Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000683
Apply for DE FOA 0000683
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086 Conservation Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 11, 2013 and posted on May 9, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 29, 2013 A mandatory Letter of Intent is due 07/16/13, 500 PM ET. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $70,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $70,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute grant opportunity (DOE FOA DE-FOA-0000683, administered by the Department of Energy through the Golden Field Office) is a competitive funding program aimed at creating a single, national Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor power electronic devices. The Institute is intended to be a cornerstone effort supporting U.S. economic competitiveness and security and to contribute to the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). At a high level, DOE is looking for a strong, industry-connected organization (with partners across the supply chain) that can accelerate manufacturing innovation, strengthen domestic production capacity, improve product quality, lower costs, cut waste and pollution, and help grow a skilled workforce and regional economic development tied to advanced clean energy manufacturing.
The technical focus is on WBG semiconductors, specifically silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), because of their importance in next generation power electronics that improve how electricity is generated, converted, transmitted, and used. The FOA emphasizes that electricity is the fastest growing form of end-use energy worldwide, and that power electronics already touch a large share of electricity between generation and end use, with that share expected to rise dramatically by 2030. In practical terms, WBG-based power devices can drive major efficiency gains across applications like renewable energy integration (solar and wind power conversion), electric drive vehicles, industrial variable speed motor drives, data centers, and defense-related systems. DOE ties these gains to national priorities, including the goal to double American energy productivity by 2030 and the large fraction of U.S. primary energy that is consumed to produce electricity.
A major theme in the amendment is protecting and expanding U.S. manufacturing leadership in the face of increasing overseas investment and competition. DOE frames the opportunity as similar to earlier supply-chain pressures experienced in the domestic silicon industry, and suggests the Institute could help the U.S. maintain a foothold and capture future manufacturing and export opportunities. One specific pathway the FOA highlights is leveraging underutilized existing U.S. semiconductor manufacturing assets. As the silicon industry migrated to 12-inch wafers, some 6-inch and 8-inch foundry lines may be idle or underused, and DOE notes that a substantial share of processing steps can be similar for WBG device maturation efforts, potentially enabling faster, lower-cost scale-up by repurposing existing infrastructure with appropriate modifications. This is also positioned as a way to revitalize specific geographic regions using existing industrial capabilities.
Functionally, DOE envisions the Institute as more than a research center. It is expected to provide shared, community-accessible capabilities that reduce duplication of expensive capital equipment and help accelerate commercialization. The amendment spells out needs such as in-house circuit and device design support, packaging and module manufacturing capabilities, wafer test and metrology tools to verify wafer quality through photolithographic and chemical processing steps, and centralized testing resources for devices. It also stresses standard packaging technologies, modeling, and lifetime reliability studies, plus long-term device and system reliability testing and benchmarking. The Institute is expected to help connect failure mechanisms to device- and system-level performance, and to develop testing and performance standards that are meaningful for real markets (industrial motor drives, EVs, solar, wind, and other power conversion uses). DOE also anticipates the Institute convening the community for technology and manufacturing roadmapping activities, similar in spirit to efforts like the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, so that near-term manufacturing hurdles and longer-term priorities are translated into coordinated projects and measurable progress.
While the Institute must have a strong manufacturing focus on GaN and/or SiC device manufacturing with the potential for transformative technical and economic impact, the FOA draws a boundary around what is out of scope. Materials suppliers (substrate and epitaxy) are explicitly not excluded from membership, to ensure supply chain integration, but the FOA excludes improvements that are primarily materials-growth or wafer-growth oriented (for example, defect density reduction, yield and diameter increases, film thickness improvements, and related substrate/heteroepitaxy/homoepitaxy growth advancements). In other words, DOE is steering the Institute toward device fabrication/manufacturing, packaging, integration, testing, reliability, standards, and adoption, rather than fundamental materials growth R&D.
The amendment also clarifies how DOE wants applicants to think about and quantify "energy productivity" for this FOA. It provides a working definition and a ten-year, life-cycle-based framing: energy productivity is the cumulative economic value (value add) of relevant market sectors per unit of cumulative life-cycle energy consumption (in TBTU) over a ten-year period. Applicants are instructed to estimate an energy productivity baseline scenario (business as usual without the Institute) and compare it to an Institute-impact scenario (with the Institute), then calculate the percent improvement. DOE stresses that applicants must make realistic estimates of economic impact and energy savings potential and provide clear justification for assumptions.
