Economic Stimulus Package Updates and Resources 

Office of Management and Budget

The Office of Management and Budget assists the President with the development and execution of his policies and programs. OMB works with the agencies tasked with granting stimulus funds as well as with potential grantees to assure that grants are managed properly and that Federal dollars are spent in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. OMB has provided initial guidance to the stimulus bill, including notice deadlines and reporting requirements: OMB: Initial Implementing Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

OMB has released updated guidance on the implementation of ARRA for agency and department heads. This guidance is an update of the initial OMB guidance issued on the ARRA on February 18.

Announcements

June 23, 2009 - OMB releases new guidance for Recovery Act reporting.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released additional Implementing Guidance for the Reports on Use of Funds Pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (OMB Memorandum M-09-21).
The guidance is available on the OMB website at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda_default/ ; and on the Recovery Act website at: http://www.recovery.gov/.

May 26, 2009 - California Economic Recovery Portal – California’s one-stop website to track how Recovery Act funding is coming into and being used in California.

Reminder from Grants.gov on proper submission procedures for stimulus bill proposals:

Due to the expected increase in system activity resulting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has authorized steps to alleviate system strain and quickly increase system capacity. As part of this strategy, select programs may choose to use alternate systems to process grant applications during this heightened period of demand. As a result, once you have identified your grant opportunity, be sure to carefully read the instructions to ensure you are following proper submission procedures for that application, even if you have applied before. Note that Grants.gov will still be the one place to find all available federal grant opportunities. All opportunities posted on Grants.gov will include specific application instructions, including as appropriate, instructions for submitting applications outside of Grants.gov.

The following agencies will be accepting some or all applications outside of Grants.gov: Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Education (DOED), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Treasury, Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Air and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Science Foundation (NSF).

Please pay close attention to the grant announcements and application instructions for these agencies. Applicants for grant announcements offered by agencies using alternate systems should note that the Grants.gov Contact Center cannot address questions or issues relating to an alternate processing system. For assistance, applicants for these announcements should contact the designated official specified in the grant announcement and application instructions for the agency issuing the opportunity.

Recovery Act Standard Grant Terms.  The Office of Management and Budget has issued government-wide guidance and standard award terms and conditions for financial assistance agreements (grants, cooperative agreements and loans) funded by the Recovery Act.  The information in these standard award terms echoes the guidance provided by OMB to the agencies on April 3, 2009 as the Updated Implementation Guidance for the ARRA.  The interim final guidance is effective immediately.  Before finalizing the guidance, OMB is accepting comments until June 22, 2009. 

Department of Defense

Stimulus bill opportunities from the Department of Defense encompass research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts for each of the branches of the military.

http://www.defenselink.mil/recovery

Announcements

May 21, 2009 - DOD announces Army Research Office Recovery Act opportunity for photovoltaics.
The office is soliciting white papers for Novel Materials and Device Development for High Efficiency Solar Photovoltaics and intends to award no more than two assistance instruments or contracts.  Offerors are invited to submit a white paper by June 1, 2009.  Two awards valued at $1,500,000.00 each or one award valued $3,000,000.00 are expected.

Air Force Office of Scientific Research releases presolicitation notice for ARRA Research Program. 

Areas of interest include understanding fundamentals of catalytic processes involved including interactions between catalyst and substrate, charge donation and charge transfer; understanding fundamental properties of nanostructures and their roles as catalysts; the role and effect of water and impurities on fuel additives; addition of additives to ionic liquids; the aging and long time behavior of catalysts; the performance of fuels developed with these new additives. This program seeks to bring together recently developed experimental and theoretical methods and approaches so that the optimum nanostructured catalysts can be developed for use in propulsion systems. A multidisciplinary effort is required to address this developing opportunity including fundamental research in chemistry, physics, surface and materials science, and computational simulation and modeling. 

Full Announcement AFOSR-BAA-2009-3 will be posted within 10 days of this presolicitation notice.

Department of Education

The Department of Education offers money through the stimulus bill for state-partnered projects to improve postsecondary and workforce data systems and data coordination. The Department’s State Stabilization Fund provides substantial funding distributed to the states according to a population-based formula to restore support to schools. Additional funding is provided to the states for public safety but can at their discretion be used for the modernization, renovation, or repair of higher education facilities.

http://www.ed.gov/recovery

Initial Guidance on Stimulus Funds: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/implementation.html

Announcements

 

 

Department of Energy

A broad array of projects is likely to be funded by the Department of Energy’s stimulus money, including work focusing on energy efficiency and conservation strategies, advanced battery and hybrid vehicle systems, smart grid technology and related cybersecurity systems, fossil energy, renewable energy, and biofuels.

http://www.energy.gov/recovery/

Energy Provisions in ARRA (Congressional Research Service report)

Notice of Intent

DOE Template for Grant Funding

DOE Federal Guidelines for the Recovery Act State Energy Plan (SEP)

Announcements

August 25, 2009 - NSF Announces New Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) and related Funding Opportunity -

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Engineering has established an Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) to serve a critical role in focusing on important emerging areas in a timely manner. The EFRI Office has launched a new funding opportunity for interdisciplinary teams of researchers to embark on rapidly advancing frontiers of fundamental engineering research. For this solicitation, they will consider proposals that aim to investigate two specific research areas:

(1) Renewable Energy Storage (RESTOR), and

(2) Science in Energy and Environmental Design (SEED): Engineering Sustainable Buildings.

