Funding Wizard

Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to establish collaborations between liver cancer investigators and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)-funded Liver Cirrhosis Network (LCN) members to advance our understanding of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as the result of liver cirrhosis and its etiologic risks, development, progression, early diagnosis, and treatment. The funds available through this FOA will support new multidisciplinary liver cancer-specific collaborations between eligible liver cancer investigators and one or more of the NIDDK-funded LCN members. This structure is intended to maximize the effectiveness of the network by facilitating collaborative opportunities that enhance the scientific goals of the collaborating units and the LCN as a whole. Applicants selected for NCI funding will become members of the Liver Cirrhosis Network-Liver Cancer Collaboratory (LCN-LCa) Committee.

The SCIRP CTA supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of SCI. Applications should articulate both the short- and long-term impact of the proposed research on individuals with SCI and/or their care partners. The proposed intervention(s) to be tested should offer significant potential impact for individuals affected by SCI within the context of one or more of the FY23 SCIRP Focus Areas.Clinical trials may be designed to evaluate promising new products, pharmacologic agents (drugs or biologics), devices, clinical guidance, and/or emerging approaches and technologies. Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials (e.g., pilot, first in human, phase 0), to demonstrate feasibility or inform the design of more advanced trials, through large-scale trials to determine efficacy in relevant populations. Alternative trial designs to traditional randomized clinical trials are allowed but should be appropriate to the objective of the trial. Utilization of decentralized clinical trial strategies that leverage virtual elements/tools for participant enrollment, communication, and data collection is especially encouraged.The proposed research must be relevant to active-duty Service Members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public. To help elucidate the realities of treating and managing SCIs while deployed, a resource document is now available on the CDMRP website that outlines Spinal Cord Injury Management Within the Military Health System (MHS). Applicants are encouraged to read and consider this document before preparing their applications. The resource can be accessed at https://cdmrp.health.mil/scirp/pdfs/ Beginner's%20Guide%20to%20Military%20Health%20System.pdf.Employing community collaborations to optimize research impact is required. Research funded by the FY23 SCIRP CTA should be responsive to the needs of people with SCI, their families, and/or their care partners. Research teams are therefore required to establish and utilize effective and equitable collaborations and partnerships with community members to maximize the translational and impact potential of the proposed research. Applications to the FY23 SCIRP CTA are expected to name at least two community partners (e.g., SCI Lived Experience Consultants, representatives of community-based organizations) who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project (see Attachment 4, Collaborative Research Plan).Collaborative research approaches, such as community-based participatory research, participatory action research, and integrated knowledge transition, create partnerships between scientific researchers and community members to create knowledge useable by both sets of stakeholders. Recognizing the strengths of each partner, scientific researchers and community members collaborate and contribute equitably on all aspects of the project, which may include needs assessment, planning, research intervention design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. Collaborative research approaches feature shared responsibility and ownership for the research project to ensure non-tokenistic involvement of community members within the research team. Research results are jointly interpreted, disseminated, fed back to affected communities, and may be translated into interventions or policy. These methods are critically important for community-level interventions and can also have important impacts on translational research and prototype development to identify and augment the potential impact of a research program on people living with SCI, their families, and/or their care partners.Collaborative relationships with the lived experience community are often established through integrating community members into research teams as co-researchers, advisors, and/or consultants. Some examples for implementing collaborative research approaches include:• Lived Experience Consultation: The research team includes at least one project advisor with lived SCI experience who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Lived Experience Consultants may include individuals with SCI, their family members, and/or their care partners.• Partnership with a Community-Based Organization: The research team establishes partnerships with at least one community-based organization that provides advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Community-based organizations may include advocacy groups, service providers, policymakers, or other formal organizational stakeholders.• Community Advisory Board Utilization: A community advisory board is composed of multiple community stakeholders and can take many forms, from a board of Lived Experience Consultants to a coalition of community-based organizations or any combination thereof. As with Lived Experience Consultants and organizational partners, the community advisory board provides advice and consultation throughout planning and implementation of the research project.

