Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002197
The Fiscal Year 2020 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), numbered DE FOA 0002197, is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on behalf of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Vehicle Technologies Office. The purpose of this FOA is to support research and development projects that strengthen and accelerate advanced transportation technologies, with a clear emphasis on improving vehicle efficiency, reducing petroleum dependence, and advancing technologies that can cut emissions across a range of transportation applications.
This FOA uses a Cooperative Agreement funding instrument, which typically means projects are not run as hands-off grants; instead, DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period. In practice, that usually translates to ongoing coordination, technical reporting, milestone reviews, and collaboration with DOE program staff to ensure the work stays aligned with federal technical goals and performance targets.
The research topics highlighted in the announcement span several core vehicle technology priorities. A central area is advanced batteries and electrification, explicitly tied to the DOE Energy Storage Grand Challenge. That connection signals interest in innovations that improve energy storage performance, cost, safety, and manufacturability to enable broader electric vehicle adoption and better electrified powertrains. Another major focus area is advanced engine and fuel technologies, including work relevant to off-road applications (such as construction, agricultural, mining, marine, or other non-highway equipment) and alternative fueled engines. This indicates DOE is looking beyond passenger cars to include sectors that are harder to electrify quickly and where combustion efficiency improvements and clean fuel pathways can still deliver significant near- and medium-term benefits.
The FOA also calls for projects involving lightweight materials, reflecting the role of mass reduction in improving fuel economy and extending electric driving range. In addition, it includes new mobility technologies, described as energy efficient mobility systems, which suggests interest in system-level approaches like connected mobility, optimized routing or logistics, shared mobility concepts, and other strategies that reduce energy use per passenger-mile or ton-mile. Finally, the announcement includes alternative fuels technology demonstrations, pointing to applied, real-world validation efforts that can show readiness, performance, and practical deployment considerations for nontraditional fuels and related infrastructure or vehicle integration approaches.
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many entity types, provided applicants meet any additional conditions or clarifications described in the full FOA text. The funding activity category is Energy, under CFDA number 81.086. The FOA was created on January 23, 2020, with an original application closing date of April 14, 2020. The award ceiling is listed as $7,500,000 per award, and DOE anticipated making about 78 awards, indicating an intent to fund a relatively large portfolio of projects across the topic areas rather than only a small number of very large efforts.
Overall, this opportunity is structured to build a pipeline of research, development, and demonstration work that advances electrification and energy storage, improves engines and fuel systems (including for off-road and alternative fuels), deploys lightweighting strategies, and explores next-generation mobility solutions, all within the broader DOE mission of improving transportation energy efficiency and supporting cleaner, more sustainable energy use.Apply for DE FOA 0002197
- The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2020 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research Funding Opportunity Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 23, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 14, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $7,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 78 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this funding opportunity?
This is the Fiscal Year 2020 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), numbered DE FOA 0002197. It is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on behalf of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Vehicle Technologies Office.
2. What is the main purpose of FOA DE FOA 0002197?
The purpose is to support research and development projects that strengthen and accelerate advanced transportation technologies. The FOA emphasizes improving vehicle efficiency, reducing petroleum dependence, and advancing technologies that can reduce emissions across a range of transportation applications.
3. What type of funding instrument will be used?
The FOA uses a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument.
4. What does it mean that the award is a Cooperative Agreement?
A Cooperative Agreement typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period rather than operating as a fully hands-off grant. Based on the description provided, this may include ongoing coordination, technical reporting, milestone reviews, and collaboration with DOE program staff to keep the project aligned with federal technical goals and performance targets.
5. Which DOE offices are involved in this FOA?
The opportunity is associated with DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), specifically its Vehicle Technologies Office, and is administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
6. What research topic areas are highlighted?
The FOA highlights multiple vehicle technology priorities, including:
- Advanced batteries and electrification (explicitly tied to the DOE Energy Storage Grand Challenge)
- Advanced engine and fuel technologies (including off-road applications and alternative fueled engines)
- Lightweight materials
- New mobility technologies (energy efficient mobility systems)
- Alternative fuels technology demonstrations
7. How is advanced batteries and electrification framed in this FOA?
Advanced batteries and electrification are explicitly tied to the DOE Energy Storage Grand Challenge. This signals interest in innovations that improve energy storage performance, cost, safety, and manufacturability to support broader electric vehicle adoption and better electrified powertrains.
8. Does the FOA focus only on passenger cars?
No. The FOA includes advanced engine and fuel technologies relevant to off-road applications such as construction, agricultural, mining, marine, and other non-highway equipment. This suggests attention to transportation sectors that can be harder to electrify quickly and where combustion efficiency improvements and cleaner fuel pathways may provide near- and medium-term benefits.
9. What kinds of engine and fuel projects are included?
The FOA includes advanced engine and fuel technologies, including alternative fueled engines and work relevant to off-road applications. The overall emphasis is on improving efficiency and supporting emissions reductions across transportation uses.
10. Why are lightweight materials included as a focus area?
Lightweight materials are included because reducing vehicle mass can improve fuel economy and extend electric driving range, aligning with the FOA's focus on vehicle efficiency and petroleum reduction.
11. What are "new mobility technologies" in this FOA?
The FOA describes new mobility technologies as energy efficient mobility systems. This suggests system-level approaches such as connected mobility, optimized routing or logistics, shared mobility concepts, and other strategies that reduce energy use per passenger-mile or ton-mile.
12. What are "alternative fuels technology demonstrations"?
Alternative fuels technology demonstrations indicate applied, real-world validation efforts intended to show readiness, performance, and practical deployment considerations for nontraditional fuels and related infrastructure or vehicle integration approaches.
13. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is broadly open to many entity types, provided applicants meet any additional conditions or clarifications described in the full FOA text.
14. What is the funding activity category and CFDA number?
The funding activity category is Energy, and the CFDA number is 81.086.
15. When was the FOA created?
The FOA was created on January 23, 2020.
16. What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was April 14, 2020.
17. What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as $7,500,000 per award.
18. How many awards did DOE anticipate making?
DOE anticipated making about 78 awards.
19. What does the anticipated number of awards suggest about the program?
With an anticipated 78 awards and a stated ceiling per award, the FOA appears designed to fund a relatively large portfolio of projects across multiple topic areas, rather than concentrating funding into only a few very large projects.
20. What outcomes is DOE aiming for through this FOA?
The FOA is structured to build a pipeline of research, development, and demonstration work that advances electrification and energy storage, improves engines and fuel systems (including off-road and alternative fuels), deploys lightweighting strategies, and explores next-generation mobility solutions. These outcomes align with DOE's broader mission to improve transportation energy efficiency and support cleaner, more sustainable energy use.
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