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ERI Funding Opportunities

Welcome to the ERI Funding Opportunities Site

College of Engineering campus
Research drives excellence in the College of Engineering by serving as a magnet to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students. Funding opportunities relevant to the College of Engineering will be posted here. If you are interested in pursuing any of these opportunities please contact Lori Jarmon (ljjarmon@iastate.edu, 294-3316) for assistance or additional information. New opportunities are posted weekly. To have the new opportunities delivered directly to your inbox please subscribe using your ISU email address. One email per week.

Aligning Manufacturability & Pre-production Design (AMPD) for Storage Technologies

DoE/ NETL

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003425

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358253

Posted Date: January 16, 2025

Proposal Due Date: March 17, 2025 by 5:00 pm ET

The objective of this NOFO is to facilitate innovative energy storage technology material, subcomponent, component, or system pre-production design to improve the manufacturability of one
or more energy storage technologies. The R&D projects supported by this NOFO will improve the manufacturability of an energy storage technology and advance the TRL and MRL of the technology in the United States. Results may benefit a consortium of developers if the design challenges are widely shared within an industry. Manufacturability improvements can reduce technology production costs for the energy storage technology in question. Identifying and implementing design innovations will align pre-production storage system design to set the stage for manufacturing scale-up.

The design innovations resulting from successful projects, whether targeting a material, subcomponent, component, or system, should put one or more energy storage technologies on a path to advance from a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and a Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of at least 4 to a TRL and MRL of at least 5.

Maximizing Algal System Yield (MASY)

DoE / EERE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003520

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358255

Posted Date: January 16, 2025

Concept Paper Due Date: February 21, 2025 by 5:00 pm ET

Proposal Due Date: May 15, 2025 by 5:00 pm ET

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks applications to address technical challenges in algal systems that currently limit expansion of algae as a domestic bioenergy resource. The MASY NOFO will support high-impact, applied R&D focused on relieving ‘pinch points’ in algal system cultivation and preprocessing, with the goal of improving process economics for biofuels and/or bioproducts.

This NOFO advances EERE and national goals to deliver a clean energy future, through maximizing the use of domestic resources, and supporting the growth of the bioeconomy to provide good paying jobs for all Americans.  This funding opportunity will continue the EERE Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) Renewable Carbon Resources (RCR) subprogram’s strategy for advanced algal systems.

 

STIMULATE UTILIZATION OF PLENTIFUL ENERGY IN ROCKS THROUGH HIGH-TEMPERATURE ORIGINAL TECHNOLOGIES (SUPERHOT)

ARPA-E / DoE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003556

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358258

Posted Date: January 16, 2025

Concept Paper Due Date: February 27, 2025 by 5:00 pm ET

Proposal Due Date: TBD

The SUPERHOT program will support the research and development of technologies that enable the production of geothermal energy from super-hot reservoirs (>375 oC and >22 MPa) for 15 years or more. This program seeks to fund the development of novel technologies for well construction, enhance testing facilities, and optimize reservoir heat extraction to make super-hot geothermal production a reality. The program will have two categories:
• Category 1: Technologies related to the construction of robust super-hot wells and validation services for quality assurance of new well designs and materials. This focus will involve new materials, novel well solutions, and state-of-the-art testing facilities to assess these new approaches.
• Category 2: Technologies related to the extraction of heat from the reservoir to the well. The focus of this category is to develop fracture based and non-fracture-based methods for extracting heat from a super-hot reservoir (potentially composed of ductile rocks) to a working fluid in a well.

 

The Circular Supply Chains Accelerator

DoE / AMMTO

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003512

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358262

Posted Date: January 16, 2025

Concept Paper Due Date: March 31, 2025 by 5:00 pm ET

Proposal Due Date: July 18, 2025 by 5:00 pm ET

The Accelerator’s analysis portfolio will establish a comprehensive understanding of both technical and non-technical factors impacting the adoption of emerging technologies for circular supply chains. Technical factors of interest include the state of emerging technologies in terms of performance and cost metrics. Awareness of these technical factors requires strong understanding of the R&D landscape as well as the state of industrial practice. Non-technical factors of interest include market conditions, supply chain dynamics, policy and regulatory landscape, workforce readiness, infrastructure capabilities, among others. These non-technical market factors may be region-specific and would be critical to inform a systems-level perspective of potential barriers and pathways to widespread commercial adoption. The Accelerator will leverage understanding of technical and non-technical factors to analyze market opportunity within specific product and material market segments. This will identify specific early adopter markets and sequential pathways to more broadly scale the deployment of emerging technologies for greater impact.

Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program

USDA

Solicitation: USDA-NIFA-WAMS-011117

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358274

Posted Date: January 16, 2025

Proposal Due Date: February 27, 2025

The purpose of this program is to support integrated education/teaching and extension/outreach projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM. For a definition of “underrepresented minorities” and “rural area” please visit Appendix III of this RFA. NIFA intends for this program to address educational needs, as determined by each institution, within broadly defined areas of food and agricultural sciences and their allied disciplines.
Applications recommended for funding must highlight and emphasize the development of a competent and qualified workforce in the food and agricultural enterprise. WAMS-funded projects should improve the economic health and viability of rural communities by developing education and extension initiatives that focus on new and emerging employment opportunities in STEM occupations for women and underrepresented minorities

Fiscal Year 2025 Vehicle Technologies Office Program Wide Funding Opportunity

DoE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003514

https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/

Posted Date: January 16, 2025

Concept Paper Due Date: April 01, 2025 by 5 pm ET

Proposal Due Date: June 18, 2025 by 5 pm ET

This NOFO seeks applications to address improved battery technology for both light- and heavy-duty applications, smart charging infrastructure, sustainable farming, workforce development, and demonstration and deployment of these new innovative technologies. The research and development work performed under this program will lead to economic and environmental benefits
including extended battery reliability, improved battery packaging, decreased cost of driving, increased vehicle and system efficiency, and a competent workforce serving the transportation sector. Detailed technical descriptions of the specific Topic Areas are provided in the sections that follow.

