,"2028-04-24","Cost Sharing","Is the 200k/award the DOE portion or total (DOE + cost sharing)?","Please see the DOE funding table listed on pg 31 of the FOA.  The amounts shown in the table are DOE funds only, with required cost share listed for each corresponding topic area."]
[20,"2018-04-24","Application Content/Format","Does SIPS also have a concept paper review process?","Please see Section IV of the FOA for submission requirements."]
[21,"2018-02-24","Application Content/Format","Question regarding the award funding guidelines outlined in the FOA. How strict or flexible are these guidelines","Please see Section IV.L of the FOA regarding Funding Restrictions."]
[22,"2018-04-24","Technical Topics","Please advice and point me to the link that would outline item 3.4 as it relates to CDEs or CDFIs.","Please see Section I.B regarding Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest."]
[23,"2018-04-25","Application Content/Format","The instructions for the letter of intent within the FOA (page 49 of FOA Number: DE-FOA-0001840, FOA Type: Modification 00001) state the abstract should be no more than 200 words in length. The letter of intent detail on the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange submission site states that there is a 4000 character maximum. Can you please clarify?","Please see Section IV.B.i of the FOA regarding requirement Application Forms."]
[24,"2018-04-25","Eligibility","Could you clarify for me if a research project (meta-analysis) that examines alternative models and suggests alternatives that might not yet exist would be considered responsive?  Or does it need to be from someone like GRID Alternatives who are actually developing the projects?","Please see Section III.G of the FOA."]
[25,"2018-04-24","Technical Topics","It seems that section IV is asking for risks and mitigation strategies to be discussed whereas section V does not require such a discussion in the Concept Paper. Should risk mitigation be discussed in the Concept Paper?","The applicant should use their judgement and balance the value of including “the most challenging risks the proposed project will likely face and mitigation strategies” over other content in their concept paper given the instructions in Section IV.C.i. and how the concept paper will be evaluated in Section V.A.i. Note that in “Criterion 1: Innovation and Impact” the concept papers will be evaluated in part based on the “extent to which the claimed impacts are feasible and justified,” of which project risks and mitigation is related.  "]
[26,"2018-04-24","Application Content/Format","The use of the phrase \"reference pages\" suggests that the references do not have to be footnotes. Would the SETO like them to be pages or footnotes? Additionally, is the number of references unlimited or do they count in the total page limit?","As stated in Section IV.A. “References [like citations for external reports, articles, etc.] must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.” Reference pages mentioned in Section IV.C.i (bottom of page 50) are the “one page letters of support and/or 1 page resumes of project participants.” Any other reference materials, including extra pages that list reference citations, will be deemed ineligible for review."]
[27,"2018-04-25","Application Content/Format","If I am the prime recipient, do I submit pay the subrecipient and then invoice DOE? Or does the subrecipient invoice DOE directly? I need to know this to figure out whether I need to budget the indirect cost on the subrecipient’s budget (the first way).","Please see Section IV.G of the FOA regarding application information & additional documentation requirements."]
[28,"2018-04-24","Technical Topics","I think I found a typo that could cause confusion on page 16…\n\nShould it read $615/kW instead of $615/kWh?","The correct value should be $615/kW"]
[29,"2018-04-25","Cost Sharing","Page 103 Mod1 FOA has table which indicated  50% cost share requirement for Task 3, while page 40 on the FOA indicates 20% cost share minimum for Task 3.","Note that page 103 of the FOA is Appendix B labeled Sample Cost Share Calculation for Blended Cost Share Percentage.  This is intended to be example of a given award, not in reference to Topic Area 3."]
[30,"2018-04-25","Cost Sharing","Just to clarify the cost sharing arrangement. As an example, if my application is awarded $100,000 grand, then I need to put up $20,000 in capital?  ","Please see Appendix A of the FOA."]
[31,"2018-04-25","Labs/FFRDCs","I am wondering if we need to submit a FFRDC authorization letter of FWP for the Letter of Intent of Concept paper or is it required ONLY if we submit full application?","Please see Section IV of the FOA for submission requirements."]
[32,"2018-04-25","Technical Topics","In regards to section 3.2: could an emerging technology be considered for this program, or does \"state of the art\" only refer to technologies that currently have power conversion efficiencies close to commercial PV?","“State of the art” in this case refers to the current state of R&D of the specific PV technology. The state of the art of an emerging PV technology will be different than a commercial PV technology. The important thing is that the FOA seeks improvements in the state of the art for each PV technology. "]
[32,"2018-04-25","Technical Topics","I noticed the  answers posted on the EERE Exchange website. Currently, I am just wondering does University training Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. students fit the scope of Topic 4? Because in the FOA, it does not mention the university aspect in the improving and expanding solar workforce.","Please see Section III.G of the FOA."]
[33,"2018-04-25","Application Content/Format","Can you please confirm if there is a format for the LOI and for the White Paper or the Concept Paper that are due in the next two weeks for this FOA.\n\nAnd are those two items to be submitted online or by email or some other means.","Please see Section IV. Fr Application Submission Information. "]
[34,"2018-04-25","Technical Topics","Where do I go if I'm interested in proposing work that addresses low- and moderate-income communities and their engagement with solar?","Please section I.B of the FOA, specifically Topic 3.4, for more information."]
[35,"2018-04-25","Application Content/Format","What if I don’t have enough time to fully develop my proposal and secure necessary partnerships before the May 4th deadline to submit the Letter of Intent?","Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by 3 PM EST on May 4, 2018 in order to be eligible to submit a Concept Paper. However, applicants should keep in mind that Letters of Intent can be relatively simple documents, which include a project abstract not to exceed 200 words. Once the Letter of Intent is submitted, applicants will have until May 9th to more fully develop the details of their Concept Paper. See section IV. B. (i) of the FOA for more information on the content and form of the Letter of Intent. "]
[36,"2018-04-25","Technical Topics","Where can institutions that have physical resources that they would like to make available to researchers and entrepreneurs to use, regardless of their specific technology, apply?","This is one of the driving themes behind the Innovative Pathways subtopics. Ideas can be submitted to any of the three subtopic areas (1.4, 2.5, 3.4) of the FOA"]
[37,"2018-04-25","Intellectual Property","Is there a requirement to make public the data we collect, the software we develop, or industry trade secrets? If we won a DOE grant, would we still be able to claim full IP ownership in follow-on funding rounds with VC firms?","Please see Section VI B. xi regarding Intellectual Property Provisions."]
