Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000848
Apply for DE FOA 0000848
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Marine and Hydrokinetic System Performance Advancement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087 Renewable Energy Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 10, 2013 and posted on Apr 25, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 3, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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 Marine and Hydrokinetic System Performance Advancement funding opportunity (DOE FOA DE-FOA-0000848) is a discretionary grant program run through the U.S. Department of Energy, Golden Field Office, under CFDA 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development). Its central aim is to boost the performance and cost competitiveness of marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy systems that are already under development by funding the creation and use of innovative, MHK-specific components. In practice, the program is geared toward taking existing wave, tidal, river, or ocean-current technology concepts and improving them through better subsystems rather than starting from scratch with entirely new device classes.
The FOA is organized around component development projects that can most strongly influence two core system-level outcomes: power-to-weight ratio and availability. Power-to-weight ratio matters because heavy, bulky systems are typically more expensive to manufacture, deploy, and service offshore, and they can also limit energy capture if the device cannot respond efficiently to ocean conditions. Availability is equally important because marine environments are harsh, maintenance is costly, and downtime directly reduces delivered energy and revenue. The FOA targets improvements that help devices spend more time operating safely, require fewer interventions, and produce more power for the same installed footprint and mass.
The solicitation funds work in three topic areas. Topic Area 1, Advanced Controls, focuses on control strategies and control hardware/software intended to increase energy capture while maintaining safe operation and improving overall uptime. This can include approaches that better adapt the device to changing sea states or currents, reduce extreme loads, and prevent fault conditions that lead to shutdowns or damage. Topic Area 2, Next Generation Power Take Off (PTO), targets the mechanism that converts mechanical motion into electrical power, emphasizing higher efficiency, lower weight, and improved reliability. PTO advances can directly raise energy conversion efficiency and reduce losses, while also lowering lifecycle cost if they reduce failure rates and maintenance needs. Topic Area 3, Optimized Structures, addresses the structural elements of MHK systems with an emphasis on improving energy capture, reducing weight, and increasing reliability. Structural optimization often involves design choices, materials, and fabrication approaches that can lower mass, improve survivability, reduce fatigue issues, and simplify deployment and maintenance.
An important amendment to this opportunity revises the eligibility requirements in Section III. Specifically, if a project proposes partnering with DOE National Laboratory contractors or other Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors, then Field Work Proposals become a required element. This change does not otherwise alter the rest of the FOA; it mainly adds an additional compliance step for teams that include those federal research entities as partners, reflecting DOE’s rules for how national labs and FFRDCs participate in externally funded work.
Eligibility is described as “unrestricted,” meaning the opportunity is generally open to any type of applicant, subject to any clarifications included in the FOA text. The program includes a cost-sharing requirement, so applicants should expect to contribute non-federal cost share consistent with the FOA’s rules. While the source data fields for total funding and award size are shown as zero, that typically indicates the summary record does not list the amounts rather than confirming that no funding is available; the detailed award information would be in the full FOA.
The application process runs through DOE’s EERE eXCHANGE portal, where applicants must register, create an account, and submit both the Letter of Intent (if required by the FOA) and the full application package by the stated deadlines. For this posting, the opportunity originally closed May 31, 2013, and the current closing date is listed as June 3, 2013, with the archive date of September 4, 2013. The full announcement, submission instructions, and the user guide for the eXCHANGE system are available on the EERE eXCHANGE website. For access issues with the full announcement, the listed grants management contact is Jane B. Sanders (SPAFOA848@go.doe.gov), and the FOA also indicates that instructions for submitting content-related questions are provided in the full document.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Marine and Hydrokinetic System Performance Advancement (DOE FOA DE-FOA-0000848)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
The Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) System Performance Advancement opportunity (DOE FOA DE-FOA-0000848) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Golden Field Office. It is associated with CFDA 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development).
2) What is the main goal of the program?
The central aim is to improve the performance and cost competitiveness of MHK energy systems that are already under development by funding the creation and use of innovative, MHK-specific components. The emphasis is on upgrading subsystems for existing device concepts (wave, tidal, river, and ocean-current), rather than developing entirely new classes of devices from scratch.
3) What kinds of technologies does the FOA focus on?
The FOA is geared toward MHK concepts involving wave energy, tidal energy, river current energy, and ocean-current energy, with a focus on component and subsystem improvements for technologies already under development.
4) Is this FOA intended for brand-new device concepts?