On funding and award structure, the opportunity is a discretionary program using a cooperative agreement, with cost sharing required. DOE anticipated making one award, with an estimated total federal funding amount of up to $70,000,000, an award ceiling of $70,000,000, and an award floor of $25,000,000. Eligibility is broadly described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full FOA. The FOA also includes a facility constraint that can matter for planning: funds (including cost share) cannot be used for construction of new buildings or major renovations. Allowable costs include expenses needed to house the Institute (including a potential lease for the first five years), minor renovations as needed, and acquisition of research equipment and instrumentation.
This amendment makes several administrative and submission-process changes. Most notably, it extends the mandatory Letter of Intent (LOI) due date to July 16, 2013 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (the full application closing date remained August 29, 2013). The LOI is mandatory to be eligible to submit a full application, cannot include proprietary or sensitive business information, and is limited to three pages with specific formatting rules (8.5x11 paper, 1-inch margins, single spaced, minimum 11-point font, and no URLs needed for review). The process requires two steps: creating an LOI record in EERE Exchange to generate a control number, and then emailing a separate LOI PDF to FOA0000683@go.doe.gov using a required filename convention that incorporates the control number and institution name. The LOI must include the lead organization, the director/technical lead contact information, anticipated team members, proposed institute name, 5 to 10 keywords, estimated total DOE funding request, and a narrative describing focus, potential impact, technical objectives, approach, and a high-level summary of resources and facilities. The amendment also reiterates that applicants should start submissions early to avoid server congestion, and clarifies that full applications must be submitted through EERE Exchange (with registration required), with help available via the EERE Exchange helpdesk email.
In short, this FOA is a large, single-award DOE effort to stand up a national manufacturing-focused institute that can accelerate U.S. leadership in WBG power electronics (GaN and SiC), with shared fabrication, packaging, testing, reliability, and standards capabilities designed to speed adoption across high-impact electric power applications. The amendment primarily updates deadlines and adds detail that strengthens the case for WBG power electronics as a national energy productivity lever, underscores the competitive manufacturing rationale, clarifies expected institute capabilities, tightens scope boundaries around materials growth R&D, and provides a specific method for applicants to quantify energy productivity impacts over a ten-year life-cycle horizon.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute (DOE FOA DE-FOA-0000683)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is the Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute funding announcement (DOE FOA DE-FOA-0000683), administered through DOE's Golden Field Office. It is a competitive program to create a single, national institute focused on manufacturing innovation for wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor power electronic devices.
2) What is DOE trying to fund through this FOA?
DOE is seeking to stand up one national Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute that is strongly connected to industry and partners across the supply chain. The Institute is expected to accelerate manufacturing innovation, strengthen domestic production capacity, improve product quality, reduce cost, cut waste and pollution, and support workforce development and regional economic growth tied to advanced clean energy manufacturing.
3) How many awards does DOE expect to make?
DOE anticipated making one award under this FOA.
4) What is the total federal funding available?
The estimated total federal funding amount is up to $70,000,000, with an award ceiling of $70,000,000.
5) Is there a minimum award size?
Yes. The award floor is $25,000,000.
6) What type of award will be used?
The FOA is a discretionary program using a cooperative agreement.
7) Is cost sharing required?
Yes. Cost sharing is required for this opportunity.
8) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broadly described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full FOA.
9) What is the technical focus of the Institute?
The Institute is focused on WBG semiconductors for power electronics, specifically silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), because of their role in next-generation power electronic devices that improve how electricity is generated, converted, transmitted, and used.
10) Why is DOE emphasizing wide bandgap power electronics?
DOE highlights WBG power electronics as a key lever for energy productivity and competitiveness because electricity is the fastest-growing form of end-use energy worldwide and power electronics already influence a large share of electricity between generation and end use, with that share expected to rise dramatically by 2030. WBG devices can enable major efficiency gains across many high-impact applications.
11) What applications are referenced as benefiting from WBG devices?
The FOA points to applications such as renewable energy integration (solar and wind power conversion), electric drive vehicles, industrial variable speed motor drives, data centers, and defense-related systems, as well as other power conversion uses.
12) How does this FOA relate to national priorities?
DOE links the expected efficiency gains to national priorities, including the goal to double American energy productivity by 2030 and the fact that a large fraction of U.S. primary energy is consumed to produce electricity.
13) What role does manufacturing competitiveness play in this FOA?
A central theme is protecting and expanding U.S. manufacturing leadership amid increased overseas investment and competition. DOE frames the opportunity as a way to avoid supply-chain pressures similar to those previously experienced in the domestic silicon industry and to help the U.S. capture future manufacturing and export opportunities.
14) Does DOE encourage use of existing U.S. semiconductor manufacturing assets?