[38,"2018-04-25","Application Content/Format","Is it possible to modify the project scope one year into an award, and what is the process for doing so?  If we can't modify project scope, and can no longer satisfy project objectives, would the DOE pull back funds for the remainder of the project? Would the DOE also claw back funds that were used to meet previously accomplished milestones? ","DOE understands that the product development cycle does not happen linearly or in a market vacuum. That being the case, awardees do have the ability to pivot but only within the bounds of the negotiated Statement of Project Objectives of the award with approval of DOE (technical project manager and contracting office). The Statement of Project Objectives are negotiated between DOE and the awardee and are based on the scope of the proposed application. Any modification to the award must have adequate rationale for the change and be agreed to by DOE staff, and most importantly the contracting officer. DOE may also choose to deny such a request. If you cannot come to agreement on a change to the project scope and/or are unable to continue the project, the remaining funds on the award would be deobligated and returned to DOE. DOE would not take back funds paid to the awardee prior to the point at which it was determined that the award could not continue, only unspent funds get removed from the award."]
[39,"2018-04-25","Registration Requirements","Do we need to have our SAM registration completed prior to submittal of concept paper or prior to full application? ","Please see Section IV. I regarding SAM registration. SAM registration is required to receive a DOE award and should be completed as soon as possible."]
[40,"2018-04-25","Cost Sharing","Is the cost-share restricted to direct funding match ? Or can in-kind make up the entire 20%?","Please see Section III B iii of the FOA regarding Cost Sharing."]
[41,"2018-04-24","Webinar","Can the project duration be for less than the maximum term (but for the full funding amount)?","Yes, this is allowable. Please see Section II.A of the FOA."]
[42,"2018-04-24","Technical Topics","Can the regional hubs described in Topic 4.2 be many in number (for instance one per state)?","It is up to the applicant to determine the exact details such as the number of regional hubs to form, the number and type of trainees that will participate in the proposed initiative, etc. Please see section I.B of the FOA for more details on the topic areas of interest."]
[43,"2018-04-24","Eligibility","Are non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(6) of the tax code eligible to apply?","Please see Section III Eligibility Information."]
[44,"2018-04-24","Cost Sharing","Can time/effort donated be counted towards in-kind contribution?","Please see 2 CFR 200.306."]
[45,"2018-04-24","Eligibility","When are invitations for the concept paper sent?","Please see Section IV of the FOA for Application and Submission Information."]
[46,"2018-04-24","Application Reviews","What is the anticipated start date for successful proposals?","The expected timeframe for Selection Notifications and the beginning of award negotiations is given on the cover page of the FOA. The actual start date of successful proposals is dependent upon a number of factors, such as the length and scope of negotiations and, as such, is unable to be estimated at this time."]
[47,"2018-04-24","Application Content/Format","Is there a budget template that we can download? ","Different documents and templates can be found on the FOA page in EERE’s eXCHANGE system by clicking on the link “View Required Application Documents”."]
[48,"2018-04-24","Technical Topics","The FOA refers to \"veterans and other communities\". What does \"other communities\" mean? Would EERE be receptive to applications that serve under-represented communities such as…?","EERE is open to a wide variety of innovative applications, including concepts or audiences not explicitly mentioned within the FOA document, so long as they do not conflict with any constraints or statements of no interest made within the FOA. Please see section I.C (“Applications Specifically Not of Interest”) for more information. As per Section I.B (“Topic Areas / Technical Areas of Interest”), Topic 4.1 is interested in programs that address a wide range of potential communities and their ability to act as talent pools for the solar industry. As per that same section, note that applications should provide “a targeted analytical focus describing the specific skills and communities that will be targeted as part of the proposed workforce program.”"]
[49,"2018-04-26","Registration Requirements","Can two LOIs, Concept Paper, Full Application etc. (one from a branch and one from a national organization) submit under the same SAM entity registration?","Please see Section III F of the FOA.  Entities may use the same DUNS # when submitting multiple LOI, Concept Papers, and Applications.   "]
[50,"2018-04-24","Application Reviews","Does a SIPS application provide a chance to respond to reviewer comments?","SIPS Application will have the same reply to review comments process as noted in Section IV of the FOA."]
[51,"2018-04-26","Application Content/Format","I am trying to send a letter of intent for Topic 3.1 (FOA Number: DE-FOA-0001840). May I ask you if indirect cost allowed?","Please see Section IV. L regarding Allowable Costs."]
[52,"2018-04-26","Application Content/Format","I need to write % of effort contributed by the Lead Organization in the letter of intent, would you please explain more about it? ","What percentage of work/effort does the the prime recipient intend on performing as part of the project."]
[53,"2018-04-27","Application Content/Format","Our question is that a project evaluator should be an external evaluator from other organizations, or is it fine to have an independent evaluator within the same organization who will not serve as Co-PI? ","Please see Section V of the FOA regarding Application Review Information.  As the project team is a review criteria DOE is unable to advise how or with whom an applicant should structure their team."]
[54,"2018-04-26","Technical Topics","Our question regards the preferred scope for Topic 3.1 Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS): Photovoltaics.  The solicitation states that one example of eligible work is “Life-cycle analysis for emerging solar and module recycling technologies.” Is there a recommendation on how the research should be split between testing of the new recycling technology itself as compared to the life cycle assessment? ","Please see Section III.G of the FOA."]
[55,"2018-04-26","Technical Topics","Is the requirement of cost as mentioned in the FOA, unsubsidized cost of electricity at the point of grid connection in a location with average U.S. solar resources are 3¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for utility-scale photovoltaics, 4¢ per kWh for commercial rooftop photovoltaics, 5¢ per kWh for residential rooftop photovoltaics, and 5¢ per kWh for concentrating solar power with thermal energy storage, is also applied to the topic area 3.1? Please advice.","Yes, the same cost targets apply to technologies proposed in topic area 3.1."]
[56,"2018-04-27","Cost Sharing","The webinar indicated that a vendor/subcontractor cannot provide cost share.  However, this is not apparent based on 2 CFR Part 200 as amended by 2 CFR Part 910.  As an example, we are a commercial organization as defined in FAR 2.101, and provide commercial software using published price lists.  If we participated as a subcontractor, and provided the software free of charge to a recipient or subrecipient, could they use the published price of the software as cost share?","Under 2 CFR 910.358 Fee and Profit are not allowable under most DOE programs subjust to the regulation, and terms and conditions of an award.  Sub-contractors and vendors are not subject to the flow-down of the terms and conditions, and regulations, and as such they are allowed to include fee or profit in their pricing.  As sub-contractors and vendors may charge profit and/or profit which is unallowable they may not included as cost share."]
[57,"2018-04-27","Cost Sharing","Also, to encourage the participation of commercial organizations, the FOA states that a Technology Investment Agreement could be requested.  Under a TIA, would the commercial organization be allowed profit or fee, if that is normally included in its Commercial Published rates? ","In order use TIA under an award proper justification must be provided.  The ability to allow profit to the prime or their su-recipients would not be deemed a valid reason for use of a TIA."]
