Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001103
Apply for DE FOA 0001103
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement titled MHK RD University Consortium" 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 Mar 21, 2014 and posted on Mar 21, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by No Applications accepted through NOI.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice is an advance heads-up from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), issued through the Wind and Water Power Technologies Office (WWPTO), that DOE planned to release a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) called the Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) Research and Development University Consortium. The core idea is to fund a university-led consortium that can bring together strong, practical in-water (in situ) research and development capabilities to push U.S. marine energy technologies forward while also building the talent pipeline needed for a globally competitive workforce in this field. In other words, DOE was signaling that it wanted a coordinated group of universities to tackle technical barriers in marine and hydrokinetic energy and train the next generation of engineers and researchers at the same time.
The notice makes clear that it is not the application itself and is not accepting proposals. No applications could be submitted under this Notice of Intent (NOI), and DOE also asked that people not respond to the notice with questions. The point was simply to give potential applicants time to prepare by forming partnerships, aligning research plans, and gathering the kinds of background data a strong FOA submission usually requires. DOE indicated the actual FOA was expected to be posted on EERE Exchange in the first half of 2014.
The anticipated funding mechanism for the eventual FOA was expected to be a cooperative agreement, which typically means DOE would anticipate having substantial involvement in the funded work (for example, collaborating on technical direction, milestones, reviews, and go/no-go decisions), rather than operating like a hands-off grant. The opportunity was categorized under energy research and development (CFDA 81.087), and cost sharing was expected to be required, meaning the selected consortium would need to contribute a portion of total project costs through non-federal funds or in-kind contributions, consistent with DOE financial assistance rules. At the NOI stage, the listing showed $0 estimated total funding and $0 award floor/ceiling, which is common for a notice that is only announcing intent and not yet providing final funding amounts.
Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, reflecting DOE's intention that the lead applicant (and likely the consortium anchors) be public universities. The FOA concept, as described, aimed to leverage existing university expertise and facilities and focus that capacity on strategic gaps in DOE's broader MHK technology development portfolio. Rather than funding isolated projects, DOE was signaling interest in an integrated consortium approach where multiple R&D thrusts could be coordinated under a shared program structure, producing both technical progress and workforce development outcomes.
DOE outlined example topic areas that the consortium would be expected to cover or be capable of covering, all tied to practical deployment challenges for MHK systems in demanding ocean and river environments. One major area is logistics for operations and maintenance (O&M) of individual devices and multi-device arrays in energetic marine conditions, where weather windows, access challenges, safety constraints, and specialized vessels or remote systems can drive costs and risk. Another area is development and validation of efficient, high-fidelity resource characterization and modeling techniques, meaning better ways to measure and predict the wave, tidal, current, and site conditions that determine energy yield and structural loading, and to do so with tools that are accurate enough for design and financing decisions.
The notice also highlights interest in techno-economic studies for devices intended for distributed applications, pointing to smaller-scale or locally deployed systems where costs, grid connection constraints, and use cases differ from utility-scale projects. On the hardware and infrastructure side, DOE flagged component technology development needed to enable arrays, including moorings and foundations, transmission approaches, and other offshore grid components. This reflects a shift from single prototypes toward multi-device deployments, where array-level infrastructure and reliability become central. DOE also called out array performance testing and evaluation as a specific need, emphasizing the importance of understanding how multiple devices interact with each other and the environment, and how those interactions affect energy production, reliability, and cost.
Environmental monitoring is another explicit priority area, particularly in-water testing and evaluation of new, cost-effective monitoring techniques and instrumentation that can survive and function in energetic marine settings. This aligns with a recurring barrier for MHK: collecting credible, long-duration environmental data to inform permitting and stakeholder concerns without driving monitoring costs so high that projects become uneconomic. The language suggests DOE wanted practical solutions that reduce uncertainty and cost while maintaining scientific rigor.
Administratively, the opportunity listing is identified as Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001103, posted March 21, 2014, with the agency listed as the DOE Golden Field Office. Because it is an NOI, the "closing date" fields reflect that applications were not accepted at this stage, and the record shows an archive date of June 21, 2014. The notice directed interested parties to EERE Exchange for the eventual FOA posting and provided a contact (Jane Sanders) specifically for assistance accessing the full announcement electronically, not for programmatic Q&A about the NOI.
In practical terms, this NOI was a planning signal: DOE wanted universities that could assemble a serious, multi-institution team with complementary capabilities (testing facilities, modeling expertise, offshore engineering, environmental instrumentation, and techno-economics) to start aligning around the named strategic gaps. The implied expectation is that strong applicants would use the lead time to formalize consortium membership, define integrated R&D work packages, identify test sites and data needs, map each partner's strengths to the DOE priority areas, and prepare to meet cost-share and cooperative agreement management requirements once the actual FOA was released.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this opportunity?
This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), issued through the Wind and Water Power Technologies Office (WWPTO). It served as an advance heads-up that DOE planned to release a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled the Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) Research and Development University Consortium.
Is this NOI an open funding solicitation?
No. The NOI is not an application, and DOE was not accepting proposals under the notice.
Can applicants submit an application under this Notice of Intent?
No. DOE stated that no applications could be submitted under the NOI.
Should interested parties send questions to DOE about the NOI?
