DOE Announces $24M to Support Energy-Relevant Research in EPSCoR Jurisdictions

The DOE has 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.

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.

Applications are open to all accredited US 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.