Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002596

The University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (UCR) funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0002596) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Energy through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). It is designed to strengthen the pipeline of future engineers and scientists by funding research and development projects at U.S. colleges and universities. The emphasis is on novel, early-stage research that can both advance technical knowledge in fossil energy and carbon management and serve as a training ground for students and early-career researchers.

This opportunity sits at the intersection of education and energy (Funding Activity Categories: Education, Energy) and is cataloged under CFDA 81.057. The eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, including both public/state-controlled universities and private universities. In practical terms, the program is aimed at academic-led projects where the institution can demonstrate both the research plan and the educational or workforce-development value, such as meaningful student involvement, hands-on research experience, and preparation for careers relevant to fossil energy systems and carbon management technologies.

DOE anticipated making around 10 awards, with an award ceiling of $500,000 per grant. The original posting timeline shows a creation date of February 17, 2022, and an original closing date of April 4, 2022. While the technical scope is summarized at a high level in the provided description, the title and administering office indicate that DOE is looking for R&D concepts aligned with fossil energy and carbon management priorities, which commonly include areas like emissions reduction, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), methane mitigation, efficiency improvements, and related subsurface, materials, process, and systems research. The early-stage nature of the work suggests the program is meant to help universities explore promising ideas, generate foundational data, and train researchers who can later contribute to larger-scale technology development and deployment efforts.

Overall, DE FOA 0002596 is best understood as a university-focused R&D grant opportunity that uses relatively modest, targeted awards to accomplish two goals at once: pushing forward innovative, high-potential research directions in fossil energy and carbon management, and building a stronger workforce by embedding student training into the research itself.

  • The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the education, energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management - UCR" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.057.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Feb 17, 2022.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 04, 2022. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
Apply for DE FOA 0002596

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (UCR) - DE FOA 0002596

What is the UCR funding opportunity (DE FOA 0002596)?

The University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (UCR) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0002596) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). It supports university-led research and development (R&D) projects that also serve as hands-on training experiences for students and early-career researchers.

Who administers this grant program?

The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

What is the main purpose of this opportunity?

The purpose is twofold: (1) fund novel, early-stage R&D that advances technical knowledge in fossil energy and carbon management, and (2) strengthen the pipeline of future engineers and scientists by embedding meaningful student and early-career researcher training into the funded research.

What types of activities does this funding opportunity support?

It supports research and development projects at U.S. colleges and universities, with an emphasis on early-stage concepts that can generate foundational knowledge and data while providing a strong training environment for students.

What are the funding activity categories for this opportunity?

The funding activity categories are Education and Energy, reflecting the program's combined focus on R&D and workforce development.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

This opportunity is cataloged under CFDA 81.057.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, including public/state-controlled universities and private universities.

Are only U.S. colleges and universities targeted for participation?

Yes. The program is described as funding projects at U.S. colleges and universities, with eligible applicants being institutions of higher education.

Is this opportunity aimed at academic-led projects?

Yes. In practical terms, it is aimed at academic-led projects where the university can demonstrate both a sound research plan and a clear educational or workforce-development value.

What does DOE mean by "early-stage" or "novel" research in this opportunity?

Based on the description, the emphasis is on promising concepts that are not yet mature, where university teams can explore innovative ideas, produce foundational results, and build technical understanding that could support future, larger-scale development and deployment efforts.

What technical areas are generally relevant to this opportunity?

While the description summarizes the scope at a high level, the program focus on fossil energy and carbon management commonly aligns with areas such as emissions reduction, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), methane mitigation, efficiency improvements, and related subsurface, materials, process, and systems research.

How many awards did DOE anticipate making?

DOE anticipated making around 10 awards.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $500,000 per grant.

What were the key dates listed for the original posting?

The original posting timeline shows a creation date of February 17, 2022, and an original closing date of April 4, 2022.

What makes a proposal a good fit based on the description provided?

A strong fit would be a university-led R&D project that is clearly aligned with fossil energy and carbon management priorities and is intentionally structured to provide meaningful training and hands-on research experience for students and early-career researchers.

How does the program incorporate workforce development?

The opportunity emphasizes student involvement and training value as part of the project design. Examples of the intended workforce-development elements include meaningful student participation, hands-on research experience, and preparation for careers relevant to fossil energy systems and carbon management technologies.

Is the program more focused on education or research?

It is explicitly positioned at the intersection of education and energy. The described intent is to fund early-stage R&D while using that research as a training ground, so both components are central to the opportunity.

What is NETL's role in this opportunity?

NETL is the DOE laboratory through which the program is run and administered, as identified in the opportunity description.

What overall outcomes is DOE trying to achieve through this opportunity?

DOE is aiming to advance innovative, high-potential research directions in fossil energy and carbon management while simultaneously building a stronger future workforce by integrating student training into the research efforts.

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