Funding-Energy
Efficient Building Systems Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative; May 6, 2010
Agency
Department
of Energy
Description
The
purpose of this FOA is to identify and support an emerging E-RIC that will accomplish
the following objectives: • Develop and demonstrate sustainable and efficient
models for attaining national strategic objectives, with a focus on (i) developing, expanding, and commercializing innovative
energy efficient building systems technologies, designs, and best practices for
national and international distribution and (ii) reducing the carbon footprint
of the United States; • Create and retain Good Jobs; • Eliminate gaps between
the supply and demand for skilled workers in the E-RIC through training and
education; • Increase regional gross domestic product (GDP); • Promote
innovation in science and technology generally and, with respect to the Hub,
promote energy efficient building systems, designs and best practices; and •
Enhance the economic, technological, and commercial competitiveness of the
United States on the global stage. The centerpiece of the E-RIC is the DOE
Energy Efficient Building Systems Design Hub (Hub). The Hub will focus on
research and development of highly efficient building components, systems, and
models aimed at reducing energy use, minimizing net greenhouse gas emissions,
and catalyzing an industry-wide shift to new technologies. The Hub will work
within the Consortium and with the Consortium’s regional partners, among
others, to link various combinations of university, industry, national
laboratory, non-profit organizations, and local, state, and regional
governments, as appropriate, with business incubators and other business
accelerators in order to create and/or expand a network of advanced energy
technology companies, laboratories, and capabilities that promote economic
development and the objectives specified above. This joint FOA invites
Proposals from Consortia that can demonstrate collaboration among their members,
with their regional partners, and with federal government agencies to support
the development and growth of an E-RIC. Only one Proposal from a Consortium
will be selected for funding under this joint FOA. Each Consortium will submit
a single Proposal, which shall contain four Applications for funding (one
Application from each Co-applicant to the Granting Agency from which it seeks
funding), as well as one Overarching RIC Narrative (see Section IV of the FOA
for details on this submission). The four Applications contained in a single
Proposal from a Consortium shall be as follows: (1) An Application for DOE
assistance (submitted by the DOE Co-applicant – which may include one of more
entities eligible for DOE assistance); (2) an Application for EDA assistance
(submitted by the EDA Co-applicant – which may include one or more entities
eligible for EDA assistance); (3) an Application for NIST/MEP assistance
(submitted by the NIST Co-applicant); and (4) an Application for SBA assistance
(submitted by the SBA Co-applicant – which may include one or more entities for
SBA assistance). The Co-applicants submitting the four Applications that
comprise the Proposal shall enter into a written agreement to operate as a
Consortium (see Section IV for further details). Although they will collaborate
as a Consortium, each of the four Co-applicants that submits
the winning Proposal will receive a separate award from the Granting Agency to
which it applied for funding. The discretionary grant funds made available
through this FOA are as follows: • Department of Energy: Up to $22 million in
the first year of the award (with additional amounts of up to $25 million per
year for four additional years, subject to availability of appropriations); •
Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration: Up to $3 million in
Public Works and Economic Development funds and up to $2 million in Economic
Adjustment Assistance funds for a single award over a period of performance not
to exceed 5 years; • Department of Commerce/National Institute of Standards and
Technology (Manufacturing Extension Partnership): Up to $500,000 for a one-year
award, with the possibility of adding additional amounts of up to $500,000 per
year for up to two additional years, made available to an existing DOC-funded
NIST/MEP Center that will use the additional funds to provide services
dedicated to the Consortium’s effort to support the E-RIC and transition
technology to industry; and • Small Business Administration: Up to $300,000 in
the first year, with three one-year options for renewal grants up to $300,000
per year, made available to an existing SBA-funded Small Business Development
Center that will use the additional funds to provide services dedicated to the
Consortium’s effort to grow the E-RIC. In addition, DOL, ED, and NSF are
committed to supporting linkages between the Consortium’s efforts and
complementary, existing programs at DOL, ED, and NSF. DOL encourages workforce
investment boards to become partners that will actively participate in the fostering
of the E-RIC and can leverage Workforce Investment Act and other appropriate
funds to recruit, train, and place workers in good jobs created within the
E-RIC. ED encourages State-eligible agencies, and local and regional secondary
and postsecondary educational agencies and institutions receiving funding under
the Perkins Act to act as partners and to support allowable career and
technical education projects and activities that eliminate gaps between the
supply and demand for workers in specialized fields within the E-RIC. ED will
provide technical assistance as appropriate to help these partners determine
how to facilitate the Consortium’s objectives through the allowable use of
funds under the partners' existing formula grants or subgrants.
Finally, if existing NSF award recipients are also
Co-applicants or partners of the winning Consortium, these NSF recipients may
be eligible for supplemental funding from NSF.
Consortium:
the
collective group of Co-applicants presenting a unified Proposal in response to
this joint FOA.
Co-applicants
(and each, a Co-applicant): Collectively, each member of the Consortium
that is applying for federal funding assistance, anticipated to include the DOE
Co-applicant, the EDA Co-applicant, the SBA Co-applicant, and the NIST
Co-applicant.
This
joint FOA makes available discretionary grant funds from four government
agencies; each agency has its own eligibility requirements. Please see the full
text of the FOA for more details.
Announcement
Number: ERIC2010
Closing
Date: May 06, 2010
Link
to Full Announcement
http://www.energy.gov/hubs/documents/ERIC_FOA.pdf
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