OARS funding Environmental Sustainability

Research proposals are sought from educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and commercial organizations for research in materials sciences; ballistics and aeromechanics sciences; information sciences; human sciences; survivability, lethality, and vulnerability analysis and assessment; chemistry; electronics; physics; environmental sciences; life sciences; mechanical sciences, mathematical sciences, computing sciences and network sciences. Proposals will be evaluated only if they are for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state of the art or increasing knowledge and understanding. ARO has primary responsibility for ARL's extramural basic research programs, with specific research interests as described in Part II.A.2. The ARL Directorates, while having primary responsibility for ARL's in-house research programs, also manage select extramural basic research programs. The research interests of the Directorates are described in Part II.A.1. Although ARL Directorates will consider funding proposals for extramural research programs, they can fund only a modest number of proposals in a single fiscal year.

 Program supports the generation of extended time series of data to address important questions in evolutionary biology, ecology, and ecosystem science. Research areas include, but are not limited to, the effects of natural selection or other evolutionary processes on populations, communities, or ecosystems; the effects of interspecific interactions that vary over time and space; population or community dynamics for organisms that have extended life spans and long turnover times; feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes; pools of materials such as nutrients in soils that turn over at intermediate to longer time scales; and external forcing functions such as climatic cycles that operate over long return intervals. 

The purpose of this modification is to publish questions and responses regarding the FOA and to provide a link to the Webinar download. The questions and responses can be found in Attachment 002. A copy of the March 18, 2015 webinar and its slides can be downloaded from the CERC website: http://www.us-china-cerc.org/Energy_Water.html The Department of Energy is soliciting applications for the formation of a Consortium to pursue five identified R&D topics at the nexus of energy and water. These topics are: 1) water use reduction at thermoelectric plants; 2) treatment and management of non-traditional waters; 3) improving sustainable hydropower design and operation; 4) climate impact modeling, methods, and scenarios to support improved energy and water systems understanding; and 5) data and analysis to inform planning, policy, and other decisions. Each responsive proposal will address all five topics; DOE is offering a mechanism to facilitate partnering during the Application process. The Consortium that is funded through this solicitation will form a new technical track under the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, which is a bilateral initiative to encourage R&D collaboration and accelerate technology development and deployment in both countries (see: http://www.us-china-cerc.org). This DOE funding opport unity will support the U.S. Consortium. In parallel, and with equivalent resources, Chinese funding will support a counterpart Chinese Consortium.

Please review important information below about the EERE Exchange website as it relates to this FOA. This FOA supports Research and Development (R&D) partnerships leading to innovative designs and processes for the manufacturing and assembly of wind turbine blades in order to facilitate deployment of the next generation of multi-megawatt wind turbines. Supported projects will develop cost-competitive integrated solutions that address the challenges of fabricating, transporting overland, and assembling rotor blades longer than 60m, with design concepts scalable to greater lengths, and installing them at wind turbine hub heights of at least 120m. This FOA is intended to be forward-looking in addressing U.S. market dynamics and domestic manufacturing opportunities through innovative solutions to constructing and assembling larger blades directly applicable to mitigating U.S. transportation constraints. Awards under the FOA will support partnerships between DOE and research and development (R&D) teams, including manufacturers. The objectives of this FOA are to: 1. Reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of land-based wind power in appropriate wind regimes by enabling the use of taller towers over their entire lifecycle, allowing wind turbines to capture stronger wind resources aloft. 2. Increase the wind turbine deployment opportunities in lower wind speed regions across the country where wind energy has previously been more expensive to deploy. 3. Increase U.S. competitiveness in alignment with the EERE Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI). Single Topic Area: This FOA is focused solely on R&D projects intended to raise the technology readiness level of large wind turbine blade manufacturing and installation concepts. New innovations in blade design as well as improvements in manufacturing and assembly processes are expected outcomes of this FOA. Solutions may include, but are not limited to, modular, segmented or site-fabricated blade technologies. Resulting

