The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will support front-end engineering and design (FEED) studies for regional CO2 transport networks to safely transport captured CO2 from key sources to centralized locations. The projects will focus on carbon transport costs, transport network configurations, and technical and commercial considerations that support broad efforts to develop and deploy carbon capture, conversion, and storage at commercial scale.

DOE Boost is a partnership between Sandia National Laboratories and FedTech that brings national labs, startups, academia, and entrepreneurs together to find solutions to big community-based energy challenges. DOE Boost is seeking entrepreneurs from across industries to join us in revolutionizing the innovation ecosystems in New Mexico and Alaska. This energytech-focused startup studio will bring you into the world of Deep Tech through matching teams of entrepreneurs with exciting DOE Lab technologies.

As new renewable energy technologies are developed and integrated into the electric grid, there continues to be new areas of opportunity and challenges that must be addressed. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Electricity (OE) invites graduate students, researchers, industry partners, and key stakeholders to apply for the American-Made Science Synthesis Prize: Identifying Key Barriers to Renewable Integration. Through this $125,000 prize, applicants are tasked with thoroughly analyzing the landscape of the renewable energy integration theory and practice and challenged to highlight pivotal opportunities, solutions, and areas of investment for addressing integration complications.

Launched in 2019, the NSF Convergence Accelerator builds upon basic research and discovery to accelerate solutions toward societal impact. The program funds teams to solve societal challenges through convergence research and innovation. To enhance its impact, the Accelerator also places teams together in cohorts, synergizing their work through facilitated collaboration. The Convergence Accelerator’s unique program structure offers researchers and innovators the opportunity to accelerate their research toward tangible solutions that make a difference. Through an intense and hands-on journey, researchers gain skills and experiences that are applied during the program and throughout one’s career.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced up to $60 million in funding to create regional teams to support the development of critical mineral and materials supply chains and novel high-value, nonfuel carbon-based products from unconventional and secondary feedstocks, such as coal and coal by-products, effluent waters from oil and natural gas development and production, and acid mine drainage. Realizing the critical mineral and materials potential in these feedstocks would enable the United States to rebuild a domestic supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials—which support high-tech manufacturing and the production of components for clean energy technologies—and reduce our dependence on international supply chains.

This funding opportunity will provide future growth grants under DOE’s Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (CIFIA) program, made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Future growth grants are intended to provide financial assistance for designing, developing, and building CO₂ transport systems whose capacity exceeds the CO₂ volumes currently under commercial contract. Building this excess capacity up front will make it available for future carbon capture and direct air capture facilities as they are developed and for additional CO₂ storage and/or conversion sites as they come into operation.

 The 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize implements a prize-to-cooperative-agreement funding model to streamline the application process, expedite the award process, and provide winners earlier and more targeted support. Like the 2022 Renew America’s Schools grant, the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize will fund energy-efficient and clean energy infrastructure improvements at school districts across America. The 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize consists of three phases. During Phase 1, competitors will build teams and curate lists of at least 10 schools and school facilities that demonstrate compelling need and eligibility for investment. Phase 1 winners will earn a cash prize of $300,000 and move on to Phases 2 and 3, during which they will enter into and execute Cooperative Agreements with DOE.

The Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER™) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and directed by the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust (POET), will accelerate that process through 3 annual open funding calls each year to support developers seeking access to the nation’s best facilities and expertise. TEAMER plans to distribute approximately $25 million through these periodic competitive opportunities (known as Requests for Technical Support, RFTSs) to support marine renewable energy (MRE) testing and development projects. A TEAMER Request for Technical Support (RFTS) is a collaboration between the technology developer or researcher, and the facility chosen to help meet the recipient’s technical objectives. Prior to applying for support, recipients are required to have discussed their technical objectives with the facility to ensure the facility has the capability to assist and provide the necessary support. Only approved test facilities are eligible to provide technical support.

Buildings play a significant role in reaching the White House’s goal of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, so it is critical that building professionals are prepared to design and construct high-efficiency, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Design Designation recognizes post-secondary academic programs that prepare students for 21^st century building careers. Schools interested in being recognized by DOE must demonstrate a commitment to preparing students for a zero-carbon future by offering a building science education curriculum within their programs of study that showcases best practices in zero energy design, and requiring a zero energy design practicum.

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. This solicitation describes a pilot for a potential new track for the existing NRT Program that will support research and education projects that will result in a new master’s degree, certificate, or a track within an existing master’s or Ph.D. program with high industry relevance in at least one focus area identified in this pilot. This will be accomplished through an effective partnership among: (a) a non-R1 Institution of Higher Education (IHE) (lead institution), (b) an non-lead IHE (an R1 or non-R1) that has either an ongoing or completed NRT program in at least one of the focus areas defined for this pilot (see below), and (c) two to three industry partners in the same focus area(s). The overall purpose is to train the STEM workforce in focus areas specified in this solicitation by stimulating collaborations among non-R1 institutions, institutions with existing or completed NRT projects, and industry partners,

Through this R-STEP Opportunity, The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is requesting applications from state-based collaboratives aiming to increase state and local capacity for large-scale renewable energy planning and siting. R-STEP will also serve as a platform for Collaboratives to share learnings and best practices with other stakeholders. A single application should be submitted by a team of organizations interested in working together to form a collaborative. DOE highly encourages state energy offices (or equivalent state agencies) and university extension offices to lead or participate in applications but recognizes that the organizations best suited to perform these activities will vary from state to state. Applicants are encouraged to team with other organizations including, but not limited to: Tribal governments, universities, non-governmental organizations, and community-based organizations. DOE also recommends that teams include organizations familiar with the needs of local communities in the state. They should have experience providing educational or technical assistance services to local communities and have technical expertise on renewable energy siting topics (e.g., environmental impacts, tax policies, land use, zoning ordinance development).

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), through the Department of Energy (DOE), has made available $54 million in new federal funding for projects that will expand community e-mobility access and provide clean reliable energy. The funding will drive innovation in equitable clean transportation and is aligned with strategies detailed in the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. This program will make strategic investments at the local level that address key barriers to expanding access to electrified mobility options for individuals without home charging; accelerate the transition to electrified fleets; and mature the implementation of managed charging systems to mitigate impacts and optimize usage of the grid.