Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001693
The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Fossil Energy and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), issued this Request for Information (RFI) under funding opportunity number DE FOA 0001693 to collect feedback on research and development needs across several oil and natural gas topic areas. The purpose is not to make immediate awards, but to gather practical, technical input from stakeholders on where the most important technology gaps exist and what scientific research would be most valuable to address them. The subject areas highlighted in the title include unconventional oil and natural gas development, beneficial use of produced water, offshore spill prevention, natural gas conversion, and offshore carbon dioxide storage and enhanced oil recovery (CO2 storage/EOR). The overall intent is to shape or inform DOE research priorities by identifying problems that are limiting performance, safety, environmental outcomes, cost, or deployment at scale.
In terms of the administrative setup, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and lists “cooperative agreement” as the funding instrument type, which is a common DOE mechanism when an eventual solicitation involves substantial federal involvement in project direction. The activity category is energy, and the associated CFDA number is 81.089. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any applicant type can generally respond, subject to details that would normally appear in the full eligibility language. Even though the posting includes fields like an “award ceiling” and “expected awards,” the description makes clear this is an RFI, so the immediate action DOE is seeking is information rather than project applications. In other words, respondents are being asked to submit thoughtful input that could guide future funding opportunities, research roadmaps, or program decisions.
The technical scope spans multiple problem sets. For unconventional oil and natural gas, the request signals interest in research gaps that affect extraction and production from shale and other tight formations. Typical areas of concern in this domain often include improved subsurface characterization, better understanding of fracture behavior and reservoir response, methods to reduce costs and emissions, mitigation of induced seismicity risks, and technologies that improve recovery while lowering environmental impacts. By asking for “critical gaps,” DOE is essentially looking for where current tools, data, or scientific understanding are insufficient and where targeted research could materially improve operational efficiency, safety, or environmental performance.
A second focus area is the beneficial use of produced water, which refers to water brought to the surface during oil and gas production that can contain salts, hydrocarbons, naturally occurring radioactive materials, metals, and treatment chemicals. The “beneficial use” framing points toward research needs that would enable produced water to be treated and reused safely, rather than disposed of, potentially supporting applications like industrial use, agriculture (where appropriate), or water management in arid regions. Input in this area typically relates to treatment technologies, monitoring and sensing, desalination challenges, cost and energy requirements, management of residual waste streams (like brines and sludges), and risk-based standards that protect human health and ecosystems while enabling practical reuse.
Offshore spill prevention is another key area, reflecting ongoing federal interest in avoiding releases during offshore exploration and production. Research gaps here often involve well integrity, blowout prevention reliability, real-time monitoring and diagnostics, safer operational practices, improved materials and component testing under deepwater conditions, and systems engineering approaches that reduce the likelihood of cascading failures. NETL’s request for input suggests they want respondents to identify where current offshore safety technology is weak, what kinds of testing or modeling are missing, and which innovations could measurably lower spill risk.
The RFI also highlights natural gas conversion, which broadly covers technologies that convert methane or natural gas into higher-value products such as liquid fuels, chemicals, hydrogen, or other commodity feedstocks. Research needs in this space frequently include catalytic processes, modular or distributed conversion systems, improved selectivity and efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas footprint, and pathways that make economic sense at different scales (including smaller, remote, or stranded gas resources). By including this topic, DOE is signaling interest in science and engineering advances that could expand how natural gas is utilized beyond direct combustion, potentially improving value and reducing emissions intensity depending on the pathway.
Finally, offshore carbon dioxide storage and enhanced oil recovery (CO2 storage/EOR) points to research needs for injecting CO2 into subsurface formations beneath offshore environments, either to increase oil recovery or for long-term storage as part of carbon management strategies. The “offshore” emphasis introduces specific technical considerations such as site characterization under seabed conditions, monitoring and verification in marine settings, wellbore integrity, containment assurance, plume modeling, and understanding geomechanical behavior. For EOR, additional gaps often include optimizing injection strategies, managing produced fluids, and ensuring that storage objectives are met alongside production goals. Input in this area would help DOE understand what science is still needed to improve storage security, operational safety, and cost-effective deployment.
