# Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/de-foa-0002809-milestone-based-fusion-development-program/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/343723

> Office of Science offered grants of up to $25.0 million (at least $5.0 million) to small businesses and businesses. It expected to make about 4 awards worth $50.0 million in total. Applications closed on December 15, 2022.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | DE-FOA-0002809 |
| Agency | Office of Science |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | December 15, 2022 |
| Award ceiling | $25.0 million |
| Award floor | $5.0 million |
| Expected awards | 4 |
| Total funding | $50.0 million |
| Cost sharing | required |
| Assistance Listings | 81.049 |

## Who can apply

- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses

## What the grant funds

Fusion energy is a potentially safe, abundant, zero-carbon-emitting source of reliable primary energy. Major recent worldwide advances in the science[1],[2],[3] and technology[4] of fusion energy, the emergence of a strong and growing private fusion sector in the United States and abroad,[5] and the objective of achieving “net-zero” global carbon emissions by 2050[6] have made the acceleration of fusion energy research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) a national priority. Augmenting the present scientific mission of the Office of Science (SC) Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program with supporting “the development of a competitive fusion power industry in the U.S.” was both authorized in the Energy Act of 2020 and consistent with the recommendations of recent community-informed expert studies and reports, such as the 2020 Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) Long-Range Plan Powering the Future[7] and the 2021 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report Bringing Fusion to the U.S. Grid.[8] The latter helped motivate the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and DOE to co-host a summit on Developing a Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy.[9] A common theme among these recent activities was the recognition that public-private partnerships (PPPs) present an opportunity to accelerate fusion energy RD&D. A DOE-sponsored Workshop on Fusion Energy Development via Public-Private Partnerships was held recently (June 1–3, 2022); workshop presentations are posted publicly on the FES website.[10] This FOA invites applications for a new milestone-based fusion development program (as authorized in the Energy Act of 2020), which is a key component of the bold decadal vision to accelerate fusion energy RD&D in partnership with the private sector. Applications may be submitted for applied R&D to resolve scientific and technological issues toward the successful design of a fusion pilot plant (FPP).[11] [1] https://www.llnl.gov/news/national-ignition-facility-experiment-puts-researchers-threshold-fusion-ignition. [2] H. Abu-Shawareb et al., “Lawson Criterion for Ignition Exceeded in an Inertial Fusion Experiment,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 075001 (2022); https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00391-1. [3] https://www.euro-fusion.org/news/2022/european-researchers-achieve-fusion-energy-record.

## Questions people ask

### Is DE-FOA-0002809 still open?

No. It closed on December 15, 2022. A newer notice is open: DE-FOA-0003673, closes January 12, 2027 (66 days left).

### Who can apply for Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program?

Office of Science accepted applications from small businesses and businesses.

### What is the deadline for Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program?

Closed December 15, 2022. 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 $25.0 million each. About $50.0 million in total across about 4 awards.

### 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.