Power cycles based on a supercritical carbon dioxide, SCO2, working fluid have the potential for higher thermal efficiencies and a lower capital cost when compared to state of the art steam-based power cycles. The cost and performance of recuperators are currently seen as a significant barrier to the full-scale demonstration and economic viability of SCO2 power cycle technology. The purpose of this FOA is to seek applications for the development of high temperature recuperator technologies that are capable of handling the SCO2 RCBC system requirements while also maintaining a cost effectiveness required for commercial adaptation. Modular concepts and or strategies that are capable of scalability to address the wide variation in size, capacity and temperature anticipated for the varied applications are of particular interest. Responsive applications will provide a plan for focused research and development of innovative designs, materials and manufacturing methods to produce scalable, cost- effective recuperators suitable for deployment in large-scale SCO2 power cycle applications.

As part of DOE?s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), FEMP works with key individuals to accomplish energy change within organizations by bringing expertise from all levels of project and policy implementation to enable Federal agencies to meet energy-related goals and to provide energy leadership to the country. The AFFECT FOA for FY 2015 will provide direct funding to Federal agencies for the development of capital projects to initiate, supplement, improve or otherwise increase the viability and deployment of renewable energy investments at U.S. Federal government-owned facilities. The intent of the AFFECT FOA is for these capital projects to help facilitate the wider adoption of these technologies at other Federal facilities. Using the authority provided in Public Law 102-486, funding provided under the AFFECT FOA will implement FEMP?s continuing efforts to promote widespread energy efficiency and renewable energy technology dep loyment in the Federal sector. Projects selected for funding under the AFFECT FOA will support FEMP?s ongoing effort to build agency capacity through project implementation, encourage energy cost savings, and promote significant recipient involvement through cost leveraging from both Federal and non-Federal sources. The full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Applications must be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website to be considered for award. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere- exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system. Information on where to submit questions regarding the content of the announcement and where to submit questions regarding submission of applications is found in the full FOA posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website.

REAP Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program. Refer to Application Package AND Application Instruction links to obtain all necessary forms for a complete application. Contact State Energy Coordinators with questions: http://www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_StateEnergyCoordinators.pdf

The purpose of this modification is to revise Section I.B. Background, to include information on the Teaming Partner List. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to establish DOE's third Manufacturing Innovation Institute under the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI). The purpose of CEMI is to strengthen U.S. clean energy manufacturing competitiveness and to increase U. S. manufacturing competitiveness across the board by boosting energy productivity and leveraging low-cost domestic energy resources as fuels and feedstocks. 

The United States Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking innovative research and development of the key crosscutting technologies (sensors and controls, high performance materials, simulation based engineering, and water management research) to enable development of next generation advanced energy systems. These technologies will contribute to the goals of high efficiency, near-zero emissions, and effective carbon capture for the next generation energy systems. Innovations in these areas are being supported by NETLs Crosscutting Research Program which aims at bridging the gap between the basic sciences and applied research as it relates to Advanced Energy Systems that utilize domestic resources. Long range transitional type research is needed to support the identification and growth of novel concepts that will lead to scientific breakthroughs and early adoption of innovative concepts into applications for power generation. It is envisioned that the projects will involve multi-organizational teams with phased projects that consider, in part, the needs and interest of the fossil power generation community as a whole, as well as accelerating the development and deployment of crosscutting technologies.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement supports the Vehicle Technologies Office's goals and objectives for reducing petroleum consumption through the research, development, and deployment of alternative fuel and vehicle electrification technologies that significantly reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while meeting or exceeding vehicle performance and cost expectations.

Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Department's Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian tribes (including Alaska Native regional corporations, village corporations, tribal consortia, and tribal organizations) and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations to install (1) facility-scale clean energy and energy efficiency projects and (2) community-scale clean energy projects on Indian lands. The Funding Opportunity Announcement is soliciting applications under two Topic Areas: (1) Install clean energy and energy efficiency retrofit projects for tribal buildings (Topic Area 1); a. Clean Energy Systems (Topic Area 1.a.) b. "Deep Energy Retrofit" Energy Efficiency Measures (Topic Area 1.b.) And, (2) Deploy clean energy systems on a community-scale (Topic Area 2). Under Topic Area 1, DOE is seeking applications for the deployment of facility-scale: (a) clean energy systems (renewable energy power systems or combined heat and power systems) to displace electrical, heating and/or cooling loads by at least 15%; and (b) deep energy retrofit energy efficiency measures to reduce the total of all energy used in a building or buildings by at least a 20%. Under Topic Area 2, DOE is soliciting applications for the deployment of community-scale clean energy systems of 50 kW or more (or for heating or cooling the Btu equivalent of 170,607 Btu/hour) on Indian lands to provide electricity, and/or heating or cooling for many buildings or to an entire tribal community. Under this FOA, a 50% cost share of total project costs (100% match against DOE funds) is required, unless an Applicant requests a reduction in the cost share as part of the application and receives approval from DOE. Applicants may request up to a 40% reduction in cost share, to no less than 10% of the total project costs. Cost share reduction requests to less than 10% will not be considered. If DOE does not grant a request for reduced cost share, the Applicant will

The University of Chicago is offering talented individuals from traditionally underrepresented populations an expenses-paid opportunity to explore graduate education at the University of Chicago. Join us for a weekend of graduate admissions workshops, presentations by world-renowned faculty and their graduate students, and informal socials. Receive advice on submitting a competitive application to graduate programs and learn how to develop your own career as a scientist, academic, or professional.

The Office of Nuclear Physics (NP), Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces its interest in receiving proposals for Topical Collaborations in Nuclear Theory. Topical Collaborations are fixed-term, multi-institution collaborations established to investigate a specific topic in nuclear physics of special interest to the community, which is aligned with programmatic NP goals and has not been addressed by a previous Topical Collaboration. Topical Collaborations also provide a mechanism for maintaining a robust community, by encouraging the creation of tenured university appointments and permanent laboratory positions in nuclear theory. A companion Program Announcement to DOE Laboratories (LAB15-1269) will be posted on the SC Grants and Contracts website at http://science.energy.gov/grants.

The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is an organization focused on achieving aggressive and well-defined mid-to-long term clean energy goals for the United States of America. In that context, EERE has established multi-year plans and roadmaps. EERE focuses the majority of its resources on a limited number of "highest probability of success" pathways/approaches to ensure that the program initiatives are supported at a critical mass (both in terms of dollars and time) for maximum impact. This roadmap-based approach is one of EERE's greatest strengths, but it can create challenges in recognizing and exploring unanticipated, game changing pathways/approaches which may ultimately be superior to the pathways/approaches on our existing roadmaps. To enhance the responsiveness of the roadmap approach, EERE is continuing to issue "Incubator" Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) within its existing Offices and programs to support innovative technologies and solutions that could help meet existing goals but are not represented in a significant way in the Offices' existing Multi-Year Program Plans (MYPPs) or current portfolios. The Incubator programs will allow EERE to assess new technologies for their potential to be ?on ramped? to future MYPPs. Successful incubator projects will reduce the risk associated with potentially breakthrough approaches and technologies so that they could be viable candidates for inclusion in future program roadmaps. DOEs Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) develops and deploys efficient and environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that will enable America to use less petroleum. These technologies will provide Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security, while lowering costs and reducing impacts on the environment. For example, the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge requires dramatic improvements in plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) performance and cost that are specified as technical targets

The goal of this interagency funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of multiscale models to accelerate biological, biomedical, behavioral, environmental and clinical research. The NIH, ARO, DOE, FDA, NASA, NSF, and ONR recognize that in order to efficiently and effectively address the challenges of understanding multiscale biological and behavioral systems, researchers will need predictive, computational models that encompass multiple biological and behavioral scales.  This FOA supports the development of non-standard modeling methods and experimental approaches to facilitate multiscale modeling, and active participation in community-driven activities through the Multiscale Modeling (MSM) Consortium, www.imagwiki.org.