[58,"2018-04-27","Application Content/Format","What if I create a Letter of Intent (LOI) with To Be Determined (TBD) info and want to update it before the LOI submission deadline?","After you create an LOI, the information is automatically populated into a Concept Paper record that is associated with the Control Number. You could edit that information in the Concept Paper record up to the Concept Paper deadline. If you needed to update the LOI submission before the LOI submission deadline to change it in any way, you would need to re-apply and create a new Letter of Intent submission and associated Control Number."]
[59,"2018-04-28","Application Content/Format","Is there a particular format that the Letter of Intent needs to be in? Do you have template example of the requirements for the LOI?","Please see Section IV.B.i of the FOA for LOI Content and Format."]
[60,"2018-04-26","Technical Topics","The announcement under Topic 2 states the objective  is to seek R&D concepts “supporting a significant decrease in CSP LCOE”.    The focus of our project is to develop a unique low cost CSP collector to produce Process Heat for manufacturing plants at a cost below 5 cents /Kwh. \n\nIs this funding opportunity specific to the generation of Electricity?  Would a project designed to produce Energy still qualify?","While it remains within our office’s programmatic objectives to investigate concentrating solar thermal for heat applications, this specific funding opportunity focuses on electricity generation. The cost and efficiency paradigm described in the FOA fits technical boundary conditions associated with electricity markets. If a proposed technology fully conforms to our electricity generation targets, while being applicable to a process heat market, that would be an acceptable concept to propose for this FOA. A recent example of our office’s focus on industrial heat is the water desalination FOA issued several months ago. In that FOA we set targets for process heat cost from solar collection.  "]
[61,"2018-04-24","Eligibility","Our company received a DOE Sunshot (Tech-2-Market) grant last year that will continue through 2019. Are we still eligible for this FOA?","A current or previous award does not preclude you from submitting a new and original proposal."]
[62,"2018-04-24","Eligibility","Can anyone apply for this?  Any qualifications?","Please see Section III of the FOA."]
[63,"2018-04-24","Application Content/Format","Is a detailed budget (including cost share details) necessary for the Concept paper?","Application submission requirements for Concept Papers are described in Section IV.C of the FOA."]
[64,"2018-04-24","Intellectual Property","Who owns the IP developed during this research?  Can the research be kept non-public?","Please see Section VI.B.xi for Intellectual Property Provisions.  "]
[65,"2018-04-24","Eligibility","We are a small business. Can we partner with a university or one of the DOE National labs?","Small businesses are allowed to partner with universities or national laboratories."]
[66,"2018-04-24","Cost Sharing","What is the reason to ask for 20% cost-share for SIPS? Can cost-share for SIPS be less than 20% as previous years?","As per the Energy Policy Act of 2005 R&D project have a statutory 20% cost sharing requirement."]
[67,"2018-04-24","Cost Sharing","Can use of equipment at a DOE National Lab be counted as cost-share?","Please see section III.B.iv of the FOA regarding cost sharing by FFRDC's."]
[68,"2018-04-24","Eligibility","Does participation in current SETO efforts disqualify an applicant for this award (e.g. SYCC)?","A current awardees are allowed to submit new and original proposals."]
[69,"2018-04-24","Cost Sharing","What are practical examples of cost share?  In academia, can it include university-provided salary/fringe, startup, etc?","Please see Section III.B of the FOA.  In addtion please see 2 CFR 200.306."]
[70,"2018-04-29","Application Content/Format","What happens if one of the Principle Investigators has to drop out before the completion of the grant period?  Can another PI with similar capacities take over their role?","A new PI may be selected, but must be confirmed and approved by DOE as qualified for the project."]
[71,"2018-04-29","Eligibility","Is it possible for FFRDC entity to act as the PI for another Prime Recipient as well as be a sub recipient?\nPut more simply-can an FFRDC be considered the lead organization (the entity responsible for managing the application and funding)  if they do not receive more than 49.9% of the award?","Please see Section III.B for Eligibility Information."]
[72,"2018-04-30","Application Content/Format","Will you please confirm what specifically I have to state about cost share in the concept paper?  And, is it ok if that information changes by the time of the full application?","Please see Section IV.C of the FOA for Content and Form of Concept Papers.  Information may be updated between the concept paper and application phases."]
[73,"2018-04-30","Application Content/Format","I wanted to ask you whether the letters of commitment need to be included in the Concept Paper, as the evaluation criteria include Criterion 3, where “Participation – The level of participation by project participants as evidenced by letter(s) of commitment and how well they are integrated into the Team Qualifications and Resources section of the Technical Volume.”  Your clarification would be appreciated.  Thank you so much in advance.","Please see Section IV of the FOA regarding Application Submission."]
[74,"2018-04-30","Application Content/Format","Can you confirm that the concept paper should be submitted in PowerPoint format using the summary slide as opposed to a written narrative?","Please see Section IV.C of the FOA for Content and Form of Concept Papers. "]
[75,"2018-04-30","Application Content/Format","I’m drafting a letter of intent for submission by this Friday. Please provide the name and title of the DOE officer or grant specialist who will receive the letter. Also kindly provide a mailing address. Thank you.","LOI's may be addressed to DOE in general.  No mailing address is needed."]
[76,"2018-05-01","Application Content/Format","How detailed should the budget overview be on the cover page of the concept paper? Is it sufficient to indicate an estimate of the total cost of the program, such as  $ 1.2 M/3years or should we provide a breakdown  of the costs per year and institutions (or per year and PIs)?","Please see Section IV.C of the FOA for Concept Paper Submissions."]
[77,"2018-05-01","Cost Sharing","One of our partners is considering the option of using unrecovered indirect costs for part of the cost share requirement. In review of Appendix A (page 100, 7c), unrecovered indirect costs may be included as part of the cost share only with prior approval of the Federal awarding agency. Do you know if we need to receive this approval before the submission of the Letter of Intent or Concept Paper? What is the process for submitting a request to obtain prior approval?","Cost Share in reviewed for allocability, allowbility, and reasonableness at time award.  Should an applicant be selected for award costs would be evaluated at that time."]
[78,"2018-05-01","Application Content/Format","On page 51 of the FOA, it says “To be eligible to submit a Full Application, applicants must submit a SIPS application by the specified full application/SIPS application due date and time.”","Please see Section IV.D of the FOA regarding Content and From for SIPS Applications."]