This solicitation is also being coordinated with the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The NSF EFRI Office plans to hold an informational webcast workshop on September 17, 2009, to answer any questions about the EFRI Office and this solicitation. Further details will be posted on the EFRI website at:  <http://www.nsf.gov/eng/efri> www.nsf.gov/eng/efri.  For more information on the solicitation specifically, please see:  <http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09606/nsf09606.htm?govDel=USNSF_25> http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09606/nsf09606.htm?govDel=USNSF_25

 

August 7, 2009 - The Department of Energy has provided a toll-free number for the DOE Recovery Act Clearinghouse: 1-888-DOE-RCVY (1-888-363-7289).  The Recovery Act Clearinghouse - https://recoveryclearinghouse.energy.gov/index.htm - provides information on popular topics, frequently asked questions and the ability to send us your questions via the web any time. The Recovery Act Clearinghouse toll free line is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

August 4, 2009 - The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) has completed the evaluation of the roughly 3,500 concept papers submitted in response to the Agency's initial Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) of April 27, 2009.  ARPA-E has now provided feedback on each of these concept papers, and the deadline for submission of full proposals is August 28, with final selections antiicipated by mid-fall. 

ARPA-E anticipates issuing a second FOA in the near future, with others to follow.  For more information on ARPA-E, visit  <http://arpa-e.energy.gov/> http://arpa-e.energy.gov " 

July 21, 2009 - OE announces a funding opportunity for Development of Algal Advanced Biofuels Consortia.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable (EERE) Energy through the Office of Biomass Program has announced a notice of availability of funding for establishing Consortia for two primary topic areas:  development of Algae Based Biofuels, and development of Advanced Cellulosic Biofuels. The intended purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to serve three primary goals of EERE: 1) increase the viability and deployment of renewable energy technologies, 2) spur the creation of a domestic bio-industry, and 3) dramatically reduce dependence on imported oil.

July 21- UPDATED from July 6, 2009 - Note:  DOE has increased the amount of funding available for awards under this program by $60 million, from the initial amount of $25 million to $85 million. - DOE announces Recovery Act Early Career Research Program grants. The Office of Science of the Department of Energy hereby invites grant applications for support under the Early Career Research Program in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); Biological and Environmental Research (BER); Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); High Energy Physics (HEP), and Nuclear Physics (NP). The purpose of this program is to support the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and to stimulate research careers in the areas supported by the DOE Office of Science.

July 10, 2009 - DOE features ARPA-E Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Page.

June 30, 2009 - DOE provides further information on Recovery Act Smart Grid Investment Grant Program.
The overall purpose of the SGIG is to accelerate the modernization of the nation’s electric transmission and distribution systems and promote investments in smart grid technologies, tools, and techniques which increase flexibility, functionality, interoperability, cyber-security, situational awareness, and operational efficiency.  Appendices and FAQs are also available.

June 29, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act - Building America Energy Efficient Housing Partnerships
The Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), is seeking applications for Industry Teams to implement the Building America Program¿s research program for new and existing homes. This Funding Opportunity Announcement also offers a limited opportunity for Industry Teams to focus on stimulating the existing home retrofit market.

June 29, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act: Advanced Energy Efficient Building Technologies
The Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), is seeking applications under six broad Areas of Interest: Advanced Building Control Strategies, Communications and Information Technologies for Net-Zero Energy Buildings; Analysis, Design and Technical; Building Envelope and Windows; Residential and Commercial HVAC and Crosscutting Air Conditioning and Refrigeration; Water Heating, Residential and Commercial Appliances and MELs; and Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC).

June 29, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act: Geologic Sequestration Training and Research
Grant applications from universities, colleges, and college-affiliated research institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions (HBCU/OMI) are sought to provide training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students that will provide the human capital and skills required for implementing and deploying CCS technologies. Training can be accomplished through fundamental research in the CCS technology area. Fundamental research is needed to advance science in: simulation and risk assessment; monitoring, verification, and accounting; geological related analytical tools; methods to interpret geophysical models; well completion and integrity for long-term CO2 storage; and CO2 capture.

June 29, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act - Solid State Lighting U.S. Manufacturing - Round 1.
The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to achieve cost reduction of solid-state lighting for general illumination through improvements in manufacturing equipment, processes, or techniques. It is anticipated that success will lead to a more rapid adoption/installation of high-quality SSL products resulting in a significant reduction of energy use and a corresponding reduction of environmental pollutants. A secondary objective is to maintain, in the case of light emitting diodes (LEDs), or establish, in the case of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), the manufacturing and technology base within the US.

June 15, 2009 - DOE announces  Recovery Act-Resource Assessment and Interconnection-Level Transmission Analysis and Planning.
The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to facilitate the development or strengthening of capabilities in each of the three interconnections serving the lower 48 states of the United States, to prepare analyses of transmission requirements under a broad range of alternative futures and develop long-term interconnection-wide transmission expansion plans. The interconnections are the Western Interconnection, the Eastern Interconnection, and the Texas Interconnection.

