Funding Opportunities in Energy

Renewable Integration Management with Innovative High-Voltage Direct Current Power Circuit Breakers (REIMAGINE BREAKERS)

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) announced this NOFO to support research and development related to HVDC power circuit breakers This NOFO aims to support grid modernization and the advancement of wind energy by reducing the cost of high-voltage circuit breaker technology to improve the viability of widespread HVDC transmission systems for improved grid integration of renewables and long-distance transmission. Read more about this opportunity here. 

Geothermal Heat Pumps PATHs Prize

American-Made Challenges hosts the Geothermal Heat PUmps PATHs Prize (GHP PATHs Prize), which encourages development of programs and partnerships that scale the hiring and training of GHP workers in all communities. Competitors for this prize participate in three contests to transform their ideas rapidly – Connect, Engage, and Execute. In the first phase, Connect, competitors submit a narrative describing their vision for a sustainable pathway to training and hiring in their defined region. In the second phase, competitors formalize agreements with partners and propose a workforce development program. Finally, in phase three, competitors execute their program and submit results. Internal submissions are due January 6, 2025 to OVPR. See internal submission here and American-Made Challenges information here.

Realize Energy-Rich Compound Opportunities Valorizing Extraction from Refuse Waters (RECOVER)

The ARPA-E RECOVER program is targeting the development of technologies to concentrate and recover high value energy materials from aqueous waste streams, such as ammonia and critical metals. The program will enable replacement  of conventional ammonia supplies and critical metal imports, the valorization of high value materials from aqueous waste stream, the reduction of energy demands and emissions for procurement, and the recovery of market-valuable products at competitive prices. Concept papers are due December 31, 2024 and the full application deadline has not been announced yet. Read further information here. 

Systems Biology Research to Advance Bioenergy Crop Production

The DOE Science Program in Biological and Environmental Research announced this NOFO for systems-level research to improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying bioenergy feedstock productivity under changing and sometimes suboptimal environmental conditions and for systems biology-enabled investigations in the roles of microbes and microbial communities in supporting plant productivity and vigor. Pre-applications are due January 17, 2025 and full submissions are due March 26, 2025. Review further information here.

HARMONY: Human-centric analytics for Resilient & MOdernized Power sYstems

The DOE has issued FOA no. DE-FOA-0003446, with the objective to enhance grid reliability and resilience in the face of growing uncertainties and in the age of digital information systems and networks. This FOA emphasizes the importance of communicating risk and uncertainties to decision-makers and human operators to predict, prevent, mitigate, and enable better understanding of cascading failures in power grids. Concept papers are due January 27, 2025 and full applications are due March 20, 2025. Review further information here.

Blue Sky Training Program

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) has announced this funding opportunity for this training program to bring training for first responders, law enforcement, local communities, utilities, and others on how to respond to failures of energy storage systems (ESS). While not a research funding opportunity, it will bring stakeholders to participate in planning exercises and drills to prepare the safety of the community, personnel, and infrastructure. Read more about this opportunity here. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission NOFO, Research and Development Grant (FY2025)

The NRC Research and Development Grant opportunity is seeking applications for R&D activities in nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. Specifically this NOFO is seeking projects that promote identifying and losing potentially important technical gaps ahead of regulatory needs, projects that promote awareness of key advanced technology developments being pursued outside of NRC, and projects that improve foundational knowledge on key topics of future regulatory interest. Submissions are due January 31, 2025. Read further information here.

Nuclear Data Interagency Working Group (NDIAWG) Research Program Solicitation

The NDIAWG is inviting applications in relevant research topics derived from the annual workshop on Applied Nuclear Data Activities and other workshops and discussions. Letters of intent are due January 2, 2025 and full submissions are due March 3, 2025. Please review the opportunity information in detail for eligible topics and application eligibility.

NSF Boosting Research Ideas for Transformative and Equitable Advances in Engineering (BRITE)

NSF’s BRITE program seeks proposals that enable experienced researchers with active research programs to take risks not typically associated with proposals submitted to core programs by pivoting to research areas where they have no proven track record. The program is grounded in the expectation that leveraging different talents and learning new skills with risk taking will lead towards innovation. All BRITE proposals are expected to address fundamental research that creates new knowledge in a program area of the Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI). This opportunity is broad and inclusive of energy focused work. Applications are due March 3, 2025. See further information here.