DE-FOA-0002751: Request for Information (RFI): Phytomining for carbon-negative critical mineral supply chains
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Unlocking New Levels of Output and Capacity for Key Subsurface Resources (UNLOCK) (DE-FOA-0003630). Status: Closes November 20, 2026 (13 days left). It is in our archive of Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy notices from 2022.
Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy offered grants to any type of organization. Applications closed on May 26, 2022.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed April 11, 2022. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement
Key dates
| Posted | April 11, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | May 26, 2022 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | August 26, 2022 |
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"
This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is not seeking applications for financial assistance. THIS NOTICE DOES NOT CONSTITTUE A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA). NO FOA EXISTS AT THIS TIME.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the program's money (43% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
Request for Information (RFI): Phytomining for carbon-negative critical mineral supply chains This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance. The purpose of this RFI is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible formulation of future programs. The purpose of this RFI is to solicit input for a potential future ARPA-E research program focused on technologies related to harvesting high value metals essential for the clean energy transition from terrestrial environments using metal hyperaccumulators (HAs). The goal is to establish economic, sustainable, and low carbon-footprint domestic supply chains of high value metals to promote an accelerated clean energy transition without supply chain constraints. ARPA-E is seeking information at this time regarding transformative and implementable technologies that could: (a) Identify or develop hyperaccumulators suitable for economically viable phytomining in the United States. Examples include agronomic techniques to domesticate hyperaccumulating species, yield higher biomass, and to control the seed dispersal; systems biology approaches to gain desired phenotypes such as high rates of growth, fast metal uptake, and accumulation of optimal metal compounds in parts of the plant that are optimal for extraction with low carbon-footprint approaches. ARPA-E's interest includes perennial species with high biomass and high metal uptake, including tree species, and any hyperaccumulators that could be grown on high-metal, nonarable lands in the US such as ultramafic serpentine soil and mine tailings. (b) Increase total metal uptake in hyperaccumulators that can be grown at large commercial scales in the United States. Examples include microbiome engineering to dissolve metals and engineering hyperaccumulators to grow deeper roots to expand the pool of metals available without strip mining. System-level approaches are encouraged to address the questions in this RFI. For example, employing integrated rhizosphere engineering, metal transport, and accumulation to desired locations in the plants such as saps, accumulation of metals in desired chemical forms, and monitoring/analysis tools. (c) Extract metal from hyperaccumulators using processes that produce the lowest possible carbon emissions, ideally even carbon-negative.
Who has won Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (81.135) awarded $1.4 billion across 729 grant awards, an average of $1.9 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX Corporation | Connecticut | 15 | $33.9 million |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 16 | $31.4 million |
| BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC | Virginia | 1 | $30.9 million |
| Ge Vernova Operations LLC | New York | 8 | $26.4 million |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland | 11 | $23.6 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, DE-FOA-0003630, 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-0002751 still open?
No. It closed on May 26, 2022. A newer notice is open: DE-FOA-0003630, closes November 20, 2026 (13 days left).
Who can apply for Request for Information (RFI): Phytomining for carbon-negative critical mineral supply chains?
Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy accepted applications from any type of organization. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Request for Information (RFI): Phytomining for carbon-negative critical mineral supply chains?
Closed May 26, 2022. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
Who has won Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were RTX Corporation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC. The program made 729 awards worth $1.4 billion in that time.