No. DOE asked that people not respond to the notice with questions. The contact provided was for help accessing the full announcement electronically, not for programmatic Q&A.
What is the planned FOA called?
The planned FOA was titled the Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) Research and Development University Consortium.
What is the main goal of the planned MHK University Consortium?
The core goal is to fund a university-led consortium that brings together strong, practical in-water (in situ) R&D capabilities to advance U.S. marine energy technologies, while also building the talent pipeline needed for a globally competitive workforce in marine and hydrokinetic energy.
Why was DOE issuing this NOI?
The NOI was a planning signal intended to give potential applicants time to prepare by forming partnerships, aligning research plans, and gathering background data typically needed for a strong FOA submission.
When was the actual FOA expected to be posted?
DOE indicated the actual FOA was expected to be posted on EERE Exchange in the first half of 2014.
Where would the eventual FOA be posted?
DOE directed interested parties to EERE Exchange for the eventual FOA posting.
What funding mechanism was anticipated for the eventual FOA?
The anticipated funding mechanism was a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award would be a cooperative agreement?
Based on the NOI description, a cooperative agreement typically means DOE would anticipate substantial involvement in the funded work, such as collaborating on technical direction, milestones, reviews, and go/no-go decisions, rather than operating as a hands-off grant.
Was cost sharing expected to be required?
Yes. Cost sharing was expected to be required, meaning the selected consortium would need to contribute a portion of total project costs through non-federal funds or in-kind contributions, consistent with DOE financial assistance rules.
Why does the listing show $0 estimated funding and $0 award floor/ceiling?
At the NOI stage, the listing showed $0 estimated total funding and $0 award floor/ceiling because the notice was announcing intent and was not yet providing final funding amounts.
What CFDA program category was associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity was categorized under energy research and development, CFDA 81.087.
Who was eligible to apply (based on the NOI)?
Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
Does the NOI indicate who should lead the consortium?
Yes in concept. DOE signaled that the lead applicant (and likely the consortium anchors) should be public and state-controlled universities, consistent with the stated eligibility limitation.
What kind of approach was DOE signaling: individual projects or a coordinated consortium?
DOE signaled interest in an integrated consortium approach where multiple R&D thrusts could be coordinated under a shared program structure, rather than funding isolated projects.
What types of R&D capabilities was DOE looking for in the consortium?
DOE emphasized strong, practical in-water (in situ) research and development capabilities and an ability to address strategic gaps in DOE's broader MHK technology development portfolio.
What example topic areas did DOE highlight for the consortium?
DOE highlighted multiple example topic areas tied to practical deployment challenges for MHK systems, including operations and maintenance logistics, resource characterization and modeling, techno-economic studies for distributed applications, component and infrastructure technology development for arrays (such as moorings, foundations, and transmission approaches), array performance testing and evaluation, and environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation.
What does DOE mean by operations and maintenance (O&M) logistics for MHK devices and arrays?
DOE pointed to challenges in energetic marine conditions where weather windows, access limitations, safety constraints, and the need for specialized vessels or remote systems can increase cost and risk for operating and maintaining both single devices and multi-device arrays.
What is meant by resource characterization and high-fidelity modeling in this context?
It refers to developing and validating efficient, accurate techniques to measure and predict wave, tidal, current, and site conditions that affect energy yield and structural loading, with tools credible enough to support design and financing decisions.
What are techno-economic studies for distributed applications?
The NOI referenced studies focused on devices intended for distributed applications, which can include smaller-scale or locally deployed systems where costs, grid connection constraints, and use cases may differ from utility-scale projects.
What component and infrastructure technologies did DOE call out as important for arrays?
DOE flagged component technology development needed to enable arrays, including moorings and foundations, transmission approaches, and other offshore grid components.
Why is array performance testing and evaluation specifically mentioned?
DOE emphasized the need to understand how multiple devices interact with each other and the environment, and how those interactions affect energy production, reliability, and cost.
What environmental monitoring needs did DOE identify?
DOE identified in-water testing and evaluation of new, cost-effective environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation that can survive and function in energetic marine settings.
What problem is DOE trying to address with improved environmental monitoring?
The NOI noted a key barrier for MHK: collecting credible, long-duration environmental data to inform permitting and stakeholder concerns without making monitoring so expensive that projects become uneconomic. DOE signaled interest in reducing uncertainty and cost while maintaining scientific rigor.
What is the funding opportunity number associated with this notice?
The listing is identified as Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001103.
When was this notice posted?
The listing shows it was posted on March 21, 2014.
Which DOE office was listed as the agency for this opportunity?
The agency listed was the DOE Golden Field Office.
Was there a closing date for applications under this notice?
No. Because this was an NOI, applications were not accepted at this stage and the closing date fields reflect that.
When was the opportunity record archived?
The record shows an archive date of June 21, 2014.
Who was the contact listed, and what were they responsible for?
The notice provided a contact, Jane Sanders, specifically for assistance accessing the full announcement electronically, not for programmatic questions about the NOI.
What were potential applicants expected to do during the lead time before the FOA release?
The NOI implied that strong applicants would use the lead time to formalize consortium membership, define integrated R&D work packages, identify test sites and data needs, map partner strengths to DOE priority areas, and prepare to meet cost-share and cooperative agreement management requirements once the FOA was released.
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