DOE Hydropower Program Research and Development Strategy and HydroWIRES Research Roadmap | DE FOA 0002343

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002343

The DOE Hydropower Program Research and Development Strategy and HydroWIRES Research Roadmap notice (Opportunity No. DE-FOA-0002343) is not a grant competition, even though it appears in systems that also list funding opportunities. It is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy, specifically under EERE and associated with the Golden Field Office, to gather input that can shape and strengthen DOE's hydropower research and development strategy and the HydroWIRES research roadmap. In practical terms, DOE is asking stakeholders to help refine how key problems are framed, what the most important barriers and needs actually are, and what role the federal government should or should not play so that future hydropower and grid-integration research is more useful and has greater national impact.

The RFI invites feedback from a broad, unrestricted set of respondents, including industry, universities, national laboratories, government agencies, and other interested parties. The focus is on improving the direction of DOE efforts rather than selecting projects for funding. HydroWIRES, as referenced in the title, relates to research on how hydropower can support and interact with the evolving electric grid, especially as the grid incorporates more variable renewable generation and places greater value on flexibility, reliability, and resilience. The overarching intent is to ensure DOE's hydropower R and D priorities and HydroWIRES planning reflect real-world operational needs, technology gaps, and opportunities where public investment or coordination can make the biggest difference.

Because this is strictly an information-gathering action, DOE makes several conditions explicit. EERE is not accepting applications, this is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), and no awards will be made as a direct result of submissions. DOE also states it will not pay for the information provided and that no project will be supported through this RFI. While the metadata lists items like "Cooperative Agreement" and an energy activity category (and a CFDA number, 81.087), those fields do not change the core point: the agency is requesting written input to inform future strategy and potential future programs, not soliciting proposals for financial assistance now.

Submission instructions are straightforward and entirely electronic. Responses had to be emailed as attachments to WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov, with the deadline set at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 24, 2020. Only electronic responses were accepted, and the full announcement was hosted on the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov), which is DOE's platform for publishing such notices. In summary, this opportunity functioned as a structured way for DOE to collect stakeholder perspectives to guide hydropower and grid-integration research planning, rather than a vehicle to distribute funds.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DOE Hydropower Program Research and Development Strategy and HydroWIRES Research Roadmap" 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 2020-05-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-06-24. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for DE FOA 0002343

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