FY 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Humanitarian Research - Call for Full ProposalsPRM supports humanitarian research in order to: 1. promote evidence-based decision making on priority protection, assistance, and durable solution challenges; 2. enhance knowledge and develop guidance and tools to improve the performance of the Bureau and its partners; and 3. disseminate and encourage the use of research findings and recommendations, guidance, and tools by other humanitarian stakeholders. Research is instrumental in helping the Bureau and its partners adapt programs and policy engagement to emerging challenges and priorities, including through the development of tools, operational guidance, and best practices. This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional information on PRM’s priorities and NGO funding strategy with which selected organizations must comply. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities. Submissions that do not reflect the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered. Research area Proposals must respond to at least one of the following research questions: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex + (LGBTQI+) Persons: -What are best practices for the ethical, safe, and confidential collection, management, and reporting of data on displaced LGBTQI+ persons? - What are the experiences and needs of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) women, trans-men, and intersex persons in situations of displacement and in humanitarian contexts, and what are best practices for reaching and assisting them?- What is the intersectionality between the health (including mental health) needs of LGBTQI+ persons and displacement?- What are best practices for assistance to meet these health needs?

The SCIRP TRA is intended to support translational research that will accelerate the movement of promising ideas in SCI research into clinical applications. Although not all-inclusive, some examples include demonstration studies of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in preclinical systems and/or clinical research on therapeutics, devices, or practice using human tissues or resources.The ultimate goal of translational research is to move an observation forward into clinical application and accelerate the clinical introduction of health care products, technologies, or practice guidelines. Observations that drive a research idea may be derived from a laboratory discovery, population-based studies, or a clinician’s first-hand knowledge of patients and anecdotal data. However, applicants should not view translational research as a one-way continuum from bench to bedside. The research plan is encouraged to involve a reciprocal flow of ideas and information between basic and clinical science.Applicants need to clearly articulate three points along the translational research spectrum:• Where the field is now;• Where the field will be after the successful completion of the proposed research project; and• What the next step will be after completion of the proposed project.Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that are relevant to SCI and supports the proposed research project.Applications to the FY23 SCIRP TRA may include preclinical animal studies (except where otherwise specified) and/or clinical research involving human subjects and human anatomical substances. Proposal of animal studies is not a required element of this mechanism though applications including animal studies must include a clear justification for the animal model chosen including relevance to human SCI. The FY23 SCIRP TRA may also support ancillary studies that are associated with an ongoing or completed clinical trial and projects that optimize the design of future clinical trials.The FY23 SCIRP TRA also allows funding for a pilot clinical trial as PART of the funded research project where limited clinical testing of a novel intervention or device is necessary to inform the next step in the continuum of translational research. Such pilot clinical trial studies should be small, make up only a portion of the proposed Statement of Work (SOW), and be utilized to establish feasibility of a potential approach or to aid in device or intervention refinement. Alternative trial designs to traditional randomized clinical trials are allowed but should be appropriate to the objective of the trial. If a pilot clinical trial is proposed, utilization of decentralized clinical trial strategies that leverage virtual elements/tools for participant enrollment, communication, and data collection is especially encouraged. Applications that include a pilot clinical trial as part of the proposed research will have additional submission requirements and review criteria. Applications that consist entirely of a clinical trial or multiple pilot clinical trials may be administratively withdrawn.

