DE-FOA-0002462: Chemical Upcycling of Polymers
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot (DE-FOA-0003673). Status: Closes January 12, 2027 (66 days left). It is in our archive of Office of Science notices from 2021.
Office of Science offered grants of up to $1.5 million (at least $200,000) to any type of organization. It expected to make $25.0 million in total. Applications closed on May 14, 2021.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed May 13, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$1.5 million
- Award floor$200,000
- Total funding$25.0 million
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | February 10, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | May 14, 2021 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | June 11, 2021 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to any type of organization.
- Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Office of Science Financial Assistance Program awards averaged $1.2 million; this notice allows up to $1.5 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (69% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The DOE SC program in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) announces its interest in receiving applications on behalf of single investigators and teams of investigators, which may involve multiple institutions, to support fundamental experimental and theoretical efforts that advance chemical upcycling of polymers and circular design of next-generation plastics. The term “plastic” describes a wide array of polymeric materials with diverse compositions and properties. Finished plastic products may include multiple polymeric components and often contain additives to obtain desirable physical, chemical, or mechanical properties. Understanding of chemical approaches that make use of end-of-life plastic products as feedstocks to regenerate the same product, or otherwise upcycle them to new, more valuable products, is limited. BES seeks innovative fundamental research that creates the scientific foundations for new technology solutions to reduce plastic waste, lower the energy impacts of plastic production through chemical upcycling, and create energy- and carbon-efficient feedstocks for valuable products through chemical upcycling of polymers.
Who has won Office of Science Financial Assistance Program grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (81.049) awarded $7.7 billion across 6,205 grant awards, an average of $1.2 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University Foundation | Michigan | 84 | $573 million |
| General Atomics | California | 30 | $495 million |
| University of Wisconsin System | Wisconsin | 101 | $275 million |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 118 | $238 million |
| University of Illinois | Illinois | 61 | $201 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, DE-FOA-0003673, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is DE-FOA-0002462 still open?
No. It closed on May 14, 2021. A newer notice is open: DE-FOA-0003673, closes January 12, 2027 (66 days left).
Who can apply for Chemical Upcycling of Polymers?
Office of Science accepted applications from any type of organization.
What is the deadline for Chemical Upcycling of Polymers?
Closed May 14, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $1.5 million each. About $25.0 million in total.
Who has won Office of Science Financial Assistance Program grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Michigan State University Foundation, General Atomics, University of Wisconsin System. The program made 6,205 awards worth $7.7 billion in that time.