Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000490

  • The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Industrial Assessment Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.117 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Information Dissemination, Outreach, Training and Technical Analysis/Assistance.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jul 11, 2011 and posted on Jun 14, 2011.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 2, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
Apply for DE FOA 0000490

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Opportunity Summary:

The Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000490) is a U.S. Department of Energy effort, administered through the Golden Field Office, to competitively select roughly 20 to 30 universities to operate as Industrial Assessment Centers. The program has a long history, dating back to 1976 when it was originally known as the Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Center program, and it is positioned primarily as a workforce development pipeline for training the next generation of energy engineers while also delivering practical benefits to U.S. manufacturers.

At its core, the IAC program is designed to blend classroom learning with real, hands-on experience. Participating universities build teams led by IAC-related faculty and staff and heavily staffed by undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Those students receive structured training in industrial processes, energy assessment methods, and energy management principles. The distinguishing feature is that students do not just study these topics academically; they apply them directly in industrial settings, gaining experience that is hard to replicate in a traditional lab environment.

The service component of the program focuses on small and medium-sized industrial and manufacturing facilities within each IAC's geographic region. Student teams, under supervision, conduct on-site energy assessments intended to identify opportunities for energy savings, waste reduction, sustainability gains, and productivity improvements. In practice, this means the centers help manufacturers find operational and energy-management changes that can reduce costs and improve performance, while students learn how industrial plants actually operate and how energy is consumed across real equipment and processes.

A major emphasis of the program is professional communication and implementation follow-through, not simply technical auditing. Students are expected to interact with plant-level and corporate management, deliver executive-level briefings, and produce plant-specific written reports that provide detailed recommendations for operational and energy management improvements. The opportunity description also highlights follow-on activities to help facilities move toward continuous improvement in energy management, signaling that the DOE expects centers to support progress beyond a one-time assessment where feasible.

From an applicant eligibility standpoint, the FOA is open to institutions of higher education, including both public/state-controlled universities and private universities. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the period of performance compared with a standard grant. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning awardees should expect to contribute a portion of project costs from non-federal sources. The activity category is Energy, and the CFDA listing associated with this opportunity is 81.117 (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Information Dissemination, Outreach, Training and Technical Analysis/Assistance).

Key administrative details provided in the announcement include a posted date of June 14, 2011, with an application closing date of August 2, 2011. While the synopsis lists estimated total funding and award floor/ceiling as 0, that typically reflects incomplete summary-field reporting rather than an indication that no funds are available, and applicants would normally rely on the full FOA text for actual funding ranges, expected budgets, and performance requirements. The full announcement was made available through FedConnect (link provided), and a point of contact was listed as Uriel Trujillo at iac@go.doe.gov for assistance accessing the announcement.

Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) Grant Opportunity (DE-FOA-0000490) - FAQs

What is the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) grant opportunity?

The Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000490) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) effort, administered through the Golden Field Office, to competitively select universities to operate as Industrial Assessment Centers.

Who is running and administering this opportunity?

The opportunity is run by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered through the DOE Golden Field Office.

What is the main purpose of the IAC program?

The program is positioned primarily as a workforce development pipeline for training the next generation of energy engineers, while also delivering practical benefits to U.S. manufacturers through on-site assessments and recommendations.

How long has the IAC program been around?

The program has a long history dating back to 1976, when it was originally known as the Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Center program.

How many universities does DOE expect to select?

DOE expects to competitively select roughly 20 to 30 universities to operate as Industrial Assessment Centers.

Who is eligible to apply?

The FOA is open to institutions of higher education, including public/state-controlled universities and private universities.

What type of funding instrument will be used?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the period of performance compared with a standard grant.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning awardees should expect to contribute a portion of project costs from non-federal sources.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Energy.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA listing associated with this opportunity is 81.117 (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Information Dissemination, Outreach, Training and Technical Analysis/Assistance).

What is an Industrial Assessment Center expected to do?

Participating universities are expected to build teams led by IAC-related faculty and staff and heavily staffed by undergraduate and graduate engineering students. These teams conduct on-site energy assessments for eligible industrial facilities in their region and provide recommendations focused on energy savings, waste reduction, sustainability gains, and productivity improvements.

What kinds of facilities does the IAC program serve?

The service component focuses on small and medium-sized industrial and manufacturing facilities within each IAC's geographic region.

What happens during an on-site assessment?

Student teams, under supervision, conduct on-site assessments intended to identify opportunities for energy savings and operational improvements. The assessments look for practical opportunities related to energy consumption across real equipment and industrial processes.

What types of improvements are IAC teams expected to recommend?

Recommendations are intended to identify opportunities for energy savings, waste reduction, sustainability gains, and productivity improvements, with a focus on operational and energy-management changes that can reduce costs and improve performance.

Is the program only about technical audits?

No. A major emphasis is on professional communication and implementation follow-through, not simply technical auditing.

What communication and reporting deliverables are highlighted?

Students are expected to interact with plant-level and corporate management, deliver executive-level briefings, and produce plant-specific written reports with detailed recommendations for operational and energy management improvements.

Does the program include follow-on support after an assessment?

Yes. The description highlights follow-on activities to help facilities move toward continuous improvement in energy management, indicating that DOE expects centers to support progress beyond a one-time assessment where feasible.

How does this program support workforce development?

The IAC program blends classroom learning with hands-on experience. Students receive structured training in industrial processes, energy assessment methods, and energy management principles, then apply that training directly in industrial settings.

Who typically staffs an IAC team?

Teams are led by IAC-related faculty and staff and are heavily staffed by undergraduate and graduate engineering students.

When was this opportunity posted?

The posted date listed in the announcement is June 14, 2011.

What was the application closing date?

The application closing date listed in the announcement is August 2, 2011.

Where was the full announcement made available?

The full announcement was made available through FedConnect (via the link provided in the synopsis).

Who can applicants contact for help accessing the announcement?

The point of contact listed for assistance accessing the announcement is Uriel Trujillo at iac@go.doe.gov.

The synopsis shows estimated funding and award floor/ceiling as 0. Does that mean there is no funding?

Not necessarily. The synopsis notes that these 0 values typically reflect incomplete summary-field reporting rather than an indication that no funds are available. Applicants would normally rely on the full FOA text for actual funding ranges, expected budgets, and performance requirements.

Where should applicants look for budget ranges and performance requirements?

Based on the synopsis, applicants would normally rely on the full FOA text (available through FedConnect) for actual funding ranges, expected budgets, and performance requirements.

What is the key distinguishing feature of the IAC program compared to classroom-only learning?

Students do not just study industrial energy topics academically; they apply them directly in industrial settings, gaining hands-on experience that is difficult to replicate in a traditional lab environment.

Does the IAC program focus on a specific geographic area?

Yes. The description notes that assessments are performed for facilities within each IAC's geographic region.

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