NOI to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0003215, titled University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management | DE FOA 0003436

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003436

The Department of Energy, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), has released a Notice of Intent (NOI) signaling that it plans to issue a forthcoming Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) related to university training and research in Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. The planned announcement is titled "University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management" and is associated with DOE FOA number DE-FOA-0003215 (the notice listing also references an opportunity number DE-FOA-0003436). This NOI is strictly a heads-up to the community that a formal funding opportunity is expected; it is not the actual solicitation.

The opportunity sits within the University Training and Research (UTR) Program, which is sponsored by DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and administered by NETL. The program is positioned at the intersection of education and energy research, with an emphasis on building a strong workforce pipeline while also seeding early-stage, university-led innovation that can translate into practical skills and longer-term career readiness.

The NOI highlights four main mission objectives that will shape the eventual FOA. First, it aims to educate and train the next generation of engineers and scientists, indicating a workforce development focus that goes beyond funding research alone. Second, it is intended to support novel, early-stage research at U.S. colleges and universities, suggesting that exploratory and foundational work, often too early for private-sector investment, is a key target. Third, the program explicitly seeks to increase research and development opportunities for underrepresented and structurally marginalized communities, signaling an equity and access component that may affect project design, recruitment, partnerships, and student support structures. Fourth, the program emphasizes equipping students with cutting-edge, translatable skillsets so they can contribute to the U.S. workforce and the broader economy over long, durable careers, which implies a preference for training experiences that map clearly to real-world technical and professional competencies.

From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, the notice indicates that the anticipated funding instrument is a grant and the opportunity category is discretionary. The funding activity categories are listed as Education and Energy, and the associated CFDA (assistance listing) number is 81.089. Eligible applicants are limited to institutions of higher education, specifically public and state-controlled universities as well as private institutions of higher education. NETL is listed as the administering agency, reflecting its role in managing the UTR program on behalf of FECM.

There are also important limitations and timing signals in the notice. The DOE states that this NOI is for informational purposes only, that it is not requesting comments, and that applications are not being accepted at this time. In other words, institutions cannot submit proposals based on this notice; they must wait for the actual FOA to be released with finalized requirements, topic areas, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions. The notice further cautions that all information may change once the official FOA is issued. The listing includes an "OriginalClosingDate" of 2024-12-31, but because this is only an NOI with no active application process, that date should be treated as a placeholder or planning marker rather than a true deadline until the formal FOA confirms the submission window.

Finally, some of the numerical fields included in the source data (such as an award ceiling value of 2 and expected awards of 0) should not be overinterpreted at the NOI stage. They often reflect incomplete placeholders in early listings rather than final budget or award counts. The practical takeaway is that DOE and NETL are signaling a future competitive grant opportunity focused on university-based training and early-stage research connected to fossil energy and carbon management, with a strong emphasis on workforce readiness and expanding participation for underrepresented and structurally marginalized groups. Institutions interested in applying would typically use this NOI period to monitor for the FOA release, begin internal coordination among faculty and administrators, and think through training and research concepts that align with the four stated mission objectives.

• The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the education, energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOI to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0003215, titled University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-31. (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 $2.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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