[79,"2018-04-30","Application Reviews","I am planning on submitting a letter of intent for topic area 3.1 SIPS.  I see that a concept paper is not required for SIPS but the letter of intent must be submitted twice (May4th and May 9th).  The letter of intent contains no more than 200 words.  How do you select if the letter of intent passes through to be called for the full proposal?  Is there a letter of intent template for this?","The resubmitted LOIs serving as “Concept Papers” for SIPS applications (Topics 1.1 and 3.1) will not be reviewed in the same way that the Concept Papers for the other topics will be. The LOIs are strictly for assessing how many reviewers will be needed and what their backgrounds should be. Please note that when resubmitting their LOIs, SIPS applicants should submit a document version of the LOI before the concept paper deadline, in addition to the summary slide that is required. This is different than the LOI that is submitted before the LOI deadline, which is a form to fill in on EERE Exchange as opposed to a document that must be submitted. "]
[80,"2018-04-27","Application Reviews","work full-time at the primary recipient organization, or if the main PI can be someone from one of the sub-recipient organizations. ","Please see Section V of the FOA regarding Application Review Information.  As the project team is a review criteria DOE is unable to advise how or with whom an applicant should structure their team."]
[81,"2018-05-01","Application Content/Format","When submitting an LOI before the LOI deadline, do I need to upload a letter document?","No, when applicants click the \"Apply\" button they are presented with a page titled “Letter of Intent Details,\" which provides a form to provide the contents of the LOI, as defined in Section IV.B.i of the FOA.  It does not include a document upload field.  When applicants click the \"Create letter of Intent\" button and receive confirmation, their LOI is successfully submitted. Upon successful LOI submission, a confirmation email that is sent out that explains that changes to this original information can be made in the Concept Paper record in Exchange (which is created when they click the Create LOI button). "]
[82,"2018-05-01","Application Content/Format","The FOA says \"Topic Areas 2.1 and 3.1 SIPS applications must instead resubmit their Letter of Intent again as the concept paper.” How do I resubmit the LOI as there is not an actual letter? The website provided boxes (title, abstract, contact info, etc) for me to fill in but did not generate a pdf file of the submitted LOI.","A Word or PDF version of the applicant's LOI should be submitted in place of the concept paper."]
[83,"2018-05-02","Registration Requirements","When do you receive the Control Number?  Is it required on the LOI for DE-FOA-0001840","Please see Section IV of the FOA."]
[84,"2018-05-02","Application Content/Format","I am having trouble getting the FAQs to download properly. I get a file, which is not readable.  ","The Q&A page is posted as a spreadsheet, and will only open in that format."]
[85,"2018-05-02","Eligibility","I am inquiring about the Letter of Intent and Concept Paper for DE-FOA-0001840.  Can the PI submit these items directly from their account on https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov or will you need approval from our Office of Sponsored Programs? ","Please see Section III.G of the FOA."]
[86,"2018-05-02","Application Reviews","If we have multiple sub-recipient, Is there any minimum effort / budget required for prime recipient?","Please see Section V of the FOA regarding Application Review Information.  As the project team is a review criteria DOE is unable to advise how or with whom an applicant should structure their team."]
[87,"2018-05-02","Application Content/Format","It looks like we have to submit separate LOIs and proposals for both sub-topic x and sub-topic y. If the two proposals have a shared technology platform, but different sub-recipients and plan of distribution and content delivery, will that be acceptable? ","Please see Section III.F of the FOA.  In addtion the same cost must be different for each project."]
[88,"2018-05-02","Application Reviews","Is the list of team members submitted on the concept paper non-binding? For example, can we remove a team member (who is not the PI) from the proposal between the submission of the concept paper and the submission of the full proposal? ","The team may be changed between the Concept Paper and Full Application Phases.  Please note Section V.A of the FOA regarding Application Review Information."]
[89,"2018-05-02","Technical Topics","Is it required that proposals strictly adhere to a single subtopic? In other words, can a concept that is primarily \"Topic 1.3 Solar + X” also include secure communication and/or detection of cyber intrusion, which are specifically mentioned under “Topic 1.2 Solar Observability.”","While a proposal may include aspects of multiple sub-topics, each application must select a sub-topic for submission.  Please note Section III.F of the FOA."]
[90,"2018-05-03","Application Content/Format","From the documentation on the full informational document, it stated that the LOI must be under 200 words. However, upon creating an application the stated maximum in the submission box is 4,000 characters. Can you please let me know which is the correct size?","Please see Section IV.B.i of the FOA regarding LOI content."]
[91,"2018-05-03","Application Content/Format","I’d like to know where you want us to put the information whether the application has been previously submitted to EERE. ","Please see Section IV.B.i of the FOA regarding LOI content."]
[92,"2018-05-03","Application Content/Format","I cannot locate on EERE Exchange the template for the Summary Slide for FOA DE-FOA-0001840. Can you direct me to the template? There used to be a template for the LOI, too.","Please see the Required Application Documents link under the EERE Exchange FOA listing.  DOE has not posted an LOI template to EERE Exchange.  Please See Section IV.B.i of the FOA for LOI Content."]
[93,"2018-05-03","Application Content/Format","On page 33, DE-FOA0001840 allows for \"Grants\". Waivers of cost sharing are allowed for a small business under 910.130 (a) (1); for basic research under (b) (1); or as appropriate for applied research under (b)(2). \nWill applications by a small business requesting a grant with a cost-share waiver be accepted for review under DE-FOA0001840?","Decisions on the type of award funding agreement are made only after selections are made for the FOA.  In addition any waivers to cost share would only be considered once selections are made.  Until such time the required cost share may be found under Section III of the FOA."]
[94,"2018-05-03","Application Content/Format","Reviewing the limitations for the Letter of Intent, we understand there is a 200 word max for the application abstract, but can not find specific language around the overall limit of the complete Letter of Intent. \n\nCan you please clarify if there is a specific page or word limit for the complete Letter of Intent?","Please see Section IV.B.i of the FOA regarding LOI content and limitation within an LOI."]
[95,"2018-05-03","Labs/FFRDCs","We would like to know whether or not, in the case of multiple FFRDCs as subrecipients on a single application, the aggregate total of the FFRDCs award funding on a single application can exceed 49.9% or if that 49.9% must be split between the FFRDCs?  ","Please see Section III.E.i regarding FFRDC requirements as a subrecipient."]
[96,"2018-05-04","Registration Requirements","I have been told that we need to include a “Control Number” for this LOI that is going in today. We have registered and filled out the form but no where on the online application site does it say anything about “Control Number”. \n\nDo we need this? And where can I in that case find it?","Please see Section IV of the FOA regarding Application Submission."]
[97,"1948-05-04","Application Content/Format","We do not see any field to enter the key participants. Is this not a requirement of the LOI?","Please see Section IV.B.i of the FOA regarding LOI content and information that must be included in the LOI."]
