FY 2015 Vehicle Technologies Office Incubator
The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is an organization focused on achieving aggressive and well-defined mid-to-long term clean energy goals for the United States of America. In that context, EERE has established multi-year plans and roadmaps. EERE focuses the majority of its resources on a limited number of "highest probability of success" pathways/approaches to ensure that the program initiatives are supported at a critical mass (both in terms of dollars and time) for maximum impact. This roadmap-based approach is one of EERE's greatest strengths, but it can create challenges in recognizing and exploring unanticipated, game changing pathways/approaches which may ultimately be superior to the pathways/approaches on our existing roadmaps. To enhance the responsiveness of the roadmap approach, EERE is continuing to issue "Incubator" Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) within its existing Offices and programs to support innovative technologies and solutions that could help meet existing goals but are not represented in a significant way in the Offices' existing Multi-Year Program Plans (MYPPs) or current portfolios. The Incubator programs will allow EERE to assess new technologies for their potential to be ?on ramped? to future MYPPs. Successful incubator projects will reduce the risk associated with potentially breakthrough approaches and technologies so that they could be viable candidates for inclusion in future program roadmaps. DOEs Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) develops and deploys efficient and environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that will enable America to use less petroleum. These technologies will provide Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security, while lowering costs and reducing impacts on the environment. For example, the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge requires dramatic improvements in plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) performance and cost that are specified as technical targets and stretch goals for key technical areas of plug-in electric vehicles. These are detailed in the EV Everywhere Blueprint document, posted on the VTO website. Other specific technology and technical goals can be found in supporting roadmaps and plans such as the Offices Multiyear Program Plan, U.S. DRIVE Partnership Plan; 21st Century Truck Roadmap and Technical White Papers; and other plans and roadmaps referenced on the website. This Vehicle Technologies Incubator FOA is open to proposals that aim to bring to market a novel, non-incremental technology that facilitates one or more of the overall VTO goals but are not represented in a significant way in the Offices existing Multi-Year Program Plans (MYPPs) or current portfolios. The full spectrum of technologies and non-hardware solutions relevant to efficient and environmentally friendly transportation technologies that will enable America to use less petroleum will be considered for funding. The description above is meant to demonstrate the breadth of possibilities. The following types of applications will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be reviewed or considered: ? Commercial hardware technologies, products, and solutions; ? Incremental improvements to existing technologies, products, or solutions; ? Solutions, approaches, or technologies similar to those already being investigated through current or recent DOE projects; and ? Technologies that are not based on sound scientific principles (e.g., violates the law of thermodynamics). The full FOA is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. Applications must be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website to be considered for award. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system. Information on where to submit questions regarding the content of the announcement and where to submit questions regarding submission of applications is found in the full FOA posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website.
Office: National Energy Technology Laboratory
nicholas.anderson@netl.doe.gov