June 15, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act - Enhancing State Government Energy Assurance Capabilities and Planning for Smart Grid Resiliency for state governments.
This initiative, called “The Enhancing State Government Energy Assurance Capabilities and Planning for Smart Grid Resiliency Initiative” (hereinafter called the State EA Initiative) focuses on developing new, or refining existing, plans to integrate new energy portfolios (renewables, biofuels, etc) and new applications, such as Smart Grid technology, into energy assurance and emergency preparedness plans. Better planning efforts will help contribute to the resiliency of the energy sector, including the electricity grid, by focusing on the entire energy supply system, which includes refining, storage, and distribution of fossil and renewable fuels.

June 15, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act – State Electricity Regulators Assistance for state governments.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) includes funding for electricity sector activities and initiatives that will significantly affect utility investment in the electric power sector. State Public Utility Commissions (PUC), through their regulatory oversight of electricity investment and other decisions for their jurisdictional electric utilities, will be involved in implementing key facets of ARRA electricity-related initiatives.

June 10, 2009 - DOE announces FOA for Recovery Act - Systems Level Technology Development, Integration, and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTruck) and Advanced Technology Powertrains For Light-Duty Vehicles (ATP-LD).
The goal of Area of Interest 1 is to develop and demonstrate a 50% improvement in overall freight efficiency on a heavy-duty Class 8 tractor-trailer measured in ton-miles per gallon.  The goal of Area of Interest 2 is to accelerate the development of cost-competitive engine and powertrain systems for light-duty vehicles capable of attaining breakthrough thermal efficiencies while meeting future emissions standards.

June 9, 2009 - DOE releases FOA on Recovery Act: Clean Coal Power Initiative - Round 3.
The Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) is a cost-shared collaboration between the Government and industry to increase investment in low-emission coal technology by demonstrating advanced coal-based, power generation technologies. The CCPI goal is to accelerate the readiness of advanced coal technologies for commercial deployment, thus ensuring that the United States has clean, reliable, and affordable electricity and power.  Note, this FOA re-opens the FOA originally issued on August 11, 2008.  A Notice of Intent on this opportunity was released in late May.

June 8, 2009 - DOE releases FOA on Carbon Capture and Sequestration from Industrial Sources and Innovative Concepts for Beneficial CO2 Use.
The CO2 Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and CO2 use is a cost-shared collaboration between the Government and industry to increase investment in clean industrial technologies and sequestration projects.  DOE’s two specific objectives, identified as Technology Areas, are to demonstrate: (1) Large-scale industrial CCS projects from industrial sources and (2) Innovative concepts for beneficial CO2 use.  A Notice Of Intent on this opportunity was released in late May. 

June 3, 2009 - DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory announces Recovery Act Industrial Energy Efficiency opportunity.
This FOA will enable deployment of industrial technologies that provide 25% or greater improvement in energy efficiency over the currently-utilized equipment. The objective of the FOA is to solicit applications for cost-shared projects that will deploy sustainable energy infrastructure projects and energy efficient industrial technologies.  The result will be deployment of technologies that will increase our national energy security, provide construction and manufacturing jobs, and build markets for skilled green construction.

June 2, 2009 - DOE releases FOA for Recovery Act: Wind Energy Consortia between Institutions of Higher Learning and Industry opportunity.  (DE-FOA-0000090)
This action will fund consortia between institutions of higher learning and industry that will perform focused research on critical wind energy challenges.  The funding will be focused on two complementary areas: Partnerships for Wind Research and Turbine Reliability, and Wind Energy Research Development.  This opportunity was initially announced in a Notice of Intent on April 30, 2009.

June 2, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act: Energy Efficient Information and Communication Technology FOA. (DE-FOA-0000107)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement seeks to develop new technologies to dramatically improve energy efficiency in information and communication technology with an the emphasis on new technologies that can be commercialized within the next three to five years, and to demonstrate through field testing highly energy efficient, emerging technologies that are ready for or are in the initial stage of commercial introduction.

June 2, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act - Geothermal Technologies Program: Ground Source Heat Pumps (DE-FOA-0000116). DOE seeks to increase the deployment of ground source heat pumps through new commercialization strategies that incorporate: 1) innovative commercial-scale or residential community technology demonstration projects; 2) data gathering and analysis related to system costs, performance, and installation techniques; and 3) a national GHP certification standard.

May 28, 2009 - Notices of Intent

DOE Notices of Intent for $2.4 billion in Funding for Carbon Capture and Storage Projects.
- Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0000033 entitled "Recovery Act: Site Characterization of Promising Geologic Formations for CO2 Storage"

- Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0000080 entitled "Recovery Act: Regional Sequestration Technology Training"

- Notice of Intent to Issue an amendment to FOA DE-PS26-08NT43181 (to be issued as new FOA number DE-FOA-0000042) - "Recovery Act: Clean Coal Power Initiative - Round 3"

- Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0000032 entitled "Recovery Act: Geologic Sequestration Training and Research"

- Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) No.: DE-FOA-0000015 entitled "Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) from Industrial Sources and Innovative Concepts for Beneficial CO2 Use"