For submission logistics, DOE required that RFI responses be sent electronically as email attachments to RFI-UOG@netl.doe.gov, with a deadline of 8:00 pm Eastern Time on December 16, 2016. The opportunity record notes the creation date as October 25, 2016, and the original closing date as December 16, 2016. Only electronic responses were accepted, reinforcing that this was a structured information-gathering effort rather than an open-ended public comment channel.Apply for DE FOA 0001693
- The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Needs Related to Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas, Beneficial Use of Produced Water, Offshore Spill Prevention, Natural Gas Conversion, and Offshore Carbon Dioxide Storage/Enhanced Oil Recovery" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 25, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 16, 2016 Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to RFI-UOG@netl.doe.gov no later than 800 pm (ET) December 16, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. Only electronic responses will be accepted.. (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 $2.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this DOE opportunity (DE FOA 0001693)?
This is a Department of Energy (DOE) Request for Information (RFI) issued through DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). It is identified by funding opportunity number DE FOA 0001693 and is intended to collect stakeholder feedback on research and development (R&D) needs across several oil and natural gas topic areas.
2) Is this RFI offering funding or making awards right now?
No. The description makes clear the purpose is not to make immediate awards. DOE is asking for practical, technical input to help identify important technology gaps and research needs that could shape future research priorities or potential future funding opportunities.
3) What does DOE want respondents to provide?
DOE is seeking thoughtful, practical, and technical feedback on where the most important technology gaps exist and what scientific research would be most valuable to address them. The focus is on problems that limit performance, safety, environmental outcomes, cost, or deployment at scale.
4) What topic areas does the RFI cover?
The RFI highlights multiple oil and natural gas-related topic areas:
- Unconventional oil and natural gas development
- Beneficial use of produced water
- Offshore spill prevention
- Natural gas conversion
- Offshore carbon dioxide storage and enhanced oil recovery (CO2 storage/EOR)
5) What is the overall intent of the RFI?
The overall intent is to inform or shape DOE research priorities by identifying key challenges and research gaps that are currently limiting operational performance, safety, environmental protection, cost reduction, or broader deployment.
6) Who is issuing and managing this RFI?
The Department of Energy (DOE) issued the RFI through its Office of Fossil Energy, with involvement from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
7) What is the eligibility for responding to this RFI?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any applicant type can generally respond, subject to any details that would normally be included in full eligibility language.
8) What is the funding instrument type listed, and what does it imply?
The record lists "cooperative agreement" as the funding instrument type. This is a common DOE mechanism when an eventual solicitation includes substantial federal involvement in project direction. However, for this RFI, DOE is requesting information rather than project applications.
9) What program category and CFDA number are associated with this opportunity?
The activity category is energy, and the associated CFDA number is 81.089.
10) Why does the listing include fields like award ceiling and expected awards if it is an RFI?
The posting includes administrative fields that often appear on funding opportunity records (such as award ceiling and expected awards), but the narrative clarifies that this action is an RFI. DOE is not requesting applications for awards at this time; it is requesting information to guide future decisions.
11) What kinds of research gaps is DOE interested in for unconventional oil and natural gas?
For unconventional oil and natural gas (such as shale and tight formations), DOE is signaling interest in "critical gaps" that affect extraction and production. The description points to needs that could improve operational efficiency, safety, and environmental performance, including areas such as subsurface characterization, fracture behavior and reservoir response, reducing costs and emissions, induced seismicity risk mitigation, and improved recovery with lower environmental impacts.
12) What does "beneficial use of produced water" mean in this RFI?
Produced water is water brought to the surface during oil and gas production that can contain salts, hydrocarbons, naturally occurring radioactive materials, metals, and treatment chemicals. "Beneficial use" refers to enabling produced water to be treated and reused safely rather than disposed of, potentially supporting uses like industrial applications, agriculture (where appropriate), or water management in arid regions.
13) What types of produced-water research needs are implied by the RFI description?
The description points toward research needs such as treatment technologies, monitoring and sensing, desalination challenges, cost and energy requirements, management of residual waste streams (including brines and sludges), and risk-based standards that protect human health and ecosystems while still enabling practical reuse.
14) What is DOE looking for under the offshore spill prevention topic?
DOE is seeking input on gaps in offshore spill prevention that could reduce the likelihood of releases during offshore exploration and production. The description references areas such as well integrity, blowout prevention reliability, real-time monitoring and diagnostics, safer operational practices, improved materials and component testing under deepwater conditions, and systems engineering approaches that prevent cascading failures.
15) What does "natural gas conversion" cover in this RFI?
Natural gas conversion broadly refers to technologies that convert methane or natural gas into higher-value products such as liquid fuels, chemicals, hydrogen, or other commodity feedstocks. The RFI indicates interest in science and engineering advances that expand how natural gas is used beyond direct combustion.
