The DOE SC program in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) program announces its interest in receiving applications from single investigators and multi-disciplinary teams to support experimental and theoretical research to advance chemical and materials sciences relevant to the following:
• Critical minerals – the natural resource for obtaining critical elements;
• Critical elements – atomic elements that are subject to supply risks and are incorporated in critical materials; and
• Critical materials – substances that provide essential functionality in key technologies and have no easy substitutes.
Critical elements play a central role in both critical minerals and critical materials. These elements influence the mineral properties as well as the mechanisms of incorporation and extraction of the critical elements. They also dictate the properties that control the function of critical materials, including both molecules and materials, used in a broad range of technologically important and energy relevant applications. These properties include superconductivity, magnetism, quantum phenomena, light generation, magnetocaloric behavior, and catalytic activity. This FOA is focused on gaining an understanding of the fundamental properties and mechanisms of critical minerals, elements, and materials to improve separation and extraction processes and to enable discovery and design of alternates to critical materials that reduce or eliminate the need for critical elements. Thus, this fundamental knowledge will support the DOE strategy to diversify supply, develop substitutes, and improve reuse and recycling of critical minerals and materials. While multiple elements have been identified as critical based on their availability and technological importance, this funding opportunity is restricted to basic research related to rare earth and platinum group elements.
Applicant institutions are limited to no more than 2 pre-applications and applications as either a sole applicant or as the lead of a multi-institutional team. There is no limit on the number of preapplications on which an institution may appear as a partner (not the lead institution).
Deadlines:
Applications are requested that address one or more of the following scientific Research Topics:
1. Physical and Chemical Properties
2. Geological Systems
3. Separation Science
4. Design and Synthesis of Materials or Molecules
For Topic Area 1, each application must propose an industry-led partnership. To qualify as an industry-led partnership, the proposed prime recipient must be a domestic Industry Partner and the project team must include at least two other entities. The term “Industry Partner” includes non-profit and for-profit entities engaged in critical materials production or processing, or a related industry. Industry Partner does not include national laboratories, institutions of higher education, or government entities.
The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a subrecipient in an industry-led partnership funded under Topic Area 1 of this FOA: 1. Institutions of higher education; 2. For-profit entities; 3. Non-profit entities; 4. DOE National Laboratories; 5. Non-DOE National Laboratories (eligible as a subrecipient, but not eligible as a lead entity); 6. State, local and tribal governments; and 7. Federal agencies and instrumentalities other than DOE (eligible as a subrecipient, but not eligible as a lead entity)
Topic Area 2: Next-Generation Extraction, Separation, and Processing Technologies: The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a prime recipient or subrecipient under Topic Area 2 of this FOA: 1. Institutions of higher education 2. For-profit entities; 3. Non-profit entities; 4. DOE National Laboratories; 5. Non-DOE National Laboratories (eligible as a subrecipient, but not eligible as a lead entity); 6. State, local and tribal governments; and 7. Federal agencies and instrumentalities other than DOE (eligible as a subrecipient, but not eligible as a lead entity).
Ceiling
$1,200,000 per year
Applications requesting more than this amount of support may be declined without further review.
Floor
$500,000 per year for applications led by DOE/NNSA National Laboratories
$200,000 per year for applications led by other eligible applicants
