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Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) Seedling and Sapling Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This expanded program offers grants and funding opportunities to support research and development activities at academic institutions that do not have significant water power portfolios. It is designed to explore innovative research ideas in hydropower and marine energy.
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H2O Expands Innovative Funding Program to Universities and Selects New National Laboratory Projects | Department of Energy H2O Expands Innovative Funding Program to Universities and Selects New National Laboratory Projects Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office Project Name: Seedling and Sapling Program Project Team: Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, National Laboratory of the Rockies, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, National Science Foundation, and Minority-Serving Institutions Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Research and Development Consortium This article is part of the WPTO 2022–2023 Accomplishments Report In Fiscal Year 2023, H2O worked with the National Science Foundation to solicit science and engineering proposals focused on hydropower and marine energy from academic researchers through the foundation's Engineering Research Initiation solicitation.
H2O also worked with the Minority-Serving Institutions STEM Research and Development Consortium to release a $1. 2 million funding opportunity to support promising, potentially high-impact water power research ideas from minority-serving colleges and universities. H2O also continued to support novel ideas and concepts focused on hydropower and marine energy at DOE's national laboratories.
In Fiscal Year 2023, H2O invested in 23 new and continuing marine energy Seedling projects, 9 marine energy Sapling projects, and 21 hydropower Seedling projects. Projects begin as Seedlings, eligible for up to $100,000 in funding. New Seedlings receiving less than $100,000 can apply for additional funds as a continuing Seedling project.
Promising Seedlings are then eligible to continue research or commercialization activities as Sapling projects, which can receive $80,000 to $500,000 in funding. In August 2023, H2O hosted its second Seedlings Symposium during which national laboratory researchers shared their projects and outcomes with other national laboratory researchers, H2O staff, and external stakeholders.
Thirty researchers presented on more than 30 projects and had the opportunity to network with each other and H2O staff. The projects supported through H2O's Seedling and Sapling program have the potential to help modernize and expand the country's hydropower fleet and accelerate marine energy technology development as the United States works to achieve its clean energy goals.
WPTO's hydropower e-newsletter features news on R&D and applied science to advance sustainable hydropower and pumped-storage technologies. WPTO's marine energy e-newsletter shares news and updates on tools, analysis, and emerging technologies to advance marine energy.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Academic institutions that do not have significant water power portfolios. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $100,000 for Seedling projects. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) Seedling and Sapling Program is funded by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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