Optimizing Nuclear Waste and Advanced Reactor Disposal Systems (ONWARDS) | DE FOA 0002530

ONWARDS (ARPA-E) Funding Opportunity FAQs

What is the ONWARDS funding opportunity?

ONWARDS (Optimizing Nuclear Waste and Advanced Reactor Disposal Systems) is an ARPA-E funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy (FOA DE-FOA-0002530). It is a competitive, discretionary program focused on solving major practical barriers to deploying advanced nuclear reactors in the United States, especially challenges tied to the back end of advanced reactor fuel cycles (used fuel and radioactive waste management and disposal).

What problem is ONWARDS trying to solve?

ONWARDS targets the back-end challenges of advanced reactor (AR) fuel cycles: reducing the volume, hazard, and disposal complexity of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and other radioactive waste streams, and improving the ability to measure and control nuclear materials during processing. The goal is to make advanced nuclear deployment more bankable by addressing final disposition and safeguards-related issues earlier and more directly.

Is ONWARDS focused on incremental improvements or big leaps?

The program is aligned with ARPA-E's mission to fund applied R&D that is transformative and potentially market-disruptive. ONWARDS is not aimed at small, incremental improvements; it is looking for approaches that can materially change the cost and performance trajectory of nuclear waste management, processing, and disposal for advanced reactors.

Why does ONWARDS emphasize addressing waste disposal early?

ONWARDS is built around the idea that waste disposal should not be treated as an afterthought solved decades after reactors are deployed. ARPA-E is pushing for early, integrated consideration of the back end of the fuel cycle during advanced reactor design and pre-deployment phases to reduce commercialization barriers and long-term uncertainty about disposal pathways.

Does ONWARDS support open and closed fuel cycles?

Yes. The FOA explicitly supports both open (once-through, no reprocessing) and closed (reprocessing-based) advanced reactor fuel cycles. This matters because different reactor designs and fuels can create different waste forms and chemical compositions, which can drive different repository needs, costs, and safety and security considerations.

What types of technologies or projects does ONWARDS fund?

ONWARDS highlights three broad technical thrusts:

• Innovative, cost-effective reprocessing approaches, including methods suited to advanced fuels and complex waste chemistries.
• Material accountancy technologies to track and quantify fissile materials with high precision in high-radiation and chemically challenging environments.
• Advanced waste forms designed for durability and compatibility with deep geological repository (DGR) environments and disposal concepts.

What are the key performance goals or metrics mentioned for ONWARDS?

The FOA describes several program-level ambitions, including:

• About an order-of-magnitude reduction in advanced reactor waste volume generation or repository footprint relative to conventional light-water reactor (LWR) disposal needs.
• Better than 1% fissile-mass accountancy in reprocessing streams (tied to safeguards, proliferation resistance, and operational control).
• High-performance waste forms matched to a range of deep geological repository environments and disposal concepts.
• Movement toward very low added system costs on the order of about $1 per megawatt-hour.

Where are the detailed technical categories and targets described?

The FOA indicates that specific technical categories of interest and performance targets are detailed in Sections I.D and I.E of the full announcement. Guidance on research resources and teaming is referenced in Section I.F.

Does ONWARDS expect demonstrations, or are modeling and paper studies enough?

A recurring theme in the FOA is that successful projects will likely need to validate performance through realistic demonstrations, not only paper studies. This often requires specialized infrastructure and credible execution plans that support meaningful testing and validation.

What kinds of specialized infrastructure or enabling capabilities might be needed?

The FOA emphasizes that nuclear back-end R&D can be resource-intensive and may require access to enabling capabilities such as hot cells, gloveboxes, radiation-hardened sensor test environments, fuel processing and separations facilities, storage and handling capabilities for radioactive or hazardous materials, and high-performance computing tools for modeling and performance assessment.

Can teams apply if they do not currently have access to hot cells or other required facilities?

The FOA encourages applicants who do not already have specialized infrastructure to form teams with organizations that do, including national laboratories, universities, and commercial partners. While lack of access is not described as an automatic disqualifier at the concept paper stage, the FOA states that by the full application stage teams must be able to demonstrate credible access to the resources needed to execute the proposed R&D and demonstrations.

How do applicants submit to ONWARDS?

ONWARDS is run through ARPA-E's eXCHANGE system. ARPA-E will only consider concept papers submitted through that portal. Applicants must register and submit electronically using the ARPA-E eXCHANGE website and follow the user guide for formatting and submission instructions.

Are concept papers required, and how are they submitted?

Concept papers are submitted through ARPA-E eXCHANGE, and the FOA states ARPA-E will only consider concept papers submitted through that system. Submission is electronic and must follow eXCHANGE formatting and instruction requirements.

Who should be contacted for technical issues with the eXCHANGE submission platform?

For technical issues with the submission platform, the FOA directs applicants to email ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov and include the FOA name and number in the subject line.

Who should be contacted for programmatic questions?

For programmatic questions not answered in ARPA-E's FAQ, the FOA points to ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov.

Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity is listed as open eligibility (unrestricted), with any clarifications contained in the FOA itself.

What funding instruments might ARPA-E use for awards?

The FOA states that ONWARDS supports awards via cooperative agreements, grants, or other assistance instruments, as determined by ARPA-E.

What is the maximum award size mentioned for ONWARDS?

The listed award ceiling is up to $10,000,000 per award.

What were the key dates listed for this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was created on May 19, 2021. Concept papers were due on July 9, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. ET. Applicants were encouraged to submit at least 48 hours early.

What kinds of waste and materials does ONWARDS focus on?

ONWARDS focuses on used nuclear fuel (UNF) and other radioactive waste streams expected from advanced reactor deployment, along with measurement and control of fissile materials during processing in contexts such as reprocessing streams.

How does ONWARDS relate to deep geological repositories (DGRs)?

The program highlights developing high-performance waste forms that can be matched to a range of deep geological repository environments and disposal concepts, with the intent of reducing disposal complexity and improving the credibility of long-term disposition pathways.

What is meant by "repository footprint" in the ONWARDS goals?

In the context of the FOA, repository footprint refers to the disposal space and related repository needs associated with managing and disposing of advanced reactor waste, with ONWARDS aiming for roughly an order-of-magnitude reduction relative to conventional LWR disposal needs.

Why is fissile-mass accountancy a major focus area?

The FOA ties high-precision accountancy (better than 1% fissile-mass accountancy in reprocessing streams) to safeguards, proliferation resistance, and operational control, especially in high-radiation and chemically complex processing environments.

What is the cost target mentioned for ONWARDS, and why does it matter?

The FOA signals a push toward very low added system costs on the order of about $1 per megawatt-hour. This matters because proposed solutions are expected not only to work technically, but also to show a credible path to scaling at cost levels that do not undermine the economics of advanced nuclear power.

Why does ONWARDS emphasize teaming with labs, universities, and industry?

The FOA highlights that specialized infrastructure and capabilities are often required for nuclear back-end R&D. Teams may need partners that can provide hot cells, gloveboxes, separations facilities, radiation-hardened testing environments, storage/handling capabilities, and modeling tools, enabling realistic demonstrations and credible execution plans.

What is the overall objective of ONWARDS in plain terms?

ONWARDS is ARPA-E's effort to make advanced nuclear fuel cycles more sustainable and more financeable by shrinking disposal burdens, strengthening safeguards-relevant measurement and accountancy, and producing waste forms better suited for credible deep disposal, while prioritizing approaches that can be demonstrated and scaled at practical costs.