[98,"2018-05-04","Eligibility","I want to verify if one person/account can make multiple LOI submittals using different topics for this FOA.","Please see Section III.F of the FOA for Limitations on number of submissions."]
[99,"2018-05-06","Cost Sharing","Can the Federal Investment Tax credit monetized through tax equity investment / project financing count towards the Cost Share for DE-FOA-0001840?","Please see Section III.B.iii of the FOA regarding Cost Share Types and Allowablility."]
[100,"2018-05-04","Application Content/Format","Can we submit a pdf file for the summary slide or does it have to be a .ppt or .pptx file?","The slide is required to be submitted in either .ppt or .pptx."]
[101,"2018-05-07","Cost Sharing","According to the guidelines, for topic 1.3, we can submit a budget up to $3M/award for 3 years and it has 20% cost-share (of the total project costs). Does the $3M/award include the cost-share (i.e. $2,400,000 sponsor request + $600,000 cost-share = $3M), or is the cost-share amount added to the $3M ask?","Please see the table listed on pg. 31 of the FOA regarding proposed DOE funding (subject to the availability of the appropriated funds."]
[102,"2018-05-07","Technical Topics","In previous EERE FOA’s, there is typically a standard formula that is used to calculate levelized cost of electricity or energy storage costs for the given application. Is there such a formula that the EERE can provide for this FOA?","Please see Section I of the FOA regarding LCOE information."]
[103,"2018-05-06","Technical Topics","I had a question regarding references in the DE-FOA-0001840 FOA to Technology Readiness Levels.   The table from the FOA refers several times to “TRL 2-5”.  Is this TRL 2-5 a range referring to what DOE is looking for in a proposed project at the beginning of the proposed research program?     Or does it mean that the technology should advance from TRL 2 to TRL 5 during the course of the proposed research program?  ","Proposed projects should fall within range noted in the FOA."]
[104,"2018-05-08","Intellectual Property","Can you confirm what exactly the kind of statement your looking for? Pertaining to the statement, are there any restriction to technology or research being held confidential if were using federal grant dollars for the research and development? ","Please see Section VIII.I & J. of the FOA."]
[105,"2018-05-08","Cost Sharing","Can the cost share be split into different years of the fund duration or all cost-share funds have to be ready before the full proposal submission date?","Please see Appendix A of the FOA."]
[106,"2018-05-08","Application Content/Format","It is stated  in the call of DE-FOA-0001840, page 49,  that a PPT file template can be downloaded from EERE exchange. I had a hard time to find it. Your assistant is highly appreciated.","Please see the Required Application Documents link under the EERE Exchange FOA listing.  "]
[107,"2018-05-08","Application Reviews","Are there any PI/Co-PI eligibility restriction?","Please see Section V of the FOA regarding Application Review Information.  As the project team is a review criteria DOE is unable to advise how or with whom an applicant should structure their team."]
[108,"2018-05-07","Application Reviews","Is it possible to change our topic?","Yes, but when changing topic area's concept paper would need to re-opened.  By re-opening the status an applicant must re-submit their concept paper or it would be deemed non-compliant for not properly submitted the documentation.  "]
[109,"2018-05-08","Eligibility","I have a question about eligibility related to one term in your FOA. It is the case that some very large companies might find themselves a party to a law suit which ultimately leads to certain charges, which can even include felony charges, related to a wide range of unanticipated exposures, due to the nature of being in challenging industries like the electricity industry.  \n \nIn this case, if a potential party to our proposal were to have had a Felony verdict that was 2 years before the FOA Award Dates for this FOA (targeted to be September 2018, i.e. if such a determination occurred before September 2016), does that comply with the two year window requirement?","Under Section VI.B.vii.2.a of the FOA, applicants represent that no corporation that is part of the application was convicted of a felony in the 24 months preceding the date of the application.  This would preclude an applicant from being able to include a sub-applicant corporation that had been convicted of a Felony in the previous 24 months.  "]
[110,"2018-05-08","Application Content/Format","In the FOA instructions, \"SIPS applications must resubmit their LOI again as a concept paper\", plus a Summary Slide PPT.  However, the LOI submission was not an individual file that can be resubmitted/uploaded, but rather an EERE page where one entered text into boxes, etc.  Is it \nrecommended that SIPS applicants create a pdf of the pertinent information in the LOI and submit that, or print a pdf of the content in the \"General\" tab on the EERE Concept paper Details page, or something else?","A pdf version of the original LOI can be loaded in place on the concept paper in EERE Exchange."]
[111,"2018-05-09","Application Content/Format","The template for the summary slide has 2 years for milestones and deliverables, however Topic 4.1 has a performance period of up to three years. Should year three milestones and deliverables be included on the summary slide?","Additional row(s) may be added to accommodate additional years as needed."]
[112,"2018-05-08","Application Content/Format","In the FOA, full proposal undergo a down selection process after the concept paper:\n\nEERE makes an independent assessment of each Concept Paper based on the criteria in Section V.A.i of the FOA. EERE will encourage a subset of applicants to submit Full Applications.\n\nMy question is: Does this also apply to the SIPS proposals? I do not see that explicitly said and we want to know if we should be waiting for feedback before starting on the full proposal. ","Please see Section IV.D of the FOA regarding Content and From for SIPS Applications."]
[113,"2018-05-04","Eligibility","We are a registered US Corporation which is a subsidiary of a foreign company. I have a question related to the “Organization Type” dropdown menu in the application system.\n\nBoth our US Corporation and the parent Canadian company is small in terms of number of employees. But due to our foreign ownership, I am not sure what should we select for the Organization Type in your application system.","please visit https://www.sba.gov/size-standards/ to determine the proper type for your organization."]
[114,"2018-05-28","Application Content/Format","EERE Exchange lists the following as required documents for the Full Application\n• SF 424 Application (Last Updated: 3/15/2018 11:13 AM ET)  \n• Summary Slide Template (Last Updated: 3/15/2018 11:13 AM ET)  \n• SF LLL (Last Updated: 3/15/2018 11:14 AM ET)\nPlease confirm, only SF 424 Application is being required and not SF 424A 3YR budget?  I have been led to believe that SF-424A 3YR is a requirement of all EERE’s full applications.","Please see Section IV.E of the FOA."]
[115,"2018-05-30","Cost Sharing","If a company/business is a named partner to the project and a sub recipient to the grant/ cooperative agreement related to award as a result of this FOA, can the sub-recipient/business partner provide cost share to the project?  Also would like clarification that if a business group/service provider is NOT named in the proposal and that service would be subject to a vendor solicitation/bid process, that this business would NOT be able to provide cost share to the project, even if they have listed prices. Is this correct? ","Please see Section III.B of the FOA regarding Cost Share."]