This program element does not have a proposal due date. Step-1 proposals may be submitted at any time, pending certain eligibility timing issues related to resubmissions and duplicate proposal avoidance, see the program element text and appropriate overview appendix (e.g., B.1 or C.1). The date shown of 3/29/2024 is the last day that proposals may be submitted subject to the ROSES-23 rules and the current Guidebook for Proposers. The ROSES-24 version of this program element is planned to overlap with this ROSES-23 version by a few weeks, allowing continuous submission of proposals across ROSES years. Step-1 proposals will receive an encouraged or discouraged review at which time they may prepare and submit a Step-2 proposal in accordance with the schedule outlined in the decision communication. Proposers must retrieve the instructions document (zip file) associated with the application package for this opportunity as there is at least one required form that must be attached to the submitted proposal package. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) released its annual omnibus Research Announcement (NRA), Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) – 2023 (OMB Approval Number 2700-0092, CFDA Number 43.001) on February 14, 2023. In this case "omnibus" means that this NRA has many individual program elements, each with its own due dates and topics. All together these cover the wide range of basic and applied supporting research and technology in space and Earth sciences supported by SMD. Awards will be made as grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and inter- or intra-agency transfers, depending on the nature of the work proposed, the proposing organization, and/or program requirements. However, most extramural research awards deriving from ROSES will be grants, and many program elements of ROSES specifically exclude contracts, because contracts would not be appropriate for the nature of the work solicited. The typical period of performance for an award is three years, but some programs may allow up to five years and others specify shorter periods. In most cases, organizations of every type, Government and private, for profit and not-for-profit, domestic and foreign (with some caveats), may submit proposals without restriction on teaming arrangements. Tables listing the program elements and due dates (Tables 2 and 3), a table that provides a very top level summary of proposal contents (Table 1), and the full text of the ROSES-2023 "Summary of Solicitation", may all be found NSPIRES at http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2023. This synopsis is associated with one of the individual program elements within ROSES, but this is a generic summary that is posted for all ROSES elements. For specific information on this particular program element download and read the PDF of the text of this program element by going to Tables 2 or 3 of this NRA at http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2023table2 and http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2023table3, respectively, click the title of the program element of interest, a hypertext link will take you to a page for that particular program element. On that page, on the right side under "Announcement Documents" the link on the bottom will be to the PDF of the text of the call for proposals. For example, if one were interested in The Lunar Data Analysis Program (NNH23ZDA001N-LDAP) one would follow the link to the NSPIRES page for that program element and then to read the text of the call one would click on “C.8 Lunar Data Analysis (.pdf)” to download the text of the call. If one wanted to set it into the context of the goals, objectives and know the default rules for all elements within Appendix C, the planetary science division, one might download and read “C.1 Planetary Science Research Program Overview (.pdf)” from that same page. While the letters and numbers are different for each element within ROSES (A.12, B.7, etc.) the basic configuration is always the same, e.g., the letter indicates the Science Division (A is Earth Science, B is Heliophysics etc.) and whatever the letter, #1 is always the division overview. Frequently asked questions for ROSES are posted at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/faqs. Questions concerning general ROSES-2023 policies and procedures may be directed to Max Bernstein, Lead for Research, Science Mission Directorate, at sara@nasa.gov, but technical questions concerning specific program elements should be directed to the point(s) of contact for that particular element, who may be found either at the end of the individual program element in the summary table of key information or on the web list of topics and points of contact at: http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/program-officers-list. Not all program elements are known at the time of the release of ROSES. To be informed of new program elements or amendments to this NRA, proposers may subscribe to: (1) The SMD mailing lists (by logging in at http://nspires.nasaprs.com and checking the appropriate boxes under "Account Management" and "Email Subscriptions"), (2) The ROSES-2023 blog feed for amendments, clarifications, and corrections to at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/ROSES-2023, and (3) The ROSES-2023 due date Google calendars (one for each science division). Instructions are at https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/library-and-useful-links (link from the words due date calendar).

