DOE SBIR/STTR FY 2021 PHASE I RELEASE 2

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

Research in cybersecurity for energy delivery systems is focused on enhancement of operational technology (OT) that aids power systems to adapt and survive from a cyberattack and continue safe operations. This OT is the computers and networks that manage, monitor, protect, and control operations of energy delivery systems. This research topic requests proposals to develop proof of concept for unique and innovative features to existing tools and technologies or unique and innovative techniques and methodologies that address a need for the cyber security for the energy sector. Selected proposals must include a scope of work that will lead up to, but will not include, the development of a demonstration prototype.

All applications to subtopics under this topic must:

· Propose a tightly structured project which includes technical and business milestones that demonstrate clear progress, are aggressive but achievable, and are quantitative;

· For any solution intended for onsite installation; fully justify the compatibility with the electro-magnetic and environmental conditions of the intended site;

· Clearly describe the commercialization potential of the federally-funded effort and provide a detailed path to scale up in potential transition to industry practice.

· Fully justify the future potential for demonstration with an asset owner/operator who is an intended user.

All applications to subtopics under this topic should:

· Clearly define the merit of the proposed innovation compared to competing approaches and the anticipated outcome.

· Be consistent with and have performance metrics (whenever possible) linked to published, authoritative analyses in your technology space.

· Include quantitative projections for price and/or performance improvement that are tied to representative values included in authoritative publications or in comparison to existing products.

· Fully justify all performance claims with thoughtful theoretical predictions and/or experimental data.

Grant applications are sought in the following subtopics:

a. Cybersecurity during Contingency Operations

This subtopic area is for the development of tools and technologies that ensure secure access to energy delivery systems OT during contingency operations. Maintaining control and system/network visibility is paramount during restoration efforts, particularly those involving “black start” techniques and compressor operations in natural gas transmission and distribution. This capability must be timely and secure to prevent any interruption in operations where possible, and to facilitate restoration in the event of outage. This tool must also not hinder the work that must be done to transition from contingency to normal operations of the energy delivery system and should be flexible and quickly deployable. To the extent possible its communications footprint should be light enough to function in situations where normal utility communications paths are disrupted.

Questions – Contact: Walter Yamben, Walter.Yamben@netl.doe.gov

b. Cybersecurity in Supply Chain and Acquisition

This subtopic is for the development of tools, techniques, and/or methodologies to ensure that concerns for cybersecurity are included in the process of equipment and software acquisition within the energy sector. This proposed solution can include but is not limited to addressing interaction of software and firmware with legacy equipment; addressing interaction of new or updated OT equipment with existing operations; sourcing of Industrial Control System (ICS) equipment subcomponents; and addressing management of a software bill of materials.

Questions – Contact: Walter Yamben, Walter.Yamben@netl.doe.gov

c. Enhancing Organizational Cybersecurity Awareness

This subtopic is for the development of tools, techniques, and/or methodologies to enhance the operational base for organizational cybersecurity awareness. Proposed solutions can include but are not limited to innovative approaches to enhance awareness of energy sector OT equipment and networking, and distribution; methodologies to include considerations for multiple entities and varying configurations of OT infrastructure in the development of organizational tabletop exercises; addressing organizational awareness of cybersecurity hygiene for OT equipment and networking.

Questions – Contact: Walter Yamben, Walter.Yamben@netl.doe.gov

References:

1. United States White House. “Executive Order on Securing the United States Bulk-Power System” Infrastructure & Technology, United States White House, May 01, 2020, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-securing-united-states-bulk-power-system/

2. American Petroleum Institute. “State of Operational Technology Cybersecurity in the Oil and Natural Gas Industry.” American Petroleum Institute. p. 82. 2014,

www.api.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Cybersecurity/Operational-Technologies-Guidance-Doc-Apr14.pdf
(It is recommended to access this link through a Chrome browser.)

3. Locasto, M., Balenson, D. “A Comparative Analysis Approach for Deriving Failure Scenarios in the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure”. International Conference on Critical Infrastructure Protection, November 19, 2019, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-34647-8_2

4. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “NTIA Software Component Transparency.” U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIA, 2020, https://www.ntia.doc.gov/SoftwareTransparency

5. Proctor, D. “The Energy-Sector Threat: How to Address Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities.” Power Magazine, September 03, 2020, https://www.powermag.com/the-energy-sector-threat-how-to-address-cybersecurity-vulnerabilities/

6. The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel – Smart Grid Cybersecurity Committee. “Smart Grid Cybersecurity Strategy, Architecture, and High-Level Requirements, Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security.”, Vol. 1-2, NISTIR 7628, p. 668. National Institute of Standards and Technology. 2014, https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2014/NIST.IR.7628r1.pdf

7. IEEE. “C37.240-2014 - IEEE Standard Cybersecurity Requirements for Substation Automation, Protection, and Control Systems.” IEEE Standards Association, 2015. https://standards.ieee.org/standard/C37_240-2014.html

8. National Energy Reliability Corporation. “Reference Document Risks and Mitigations for Losing EMS Functions.” National Energy Reliability Corporation, 2017, https://www.nerc.com/comm/OC/ReferenceDocumentsDL/Risks_and_Mitigations_for_Losing_EMS_Functions_Reference_Document_20171212.pdf

