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.Apply for DE FOA 0001387
- 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.
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Photovoltaics Research and Development (PVRD) Funding Opportunity (DE-FOA-0001387): FAQs
What is the PVRD funding opportunity?
The Photovoltaics Research and Development (PVRD) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001387) is a discretionary grant program from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Golden Field Office. It is intended to advance photovoltaic (PV) cell and module technology by funding research that improves PV performance and the reliability of manufacturing and deployment.
What is the main goal of this DOE funding opportunity?
The central goal is to support R&D that can measurably improve PV technology in ways that matter for cost and real-world impact. The FOA emphasizes improvements in power conversion efficiency, fielded (real-world) energy output, service lifetime and durability, and manufacturability and scalability for both commercial and emerging PV technologies.
How does this FOA connect to the SunShot Initiative?
The FOA is aligned with the Solar Energy Technologies Office and the SunShot Initiative objective of driving solar electricity costs toward and beyond the $0.06/kWh level targeted for 2020. Projects are expected to show credible pathways to performance and manufacturing gains that support that cost-competitiveness direction.
What kinds of technical outcomes is DOE looking for?
Based on the FOA summary, DOE is looking for projects that can credibly "move the needle" on:
- Power conversion efficiency
- Real-world (fielded) energy output
- Service lifetime, durability, and reliability
- Manufacturability and scalability
How much total funding is anticipated, and how many awards are expected?
The program anticipates approximately $20 million in total federal funding, spread across roughly 30 to 35 projects. This suggests an intent to fund a broad range of projects rather than only a small number of large awards.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling stated in the summary is $1,125,000 per award. This cap helps set expectations for project scope and proposal sizing.
What type of award instrument does DOE plan to use?
Awards are made as cooperative agreements. That means DOE expects active involvement during the project period, such as milestone tracking, technical direction, and coordination, rather than providing purely hands-off funding.
How is the FOA organized?
The FOA is organized into multiple topic areas that include both short and longer project efforts. It includes Topic 1 for smaller single-year projects and Topics 2 and 3 for multi-year research projects.
What is Topic 1 designed for?
Topic 1 is structured for smaller, single-year projects intended to quickly demonstrate feasibility or early promise and to create a clear basis for potential larger follow-on work. Topic 1 projects are reviewed and selected on an accelerated schedule.
What are Topics 2 and 3 designed for?
Topics 2 and 3 support multi-year research projects. These are meant for more substantial development and validation activities than the shorter Topic 1 projects.
Why does the FOA include both short and multi-year project options?
The structure is intended to keep the innovation pipeline active: fast-turn explorations can de-risk new concepts quickly, while longer projects can pursue deeper performance improvements or manufacturable advances that require more time to develop and validate.
Who is eligible to apply?
The FOA lists broad eligibility, including:
- 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 (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3))
- Individuals
- For-profit entities (including those other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
Are partnerships or team applications encouraged?
Yes. The FOA explicitly encourages teaming. In practical terms, this often means collaborations that combine strong R&D capabilities (for example, university-style research strengths) with organizations that can help validate performance in relevant environments and support commercialization pathways (such as manufacturers, materials suppliers, testing organizations, or project developers).
Where must applications be submitted?
All required submissions must be made through DOE's EERE Exchange portal at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. The FOA states that DOE will not consider applications submitted by any other method.
What types of submissions might be required in EERE Exchange?
The submission workflow can include items such as Letters of Intent, SIPS applications, concept papers, full applications, and replies to reviewer comments. These are all routed through EERE Exchange under the FOA process described.
Why is following the EERE Exchange process important?
The FOA highlights that applicants should use the EERE Exchange User's Guide for step-by-step instructions and compliance expectations. Federal FOAs can have strict formatting, registration, and deadline rules, and failure to follow the required submission process can lead to an application not being considered.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category listed for this opportunity is Energy.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number provided is 81.087.
When was this opportunity created, and what was the original closing date?
The listing indicates the opportunity was created on 2015-09-15, and the original closing date was 2016-01-11. These dates reflect the historical posting information for this specific FOA.
Does the summary indicate whether this FOA is still open?
The information provided includes an original closing date of 2016-01-11, which indicates the posting is historical. The provided summary does not state that it is currently open.
What is DOE trying to achieve by funding many projects rather than a few large ones?
The anticipated split of about $20 million across roughly 30 to 35 projects signals an intent to support a broad portfolio of ideas. This approach can allow DOE to back multiple technical pathways aimed at improving PV performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
What PV technologies are in scope?
The FOA summary references both commercial and emerging PV technologies. The emphasis is on research that can improve performance and manufacturing/deployment reliability across that spectrum.
What does "fielded energy output" mean in this context?
In the summary, fielded energy output refers to real-world performance when PV is deployed in practical environments (as opposed to only lab metrics). The FOA highlights an interest in improvements that translate into measurable energy output in the field.
What does "manufacturability and scalability" mean in this context?
Based on the summary, manufacturability and scalability refers to the ability to produce PV technologies reliably and at scale, supporting practical deployment. The FOA is looking for research that not only improves performance but also supports reliable manufacturing and scalable production.
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