Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply for equipment?
Participation in the LEDP is limited to full-time faculty at accredited, postsecondary, non-profit degree granting institutions including universities, colleges, community colleges, or junior colleges located in the U.S. and interested in establishing or upgrading energy-oriented science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) educational programs. An energy-oriented program is defined as an academic education or research activity dealing primarily or entirely in energy-related topics.
To be eligible, applicants must be a full-time faculty member in STEM areas such as physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, environmental sciences, geology or geosciences, mathematics, materials sciences, or computer or computational sciences. A full-time faculty employee is defined as one who is considered to be a faculty member by his or her employing institution, is not characterized as having “adjunct” or “visiting” status, and who meets the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) definition of a full-time employee during the academic year in which application to the Laboratory Equipment Donation Program is made. The IRS defines a full-time employee as one who during a calendar month is employed on average for at least 30 hours of paid service per week or 130 hours of paid service per month.
Application reviews and grant awards are performed on a first-received, first-qualified basis.
Is my school required to have a government contract to apply for equipment?
No, an institution is not required to have a current DOE grant or contract to participate in this program.
How long will it take to find out if my application has been approved?
After you have submitted a completed application, it is sent to the respective DOE office for approval. The Organizational Property Management Officer (OPMO) has 14 days to review an application. When an application is approved, the OPMO notifies the grantee via e-mail. Unapproved application e-mail notifications will list the reason for the disapproval.
Who will have title to the equipment?
Title to the equipment, when granted by DOE, will vest with the educational institution.
Who is responsible for arranging and paying for shipping?
The institution requesting the equipment is responsible for arranging and paying for shipping and handling. The shipping arrangements should be initiated within one week after receipt and acceptance of the grant by the institution.
The requesting institution must call or e-mail the Point of Contact (POC) listed in the approval e-mail to provide shipping instructions and pay for the costs of care and handling. Such costs normally consist of packing, crating, shipping, and insurance, and are limited to actual costs.
How do I find the contact information for an item of equipment?
Contact information for each item is listed on the "LEDP Equipment Information" page, as well as on the grant award e-mail sent to the applicant.
What if the equipment I receive needs to be repaired or modified?
The cost of any repairs and/or modifications to any equipment will be borne by the recipient institution.
What happens if I need to withdraw an application for an item of equipment?
If you need to withdraw your application, you may do so prior to the equipment being shipped. Go to the applicant dashboard and select the "Withdraw Application" from the actions menu. This will withdraw your application. Please note that once an application is withdrawn for a specific piece of equipment, another application may not be submitted.
What equipment is available under the LEDP program?
Examples of typical items of educational training apparatus or equipment that may be requested are listed below. It should be emphasized that the following examples are merely illustrative and not inclusive:
- Amp meters, voltmeters, electrometers
- Amplifiers
- Catalyst test units
- Distillation columns
- Dosimeters, survey meters, radiometers, and spectroscopes
- Gas and liquid chromatographs
- Gas tracers and analyzers - solar collectors and heliometers
- Ion control gauges
- Linear and pulse-height analyzers
- Mass spectrometers, infrared spectrometers, and ultraviolet spectrometers
- Oscilloscopes
- Power supplies
- Radiation detectors, monitors, scalers, and counters
- Radiation shields and reactor associated components
- Recorders
- Signal generators
- Temperature and pressure recorders
What equipment is not available under the LEDP program?
The following list is illustrative of the type of equipment that will not be provided:
- Equipment intended by the DOE institution for use in contractual research projects.
- Furniture, such as desks, tables, chairs, typewriters, etc. (exception is such equipment that may be an essential component of and physically attached to an energy-related laboratory equipment system);
- General supplies.
How do I know what condition the equipment is in?
Equipment Condition Codes are found near the top of the "LEDP Equipment Information" page for each item. The condition of equipment is graded as follows:
How do I donate equipment to the LEDP Program?
If you would like to donate laboratory equipment to the LEDP program, your organization must be sponsored by the Department of Energy and approved for access through the GSA property disposal system. For additional information, please contact the US Department of Energy Personal Property Management Division at:
- US Department of Energy Personal Property Management Division
- Point of Contact: Tyrone Ware, Personal Property Specialist
- Telephone: 202 287 1596
- Email: Tyrone.Ware@HQ.DOE.gov
- Website: https://www.energy.gov/management/office-management/operational-management/procurement-and-acquisition/personal-property