[116,"2018-05-30","Cost Sharing","I am helping to prepare an application in response to DE-FOA-0001840 (CFDA 81.087), Topic 3.4 “Innovative Pathways: Photovoltaics.” My question concerns the cost-share requirement—in the past I seem to recall that the cost share requirement was waived if the applicant organization was a Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education. UT Austin is that type of organization—would we be required to contribute 20% cost-share or would that requirement be waived?","Please see Section III.B of the FOA regarding Cost Share."]
[117,"2018-06-01","Application Content/Format","We had submitted a SIPS Concept Paper earlier this month. Do we require DOE approval before proceeding with uploading of the SIPS application?","No"]
[118,"2018-06-01","Application Content/Format","I looked at the instructions for the full proposal.  I don’t see a request for a complete, itemized budget anywhere (e.g., no SF-424A).  Is this correct?  My understanding is that the budget information required on the cover page is an overall summary for the entire award period.  ","Please see Section IV.E.ii of the FOA."]
[119,"2018-06-03","Eligibility","I wanted to know if a Indian based start-up which has started the registeration process to settle up in US is eligible for the call?","Please see Section III.A.iii of the FOA."]
[120,"2018-06-06","Eligibility","We are working on submitting for DE-FOA-0001840 and we wanted to inquire about citizenship. Specifically as it pertains to the language from page 35. Does the PI of the prime of sub recipient need to be a U.S. citizen, or does that just apply to those that are submitting as individuals and not as a part of a domestic entity?","Please see Section IV.L.vii of the FOA."]
[121,"2018-06-06","Application Content/Format","I write for a clarification on whether the university should include, in the proposal budget, the overhead on FFRDC (similar to what we typically do on a regular subaward for the first 25K) even though a FFRDC is not really a subrecipient because the resulting award will usually exclude the FFRDC portion of the funding?","Please see Section III E of the FOA."]
[122,"2018-06-06","Application Reviews","I received this confirmation of decision about my Concept Paper, and I just wanted to ask about what my response means. I logged on to my account, and I was wondering if you could let me know what ‘non responsive’ means as a decision in this process. Does it mean that I am waiting on a response?","Please see Section III of the FOA."]
[123,"2018-06-06","Due Dates","Please extend the FOA submission date to July 19, 2018, 4 weeks is a very tight schedule to adequately submit a complete proposal package. ","No further extensions will be provide due to the Government Fiscal Year End deadline."]
[124,"2018-06-06","Application Content/Format","I’m planning to submit a SIPS application by the July 5 deadline. What exactly is required for the full SIPS application due July 5? When I click “Start Full Application” from the EERE Exchange portal for my concept paper, the application website lists the items shown in the attached “Full Application website” screenshot. However, the FOA (pgs. 51-54) for SIPS Full Application only calls for a summary slide and a 4 pg. document. Are the other documents shown on the web interface (SF-424 and SF-LLL) required as well for SIPS?","Please see Section IV.D of the FOA regarding Content and From for SIPS Applications."]
[125,"2018-06-06","Cost Sharing","We received Concept Paper comments that state: \"Despite using..., the DOE project funds (both federal and cost share) could not be used for…\"  Perhaps our word choices in the brief Concept Paper were over-simplified.  To clarify, rather than funding “...,” can we use these DOE funds passed through to the..., if the funding is framed and administered as a cost reimbursable subaward to ... - thereby restricted to allowable, reasonable and allocable costs for the project?","Please see Section IV.L.i of the FOA."]
[126,"2018-06-06","Application Content/Format","I could not find any specific reviewer comments associated with my application on the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange, and just would like to double check if there is no comments/concerns to address while preparing the full application. Could you kindly look into this and let me know?","Please see Section III.C.i regarding Reply to Reviewer comments."]
[127,"2018-06-08","Eligibility","I just learned, when visiting the website, that due to an unfortunate clerical error our team uploaded the wrong file for Concept Paper 1840-***, with a number that didn’t match. \n \nDoes this technically disqualify us from submitting a full proposal? ","Please review the concept paper review results posted in EERE Exchange."]
[128,"2018-06-07","Application Content/Format","The applicant feels they can adequately address the \"weaknesses\" listed by the concept paper reviewers in their full application.  Have there been many applications for the SETO program funded in the past despite their concept papers labeled as \"discouraged\"?","Please see Section IV.C of the FOA."]
[129,"2018-06-11","Application Content/Format","Can the budget be different between the concept paper and the full \napplication but within the FOA guidelines?","Yes"]
[130,"2018-06-11","Application Content/Format","In this FOA (FOA Number: DE-FOA-0001840), under Section III.A.ii. Domestic Entities, it says \"DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are eligible to apply for funding as a Subrecipient (receiving up to 49.9% of the award funding) but not as a Prime Recipient.\" I am asking if the FFRDCs can receive up to 49.9% of the federal share only, or 49.9% of the total funding (federal share + non-federal share)?","Award funding consists of Federal and cost share fundings."]
[131,"2018-06-12","Application Content/Format","With the reduction in the project description page limit for SIPS from 4 to 3 pages, do references continue to count (endnotes/footnotes) toward the 3 page maximum?","Please see Section IV.A of the FOA."]
[132,"2018-06-12","Due Dates","Could you please verify the earliest possible start date for funding under this FOA?","Award start dates will be determined once award selections are made."]
[133,"2018-06-12","Cost Sharing","We are a large business with technical teams in another country. Our team in another country is willing to support us by providing internal funds to support the project. We may propose to use their labor dollars as in-kind cost share. Will this be allowable or will we need to submit a waiver request?","Please see Section III.B of the FOA."]
[134,"2018-06-14","Application Content/Format","Our concept paper (Topic 2.1) requested for a budget of $300 K (DOE Funds) plus the 20% cost share (Institute Funds). However on page 36 of the Modified document DE-FOA-0001840, FOA Type: Modification 00002, the budget has been revised to $400K/award. Can we revise the budget request from $300 K to $400 K (DOE funds) while submitting the full proposal?  ","Please review the Modification table listed on page 3 of the FOA."]
[135,"2018-06-08","Labs/FFRDCs","In the Concept paper we had 70% us and 30% FFRDC.  Is it acceptable to get rid of FFRDC and make us 100% for the full application?","Level of effort by different team members may be changed between the Concept Paper and Full Application Phases."]
[136,"2018-06-14","Labs/FFRDCs","We are submitting a full proposal on DE-FOA-001840.  As one of our subcontractors, we are in collaboration with an FFRDC.  The FFRDC is part of U.S. Department of Energy, and therefore can not legally provide cost share.  As the prime on this project, are we obligated to cover the cost share component on their portion of the award, or is there an opportunity to forgo the portion of the cost share that is budgeted to the FFRDC?","Please see Section III.B of the FOA.  Note that the prime recipient is responsible for meeting all cost share on the project, whether they provide the cost share or cost share partners assist in providing the cost share."]