May 27, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act Solar Market Transformation opportunity.
DOE’s Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) is working to reduce market barriers and promote market expansion of solar energy technologies through non-R&D activities, including: 1) activities that provide technical, regulatory, institutional, financial and educational solutions to market transformation barriers; and 2) efforts that accelerate demand for new solar technologies. Emphasis will be on projects and activities with the greatest potential to assist the DOE in reaching its SETP cost-competiveness goal by 2015. The objectives of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) are to: 1) address current market barriers to the adoption of solar technologies; and 2) establish a nationally coordinated effort to spread solar installation training to the local level. Read more about the Recovery Act Solar Market Transformation opportunity

May 27, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act: High Penetration Solar Deployment.
The objectives of this FOA are to 1) develop the needed modeling tools and database of experience with high penetration scenarios of PV on a distribution system, 2) develop monitoring, control and integration systems to enable cost-effective widespread deployment of small modular PV systems and 3) demonstrate the integration of PV and energy storage into Smart Grid applications. This will accelerate the placement of high levels of PV penetration into existing or newly designed distribution circuits. The achievement of these goals will facilitate increased growth of grid-tied PV installations, thus supporting the SETPs mission to accelerate widespread commercialization of clean solar energy technologies in the United States.

May 27, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act: Geothermal Technologies Funding Opportunity.
The U.S. Department of Energy¿s (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) intends to continue its partnership with the geothermal community on geothermal systems research, exploration, demonstration, and development throughout the United States. This three-topic FOA will focus on: Validation of Innovative Exploration Technologies; Geothermal Energy Production from Low Temperature Resources, Coproduced Fluids from Oil and Gas Wells, and Geopressured Resources; and Geothermal Data Development, Collection, and Maintenance.

May 27, 2009 - DOE announces Recovery Act: National Laboratory Call for Foundational Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development.
This Program Announcement is restricted to DOE National Laboratories.  It seeks to provide support for new research and development projects for Next Generation PV Technologies, PV Supply Chain and Crosscutting Technologies, and Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids and Novel Thermal Storage for Concentrating Solar Power.  This PA also seeks to enhance capabilities for testing and evaluating advanced CSP concepts and advanced Photovoltaics manufacturing capability.

May 6, 2009 - DoE Announces $2.4 billion in Funding for Carbon Capture and Storage Projects.  DoE will be posting Notices of Intent to issue this funding in key areas:

• Clean Coal Power Initiative
• Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage
• Geologic Sequestration Site Characterization
• Geologic Sequestration Training and Research

Information on and links to application information will be posted here as they becomes available.

p>May 6, 2009 - DOE releases FOA for Demonstration of Integrated Biorefinery Operations.
The intent of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will be to select integrated biorefinery projects that have the necessary technical and economic performance data that validates their readiness for the next level of scale-up.  DOE encourages applications that propose novel or breakthrough technologies and those that include appropriate collaboration between and among industry, academia, and DOE National Laboratories, FFRDCs (Federally Funded Research and Development Centers) or other government-funded facilities.

May 6, 2009 - DOE releases special advance notice on Recovery Act Funding for Expansion of Infrastructures for Ethanol Blends and Recovery Act Funding of Development of Algal Biofuels and Advanced Fungible Biofuels through Consortiums. 
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of the Biomass Program (OBP) intends to issue two Funding Opportunity Announcements to address research and development efforts related to intermediate ethanol blends and algal and advanced biofuels. DOE expects to publish both FOAs in the summer of 2009.  This special advance notice is intended to provide potential applicants the opportunity to develop partnerships and begin the process of gathering data to prepare their applications.

May 5, 2009 - DOE Announces Nearly $800 Million from Recovery Act to Accelerate Biofuels Research and Commercialization.

• $480 million solicitation for integrated pilot- and demonstration-scale biorefineries.  DOE anticipates making 10 to 20 awards for refineries at various scales and designs, all to be operational in the next three years. The DOE funding ceiling is $25 million for pilot-scale projects and $50 million for demonstration-scale projects.
• $176.5 million for commercial-scale biorefinery projects to increase the federal funding ceiling on two or more demonstration- or commercial-scale biorefinery projects that were selected and awarded within the last two years.
• $110 million for fundamental research in key program areas, distributed in the following manner:
• Expand the resources available for sustainability research through the Office of Science Bioenergy Research Centers and establish a user-facility/small-scale integrated pilot plant ($25 million);
• Create an advanced research consortium to develop technologies and facilitate subsequent demonstration of infrastructure-compatible biofuels through a competitive solicitation ($35 million); and
• Create an algal biofuels consortium to accelerate demonstration of algal biofuels through a competitive solicitation ($50 million).
• $20 million for ethanol research in a competitive solicitation to achieve the following:
• Optimize flex-fuel vehicles operating on high-octane E85 fuel (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline blend);
• Evaluate the impact of higher ethanol blends in conventional vehicles; and
• Upgrade existing refueling infrastructure to be compatible with fuels up to E85.

Further information on specific opportunities will be posted on this page as details are released by DOE.

