Energy Funding Matrix

Ran by the Office of Science (SC), The Energy Earthshots drive integrated program development and execution across the Department of Energy’s basic science and energy technology offices. They are part of an all-hands-on-deck approach to provide science and technology innovations that address the tough technological challenges required to achieve our climate and economic competitiveness goals. Six Energy Earthshots have been announced so far: Hydrogen Shot, Long Duration Storage Shot, Carbon Negative Shot, Enhanced Geothermal Shot, Floating Offshore Wind Shot, and Industrial Heat Shot. Priority will be given to applications that focus on crosscutting research relevant to multiple Energy Earthshots.

To accelerate the permitting of high-voltage, interstate transmission projects. These projects, funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will also support community infrastructure projects along major new and upgraded transmissions lines, including upgrading public school buildings and emergency response facilities. Projects will also support the deployment of reliable and affordable energy for consumers and creating good-paying jobs.

Through the SBIR/STTR programs, DOE will support high-quality research or R&D on innovative concepts concerning important mission-related scientific or engineering problems and opportunities that have high potential for commercialization. The FOA will provide grants with maximum award sizes of $200,000 or $250,000 to small businesses 

The Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS) FOA is being issued  to invest in innovative research and development (R&D) that accelerates the large-scale development and deployment of solar technologies to support an equitable transition to a decarbonized electricity system by 2035 and decarbonized energy sector by 2050. The FOA solicits seedling R&D projects for both photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal power technologies.

The Deployment of Technologies to Enhance Grid Flexibility Program provides funding and expansion of eligible activities under the Smart Grid Investment Matching Grant Program established under section 1306 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Qualifying Smart Grid investments including for installation, that allow buildings to engage in demand flexibility or Smart Grid functions.

This funding opportunity includes $41 million for the second phase of $50 million in total provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for state and local government battery recycling programming. This second phase will boost state and local governments' ability to support state-wide and local battery recycling programs. DOE is seeking projects in partnership with state and local governments to create new or enhance existing battery collection, recycling, and reprocessing projects, with an additional focus on awareness, education, and community benefits. This funding opportunity includes $22 million towards the second phase of the $50 million total State Manufacturing Leadership Program. In this second phase, DOE aims to expand this state-led support to reach even more SMMs. DOE seeks applications that facilitate SMM access to resources such as technical assistance, training, facility assessments, apprenticeships, and direct financial assistance to implement smart manufacturing improvements. Competitive funding awards of up to $2 million per project to state entities will be made over an up-to three-year period. Applicants will be required to provide a cost share of at least 23.1% of the award.

$33 million funding opportunity to accelerate the advancement of smart manufacturing technologies and processes necessary to develop and deploy the innovative technologies and materials needed for the nation’s clean energy transition. Smart manufacturing is the use of advanced technologies and processes—including digitalization and artificial intelligence—to improve the technical performance, productivity, quality assurance, and security of the manufacturing sector. Recipients of funding from this opportunity will support research to develop smart manufacturing technologies that improve the efficiency and economics of circular supply chains; advance sustainable transportation manufacturing; accelerate the development of high-performance materials for the clean energy transition; and create more sustainable, safe, and competitive mining in the United States.

This NOFO seeks to address the lack of sufficient private investment that is available to successfully commercialize research and development (R&D) and research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities and bring innovative solar photovoltaic (PV) technology to market. Prime recipients of awards funded through this NOFO will be for-profit entities, with institutions of higher education, for-profit entities, nonprofit entities, state and local governmental entities, and federally recognized Indian Tribes as eligible subrecipients to provide technical expertise, technology know-how, and technical validation capabilities.

The Solar Technologies’ Rapid Integration and Validation for Energy Systems (STRIVES) FOA will fund RD&D projects to improve power systems simulation software tools and demonstrate new business models for distribution systems operations to integrate and optimize the value of inverter-based resources (IBRs) and distributed energy resources (DERs) including solar, wind, energy storage, and other technologies such as buildings and electric vehicles (EVs).

The Solar Technologies’ Rapid Integration and Validation for Energy Systems (STRIVES) funding opportunity will provide up to $31 million for research, development, and demonstration projects to improve power systems simulation software tools and demonstrate new business models for distribution systems operations to integrate and optimize the value of inverter-based resources (IBRs) and distributed energy resources including solar generation, wind generation, energy storage, and other technologies such as buildings and electric vehicles.