9. North American Transmission Forum. “Bulk Electric Systems Operations Absent Energy Management System and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Capabilities—a Spare Tire Approach.” North American Transmission Forum, 2017, http://www.natf.net/docs/natf/documents/resources/resiliency/natf-bes-operations-absent-ems-and-scada-capabilities---a-spare-tire-approach.pdf

2. Alternative radiological source technologies

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

The Office of Proliferation Detection (PD) within Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) has an objective to reduce the reliance on high-activity commercial and industrial radioactive sources. The office is interested in developing replacements for radiological sources to promote the adoption of non-radioisotopic alternative technologies where technically, operationally, and economically feasible. Grant applications are sought in the following subtopics:

a. Portable Modular Accelerator Technology to Replace Gamma in Irradiation Applications

Ionizing radiation sources are widely used in broad spectrum of applications, including but not limited to: industrial irradiation, cancer treatment, polymer crosslinking, and radiographic inspection of pipes. Multiple irradiation technologies are available: radioisotope sources, non-radioisotopic x-ray sources, and ultrasonic testing sources. The use of high-activity radioisotope sources (including Cs-137, Ir-192, Co-60, and Se-75) poses a radiological security risk since the sources could be stolen and used in a radiological dispersal device, or “dirty bomb”. X-ray and electron beam systems have the potential to be used in lieu of radioisotope sources, thus eliminating the security risk. However, for this technology to be widely adopted, additional development is needed to meet end-user requirements for portable, stable operations.

The Office of Proliferation Detection is soliciting the development of a modular and portable irradiation platform capable of replacing the need for radioisotope source-based irradiators in a broad range of applications. The modular device needs to be very mobile and robust to challenging environmental conditions, including varying temperatures. The creation of a standardized platform is desired for both electron and x-ray irradiation. The system should be able to deliver as wide a range in dose as possible within the range of 0.5 Gy/min to hundreds of Gy/min at a wide range of energies from 1 to 10 MeV. The intent is to establish a cost effective common base technology that can be broadly adopted in various applications and industries with minimal additional engineering effort (i.e. shaping electron beam, conversion to x-ray, beam shaping, etc.)

Questions – Contact: Donald Hornback, Donald.Hornback@nnsa.doe.gov

b. Glass-metal Fritted Assemblies for Alpha-detection

Glass-metal fritting is a widely used method for several commercial-based applications. However, there is a shortfall in commercial capability for specialized detector fabrication for some nonproliferation needs, such as alpha detection in associated particle neutron generators. The Office of Proliferation Detection requires a reliably produced source for hermetic glass-metal assemblies that consists of a fiber-optic window with a viewable diameter greater than or equal to 50 mm. Complexities of manufacturing include sealing the assembly to a flange that can be welded into a stainless steel housing and baked at 300° C for an extended (> 1 day) period without loss of vacuum seal. The fiber-optic window must be compatible with the use of extra-mural absorption (EMA) fibers to absorb stray photons not contained within individual fibers, have a numerical aperture of at least 0.6, and a leak rate less than 1e-10 std cc/s. Existing NNSA projects have identified he opportunity to establish this specialized fabrication capability. Please contact the topic POC for more information.

Questions – Contact: Donald Hornback, Donald.Hornback@nnsa.doe.gov

c. Other

In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, grant applications in other areas relevant to this topic are invited.

Questions – Contact: Donald Hornback, Donald.Hornback@nnsa.doe.gov

References: Subtopic a:

1. National Research Council. “Radiation Source Use and Replacement: Abbreviated Version.” National Academies Press, 2008, https://www.nap.edu/catalog/11976/radiation-source-use-and-replacement-abbreviated-version

2. U.S. Department of Energy. “Basic Research Needs Workshop on Compact Accelerators for Security and Medicine.” U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, 2019, https://science.osti.gov/-/media/hep/pdf/Reports/2020/CASM_WorkshopReport.pdf?la=en&hash=AEB0B318ED0436B1C5FF4EE0FDD6DEB84C2F15B2

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

The Remote Detection Program within the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) has an objective to develop new technologies and methods for nuclear and radiological material security. Meeting this objective requires the improvement of current technology and the development of new tools for remote detection applications. These advances can be used to enable emergency response, safeguards, treaty verification, and other government applications. Research areas in the remote sensing program include: 1) the development of imaging and non-imaging systems (passive or active), 2) multi-modal detection technology, and 3) enhancing detection opportunities through computational methods. Grant applications are sought in the following subtopics:

a. Extending Remote Gas Sensing Range

Fast spectral identification of multiple chemical species is essential when signals are short lived or in constant flux. In response to this, a variety of active sensing systems have been investigated in the past. For example, frequency comb technologies have been shown to provide large spectral coverage while maintaining high resolution [1].

Proposed efforts under this topic should seek to extend the range of sensing systems that can identify multiple gaseous species beyond 1km distance-to-target [2]. High priority should be given to the maximization of signal-to-noise ratios.

Questions – Contact: Chris Ramos, Christopher.ramos@nnsa.doe.gov

b. Networked Edge Sensing

Advances in neuromorphic engineering [1] and event-based sensing have demonstrated new paradigms for remote sensing science. This is in part due to increased computation and analysis on-board the sensor (or ‘at the edge’). Additionally, these technologies are capable of reduced size, weight, and power requirements.

Proposed efforts under this topic should investigate the networking of edge sensing sensors to enhance persistence, increase range, or minimize noise. Modalities that are of interest include: EM, optical, or seismo-acoustic.

