Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001478
Apply for DE FOA 0001478
- The DOE-ARPAE in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Integration and Optimization of Novel Ion Conducting Solids (IONICS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 26, 2016 and posted on Feb 26, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 28, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 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 Department of Energy's ARPA-E program called Integration and Optimization of Novel Ion Conducting Solids (IONICS) is a research and development funding opportunity aimed at making next-generation electrochemical devices practical and commercially compelling by improving the solid ion-conducting components inside them. The core idea is that many high-impact energy technologies, especially advanced batteries and other electrochemical cells, are held back by materials tradeoffs in key components such as separators and membranes. IONICS targets solid ion conductors that can simultaneously deliver low ionic area-specific resistance (so ions move easily across the component), strong chemical and electrochemical stability (so the material does not degrade in harsh operating environments), high selectivity (so the right ions pass while unwanted species are blocked), and adequate mechanical properties (so the component resists cracking, dendrite penetration, swelling, and other failure modes). A major emphasis is on overcoming the linked, often competing nature of these properties, where improving one characteristic can worsen another.
In addition to inventing or refining the underlying materials, the program is explicitly focused on processing and integration: how these solid ion conductors can be manufactured and incorporated into working devices. ARPA-E frames solid ion-conducting components as enabling platforms, pointing to widely used benchmark materials like Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) in ceramics and perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers such as Nafion as examples of how a strong separator or electrolyte can unlock broad technology adoption. IONICS seeks analogous breakthroughs for other chemistries and operating regimes, particularly where existing solutions are too resistive, too unstable, too expensive, or too difficult to manufacture at the needed scale.
The funding opportunity is organized around several program categories tied to electrochemical cells with potentially large energy-sector impact. The first category targets lithium ion conductors that can enable lithium metal cycling without shorting, which directly addresses a critical barrier for lithium-metal batteries: preventing dendrite-driven penetration and failure while maintaining fast ion transport. The second category focuses on selective and low-cost separators for batteries with liquid reactants, including flow batteries, where crossover and selectivity problems can reduce efficiency, lifetime, and system economics. The third category targets alkaline conductors that combine high chemical stability with high conductivity, reflecting persistent challenges for alkaline electrochemical devices that can offer cost or materials advantages but often struggle with membrane durability or performance. A fourth, open category invites other approaches that still meet the overall IONICS objectives, leaving room for unconventional ion-conducting solids, device concepts, or integration strategies that do not neatly fit the first three areas.
Two practical requirements are highlighted as central to the program. First, teams must create manufacturable components at sizes relevant to real devices, specifically large-area parts that typically range from tens to about one hundred square centimeters depending on application. This is intended to force early confrontation of scale-related issues such as uniformity, defect control, thickness control, edge sealing, mechanical integrity, and yield, rather than demonstrating only small lab coupons. Second, the materials and manufacturing approach must be low-cost enough to support broad adoption and therefore meaningful energy impact. ARPA-E signals that meeting cost constraints will likely require advances in processing methods, especially for inorganic solid ion conductors, and encourages applicants to build teams with expertise in large-area fabrication and low-cost, scalable processing rather than purely materials discovery.
Across all categories, ARPA-E expects recurring technical themes. These include polymer/inorganic composites that blend conductivity, toughness, and stability; new chemistries and formulations that maintain performance under aggressive chemical or electrochemical conditions; processing methods capable of producing thin, large-area inorganic ion conductors without prohibitive defects or expense; morphology engineering in polymers and composites to tune transport pathways and mechanical response; and self-forming mechanisms that may simplify manufacturing or improve interfacial contact. The solicitation also makes it clear that success will likely require cross-disciplinary teams spanning solid-state ionics, polymer science, ceramics, interfacial and mechanical behavior of materials, functional glasses, organic and inorganic chemistry, multiscale computation, and process engineering and scale-up.
Administratively, this opportunity was issued by DOE-ARPA-E as a discretionary cooperative agreement under Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001478 (CFDA 81.135). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to different organization types subject to any specific eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The posting and creation date were February 26, 2016, with a closing date of March 28, 2016. ARPA-E anticipated making around 15 awards, with an award ceiling listed at $10,000,000.
IONICS (ARPA-E) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is the IONICS funding opportunity?
IONICS stands for Integration and Optimization of Novel Ion Conducting Solids. It is a Department of Energy (DOE) ARPA-E research and development funding opportunity focused on making next-generation electrochemical devices more practical and commercially compelling by improving the solid ion-conducting components inside them.
Which DOE office is sponsoring this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
What is the main technical goal of the IONICS program?
The program targets breakthroughs in solid ion conductors used in electrochemical devices (such as batteries and other electrochemical cells). The goal is to overcome common tradeoffs that limit performance, durability, manufacturability, and cost, so these devices can reach real-world scale and adoption.
Why is ARPA-E focusing on solid ion-conducting components?
ARPA-E frames solid ion-conducting components (like separators and membranes) as enabling platforms that can unlock broad technology adoption. The program points to benchmark materials such as Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) in ceramics and perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers like Nafion as examples of how a strong separator/electrolyte can enable widespread use. IONICS seeks similar enabling advances for other chemistries and operating regimes.
