FEDERAL AGENCY:

NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

AUTHORIZATION:

Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, Section 3157, Public Law 101-189, 103 Stat. 1684, 42 U.S.C. 2051; Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, Title I, Section 107, Public Law 93-438; 88 Stat. 1240, 42 U.S.C. 5817; Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-577; Department of Energy (DOE) Organization Act of 1977, as amended, Public Law 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101; Public Law 106-65; National Defense Authorization Act of 2000.

To conduct basic and applied research and development that enhances U.S. national security and reduces the global danger from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and special nuclear materials through needs-driven research and development. The emphasis is on developing the requisite technologies to detect and deter nuclear proliferation, to meet U.S. nuclear explosion monitoring goals, and to develop and demonstrate chemical and biological detection and related technologies to enable the U.S. to better prepare for and respond to domestic chemical and biological attacks.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

Applicant Eligibility: Universities (public and private), institutions of higher education with postdoctoral programs, and nonprofit non-government organizations (public and private) whose activities benefit the general public through results which are available to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), other U.S. government agencies, and universities and institutions of higher learning may apply.

Beneficiary Eligibility: The NNSA, other U.S. government agencies, universities and institutions of higher learning will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation: Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-21 for institutions of higher learning. Non-government organizations will have nonprofit status certified by the IRS.

Preapplication Coordination: Informal communication should be addressed to the sponsoring Headquarters Program Office listed below before preparing a detailed formal application. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 are preferred; however, a technical proposal and a detailed cost estimate of less than 20 pages will be accepted. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure: Unsolicited proposals and formal application by a scientist or principal investigator who will conduct or lead the research team should be submitted to the NNSA Headquarters Office. Proposals should be submitted to: Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering (NN-20), Office of Defense Nuclear, NNSA, Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585.

Award Procedure: Evaluations will be conducted by technical staff assigned to the Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering or at the DOE national laboratories. Final decisions for approval are made by the cognizant program director. DOE/NNSA Headquarters Procurement or Operations Offices are then instructed to negotiate and prepare the grant award documents. Program director responsibilities may be delegated as a whole or in part to DOE Operations Offices.

Deadlines: None.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: The range is from 60 to 90 days.

Appeals: None.

Renewals: Grants will be modified and extended as required. Renewals are subject to an annual review by the Headquarters and/or Operations program office.

Formula and Matching Requirements: There is no mandatory cost- sharing requirement.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: The grant period is for up to 3 years depending upon available appropriations. The schedule of payments is arranged at the time of award.

Reports: Quarterly Progress status reports and an end of project report are required.

Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records: None.

Account Identification: 89-0243-0-1-053.

Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $1,489,000; FY 02 est $1,500,000; and FY 03 est $1,500,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance: The typical range is from $10,000 to $250,000 per year; however, some grants may be greater.

The results and accomplishments from basic and applied research and development performed under these grants are reported in the open scientific literature. University research may be integrated with ongoing research and development programs at the DOE national laboratories which will facilitate access to and use of special facilities and equipment. The objective of these grants is to advance the state of knowledge on science and technology. The final product may lead to improved or new commercial products to ensure availability to the U.S. arms control and nonproliferation community. It is expected that less than 20 grants will be awarded per year.

None.

Regional or Local Office: Not applicable.

Headquarters Office: Michael O'Connell, Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering (NN-20), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, NNSA, Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: (202) 586-2400.

Web Site Address:  http://www.nn.doe.gov/nn20hm.htm.

Grants have been awarded to conduct research on: (1) Hyperspectral data analysis techniques for airborne detection systems; (2) improving Cadmium Zinc Telluride as a nuclear detector; (3) investigating signal classification algorithms for advanced Field Deployable Gate Array and Digital Signal Processing Chips; and (4) seismic research to improve detection, location, and discrimination of nuclear explosions.

The selection process will be determined on the following criteria: 1) Potential impact of proposed work; 2) technical merit; 3) qualifications of the proposed investigators; and 4) available resources.