No. The description indicates the program is aimed at taking existing technology concepts and improving them through better subsystems and components, rather than starting from scratch with entirely new device classes.
5) What types of projects are supported under this FOA?
The solicitation is organized around component development projects that most strongly influence two system-level outcomes: power-to-weight ratio and availability. In other words, projects should be focused on components that can materially improve how much power a system delivers relative to its mass and how reliably the system operates over time.
6) Why does power-to-weight ratio matter for marine and hydrokinetic systems?
Power-to-weight ratio matters because heavier and bulkier systems are typically more expensive to manufacture, deploy, and service offshore. Excess mass can also limit energy capture if the device cannot respond efficiently to ocean conditions.
7) Why is availability a key focus of this FOA?
Availability is critical because marine environments are harsh, maintenance is costly, and downtime directly reduces delivered energy and revenue. The FOA targets improvements that help devices operate safely for more time, require fewer interventions, and avoid shutdowns caused by faults or damage.
8) What are the topic areas under this FOA?
The FOA funds work in three topic areas: (1) Advanced Controls, (2) Next Generation Power Take Off (PTO), and (3) Optimized Structures.
9) What is Topic Area 1: Advanced Controls?
Topic Area 1 focuses on control strategies and control hardware/software intended to increase energy capture while maintaining safe operation and improving overall uptime. This can include approaches that adapt to changing sea states or currents, reduce extreme loads, and prevent fault conditions that could otherwise lead to shutdowns or damage.
10) What is Topic Area 2: Next Generation Power Take Off (PTO)?
Topic Area 2 focuses on the mechanism that converts mechanical motion into electrical power. The emphasis is on higher efficiency, lower weight, and improved reliability. Advancements in PTO can increase energy conversion efficiency, reduce losses, and lower lifecycle cost by reducing failures and maintenance needs.
11) What is Topic Area 3: Optimized Structures?
Topic Area 3 addresses the structural elements of MHK systems, emphasizing improved energy capture, reduced weight, and increased reliability. Structural optimization can involve design choices, materials, and fabrication approaches intended to lower mass, improve survivability, reduce fatigue issues, and simplify deployment and maintenance.
12) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," meaning the opportunity is generally open to any type of applicant, subject to any clarifications included in the FOA text.
13) Is cost sharing required?
Yes. The program includes a cost-sharing requirement, so applicants should expect to contribute non-federal cost share consistent with the FOA's rules.
14) Does partnering with a DOE National Laboratory or FFRDC change application requirements?
Yes. An amendment revises the eligibility requirements in Section III. If a project proposes partnering with DOE National Laboratory contractors or other Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors, then Field Work Proposals become a required element.
15) What is the purpose of the Field Work Proposal requirement?
Based on the amendment description, the Field Work Proposal requirement adds an additional compliance step for teams that include DOE national labs or FFRDC contractors, reflecting DOE rules governing how those entities participate in externally funded work.
16) Does the amendment change other parts of the FOA?
No. The information provided indicates the change mainly adds the Field Work Proposal requirement for projects partnering with national laboratories/FFRDC contractors, and does not otherwise alter the rest of the FOA.
17) How do applicants submit an application?
Applications are submitted through DOE's EERE eXCHANGE portal. Applicants must register, create an account, and submit the Letter of Intent (if required by the FOA) and the full application package by the stated deadlines.
18) Is a Letter of Intent required?
The process references submission of a Letter of Intent "if required by the FOA." Whether it is required depends on the instructions in the full FOA document.
19) What are the key dates listed for this posting?
The opportunity originally closed on May 31, 2013. The current closing date is listed as June 3, 2013, and the archive date is September 4, 2013.
20) Where can I find the full announcement and the eXCHANGE submission guidance?
The full announcement, submission instructions, and the user guide for the eXCHANGE system are available on the EERE eXCHANGE website.
21) The summary shows total funding and award size as zero. Does that mean no funding is available?
Not necessarily. The information provided indicates that zero values in the source data fields typically mean the summary record does not list the amounts, rather than confirming that no funding is available. The detailed award information would be in the full FOA.
22) Who is the listed grants management contact for access issues with the full announcement?
The listed grants management contact is Jane B. Sanders, reachable at SPAFOA848@go.doe.gov.
23) How do applicants ask content-related questions about the FOA?
The FOA indicates that instructions for submitting content-related questions are provided in the full document.
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