The SCIRP CTRA is intended to support high-impact and/or new/emerging clinical research that may not be ready for a larger-scale clinical trial and for which feasibility/pilot studies are necessary. Projects should demonstrate potential to impact the standard of care, both immediate and long term, or contribute to evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation and care of military Service Members, Veterans, and other individuals living with SCI.• One goal of the FY23 SCIRP CTRA is to translate current and emerging techniques and interventions into the clinical space to de-risk and inform the design of more advanced trials.• Another goal is to identify the most effective diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation options available to support critical decision-making for patients, clinicians, care partners, and policymakers.The application should clearly articulate the scientific and strategic steps and/or preparations the research team will take during AND after the project’s period of performance to advance the research to the next stage of clinical development/implementation.The proposed studies may be interventional or observational and may involve some retrospective data analysis. Note that purely retrospective or database-related research will not be supported under this funding opportunity, some element of prospective human enrollment should be included in the project. Small/pilot clinical trials with human subjects are allowable. Alternative trial designs to traditional randomized clinical trials are allowed but should be appropriate to the objective of the trial. If a clinical trial is proposed, utilization of decentralized clinical trial strategies that leverage virtual elements/tools for participant enrollment, communication, and data collection is especially encouraged.The FY23 SCIRP CTRA differs from the FY23 SCIRP Clinical Trial Award (Funding Opportunity Number HT9425-23-SCIRP-CTA) in that the CTRA allows for the execution of both clinical research projects and clinical trials, whereas the Clinical Trial Award is restricted to the execution of clinical trials only.The FY23 CTRA differs from the FY23 SCIRP Translational Research Award (Funding Opportunity Number HT9425-23-SCIRP-TRA) in that the study proposed within an application to the FY23 SCIRP CTRA may consist entirely of a clinical trial. In contrast, if a clinical trial is proposed within a Translational Research Award application, it must make up only a portion of the project’s Statement of Work.Applications to the FY23 SCIRP CTRA mechanism must support prospective clinical research or clinical trials and may not be used for animal research. Investigators seeking support to conduct studies involving animal research should consider applying to the FY23 SCIRP Translational Research Award mechanism (Funding Opportunity Number HT9425-23-SCIRP-TRA) or FY23 SCIRP Investigator-Initiated Research Award mechanism (Funding Opportunity Number HT9425-23-SCIRP-IIRA).

The SCIRP IIRA is intended to support studies that have the potential to make an important contribution to SCI research, patient care, and/or quality of life.Important aspects of this award mechanism include:• Impact: Applications should articulate the short- and long-term impact of the proposed research on both the SCI research field as well as the SCI community. Projects must address one or more of the FY23 SCIRP Focus Areas.• Relevance to Military Health: Projects should be relevant to spinal cord-injured military Service Members, Veterans, and/or their family members and care partners. Collaboration with military and VA researchers and clinicians is encouraged.• Preliminary Data: Observations that drive a research idea may be derived from laboratory discovery, population-based studies, a clinician’s first-hand knowledge of patients, or anecdotal data. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that are relevant to the mission of the SCIRP and support the proposed research project.IIRA applications may focus on any phase of research from basic through translational, though studies focused exclusively on target identification are discouraged. Permitted research includes preclinical studies in animal models (except where otherwise specified), research with human subjects or human anatomical substances, as well as ancillary studies associated with an existing clinical trial.Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity. Applications including animal studies must have a clear justification for the animal model chosen, including relevance to human SCI.

DE-FOA-0003047, Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security (GOPHURRS) To obtain a copy of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) please go to the ARPA-E website at https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov. To apply to this FOA, Applicants must register with and submit application materials through ARPA-E eXCHANGE (https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/Registration.aspx). For detailed guidance on using ARPA-E eXCHANGE, please refer to the ARPA-E eXCHANGE User Guide (https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx). ARPA-E will not review or consider concept papers submitted through other means. For problems with ARPA-E eXCHANGE, email ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov (with FOA name and number in the subject line). Questions about this FOA? Check the Frequently Asked Questions available at http://arpa-e.energy.gov/faq. For questions that have not already been answered, email ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov. Agency Overview: The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), an organization within the Department of Energy (DOE), is chartered by Congress in the America COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69), as amended by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-358), as