Questions – Contact: Chris Ramos, Christopher.ramos@nnsa.doe.gov

c. Other

In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, grant applications in other areas relevant to this topic are invited.

Questions – Contact: Chris Ramos, Christopher.ramos@nnsa.doe.gov

References: Subtopic a:

1. Kowligy, A., et al. “Infrared electric field sampled frequency comb spectroscopy.” Science Advances, 7 June 2019, https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/advances/5/6/eaaw8794.full.pdf

2. Rieker, G.B., Giorgetta, F.R., et al. “Frequency-comb-based remote sensing of greenhouse gases over

kilometer air paths.” Optica, Vol. 1, Issue 5, pp. 290-298, 2014, https://www.nist.gov/publications/frequency-comb-based-remote-sensing-greenhouse-gases-over-kilometer-air-paths

References: Subtopic b:

1. Posch, C. “Bio-inspired vision.” Journal of Instrumentation, Volume 7, January 2012,

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-0221/7/01/C01054

2. Leng, S., Posch, C., et al. “Asynchronous Neuromorphic Event-Driven Image Filtering”, Vol. 102, No. 10, October 2014 | Proceedings of the IEEE, https://www.neuromorphic-vision.com/public/publications/20/publication.pdf

3. Corradi, F , Indiveri, G. “A neuromorphic event-based neural recording system for smart brain-machine-interfaces.” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems, 9(5):699 – 709, 2015 https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/121693/6/8752947.pdf

4. Indiveri, G., "Neuromorphic analog VLSI sensor for visual tracking: circuits and application examples," IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Analog and Digital Signal Processing, vol. 46, no. 11, pp. 1337-1347, Nov. 1999, doi: 10.1109/82.803473,https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/803473

5. Koch, C., and Mathur, B., "Neuromorphic vision chips," IEEE Spectrum, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 38-46, May 1996, doi: 10.1109/6.490055, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/490055

4. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

The Office of Proliferation Detection (PD) within Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) has an objective to develop and demonstrate innovative, digital methods to accelerate the transition of the next generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. COTS AI is generally inadequate for the highly-specialized, high-consequence mission of the national security domain. Meeting this objective requires innovation in data science and AI capabilities to broadly enhance DNN R&D’s diverse capabilities in feature engineering and detection, remote sensing, and signal processing capabilities. Grant applications are sought in the following subtopic:

a. Cloud/High-Performance Computing (HPC) Architectures by Design

Innovation in cost-effective cloud/high-performance computing (HPC) architectures by design is needed to enhance traditional capabilities in remote sensing and signal processing capabilities and enable non-traditional methods (e.g., machine learning) for feature engineering and detection. There is a growing opportunity for expanded mission capability through the utilization of increasingly-available public and commercial imagery and sensor data, as well as open-source text streams, including social media, newsfeeds, scientific literature, and public records. There is also a growing number of HPC-based system models (deterministic and optimization-based) that need to be cost-effectively integrated with data analytics through cost- and time-optimized cloud/HPC architectures. Successful proposals will develop a system concept and software architecture for a proposed cloud and HPC combined architecture that optimizes cost-to-solution and time-to-solution, and should include at least two diverse data streams and one HPC-based systems model for demonstration of a limited-functionality prototype. Phase I deliverable is a final report that describes system concept, software architecture, algorithms, and results from limited functionality prototype demonstration.

Questions – Contact: Angie Sheffield, angela.sheffield@nnsa.doe.gov

b. Other

In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, grant applications in other areas relevant to this topic are invited.

Questions – Contact: Angie Sheffield, angela.sheffield@nnsa.doe.gov

5. DIGITIZing AND ANALYZING Legacy Seismo-acoustic Data

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

Legacy recordings of seismic or infrasonic/acoustic events, including past nuclear tests, are of interest to the community, but many are hard to analyze because they exist only as paper records of analog waveforms, analog media (e.g., Ampex tapes), or digitized data on obsolete storage media (e.g., Digital Audio Tape (DAT), 9-track, or removable discs) that no longer have readily available readers. There is an analogous need to digitize similar types of analog data in satellite telemetry (also with Ampex tapes) and medical records (e.g., electrocardiograms), as part of acquiring a broader base of information for historical recordkeeping and research purposes.

Threats to the loss of information in legacy analog and digital recordings include the degradation of the physical media and the large physical space required to store the records. Cataloging and scanning the analog data are a way to triage and preserve the data, but this is only the first step of a path toward a scientifically useful product. Grant applications are sought in the following areas:

a. Digitization of Legacy Seismo-acoustic Waveform Data

Research is needed to improve the robustness and automation of techniques to rapidly and accurately digitize analog records of legacy seismo-acoustic waveform data. Scanning records has limitations in the tradeoff between scanning time vs. resolution. A variety of original recording technologies (e.g., paper helicorders, film develocorders), each with associated idiosyncrasies, generated data that must be recovered [1, 2, 3, 4]. Of interest are methods that streamline the scanning and digitization process, ideally allowing for treatment of a variety of original data types and correcting for complications such as overlapping signals, rotating drum distortions, and time marks. The resulting techniques would enhance legacy data digitization by enabling automated translation of historical data into a useable form. Digitizations of interest include signal and noise spectra at frequencies from approximately 0.02 to 20 Hz and timing precision that can be quantified.

