Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Note the cost share requirements in the Award Information section below.

Program Summary

Marine energy technologies provide renewable sources of electricity that support EERE goals of increasing energy affordability, domestic economic prosperity, and energy security while enhancing the reliability and resiliency of the U.S. power grid. This FOA addresses priorities in the following areas: marine energy foundational Research and Development (R&D) at non-federal research institutions, collaborative R&D efforts among research organizations and the marine energy industry, and expansion of marine energy testing capabilities.

Marine energy technologies convert the energy of waves, tides, and river and ocean currents into electricity and have the potential to provide millions of Americans with locally sourced, clean, and reliable energy. Marine energy resources are predictable and forecastable with a generation profile complementary to other renewable energy resources such as onshore wind and solar, which can enhance their contributions to grid resilience and reliability.

Continuous research, development, and testing infrastructure advances are needed to support long-term objectives for harnessing the power of the Nation’s oceans and rivers. Advancements of current energy technologies provide more options for developing the diverse set of riverine resources in the U.S.; river current energy applications of particular interest are devices that function well in remote communities with higher energy costs. The investments made through this FOA will increase energy affordability by improvements in design, prototyping, and testing of marine energy devices, ultimately leading to reduced costs and increased competitiveness of marine energy solutions.

Deadlines

Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØInternal Deadline: 11:59pm MST April 26, 2020

Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: 3:00pm MST May 11, 2020

Sponsor Application Deadline: 3:00pm MST July 7, 2020

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Topic Area (choose 1):
    • 1 - Foundational Research and Development
    • 2 - Atlantic Marine Energy Center
    • 3 - Foundational Research Network Facilitator
    • 4 - Current Energy Technology Testing Infrastructure
  • Project Summary (3 pages maximum): Please succinctly describe: 1) the proposed technology, including its basic operating principles and how it is unique and innovative; 2) the proposed technology’s target level of performance (provide technical data or other support to show how the proposed target could be met); 3) the current state-of-the-art in the relevant field and application, including key shortcomings, limitations, and challenges; 4) the proposed technology will overcome the shortcomings, limitations, and challenges in the relevant field and application; 5) the potential impact that the proposed project would have on the relevant field and application; 6) the key technical risks/issues associated with the proposed technology development plan; and 7) the impact that EERE funding would have on the proposed project. All pages must be formatted to fit on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Times New Roman typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12 point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10 point font).
  • PI Curriculum Vitae
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required. Details surrounding the cost-share should be included if required for the topic area under which the application is being submitted.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Eligibility varies by Topic Area. See the DOE solicitation for full details.

Limited Submission Guidelines

An entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each Topic Area of this FOA.

Award Information

Topic Area 1: Foundational Research and Development

  • Up to 7 awards, $1.5M in Federal funds per award, 10-20% cost share requirement, 48 month anticipated award duration, two budget periods with a Go/No-Go decision after 24 months

Topic Area 2: Atlantic Marine Energy Center

  • 1 award, $5M in Federal funds, 10% cost share requirement, 48 months anticipated award duration, two budget periods with a Go/No-Go decision after 18 months

Topic Area 3: Foundational Research Network Facilitator

  • 1 award, $1.5M in Federal funds, 0% cost share requirement, up to 48-months anticipated award duration, one budget period

Topic Area 4: Current Energy Testing Infrastructure

  • 1 award, $5M in Federal funds total, 10%-20% cost share requirement, up to 48 months anticipated award duration, two budget periods with a Go/No-Go decision after 12 months