$125 Million OPEN Solicitation for Transformational Energy Projects

The US Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) is issuing its third open funding opportunity announcement, OPEN 2015, for up to $125 million. OPEN 2015 will support energy research and development projects from America's top innovators for disruptive new technologies in transportation and stationary applications.

“OPEN 2015 highlights ARPA-E’s commitment to transformational energy innovations,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “We are excited to announce this open solicitation to support the development of a broad range of disruptive technologies, advancing our all-of-the-above energy strategy to ensure a secure, affordable and sustainable American energy future.”

The objective of an ARPA-E OPEN FOA is simple, yet comprehensive: to support the development of potentially disruptive new technologies across the full spectrum of energy applications. ARPA-E seeks to support transformational research in all areas of energy R&D, covering transportation and stationary applications. Areas of research responsive to this FOA include (but are not limited to) electricity generation by both renewable and non-renewable means; electricity transmission, storage, and distribution; energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing and commerce, and personal use; and all aspects of transportation, including the production and distribution of both renewable and non-renewable fuels, electrification, and energy efficiency in transportation.

Because of the enormous breadth of energy technologies solicited under an OPEN FOA, it is impossible to provide the well-defined technical targets contained in an ARPA-E FOA for a focused technology program. Rather, ARPA-E asks applicants to address the potential impact of the proposed technology on the agency’s Mission Areas: reducing imported energy, reducing energy-related emissions, and improving energy efficiency. The critical question for applicants to consider in assessing potential impact is: “If it works, will it matter?” In a FOA for a focused technology program, this question has already been answered by ARPA-E.

If an applicant can demonstrate that the proposed technology can achieve the technical targets specified in the FOA for a focused program, the agency believes that the technology can have significant impact on the agency’s missions. In an OPEN FOA, the burden of demonstrating potential impact lies solely upon the applicant, who must make the strongest possible case for why the proposed technology will matter – that it has the potential to change our energy future.

ARPA-E has issued previous OPEN solicitations in 2009 and 2012. Open solicitations ensure that ARPA-E can support transformational projects outside the scope of existing ARPA-E focused programs. The projects selected under OPEN 2015 will pursue novel approaches to energy innovation across the full spectrum of energy applications.