Questions – Contact: Thomas Kiess, thomas.kiess@nnsa.doe.gov

b. Methods to Readily Read, Recover, and Organize Legacy Digital Storage Media

Research is needed to develop methods to readily read, recover, and organize data from legacy digital storage media (e.g., DAT, 9-track, etc.) before these media degrade and become unreadable [1, 2]. Information of interest includes file formats, as well as sensor and catalog metadata. Metadata includes operational time period and site information, as well as full digital data recovery. Particular attention is needed for reading aging media (physically and magnetically weak), including the possibility that media may break and degrade beyond usability after a few read cycles [3, 4].

Questions – Contact: Thomas Kiess, thomas.kiess@nnsa.doe.gov

c. Analysis Methods to Identify the Instrument Response Function (IRF) for De-convolution

The recorded trace on a seismometer is the incident ground motion convolved with the response function of the sensor and data acquisition system. It is necessary to remove the response function from the data in order to obtain the true measured time history of ground motion. Methods of removing the response function exist if it is known [1, 2]. However, for a signal recorded from a legacy instrument, the amplitude and phase response of the instrument may not have been preserved. Many of these legacy instruments no longer exist and records of calibrations performed during their lifetime may be missing or incomplete.

The challenge is to conduct research to devise methods of analyzing the waveform time series represented in the legacy data to estimate the sensor and data acquisition instrument response function (IRF). The frequency passband required for seismic waveform analysis is primarily over the operational monitoring band of 0.02 to 20 Hz, but also of interest are methods applicable at lower frequencies down to 0.0083 Hz (120-second periods). Possible approaches can include, but not limited to, analysis of the microseism and other background noise [3], analysis of recorded events in the historical archive with known signal characteristics (such as large magnitude earthquakes), and comparison of the legacy IRF to other nearby seismometers with known response functions that may have been operating during overlapping time periods.

A potential approach is to develop a signal analysis algorithm to identify the amplitude of the first and subsequent peaks, and to derive the uncertainty in these values, given an IRF and a noise spectrum model, or in a self-consistent analysis in which the full trace constrains how significant the IRF and noise are in modifying the size of the largest peaks and features. An outcome of interest is to generate such a self-consistent analysis from a legacy recording trace, and deduce limits on how much influence the IRF or noise would have on the amplitude of the major peaks (primarily the first one), to produce the “true amplitude” and its uncertainty. There might be analogous applications in medical record analyses (e.g., elucidating relative size of s- vs. t- waves vs. other elements of electrocardiogram traces) [4].

Questions – Contact: Thomas Kiess, thomas.kiess@nnsa.doe.gov

d. Other

In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, grant applications in other areas relevant to this topic are invited.

Questions – Contact: Thomas Kiess, thomas.kiess@nnsa.doe.gov

References: Subtopic a:

1. Gomes e Silva, A. R., Oliveira, H.M., and Lins, R.D. “Converting EEG, ECG and other paper legated biomedical maps into digital signals.” presented at XXV Simpósio Brasileiro de Telecomunicações, Recife —PE, Brasil, September 3-6, 2003, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.604.9477&rep=rep1&type=pdf

2. Hwang, L., Ahern, T., Ebinger, C., Ellsworth, W., Euler, G., Okal, E., Okubo, P., and Walter, W. “Workshop Report: Securing legacy seismic data to enable future discoveries.” National Science Foundation, 58 pp, doi:10.31223/osf.io/dre8m, 2019,https://geodynamics.org/cig/events/calendar/2019-seismic-legacy/

3. Sopher, D. “Converting scanned images of seismic reflection data into SEG-Y format.” Earth Science Informatics 11, 241-255, doi:10.1007/s12145-017-0329-z, 2017, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321057467_Converting_scanned_images_of_seismic_reflection_data_into_SEG-Y_format/fulltext/5a0afae40f7e9b0cc024f897/Converting-scanned-images-of-seismic-reflection-data-into-SEG-Y-format.pdf?origin=publication_detail

4. Young, B., and Abbott, R. “Recovery and Calibration of Legacy Underground Nuclear Test Seismic Data from the Leo Brady Seismic Network,” Seismological Research Letters, 91, 1488–1499, doi: 10.1785/0220190341, 2020, https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/srl/article-abstract/91/3/1488/583454/Recovery-and-Calibration-of-Legacy-Underground

References: Subtopic b:

1. Hwang, L., Ahern, T., Ebinger, C., Ellsworth, W., Euler, G., Okal, E., Okubo, P., and Walter, W. “Workshop Report: Securing legacy seismic data to enable future discoveries.” National Science Foundation, 58 pp, doi:10.31223/osf.io/dre8m, 2019, https://geodynamics.org/cig/events/calendar/2019-seismic-legacy/

2. Sopher, D. “Converting scanned images of seismic reflection data into SEG-Y format.” Earth Science Informatics 11, 241-255, doi:10.1007/s12145-017-0329-z, 2017, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321057467_Converting_scanned_images_of_seismic_reflection_data_into_SEG-Y_format/fulltext/5a0afae40f7e9b0cc024f897/Converting-scanned-images-of-seismic-reflection-data-into-SEG-Y-format.pdf?origin=publication_detail

3. National Recording Preservation Board. “Capturing Analog Sound for Digital Preservation: Report of a Roundtable Discussion of Best Practices for Transferring Analog Discs and Tapes.” March 2006 publication of the National Recording Preservation Board, a report of the Council on Library and Information Resources and the Library of Congress, ISBN 1-932326-25-1, 2006, https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub137/

