The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a $420 million funding opportunity for DOE's Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC). This funding will advance climate solutions through early-stage research on clean energy technology, advanced and low-carbon manufacturing, and quantum information science. Breakthroughs in basic research will be key to creating the climate solutions that will help achieve President Biden's goal of a zero-emission economy by 2050.
"Spearheaded by world-leading scientists, DOE's Energy Frontier Research Centers are innovation powerhouses that have unlocked scientific breakthroughs leading to transformative climate solutions like solar windows and carbon capture technology," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "This funding will create good-paying jobs and open doors to an array of clean energy technologies across industries that will be crucial to lowering carbon emissions, meeting our climate goals, and creating the clean infrastructure of the future."
The EFRC program brings together diverse teams of scientists across disciplines and institutions – including universities, national laboratories, industry, and nonprofits – solely focused on solving complex problems in early-stage research and accelerating advances in the most challenging areas of materials sciences, chemical sciences, geosciences, and biosciences. Since the program's introduction in 2009, there have been 88 EFRCs across 41 states, with 41 currently active.
EFRC research has led to hundreds of scientific discoveries and more than 200 issued patents that have led to the development of clean technologies like high-capacity batteries, windows that convert sunlight to electricity, and materials that can capture carbon dioxide. This foundational research also supports cross-DOE initiatives including the Energy Earthshots.
Interested applicants are encouraged to assemble diverse and multi-disciplinary teams of researchers to achieve a well-defined set of research goals. DOE encourages applications led by, or in partnership with, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that are underrepresented in the Basic Energy Sciences portfolio and applications representing groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Applications are open to all accredited U.S. colleges and universities, national laboratories, nonprofits, and private sector companies.
For more information about this funding opportunity and the EFRC program, please register for a webinar on January 19, 2022 at 2PM ET. The registration link can be found here.
The funding opportunity is sponsored by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences within the Department's Office of Science and can be found here.