NSF and DOE announce partnership for science and engineering research
The U.S. National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, through its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), signed a memorandum of understanding on March 23, 2022, continuing their longstanding partnership for collaboration on scientific and engineering research to bolster national energy policy.
The memorandum of understanding enables additional cooperation between the two agencies where mutually beneficial opportunities emerge. NSF and DOE EERE often have complementary roles in fostering U.S. research and innovation, and together, they advance discoveries from the laboratory bench to commercial implementation.
"NSF's clean-energy investments create broad new understanding and innovations with the potential to increase energy efficiency, enhance sustainability, mitigate climate change, or lead to other societal benefits," said Susan Margulies, NSF assistant director for Engineering. "We look forward to partnering with the Department of Energy to speed the translation of these advances for the benefit of the nation and a clean energy future."
Topics for research collaboration could include bioenergy, building and water treatment technologies, hydrogen and fuel cells, renewable energy technologies, agriculture, critical minerals and materials, manufacturing, and the social, behavioral and economic aspects of new technologies and energy-related policies. Collaboration could extend to research infrastructure, university-industry partnerships, education and workforce development and activities for diversity, equity and inclusion.
"The MOU represents a collaborative approach to researching technology solutions that will help decarbonize the U.S. economy no later than 2050," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman. "This partnership will prioritize solutions that benefit workers and communities impacted by the energy transition and those historically underserved by the energy system."
The partnership will build upon previous collaborative activities such as the NSF Civic Innovation Challenge, Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future, and Engineering Research Centers programs, and through joint support of vehicle battery and charging research across NSF and DOE EERE research facilities.
In January 2022, the agencies began a program for Accelerating Innovations in Biomanufacturing Approaches through Collaboration between NSF and the DOE BETO-funded Agile BioFoundry.