[137,"2018-06-15","Application Content/Format","The following information about award size is listed under Topic 3.4: Innovative Pathways  of DE-FOA-0001840.\n$4M\n$1. 5M/award \n3 years\n4 awards\nThis appears as if the size of each individual award has been revised upwards from $1M (as described in previous versions of the FOA), but the total award amount for the Topic has not been revised (math doesn't work out, 1.5M multiplied by 4 awards equals $6M total funding, not $4M)\nCan you please clarify the size of individual awards and total funding allocated?","Please see Section II.A.i of the FOA "]
[138,"2018-06-15","Application Content/Format","At this moment the Co-PI cannot continue for submitting the full proposal. Would it be possible to submit the proposal alone as a PI?","As the project team is used as a review criteria it is up to the recipient to determine how their team is constructed."]
[139,"2018-06-17","Application Content/Format","We had put a budget of $1.2 M +$300k cost share in the concept paper.  The updated FOA clearly shows the DOE share can move up to $1.5 M.  I want to ask whether we can increase the budget to  $1.35 M DOE Share)+$337.5k cost share?  Will this be negatively reviewed? ","Please see Section II.A.i of the FOA "]
[140,"2018-06-18","Application Content/Format","Can the organization that submitted an encouraged Concept Paper and an organization listed in that application as a Team Member switch roles for the subsequent full application?  ","Yes"]
[141,"2018-06-18","Application Content/Format","Regarding the title of our full SIPS application. For the full proposal, would we be allowed to make a small change to the title from what we submitted at the concept paper phase? This would be a small change, not a complete change in title.","Yes"]
[142,"2018-06-18","Application Content/Format","Are SF-LLLs required from FFRDC subrecipients for this announcement?","Please see Section IV.E.vi of the FOA."]
[143,"2018-06-14","Application Content/Format","The proposal requests asks for high level budget information (Personnel, Fringe, Travel, Supplies, Contractual, other) , providing an estimated breakdown for the project, separated by “Teaming Partners”.\n\nHow is “Teaming Partner” defined and is there a budget dollar threshold to which this applied?\n\nTypically, we have provided this information for Sub Recipients (Not Contractors or FFRDC’s) when their share of the budget was greater than $250,000.","Please see IV.E of the FOA regarding Full Application content.  It as the applicant's descression as to how much detail to include in the application package as long as all requirements of the FOA are met."]
[144,"2018-06-18","Application Content/Format","Is there any chance to have a nonfunded foreign collaborator? If yes, how we can add the nonfunded foreign collaborator?","All team members should be included in the statement of work and thereby the budget."]
[145,"2018-06-19","Technical Topics","In the concept paper I put  Topic 3.4 by a mistake, although I actually had Topic  3.3 in my mind.   I am wondering if we can change the topic area in the full application?","Yes, applications may change topic areas (and sub-topics) between the concept paper and full application phase."]
[146,"2018-06-19","Application Content/Format","Does Prime Recipient or Subrecipients also has to fill out SF-424 form?","Please see Section IV.E of the FOA."]
[147,"2018-06-19","Application Content/Format","Should applicants submit the form SF LLL if we do not lobby?","Please see Section IV.E.vi of the FOA."]
[148,"2018-06-20","Cost Sharing","Would our image data be allowable as cost share? We have data that we feel could benefit our project\nIf image data is allowable as cost share, would you be able to provide some guidance on how to appropriately price the data as cost share.","In-kind contributions are those where a value of the contribution can be readily determined, verified and justified. See 2 CFR 200.306 for additional information."]
[149,"2018-06-20","Application Content/Format","Are we required to submit a table of contents in the Full Application?  ","Although not required it is up to the applicant to determine the content of their Technical Volume.  As noted there is no strict page limit on sections."]
[150,"2018-06-20","Application Content/Format","I need to know if the 200K maximum only includes direct costs or does the maximum both indirect and direct costs.","Please see Section II.A.i of the FOA, in addtion budget content is noted in Section IV.E.ii."]
[151,"2018-06-21","Application Content/Format","Do I understand correctly that the list of references to the scientific literature do not count in the page limit for the technical volume of topic 3.1 but do count in the page limit for topic 3.2?","Please see Section IV.A of the FOA."]
[152,"2018-06-21","Application Content/Format","Does this list of certifications and assurances need to be filled out, signed and attached appended to the SF 424 pdf?  ","Please see Section IV.E.iii of the FOA.  Note that the required documents/templates for submission are posted on EERE Exchange."]
[153,"2018-06-22","Cost Sharing","Must the recipient provide working capital to pay for a project task or asset in full, and then request the 80% cost share after the work is completed?  Or, is the Federal matching portion paid to the recipient according to the project schedule,  to fund these tasks or assets in advance of receiving the bill from the service provider or vendor?","Federal funds are paid once a recipient submits for reimbursement via invoice.  That invoice should show costs incurred and that proper cost share has been met for that invoice."]
[154,"2018-06-22","Application Content/Format","Please advise about what words to use for the item #7, “Federal Program Name/Description.   Also, am I correct to assume that for item # 8, Federal Action Number I use DE-FOA-0001840?","Please see the FOA title and #."]
[155,"2018-06-19","Application Content/Format","We are thrilled to see that we are encouraged to submit a Full Application under DE-FOA-0001840. Upon reviewing the required documents, I have a small question: \n- On the FOA page on eere-exchange.energy.gov, under the ‘Required Application Documents’, the embedded SF LLL template has an ID number (on top right) 0348-0046.\n- On Grants.gov, under SF-424 Family, the SF LLL document has an ID number (on top right) 4040-0013. \n- According to Form Items Description (FID) for SF-LLL on Grants.gov, the form 0348-0046 appears as ‘inactive’ while the form 4040-0013 is in ‘active’ status. \nWhat is the correct form needed, 0348-0046 or 4040-0013?","Please see EERE Exchange."]
[156,"2018-06-22","Cost Sharing","We are applying for topic 3.1. There is a 20% cost share and the award is 200k. Does the 20% cost share count towards the 200k award. I.E. would we be requesting 160K and 40K would be cost share, or can we request 200k and just need to show that at least 20% (40k) of our budget is going to be cost shared, which would technically show a total of 240k?","Please see Section II.A of the FOA"]
[157,"2018-06-25","Application Content/Format","Could you please clarify whether or not our project team including the prime and sub-recipients needs to complete the Form 4600 budget breakdown for DE-FOA-0001840?  It is not listed under the required documents but is usually required.","Please see Section IV of the FOA for Application and Submission Information."]
