Catalytic Upgrading of Thermochemical Intermediates to Hydrocarbons | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is this funding opportunity?

It is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued through the DOE Golden Field Office: DE-FOA-0000467, titled "Catalytic Upgrading of Thermochemical Intermediates to Hydrocarbons", under CFDA 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development).

2. What is the main purpose of the FOA?

The FOA supports renewable energy research aimed at developing and validating catalytic upgrading approaches that convert biomass-derived thermochemical intermediates into hydrocarbon fuels or fuel blendstocks that work with existing fuel infrastructure. The work may also support production of biofuel-enabling chemical products.

3. What kind of projects is DOE specifically looking for?

DOE is emphasizing projects that move beyond stand-alone component testing and instead demonstrate an integrated, end-to-end upgrading process. The expectation is that teams will design and run a fully integrated process where key unit operations are connected and operated together, including recycle loops where applicable.

4. What does "fully integrated" mean in this FOA?

"Fully integrated" refers to operating all key unit operations together as a connected process rather than testing parts of the system in isolation. Where the process design includes recycle loops, those recycle loops should also be integrated and operated as part of the system.

5. Is steady-state operation required?

Yes. A major emphasis is on demonstrating the ability to reach steady-state operation and generating long-duration, continuous datasets that can be used to validate performance credibly.

6. What kind of data collection and monitoring does DOE expect?

DOE expects the integrated process to be instrumented so relevant operating parameters can be continuously monitored and logged during experimental runs. This supports evaluation of stability, repeatability, and operational control, in addition to product yields and product quality.

7. Are there specific feedstock requirements?

Yes. The FOA requires use of at least three different biomass feedstocks during development and demonstration. Two of the three must be woody biomass and corn stover. The third can be another renewable lignocellulosic material or an algal feedstock selected by the applicant.

8. Does the feedstock requirement specifically mean "syngas from" those feedstocks?

No. A clarification made through a modification states the requirement is framed in terms of biomass feedstocks generally, not specifically "syngas from" those feedstocks. DOE removed language tying the effort to syngas, aligning the FOA more broadly with thermochemical intermediates and upgrading pathways.

9. What is the application deadline?

The application deadline was extended by Modification 000003 to May 23, 2011 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (the original closing date was May 6, 2011).

10. What funding instrument(s) will DOE use for awards?

Awards are planned as cooperative agreements and/or grants.

11. Is cost sharing required?

Applicants should expect a cost-sharing requirement under this opportunity.

12. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications that may appear in the full FOA text.

13. Where is the FOA posted and how do applicants access it?

The opportunity is posted through FedConnect.

14. What should applicants do if they cannot access the full announcement?

Applicants who have trouble accessing the full announcement are directed to contact Nicholas Oscarsson at TCUpgrading11@go.doe.gov.

15. Were there any changes to the FOA language about syngas?

Yes. Modification 000002 removed the reference to syngas in Section I.3 and replaced it with updated wording focused on biomass feedstocks and thermochemical intermediates, avoiding a syngas-specific interpretation.

16. Were there any corrections to required budget/pro forma materials?

Yes. Modification 000002 corrected an error in the required pro forma spreadsheet: specifically, row 186 should equal the entry in line 184 rather than summing entries in lines 176, 180, 182, and 184.

17. Which pro forma spreadsheet file should applicants use?

Applicants must use the corrected spreadsheet named "Proformacorrected.xls" (not "Proforma.xls"), save all scenarios in a single file with that corrected name, and attach it as an optional other attachment. The required forms/files table in Section IV.C was updated to reflect this corrected filename.

18. How did the pro forma spreadsheet instructions change over time?

An earlier change (Modification 000001) added the original Proforma.xls to the FedConnect documentation set to match references in the application instructions. Later changes (Modification 000002) superseded that by directing applicants to use the corrected file Proformacorrected.xls and updated the FOA table accordingly.

19. The summary shows estimated funding and award floor/ceiling values as zero. What does that mean?

Based on the provided information, the extracted listing shows zeros for estimated total funding and award floor/ceiling values. This typically indicates the summary record did not populate specific funding levels; applicants would need to rely on the full FOA for budget expectations and any limits.

20. What does DOE want to be able to evaluate from the integrated runs?

DOE wants to be able to evaluate not only product yields and quality, but also operational performance such as stability, repeatability, and operational control, supported by continuous monitoring and logging of relevant operating parameters during long-duration runs.