Modular Chemical Process Intensification Institute for Clean Energy Manufacturing

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), invests in cutting-edge research, development, and demonstration activities focused on sustainable transportation, renewable power, and energy efficiency. A core element of EERE's mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness in innovation and manufacturing in emerging clean energy industries. To address this core element, EERE launched its Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI) in 2013 with the goal of significantly increasing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness in the production of clean energy products and in domestic manufacturing across the board by increasing industrial energy productivity. EERE's Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) plays a key role in executing the mission for CEMI by supporting research and development projects, shared research facilities and technical consortia, and technical assistance programs. AMO partners with private and public stakeholders to support the research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of innovative technologies that can improve U.S. competitiveness, save energy, and ensure global leadership in manufacturing of clean energy technologies as well as improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption in manufacturing. Specifically, AMO invests in cost shared RD&D activities in support of cross-cutting next generation materials and manufacturing processes that hold high potential to significantly improve energy efficiency and reduce energy-related emissions, industrial waste, and the life cycle energy consumption of manufactured products. EERE's AMO establishes Manufacturing Innovation Institutes in the President's National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) as shared research, development, and demonstration facilities to overcome cross-cutting challenges related to the manufacturing of clean energy and energy efficiency products, in addition to challenges associated with improving the energy efficiency of the manufacturing sector across the board. This FOA supports the establishment of a Manufacturing Innovation Institute on Modular Chemical Process Intensification for Clean Energy Manufacturing. Modular chemical process intensification represents an emerging opportunity for processing industries in the U.S. manufacturing sector to improve energy efficiency, reduce feedstock waste, and improve productivity by merging and integrating separate unit processes (mixing, reactions, separation) into single modular hardware elements of reduced size, with higher efficiency and providing inherent scalability. The full Funding Opportunity Announcement 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. The Users' guide for applying to Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Funding Opportunity Announcements through the Exchange website can be found at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx. 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. The Exchange system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants. Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).