Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships | DE FOA 0003201

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003201

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science is soliciting grant applications under DE-FOA-0003201, titled Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships. The focus of this opportunity is to strengthen research collaborations between institutions in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions and DOE National Laboratories, with an emphasis on fundamental, early-stage energy research that advances basic understanding of the physical world. In practice, the program is meant to connect researchers in historically under-resourced states and territories with the unique expertise, infrastructure, and scientific capabilities housed at the national labs, helping to grow long-term research capacity and competitive strength in those jurisdictions.

A central feature of the program is partnership: proposed projects are expected to be collaborative efforts that meaningfully involve a DOE National Laboratory. Applicants are also encouraged to make use of DOE user facilities, such as Office of Science user facilities (for example, major light sources, neutron sources, nanoscale science research centers, and high-performance computing resources) as well as DOE Office of Nuclear Energy user facilities (including resources available through the Nuclear Science User Facilities program). The intent is to support research that benefits from specialized instruments, facilities, data resources, or lab-based capabilities that are difficult for universities and smaller institutions to access on their own.

The FOA places a strong emphasis on workforce development and training as part of the research collaboration. Participation by students or early-career researchers is not optional: each project must include undergraduate students, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows. The program also explicitly encourages applications led by early-career faculty from EPSCoR jurisdictions, reflecting a goal of building durable research trajectories, mentorship networks, and institutional capacity over time.

Eligibility is restricted because DOE EPSCoR follows National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR eligibility determinations, and the FOA cites 2 CFR 910.126 as the basis for limiting competition. In general terms, only domestic applicants located in designated EPSCoR jurisdictions may apply, and certain nonprofit organizations are excluded (specifically, 501(c)(4) organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995). The eligible jurisdictions listed in the FOA are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The FOA directs applicants to consult page 9 for eligibility details.

This is a discretionary grant opportunity (CFDA 81.049) administered by the DOE Office of Science. The listed award ceiling is $1,000,000. The FOA was created on December 8, 2023, and the original closing date was February 28, 2024. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at seeding and strengthening high-quality collaborations between EPSCoR institutions and DOE National Labs, coupling early-stage scientific research with hands-on training for students and postdoctoral researchers, and encouraging use of national user facilities to accelerate research progress and broaden participation in DOE-relevant science.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships" 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 2023-12-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-28. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DE FOA 0003201

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