Research Development and Partnership Pilot (RDPP) | DE FOA 0002688

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002688

The Research Development and Partnership Pilot (RDPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science funding opportunity run through the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program, specifically within BER's Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences Division (EESSD). It is designed as a capacity-building, "on-ramp" style grant for institutions and researchers who have not traditionally participated in EESSD-funded work and may not be familiar with how EESSD programs operate, how to compete for EESSD funding, or how to access DOE scientific user facilities. The core idea is that unfamiliarity with DOE EESSD priorities, proposal norms, and engagement pathways can be a real barrier, and RDPP provides seed funding to help institutions overcome that barrier and become competitive participants in future EESSD activities and solicitations.

The program's main objective is to broaden and diversify the mix of institutions represented in the EESSD research portfolio, with an emphasis on under-represented institutions and those with limited prior engagement with BER. Rather than funding large standalone research projects, RDPP focuses on early-stage development steps that help institutions build relationships, learn the DOE landscape, and strengthen local research and training capability in climate and environmental sciences. In practice, RDPP funding is meant to help applicants develop credible partnerships, gain experience with EESSD programmatic activities, and position teams to contribute to EESSD-relevant research efforts over the longer term.

RDPP supports three closely related types of activities. First, it provides resources for institutions to form new partnerships with other academic organizations and/or national laboratories in ways that can lead to future EESSD-aligned research participation. Second, it supports participation in EESSD outreach, training, and programmatic engagement opportunities, including activities connected to DOE scientific user facilities, so that investigators and institutions can better understand capabilities, expectations, and routes to collaboration. Third, it aims to foster the growth of climate and environmental science research and training capacity at institutions that are currently under-represented in this space, helping them establish foundations such as collaborations, workforce development, and institutional know-how that make future EESSD research proposals and facility use more feasible.

From an administrative standpoint, RDPP is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002688) in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, listed under CFDA 81.049. The award ceiling is $150,000, signaling that this is intentionally modest, seed-style funding intended to catalyze participation and readiness rather than to underwrite major multi-year research programs. The opportunity was created on February 23, 2022, and the original closing date was April 20, 2022.

Eligibility is broad for domestic applicants, with one notable statutory exclusion: nonprofit organizations classified under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible. At the same time, the FOA places firm restrictions on federally affiliated entities. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories cannot apply as prime applicants and also cannot be included as subrecipients under another organization's proposal. The same restriction applies to non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): they may not apply and may not be proposed as subrecipients. Other federal agencies are likewise ineligible both as applicants and as subrecipients. These constraints steer the funding toward non-federal domestic institutions, with the aim of expanding participation among organizations that are outside the usual DOE EESSD funding network.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Development and Partnership Pilot (RDPP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-02-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-04-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DE FOA 0002688

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