What performance attributes are IONICS trying to improve at the same time?
IONICS targets solid ion conductors that can simultaneously provide:
- Low ionic area-specific resistance (to allow fast ion transport across the component)
- Strong chemical and electrochemical stability (to resist degradation in harsh operating environments)
- High selectivity (to allow desired ions to pass while blocking unwanted species)
- Adequate mechanical properties (to resist cracking, dendrite penetration, swelling, and related failure modes)
What problem is IONICS trying to solve regarding materials tradeoffs?
A major emphasis is overcoming the linked, competing nature of key properties in solid ion conductors, where improving one characteristic (for example, conductivity) can worsen another (for example, stability, selectivity, or mechanical strength).
Is the program only about inventing new materials?
No. In addition to inventing or refining materials, IONICS explicitly focuses on processing and integration, meaning how solid ion conductors can be manufactured and incorporated into working devices.
What kinds of device components does the program target?
IONICS targets solid ion-conducting components inside electrochemical devices, including separators and membranes, and more broadly solid ion conductors that function as enabling components within electrochemical cells.
How is the IONICS solicitation organized?
The funding opportunity is organized into program categories tied to electrochemical cells expected to have large energy-sector impact.
What is Category 1 focused on?
Category 1 targets lithium ion conductors intended to enable lithium metal cycling without shorting. This directly addresses a key barrier for lithium-metal batteries: preventing dendrite-driven penetration and failure while maintaining fast ion transport.
What is Category 2 focused on?
Category 2 focuses on selective and low-cost separators for batteries with liquid reactants, including flow batteries. The category addresses crossover and selectivity issues that can reduce efficiency, shorten lifetime, and worsen system economics.
What is Category 3 focused on?
Category 3 targets alkaline conductors that combine high chemical stability with high conductivity. This reflects persistent challenges in alkaline electrochemical devices, where membranes can struggle with durability and/or performance despite potential cost or materials advantages.
What is the purpose of the open (fourth) category?
The fourth category is an open category that invites other approaches that still meet the overall IONICS objectives. It is intended to make room for unconventional ion-conducting solids, device concepts, or integration strategies that do not fit neatly into the first three categories.
What scale of components does ARPA-E expect teams to demonstrate?
Teams are expected to create manufacturable components at sizes relevant to real devices. The solicitation highlights large-area parts typically ranging from tens to about one hundred square centimeters (depending on application).
Why does the program require large-area components rather than small lab samples?
The large-area requirement is intended to force early confrontation of scale-related issues such as uniformity, defect control, thickness control, edge sealing, mechanical integrity, and yield, instead of only demonstrating small lab coupons.
What cost expectations are emphasized in IONICS?
The materials and manufacturing approach must be low-cost enough to support broad adoption and meaningful energy impact. ARPA-E signals that meeting cost constraints will likely require advances in processing methods, especially for inorganic solid ion conductors.
What kinds of manufacturing or processing advances does the solicitation encourage?
It encourages processing methods capable of producing thin, large-area inorganic ion conductors without prohibitive defects or expense, and it emphasizes scalable, low-cost approaches rather than purely small-scale materials discovery.
What team capabilities does ARPA-E encourage for IONICS projects?
ARPA-E encourages teams that include expertise in large-area fabrication and low-cost, scalable processing. Success is described as likely requiring cross-disciplinary teams spanning areas such as solid-state ionics, polymer science, ceramics, interfacial and mechanical behavior of materials, functional glasses, organic and inorganic chemistry, multiscale computation, and process engineering and scale-up.
What recurring technical themes does ARPA-E expect across the program?
Recurring themes include:
- Polymer/inorganic composites to balance conductivity, toughness, and stability
- New chemistries and formulations that maintain performance in aggressive chemical/electrochemical conditions
- Thin, large-area inorganic ion conductor manufacturing with acceptable defect rates and cost
- Morphology engineering in polymers and composites to tune transport pathways and mechanical response
- Self-forming mechanisms that could simplify manufacturing or improve interfacial contact
What type of award instrument is used for this opportunity?
It is described as a discretionary cooperative agreement.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for IONICS?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0001478.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 81.135.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to different organization types, subject to any specific eligibility clarifications in the full announcement.
When was the opportunity posted, and what were the open and close dates?
The posting/creation date was February 26, 2016. The closing date was March 28, 2016.
How many awards did ARPA-E anticipate making?
ARPA-E anticipated making around 15 awards.
What is the maximum award size (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed at $10,000,000.
What types of technology challenges is IONICS trying to address in lithium-metal batteries?
Within the lithium-focused category, the program highlights preventing dendrite-driven penetration and failure (shorting) while maintaining fast ion transport through the lithium ion-conducting solid component.
What issues does IONICS aim to address for flow batteries and other liquid-reactant batteries?
The program emphasizes separator selectivity and crossover challenges, which can reduce efficiency, shorten system life, and negatively affect system economics. IONICS seeks selective, low-cost separators to mitigate these issues.
What issues does IONICS aim to address for alkaline electrochemical devices?
IONICS targets alkaline conductors that can deliver both high conductivity and high chemical stability, reflecting ongoing durability and performance challenges with alkaline membranes or similar ion-conducting components.
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