4. Hess, R. “Tape Degradation Factors and Challenges in Predicting Tape Life” Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) Journal XXXIV/ii 2008, pp 240-274, 2008, http://www.richardhess.com/tape/history/HESS_Tape_Degradation_ARSC_Journal_39-2.pdf

References: Subtopic c:

1. Scherbaum, F. “Of Poles and Zeros: Fundamentals of Digital Seismology.” Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001, https://www.amazon.com/Poles-Zeros-Fundamentals-Seismology-Approaches/dp/0792368355

2. Havskov, J., Gerardo, A. “Instrumentation in Earthquake Seismology.” Springer, 2016, https://www.amazon.com/Instrumentation-Earthquake-Seismology-Jens-Havskov/dp/331921313X

3. Ringler, A.T., Storm, T., Gee, L.S. et al. “Uncertainty estimates in broadband seismometer sensitivities using microseisms.” SpringerLink, 19, 317–327, doi:10.1007/s10950-014-9467-7, 2015, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10950-014-9467-7

4. Gomes e Silva, A. R., Oliveira, H.M. and Lins, R. D. “Converting EEG, ECG and other paper legated biomedical maps into digital signals.” presented at XXV Simpósio Brasileiro de Telecomunicações, Recife —PE, Brasil, September 3-6, 2003, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.604.9477&rep=rep1&type=pdf

c. Analysis Methods to Identify the Instrument Response Function (IRF) for De-convolution

The recorded trace on a seismometer is the incident ground motion convolved with the response function of the sensor and data acquisition system. It is necessary to remove the response function from the data in order to obtain the true measured time history of ground motion. Methods of removing the response function exist if it is known [1, 2]. However, for a signal recorded from a legacy instrument, the amplitude and phase response of the instrument may not have been preserved. Many of these legacy instruments no longer exist and records of calibrations performed during their lifetime may be missing or incomplete.

The challenge is to conduct research to devise methods of analyzing the waveform time series represented in the legacy data to estimate the sensor and data acquisition instrument response function (IRF). The frequency passband required for seismic waveform analysis is primarily over the operational monitoring band of 0.02 to 20 Hz, but also of interest are methods applicable at lower frequencies down to 0.0083 Hz (120-second periods). Possible approaches can include, but not limited to, analysis of the microseism and other background noise [3], analysis of recorded events in the historical archive with known signal characteristics (such as large magnitude earthquakes), and comparison of the legacy IRF to other nearby seismometers with known response functions that may have been operating during overlapping time periods.

A potential approach is to develop a signal analysis algorithm to identify the amplitude of the first and subsequent peaks, and to derive the uncertainty in these values, given an IRF and a noise spectrum model, or in a self-consistent analysis in which the full trace constrains how significant the IRF and noise are in modifying the size of the largest peaks and features. An outcome of interest is to generate such a self-consistent analysis from a legacy recording trace, and deduce limits on how much influence the IRF or noise would have on the amplitude of the major peaks (primarily the first one), to produce the “true amplitude” and its uncertainty. There might be analogous applications in medical record analyses (e.g., elucidating relative size of s- vs. t- waves vs. other elements of electrocardiogram traces) [4].

Questions – Contact: Thomas Kiess, thomas.kiess@nnsa.doe.gov

6. surface mapping MICROANALYSiS

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

Nuclear forensics analysis often involves combining information from several microanalytical imaging technologies (e.g., optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy [SEM], secondary ion mass spectrometry [SIMS], and other spectroscopic methods) in a serial fashion to provide a complete characterization of material samples. A significant challenge for analytical imaging technologies is the characterization of a single region of interest by complementary methods, which requires precise sample positioning, identification of features that warrant analysis by different analytical techniques, relocation of regions or features with high accuracy (typically within a few micrometers) on different analytical platforms, correlation of analytical signals from disparate technologies (e.g., reflected light, secondary electrons or ions, x-ray fluorescence, etc.), and visualization (e.g., 2-D or 3-D surface mapping). Therefore, of interest to DNN R&D are innovative solutions to (i) rapidly scan surfaces using various microscopies, (ii) efficiently correlate microanalytical images that provide complementary information, (iii) combine images so that they correctly align, and (iv) enable 2-D and 3-D surface mapping that combine disparate analytical data. Regions of interest can require cross-platform spatial resolution of one micrometer or less. For example, features of interest can be identified by rapid scanning using one or more imaging techniques (e.g. optical, SEM, SIMS, etc.); regions are relocated on a separation analytical platform for further analysis at short length scales; disparate information streams (e.g., chemical, elemental, isotopic, morphologic) are correlated to align or overlay features at high spatial resolution; and finally, optical images are then utilized to develop a 2-D or 3-D surface map combining all analytical information. Research is needed to achieve rapid scanning and spatial alignment of surface maps made by each microscopy to the same x-y-z position. Materials of interest may be affixed to sample holding substrates made of various materials (e.g., glass, carbon, plastic, silicon, gold, aluminum, or steel). Thermal stability, electrical conductivity, material compatibility, and stability all must be maintained, such that regions of interest can be archived and reanalyzed as needed. Approaches should enable the ability to identify and target key features, to include but not limited to: trace surface contamination, particle grain inclusions, surface treatments, signs of aging or corrosion, and radiolytic damage.