 

Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security funding will support the development and deployment of border security technology on the Southwest border, potentially including research into areas such as surveillance, biometrics, aviation security, and communications and information systems.

http://www.dhs.gov/recovery

More Homeland Security recovery implementation information at www.dhs.gov/recovery.  Agency implementation plan includes $100M for non-intrusive inspection technology, $100M for SW border technology, $60M for tactical communications equipment, $20M for Immigration and Customs Enforcement automation modernization and tactical communications, and $1 billion for TSA explosives detection systems and checkpoint screening equipment.

Department of the Interior

Stimulus funding is available through the Department of the Interior for US Geological Survey projects to replace and upgrade equipment, monitoring systems, and national map activities.

http://www.doi.gov/recovery/

Annoucements

June 3, 2009 - DOI announces Recovery Act – Fish Passage funding opportunity.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing the availability of funding under for habitat restoration through the National Fish Passage Program.  The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act authorizes the Secretary of Interior to provide technical and financial assistance through the National Fish Passage Program to partners interested in restoring, enhancing, and managing fish and wildlife habitats.  If you are interested in requesting assistance for a potential project under the National Fish Passage Program you must contact your Regional Coordinator for information about funding and technical assistance availability. A listing of Regional Fish Passage Coordinators is available at http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/fwco/fishpassage/contacts.html.

June 3, 2009 - DOI announces Recovery Act - National Fish Habitat Action Plan  funding opportunity.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing the availability of funding for habitat restoration through the National Fish Habitat Action Plan Program. These Recovery Act funds are available for habitat restoration projects that address high priority aquatic habitats.  If you are interested in requesting assistance for a potential project under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan you must contact your Regional Coordinator for information about funding and technical assistance availability. A listing of Regional National Fish Habitat Action Plan Coordinators is available at http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/fwco/nfhap/.

June 2, 2009 - US Fish and Wildlife Service announces Recovery Act Coastal Habitat Conservation Opportunities.  Please see linked announcement and contact your local Coastal Program coordinator for information about funding and technical assistance availability.  A listing of all Coastal Program coordinators is available at http://www.fws.gov/coastal.

June 2, 2009 - US Fish and Wildlife Services announces Recovery Act Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.  Funding will go to habitat restoration projects that address high priority wetland, upland, or riparian habitats in selected geographic areas. Projects must provide direct benefits to Federal Trust species.  If you are interested in requesting assistance for a potential project under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program you must contact your local coordinator for information about funding and technical assistance availability. A listing of coordinators by state is available at http://www.fws.gov/partners/.

Department of Labor

Department of Labor funding for training and employment services offers the possibility of contract awards to higher education institutions that would facilitate the training of individuals in high demand occupations, which could include the health care sector and careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Department of Labor Recovery Act Competitive Grant Opportunities (SGA-DFA-PY-08-13). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $750 million for a program of competitive grants for worker training and placement in high growth and emerging industry sectors. Of that amount, $500 million is targeted for research, labor exchange, and job training projects that prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy as defined in the Green Jobs Act: energy efficient building, construction, and retrofitting; renewable electric power; energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicles; biofuels; deconstruction and materials use; energy efficiency assessment for residential, commercial, or industrial sector, and manufacturing of sustainable products using sustainable processes. The remaining $250 million will be for projects in other high growth and emerging industry sectors with a priority for projects that prepare workers for careers in the health care sector and projects that are tied to industry sectors where jobs are being created as a result of Recovery Act investments such as infrastructure investments. In order to maximize the impact of these competitive grants and leverage the other investments in the Recovery Act, the Department of Labor (DOL) is collaborating with other Federal agencies and developing a multi-pronged investment approach with these funds. DOL plans to issue Solicitations for Grant Awards (SGA) no later than June 30, 2009.

http://www.dol.gov/recovery/

Announcements

June 24, 2009 - Department of Labor announces Recovery Act Pathways Out of Poverty Opportunity.
The Department of Labor announces the availability of approximately $150 million in grant funds authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for projects that provide training and placement services to provide pathways out of poverty and into employment.

June 24, 2009 - Department of Labor announces Recovery Act Energy Training Partnership Grants.
DOL announces the availability of approximately $100 million in grant funds to 20-30 projects ranging from approximately $2 to $5 million each to provide training and placement services in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries for workers impacted by national energy and environmental policy, individuals in need of updated training related to the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, and unemployed workers.

Environmental Protection Agency

Stimulus funding for the EPA will be directed to water quality and wastewater infrastructure assistance, green infrastructure and energy efficiency, diesel emission reduction efforts, and hazardous and industrial site cleanup.

General Guidelines

http://www.epa.gov/recovery/

EPA Implementation Plan: http://www.epa.gov/recovery/basic.html#implement

Announcements

Clean Diesel RFAs
Recovery Act Funding for Clean Diesel: SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program (EPA-ARRA-OAR-OTAQ-09-04) – http://epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/progfinance.htm
Recovery Act Funding for Clean Diesel: Funding Assistance Program (EPA-ARRA-OAR-OTAQ-09-06) – http://epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/prognational.htm
Recovery Act Funding for Clean Diesel: Emerging Technologies Program (EPA-ARRA-OAR-OTAQ-09-05) – http://epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/progemerge.htm

Brownfields

Recovery Act Brownfields Job Training Grants (EPA-ARRA-OSWER-OBLR-JT) – http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_guidelines/final_arra_jt_guidelines.pdf

Department of Transportation

Research funded by the Department of Transportation’s stimulus allocation is likely to cover a variety of topics, including infrastructure improvements and air traffic power systems and technologies.

http://www.dot.gov/recovery/

Health and Human Services (non-NIH)

Health information technology activities for Indian Health Services are supported by stimulus funding through Health and Human Services, including telemedicine development and infrastructure.

