New Solicitation: Building EPSCoR-State/National Lab Partnerships (DOE)

Research focused on fundamental, early-stage energy research in collaboration with the DOE national laboratories

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a funding opportunity for up to $24 million for new grants under the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR). The grants, to be awarded competitively on the basis of peer review, are aimed to help institutions in EPSCoR-eligible states to conduct research while building capabilities to enable these regions to compete more successfully for other federal R&D funding awards.

These awards will support early-stage, fundamental scientific and engineering research relevant to DOE’s energy mission. Through collaborative partnerships with DOE National Laboratories, EPSCoR advances the geographic diversity of researchers conducting competitive, energy-related research.

Applications are open to all accredited U.S. colleges and universities, nonprofits, and private sector companies. Partnerships with DOE National Lab research staff are required, as is participation by undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, to ensure training of the next generation of energy researchers. Total planned funding is up to $24 million in Fiscal Year 2022 dollars to fully fund three-year projects.

View the Funding Opportunity Announcement, sponsored by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences within the Department’s Office of Science.

• Submission Deadline for Pre-Applications:  01/13/2022 at 4 p.m. CT
• Pre-Applications Response Date:  02/24/2022 at 4 p.m. CT
• Submission Deadline for Applications: April 7, 2022 at 10:59 PM CT

“For continued US innovation and scientific leadership, it is imperative that we broaden participation in research that supports our energy and climate goals,” said Dr. Geraldine Richmond, DOE Undersecretary for Science and Energy. “The EPSCoR program helps ensure that all regions and institutions, particularly those that have been historically underrepresented in federal research funding programs, are engaged in competitive, impactful, clean energy-relevant research.”

This funding opportunity aims to advance fundamental understanding and early-stage research to address the nation’s energy challenges, particularly in clean energy and climate, including energy storage, carbon dioxide removal, hydrogen, solar energy conversion, and low-carbon manufacturing.

DOE EPSCoR currently follows eligibility determinations made by the National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR). On this basis, entities located in the following jurisdictions are eligible to apply under this funding opportunity: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virgin Islands, West Virginia and Wyoming.