Grant applications are sought in the following subtopics:

a. Rapid Scanning and Feature Discrimination

Research in rapid scanning of SNM surfaces is needed to image and identify down to sub-micron resolution unusual features (e.g., defects, areas of anomalous composition, or material inclusions) on samples of special nuclear material (SNM) or surrogates (e.g., cerium oxide or depleted uranium samples). Technology developed in this subtopic is of value to either (i) enable scans of surfaces (ideally 1 sq. cm area) using various microscopies (electron, optical, other) at high resolution (ideally micron or sub-micron resolution) rapidly (ideally hours or days rather than years to complete a high-resolution scan of such a large surface area), or (ii) enable scans of surfaces (ideally 1 sq. cm area) using various microscopies (electron, optical, other) at relatively low resolution rapidly, then apply algorithms to select subsample spots for micron-scale imaging. Software algorithms developed in this subtopic could be used to locate micron-sized particles of interest (e.g., dust or pollen grains) or regions of abnormality for further scrutiny and analysis. This subtopic welcomes rapid approaches that facilitate the determination of whether a single mapped square cm area is truly representative of the entire sample surface, as well as probe whether a subsample image exhibits correlated pattern templates representing the full area under investigation.

Questions – Contact: Timothy Ashenfelter, Timothy.Ashenfelter@nnsa.doe.gov

b. 2-D and 3-D Surface Mapping Across Multiple Microscopy Platforms

Research is needed in machine vision approaches that correlate features in the spatial fields-of-view between optical microscopy platforms and analytical images obtained by other means such as SEM, SEM-Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS), and SIMS. Software algorithms and/or instrumentation developed in this subtopic is of value to enable (i) scans of surfaces using various microscopies (e.g., electron or optical), (ii) image correlation to align and overlay images from combinations of imaging platforms, (iii) accurate indexing of features of interest on microscopy platforms to resolutions of 1 micrometer or better, and/or (iv) 3-D mapping of surface topography to assess surface uniformity as a function of position. Sample substrates typically require conductive materials such as metal-coated glass, silicon, or carbon and require registration at or better than the one-micrometer scale. Techniques are desired to assess surface uniformity, curvature, or address morphology as a function of position, for optically rough surfaces of the order of one square centimeter.

Questions – Contact: Timothy Ashenfelter, Timothy.Ashenfelter@nnsa.doe.gov

c. Spatial Alignment and Target Extraction

Research is needed to develop an optical inspection and robust sample manipulation stage for the removal of particulates of typical diameter 1-300 micrometers from an oxide or metal surface. The functionality of interest is that of a stage of an optical microscope, with manipulation capable of at least four degrees of freedom (DOF) – e.g., x, y, z sample movement and z movement of a particle removal mechanism – with sub-micrometer reproducible positioning. In our application, sample removal mechanisms must utilize methods that do not alter the chemical composition of the particulates or transfer contamination so that ultra-trace destructive analyses can be performed to characterize the chemical and isotopic composition of collected particles. Materials of interest are solid samples comprised of both refractory materials (e.g., SiO2, Al2O3, and similar oxides) and light elements (i.e., low-Z organic macromolecules). Also of interest are techniques that provide a 3-D visualization of the extracted component.

Questions – Contact: Timothy Ashenfelter, Timothy.Ashenfelter@nnsa.doe.gov

d. Other

In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, grant applications are sought in other areas that fall within the scope of the topic description above.

Questions – Contact: Timothy Ashenfelter, Timothy.Ashenfelter@nnsa.doe.gov

References: Subtopic a:

1. Nelson, M. P., Zugates, C. T., Treado, P. J., Casuccio, G. S., Exline, D.L., & Schlaegle, S. F. “Combining Raman Chemical Imaging and Scanning Electron Microscopy to Characterize Ambient Fine Particulate Matter.” Aerosol Science & Technology, Vol. 34, Issue 1, pp. 108-117, 2001, DOI: 0.1080/02786820120709, 2001, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239792090_Combining_Raman_Chemical_Imaging_and_Scanning_Electron_Microscopy_to_Characterize_Ambient_Fine_Particulate_Matter

2. Schaaff, T.G., McMahon, J.M., and Todd, P.J. “Semiautomated analytical image correlation.” Analytical Chemistry, Volume 74, Pages 4361-4369, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11155045_Semiautomated_Analytical_Image_Correlation

3. Masyuko, R.; Lanni, E.J.; Sweedler, J.V.; Bohn, P.W. “Correlated imaging – A grand challenge in chemical analysis.” Analyst, Volume 138, pages 1924-1939, 2003, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718397/

4. Park, Y. J., Song, K., Pyo, H. Y., Lee, M.H., Jee, K.Y., Kim, W. H. “Investigation on the fission track analysis of uranium-doped particles for the screening of safeguards environmental samples.” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume 557, Issue 2, 15 February 2006, Pages 657-663, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168900205023144

References: Subtopic b:

1. Gong, Z., et al. “Fluorescence and SEM correlative microscopy for nanomanipulation of subcellular structures.” Light: Science & Applications, 2014, 3, e224, doi: 10.1038/lsa.2014.105, https://www.nature.com/articles/lsa2014105

2. Zimmermann, S.; Tiemerding, T.; Fatikow, S. “Automated robotic manipulation of individual colloidal particles using vision-based control.” IEEE-ASME Trans. Mechatronics Volume 20, Issue 5, pp 2031-2038, 2014, DOI: 10.1109/TMECH.2014.2361271, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273336412_Automated_Robotic_Manipulation_of_Individual_Colloidal_Particles_Using_Vision-Based_Control

3. Pinskier, J.; Shirinzadeh, B.; Clark, L.; Qui, Y. “Development of a 4-DOF haptic micromanipulator utilizing a hybrid parallel serial flexure mechanism.” Mechatronics, Volume 50, pp 55-68 (2018) DOI: 10.1016/j.mechatronics.2018.01.007, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0957415818300072

4. Curtis, M. Farago, F. “Handbook of Dimensional Measurement, Fifth Edition.” Industrial Press Inc., 656 pages, 2013, https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Dimensional-Measurement-Mark-Curtis/dp/0831134658

References: Subtopic c:

1. Herranen, J., Markkanen, J., Videen, G., Muinonen, K. “Non-spherical particles in optical tweezers: A numerical solution.” PLoS ONE 14(12): e0225773, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225773

2. Polemeno et al, Optical tweezers and their applications, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer (2018). Vol 218, pp 131-150 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002240731830445X

3. , https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022311516300290

7. Advanced GRID TEchnologies

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

The electric power grid is facing increasing stress due to fundamental changes in both supply-side and demand-side technologies. On the supply-side, there is a shift from large synchronous generators to smaller, lighter units (e.g., gas-fired turbines) and variable energy resources (e.g., renewables) with utility scale energy storage. On the demand-side, there is a growing number of distributed energy resources, as well as a shift from large induction motors to rapidly increasing use of electronic converters in buildings, industrial equipment, and consumer devices. The monitoring and control systems used for operations are also transitioning from analog systems to systems with increasing data streams and more digital control and communications; from systems with a handful of control points at central stations to ones with potentially millions of control points.

Grid modernization will require the adoption of advanced technologies, such as smart meters, automated feeder switches, fiber optic and wireless networks, energy storage, and other new hardware. It must also encompass and enable the application of intelligent devices, next-generation components, cybersecurity protections, advanced grid modeling and applications, distributed energy resources, and innovative architectures. Integration of these technologies will require a new communication and control layer to manage a changing mix of supply- and demand-side resources, evolving threats, and to provide new services.

The transition to a modern grid will create new technical challenges for an electric power system that was not designed for today’s requirements. Customers have never relied more on electricity, nor been so involved in where and how it is generated, stored, and used. Utilities will continue retrofitting the existing infrastructure with a variety of smart digital devices and communication technologies needed to enable the distributed, two-way flow of information and energy. Reliability, resilience, and security will remain a top priority as aging infrastructure and changing demand, supply, and market structures create new operational challenges.

All applications to this topic should:

· Be consistent with and have performance metrics (whenever possible) linked to published, authoritative analyses in your technology space.

· Clearly define the merit of the proposed innovation compared to competing approaches and the anticipated outcome.

· Emphasize the commercialization potential of the overall effort and provide a path to scale up in potential Phase II follow-on work.

· Include quantitative projections for price and/or performance improvement that are tied to representative values included in authoritative publications or in comparison to existing products.

· Fully justify all performance claims with thoughtful theoretical predictions and/or experimental data.

Grant applications are sought in the following subtopics:

a. Advanced Protective Relaying Technologies and Tools

The reliability of an electric transmission or distribution system in response to a fault is heavily dependent upon the underlying protection scheme that is being utilized to identify and respond to that fault. The equipment that forms the basis of these schemes include:

· Protective relays which respond to electrical quantities,

· Communications systems necessary for correct operation of protective functions,

· Voltage and current sensing devices providing inputs to protective relays,

· Station dc supply associated with protective functions (including station batteries, battery chargers, and non-battery-based dc supply), and

· Control circuitry associated with protective functions through the trip coil(s) of the circuit breakers or other interrupting devices.

Innovative advancements in protective relaying systems are almost limitless, which is why this topic area is focused more on reducing or eliminating those aspects that inhibit the performance and reliability of the elements in this field while improving the resiliency of such elements. Examples of such innovation include but are not limited to: Dynamic, adaptive or setting-less relays; Distinguishing between momentary and permanent faults; Misoperation reduction; and hidden failures. Collaboration with protection device manufacturers and utility protection engineers is strongly encouraged.

Questions – Contact: David Howard, david.howard@hq.doe.gov

b. New Methods for Training Operators Leveraging Advances in Cognitive Science

As the grid has evolved, it has continued to become increasingly complex. At the same time, our reliance on electricity has grown and tolerance for power interruptions have decreased. This means that new operators are entering into an increasingly demanding environment – and may not have much time to learn through trial and experience on the job. Additionally, system operators are facing these new challenges as the workforce is aging – stressing existing operator training norms. New methods or simulators for training system operators are needed to help train the changing workforce. Understanding what system operators require to make informed decisions and analysis, human factors innovation in visualization and decision making can enable more effective training for new operators. Training methods that are able to help the operator learn the uniqueness of the system they will be operating, as opposed to a generic power systems, are needed to meet the growing complexity of the system.

Applications to this subtopic should consider:

· State of the art of human factors and cognitive science research

· State of the art visualization methods, including tools not traditionally used in the power sector

· User training and ease of user experience

· Multi-sector system training given electricity system interdependences with other sectors (such as natural gas).

Collaboration with power system operators and utility engineers is strongly encouraged.

