Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000087
Apply for DE FOA 0000087
- The Golden Field Office in the energy recovery act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Recovery Act National Laboratory Call for FoundationalPhotovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power Research andDevelopment" 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 Jun 11, 2009 and posted on May 27, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 15, 2009. (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 $4,500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This Program Announcement is restricted to DOE National Laboratories.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Recovery Act National Laboratory Call for Foundational Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000087) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program announcement issued through the Golden Field Office to fund new research, development, and capability-building work in solar energy. It is explicitly limited to DOE National Laboratories, meaning it is not an open solicitation for universities, private companies, or other external organizations unless the full announcement provides some specific pathway for participation through a lab-led effort. The opportunity sits under the Recovery Act (ARRA) umbrella and is tied to CFDA 81.087, Renewable Energy Research and Development. The announcement was posted May 27, 2009, with an application deadline of July 15, 2009, and it was later archived on December 27, 2009.
The technical scope is organized into five topic areas spanning both photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP). The PV portion includes Topic 1, Next Generation PV Technologies, aimed at advancing foundational or emerging photovoltaic concepts beyond the then-current state of the art, and Topic 2, PV Supply Chain and Crosscutting Technologies, which targets enabling technologies and bottlenecks that affect PV performance, reliability, manufacturing, materials availability, or integration across the broader PV ecosystem. On the CSP side, Topic 3 focuses on Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids and Novel Thermal Storage, supporting R and D that can raise operating temperatures, improve thermal efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen the practicality of dispatchable solar thermal power through improved fluids and storage approaches. In addition to funding research projects, the announcement also emphasizes capability development: Topic 4 seeks to enhance the ability to test and evaluate advanced CSP concepts (for example, improved test infrastructure, validation methods, or evaluation platforms), and Topic 5 seeks to enhance advanced PV manufacturing capability, reflecting an interest not only in basic R and D results but also in strengthening national laboratory facilities and toolsets that can accelerate technology maturation and industry-relevant testing.
From a funding mechanics standpoint, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $4,500,000 and an award floor of $0, and it includes a cost sharing or matching requirement. The funding instrument type and opportunity category are both labeled as "Other," which typically signals that applicants need to rely on the detailed FOA text in FedConnect for the exact contracting or assistance mechanism, budget rules, and cost-share percentages and allowability. Because the announcement is restricted to national laboratories, the cost share expectations may be defined differently than in open competitive FOAs, so the full FOA language is important for interpreting how cost share applies to each topic and project type.
Operationally, DOE required applications to be submitted through FedConnect to be considered for award, with a note that organizations using system-to-system submissions through Grants.gov could continue to submit that way and still be considered. The FOA itself was hosted in FedConnect, and applicants were instructed to locate it using the FedConnect public search and the reference number (the FOA number). The announcement places responsibility on applicants to confirm successful transmission prior to the deadline, which is a standard but important compliance point: late or incomplete submissions, or submissions that fail validation, can be rejected even if the applicant started the process before the due date.
The announcement also lays out registration and submission prerequisites tied to federal systems of that era. To register with FedConnect, an applicant needed a DUNS number (including a plus-4 extension if applicable) and an active Central Contractor Registration (CCR) account, with CCR requiring annual renewal. If the registrant was the first person from an organization setting up a FedConnect company account, they might also need the CCR MPIN, which is typically held by the organization’s Electronic Business Point of Contact. The guidance advises allowing at least 21 days to complete CCR and FedConnect registration if not already registered, underscoring that administrative readiness was a practical gate to applying on time.
For questions and clarifications, DOE directed applicants to submit content questions through the FedConnect portal, which requires registering as an interested party in order to post questions and view posted answers. DOE indicated it would generally try to respond within three business days unless the answer had already been posted. Technical or submission-system issues were routed to FedConnect support (support@fedconnect.net, 1-800-899-6665). A program contact was also listed (Andrea Lucero, Andrea.Lucero@go.doe.gov), and applicants having trouble accessing the full announcement electronically were directed to use FedConnect support channels.
In practical terms, this opportunity was designed to quickly inject Recovery Act funding into national lab-led solar innovation, combining near-to-mid-term applied R and D (new PV and CSP technical advances) with longer-lived infrastructure and capability enhancements (testing platforms and manufacturing-related capabilities). The structure suggests DOE was aiming for both technical breakthroughs and a stronger national laboratory base for validating, de-risking, and accelerating next-generation solar technologies toward broader deployment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is the Recovery Act National Laboratory Call for Foundational Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development, Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) DE-FOA-0000087. It is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program announcement issued through the Golden Field Office to fund new research, development, and capability-building work in solar energy.
2) Is this opportunity open to universities, companies, or other non-lab organizations?
Based on the information provided, this announcement is explicitly limited to DOE National Laboratories. It is not described as an open solicitation for universities, private companies, or other external organizations unless the full announcement provides a specific pathway for participation through a national-lab-led effort.
3) What DOE office issued this announcement?
The announcement was issued through the DOE Golden Field Office.
4) What program or CFDA is this associated with?
This opportunity is tied to CFDA 81.087, Renewable Energy Research and Development, and it sits under the Recovery Act (ARRA) umbrella.
5) When was the FOA posted, when was it due, and what is its current status?
The announcement was posted on May 27, 2009. The application deadline was July 15, 2009. It was later archived on December 27, 2009.
6) What technologies and research areas does the FOA cover?
The technical scope spans five topic areas across photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP), including both research and capability-building elements.
7) What are the five topic areas in this FOA?
