The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (SC) is accepting Letters of Intent for its Research, Development, and Training in Isotope Production.
Donor Name: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/05/2023
Size of the Grant: $750,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
The DOE SC program in Isotope R&D and Production, referred to as the DOE Isotope Program (DOE IP), hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for Research and Development (R&D) on high priority topics, as described within, related to increasing availability of radioactive and stable isotopes in short supply. The proposed R&D should generate data and/or technology complementary to and not duplicative of those that exist or are currently funded. Applications incorporating effective ways to diversify and train the next generation of personnel with essential knowledge and skills related to the production, processing, and purification of radioactive and enriched stable isotopes are strongly encouraged.
The mission of the DOE IP is to produce and distribute critical radioactive and enriched stable isotopes that are in short supply or not produced in the U.S. The DOE IP ensures national preparedness for isotope production and distribution by maintaining mission readiness of relevant national infrastructure and core competencies to ensure functionality even during times of national crisis; conducts advanced R&D to develop innovative technology and advanced radiochemical separations and purifications; and mitigates U.S. dependence on foreign supplies of isotopes to ensure robust domestic supply chains. The DOE IP incorporates core competencies of many scientific areas including, but not limited to nuclear and radiochemistry, nuclear physics, accelerator and nuclear reactor science, materials science and engineering, separations science, and nuclear data.
Isotopes are high-priority commodities of strategic importance for the Nation and are essential in medical diagnosis and treatment, discovery science, national security, industrial processes, advanced manufacturing, space exploration, communications, biology, archaeology, quantum information science, clean energy, environmental science, and other fields. Isotopes can directly enable emerging technologies and contribute to the economic, technical, and scientific strength of the United States. The DOE IP makes isotopes available to the Nation through the capabilities of particle accelerator, nuclear reactor, enrichment, and radiochemical processing facilities throughout the national laboratory complex and at universities. Unique facilities utilized by the DOE IP are located at Argonne, Brookhaven, Idaho, Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, and Savannah River National Laboratories. University resources are located at five domestic universities (University of Alabama at Birmingham, Michigan State University, University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Washington-Seattle, and University of Wisconsin-Madison)
The R&D topics of highest interest to DOE IP under this FOA are:
- Novel or improved capabilities for inducing transmutation of atoms in targets to produce high priority radioisotopes, including isotopes not yet produced domestically, such as C14 and Ir-192;
- Research on particle beam sources and small, compact accelerators for production and distribution of isotopes;
- Development of novel or improved radioisotope generator systems, especially platform technologies having potential for applicability to multiple radioisotopes, and/or that offer improved efficiency and reliability;
- Techniques or concepts to efficiently recover critical isotopes , or their complex mixtures, from energy or mining wastes, or fission/activation products in irradiated materials;
- Research and development of automation, advanced manufacturing, AI/ML and/or robotics that would lead to advancement of production and processing techniques, targetry, and/or enhancement of facilities to increase the efficiency and/or safety of radioisotope production and/or processing; and
- Development of concepts and/or techniques to produce enriched stable isotopes of hydrogen (H-2 or deuterium) and other isotopes relevant to advanced nuclear fission and fusion energy fuel cycles especially He-3, Cl-37, and Li-7
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $10,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $750,000
- Award Floor: $100,000
Project Period
DOE anticipates making awards with a project period of 2 years.
Eligible Applicants
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Additional Information on Eligibility
The national interest in isotope production requires limiting eligibility under this FOA to domestic organizations. The efforts in training and future workforce development are uniquely concentrated in institutions of higher education, closely associated nonprofit organizations, and DOE/NNSA National Laboratories at which undergraduate and graduate students may conduct research while enrolled in a degree-granting course of study. DOE IP does not compete with the private sector in the sale of isotope products and provides funding opportunities for commercial entities through other DOE Office of Science funding mechanisms. Therefore, in accordance with, eligibility for award is restricted to DOE/NNSA National Laboratories, domestic institutions of higher education and non-profit research organizations, except nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995. For-profit entities are prohibited from submitting applications under this FOA, though they may be included as subrecipients.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