further amended by the Energy Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-260): “(A) to enhance the economic and energy security of the United States through the development of energy technologies that— (i) reduce imports of energy from foreign sources; (ii) reduce energy-related emissions, including greenhouse gases; (iii) improve the energy efficiency of all economic sectors; (iv) provide transformative solutions to improve the management, clean-up, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel; and (v) improve the resilience, reliability, and security of infrastructure to produce, deliver, and store energy; and (B) to ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.” ARPA-E issues this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) under its authorizing statute codified at 42 U.S.C. § 16538. The FOA and any cooperative agreements or grants made under this FOA are subject to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 as supplemented by 2 C.F.R. Part 910. ARPA-E funds research on, and the development of, transformative science and technology solutions to address the energy and environmental missions of the Department. The agency focuses on technologies that can be meaningfully advanced with a modest investment over a defined period of time in order to catalyze the translation from scientific discovery to early-stage technology. For the latest news and information about ARPA-E, its programs and the research projects currently supported, see: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/. ARPA-E funds transformational research. Existing energy technologies generally progress on established “learning curves” where refinements to a technology and the economies of scale that accrue as manufacturing and distribution develop drive improvements to the cost/performance metric in a gradual fashion. This continual improvement of a technology is important to its increased commercial deployment and is appropriately the focus of the private sector or the applied technology offices within DOE. By contrast, ARPA-E supports transformative research that has the potential to create fundamentally new learning curves. ARPA-E technology projects typically start with cost/performance estimates well above the level of an incumbent technology. Given the high risk inherent in these projects, many will fail to progress, but some may succeed in generating a new learning curve with a projected cost/performance metric that is significantly better than that of the incumbent technology. ARPA-E funds technology with the potential to be disruptive in the marketplace. The mere creation of a new learning curve does not ensure market penetration. Rather, the ultimate value of a technology is determined by the marketplace, and impactful technologies ultimately become disruptive – that is, they are widely adopted and displace existing technologies from the marketplace or create entirely new markets. ARPA-E understands that definitive proof of market disruption takes time, particularly for energy technologies. Therefore, ARPA-E funds the development of technologies that, if technically successful, have clear disruptive potential, e.g., by demonstrating capability for manufacturing at competitive cost and deployment at scale. ARPA-E funds applied research and development. The Office of Management and Budget defines “applied research” as an “original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge…directed primarily towards a specific practical aim or objective” and defines “experimental development” as “creative and systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience, which is directed at producing new products or processes or improving existing products or processes.” Applicants interested in receiving financial assistance for basic research (defined by the Office of Management and Budget as “experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts”) should contact the DOE’s Office of Science (http://science.energy.gov/). Office of Science national scientific user facilities (http://science.energy.gov/user-facilities/) are open to all researchers, including ARPA-E Applicants and awardees. These facilities provide advanced tools of modern science including accelerators, colliders, supercomputers, light sources and neutron sources, as well as facilities for studying the nanoworld, the environment, and the atmosphere. Projects focused on early-stage R&D for the improvement of technology along defined roadmaps may be more appropriate for support through the DOE applied energy offices including: the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (http://www.eere.energy.gov/), the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (https://www.energy.gov/fecm/office-fossil-energy-and-carbon-management), the Office of Nuclear Energy (http://www.energy.gov/ne/office-nuclear-energy), and the Office of Electricity (https://www.energy.gov/oe/office-electricity). Program Overview: GOPHURRS (Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-Speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security) intends to fund a portfolio of new technologies based on bold and unconventional ideas that will transform the construction of underground medium voltage (MV, 5 – 46 kV) power distribution grids (e.g., primary feeders and laterals) in urban and suburban areas and reduce the cost of undergrounding electric power grids by at least 50% in order to improve the overall reliability, resilience, and security of power infrastructure in the United States. SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) are two commonly used reliability metrics. In the United States today, SAIDI and SAIFI range approximately 5-8 hours and 1.5 times per customer, respectively, which is responsible for an economic cost to U.S. electricity consumers of $79 billion/year. Undergrounding powerlines is a proven way of improving the system reliability