The FOA is organized into five topics:
- Topic 1: Next Generation PV Technologies
- Topic 2: PV Supply Chain and Crosscutting Technologies
- Topic 3: Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids and Novel Thermal Storage (CSP)
- Topic 4: Enhanced capability to test and evaluate advanced CSP concepts
- Topic 5: Enhanced advanced PV manufacturing capability
8) What is the focus of Topic 1 (Next Generation PV Technologies)?
Topic 1 is aimed at advancing foundational or emerging photovoltaic concepts beyond the then-current state of the art.
9) What is the focus of Topic 2 (PV Supply Chain and Crosscutting Technologies)?
Topic 2 targets enabling technologies and bottlenecks affecting PV performance, reliability, manufacturing, materials availability, or integration across the broader PV ecosystem.
10) What is the focus of Topic 3 (Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids and Novel Thermal Storage)?
Topic 3 supports CSP research and development intended to raise operating temperatures, improve thermal efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the practicality of dispatchable solar thermal power by advancing heat transfer fluids and thermal storage approaches.
11) What does Topic 4 mean by "enhancing the ability to test and evaluate advanced CSP concepts"?
Topic 4 emphasizes capability development, such as improved test infrastructure, validation methods, or evaluation platforms to better test and evaluate advanced CSP concepts.
12) What does Topic 5 mean by "enhancing advanced PV manufacturing capability"?
Topic 5 emphasizes strengthening national laboratory facilities and toolsets related to advanced PV manufacturing capability, reflecting an interest in capabilities that can accelerate technology maturation and industry-relevant testing (in addition to research outputs).
13) Is this FOA only for research projects, or does it also fund infrastructure/capabilities?
It includes both. In addition to funding research projects (PV and CSP R&D), the announcement emphasizes capability development, including CSP test and evaluation capability (Topic 4) and advanced PV manufacturing capability (Topic 5).
14) What is the award ceiling and the award floor?
The listed award ceiling is $4,500,000 and the award floor is $0.
15) Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. The opportunity includes a cost sharing or matching requirement. The specifics (such as percentages and allowability) are indicated as needing confirmation in the detailed FOA text.
16) How is the funding instrument type categorized?
The funding instrument type and opportunity category are both labeled as "Other." This typically means the detailed FOA text in FedConnect must be used to understand the exact contracting or assistance mechanism and related requirements.
17) Where do applicants find the official FOA text?
The FOA itself was hosted in FedConnect. Applicants were instructed to locate it using FedConnect public search and the reference number (DE-FOA-0000087).
18) How were applications required to be submitted?
DOE required applications to be submitted through FedConnect to be considered for award.
19) Could applicants submit through Grants.gov instead of FedConnect?
The announcement notes that organizations using system-to-system submissions through Grants.gov could continue to submit that way and still be considered.
20) What is the key compliance risk around submission timing?
Applicants were responsible for confirming successful transmission prior to the deadline. Late submissions, incomplete submissions, or submissions that fail validation could be rejected even if the applicant began the process before the due date.
21) What registrations were needed to use FedConnect for submission?
To register with FedConnect, an applicant needed a DUNS number (including a plus-4 extension if applicable) and an active Central Contractor Registration (CCR) account. CCR required annual renewal.
22) What is the CCR MPIN, and when might it be needed?
If the registrant was the first person from an organization setting up a FedConnect company account, they might need the CCR MPIN, which is typically held by the organization’s Electronic Business Point of Contact.
23) How much time should organizations budget for registration?
The guidance advises allowing at least 21 days to complete CCR and FedConnect registration if not already registered.
24) How were content questions and clarifications handled?
DOE directed applicants to submit content questions through the FedConnect portal. Doing so required registering as an interested party in order to post questions and view posted answers.
25) How quickly would DOE respond to questions submitted in FedConnect?
DOE indicated it would generally try to respond within three business days unless the answer had already been posted.
26) Who should be contacted for technical or submission-system issues?
Technical or submission-system issues were routed to FedConnect support at support@fedconnect.net or 1-800-899-6665.
27) Is there a program contact listed for this FOA?
Yes. The program contact listed is Andrea Lucero at Andrea.Lucero@go.doe.gov.
28) What should an applicant do if they cannot access the full announcement electronically?
Applicants having trouble accessing the full announcement electronically were directed to use FedConnect support channels.
29) What is the overall intent of the opportunity (based on the description provided)?
The opportunity was designed to quickly inject Recovery Act funding into national lab-led solar innovation, combining applied R&D in PV and CSP with longer-lived infrastructure and capability enhancements (such as testing platforms and manufacturing-related capabilities) to help accelerate technology maturation and validation.
30) Where is cost share and budget detail most likely clarified?
Because the instrument type is labeled "Other" and the opportunity is restricted to national laboratories, the detailed FOA text in FedConnect is the key source for interpreting cost share expectations, budget rules, and what is allowable for each topic and project type.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DE FOA 0000087) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Recovery Act High Penetration Solar Deployment Apply for DE FOA 0000085 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000085 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Recovery Act Solar Market Transformation Apply for DE FOA 0000078 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000078 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: $6,000,000 |
| Recovery Act Wind Energy Consortia between Institutions of Higher Learning and Industry Apply for DE FOA 0000090 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000090 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: $12,000,000 |
| Recovery Act Advanced Energy Efficient Building Technologies Apply for DE FOA 0000115 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000115 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Recovery Act Community Renewable Energy Deployment Apply for DE FOA 0000122 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000122 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: $21,450,000 |
| Recovery Act Development of Algal/Advanced BiofuelsConsortia Apply for DE FOA 0000123 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000123 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: $50,000,000 |
| Recovery Act Geothermal TechnologiesProgram Apply for DE FOA 0000109 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000109 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Recovery Act Geothermal Technologies Program GroundSource Heat Pumps Apply for DE FOA 0000116 Funding Number: DE FOA 0000116 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Recovery Act Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
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