Innovation Crossroads, supported by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, and Building Technologies Office, as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority, is an innovative program that serves as a platform for supporting and mentoring entrepreneurial researchers whose early-stage innovations are presently too challenging or technically uncertain to pursue in a venture capital-financed startup. Innovation Crossroads embeds innovators at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for up to two years through entrepreneurial mentorship and cooperative research and development. Technology areas of interest: advanced manufacturing, atmospheric decarbonization, building technologies, digital economy, electrification and energy infrastructures, energy technology innovation, industrial decarbonization, intelligent systems and facilities.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) will provide $3 million during a two-year period to support four to six teams of innovators. New teams will be selected each year to receive this two-year allocation. This funding will pay for fellowships that cover salary, benefits, use of laboratory equipment and office space, and guidance from Argonne researchers.

Innovators must focus on developing technology that will advance the development of clean energy and advanced manufacturing products and processes for which development requires overcoming complex scientific challenges that require a lengthy development cycle of about two years to reach the pre-commercial prototype stage.

MEIA focuses on early-stage technology commercialization in partnership with Maryland-based Universities and Labs to support Maryland’s Clean Energy and Climate Goals. MEIA supports solar, wind, batteries, energy efficiency, grid modernization, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), and any other technology that reduces greenhouse gas emissions or provides negative emissions benefits in the electric, oil and gas, residential, commercial or industrial sectors. MEIA offers three programs to Maryland-based clean energy and climate technology inventors:  Pre-Accelerator, Launchpad, and Accelerator.

This one-time funding of approximately $15 million is intended to support grants to public or private entities for capital improvements and technical assistance to support the installation of charging infrastructure for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Oregon DEQ will fund projects that meet criteria as established by the Oregon Legislature and the agency through a competitive, rolling application process. The goal of this grant program is to accelerate Oregon’s transition from older, more polluting vehicles and equipment to new zero-emission trucks, buses and equipment. In addition, DEQ wants to facilitate development of a robust infrastructure to support a diverse range of Oregon fleets and fueling locations. Successful applicants will apply with comprehensive project plans for zero-emission fueling and request funding for the installation of the charging infrastructure and equipment.

The Visiting Faculty Program (VFP), formerly called Faculty and Student Teams (FaST), is designed to provide an opportunity for faculty members from institutions historically marginalized in STEM to enhance research capabilities and strengthen STEM education and learning practices to develop talent to contribute to the Department of Energy (DOE) research areas. VFP accomplishes this mission in two tracks: (1) VFP Research Collaboration Track and (2) VFP Teaching Initiative Track.

As a component of VFP’s Research Collaboration and Teaching Initiative tracks, selected university/college faculty members collaborate with DOE laboratory research staff on a research project of mutual interest. Additionally, faculty member participants may invite up to two students (one of which may be a graduate student) to join the project in the summer terms.

The Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) is now open for applications for the 2023 Summer Term. Applications are due January 10, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET.

The program seeks industry partners interested in leveraging HPC resources to make advancements in the following areas:

For HPC4Mfg:

• Improvements in manufacturing processes which result in significant national carbon emissions reduction and energy savings.
• Improvements in semiconductor technologies that will result in operational energy efficiency improvements.
• Carbon emissions reduction and efficiency improvements in energy conversion and storage technologies.
• Reductions in CO₂ or CO₂-equivalent emissions.

For HPC4Mtls:

• Advanced Materials for Carbon Conversion Applications
• Advanced Structural Materials for Hydrogen Applications
• Advanced Functional Materials for Hydrogen Applications

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law consists of nearly 400 distinct funding opportunities across a range of issues—from roads and bridges, to broadband internet, to clean water, to resilience, and beyond.

The Local Infrastructure Hub databases aims to provide all communities with a robust sorting and search function. Use their search feature to locate funding and zero in on the opportunities that align with your community priorities.

The Future Climate Venture Studio brings together UConn, a national and global leader in interdisciplinary climate research; R/GA Ventures, a venture studio operator and early-stage investor; CT Next, Connecticut’s innovation agency; and additional partners from energy finance, venture capital, and technology.

The Studio’s mission is to identify, support, and collaborate with the startups addressing the most critical dimensions of the climate challenge, including decarbonization, alternative energy, planetary resilience, social impact, and more.

In 2023, the program will focus on three global net-zero challenges and will award the Pioneers prize to innovators with scalable, impactful and equitable solutions to these challenges: accelerating the deployment of clean hydrogen; sustainable metals and materials for an electrified future; building a net-zero food production system.

BNEF will also select one or more wildcard winners, unrelated to the chosen challenges. These wildcard applicants can address any issue that helps the world address climate change and we encourage submissions for all climate-tech solutions that lie outside of the three challenges outlined below.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed The American Rescue Plan Act, which reauthorized and funded the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The new version of the SSBCI program provides a combined $10 billion to states, the District of Columbia, territories, and Tribal governments to empower small businesses to access capital needed to invest in job-creating opportunities as the country emerges from the pandemic. The funds will also support recipient jurisdictions in promoting American entrepreneurship and democratizing access to startup capital across the country, including in underserved communities. Interested small businesses should contact their state government to find out how to apply for funding.

The Keeling Curve Prize is looking for projects with a proven track record of taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. We’ve developed five categories, each one addressing a specific sector of climate innovation: Carbon Sinks, Energy, Finance, Social & Cultural Pathways, Transport & Mobility.