Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001726
The MACROALGAE RESEARCH INSPIRING NOVEL ENERGY RESOURCES (MARINER) funding opportunity is an ARPA-E program run by the U.S. Department of Energy focused on accelerating early-stage, high-impact technology development for growing macroalgae (seaweed) in the ocean as a scalable source of biomass. ARPA-E, created under the America COMPETES legislation, specifically targets energy technologies that are still too risky or premature for private investment but could become transformative with a relatively modest, time-bounded push. In this case, the program is framed around U.S. economic and energy security goals: reducing reliance on foreign energy, cutting energy-related emissions (including greenhouse gases), improving efficiency across the economy, and maintaining U.S. leadership in advanced energy technologies. Awards made under this FOA are cooperative agreements, meaning ARPA-E typically expects active involvement and technical engagement during the project period, rather than a hands-off grant model, and recipients must follow the applicable federal assistance rules (2 C.F.R. Part 200 and Part 910).
At the core of MARINER is the idea that the United States has an unusually large opportunity in marine biomass because it has the world’s largest marine Exclusive Economic Zone, a coastal ocean area roughly comparable in size to the total land area of all 50 states. The program highlights macroalgae as a way to produce feedstock for fuels, chemicals, and other products without intensifying land and freshwater competition onshore. This is presented as increasingly important in light of long-term pressure on agricultural systems, including the projected major increase in food demand by mid-century. By moving biomass production offshore, macroalgae farming can potentially avoid some of the constraints that limit terrestrial bioenergy crops, while still delivering large volumes of renewable carbon that can be converted into fuels and chemical intermediates.
The program’s main technical objective is to develop the critical tools and systems needed for a U.S. macroalgae industry to scale into a reliable, cost- and energy-efficient supplier of ocean-grown biomass. MARINER is not simply about proving seaweed can grow; it is aimed at solving the practical engineering and operational barriers that prevent macroalgae cultivation from reaching industrial scale at competitive costs. ARPA-E emphasizes two linked challenges: first, dramatically reducing both capital costs (the cost of building farms and equipment) and operating costs (the cost of running them), and second, expanding where farms can be placed by enabling deployment in more exposed, offshore environments rather than only sheltered nearshore waters. That offshore expansion matters because it increases the usable area for cultivation and can reduce conflicts with other coastal uses, but it also introduces harsher conditions like stronger currents, waves, storms, and more demanding logistics.
To address those barriers, MARINER explicitly seeks new cultivation system designs where harvesting and transport are treated as integral parts of the overall architecture, not afterthoughts. In practice, that means proposals are expected to consider end-to-end farming concepts: how the macroalgae is seeded or started, how it is supported and grown, how it is monitored, how it is harvested efficiently, and how harvested biomass is moved or consolidated for downstream handling. The FOA signals interest in approaches that incorporate novel materials and marine engineering solutions (for example, structures, moorings, and growth substrates suited to offshore conditions), as well as autonomous and robotic operations that could reduce labor and vessel time, which are often major cost drivers in offshore work. The program also highlights advanced sensing and monitoring, reflecting the need to understand growth conditions, nutrient availability, biomass yield, and farm integrity in real time, especially when farms are far from shore.
Beyond physical farm systems, MARINER aims to build enabling tools that speed development and reduce risk. This includes computational modeling tools that can help predict farm performance, optimize designs, and guide siting and operational decisions in realistic ocean environments. It also includes ocean-deployable sensor platforms to gather data at sea, which is essential for validating models and for managing farms efficiently. Finally, the program calls out advanced macroalgal breeding tools, recognizing that biology and genetics can be just as limiting as hardware. Better strains could improve growth rates, resilience to temperature and salinity swings, resistance to disease or fouling, and overall consistency of biomass composition, which matters for fuel and chemical conversion processes.
Overall, ARPA-E’s expected outcome for MARINER is a set of technologies that make advanced ocean farming systems realistic at commercial scale, capable of delivering renewable macroalgal biomass at costs competitive with terrestrial biomass feedstocks. The intent is not only to improve isolated components, but to catalyze a broader marine biomass sector by creating practical cultivation, monitoring, and breeding capabilities that industry can build on. In terms of the published opportunity details, the FOA number is DE-FOA-0001726, it was released on December 16, 2016, and it used a concept paper process with concept papers due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 14, 2017 (with ARPA-E recommending submission 48 hours early). The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement under CFDA 81.135, eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any additional eligibility text in the FOA), the award ceiling listed is $10,000,000, and the program anticipated making roughly 11 awards.Apply for DE FOA 0001726
- The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MACROALGAE RESEARCH INSPIRING NOVEL ENERGY RESOURCES (MARINER)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 16, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 14, 2017 Concept Papers are due no later than 500 p.m. Eastern Time. ARPA-E strongly recommends submitting Concept Papers 48 Hours in advance of the due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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MARINER (Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources) Grant Opportunity FAQs
1) What is the MARINER funding opportunity?
MARINER (Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources) is an ARPA-E funding opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Energy focused on accelerating early-stage, high-impact technology development for growing macroalgae (seaweed) in the ocean as a scalable source of biomass.
2) Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The program is offered by ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy), within the U.S. Department of Energy.
3) What is ARPA-E and why does it fund programs like MARINER?
ARPA-E was created under America COMPETES legislation to support energy technologies that are still too risky or premature for private investment, but that could become transformative with a relatively modest, time-bounded push. MARINER is positioned within ARPA-E's broader goals tied to U.S. economic and energy security, emissions reduction, economy-wide efficiency, and U.S. leadership in advanced energy technologies.