Agency Overview: The Advanced Research Projects Agency ? Energy (ARPA-E), an organization within the Department of Energy (DOE), is chartered by Congress in the America COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69), as amended by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-358) to: ?(A) to enhance the economic and energy security of the United States through the development of energy technologies that result in? (i) reductions of imports of energy from foreign sources; (ii) reductions of energy-related emissions, including greenhouse gases; and (iii) improvement in the energy efficiency of all economic sectors; and (B) to ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.? ARPA-E funds research on and the development of high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. The agency focuses on technologies that can be meaningfully advanced with a modest investment over a defined period of time in order to catalyze the translation from scientific discovery to early-stage technology. For the latest news and information about ARPA-E, its programs and the research projects currently supported, see: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/. Program Overview: This FOA marks the third OPEN solicitation in the history of ARPA-E. The previous two OPEN solicitations were conducted at the inception of the agency in 2009 and again in 2012. An OPEN solicitation provides a vitally important mechanism for the support of innovative energy R&D that complements the other primary mechanism, which is through the solicitation of research projects in focused technology programs. ARPA-E?s focused programs target specific areas of technology that the agency has identified, through extensive interaction with the appropriate external stakeholders, as having significant potential impact on one or more of the Mission Areas described in Section I.A of the FOA. Awards made in response to the sol

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), invests in high-risk, high-value research, development and deployment in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. EERE, through the Building Technologies Office (BTO) is issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001117, entitled ?Building America Industry Partnerships for High Performance Housing Innovations?. The FOA seeks to develop technologies, techniques, and tools for making buildings more energy efficient, productive, and affordable. BTO's strategic goal is to significantly improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings to reduce national energy demand and allow the nation to work toward greater energy independence and a cleaner environment. With this FOA, EERE anticipates selecting and funding 1 to 4 building science teams in 2015 for the Building America Research Program. Selected teams will conduct applied Research and Development (R&D) in real world houses, develop and implement solutions to three inter-related core technical challenges which are necessary to meet the program goals for both new and existing homes. Core technical challenges include: A) high performance, low risk building envelope assemblies and systems to achieve low heating and cooling loads; B) optimal comfort systems (HVAC and distribution) for low-load homes; and C) high performance ventilation systems and indoor air quality strategies for low-load homes The full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Applications must be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website to be considered for award. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere- exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system. Information on where to submit questions regardi

In 2013, the United States used more than 25% of its energy supply for the purpose of moving people and goods from one place to another, i.e., in the transportation sector. Even modest improvements that reduce transportation energy consumption can reduce energy imports and greenhouse gas emissions, two of ARPA-E's primary goals. To date, technologies directed at transportation have focused primarily on the diversification of energy supplies (e.g., the production of alternative liquid fuels and electrification) or on improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency (e.g., combustion efficiency, weight reduction, and aerodynamic design). The TRANSNET program takes an alternative, complementary approach through the development of technologies that target both the factors that drive energy consumption and the overall energy efficiency of personal transportation, without changing the mechanical efficiency of each mode (car, bus, train, etc.) within the network.

This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals for projects designed to assist state, local and tribal communities in identifying and profiling air toxics sources, assessing emerging measurement methods, characterizing the degree and extent of local air toxics problems, and tracking progress of air toxics reduction activities.

The overarching goal of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP) is to support integrated scientific research to enhance our knowledge of environmental and genetic factors underlying breast cancer risk. This funding opportunity will support transdisciplinary research projects to investigate the influence of environmental exposures during specific time windows of susceptibility on breast cancer risk. Applicants must propose transdisciplinary research project that addresses one or more potential windows of susceptibility and facilitates the integration of experimental model and human studies to accelerate understanding of the contribution of environmental factors to breast cancer risk, the underlying mechanisms, and potential prevention strategies. Applications must also include community-academic partnerships with defined community engagement activities.