NSF seeking proposals for clean energy conferences
With three cleantech-focused accelerators, the Knoxville-Oak Ridge region should be an ideal candidate.
With three energy-focused accelerators in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge region, this recent “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) might offer another opportunity to enhance the brand image of the broader community.
NSF writes that “as energy use in the U.S. continues to grow, clean, sustainable energy sources must increase to meet demand,” and the federal agency is soliciting ideas for future research-focused conferences. More specifically, the goal is to: (1) identify collaborative research opportunities for advancing science and technology for clean energy, and (2) initiate new collaborations in clean energy topics within academia or between academia and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs).
“Proposers are encouraged to address themes of convergence science and engineering and to bring together researchers, educators, and practitioners from academia, industry, FFRDCs, and nonprofit organizations,” NSF wrote. “Conferences should draw participants from a diverse set of institutions, including non-R1 institutions, minority-serving institutions of higher education, institutions in EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) states, and primarily undergraduate institutions. Proposers are also encouraged to consider geographical diversity as appropriate for the topic when describing specific strategies for recruiting conference participants. Proposals should address innovative approaches to broadening participation.”
Preference will be given to conference themes aligned with the following topics:
- Hydrogen, fusion, and/or geothermal technologies with a focus on enabling new science and technology discovery and deployment within the scope of any of the eight NSF Directorates participating in this DCL.
- Industrial heat and/or energy efficiency technologies with a focus on enabling new science and technology discovery and deployment within the scope of any of the eight NSF Directorates participating in this DCL.
- Offshore wind and/or wave energy technologies with a focus on enabling new science and technology discovery and deployment within the scope of any of the eight NSF Directorates participating in this DCL.
- Critical materials for clean energy technologies – their recovery, reuse, and recycling with a focus on enabling new science and technology discovery and deployment within the scope of any of the eight NSF Directorates participating in this DCL.
- Net-zero fuels and/or bioenergy with a focus on enabling new science and technology discovery and deployment within the scope of any of the eight NSF Directorates participating in this DCL.
- Needs for education and workforce training, including on topics such as understanding of workforce education and training needs; broadening participation opportunities; and new pedagogical approaches in order to advance and strengthen the U.S. competitiveness in the research areas listed above. A project’s scope may span from pre-college through graduate school and career levels.
Submission of a conference proposal is by invitation only; the process is initiated by the submission of a concept outline describing the proposed conference topic. Those outlines are due by 5 p.m. June 30.
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