NREL is exploring possible expansion of the American-Made Challenges program to include an educational/upskilling component – separate from the current prize programs or Network efforts. The goal is to offer a stand-alone (i.e. not a part of any particular prize) online training program that people could engage with on their own time and receive a certificate or accreditation for. Given the various preexisting online classes and courses, NREL hopes to engage with partners that have existing online learning curriculums to offer or build new ones on existing platform.

To apply, submit a two-page letter of intent (LOI) and a slide by March 3rd.

Additional Ventures is partnering with Ocean Visions and a consortium of philanthropic funders to invite applications from scientific teams to systematically assess whether OAE can safely, permanently, and cost-effectively sequester atmospheric CO₂ at scale.

Research organizations anywhere in the world (universities, national labs, other independent research institutes, including consortia of multiple organizations) are invited to apply. The award amount will be at least $10 million to be utilized over five (5) years. Pre-proposals are due February 25th.

The climate cohort of the Hub Fellowship is a 10-week, full-time, paid program that trains engineers, scientists, technologists, and business experts who already understand climate how to better apply their ideas to policy. Jointly hosted by the Aspen Tech Policy Hub and the Aspen Institute’s Energy and Environment Program, the first climate cohort is tentatively scheduled from June 2 to August 12, 2022. The program will be a mixture of in-person and online learning, pending COVID-19 restrictions. Applicants of all backgrounds with technical expertise in climate change are eligible to apply. Admitted applicants receive an $18,000 stipend to enable their participation.

The Office of Science (SC) of the Department of Energy (DOE) hereby announces its continuing interest in receiving grant applications for support of work in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Isotope R&D and Production, and Accelerator R&D and Production. This FOA is our annual, broad, open solicitation that covers all research areas in SC and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. Any research within SC’s Congressionally-authorized mission may be proposed under this FOA.

Together with Clean Energy Trust, Nicor Gas is proud to support the launch of the Nicor Gas Multicultural Innovator Award – a $25,000 equity and inclusion grant to support the development of a clean energy technology startup with a minority founder or CEO. In addition to the grant, recipients of the inaugural award – part of Clean Energy Trust’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiative – will receive 12 months of business mentorship and heightened exposure to investors and customers. Entrepreneurs and businesses making a positive environmental impact throughout the state will be considered.

Small Illinois businesses, or those with a substantial presence in the state, with a focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart buildings and cities, energy storage, water, ag-tech, digital solutions for operational efficiencies, reduced maintenance costs, customer engagement and/or worker training and management may be eligible to apply for the award. Other company criteria include:

• Founder or CEO who identifies as Black, Indigenous and/or person of color
• 2-12 full-time employees
• No more than $3 million in funding raised; must be able to demonstrate at least three to six months of funding runway
• Can be product or service-based; does not need to be market-ready, but is preferred

Evergreen Climate Innovations is on a mission with the U.S. Bank Foundation to support underserved and underrepresented cleantech entrepreneurs. The U.S. Bank Foundation Cleantech Inclusion Award is a grant awarded to entrepreneurs who are female and/or people of color and who are building innovative companies that benefit the environment, create jobs, and drive economic development.

The primary purpose of CalSEED is to address a critical funding gap in the early stages of the energy technology development pipeline. Most entrepreneurs and researchers require multiple rounds of funding over several years to successfully commercialize their new energy invention. To obtain this sustained, long-term funding – either through private capital or large government grants—entrepreneurs and researchers must first demonstrate that their concept is feasible.

CalSEED provides small funding awards to help California entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses prove out the feasibility of new scientific concepts for energy applications. These small funding awards, along with support services, provide a launch pad to help entrepreneurs be successful in their clean energy ventures.

MassCEC’s Catalyst and Diversity in Cleantech – Early-Stage (DICES) Programs provide grants of up to $65,000 to researchers and early-stage companies looking to demonstrate initial prototypes of their clean energy technologies. The Programs are jointly administered by MassCEC and MassVentures with the primary intent of stimulating the commercialization of clean energy technologies developed in the Commonwealth. Awarded funds are used to demonstrate the feasibility of technologies in specific industry applications in order to obtain increased industry and investor interest. Recipients must use funding for projects that move their technologies towards commercialization.  This includes gathering initial data to demonstrate proof of concept, how the technology compares to existing technologies and competitive advantages of the technology or to develop a prototype for the technology.

The FORGE Product Development Grant (FPDG) is non-dilutive funding awarded to a startup(s) to support the development of a physical product. This Supply Chain Disruption offering is dedicated specifically to remedying the effects of global supply chain disruptions on cleantech oriented startup companies.

The goal of the grant is to remove barriers to scale and manufacturing, providing the necessary funds for disruption driven redesigns, or to offset part markups driven by disruptions, or to build critical inventory as a guard against future disruptions, or other creative solutions to mitigating disruptions.

This grant will range between $5k-$25k, and must be used by the winning startup(s) to address a specific supply chain challenge, informed by an accompanying quote and/or work order.

This FOA will develop technologies enabling clean hydrogen production, transport, storage, and use in the energy sector, including electricity, heat, transportation, and industrial use. The development of these technologies supports the ambitious goals for a greenhouse gasneutral economy by 2050, a carbon pollution free power sector by 2035, and a fifty percent reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution by 2030. See Amendment 6 FOA for up-to-date information on Areas of Interest. 

The Civic Innovation Challenge is a multi-agency, federal government research and action competition that aims to fund ready-to-implement, research-based pilot projects that have the potential for scalable, sustainable, and transferable impact on community-identified priorities. It aims to flip the community-university dynamic, inviting communities to identify civic priorities ripe for innovation and to then partner with researchers to address those priorities. Teams of researchers and civic partners will submit proposals to one of two community-identified tracks by May 5th: ‘Living in a Changing Climate’ and ‘Resource & Service Equity.’

The ultimate goal of this FOA is a reduction in geothermal well costs. Because drilling costs are highly variable and sensitive to one-off events, average daily drilling penetration rate (e.g. average m/day) is the basis of performance measurement selected in this FOA. This FOA seeks to affect a 25% improvement in geothermal drilling rates by supporting multiple demonstration projects that each target this level of improvement. This metric and performance target will allow for quantitative evaluation of project impacts to support broad deployment of the most successful approaches. The Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office seeks applications from drilling services providers, well service companies, research institutions, geothermal operators and developers, and other entities that can provide real-world, immediate solutions to address the goal of increasing the average daily drilling penetration rates for geothermal wells. Entities that control well access and operations—both commercial and government-funded—are encouraged to apply. Join GTO’s Drilling Demos Teaming Partner List to connect with prospective team members. Letters of intent are due by April 4, and full applications are due June 3.