Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) announced a $22 million funding opportunity to leverage the expertise and intellectual capital of non-federal research institutions by supporting foundational research and development (R&D) and expanded testing capacity to advance the marine energy industry.

The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) entitled, “Marine Energy Foundational Research and Testing Infrastructure,” presents an opportunity to continue building marine energy research capabilities at U.S. non-federal research institutions and leverage their expertise to help the developing marine energy industry tackle complex scientific and technical problems. The FOA’s primary goal is to increase the likelihood of commercial adoption of marine energy technologies, while developing intellectual capital for U.S. technology leadership in ocean sciences and marine energy. DOE encourages non-federal research institutions not previously funded for marine energy R&D to apply.

“Fostering collaboration between non-federal research institutions and industry is a great way to ensure that we’re tapping into the strongest minds and resources for marine energy,” said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel R Simmons. “It sets the stage for the future workforce. This opportunity offers more real world experiences to students and researchers at universities and non-federal research institutions providing more expansive research and testing resources. Offering students and other researchers the opportunity to participate in industry-level problem solving prepares them for the next level of career development.”

This FOA covers four main topic areas: