National and Federal Opportunities!

By: U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of LaborNew grant opportunities for HBCU from the Department of Labor. Nursing Expansion Grant ProgramCloses: January 6, 2023Plain Language Fact SheetWebinar Training for Prospective ApplicantsPress Release: US Department of Labor announces $80M funding opportunity to help train, expand, diversify nursing workforce; address shortage of nurses | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov) Please see the Fact Sheet linked here, or view the full Funding Opportunity Announcement on grants.gov.For general resources and information on DOL grants, please go to dol.gov/grants.YouthBuildCloses:February 7, 2023Fact SheetPress Release: US Department of Labor announces $90M funding opportunity to support delivery of academic, skills training, employment services for young people | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)Please see a Fact Sheet linked here, or view the full Funding Opportunity Announcement on grants.gov.”


National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNOAA’s FY23 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Notice of Funding Opportunity is now open. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) invites qualified small businesses to submit proposals for research and development of highly innovative technologies that have strong commercial potential and fit within the NOAA mission areas. Topics for this year’s solicitation include 1) Extreme Events and Cascading Hazards, 2) Coastal Resilience, 3) The Changing Ocean, 4) Water Availability, Quality, and Risk, 5) Effects of Space Weather, and 6) Monitoring and Modeling for Climate Change Mitigation. To be eligible to submit a Phase I application, small businesses must submit a required Letter of Intent via this form by January 13, 2023. NOAA Phase I SBIR awards provide up to $175,000 with up to a six (6) month period of performance for conducting feasibility and proof of concept research, with a tentative award start date of August 1, 2023. 


U.S. Department of EnergyOn December 12, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released new funding for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I program for Fiscal Year 2023. The SBIR/STTR programs are competitive funding opportunities that encourage U.S.-based small businesses to engage in high-risk, innovative research and technology development with the potential for future commercialization.SBIR/STTR provides funding in two phases: Small businesses can receive up to $200,000 in Phase I to prove the feasibility of an idea; successful awardees can then receive up to $1.1 million in Phase II for prototype development.Mandatory letters of intent for this funding opportunity are due Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET. Please review the FOA for more information.In the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), funding is awarded to companies that are working to advance the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid. SETO seeks solutions in the following subtopics, found under :Wide-Bandgap Power Electronics Photovoltaic (PV) Recycling Solar Systems Resilient to Weather-related or Cyber ThreatsHeliostat Components and Systems for Low-Cost, Autonomous, and High-Concentration Solar Collectors Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power (CSP) Technologies for Gen3 CSP or Industrial Decarbonization Solar Hardware and Software Technologies: Affordability, Reliability, Performance, and Manufacturing Transferring Novel Solar Technologies from Research Laboratories to the Market(open to STTR applications only)SETO, through the American-Made Network, is providing free Application Education Services. You can email the following points of contact for more details.ADL Ventures (ADL): Oliver BoothClean Energy Business Network (CEBN): Annabelle SwiftEntrepreneur Futures Network (EFN): Thomas JensenNew Mexico State University Arrowhead Center (NMSU): Dana CatronUniversity of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI): Amanda BuchananLearn more about this funding opportunity and view the slides from SETO’s informational webinar.  

L-Prize Deadlines ApproachingThe U.S. Department of Energy L-Prize® challenges industry to bring forward new innovations to realize the full potential of advanced lighting systems for commercial buildings. The competition has three distinct phases: Concept Phase winners were announced in February 2022, the Prototype Phase opened in June 2022, and the Manufacturing and Installation Phase is expected to open in September 2023. Participation in the Concept Phase is not required to participate in the Prototype Phase.The L-Prize Prototype Phase “Intent to Submit” deadline is January 13, 2023.The Prototype Phase introduces two tracks, one for luminaires and the other for connected systems, and competitors are invited to submit working prototypes for evaluation. A total prize pool of $2 million for this phase will be split among up to six competitors across the two tracks. Here is everything you need to know to enter:Visit the L-Prize website and register on the HeroX platform. Click on “Solve this Challenge” and accept the competitor agreement in order to access the full capabilities of the website.Click on “Begin Entry” and complete the Intent to Submit form, providing a brief description of your intended luminaire or connected system. You do not need to have your complete submission package ready at this time. The complete submission package is due in May 2023; see the L-Prize Official Rules for more details.If you have any questions that you think are not answered after reading the L-Prize Official Rules, and after searching the HeroX Forum Q&A, please email LPrize@nrel.govThe public comment period for the L-Prize Manufacturing and Installation Phase requirements closes January 13, 2023. The final phase of the L-Prize will reward production and installation of real products meeting the L-Prize technical requirements. DOE will evaluate entries on technical performance and innovation in addition to U.S. manufacturing content, deployment strategy, and innovative installation models. Up to four competitors will share an award of $10 million. The public comment period to provide inputs on the Manufacturing and Installation Phase requirements closes on January 13, 2023. Complete the Comment Form on the L-Prize website and share your input.