Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002282

The Notice of Intent (NOI) for Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002283 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 competitive funding opportunity titled "Workforce Development in Emerging Fields." This NOI is not the actual solicitation and does not accept applications; it is essentially an advance heads-up that a full FOA was expected to follow soon, with the usual caveat that all details in the notice could change once the formal announcement is published.

At a high level, the planned FOA focused on workforce development tied to emerging, energy-relevant fields by investing in leading-edge, interdisciplinary research and education models. The core concept was to strengthen and expand joint graduate education programs that partner universities with DOE national laboratories, with the explicit goal of preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers. The emphasis on "coordinated expansion" suggests DOE was looking for programs that build on existing university-lab collaborations rather than creating standalone efforts, and that integrate research, training, and professional development in a structured way that grows the pipeline of talent for future energy innovation.

Eligibility was expected to be narrow and driven by Congressional guidance: applicants would be restricted to U.S. land-grant universities. The notice points potential applicants to the USDA NIFA land-grant directory as the reference list for qualifying institutions. While the source data also lists "private institutions of higher education" under eligible applicants, the narrative portion is clear that land-grant status was intended to be the controlling eligibility requirement for this particular competition, meaning institutions without that designation would likely be ineligible to apply as prime applicants under the final FOA.

In terms of funding mechanics, the opportunity category was listed as discretionary, with awards anticipated to be made using a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during project execution (for example, participation in technical direction, milestone review, coordination across partners, or shaping deliverables), which aligns with the theme of structured graduate programs and formal partnerships with national labs. The activity category was energy, and the assistance listing was associated with CFDA 81.087 (a DOE financial assistance program area commonly used for EERE-related work).

The funding scale described in the notice suggested a large, programmatic investment rather than many small grants. The award ceiling was listed as $20,000,000, with an expectation of 1 award. That combination strongly implies DOE was considering funding one major, flagship effort (or one lead institution coordinating a broader consortium) to deliver a scalable workforce-development model across disciplines and laboratory partners, rather than distributing funds across multiple independent university projects.

Operationally, EERE indicated the FOA was planned for release in February 2020 and would be posted and managed through the EERE Exchange platform (eere-exchange.energy.gov). Interested parties were encouraged to register on EERE Exchange to receive official updates, and DOE stated that once the FOA was released, applications would be accepted only through that system. The agency also stated it would not respond to questions about the NOI itself; instead, a formal Q and A process would be provided after the FOA publication, which is standard practice so that answers can be shared consistently with all potential applicants.

In short, this NOI described an upcoming, single-award, large-dollar DOE EERE cooperative agreement competition aimed at expanding university-national lab graduate education partnerships to build workforce capacity in emerging energy-related fields, limited to land-grant universities, with the formal application process to be conducted entirely through EERE Exchange once the FOA was officially issued.

  • 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 No. DE-FOA-0002283" 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 Jan 31, 2020.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by This is an NOI. No applications will be accepted.. (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 $20,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education.
Apply for DE FOA 0002282

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is DE-FOA-0002283?

DE-FOA-0002283 is referenced in a Notice of Intent (NOI) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The NOI indicated DOE planned to release a competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "Workforce Development in Emerging Fields."

2) Is the Notice of Intent (NOI) the actual funding solicitation?

No. The NOI is not the actual solicitation. It does not accept applications and serves as an advance notice that a full FOA was expected to follow.

3) Can applications be submitted in response to the NOI?

No. DOE stated the NOI does not accept applications. Applications would only be accepted after the formal FOA is released.

4) What was the planned title of the upcoming FOA?

The planned FOA title was "Workforce Development in Emerging Fields."

5) What is the main purpose of the planned FOA?

The planned FOA focused on workforce development in emerging, energy-relevant fields by investing in leading-edge, interdisciplinary research and education models, with an emphasis on preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers.

6) What kinds of programs was DOE trying to strengthen or expand?

