81.009: Molybdenum-99 Program

81.009

Inactive

National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) [DOE]

Aug. 11, 2022

Aug. 11, 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Material Management and Minimization (NA-23) is leading the effort to demonstrate and achieve commercial-scale production of the medical isotope, Molybdenum-99, hereafter referred to as Mo-99, without the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in the United States. Mo-99 is a critical radioisotope whose decay byproduct technetium-99m (Tc-99m), is used in approximately 40,000 nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures performed daily in the United States. Its primary uses include diagnosing heart disease, treating cancer, and studying organ structure and function. The isotope’s short half-life and excellent binding properties make it uniquely suited for medical procedures. However, due to its short half-life it must be produced continuously to meet the medical community’s requirements. The United States does not currently have a domestic production capability for Mo-99 sufficient to meet the needs of the U.S. healthcare community, currently estimated at 4,500 6-day curies per week. Until any U.S. producer enters the market, the United States must import all of its supply from foreign producers, which in some instances use proliferation-sensitive HEU in its production processes. The establishment of reliable, commercial, non-HEU-based Mo-99 production in the United States complements the long-standing U.S. policy to minimize and eliminate the use of proliferation-sensitive HEU in civilian applications in order to prevent the potential theft of this material for malevolent use. The United States is at the nexus of two related priorities: the need to ensure a reliable, robust Mo-99 supply for U.S. patient care, and discouraging the use of proliferation-sensitive HEU in civilian applications. NNSA will issue Cooperative Agreements with the purpose of providing additional federal funding to accelerate commercial Mo-99 projects’ time to market so that industry and government can fulfill these two critical priorities and decrease the U.S. medical community’s reliance on foreign supplies of Mo-99.

B - Cooperative Agreements

U.S. commercial entities with existing technologies to achieve commercial-scale production of Mo-99 in the U.S. National Laboratories, M&O Contractors, Institutions of Higher Education, and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) are not eligible to apply for an award under this FOA, but can be included in teaming arrangements.

The general public.

https://sam.gov/fal/5d8a5724f4384bbab824927fa86309ab/view