Notice of Intent to issue Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002792, “Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience.” | DE FOA 0002807

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002807

This Notice of Intent (NOI) signals that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and administered by the Golden Field Office, planned to release a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) focused on two big priorities: advancing hydrogen technologies that support the DOE Hydrogen Shot, and strengthening U.S. electricity grid resilience through a university-led research consortium. The NOI is essentially an early heads-up to the research and industry community so potential applicants can start organizing teams, tracking the release, and preparing for the actual FOA requirements once published. The anticipated award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, active technical coordination, federal participation in milestones, or programmatic oversight beyond a simple grant).

The first Area of Interest targets Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies in support of the Hydrogen Shot, which is DOE's larger effort aimed at dramatically lowering the cost of clean hydrogen and accelerating real-world deployment. Under this hydrogen-focused area, EERE anticipated four topic areas. Topic 1, "HydroGEN Solar Fuels from Photoelectrochemical and Solar Thermochemical Water Splitting," points toward R&D that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, either through photoelectrochemical systems (where light drives electrochemical reactions directly) or solar thermochemical pathways (where concentrated solar heat enables chemical cycles that produce hydrogen). Topic 2, "Development and Validation of Sensor Technology for Monitoring and Measuring Hydrogen Losses," centers on measurement and monitoring tools, with an emphasis on detecting, quantifying, and validating hydrogen leakage or loss, which matters for safety, operational efficiency, and climate impact accounting across production, storage, transport, and end-use systems. Topic 3, "Materials-based H2 Storage Demonstrations," emphasizes demonstration work rather than purely lab-scale research, suggesting an interest in proving storage materials in realistic operating conditions, with attention to performance, durability, and integration considerations. Topic 4, "M2FCT High Performing, Durable, and Low-PGM Catalysts/Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) for Medium- and Heavy-duty Applications," aims at improving fuel cell components for tougher transportation segments like trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles, with the specific goal of reducing reliance on platinum group metals (PGMs) while still achieving high performance and long life, since cost and durability are major barriers to broad adoption in these demanding duty cycles.

The second Area of Interest shifts to EERE-wide priorities around improving electricity grid resilience, and it contains one anticipated topic: Topic 5, "University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience." This topic is framed around forming a consortium model led by universities, which typically implies a coordinated research network that can address complex, multi-disciplinary grid challenges. While the NOI does not spell out the exact research agenda, the structure suggests DOE was looking for a collaborative platform that can generate scalable methods, tools, and innovations to help the grid withstand, adapt to, and recover from disruptions (often including extreme weather, equipment failures, cyber/physical threats, and changing load and generation patterns). A university consortium format also usually supports workforce development and knowledge-sharing, helping translate research into utility and industry practice over time.

Administratively, EERE indicated the FOA was expected to be issued around August 2022 and that it would be posted on the EERE eXCHANGE portal (eere-exchange.energy.gov). Registration in EERE eXCHANGE was highlighted as the way to receive official updates and notifications, and the notice made clear that when the FOA is released, applications would be submitted only through that portal. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 81.087 (energy-related assistance), categorized as discretionary funding, and eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional clarifications that would appear in the eventual FOA text.

A major practical feature of this NOI is the creation of a Teaming Partner List intended to help organizations find collaborators and build competitive teams, reflecting that DOE expected multi-organization partnerships to be common or advantageous. This list was to be hosted on EERE eXCHANGE under NOI number DE-FOA-0002807 and updated at least weekly. Organizations wanting to be listed were instructed to email HFTOFOA@ee.doe.gov with the subject line "Teaming Partner Information" and include: the topic area(s) of interest, organization and contact details, organization type (including Minority Serving Institution designation or disadvantaged community status if relevant), technical expertise, and a short capabilities statement. Submitting information meant consenting to public posting, and DOE explicitly noted that inclusion on the list is not an endorsement and that DOE would not compensate anyone for providing information or for any teaming or application-development efforts.

Finally, the disclaimer language is important: this document is only a notice of intent, not the FOA itself. DOE stated it was not requesting comments, would not answer questions about the notice, and was not accepting applications at that time. All details were subject to change once the actual FOA was released, and DOE said a formal question-and-answer process would be provided only after the FOA became available.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to issue Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002792, “Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience.”" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 27, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 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 $2.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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