[158,"2018-06-25","Eligibility","We have submitting a concept paper to topic 3.3 but were discouraged to apply for full application. However, reviews were very encouraging and we are now considering re-submitting a revised project to topic 3.1 SIPS. On the EERE exchange submission page, I am able to change the topic from 3.3 to 3.1, so it appears that submitting my previous LIO and subsequent concept paper for topic 3.3 could allow me to apply to 3.1, even though we have not specifically re-submitted a LOI for this topic, as requested on the FOA.  Will our proposal be considered for topic 3.1 even though our initial LOI was for a different one?","Applicants may change topic area's between concept paper and full application phase."]
[159,"2018-06-25","Due Dates","Did the official deadline to submit the full proposal change from June 26th to July 5th, 2018? ","Please review the dates listed in EERE Exchange and the FOA for all FOA deadlines."]
[160,"2018-06-25","Application Content/Format","For the Full SIPS application, do we need to submit a concept paper as described in section IV.D? The https://eere-exchange.energy.gov website has just tabs to upload a technical volume 1 and summary slide.","Please review Section IV of the FOA for Application and Submission Information on Full and SIPS Applications."]
[161,"2018-06-24","Application Content/Format"," I am looking at the latest revision of the FY18 SETO DE-FOA-0001840 FOA (Mod 2) and was surprised to see that the maximum page length of the Project Description for the SIPS application was recently reduced by 1 page to 3 pages (noted on page 53).  Additionally, I notice that on page 46 it states that “References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.”  However, on page 53, for the SIPS application instructions, it states that “In addition, an unlimited number of reference pages, one page letters of support and/or 1 page resumes of project participants may be submitted but are not required.”  This makes it sounds like references, in the form of endnotes, are not included in the 3 page limit.  Which is the correct interpretation? ","The reference pages noted on page 53 refer to one page letters of support and/or 1 page resumes, while page 46 notes that references for those noted in the application must be included in the footnotes or endnotes and will count towards to the page limit."]
[162,"2018-06-25","Labs/FFRDCs","Can you please elaborate on the letter commitment requirement as a Lab and subrecipient in the FOA 1840?   In the itemizes Technical Volume section (page 61), it states the following:  \nApplicants should attach letters of commitment from all Subrecipient/third party cost share providers as an appendix\n\nSince FFRDCs aren’t providing cost share, do we need to provide a letter of commitment?  \n    \ni. Cost Share Contributions by FFRDCs \nBecause FFRDCs are funded by the Federal Government, costs incurred by FFRDCs generally may not be used to meet the cost share requirement. FFRDCs may contribute cost share only if the contributions are paid directly from the contractor’s Management Fee or another non-Federal source.\n\nAdditionally, there is also information regarding letter of commitment on page 13 (or 19) & 22 (or 28), which has a different description to use for letter of commitments.  As a sub, laboratory personnel (and possibly facilities), will be used. \nThe DOE National Laboratories (http://energy.gov/maps/doe-national-laboratories) provide unique capabilities, such as the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF)[1] and development of the System Advisory Model (SAM).[2] As appropriate and needed, applicants may design a  statement of project objectives (SOPO)  that takes advantage of unique DOE facilities and capabilities. In such cases, justified SOPOs and clear budgets must be developed in consultation with the relevant National Laboratory, and the Applications must include a letter of commitment from the concerned National Laboratory, confirming the proposed budget, scope, and availability of the facilities and/or laboratory personnel to complete the proposed work within the proposed project schedule. Note that collaboration with or the use of facilities at a DOE National Laboratory is not a requirement for Application to this FOA; Applications will be evaluated on their own merit as per the criteria set forth in this FOA.","Please review Section IV.E of the FOA for requirements.  Note that Letters of Comittment are addressed on page 61 regarding appendices, and Section IV.E.v regarding FFRDC Authorizations."]
[163,"2018-06-25","Labs/FFRDCs","Does  “award amount” refer to the amount of funding DOE provides, or to the total project cost including cost share?","Please see Section III.E of the FOA."]
[164,"2018-06-26","Cost Sharing","We would like to request your help to clarify the In-Kind meaning of services before we submit application for DE-FOA-0001840 to which the deadline on July 05, 2018.\n\nWe are planning to have our PI and Co- PI to work some times on the project without pay, would the In-Kind value be OK based on time and rate that is not paid out?","Please review 2 CFR 200.306 regarding cost sharing.  Of note employees may not donate unpaid time as by Department of Labor regulation employees must be paid for time worked."]
[165,"2018-06-26","Due Dates","If i missed the May 5th date, can I still apply by July 5th deadline?","Please see Section III.C of the FOA."]
[166,"2018-06-26","Cost Sharing","Please confirm that the allowable F&A for this program is our federally negotiated rate. I do not see any kind of statement in the RFP that refers to F&A thresholds.","Please see Section III.B of the FOA."]
[167,"2018-06-27","Application Content/Format","What is the length for Full Proposal for SIPS application (due on July 5, 2018)?  Is it 1 cover page + 3 pages Project Description + 1 Summary Slide (as indicated in Section IV D)? Or is it 15 pages of Technical Volume as indicated in section IV E? ","Please see Section IV.D of the FOA."]
[168,"2018-06-27","Application Content/Format","EERE Exchange won’t let me submit my SIPS proposal unless I include SF-424 and SF-LLL forms. My question is: Do I need to provide SF-424 and SF-LLL forms for submitting my SIPS proposal?","The SF-424 and SF-LLL are required documents for both SIPS and Full Applications. "]
[169,"2018-06-28","Application Content/Format","Does a SIPS Full Application require a SOPO and a detailed budget? I don't see those listed in the Required Document lists.","Please see Section IV.D of the FOA for SIPS Application requirements."]
[170,"2018-06-29","Application Content/Format","For a SIPS application (subtopic 3.1), I would like to include mention in the proposal statement of work of a foreign collaborator who is interested in helping with a measurement.  They will provide a letter of support (indicating their interest in collaborating), which will be attached to the proposal.  These collaborators will not be official team members in the project and no funding will go to them.  Given these facts, is it necessary to include a \"Performance of Work in the United States\" waiver as mentioned in Appendix C of the FOA?   ","In order for an entity to partcipate they would need to be listed as part of the scope of work.  As part of the scope of work an entity would be subject to the Performance of Work in the US requirements."]
[171,"2018-06-28","Application Content/Format","Do we include costs for participating FFRDCs in our SF424 form?  On the \"Other\" line, tab f-K?","this would be acceptable."]
[172]
[173]
[174]
[175]

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