The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) is issuing a $125 million open funding opportunity solicitation to support energy research and development projects.
Previous ARPA-E open solicitations in 2009 and 2012 resulted in several funded solar projects. Desired areas of research for the so-called OPEN 2015 solicitation include – but are not limited to – electricity generation by both renewable and non-renewable means; electricity transmission, storage and distribution; energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing, commerce and personal use; and all aspects of transportation.
The goals of open solicitations are intentionally ill-defined so as to encourage out-of-the-box approaches to stationary and transportation energy applications. ARPA-E asks applicants to address the potential impact of proposed technologies on the agency's mission areas: reducing imported energy, reducing energy-related emissions and improving energy efficiency.
Detailed information about OPEN 2015, including deadlines, can be found here.