Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002204
The Department of Energy (DOE), through the Office of Science and its Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), is seeking proposals to establish or continue Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) under Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002204. EFRCs are designed to support ambitious, multi-investigator research efforts that tackle foundational scientific questions in materials and chemical sciences with clear relevance to energy-related challenges. This competition is open to both new applicants and, in certain areas, existing centers applying for renewal, with selections made through a formal, competitive merit review process and final decisions made by federal officials.
A central requirement of this opportunity is alignment with BES-identified priorities and major community planning documents. Proposals are expected to respond directly to priority research directions and opportunities described in recent BES workshop and roundtable reports, as well as broader scientific grand challenges laid out in Directing Matter and Energy: Five Challenges for Science and the Imagination and in Challenges at the Frontiers of Matter and Energy: Transformative Opportunities for Discovery Science. In practical terms, applicants should not simply propose interesting science; they should clearly connect their research vision to these articulated national research needs and explain how their EFRC will advance discovery science at the frontiers of matter and energy.
BES is soliciting EFRC proposals in four topical areas. The first is Environmental Management, which accepts both new proposals and renewal proposals, indicating DOE interest in sustaining and expanding center-scale research that advances the scientific basis for addressing complex environmental management challenges. The remaining three areas accept new proposals only: Quantum Information Science, Microelectronics, and Polymer Upcycling. Quantum Information Science reflects a strategic push to develop the materials, platforms, and fundamental understanding needed for quantum technologies. Microelectronics emphasizes the discovery science that underpins next-generation electronic materials, devices, and manufacturing approaches. Polymer Upcycling targets fundamental breakthroughs that can transform how polymers and plastics are designed, broken down, and reconstituted into higher-value products, strengthening circular economy approaches through basic science.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 81.049). The announcement indicates an award ceiling of $4,000,000, with an expectation of about 10 awards, suggesting a highly competitive process aimed at supporting a limited number of center-scale efforts with substantial scope. The eligible applicant pool is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details that may appear in the full FOA text. The FOA was created on November 13, 2019, and the original closing date is April 7, 2020.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as DOE BES seeking coordinated, high-impact research centers that can marshal interdisciplinary teams, articulate a compelling scientific vision tied to BES priorities, and deliver transformative advances in fundamental science within one of the four targeted areas, with Environmental Management uniquely allowing both new and renewal center applications.Apply for DE FOA 0002204
- The Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Energy Frontier Research Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 13, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 07, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity described here?
This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science opportunity, administered through the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), to establish or continue Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002204.
What is an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC)?
EFRCs are center-scale, multi-investigator research efforts designed to tackle foundational scientific questions in materials and chemical sciences that have clear relevance to energy-related challenges. The emphasis is on ambitious, coordinated research that advances discovery science at the frontiers of matter and energy.
What is DOE/BES looking for in proposals?
BES is looking for high-impact, interdisciplinary centers with a compelling scientific vision that is explicitly tied to BES-identified priorities. Proposals are expected to do more than present strong science; they should clearly connect the proposed research to articulated national research needs and show how the EFRC will advance discovery science in areas relevant to energy challenges.
How should applicants demonstrate alignment with BES priorities?
Proposals are expected to respond directly to priority research directions and opportunities described in BES workshop and roundtable reports, and to align with broader scientific grand challenges described in:
- Directing Matter and Energy: Five Challenges for Science and the Imagination
- Challenges at the Frontiers of Matter and Energy: Transformative Opportunities for Discovery Science
In practical terms, the application should explain how the EFRC research vision maps to these BES planning documents and advances identified priority directions.
What topical areas are being solicited under this FOA?
BES is soliciting EFRC proposals in four topical areas:
- Environmental Management
- Quantum Information Science
- Microelectronics
- Polymer Upcycling
Which topical areas accept new proposals, and which accept renewals?
Environmental Management accepts both new proposals and renewal proposals. The other three areas accept new proposals only: Quantum Information Science, Microelectronics, and Polymer Upcycling.
What is the significance of Environmental Management allowing renewals?
Within this competition, Environmental Management is uniquely positioned to support both new centers and the continuation of certain existing centers through renewal proposals, reflecting DOE interest in sustaining and expanding center-scale research relevant to complex environmental management challenges.
What is the focus of the Quantum Information Science topic area?
Quantum Information Science reflects a strategic push to develop the materials, platforms, and fundamental understanding needed for quantum technologies, emphasizing discovery science that enables quantum advances.
What is the focus of the Microelectronics topic area?
Microelectronics emphasizes discovery science that underpins next-generation electronic materials, devices, and manufacturing approaches, with the goal of enabling future microelectronics capabilities through fundamental research.
What is the focus of the Polymer Upcycling topic area?
Polymer Upcycling targets fundamental breakthroughs that can transform how polymers and plastics are designed, broken down, and reconstituted into higher-value products. The intent is to strengthen circular economy approaches through basic science advances.
Is this a competitive grant?
Yes. Selections are made through a formal, competitive merit review process, with final funding decisions made by federal officials.
What is the award type and funding category?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The CFDA listing provided is 81.049.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The announcement indicates an award ceiling of $4,000,000.
How many awards does DOE expect to make?
The announcement indicates an expectation of about 10 awards, suggesting a limited number of center-scale projects will be supported under this competition.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant pool is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details that may be included in the full FOA text.
When was this FOA created?
The FOA was created on November 13, 2019.
What is the closing date for applications?
The original closing date is April 7, 2020.
What are the main expectations for an EFRC in terms of structure and scope?
EFRCs are intended to be ambitious, multi-investigator centers that marshal interdisciplinary teams around a coordinated research vision. The scale implied by the award ceiling and the EFRC model suggests substantial scope and integration across investigators, aimed at transformative advances in fundamental science within the targeted topical area.
Does BES want applied projects or basic research?
Based on the description, the emphasis is on discovery science and foundational scientific questions in materials and chemical sciences, while maintaining clear relevance to energy-related challenges. Proposals should show how fundamental advances will address or enable progress on energy-relevant challenges consistent with BES priorities.
What should an applicant avoid doing in their proposal?
Applicants should avoid presenting research that is merely interesting in isolation. Proposals are expected to explicitly connect the scientific vision to BES-identified priorities and major community planning documents, explaining how the work advances national research needs at the frontiers of matter and energy.
Are renewals allowed in all four topical areas?
No. Renewals are mentioned only for Environmental Management. Quantum Information Science, Microelectronics, and Polymer Upcycling are described as accepting new proposals only.
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