Indian Health Service provides more information on Health IT spending. $85 million is allocated for Health IT Services, including HIT application development and enhancements and telehealth infrastructure and development, carried out through commercial contracts and through existing Tribal contracts. Approximately 20% of the funds will be used for hardware acquisition for the purpose of infrastructure modernization relating to security, networking, communications, and health information technology. These purchases will be completed through new contracts competed among vendors offering products that meet the government’s requirements. In addition, a number of new acquisitions are anticipated for software development and related services. These new acquisitions will also be awarded via appropriate contract vehicles, as well as through existing Tribal contracts as appropriate.

http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – ARRA-specific site

Announcements

July 28, 2009 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of $200 million to support grants, loans, loan repayment, and scholarships to expand the training of health care professionals.  The funds are expected to train approximately 8,000 students and credentialed health professionals by the end of fiscal year 2010. Read the entire press release

June 24, 2009 - HHS announces Health Resources & Services Administration Facility Investment Program
Funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will support health center efforts to expand their capacity to provide primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations nationwide as well as create employment opportunities in underserved communities over the next 2 years. 

June 5, 2009 - National Health Service Corps Opens New Application Cycle for Recovery Funding Loan Repayment Awards. 
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has announced that it would begin accepting applications for loan repayment using funds provided by ARRA.  The NHSC will accept loan repayment applications continuously until ARRA funds are expended or Sept. 30, 2010, whichever comes first.  Of the $300 million ARRA provides to the NHSC, $200 million is expected to be used for more than 3,300 new loan repayment awards.

May 8, 2009 - Federal Coordinating Council on Comparative Effectiveness Research to Hold Public Listening Session in Chicago on May 13.
The Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research will hold its second public listening session from 2:30 – 5:30 pm CDT on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Chicago. The council will hear public comment regarding comparative effectiveness research and the Coordinating Council’s activities.  Individuals interested in addressing the council may nominate themselves to deliver a three- minute oral presentation before the council. Individuals and organizations may also submit written comments for the council’s consideration. The public may also attend the session, listen live via audio conference or watch the session online www.hhs.gov/recovery.

The Recovery Act appropriated $300 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, $400 million for the National Institutes of Health, and $400 million for allocation at the discretion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support comparative effectiveness research.  The council will provide input on priorities for the $400 million fund in the Recovery Act that the Secretary will allocate to advance this type of research and public input will shape the council’s recommendations. The council will not make final decisions about the kind of projects that will be funded.

To register to attend the listening session, nominate a person to make a three-minute oral statement, and/or submit a written statement for the Coordinating Council’s consideration, go to http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/cer/index.html.  Individuals should register by Monday, April 13, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.  Space and audio conference lines are limited.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The stimulus bill offers opportunities for funding through NASA for research in science, aeronautics, and exploration, including climate research, supercomputing, and aviation safety.

http://www.nasa.gov/recovery/

National Endowment for the Arts

Grants to fund art projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector are possible through the National Endowment for the Art’s stimulus package.

http://www.nea.gov/recovery/

http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/recovery/index.html

http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/recovery-states/index.html

National Institutes for Health (HHS)

The NIH provisions of the stimulus package will support a wide variety of projects, both new and existing. Funding will be available for the construction and renovation of existing non-Federal research facilities and for shared instrumentation and other capital research equipment to recipients of grants and contracts, as well as the development and dissemination of research assessing the comparative effectiveness of health care treatments and strategies. The agency will direct target support to current grants, including expanding the scope of current research awards and supplementing existing awards with additional funding for equipment. The stimulus bill establishes the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, in coordination with NIST, in order to manage funds that will support health care information enterprise integration through activities such as technical standards analysis, establishment of conformance testing infrastructure, and regional or sub-national efforts toward health information exchange. Further, NIH will support research under a Prevention and Wellness Fund to examine evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention and wellness strategies delivering specific, measurable health outcomes.

General Guidelines
NIH Recovery Opportunities: http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/
NIH Notice about review criteria, scoring system, and appeals

Announcements

 

National Institute of Standards and Technology (Commerce)

In addition to general scientific and technical research and research facilities construction funding, NIST will be responsible for funding research on Health Information Technology in coordination with NIH’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Such funding will be directed toward the establishment of multidisciplinary Centers for Health Care Information Enterprise Integration, which will support research on interfaces between human information and communications technology systems and projects that promote active collaboration among scientists and engineers from different disciplines, technology transfer activities, and contributions to the education and training of researchers and other professionals in fields relevant to health information enterprise integration. Such projects might include voice recognition systems, interoperability software, health care delivery software, technology security and integrity, and technology to reduce medical errors. Additional funding will be available from state grants for activities that facilitate and expand the electronic movement and use of health information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards, including promoting effective strategies to adopt and utilize health information technology in medically underserved communities, assisting patients in utilizing health information technology, and promoting the use of electronic health records for quality improvement, including through quality measures reporting. Further, in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation, assistance will be provided to institutions of higher education to establish or expand medical health informatics education programs, including developing and revising curricula in medical health informatics and related disciplines, recruiting and retaining students to these programs, and acquiring the necessary equipment for student instruction in these programs. Note that while the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) did not receive any specific funding in the stimulus package, the program continues to be open to white papers for high-risk, high-reward proposals with an ongoing focus/interest in structural monitoring.

