Unlock Geothermal Funding: $35M for Tech Innovation!

A link to the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is found by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Initial estimated total funding for this award is listed at $10,000,000 in FY 2009; with additional anticipated funds of $25,000,000 in FY 2010 and FY 2011, subject to change and Congressional appropriations. Domestic applicants are eligible to apply including institutions of higher education, non-profit entities (as described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), for-profit private entities, State/Local Governments, and Indian tribes. DOE and non-DOE Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), National Laboratories, and federal agencies will be allowed only as subrecipients to any of the previously mentioned entities.

Foreign participants will be allowed as subrecipients only to a domestic applicant. DOE is seeking advanced technology to address key aspects of engineered reservoir creation, management, and utilization identified in the GTP Multi-Year Research, Development, and Demonstration (MYRDD) plan. Projects are sought to develop innovative technology for cost-effective creation, management, and utilization of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) in reservoir environments. Projects will be evaluated based on their ability to advance technology toward ultimate, specific target specifications to drive market development of EGS.

Teaming between academia, industry, and National Laboratories/Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) is encouraged. Supporting technological improvements and overall geothermal systems analysis to establish critical energy, environmental and economic baseline information are needed in the following topic areas: air cooling; drilling systems; high temperature downhole tools; high-volume lifting and pumping; zonal isolation; integrated chemical, thermal and hydrological modeling; image fluid flow; induced seismicity; geophysical exploration technologies; stimulation Prediction Models; geothermal analysis; smart tracers; supercritical carbon dioxide/reservoir rock chemical interactions; tracers and tracer interpretation; and working fluids for binary power plants. A single Principal Investigator or organization may submit separate applications to multiple topic areas. However, a single Principal Investigator or organization may not submit a single application that addresses multiple topic areas ¿ i.e., address only one topic area per application.

Applicants will be required to declare which topic area they are applying for within each application. Also, DOE reserves the right to make one award, multiple awards, or no awards in any given topic area. Applications with cost share above the minimum level required may be given greater consideration. VERY IMPORTANT: Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov to be considered for award.

You cannot submit an application through Grants.gov unless you are registered. Please read the registration requirements carefully and start the process immediately. Remember you have to update your CCR registration annually. If you have any questions about your registration, you should contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 to verify that you are still registered in Grants.gov.

Registration Requirements There are several one-time actions you must complete in order to submit an application through Grants.gov (e.g., obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, register with the Central Contract Registry (CCR), register with the credential provider, and register with Grants.gov). See http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted. Use the Grants.gov Organization Registration Checklist at http://www.grants.gov/assets/OrganizationRegCheck.pdf to guide you through the process. Designating an E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) and obtaining a special password called an MPIN are important steps in the CCR registration process.

Applicants, who are not registered with CCR and Grants.gov, should allow at least 21 days to complete these requirements. It is suggested that the process be started as soon as possible. When you have completed the process, you should call the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 to verify that you have completed the final step (i.e. Grants.gov registration).

Questions Questions relating to the registration process, system requirements, how an application form works, or the submittal process must be directed to Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Part VII of this announcement explains how to submit other questions to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 Compatibility: Grants.gov requires the compatible version of Adobe Reader software, which is officially supported by Adobe, for use with Vista.

For more information on Grants.gov¿s compatible version of Adobe Reader, visit: http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp#adobe811