The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the allocation of $52 million in research and development grants to small businesses across 39 states. This initiative supports President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and aims to address a variety of issues, including cybersecurity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, radiation threat detection, and lithium metal manufacturing for batteries.
“Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has supported small businesses, prompting record growth in the U.S. economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “With research and development grants awarded for small businesses in nearly every state, DOE continues to invest in an industrial strategy that leaves no community behind as we transition to a clean energy economy.”
The funding is provided through the DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These awards are primarily for Phase I research and development, with some Fast-Track combined Phase I & II awards included. Businesses that demonstrate technical feasibility during Phase I will be eligible to compete for further funding in Phase II.
A total of 229 projects will receive funding from various DOE offices: Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response; Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation; Electricity; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Fossil Energy and Carbon Management; and Nuclear Energy. Of these projects, 20 totaling $8 million are funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The SBIR/STTR program not only keeps the U.S. at the forefront of energy science but also ensures that innovations reach commercial markets and disadvantaged communities under Justice40 covered programs. From 2009-2018, previous grantees raised $8.6 billion in private-sector follow-on funding and reported over a thousand inventions and patent applications.
Selected projects include:
- Advanced Grid Technologies (Lancaster, PA): Developing cost-effective methods to extend the lifetime of distribution transformers.
- Resonant Link, Inc. (Shelburne, VT): Optimizing high-power wireless charging systems for electric transit.
- Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc. (Frederick, MD): Creating low-cost sustainable aviation fuels from perennial feedstocks.
- RookStack, LLC (Indianapolis, IN): Using AI to accurately size residential heating and cooling equipment.
- RhinoCorps (Albuquerque, NM): Enhancing security systems at nuclear facilities while reducing operational costs.
- Nokomis, Inc. (Charleroi, PA): Developing hardware-based cyberthreat detection technology for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Further information about DOE’s SBIR and STTR programs can be found on their website at science.osti.gov/sbir.
Details on today's announced projects are available at https://science.osti.gov/sbir/awards/.
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