The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $420-million funding opportunity for DOE’s Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC). This funding will advance climate solutions through early-stage research on clean energy technology, advanced and low-carbon manufacturing and quantum information science. Breakthroughs in basic research will be key to creating climate solutions that will advance President Biden’s goal of a zero-emission economy by 2050.
“Spearheaded by world-leading scientists, DOE’s Energy Frontier Research Centers are innovation powerhouses that have unlocked scientific breakthroughs leading to transformative climate solutions like solar windows and carbon capture technology,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, in the press release. “This funding will create good-paying jobs and open doors to an array of clean energy technologies across industries that will be crucial to lowering carbon emissions, meeting our climate goals and creating the clean infrastructure of the future.”
The EFRC program brings together diverse teams of scientists across disciplines and institutions – including universities, national laboratories, industry and nonprofits – solely focused on solving complex problems in early-stage research and accelerating advances in the most challenging areas of materials sciences, chemical sciences, geosciences and biosciences. Since the program’s introduction in 2009, there have been 88 EFRCs across 41 states, with 41 currently active.
EFRC research has led to hundreds of scientific discoveries and more than 200 issued patents that have led to the development of clean technologies like high-capacity batteries, windows that convert sunlight to electricity and materials that can capture carbon dioxide. This foundational research also supports cross-DOE initiatives including the Energy Earthshots.
More information on this funding opportunity and the EFRC program can be found here.