Topic Area 1: Technologies for Enhanced Lithium-ion Cell Safety
• Topic Area 2a: Low-Cost Production of Lithium
• Topic Area 2b: Lithium Metal Surface Protection
• Topic Area 3a: Ultra-Long-Cycle Life Li-Ion Batteries for Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks
• Topic Area 3b: Standardized Battery Module Design for Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks
• Topic Area 4: Thermal Technologies for Zero Emission Vehicles
• Topic Area 5: Optimized Grid Planning for Electric Vehicles Using Advanced Metering Infrastructure
• Topic Area 6: CROP – Co-located Renewable-Fuel and Off-road Vehicle Pilots
• Topic Area 7: Vehicle Life Cycle Analysis Baseline
• Topic Area 8: Quality Improvements of Battery Busbar Joining
• Topic Area 9: Electric Vehicle Workforce Development
• Topic Area 10: Vehicle Technology Integration – Open Topic

.S. Army Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Consortium (ASEC) Cooperative Agreement

Army / DoD

Solicitation: W911SR-25-R-ASEC

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358240

Posted Date: January 16, 2025

Webinar Day: January 30, 2025 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET Registration information below

Proposal Due Date: March 14, 2025 by 3:00 pm ET

Opportunity Day will be held virtually on Thursday, January 30, 2025, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST). To register, contact, Aiden Witt, email aiden.b.witt.civ@army.mil and Sarah Eggerling, email sarah.e.eggerling.civ@army.mil, with subject heading “W911SR-25-R-ASEC – Opportunity Day.”

Aligned to the Federal STEM Strategic Plan[1] and the DoD STEM Strategic Plan,[2] ASEC will aim to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers through activities that engage students and educators in meaningful STEM experiences; connect student and educator participants to the Army science and technology mission; empower parents and legal guardians of student participants to be better informed of the Army STEM opportunities; serve military-connected students and those historically underrepresented in STEM; leverage the network of Consortium Members to broaden reach and impact; and to evolve approach based on data.

[1] Federal STEM Strategic Plan: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024fedSTEMplan.pdf

[2] DoD STEM Strategic Plan: https://dodstem-assets.dodstem.us/files/DoD_STEM_Strategic_Plan_2021.pdf

Non-plastic advanced materials for beverage containers

Halo

https://www.halo.science/request_for_solutions/non-plastic-advanced-materials-for-beverage-containers

Posted Date: January 15, 2025

Proposal Due Date: February 28, 2025

We are looking for liquid-packaging solutions to replace traditional plastic packaging, with a primary focus on the main body of the packaging. Technologies that enable non-plastic packaging, such as additives and coatings, are also in scope. While materials containing traces of plastics or bioplastics may be considered, they are a lower priority.

Solutions of interest include:
  • Novel bottles, pouches, bag-in-box and others
  • Packaging with traces of plastic or bioplastic
  • Plastic-free single-use cups and lids
Our must-have requirements are:
  • Be entirely plastic-free or use materials containing minimal traces of plastics or bioplastics
  • Able to hold liquid
Our nice-to-have’s are:
  • 100% non-plastic packaging
  • Materials with validated end-of-life claims
  • Materials with water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and/or oxygen transmission rate (OTR) data

GRID RELIABILITY WITH AUTOMATIC DAMPING AND INERTIA FOR ELECTRICAL NETWORKS AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS (GRADIENTS)

DoE / ARPA-E

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003554

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358207

Posted Date: January 15, 2025

Concept Paper Due Date: February 14, 2025 by 9:30 am ET

Full Proposals by Invitation

The power grid is currently undergoing a large-scale transformation, including a significant reduction of conventional synchronous generators, a high penetration of inverter-based resources, substantial load growth, and a concerning vulnerability to contingencies and extreme weather. The GRADIENTS program seeks to develop disruptive solutions to drastically improve grid reliability and controllability under these conditions. With the goal of avoiding blackouts and cascading failures, the program will provide new solutions to system operators to facilitate greater controllability and coordination capabilities to stabilize the system under undesired dynamic interactions and extreme weather events.
The GRADIENTS program is composed of three technical categories: (1) Flexible renewable generation, (2) Intelligent automatic relays, and (3) Wide-area real-time control co-design.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Accelerating CO2 Conversion Technology Development and Deployment – Biological, Catalytic, and Mineralization Pathways

DoE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003495

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358223

Posted Date: January 15, 2025

Proposal Due Date: April 11, 2025

The Notice of Funding Opportunity competitively solicits cost-shared research and development proposals to advance the pilot scale testing of carbon conversion technologies with high technology readiness level capable of achieving significant carbon mitigation via biological, catalytic, or mineralization pathways. This Notice of Funding Opportunity also supports testing of carbon conversion product performance and characterization needed for market or consumer adoption. This may include lifecycle analysis development for novel carbon conversion technologies and for pilot facilities using these technologies.

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