DOE Announces $150 Million for Research on the Science Foundations for Energy Earthshots
Initiative Calls for Innovation and Collaboration to Tackle the Toughest Barriers to Deploying Emerging Clean Energy Technologies
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $150 million for research into the crosscutting foundational science for multiple Energy Earthshots. This funding, provided by the Office of Science, will support fundamental research to accelerate breakthroughs in support of the Energy Earthshots Initiative.
“Our Energy Earthshot solutions start with science,” said Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, DOE’s Director of the Office of Science. “The Office of Science is working to find those solutions by supporting research that will target the remaining and emerging scientific challenges underlaying the 2035 Energy Earthshots Goals and beyond. The Office of Science is not just planning for tomorrow but is building the foundation for the future.” The Energy Earthshots drive integrated program development and execution across DOE’s basic science and energy technology offices. They are part of an all-hands-on-deck approach to provide science and technology innovations that address the tough technological challenges required to achieve our climate and economic competitiveness goals. The Energy Earthshots will accelerate breakthroughs towards more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions. Six Energy Earthshots have been announced so far:
- Hydrogen Shot™
- Long Duration Storage Shot™
- Carbon Negative Shot™
- Enhanced Geothermal Shot™
- Floating Offshore Wind Shot™
- Industrial Heat Shot™
The awards supported by this funding opportunity will bring together small teams focused on the crosscutting scientific challenges addressing multiple Energy Earthshots. Research will support basic science to seed innovations or to provide the scientific understanding to support existing technology development pathways for the needed portfolio of Energy Earthshot solutions.
Applications are open to all accredited U.S. colleges and universities, not-for-profit organizations, and private sector companies. Partnerships with other institutions, including national and federal laboratories, not-for-profit organizations, other federal agencies, or industry are encouraged. To strengthen the commitment to promoting a diversity of investigators and institutions supported by the DOE Office of Science, applications are explicitly encouraged to involve Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This funding announcement complements the funding announcement for the Energy Earthshot Research Centers, to be led by the DOE national laboratories.
Total combined planned funding is up to $150 million over three years, with $50 million in Fiscal Year 2023 dollars and outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations. The funding anticipated for each award is $500K to $2M per year.
A webinar on this opportunity will be held on March 27th at 12:30 p.m. EST. Please register here.
The Funding Opportunity Announcement, sponsored by the Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, and Biological and Environmental Research programs within the Department’s Office of Science, can be found here.