DOE emphasized strengthening and expanding joint graduate education programs that partner universities with DOE national laboratories, integrating research, training, and professional development in a structured way.

7) What does "coordinated expansion" imply for proposed efforts?

Based on the NOI description, "coordinated expansion" suggests DOE was looking for efforts that build on existing university-lab collaborations rather than creating standalone programs, and that coordinate growth of a structured talent pipeline across partners.

8) Who was expected to be eligible to apply as a prime applicant?

Eligibility was expected to be restricted to U.S. land-grant universities, consistent with Congressional guidance referenced in the NOI narrative.

9) How can an institution confirm whether it is a land-grant university?

The NOI pointed potential applicants to the USDA NIFA land-grant directory as the reference list for qualifying institutions.

10) Are non-land-grant universities expected to be eligible as prime applicants?

Based on the NOI narrative, land-grant status was intended to be the controlling eligibility requirement. Institutions without that designation would likely be ineligible to apply as prime applicants under the final FOA.

11) The source data mentions "private institutions of higher education." Does that change the land-grant requirement?

The NOI information includes a listing that mentions "private institutions of higher education," but the narrative portion clearly indicated land-grant universities were intended to be the restricted applicant pool for this competition.

12) Which DOE office was associated with this planned opportunity?

The NOI indicated the opportunity would be run by DOE through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and administered by the Golden Field Office.

13) What type of award instrument was anticipated?

A cooperative agreement was anticipated.

14) What does a cooperative agreement generally mean for project execution?

The NOI noted that a cooperative agreement typically implies substantial DOE involvement during project execution, such as participation in technical direction, milestone reviews, coordination across partners, and shaping deliverables.

15) What was the opportunity category?

The opportunity category was listed as discretionary.

16) What activity area did this planned FOA fall under?

The activity category was energy.

17) What CFDA/assistance listing was associated with the NOI?

The NOI associated the opportunity with CFDA 81.087, a DOE financial assistance program area commonly used for EERE-related work.

18) How much funding was anticipated for an award?

The award ceiling listed in the NOI was $20,000,000.

19) How many awards were anticipated?

The NOI indicated an expectation of 1 award.

20) Does the combination of a $20,000,000 ceiling and 1 anticipated award suggest anything about project scope?

Yes. The NOI framing suggests DOE was considering a single large, programmatic investment (potentially a flagship effort or a lead institution coordinating a broader consortium) rather than multiple smaller, independent awards.

21) When was the FOA planned to be released?

The NOI stated the FOA was planned for release in February 2020.

22) Where would the FOA be posted and managed?

DOE indicated the FOA would be posted and managed through the EERE Exchange platform at eere-exchange.energy.gov.

23) How would applications be submitted once the FOA was released?

DOE stated that once the FOA was released, applications would be accepted only through EERE Exchange.

24) Why did DOE encourage interested parties to register on EERE Exchange?

Interested parties were encouraged to register to receive official updates about the planned opportunity and the eventual FOA release.

25) Could details change between the NOI and the final FOA?

Yes. The NOI explicitly noted that it was an advance heads-up and that details could change once the formal FOA was published.

26) Would DOE answer questions about the NOI?

No. DOE stated it would not respond to questions about the NOI itself.

27) When would a formal Q&A process be available?

DOE indicated a formal Q&A process would be provided after the FOA publication so that answers could be shared consistently with all potential applicants.

28) What types of partnerships were emphasized in the NOI?

The NOI emphasized partnerships between universities and DOE national laboratories, specifically in the context of joint graduate education programs.

29) What workforce outcomes was DOE aiming to support?

The stated goal was to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers and expand the pipeline of talent needed for future energy innovation in emerging, energy-relevant fields.

30) What is the key takeaway from this NOI?

This NOI described an upcoming DOE EERE competitive cooperative agreement opportunity, expected to be a single, large-dollar award focused on expanding land-grant university and national laboratory graduate education partnerships, with application submission handled entirely through EERE Exchange once the formal FOA was issued.

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