The DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce Development programs focus on expanding efforts to include students from underserved institutions in the technology development programs within the Department’s portfolio of manufacturing, solar, transportation and grid/energy storage. 

These programs should focus on leveraging existing partnerships with multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), to develop innovative solutions to the department’s manufacturing, solar, transportation, and grid/energy storage challenges. 

This workforce development research opportunity is congressionally funded and stipulates that applicants partner directly with HBCU and MSI Universities and their students to expand the knowledge base in EERE research and development goals while providing professional development and mentoring to the partner universities.

Examples of partnerships should include:

• Interdisciplinary research lab collaboration on EERE manufacturing, solar, transportation, and grid/energy storage goals. https://www.energy.gov/eere/renewable-energy
• Co-principal investigation on manufacturing, solar, transportation, and grid/energy storage projects between applicants and HBCU and MSIs.
• Professional development curriculum delivered to partner universities focused on research and technology development projects around manufacturing, solar, transportation, and grid/energy storage projects.
• Peer to peer mentoring of PIs and students on technology development on manufacturing, solar, transportation, and grid/energy storage projects. 

Awarded project(s) can anticipate the approximate funding for all award(s) totaling $5,000,000.  Through this opportunity, EERE aims to support the workforce development of promising, potentially high-impact researchers from minority-serving colleges and universities, especially new entrants or those who have not recently worked with EERE. Eligible researchers include a wide range of expertise, including not only technology experts and engineers, but also researchers with expertise in social sciences, environmental sciences, permitting processes, and other related areas.

The focus research areas for this opportunity are:

1. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Manufacturing – Research areas accepted will focus on increasing domestic manufacturing competitiveness, supporting critical minerals & materials supply chains, and advancing clean energy manufacturing technologies. (https://www.energy.gov/eere/ammto/ammto-programs)

2. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Solar Technologies - The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy.  (https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-energy-technologies-office )

3. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Transportation - Three EERE offices support R&D to increase access to domestic, clean transportation fuels and improve the energy efficiency, convenience, and affordability of transporting people and goods. 
1. Bioenergy Technologies Office (https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-technologies-office)
2. Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Office (https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-and-fuel-cell-technologies-office)
3. Vehicle Technologies Office (https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/vehicle-technologies-office)

4. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Grid/Energy Storage - Research areas that focus on storing renewable energy and disseminating that energy to the current and/or developed grid will be accepted.

Proposals are encouraged that address multiple focus areas.