http://www.nist.gov/recovery/

http://www.commerce.gov/Recovery/index.htm

NIST Recovery Act Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grants Program: Providing the Technology Infrastructure to Address National Priorities (2009-NIST-ARRA-MSE-RESEARCH-01).
NIST is making available up to $35 million to award approximately 20-60 grants and cooperative agreements in support of measurement science and engineering research.  Proposals will be considered that address measurement science and engineering research needs in areas of national importance.  These areas of national importance are energy, environment and climate change, information technology/cybersecurity, biosciences/healthcare, manufacturing, and physical infrastructure.

Announcements

May 27, 2009 - NIST provides details on Recovery Act Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grants Program. 
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is establishing a financial assistance program to award research grants and cooperative agreements to support measurement science and engineering research proposals in the following six focus areas: energy, environment and climate change, information technology/cybersecurity, biosciences/healthcare, manufacturing, and physical infrastructure

May 27, 2009 - NIST announces Limited Competition Construction Grant Program. 
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce (DoC), is soliciting grant proposals for construction of research science buildings.
 ** Please note: this is a limited submission opportunity.  Information on UCSD submission procedures available here.

May 27, 2009 - NIST announces Recovery Act Measurement Science and Engineering Fellowship Program.
The fellowship program is intended to promote training and practical experience in science and engineering, and to advance NIST’s mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.  Undergraduate, graduate, post-doc and senior research fellowships are eligible.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Commerce)

Funding through NOAA will be available for research and operations as well as procurement, acquisition, and construction.

http://www.noaa.gov/recovery/

http://www.commerce.gov/Recovery/index.htm

NOAA Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Recovery Grants (NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2009-2001709) 

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation will make available funding for research and related activities, including academic research facilities modernization. Additional resources will be available for major research equipment and facilities instruction and for education and human resources.

http://www.nsf.gov/recovery/

Announcements

August 25, 2009 - The NSF has released a funding opportunity for their Science Masters Program (SMP), which is intended to catalyze the creation of institution-based efforts to prepare graduate students for careers in business, industry, nonprofits, and government agencies.  It does this by providing students with a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, as well as with research experiences, internship experiences, and the skills to succeed in those careers.  The program is intended to catalyze the creation of institution-based efforts that can be sustained without additional federal funding.  This program is also intended to encourage diversity in student participation so as to contribute to a broadly inclusive, well-trained science and engineering workforce. 

The SMP solicitation is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). For more information, please see the SMP website at:  <http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503428&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund> http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503428&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund

Deadlines:
Letters of Intent Deadline - October 5, 2009;

Full Proposal Deadline - November 20, 2009 (accepted only if a letter of intent was submitted).

August 25, 2009 - NSF Announces New Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) and related Funding Opportunity -

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Engineering has established an Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) to serve a critical role in focusing on important emerging areas in a timely manner. The EFRI Office has launched a new funding opportunity for interdisciplinary teams of researchers to embark on rapidly advancing frontiers of fundamental engineering research. For this solicitation, they will consider proposals that aim to investigate two specific research areas:

(1) Renewable Energy Storage (RESTOR), and

(2) Science in Energy and Environmental Design (SEED): Engineering Sustainable Buildings.

This solicitation is also being coordinated with the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The NSF EFRI Office plans to hold an informational webcast workshop on September 17, 2009, to answer any questions about the EFRI Office and this solicitation. Further details will be posted on the EFRI website at:  <http://www.nsf.gov/eng/efri> www.nsf.gov/eng/efri.  For more information on the solicitation specifically, please see:  <http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09606/nsf09606.htm?govDel=USNSF_25> http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09606/nsf09606.htm?govDel=USNSF_25

August 3, 2009 - The National Science Foundation Academic Research Infrastructure -Recovery and Reinvestment (AR-R2) is actively seeking reviewers for its upcoming panels to review proposals for this program.  NSF is in need of reviewers with expertise in three broad categories: a) a scientific, engineering or architecture field, b) managing large facilities and centers, or c) computer networking; it is not expected that individuals will have competence in all categories. The merit review panels for this activity will be held during three weeks in October, 2009. Each panelist will be asked to commit up to 3 days to serve on a panel at NSF headquarters in Arlington, VA.  Travel expenses, per diem and an honorarium will be provided for your services.

If you have an interest in participating in the merit review process of this important program and have the time to serve on a panel in October, 2009, please go to http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/ari/ari_reviewer/  and complete and submit the short form indicating your field of expertise and availability."

June 8, 2009 - NSF provides FAQs page on Recovery Act ARI-R2 program.

