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Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary

The Critical Materials Accelerator aims to validate and prototype technologies and processes that address critical materials challenges by developing alternatives, diversifying and expanding supply, increasing manufacturing and material efficiency, and establishing a circular economy. The Accelerator intends to speed up the adoption of innovation while promoting safe, sustainable, economic, and environmentally just solutions to meet current and future critical materials supply chain needs​.

This FOA solicits proposals that advance innovation to realize the Department’s critical minerals and materials vision of a reliable, resilient, affordable, diverse, sustainable, and secure domestic supply chains for the clean energy economy. Projects funded under this FOA will de-risk innovation and mature technology development in partnership with industry to reduce demand through alternative materials or technologies, extend the lifetime of critical materials, and advance secure and sustainable critical materials manufacturing technologies. Each topic area of the FOA addresses priority technologies and supply chain gaps identified by the Critical Materials Collaborative.

Topics include:

• Topic 1a – Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets for Clean Energy Technologies
• Topic 1b – Motors and Drivetrains using Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets
• Topic 2 – Improved Unit Operations of Processing and Manufacturing of Critical Materials
• Topic 3 – Critical Material Recovery from Scrap and Post-Consumer Products
• Topic 4 – Reduced Critical Material Demand for Clean Energy Technologies

Please reference the full solicitation for complete details.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST December 13, 2023

DOE Concept Paper Deadline: 3:00pm MST January 5, 2024

DOE Application Deadline: 3:00pm MST March 22, 2024

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

• Topic (select one): Ìý
  • Topic 1a – Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets for Clean Energy Technologies
  • Topic 1b – Motors and Drivetrains using Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets
  • Topic 2 – Improved Unit Operations of Processing and Manufacturing of Critical Materials
  • Topic 3 – Critical Material Recovery from Scrap and Post-Consumer Products
  • Topic 4 – Reduced Critical Material Demand for Clean Energy Technologies
• Project Summary (4 pages maximum): Provide the names of all team members, project location(s), statements regarding confidentiality, technology description and community benefits plan. See the full solicitation for full details.
• Lead PI Curriculum Vitae
• Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

See the full solicitation for eligibility details.

Limited Submission Guidelines

An entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA.

Award Information

Individual awards may vary between $0.5M and $3M and DOE anticipated 10-20 awards total, or 2-4 awards per each topic area. Cost sharing is not required for institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations.