The Work-For-Others (WFO) Program:
Opportunities to Sustain and Grow Your Research

With the increasing funding uncertainties associated with many traditional federal research programs, the Work-for-Others (WFO) process may provide an opportunity to help you sustain and/or increase your research support. WFO projects can be initiated at any time throughout the year and are intended to complement DOE missions, help retain core skills and competencies for DOE programs, and to promote the larger National scientific agenda. Additional benefits include reducing the cost of doing DOE business and building new critical skills for DOE missions. WFO projects encompass work for (1) Other Federal Agencies (OFA), (2) the U.S. Commercial Sector, (3) U.S. State and Local Government Entities, (4) Foreign Entities, and (5) Other DOE & DOE contractors. It also includes funds-in CRADAs.

As shown in Table I, many MST staff members have already taken advantage of this opportunity. For example, during fiscal year 2005, over $20.5 M of new BA was received by the division through the WFO Program, including $7.5M from 60 non-DOE projects.

TABLE I
M&C WFO NEW BA FY 2005

FY 2005
PROG. NO
SPONSOR NAME
AMOUNT
NO. OF PROJECTS
11
 Private, State, Local Gov't.
$199,717
3
12
 Funds-in CRADAs
$70,344
1
14
Domestic Advanced Payment
$1,845,707
34
16
 Foreign Advanced Payment
$1,610,024
4
41
 NRC
$1,677,417
3
43
 DOD
$2,700,555
11
46
 NASA
$3,099,671
4
6X
 Other DOE & DOE Contractors
$9,328,674
26
Grand Total
(WFO Programs 11,12,14,16,41,43,6X)
$20,532,109
86

Once you’ve found an interested potential sponsor, you may begin the process of putting together the proposal and obtaining the necessary approvals. For more information, please contact Aurelia Carter, the MST WFO Coordinator, or Shu Sears, Aurelia’s assistant. They will work with you and the ORNL WFO Program and Budget Offices to use the eWFO process so as to get funding in place for approved projects, and to track budgets and costs for initiated projects. Please recall that work may begin on your WFO project only after a contract is in place and funding has been received by the division finance office. And of course, your WFO work must stop when any of the following occurs:

  • The period of performance has expired
  • All authorized funding has been costed with overhead applied and/or committed, or
  • The authorized scope of work has been completed.

     

Listed in Table II are a few ORNL WFO recommended dos and don’ts. You may also wish to visit their page for more information or you may contact me at 574-5380, rosseeltm@ornl.gov or stop by my office to discuss your questions or concerns.

TABLE II
SOME RECOMMENDED ORNL WFO “DOS AND DON’TS”

DOS

  • Do explain your scientific or technical excellence to a sponsor
  • Do discuss scientific awards and achievements where appropriate
  • Do furnish white papers and statements of capabilities
  • Do state that the work must be specialized or unique and not in competition with the domestic private sector
  • Do explain that DOE must approve all work
  • Do state that all work must be done on a full cost recovery basis
  • Do discuss with the Commercialization Managers [Ashok Choudhury (574-0393), for the Physical Sciences (Buchanan’s) Directorate] the proposed work before any discussions with a non-federal sponsor that might relate to contract terms and/or intellectual property.
  • And please Do contact Aurelia Carter, the MST WFO Coordinator (576-8179), about how to start the process. She’ll be glad to help you reach your objectives.

DON’TS

  • Don’t discuss proprietary information
  • Don’t “give away” intellectual property
  • Don’t make formal commitments to do work
  • Don’t commit hastily to formal time schedules or deliverables
  • Don’t disparage other national laboratories
  • Don’t make negative comments about the DOE program approval or funding process
  • Don’t try to negotiate terms and conditions for contracts or agreements
  • Don’t make any commitments to sponsor regarding possible contract or agreement terms or intellectual property issues
  • Don’t forget to ask for help in working with a sponsor
  • And Don’t overrun your account

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