Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003313
The Fiscal Year 2025 University Reactor Sharing and Outreach funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003313) is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Idaho Field Office. It focuses on expanding access to university research reactor resources and expertise so that more students, faculty, and community members can benefit from hands-on exposure to nuclear science and engineering, even when their home institutions do not own or operate a research reactor.
At its core, the program is designed to strengthen nuclear science and engineering instruction at colleges and universities that do not have their own research reactors, described in the announcement as "User Institutions." The intent is to help these schools meaningfully incorporate reactor-supported learning into their curricula, which can include laboratory experiences, demonstrations, experimental activities, or other reactor-enabled educational components that would otherwise be unavailable. The broader idea is to raise the quality and depth of nuclear education nationwide by reducing barriers to specialized facilities.
A second major aim is to increase collaboration opportunities among faculty and students in nuclear science and engineering. This includes encouraging partnerships between reactor-owning universities and User Institutions, enabling shared teaching activities, joint projects, coordinated reactor use for course modules, and cross-institution mentorship. The program emphasizes the value of building networks that connect students and instructors to reactor operators and nuclear experts, helping to develop practical skills and professional pathways that are difficult to cultivate without direct facility access.
The opportunity also places clear emphasis on outreach and public education. It seeks to improve community awareness and understanding of nuclear science, engineering, and technology through research reactor visits and other outreach activities. In practice, this could involve organized tours, demonstrations, public-facing educational events, or similar experiences that demystify nuclear technology and provide accurate, accessible information. The purpose is not only to support formal academic training, but also to broaden general awareness and informed dialogue about nuclear science and its applications.
Another prominent objective is engagement with historically underrepresented communities in STEM. The announcement explicitly calls for efforts that promote nuclear science, engineering, and technology as a way to educate and recruit the next generation nuclear energy workforce. This reflects a workforce development goal: expanding the pipeline of future nuclear professionals by reaching students and communities that have traditionally had fewer opportunities or less exposure to nuclear fields, and by creating approachable entry points through education, outreach, and experiential learning.
In terms of eligibility and basic award structure, the program is open to both public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. The funding instrument is a grant, categorized under the Energy funding activity area, with the associated CFDA number listed as 81.121. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $200,000, and the agency anticipates making about five awards under this announcement. The original application closing date is October 16, 2024, and the opportunity record indicates a creation date of August 15, 2024.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted education-and-access program: it supports reactor sharing arrangements and related outreach so that non-reactor universities can enhance instruction, students and faculty can collaborate across institutions, communities can gain direct exposure to nuclear science through visits and events, and underrepresented groups in STEM can be more intentionally engaged as part of long-term nuclear workforce development.Apply for DE FOA 0003313
- The Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2025 University Reactor Sharing and Outreach" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.121.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Fiscal Year 2025 University Reactor Sharing and Outreach funding opportunity?
The Fiscal Year 2025 University Reactor Sharing and Outreach funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003313) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Idaho Field Office. It is intended to expand access to university research reactor resources and expertise so more students, faculty, and community members can benefit from hands-on exposure to nuclear science and engineering.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program is designed to strengthen nuclear science and engineering instruction nationwide by reducing barriers to specialized facilities. A key focus is helping colleges and universities that do not own or operate research reactors incorporate reactor-supported learning into their curricula.
Who administers this grant program?
This funding opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Idaho Field Office.
What is the FOA number for this opportunity?
The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number is DE-FOA-0003313.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
Is this a discretionary grant program?
Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant program.
What is the funding activity area for this grant?
The funding activity area is Energy.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The announcement lists the CFDA number as 81.121.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
What are "User Institutions" in the context of this FOA?
"User Institutions" are colleges and universities that do not have their own research reactors. The program aims to help these institutions strengthen instruction by incorporating reactor-supported learning experiences that would otherwise be unavailable.
How does the program help institutions that do not have a research reactor?
It supports expanding access to research reactor resources and expertise so that non-reactor institutions can incorporate reactor-enabled educational components into coursework, labs, demonstrations, and other instructional activities.
What kinds of educational activities does the program intend to support?
The FOA highlights reactor-supported learning that can be incorporated into curricula, including laboratory experiences, demonstrations, experimental activities, and other reactor-enabled educational components.
Does the program support collaboration between institutions?
Yes. A major aim is to increase collaboration opportunities among faculty and students in nuclear science and engineering, including partnerships between reactor-owning universities and User Institutions.
What forms of collaboration are encouraged?
The FOA describes collaborations such as shared teaching activities, joint projects, coordinated reactor use for course modules, and cross-institution mentorship that connects students and instructors to reactor operators and nuclear experts.
Is outreach and public education part of the program goals?
Yes. The opportunity places clear emphasis on outreach and public education to improve community awareness and understanding of nuclear science, engineering, and technology.
What outreach activities are mentioned in the announcement?
Examples described include research reactor visits and other outreach activities such as organized tours, demonstrations, and public-facing educational events intended to provide accurate, accessible information and broaden informed dialogue about nuclear technology.
Does the program emphasize engagement with underrepresented communities in STEM?
Yes. The announcement explicitly calls for efforts that engage historically underrepresented communities in STEM as part of educating and recruiting the next generation nuclear energy workforce.
How does this FOA connect to workforce development?
The FOA frames engagement and outreach as a way to expand the pipeline of future nuclear professionals by creating approachable entry points through education, outreach, and experiential learning, especially for communities that have traditionally had fewer opportunities or less exposure to nuclear fields.
What is the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $200,000.
How many awards does DOE anticipate making?
The agency anticipates making about five awards under this announcement.
What is the application closing date?
The original application closing date is October 16, 2024.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity record indicates a creation date of August 15, 2024.
What is the overall goal of reactor sharing in this FOA?
Reactor sharing is presented as a way to expand access to reactor resources and expertise so that students and faculty at institutions without reactors can gain hands-on exposure and improve the quality and depth of nuclear education.
What audiences are expected to benefit from this program?
The FOA emphasizes benefits for students and faculty, and also highlights community members through outreach and public education activities tied to research reactor visits and events.
What makes this FOA distinct from a purely research-focused opportunity?
The announcement reads as a targeted education-and-access program. It emphasizes instruction, hands-on learning, inter-institution collaboration, public outreach, and workforce development rather than positioning the program as primarily research-driven.
What is the intended impact on nuclear education nationwide?
The program aims to raise the quality and depth of nuclear education by reducing access barriers to specialized reactor facilities, enabling more institutions to meaningfully incorporate reactor-supported learning experiences.
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