May 26, 2009 - ARI-R2 and MRI-R2  May 28 Webcast.  An interactive webcast summarizing the ARI-R2 and MRI-R2 limited competition solicitations will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2009 from 1pm – 2:45pm EDT.  Those wishing to participate in the webcast should register in advance at http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/nsf/090528/ .  The registration site includes an opportunity to submit, by email, questions about the solicitations in advance of the webcast. 

Effective immediately, NSF applications will only be accepted through FastLane.

In order to assist Grants.gov in the effort to alleviate system strain and increase system capacity, proposers will now be required to prepare and submit proposals to NSF through use of the NSF FastLane system.  Effective immediately, new funding opportunities issued by NSF will exclusively require the use of FastLane to prepare and submit proposals.  NSF will continue to post information about available funding opportunities to Grants.gov FIND, but proposers must use FastLane to submit.  Detailed instructions regarding the technical aspects of proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/.

NSF announces Academic Research Infrastructure Program: Recovery and Reinvestment (ARI-R²).
The purpose of this program is to enhance the Nation's existing research facilities where sponsored and/or unsponsored research activities and research training take place to enable next-generation research infrastructure that integrates shared resources across user communities.  Consistent with NSF's mission to strengthen the U.S. science and engineering enterprise, the ARI-R² program will:

• Update existing research facilities at institutions of higher education (including graduate and undergraduate institutions, among which are included community colleges) and other non-profit research organizations (e.g., independent research museums, independent research laboratories, and research consortia) in order to support research that can address the challenges of the 21st century.
• Enable academic departments, disciplinary and cross-disciplinary units, or multi-organization consortia to renovate research facilities through the addition or augmentation of cyberinfrastructure, other than general-purpose computing systems or data storage systems, to create environments that enhance research and integrate research with education.
• Improve access to and increase use of next-generation research facilities for researchers, educators and students.
• Assist research organizations, including those that have historically received limited Federal research and development funds, to improve their science and engineering research environments.

NSF will host a webcast on this opportunity later in May. For more information please see NSF’s Recovery Act site.

** Please note: this is a limited submission opportunity.  View UCSD submission information on the ORA SURF page for this program.

NSF announces Major Research Instrumentation Program: Recovery and Reinvestment (MRI-R²)
The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program is announcing a call for proposals that is separate from the standard January submission deadline..  The parameters of this Major Research Instrumentation-Recovery and Reinvestment (MRI-R2) competition differ from those for the regular MRI competition.  This program especially seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, by providing shared instrumentation that fosters the integration of research and education in research-intensive learning environments.  Please view the NSF announcement for specific eligibility information. 

** Please note, this is a limited submission opportunity.  View UCSD submission information on the ORA SURF page for this program.

NSF is accepting proposals on research to study the impact of the stimulus bill.
NSF’s Science of Science & Innovation Policy (SciSIP) Program, within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, can be a vehicle for mobilizing research capacity to respond to questions about the success of the stimulus bill and to assess the effects on both the ecology of innovation and on the science and engineering enterprise.  The SciSIP program will take advantage of NSF’s Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism to accept short (two to five pages) RAPID proposals that attempt to answer many of the outcome questions that will be asked about the impact of the stimulus package as well as to advance the scientific understanding of science policy.  These would include, but not be limited to, such questions as:

• • What was the contribution of the science investment to the creation and retention of jobs?
• • What was the contribution of the science investment to science and technology industries?
• • What scientific or technological advances were achieved?
• • What was the impact on the scientific workforce?

More details and application information are available on NSF’s site and at grants.gov.

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NSF provides FAQs on Recovery Act funding at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09038/nsf09038.jsp.

New NSF Guidance on Recovery Grants, confirming prioritization of funding and some timing expectations.  View at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/issuances/in131.pdf

Some highlights:

• The majority of the $2 billion available in Research and Related Activities will go to proposals that are already in-house and will be reviewed and/or awarded prior to September 30, 2009.
• NSF will post a solicitation this spring for the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) - $300 million
  
• There will be awards for the Math and Science Partnership program (funded at $25 million); the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (funded at $60 million); the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Account (funded at $400 million); the Academic Research Infrastructure (ARI) program (funded at $200 million); and the Science Masters program (funded at $15 million).  Solicitations for these latter two programs will be posted this spring.
  
• All grants issued with Recovery Act funds will be standard grants (all funds provided at the time of the award) with durations of up to 5 years.  Funding of new Principal Investigators and high-risk, high-return research will be top priorities. 

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (Commerce)

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration stimulus funding will be available to support broadband technology opportunities programs, likely including projects focusing on telemedicine. Support will also be available for developing and maintaining a national broadband inventory mapping system.

http://www.commerce.gov/Recovery/index.htm

NTIA and USDA/RUS Joint Broadband Technology Opportunities Program: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/

United States Department of Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture’s available funding includes grants and loans for high- speed broadband in the use of distance learning and telemedicine, information technology system improvements, watershed and flood prevention modernization, food and nutrition program management and evaluation, crop disaster assistance, and aquaculture assistance. Funding is also provided for building and equipment for the Agriculture Research Service.

http://www.usda.gov/recovery

NTIA and USDA/RUS Joint Broadband Technology Opportunities Program: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/

Announcements