Opportunity: OPEN INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT IN ENERGY-RELATED APPL

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) provides a continuing opportunity for the rapid support of early-stage applied research to explore innovative new concepts with the potential for transformational and disruptive changes in energy technology. IDEAS awards are intended to be flexible and may take the form of analyses or exploratory research that provides the agency with information useful for the subsequent development of focused technology programs. IDEAS awards may also support research to support proof-of-concept projects for a unique technology concept, either in an area not currently supported by the agency or as a potential enhancement to an ongoing focused technology program. Applications must propose concepts that are not covered by current ARPA-E FOAs and RFIs (Requests for Information) and that also do not represent incremental improvements over existing technology. IDEAS awards are defined as single-phase efforts of durations less than 12 months and cost less than $500,000 and will be issued through Grants. This FOA is a continuation of the OPEN IDEAS Program announced as a one-year pilot in September 2013. ARPA-E has determined that that the OPEN IDEAS pilot program was a success and, therefore, intends to continue this FOA and has extended the closing date to September 28, 2015. Therefore, the original close date for this FOA – September 26, 2014 – is no longer applicable. Applications will be accepted through the new close date – September 28, 2015. Applications are accepted throughout the duration of this and any subsequent modifications of the IDEAS FOA. In addition ARPA-E has revised the name of this program and removed “OPEN” from the name to differentiate this continuous FOA intended to support proof-of-concept research from the periodic fully open solicitations issued by ARPA-E that support larger technology development projects (up to 36 months and $10,000,000).