PHOTOVOLTAICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (PVRD) | DE FOA 0001387

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001387

The Photovoltaics Research and Development (PVRD) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001387) is a U.S. Department of Energy, Golden Field Office discretionary grant program designed to push photovoltaic (PV) cell and module technology forward. Its central aim is to fund research that measurably improves how PV performs and how reliably it can be manufactured and deployed, helping the Solar Energy Technologies Office meet the SunShot Initiative objective of driving solar electricity costs toward and beyond the $0.06/kWh level targeted for 2020. In practical terms, the FOA is looking for projects that can credibly move the needle on power conversion efficiency, real-world (fielded) energy output, service lifetime and durability, and manufacturability and scalability for both commercial and emerging PV technologies.

The program anticipates awarding about $20 million in total federal funding across roughly 30 to 35 projects, which signals an intent to support a broad portfolio of ideas rather than a small number of very large efforts. Awards are made as cooperative agreements, meaning DOE expects active involvement during the project period (for example, through milestone tracking, technical direction, and coordination) rather than a hands-off grant. The stated award ceiling is $1,125,000 per award, which sets expectations for project scope and helps applicants size proposals realistically.

A key feature of the FOA is that it is organized into multiple topic areas, including both short and longer efforts. Topic 1 is structured for smaller, single-year projects meant to quickly demonstrate feasibility or early promise and to create a clear basis for larger follow-on work; these are reviewed and selected on an accelerated schedule. Topics 2 and 3 support multi-year research projects, which are intended for more substantial development and validation activities. This mix is meant to keep the pipeline active: fast-turn explorations that can de-risk new concepts, alongside longer-duration projects capable of delivering deeper performance improvements or manufacturable advances.

The eligibility list is intentionally broad, reflecting DOE's interest in partnerships that combine research strength with real-world commercialization pathways. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); individuals; for-profit entities (including those other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA explicitly encourages teaming, which typically means collaborations that pair university or national-lab style R&D capabilities with manufacturers, materials suppliers, testing organizations, or project developers that can validate performance in relevant environments and help translate improvements into products.

Administratively, all required submissions must go through DOE's EERE Exchange portal (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov). The FOA makes clear that DOE will not consider applications submitted by any other method. The submission workflow can include items such as Letters of Intent, SIPS applications, concept papers, full applications, and replies to reviewer comments, all routed through the same system. Applicants are directed to the EERE Exchange User's Guide for step-by-step instructions and compliance expectations, which matters because federal FOAs often have strict formatting, registration, and deadline rules that can disqualify otherwise strong technical proposals.

Important details from the source listing include the program classification and timing: the funding activity category is Energy, the CFDA number is 81.087, and the opportunity was created on 2015-09-15 with an original closing date of 2016-01-11. While those dates reflect the historical posting of this specific FOA, the core summary remains that PVRD is built to accelerate PV innovation by funding a diverse set of research projects that can demonstrate credible, technically grounded pathways to higher efficiency, better lifetime and reliability, stronger field performance, and improved manufacturability at scale, in support of SunShot cost competitiveness goals.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PHOTOVOLTAICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (PVRD)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-09-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-01-11. (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 $1,125,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 35 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for DE FOA 0001387

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