On April 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced that it intends to issue a funding opportunity to:

• Stimulate technology innovation;
   
• Enable manufacturing of cutting-edge products in the United States; and
   
• Improve energy productivity of manufacturing.

On behalf of the Advance Manufacturing Office (AMO), this potential funding opportunity aims to advance the Trump Administration’s goal of enhancing manufacturing competitiveness through technological innovation. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), titled “FY20 Advanced Manufacturing Multi-Topic FOA,” will fund high-impact, applied research and development (R&D) projects that align with research opportunities across AMO. The FOA will focus on three areas:

• Modular, hybrid, and/or catalytic processes to improve energy efficiency in chemical manufacturing;
   
• Next-generation manufacturing processes that improve energy efficiency in energy-intensive and energy-dependent industries, including steel manufacturing; and
   
• Connected, flexible, and efficient manufacturing facilities, products, and energy systems, including the integration of direct air capture at industrial facilities.

The FOA is expected to be released during this Spring.