Reducing Emissions Using Methanotrophic Organisms for Transportation Energy (REMOTE) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The REMOTE (Reducing Emissions Using Methanotrophic Organisms for Transportation Energy) opportunity is an ARPA-E funding program under DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0000881 that supports high-impact research and development aimed at turning methane into transportation energy using methanotrophic organisms (microbes that consume methane). The central idea is to reduce emissions while producing useful fuels or fuel precursors by leveraging biology and innovative process designs. The funding is offered through cooperative agreements, which typically means recipients should expect substantial technical involvement from the government during the project rather than a hands-off grant structure.

This notice is specifically an amendment to the original FOA, and much of what it does is procedural and compliance-oriented: it updates the program rules, clarifies what applicants must submit, and spells out how ARPA-E will evaluate submissions. The amendment inserts or updates key deadlines, including the due dates for Full Applications and for Replies to Reviewer Comments. It also adds anticipated dates for when ARPA-E expects to announce selections and execute funding agreements, which helps applicants plan staffing, matching funds, teaming, and project start timelines.

A major technical change in the amendment is the explicit requirement tied to the FOA's technical performance targets. In Section E (Technical Performance Targets), the amendment adds language for Primary Technical Target 3.1 that requires applicants to submit the REMOTE Calculator Tool output to address Overall Process CapEx (capital expenditures). In plain terms, ARPA-E is requiring a standardized techno-economic calculation or reporting format (the "REMOTE Calculator Tool") so proposals can be compared more consistently on process cost and scaling assumptions. The amendment also updates the application and submission instructions to include guidance on the REMOTE Calculator Tool for all Category 3 Full Applications, signaling that at least one category within the program is expected to provide a more complete system-level cost picture and to do it using ARPA-E's defined tool.

The amendment also revises the FOA's required documents and application formatting rules. It updates the Required Documents Checklist and revises sections that govern the content and form of Full Applications and Replies to Reviewer Comments (notably Sections IV.D, IV.E, and IV.G). Alongside these formatting and packaging changes, it adds the evaluation criteria ARPA-E will use to score Full Applications, and separately adds the criteria ARPA-E will use to evaluate Replies to Reviewer Comments (placed in Section V.A.3). That second piece is important because it formalizes that the response to reviewers is not just administrative; it is judged against specific standards, and applicants need to treat it like a substantive part of the competition.

On the policy and compliance side, the amendment inserts a set of program Policy Factors and adds language about Full Application notifications, administrative requirements, national policy requirements, and reporting obligations. It also clarifies several legal and award-administration points that often matter during negotiations and later project management. One clarification is that ARPA-E awards cannot be transferred, assigned, or assumed by another party without prior written consent from a Contracting Officer, which affects mergers, acquisitions, spinouts, and changes in organizational structure. Another clarification addresses intellectual property: if a recipient chooses to retain title to subject inventions, it must file patent applications in a timely manner. The amendment also clarifies the conditions under which the U.S. Government may exercise "march-in rights" (a Bayh-Dole concept that can allow the government to require licensing under certain conditions, such as failure to commercialize or address public needs). For for-profit entities, the amendment adds information about annual compliance audits, which signals additional oversight expectations and the need to budget and prepare for audit readiness.

In terms of funding scale and competitiveness, ARPA-E updated the total estimated program funding to $30,000,000, with an expected 12 awards. Individual award sizes range from a floor of $250,000 to a ceiling of $10,000,000, indicating the FOA can support both smaller proof-of-concept efforts and larger integrated demonstrations or scale-up oriented projects, depending on category and scope. Cost sharing is required, which means applicants must plan for non-federal contributions consistent with the FOA's cost share rules and be ready to document sources and allowability.

Eligibility is listed as "Unrestricted," meaning the opportunity is generally open to any type of entity (such as universities, companies, nonprofits, national labs where allowed, and teaming arrangements), subject to any specific clarifications in the FOA text. The activity category is science and technology research and development, and the CFDA number is 81.135 (ARPA-E). The opportunity was posted March 15, 2013, with an original closing date of April 15, 2013, and a revised/current closing date of July 8, 2013. The notice also encourages applicants to submit at least 48 hours ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute submission issues.

All submissions must go through ARPA-E eXCHANGE, ARPA-E's online portal, and ARPA-E states it will not review applications submitted by any other method. The FOA provides templates as appendices for the Concept Paper, the Technical Volume of the Full Application, and the Reply to Reviewer Comments, which applicants are expected to use. For access or technical issues, the listed contact is Benjamin Lardizabal, Contracting Officer, at 202-287-1479 and benjamin.lardizabal@hq.doe.gov. The authoritative FOA and submission portal are hosted on ARPA-E's site (arpa-e-foa.energy.gov), where applicants can also find the eXCHANGE User Guide and the required forms and templates.

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