4) What is the main purpose of MARINER?
The core purpose is to develop critical tools and systems needed for a U.S. macroalgae industry to scale into a reliable, cost- and energy-efficient supplier of ocean-grown biomass. The focus is on overcoming the practical engineering and operational barriers that prevent macroalgae cultivation from reaching industrial scale at competitive costs.
5) Why does the program focus on macroalgae (seaweed) grown in the ocean?
MARINER highlights macroalgae as a way to produce feedstock for fuels, chemicals, and other products without intensifying competition for land and freshwater resources onshore. By moving biomass production offshore, macroalgae farming can potentially avoid constraints that limit terrestrial bioenergy crops while producing large volumes of renewable carbon for conversion into fuels and chemical intermediates.
6) How does the opportunity connect to U.S. energy and economic security goals?
The program is framed around national objectives including reducing reliance on foreign energy, cutting energy-related emissions (including greenhouse gases), improving efficiency across the economy, and maintaining U.S. leadership in advanced energy technologies.
7) What makes the U.S. especially relevant for marine biomass development under MARINER?
The opportunity emphasizes that the United States has the world’s largest marine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), with a coastal ocean area roughly comparable in size to the total land area of all 50 states, creating a large potential resource base for ocean-grown biomass.
8) Is MARINER primarily about proving that seaweed can grow?
No. MARINER is described as being aimed at solving practical engineering and operational barriers to industrial-scale cultivation, rather than simply demonstrating that macroalgae can grow.
9) What are the two linked challenges ARPA-E emphasizes in MARINER?
ARPA-E emphasizes (1) dramatically reducing both capital costs (the cost of building farms and equipment) and operating costs (the cost of running them), and (2) expanding viable siting by enabling deployment in more exposed, offshore environments rather than only sheltered nearshore waters.
10) Why does MARINER emphasize offshore deployment?
Offshore expansion increases the usable area for cultivation and can reduce conflicts with other coastal uses. However, it also introduces harsher conditions (stronger currents, waves, storms) and more demanding logistics, which MARINER seeks to address through improved systems, operations, and tools.
11) What does MARINER expect proposals to consider from an end-to-end farming perspective?
The FOA indicates proposals are expected to treat harvesting and transport as integral parts of the cultivation system architecture. This includes considering how macroalgae is seeded or started, supported and grown, monitored, harvested efficiently, and transported or consolidated for downstream handling.
12) What types of technical approaches does the FOA signal interest in?
The FOA signals interest in novel materials and marine engineering solutions (such as structures, moorings, and growth substrates suited to offshore conditions), autonomous and robotic operations to reduce labor and vessel time, and advanced sensing and monitoring for real-time understanding of growth conditions, nutrient availability, biomass yield, and farm integrity.
13) Why are autonomy and robotics mentioned as relevant to this program?
Autonomous and robotic operations are highlighted because labor and vessel time are often major cost drivers for offshore work. The program points to these approaches as potential pathways to lower operating costs and improve operational feasibility farther from shore.
14) What role do sensing and monitoring play in MARINER?
Advanced sensing and monitoring are emphasized to support real-time understanding of conditions and performance, particularly for farms located far from shore. The FOA frames monitoring as important for tracking growth conditions, nutrient availability, biomass yield, and farm integrity.
15) Does MARINER support development of modeling tools?
Yes. The program aims to build enabling computational modeling tools to help predict farm performance, optimize designs, and guide siting and operational decisions in realistic ocean environments.
16) What are “ocean-deployable sensor platforms” in the context of MARINER?
They are sensor platforms intended to gather data at sea. The FOA describes such data as essential for validating models and for managing farms efficiently.
17) Does the program include work on macroalgal breeding and biology?
Yes. MARINER calls out advanced macroalgal breeding tools and frames biology/genetics as potential limiting factors alongside hardware. Improved strains are described as a way to improve growth rates, resilience to temperature and salinity swings, resistance to disease or fouling, and consistency of biomass composition relevant to conversion processes.
18) What outcome does ARPA-E expect from MARINER-funded projects?
The expected outcome is a set of technologies that make advanced ocean farming systems realistic at commercial scale and capable of delivering renewable macroalgal biomass at costs competitive with terrestrial biomass feedstocks. The intent is to catalyze a broader marine biomass sector by creating practical cultivation, monitoring, and breeding capabilities that industry can build on.
19) What is the funding instrument for awards under this FOA?
Awards are made as cooperative agreements, meaning ARPA-E typically expects active involvement and technical engagement during the project period rather than a hands-off grant model.
20) What federal rules apply to recipients under this opportunity?
Recipients must follow applicable federal assistance rules, including 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and Part 910, as referenced in the opportunity description.
21) What is the FOA number for MARINER?
The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number is DE-FOA-0001726.
22) When was the FOA released?
The FOA was released on December 16, 2016.
23) Did this opportunity use a concept paper process?
Yes. The FOA used a concept paper process.
24) What was the concept paper deadline and time zone?
Concept papers were due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 14, 2017.
25) Did ARPA-E recommend submitting concept papers early?
Yes. ARPA-E recommended submitting concept papers 48 hours early.
26) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 81.135.
27) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any additional eligibility text in the FOA.
28) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed?
The listed award ceiling is $10,000,000.
29) About how many awards did the program anticipate making?
The program anticipated making roughly 11 awards.
30) What kinds of products is the macroalgae biomass intended to support?
The opportunity describes macroalgae biomass as a feedstock for fuels, chemicals, and other products.
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