Today, NETL announced an amendment to a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will build a talent pipeline from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions (HBCU-OMIs) to support the creation of a clean hydrogen future and Biden Administration’s decarbonization and energy equity goals.  The amendment will provide an additional $2.05 million from Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) in support of this effort.

Facilitated by the Crosscutting Research University Training Research program, the amendment will support the development of a highly skilled and diverse workforce of scientists, engineers, and managers by increasing the participation of students from underrepresented and historically marginalized communities. In addition, this funding will also be supporting research, development, demonstration and deployment activities that advance the science of decarbonization and net-zero greenhouse gas emission technologies at eligible U.S. colleges and universities.

Topics added in the amendment will aim to engage untapped science and engineering talent at HBCUs and OMIs to assist in meeting the goals of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) and the broader DOE-wide Hydrogen Program. Students contributing to selected awards may be given the opportunity to visit the national laboratories and conduct information exchanges with national laboratory researchers.

In partnership with the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and the other DOE offices, HFTO coordinates research, discovery, development and demonstration activities within the Hydrogen Program to achieve DOE goals related to clean hydrogen production, storage, delivery, fuel cells and multiple end-uses. 

These activities are closely aligned with the DOE H2@Scale, an initiative that brings together stakeholders to advance clean and affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage and utilization across multiple sectors, and DOE Hydrogen Energy Earthshot goal of  $1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade. Both initiatives support the nation’s broader energy, environmental and equity goals, including a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.

The initial funding opportunity announcement, which was issued on Feb. 17, 2022, announced nearly $3 million to support guided early-stage research and development of new decarbonization approaches at HBCUs and OMIs and supports their efforts to assess resources and determine gaps in research and development activities.

Read the FOA 2598 amendment focused on hydrogen research here.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.