Grants / Department of Energy / Office of Science

DE-FOA-0003280: FY 2024 Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW)

Closed Closed July 23, 2024 Opportunity DE-FOA-0003280 ☆ Save

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 2024.

• Award ceiling$2.3 million
• Award floor$100,000
• Total funding$50.0 million
• Expected awards30
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

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"

In order to support traineeships for students and postdoctoral researchers from non-R1 Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) and non-R1 Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in areas relevant to SC programs, applications must be led by either a non-R1 ERI or a non-R1 MSI. Any domestic entity may be proposed as a team member, either as a subrecipient or using the collaborative application process.

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Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Office of Science Financial Assistance Program awards averaged $1.2 million; this notice allows up to $2.3 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

Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) aims to build foundations for Office of Science (SC) research through traineeships at academic institutions that have been historically underrepresented in the SC portfolio. RENEW leverages SC’s unique national laboratories, user facilities, and other research infrastructure to provide training opportunities for students and postdoctoral researchers from these institutions. The hands-on experiences gained through RENEW will open new career avenues for trainees, forming a nucleus for a future pool of talented young scientists, engineers, and technicians with the critical skills and expertise needed for the full breadth of SC research activities. RENEW supports traineeships for students and postdoctoral researchers from non-R1 Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs)[1] and non-R1 Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)[2],[3] in areas relevant to SC programs. SC seeks applications to develop traineeships for participants from these institutions that involve conducting research in partnership with a DOE-affiliated institution, including DOE National Laboratories, SC user facilities, Bioenergy Research Centers, or DOE Isotope Program Production Sites. Traineeships may include partnerships with multiple DOE-affiliated partner institutions to learn about the diversity and breadth of science conducted by the Office of Science. Undergraduate traineeships should include hands-on research experience to foster greater understanding of the research process, such as how to identify knowledge gaps and develop effective hypotheses, how to test hypotheses, and how to work within a team structure to accomplish an objective. The proposal should describe how the traineeship will accommodate differences in preparation among trainees. Traineeships for graduate students or postdoctoral researchers should be appropriately scaled for the development of future leaders in their research field. Trainees should have the opportunity to actively engage in meaningful and diverse research tasks, maximizing their involvement and learning experience. Trainee involvement should not be limited to routine, simple tasks in the laboratory or literature research. Traineeships should engage the trainee on a regular basis (e.g., weekly). Traineeships should also include complementary activities for trainees’ professional development and career advancement, including efforts to build or reinforce STEM identity and sense of belonging.

Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

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.