Diversity in Science and Technology Advances National Clean Energy in Solar (DISTANCE Solar) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Diversity in Science and Technology Advances National Clean Energy in Solar (DISTANCE Solar) grant opportunity is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) funding program designed to strengthen the U.S. solar industry by pairing solar science and technology research with deliberate education and workforce development efforts. The program is closely tied to the DOE SunShot initiative (and work beyond SunShot), with an emphasis on making solar power cost competitive with other electricity sources while also building a stronger, more inclusive talent pipeline. At its core, DISTANCE Solar is trying to tackle two connected needs at once: advancing solar technologies through credible research and expanding participation in that research by students and professionals from groups that have been historically underrepresented in STEM fields.

The long-term outcomes described in the announcement focus on increasing innovation in solar by broadening who is contributing ideas and research results, encouraging new job creation in the United States, and supporting greater integration of solar energy into the national energy supply. In the nearer term, the program aims to create a more diverse professional solar workforce by giving students direct opportunities to participate in research and by expanding solar-related content in academic coursework. On the technology side, the near-term objective is to produce scientific contributions that support achieving, or even surpassing, the SunShot goal of lowering the cost of solar electricity by the end of the decade. A key bridge between these workforce and research goals is building up solar research capacity at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), so that these institutions can sustain and grow long-term competitiveness and impact in solar R&D.

Eligible applicants are limited to accredited, domestic colleges and universities that meet the federal definition of Minority Serving Institutions under Section 365(3) of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1067(k)(3)). This eligibility restriction is central to the program design because the funding is meant to directly expand research infrastructure, mentoring, and career pathways at institutions that serve large numbers of students from underrepresented backgrounds. The FOA points applicants to the U.S. Department of Education list of MSIs as the reference for which institutions qualify. Within that eligibility boundary, proposals may be submitted by individual primary investigators or teams from MSIs.

Funded projects are expected to run for three years and must combine two major components: an Education and Workforce Development Plan and a Solar Research Technical Plan. This structure signals that the DOE is not looking for stand-alone research or stand-alone education activities; instead, it wants integrated projects where the research work meaningfully involves students, supports training and exposure, and helps create durable research capability at the institution. Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE anticipates substantial involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant, such as engagement on milestones, reporting, and project direction within the bounds of the agreement.

In terms of funding scale, EERE anticipated making a total of roughly $1.5 million to $3.0 million available across all awards over a three-year period, contingent on annual appropriations. The FOA projected making about 2 to 4 total awards. Cost sharing is encouraged but not required, which lowers the barrier for eligible institutions that may have limited access to non-federal matching funds while still allowing applicants with strong partners or leveraged resources to demonstrate additional commitment.

This opportunity was issued by the DOE Golden Field Office under Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000857, categorized as discretionary funding, with the activity aligned to energy and specifically renewable energy research and development (CFDA 81.087). Applications must be submitted electronically through the EERE eXCHANGE portal, and applicants are expected to register and submit through that system to be considered. The FOA also provides separate contact points: one email for questions about the funding opportunity content (DistanceSolar@go.doe.gov) and another for technical help with the EERE eXCHANGE submission system (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).

Amendment 001 to the FOA did not change the overall program goals or structure, but it did make several important administrative updates. It revised the eligible applicants language in the Executive Summary and revised the first paragraph of the main eligibility section (Section III.A.1). It also extended the full application deadline to April 1, 2013 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time and extended the deadline for submitting questions to March 27, 2013 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. The optional concept paper deadline remained March 18, 2013 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. Aside from these edits, the FOA states that all other sections remained unchanged, and it notes that the revisions were highlighted in green in the updated document to make them easy to identify.

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