RESEARCH & EDUCATION PROGRAMS -

Energy Frontier Research Centers Funding Opportunity Announcement

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences announced April 4, 2008 the initiation of Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) to accelerate the rate of scientific breakthroughs needed to create advanced energy technologies for the 21st century.  The EFRCs will pursue the fundamental understanding necessary to meet the global need for abundant, clean, and economical energy.  Plant science is among the science disciplines eligible to compete for awards.

The EFRC awards are expected to be in the $2–5 million range annually for an initial 5-year period.  A Funding Opportunity Announcement has been issued that requests applications from the scientific community for the establishment of the initial suite of EFRCs.  It is anticipated that approximately $100 million will be available for multiple EFRC awards.  Some 20 to 30 research center awards are expected to be made.  As the EFRC program matures, it is anticipated that EFRC competitions will be held every 2 or 3 years and that renewal submissions will be openly competed with new submissions.