16) What kinds of natural gas conversion gaps does the RFI suggest are important?
The description highlights research needs often associated with natural gas conversion, including catalytic processes, modular or distributed conversion systems, improved selectivity and efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas footprint, and pathways that are economically sensible at different scales, including smaller, remote, or stranded gas resources.
17) What is meant by offshore CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery (CO2 storage/EOR) in this RFI?
This topic focuses on research needs for injecting CO2 into subsurface formations in offshore environments for enhanced oil recovery and/or long-term storage as part of carbon management strategies. The offshore setting introduces specific technical challenges compared with onshore storage.
18) What offshore CO2 storage/EOR research gaps are emphasized in the description?
The description points to offshore-specific considerations such as site characterization beneath the seabed, monitoring and verification in marine settings, wellbore integrity, containment assurance, plume modeling, and geomechanical behavior. For EOR, it also notes needs such as optimizing injection strategies, managing produced fluids, and ensuring storage objectives are met alongside production goals.
19) How were responses required to be submitted?
Responses were required to be submitted electronically by email attachment to RFI-UOG@netl.doe.gov.
20) What was the submission deadline for the RFI?
The deadline was 8:00 pm Eastern Time on December 16, 2016.
21) Were paper submissions or non-electronic submissions accepted?
No. The opportunity states that only electronic responses were accepted, reinforcing that this was a structured information-gathering effort.
22) When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The record notes a creation date of October 25, 2016. The original closing date was December 16, 2016.
23) What is the main reason DOE is collecting this information?
DOE is collecting input from stakeholders to identify the most important technology gaps and research needs across the listed topic areas, with the goal of informing DOE research roadmaps, program decisions, and potential future funding opportunities.
24) Is this described as a discretionary opportunity?
Yes. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary in the administrative setup.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Energy
Next opportunity: Evaluation of Clinical Interventions, Surveillance, and Ecological Factors that Influence the Burden of Human Monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Previous opportunity: Implementing Evidence Based Prevention Interventions to Prevent New Infections in the United Republic of Tanzania under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for DE FOA 0001693
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DE FOA 0001693) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| RFI - HydroNEXT: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development of Hydropower in Undeveloped Stream Reaches of the United States Apply for DE FOA 0001685 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001685 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Building America Industry Partnerships for High Performance Housing Innovation - 2017 Apply for DE FOA 0001630 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001630 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Development and Advancement Apply for DE FOA 0001684 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001684 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Solar Forecasting II Funding Opportunity Announcement Apply for DE FOA 0001649 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001649 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DE-FOA-0001660: Deployment of Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy on Indian Lands - 2017 Apply for DE FOA 0001660 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001660 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Deep Direct-Use Feasibility Studies Apply for DE FOA 0001601 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001601 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $900,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement entitled FY 2017 Vehicle Technologies Deployment Funding Opportunity Announcement Apply for DE FOA 0001706 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001706 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Request for Information (RFI): Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Manufacturing: Identifying Specific Components for Manufacturing Standarization Apply for DE FOA 0001700 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001700 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Fuel Cells Technologies Office Annual Funding Opportunity Announcement Apply for DE FOA 0001647 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001647 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement: Industrial Assessment Centers Technical Field Manager Apply for DE FOA 0001340 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001340 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2017 Apply for DE FOA 0001632 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001632 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0001708 for Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001628 “Productivity Enhanced Algae and Tool-Kits (PEAK)” Apply for DE FOA 0001708 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001708 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0001707 to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0001689 Apply for DE FOA 0001707 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001707 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Development of Nuclear Expertise Across National Nuclear Security Administration Apply for DE FOA 0001720 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001720 Agency: Department of Energy, NNSA Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement: Extending Industrial Assessment Centers to Underserved Areas Apply for DE FOA 0001709 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001709 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $680,000 |
| Industrial Assessment Centers Technical Field Manager Apply for DE FOA 0001679 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001679 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Development and Advancement Apply for DE FOA 0001663 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001663 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA-0001628, “Productivity Enhanced Algae and Tool-Kits (PEAK)” Apply for DE FOA 0001628 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001628 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Innovative Pathways Apply for DE FOA 0001703 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001703 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| RFI: Draft Marine and Hydrokinetic Program Strategy Apply for DE FOA 0001721 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001721 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "DE FOA 0001693", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.