Limits of Thermodynamic Storage (LOTS) of Energy | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Limits of Thermodynamic Storage (LOTS) of Energy opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: DARPA BAA 10-15) is a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) solicitation focused on pushing beyond conventional ideas for how portable energy can be generated, stored, and delivered. In practical terms, DARPA is asking for research and development concepts that could lead to breakthrough portable power sources, especially approaches that are fundamentally different from incremental improvements to existing batteries or fuel-based systems. The goal implied by the title is to explore the real physical and thermodynamic boundaries that limit energy storage, and to propose concepts that either approach those limits in new ways or rethink the underlying mechanisms used to store and release energy.

This announcement falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development funding activity category, and it is administered under CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development). DARPA indicated it is looking for innovative proposals, which typically means it is open to high-risk, high-reward work where the technical path may be uncertain but the payoff could be transformative for defense and related applications. The brief description points applicants to the full Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) package for detailed technical areas, submission structure, evaluation criteria, and any specific topic guidance, which is where DARPA normally defines what kinds of concepts it wants to see and what kinds of efforts are out of scope.

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary and supports multiple possible award instruments: cooperative agreements, grants, “other,” and procurement contracts. This mix matters because it signals DARPA may choose the instrument that best fits the nature of the work and the level of government involvement anticipated. Cooperative agreements, for example, are commonly used when the agency expects substantial interaction with performers during the course of the project, which is typical for DARPA programs that require iterative technical reviews and close program management. The solicitation explicitly states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, so applicants are not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award, although proposers sometimes still choose to leverage internal resources if it strengthens the technical plan.

Eligibility is listed as “unrestricted,” meaning the competition is broadly open to essentially any type of entity (such as universities, nonprofit research institutes, small and large businesses, and potentially other organizations), subject to any clarifications contained in the BAA’s detailed eligibility language. As with many DARPA BAAs, the core expectation is that teams demonstrate the technical capability to execute advanced R&D, a credible plan for experimentation and validation, and a clear explanation of why the proposed approach could outperform or fundamentally differ from the current state of the art.

Key dates associated with the posting show it was posted on November 18, 2009 (creation date November 24, 2009), with an original and current closing date of April 1, 2010, and an archive date of July 31, 2010. In other words, this was a time-bounded competitive solicitation with a single stated deadline, after which the opportunity was archived. The announcement notes that if an applicant had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically, they should contact the BAA Coordinator, which is consistent with DARPA practice of distributing full technical and administrative instructions through an attached BAA package and providing a point of contact for access issues.

Overall, LOTS of Energy can be summarized as a DARPA DSO research solicitation seeking bold, potentially paradigm-shifting ideas for portable energy sources, offered through a BAA mechanism with multiple possible award types, no cost-share requirement, and broad eligibility, with full technical requirements and submission instructions contained in the attached BAA package referenced in the announcement.

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