This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) provides a continuing opportunity for the rapid support of early-stage applied research to explore innovative new concepts with the potential for transformational and disruptive changes in energy technology. IDEAS awards are intended to be flexible and may take the form of analyses or exploratory research that provides the agency with information useful for the subsequent development of focused technology programs. IDEAS awards may also support proof-of-concept research to develop a unique technology concept, either in an area not currently supported by the agency or as a potential enhancement to an ongoing focused technology program. Applications must propose concepts that are not covered by open ARPA-E focused FOAs and that also do not represent incremental improvements over existing technology.
IDEAS awards are defined as single-phase efforts of durations 12 months or less with a total project cost of $500,000 or less and will be issued through Grants.
This FOA is a continuation of the IDEAS Program initially announced in September 2013 and continued for a second year in September 2014. ARPA-E continues to view the IDEAS program as a success and therefore plans to extend this FOA on an annual basis, based on the availability of funds.