for both transmission and distribution grids as indicated in stark differences in SAIDI and SAIFI of overhead systems and underground systems (Figure 1). Despite the reliability benefits, the cost of burying distribution powerlines is significant, up to five to ten times that of overhead distribution lines, making it the major barrier to making such grid investment decisions. Furthermore, today's undergrounding processes pose safety concerns, such as damage to other buried utilities during construction, occupational safety and health hazards associated with tasks performed in a manhole, and lengthy surface disruptions and traffic detours affecting the safety of surrounding communities, making undergrounding a difficult project to undertake. The GOPHURRS program aims to reduce the time and cost required to underground by a factor of at least two when compared to traditional trenching-based methods. More specifically, GOPHURRS technologies will shift the paradigm of undergrounding from digging to drilling in order to leave the surface nearly untouched. In order to achieve this goal, GOPHURRS focuses on developing transformative technologies capable of achieving autonomous/trenchless utility installation, such as automated and rapid subsurface drilling along the terrain and concurrent conduit installation, while also avoiding hidden underground obstacles (e.g., existing infrastructure, geologic anomalies) with advanced look-ahead sensors (Figure 2). In addition, GOPHURRS aims to reduce the life cycle cost of an underground power system by developing reliable cable joint designs and installation systems, as cable joints are typically the first to fail during operation. The GOPHURRS program could reduce costs, increase speed, and improve the reliability and safety of undergrounding operations and the surrounding communities by developing such technologies focused on automation, damage prevention, and error elimination. To view the FOA in its entirety, please visit https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) is pleased to invite eligible organizations to submit applications for a cooperative agreement to conduct proliferation mitigation of Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) and Anti-Tank/All-purpose Tactical Guided Missiles (ATGMs) programming in and around Ukraine during fiscal year 2023. Specific goals, objectives, and technical requirements for application packages are detailed below. PM/WRA anticipates awarding up to $350,000 under this funding opportunity.

DE-FOA-0003048, SBIR/STTR Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security (GOPHURRS) To obtain a copy of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) please go to the ARPA-E website at https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov. To apply to this FOA, Applicants must register with and submit application materials through ARPA-E eXCHANGE (https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/Registration.aspx). For detailed guidance on using ARPA-E eXCHANGE, please refer to the ARPA-E eXCHANGE User Guide (https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx). ARPA-E will not review or consider concept papers submitted through other means. For problems with ARPA-E eXCHANGE, email ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov (with FOA name and number in the subject line). Questions about this FOA? Check the Frequently Asked Questions available at http://arpa-e.energy.gov/faq. For questions that have not already been answered, email ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov. Agency Overview: The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), an organization within the Department of Energy (DOE), is chartered by Congress in the America COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69), as amended by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-358), as further amended by the Energy Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-260): “(A) to enhance the economic and energy security of the United States through the development of energy technologies that— (i) reduce imports of energy from foreign sources; (ii) reduce energy-related emissions, including greenhouse gases; (iii) improve the energy efficiency of all economic sectors; (iv) provide transformative solutions to improve the management, clean-up, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel; and (v) improve the resilience, reliability, and security of infrastructure to produce, deliver, and store energy; and (B) to ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.” ARPA-E issues this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) under its authorizing statute codified at 42 U.S.C. § 16538. The FOA and any cooperative agreements or grants made under this FOA are subject to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 as supplemented by 2 C.F.R. Part 910. ARPA-E funds research on, and the development of, transformative science and technology solutions to address the energy and environmental missions of the Department. The agency focuses on technologies that can be meaningfully advanced with a modest investment over a defined period of time in order to catalyze the translation from scientific discovery to early-stage technology. For the latest news and information about ARPA-E, its programs and the research projects currently supported, see: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/. ARPA-E funds transformational research. Existing energy technologies generally progress on established “learning curves” where refinements to a technology and the economies of scale that accrue as manufacturing and distribution develop drive improvements to the cost/performance metric in a gradual fashion. This continual improvement of a technology is important to its increased commercial deployment and is appropriately the focus of the private sector or the applied technology offices within