Nuclear Energy Research, Development and Demonstration

(NE RD&D)
CFDA 81.121 Active Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements)

Program Funding

Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.

Latest annual funding (estimated)
$180M FY2025
$136.1M
FY16
$158.8M
FY17
$167.9M
FY18
$156M
FY19
$81M
FY20
$553M
FY21
$186.5M
FY22
$973.3M
FY23
$531.7M
FY24*
$180M
FY25*
* estimated

Who has received this funding

Organizations awarded under CFDA 81.121 (USAspending.gov).

Funded Projects

Examples of what this program has supported.

FY2024 Over $44,000,000 were awarded to universities supporting the Nuclear Energy University Program.

Program Objective

The Department of Energy (DOE) promotes nuclear energy as a resource capable of meeting the nation's energy, environmental, and national security needs by resolving technical, cost, safety, security, and proliferation resistance through research, development and demonstration at our national laboratories, universities and colleges, and U.S. industry. Our financial assistance programs play a key role in helping the DOE accomplish its mission of leading the nation's investment in the development and exploration of advanced nuclear technology and its underlying sciences. With this financial assistance, DOE strives to stimulate nuclear science and engineering education through support of advanced research and by training the next generation nuclear energy workforce, while seeking to align the nuclear energy research being conducted at U.S. colleges and universities with DOE’s mission and goals.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

  • Federal
  • State governments
  • Local governments
  • Public nonprofits
  • Other public organizations
  • Federally recognized tribes
  • Individuals / families
  • Minority groups
  • Specialized groups
  • Small businesses
  • For-profit organizations
  • Private nonprofits
  • Other private organizations
  • State
  • Anyone / general public
  • Native American organizations

Federal, State, local governments, universities, consortia, nonprofit institutions, commercial corporations, and individuals may apply.

Beneficiaries

  • 16
  • 4
  • 5
  • 7

Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, joint venture, institution of higher education, or nonprofit organization will benefit.

How to Apply

Application Procedure

DOE solicitations (FOAs) set forth award procedures. Refer to the individual FOAs published on Grants.gov and NEUP.gov. For additional information, see the DOE, Office of Nuclear Energy website at http://energy.gov/ne/office-nuclear-energy.

Applications are submitted through Grants.gov or NEUP.gov as directed in the individual FOA.

Award Procedure

DOE solicitations set forth award procedures. Applications will receive an objective merit review. The objective merit review will be based on evaluation criteria set forth in the competitive solicitation. Evaluations will be coordinated by a Merit Review Chair and conducted by a review board. This responsibility will be performed by the Office of Nuclear Energy or delegated to a DOE Operations Office. Final decisions will be made by the approved Program Officer or delegated Source Selection Official. For additional information, please refer to www.ne.doe.gov or NEUP.gov.

Deadlines for submissions will be posted in the individual funding opportunities posted at http://www.grants.gov and NEUP.gov.

Per funding opportunity posted, a range of approval/disapproval time will be described.

Program details & compliance

Description

Office of Nuclear Energy Assistance Listing is aimed at educating the public on the funding opportunities offered by the DOE related to nuclear energy R&D, science, technology, and related fields, and how these funding opportunities play a key role in helping the DOE accomplish its mission of leading the nation’s investment in the development and exploration of advanced nuclear technology and its underlying sciences, as well as stimulating the next generation nuclear energy workforce.

Use of Funds

Allowed Uses

Financial assistance, opportunities are defined in individual solicitations available on the DOE website, NEUP.gov, or Grants.gov. Notices published on Grants.gov define research, development, and demonstration areas that the Department intends to support such as: advanced reactors, fuel and reactor concepts that minimize proliferation risks, nuclear fuel and fuel cycles, advanced instrumentation, controls, simulation, modeling and analyses, nuclear waste management, construction, manufacturing and fabrication technologies, and related fundamental nuclear science areas in materials, reactor physics, chemistry, radiochemistry, health physics, and thermal hydraulics and fluid dynamics. Notices published on Grants.gov define development or demonstration projects and study areas activities that the Department intends to support such as: advanced designs, technologies or techniques, new regulatory or licensing requirements, and economic analyses. For a given solicitation, financial assistance may be available in whole or in part, for the following in support of nuclear energy research and related fields in development and demonstration activities: salaries, materials and supplies, equipment, travel, publication costs, subcontractor and supporting costs required for technical activities, market analyses, financing plans and other activities necessary to achieve the objective. Restrictions on use of funds depend on solicitation and award provisions.

Required Documentation

Costs will be determined in accordance with 2 CFR 200, and as amended by 910.

Reporting & Compliance

Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts

  • Subpart B — General Provisions
  • Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart E — Cost Principles
  • Subpart F — Audit Requirements

Contacts

Aaron Gravelle — Program Lead
(301) 903-7991
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, 1000 Independence Ave, S.W., Washington , DC 20585
Melissa Bates
301-903-0930
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, 1000 Independence Ave, S.W., Germantown, MD 240660031
Data from SAM.gov Federal Assistance Listings. Source published: 2024-11-25. Spec v1.0. Last synced: 2026-06-01 05:54:42.