Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced its intent to fund projects through its University Training and Research Program, which is composed of the University Coal Research (UCR) program and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions (HBCU-OMI) program. The programs serve to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists working to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Projects will be managed by FECM’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

Both opportunities would fund projects to conduct early-stage research and development of decarbonization approaches, such as exploring biomass feedstocks blended with waste coal and coupled with carbon capture and dedicated storage to advance net-zero energy production. They would also include projects that address the mitigation and remediation of legacy environmental impacts of coal-based generation.

The second opportunity under the HBCU-OMI program would also aid minority-serving institutions in conducting self-assessments to determine research infrastructure and capabilities that will result in a better understanding of decarbonization pathways, providing increased opportunities for traditionally underserved students and structurally marginalized communities to participate in approaches that align with net-zero carbon emissions goals.

If issued, these funding opportunities will promote the education and training of a highly skilled and culturally diverse workforce of scientists, engineers and managers in technical fields needed to advance a net-zero economy.

Read the full Notice of Intent for the UCR program here. 

Read the full Notice of Intent for the HBCU-OMI program here.

FECM funds research, development, demonstration and deployment projects to decarbonize power generation and industrial sources, to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and to mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements and visit the NETL website.