DOE. By contrast, ARPA-E supports transformative research that has the potential to create fundamentally new learning curves. ARPA-E technology projects typically start with cost/performance estimates well above the level of an incumbent technology. Given the high risk inherent in these projects, many will fail to progress, but some may succeed in generating a new learning curve with a projected cost/performance metric that is significantly better than that of the incumbent technology. ARPA-E funds technology with the potential to be disruptive in the marketplace. The mere creation of a new learning curve does not ensure market penetration. Rather, the ultimate value of a technology is determined by the marketplace, and impactful technologies ultimately become disruptive – that is, they are widely adopted and displace existing technologies from the marketplace or create entirely new markets. ARPA-E understands that definitive proof of market disruption takes time, particularly for energy technologies. Therefore, ARPA-E funds the development of technologies that, if technically successful, have clear disruptive potential, e.g., by demonstrating capability for manufacturing at competitive cost and deployment at scale. ARPA-E funds applied research and development. The Office of Management and Budget defines “applied research” as an “original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge…directed primarily towards a specific practical aim or objective” and defines “experimental development” as “creative and systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience, which is directed at producing new products or processes or improving existing products or processes.” Applicants interested in receiving financial assistance for basic research (defined by the Office of Management and Budget as “experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts”) should contact the DOE’s Office of Science (http://science.energy.gov/). Office of Science national scientific user facilities (http://science.energy.gov/user-facilities/) are open to all researchers, including ARPA-E Applicants and awardees. These facilities provide advanced tools of modern science including accelerators, colliders, supercomputers, light sources and neutron sources, as well as facilities for studying the nanoworld, the environment, and the atmosphere. Projects focused on early-stage R&D for the improvement of technology along defined roadmaps may be more appropriate for support through the DOE applied energy offices including: the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (http://www.eere.energy.gov/), the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (https://www.energy.gov/fecm/office-fossil-energy-and-carbon-management), the Office of Nuclear Energy (http://www.energy.gov/ne/office-nuclear-energy), and the Office of Electricity (https://www.energy.gov/oe/office-electricity). Program Overview: GOPHURRS (Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-Speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security) intends to fund a portfolio of new technologies based on bold and unconventional ideas that will transform the construction of underground medium voltage (MV, 5 – 46 kV) power distribution grids (e.g., primary feeders and laterals) in urban and suburban areas and reduce the cost of undergrounding electric power grids by at least 50% in order to improve the overall reliability, resilience, and security of power infrastructure in the United States. SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) are two commonly used reliability metrics. In the United States today, SAIDI and SAIFI range approximately 5-8 hours and 1.5 times per customer, respectively, which is responsible for an economic cost to U.S. electricity consumers of $79 billion/year. Undergrounding powerlines is a proven way of improving the system reliability for both transmission and distribution grids as indicated in stark differences in SAIDI and SAIFI of overhead systems and underground systems (Figure 1). Despite the reliability benefits, the cost of burying distribution powerlines is significant, up to five to ten times that of overhead distribution lines, making it the major barrier to making such grid investment decisions. Furthermore, today's undergrounding processes pose safety concerns, such as damage to other buried utilities during construction, occupational safety and health hazards associated with tasks performed in a manhole, and lengthy surface disruptions and traffic detours affecting the safety of surrounding communities, making undergrounding a difficult project to undertake. The GOPHURRS program aims to reduce the time and cost required to underground by a factor of at least two when compared to traditional trenching-based methods. More specifically, GOPHURRS technologies will shift the paradigm of undergrounding from digging to drilling in order to leave the surface nearly untouched. In order to achieve this goal, GOPHURRS focuses on developing transformative technologies capable of achieving autonomous/trenchless utility installation, such as automated and rapid subsurface drilling along the terrain and concurrent conduit installation, while also avoiding hidden underground obstacles (e.g., existing infrastructure, geologic anomalies) with advanced look-ahead sensors (Figure 2). In addition, GOPHURRS aims to reduce the life cycle cost of an underground power system by developing reliable cable joint designs and installation systems, as cable joints are typically the first to fail during operation. The GOPHURRS program could reduce costs, increase speed, and improve the reliability and safety of undergrounding operations and the surrounding communities by developing such technologies focused on automation, damage prevention, and error elimination. To view the FOA in its entirety, please visit https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov.