Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001569
Apply for DE FOA 0001569
- The PAMS-SC in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 01, 2016 and posted on Apr 01, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2016. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) released the grant opportunity titled "Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001569) to support basic, fundamental research aimed at improving the scientific understanding of how to make ammonia (NH3) from nitrogen (N2) without generating greenhouse-gas emissions. The central theme is nitrogen activation at the molecular level, meaning the work should dig into the core chemistry and physics that govern how N2 can be activated and converted to NH3 through new catalytic concepts and mechanisms. The program is framed around building foundational knowledge that could eventually enable future ammonia synthesis routes that are more energy efficient, can be powered by renewable energy, and avoid byproduct greenhouse gases such as CO2 and NOx.
This opportunity is specifically targeted to U.S. colleges and universities, including both public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education, and it uses the grant funding instrument under the science and technology research and development category (CFDA 81.049). BES is looking for research that answers outstanding scientific questions rather than work that is primarily engineering-focused. In practice, that means proposals are expected to emphasize fundamental insight into catalytic pathways, active sites, intermediate species, reaction energetics, and other molecular-scale phenomena that determine how nitrogen is activated and ultimately reduced to ammonia. The desired output is deeper mechanistic understanding and new catalytic principles that could underpin next-generation, low-emissions ammonia synthesis in the future.
A key part of the announcement is what it will not fund. The FOA explicitly excludes proposals centered on process or reactor design, optimization, or plant-level intensification, even if those efforts might improve efficiency in an applied sense. It also excludes projects whose main challenge is not nitrogen activation, such as work primarily focused on hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, CO2 capture, or CO2 conversion. In other words, the proposal has to stay tightly anchored to the fundamental chemistry of nitrogen activation and ammonia formation rather than drifting into adjacent clean-energy topics or downstream engineering scale-up.
In terms of scale and timing, the FOA anticipated a small number of awards, with an expected three awards and an award ceiling of $600,000. The opportunity was posted and created on April 1, 2016, with an application closing date of May 25, 2016 (the same as the original closing date). Overall, the grant call is best read as a targeted BES basic-science effort: it seeks to unlock the underlying catalytic science needed to make sustainable ammonia synthesis plausible over the long term, while drawing a clear boundary around applied process development and research areas that do not directly advance nitrogen activation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): DOE BES "Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis" (DE-FOA-0001569)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis".
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0001569.
Which DOE office is sponsoring this opportunity?
This opportunity is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES).
What is the main goal of the program?
The main goal is to support basic, fundamental research that improves scientific understanding of how to make ammonia (NH3) from nitrogen (N2) without generating greenhouse-gas emissions.
What scientific theme does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes nitrogen activation at the molecular level, meaning research should focus on the core chemistry and physics of activating N2 and converting it to NH3 through new catalytic concepts and mechanisms.
What kinds of outcomes is BES looking for?
BES is looking for deeper mechanistic understanding and new catalytic principles that could underpin future low-emissions ammonia synthesis routes, including routes that are more energy efficient, can be powered by renewable energy, and avoid byproduct greenhouse gases such as CO2 and NOx.
Is this opportunity focused on basic science or applied engineering?
This is a basic-science opportunity. Proposals are expected to answer outstanding scientific questions and emphasize fundamental insight, rather than being primarily engineering-focused.
What specific research topics or scientific questions does the FOA expect proposals to address?
Proposals are expected to focus on fundamental insight into topics such as catalytic pathways, active sites, intermediate species, reaction energetics, and other molecular-scale phenomena that determine how nitrogen is activated and reduced to ammonia.
Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity is specifically targeted to U.S. colleges and universities, including both public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education.
What funding instrument and program category are used?
The FOA uses the grant funding instrument under the science and technology research and development category, with CFDA 81.049.
How many awards were anticipated?
The FOA anticipated a small number of awards, with an expectation of three awards.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $600,000.
When was the opportunity posted/created?
The opportunity was posted and created on April 1, 2016.
What was the application closing date?
The application closing date was May 25, 2016 (the same as the original closing date).
What types of projects are explicitly excluded from funding?
The FOA explicitly excludes proposals centered on process or reactor design, optimization, or plant-level intensification, even if such work might improve efficiency in an applied sense.
Does the FOA fund reactor scale-up or applied process development for ammonia production?
No. The FOA draws a clear boundary around applied process development and engineering scale-up, and it excludes proposals focused on reactor/process design and similar plant-level efforts.
Are projects allowed if they focus mainly on other clean-energy reactions (not nitrogen activation)?
No. The FOA excludes projects whose main challenge is not nitrogen activation, including work primarily focused on hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, CO2 capture, or CO2 conversion.
Can a proposal include topics like CO2 or NOx?
The program framing emphasizes avoiding greenhouse-gas byproducts such as CO2 and NOx, but proposals must remain tightly anchored to the fundamental chemistry of nitrogen activation and ammonia formation, rather than shifting into CO2-related capture or conversion research.
How narrow is the focus of the FOA?
The FOA is tightly focused on the fundamental catalytic science of nitrogen activation and conversion to ammonia. It is not intended for adjacent topics or downstream engineering work that does not directly advance molecular-level understanding of N2 activation and NH3 formation.
What is the long-term motivation behind this basic research?
The long-term motivation is to build the foundational knowledge needed to make future ammonia synthesis routes more plausible that are more energy efficient, compatible with renewable energy, and designed to avoid greenhouse-gas emissions.
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