Yes. The FOA specifically highlights leveraging underutilized existing U.S. semiconductor manufacturing assets. As parts of the silicon industry moved to 12-inch wafers, some 6-inch and 8-inch foundry lines may be idle or underused. DOE notes that many processing steps can be similar for WBG device maturation, potentially enabling faster and lower-cost scale-up through repurposing existing infrastructure with appropriate modifications.
15) Is the Institute expected to be more than a research center?
Yes. DOE envisions the Institute as providing shared, community-accessible capabilities that reduce duplication of expensive capital equipment and accelerate commercialization, not merely performing research.
16) What kinds of shared capabilities does DOE expect the Institute to provide?
The FOA describes needs including in-house circuit and device design support, packaging and module manufacturing capabilities, wafer test and metrology tools (to verify wafer quality through photolithographic and chemical processing steps), and centralized device testing resources. It also emphasizes standard packaging technologies, modeling, and lifetime reliability studies, along with long-term device and system reliability testing and benchmarking.
17) What does DOE say about standards and benchmarking?
DOE expects the Institute to develop testing and performance standards that are meaningful for real markets (such as industrial motor drives, EVs, solar, and wind). The Institute is also expected to connect failure mechanisms to device- and system-level performance and to support long-term reliability testing and benchmarking.
18) Is roadmapping part of the Institute's expected role?
Yes. DOE anticipates the Institute convening the community for technology and manufacturing roadmapping activities, similar in spirit to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, translating near-term manufacturing hurdles and longer-term priorities into coordinated projects and measurable progress.
19) What is explicitly considered out of scope?
While materials suppliers are not excluded from membership, the FOA excludes improvements that are primarily materials-growth or wafer-growth oriented. Examples given include defect density reduction, yield and diameter increases, film thickness improvements, and related substrate/heteroepitaxy/homoepitaxy growth advancements. DOE is steering the Institute toward device fabrication/manufacturing, packaging, integration, testing, reliability, standards, and adoption rather than fundamental materials growth R&D.
20) Can materials suppliers participate at all?
Yes. The FOA states that materials suppliers (substrate and epitaxy) are not excluded from membership to support supply chain integration, even though primarily materials-growth-focused improvements are considered out of scope for the Institute's main technical work.
21) How does DOE define "energy productivity" for this FOA?
The FOA provides a working definition and a ten-year life-cycle framing. Energy productivity is defined as the cumulative economic value (value add) of relevant market sectors per unit of cumulative life-cycle energy consumption (in TBTU) over a ten-year period.
22) What analysis does DOE expect applicants to provide for energy productivity?
Applicants are instructed to estimate an energy productivity baseline scenario (business as usual without the Institute) and compare it to an Institute-impact scenario (with the Institute), then calculate the percent improvement. DOE emphasizes that estimates must be realistic and assumptions should be clearly justified.
23) Are there restrictions on facility and construction spending?
Yes. Funds (including cost share) cannot be used for construction of new buildings or major renovations.
24) What facility-related costs are allowed?
The FOA indicates allowable costs include expenses needed to house the Institute (including a potential lease for the first five years), minor renovations as needed, and acquisition of research equipment and instrumentation.
25) Is a Letter of Intent (LOI) required?
Yes. The LOI is mandatory to be eligible to submit a full application.
26) What is the LOI deadline?
The amendment extended the mandatory LOI due date to July 16, 2013 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
27) What is the full application deadline?
The full application closing date remained August 29, 2013.
28) Can the LOI include proprietary or sensitive business information?
No. The LOI cannot include proprietary or sensitive business information.
29) What are the LOI length and formatting rules?
The LOI is limited to three pages and must follow specific formatting rules: 8.5x11 paper, 1-inch margins, single spaced, minimum 11-point font. The amendment also notes that no URLs are needed for review.
30) How is the LOI submitted?
The process has two steps: (1) create an LOI record in EERE Exchange to generate a control number, and (2) email a separate LOI PDF to FOA0000683@go.doe.gov using a required filename convention that includes the control number and institution name.
31) What information must be included in the LOI?
The LOI must include the lead organization; the director/technical lead contact information; anticipated team members; the proposed institute name; 5 to 10 keywords; the estimated total DOE funding request; and a narrative describing the focus, potential impact, technical objectives, approach, and a high-level summary of resources and facilities.
32) How must the full application be submitted?
Full applications must be submitted through EERE Exchange, and registration is required.
33) Does DOE provide any submission advice?
Yes. The amendment reiterates that applicants should start submissions early to avoid server congestion.
34) Where can applicants get help with EERE Exchange?
The FOA notes that help is available via the EERE Exchange helpdesk email (as referenced in the FOA materials).
35) How does DOE describe the Institute's intended position nationally?
DOE describes the Institute as a cornerstone effort supporting U.S. economic competitiveness and security and contributing to the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI).
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