NSF/DOE Partnership on Thermoelectric Devices for Vehicle Applications | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The NSF/DOE Partnership on Thermoelectric Devices for Vehicle Applications (NSF Publication 10-549; Funding Opportunity Number 10-549) was a discretionary grant program run by the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Program. It targeted research aimed at capturing and converting vehicle waste heat into useful electrical energy through advanced thermoelectric devices and integrated systems. The underlying national motivation was to reduce fuel consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency, which in turn supports reduced reliance on foreign oil. The partnership was structured to blend DOE's strengths in deployment, scaling, and commercialization with NSF's focus on fundamental research, education, and broader scientific advancement, with the expectation that combining these missions could accelerate progress from basic discoveries to practical vehicle-relevant outcomes.

The technical focus of the opportunity was on transformative, high-impact ideas in thermoelectrics as applied to vehicles, emphasizing both fundamental and applied research challenges that limit real-world waste-heat harvesting. In practical terms, this could include new thermoelectric materials, device architectures, module designs, and system-level approaches that raise conversion efficiency, improve durability under automotive thermal cycling and vibration, reduce cost, and address integration constraints such as heat exchanger design, packaging, and power electronics interfaces. While the solicitation text referenced detailed requirements that proposals had to follow, the core theme was clear: develop novel thermoelectric devices and systems capable of operating effectively in vehicle environments and delivering measurable efficiency gains that align with national priorities in energy conservation and climate change.

Funding was relatively concentrated, with an estimated total program funding of $1.5 million and an expected nine awards, suggesting awards were likely to be smaller, targeted research grants distributed across multiple teams. The listed award ceiling was $1.5 million and the award floor was $1.0 million, and the opportunity explicitly stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The funding activity category was Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the opportunity was associated with CFDA numbers 47.041 (Engineering Grants) and 81.049 (Office of Science Financial Assistance Program), reflecting the joint NSF-DOE character of the effort.

Eligibility requirements were team-oriented and faculty-led. Principal Investigators had to be at the faculty level as defined by their submitting organization, and proposals required a minimum team composition of one PI and two co-PIs. The solicitation encouraged participation from non-engineering disciplines when needed, recognizing that advances in thermoelectrics can depend on materials science, physics, chemistry, computational modeling, and other areas. Even so, projects were expected to primarily contribute to engineering research, consistent with the NSF Directorate for Engineering being the lead NSF unit for this program. The eligibility category in the listing was "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," indicating applicants needed to consult the full solicitation for exact organizational eligibility rules and any restrictions beyond the PI and team composition requirements.

Key dates show this was a time-bound 2010 opportunity. The program was posted and created on March 23, 2010. A letter of intent was due May 21, 2010, and full proposals were due June 22, 2010 (the original and current closing dates were the same). Applicants were directed to the full announcement for detailed requirements and compliance rules, and for technical access issues the contact provided was NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

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