DNN RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT UNIVERSITY PROGRAM: CONSORTIA FOR NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

Background
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) aims to drive innovative research that develops technologies and expertise to detect foreign nuclear proliferation activities and produce technologies for integration into operational systems by leveraging capabilities at the national laboratories, plants, and sites, as well as at universities and within private industry.

The mission is to reduce global nuclear security threats through the innovation of technical capabilities to detect, identify, and characterize foreign nuclear weapons development activities, illicit diversion of special nuclear materials, nuclear explosions globally, and stewarding U.S. technical capabilities in nuclear nonproliferation.

Grant Details
The grant seeks to establish two university consortia to conduct unclassified research in support of nuclear nonproliferation.

The research areas include developing new technologies and methods for detecting, locating, and characterizing production of special nuclear material and other materials; developing new technologies for nuclear incident response; safeguarding nuclear material and detecting diversion from civilian nuclear power purposes; monitoring and verifying potential future arms control treaties; developing radiation detection materials, techniques, algorithms, remote sensing tools, laboratory measurement capabilities of environmental samples, nuclear data investments, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence methods and applications; and solutions to future nuclear nonproliferation priorities.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants are domestic Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) that are accredited or pre-accredited entities.

The program encourages Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions to apply.

Senior/Key Persons such as Principal Investigators must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Foreign nationals are prohibited from receiving direct government or cost share funding under the cooperative agreement.

Period of Performance
The period of performance is expected to start on March 14, 2025, with awards running no longer than 5 years.

Grant Value
Approximately $5 million per award per year is expected to be available for awards under this announcement.

DOE/NNSA anticipates making two awards with a ceiling amount of $25 million per award available contingent upon the availability of funds for all five years.