Questions – Contact: Sandra Jenkins, sandra.jenkins@hq.doe.gov

References: Subtopic a:

1. Schweitzer, E.O., III, Fleming, B., Lee, T.J., Anderson, P.M. “Reliability Analysis of Transmission Protection Using Fault Tree Analysis Methods.” 24th Annual Western Protective Relay Conference, SEL and Power Math Associates, USA, p. 18., 1998, https://selinc.cachefly.net/assets/Literature/Publications/Technical%20Papers/6060_ReliabilityAnalysis_Web.pdf?v=20151204-152929

2. Scheer, G.W., Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. “Answering Substation Automation Questions Through Fault Tree Analysis.” 4th Annual Substation Automation Conference, p. 30, 1998, https://cdn.selinc.com/assets/Literature/Publications/Technical%20Papers/6073_AnsweringSubstation_Web.pdf

3. Sandoval, R., Santana, C.A.V., Schwartz, R.A., et al. “Using Fault Tree Analysis to Evaluate Protection Scheme Redundancy.” 37th Annual Western Protective Relay Conference, p. 21, 2010, https://static.selinc.com/assets/Literature/Publications/Technical%20Papers/6461_UsingFaultTree_HA_20101018_Web.pdf?v=20150812-152037

4. Depablos, J., Ree, J.D.L., Centeno, V. “Identifying Distribution Protection System Vulnerabilities Prompted by the Addition of Distributed Generation.” 2^nd International Conference on Critical Infrastructures, Grenoble, p. 3, 2004, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252155192_IDENTIFYING_DISTRIBUTION_PROTECTION_SYSTEM_VULNERABILITIES_PROMPTED_BY_THE_ADDITION_OF_DISTRIBUTED_GENERATION

5. Sakis Meliopoulos, A. P., Yang, F., Cokkinides, G. J., Binh Dam, Q. “Effects of Protection System Hidden Failures on Bulk Power System Reliability.” 2006 38^th North American Power Symposium, IEEE, 2006, http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4201364/

6. McCalley, J., Oluwaseyi, O., Krishnan, V., et al. “System Protection Schemes: Limitation, Risks, and Management.” Final Project Report, Power Systems Engineering Research Center (PSERC), p. 6, 2010, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277330229_System_Protection_Schemes_Limitations_Risks_and_Management

7. Azarm, M.A., Bari, R., Yue, M., Musicki, Z. “Electrical Substation Reliability Evaluation with Emphasis on Evolving Interdependance on Communication Infrastructure.” 8th International Conference on Probabilistic Method Applied to Power Systems, Brookhaven National Laboratory, BNL-73108-2004-CP, 2004, https://www.bnl.gov/isd/documents/26662.pdf

8. Wang, F. “Reliability Evaluation of Substations Subject to Protection Failures.” Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands, p. 110, 2012, http://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:ca5075ff-c0ed-4f54-9b5e-db17eb0fc3cb/?collection=research

9. Kezunovic, M. “A Survey of Engineering Tools for Protective Relaying.” TuDelft, Electra N 225, p. 26-30, 2012, http://smartgridcenter.tamu.edu/resume/pdf/j/electra06.pdf

References: Subtopic b:

1. Stevens-Adams, S., Cole, K., Haass, M., Warrender, C., Jeffers, R., Burnham, L., Forsythe, C. “Situation Awareness and Automation in the Electric Grid Control Room.” Procedia Manufacturing, Volume 3, 2015, Pages 5277-5284, ISSN 2351-9789, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351978915006101

2. Fink, R., Hill, D., O’Hara, J. “Human Factors Guidance for Control Room and Digital Human-System Interface Design and Modification.” EPRI, November 2004, https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/835085

3. Federal Aviation Administration “Human Factors Division” https://www.hf.faa.gov/

4. ABB, “How to enhance control room operator capacities: human factors and ergonomics” 2020, https://new.abb.com/control-rooms/features/how-to-enhance-control-room-operator-capacities

5. Smallman, H., Rieth, C. “ADVICE: Decision Support for Complex Geospatial Decision Making Tasks.” Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 453-465. 10.1007/978-3-319-57987-0_37, 2017, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317175215_ADVICE_Decision_Support_for_Complex_Geospatial_Decision_Making_Tasks

8. Advanced POWER cONVERSION sYSTEM mAGNETICS FOR grid-tied energy storage

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: NO

The widespread adoption of grid-tied energy storage systems continues to grow, especially due to increasing deployment of renewable energy such as photovoltaic and wind energy systems. Grid-tied energy storage systems add valuable functionality such as renewable firming, frequency regulation, power quality enhancement, and dynamic stability support. Grid storage will ultimately improve the reliability, flexibility, security, and quality of the existing electricity utility grid. The enabling technology that is crucial to these applications is the power conversion system (PCS). The power conversion system controls the power supplied and absorbed from the grid to energy storage device performance while maintaining grid stability. Critical electrical components used in PCS are semiconductors, magnetics such as transformers and inductors, and capacitors. With the advances in wide bandgap semiconductor devices such as SiC and GaN, new topologies for PCSs are emerging due to their high switching frequency, high junction temperature, and high breakdown voltage capabilities. There is increased interest in the usage of high-frequency link converters by utilizing dual active bridge technology. This approach can significantly reduce the size of the transformer while providing galvanic isolation.

All applications to this topic should:

· Be consistent with and have performance metrics (whenever possible) linked to published, authoritative analyses in your technology space.

· Clearly define the merit of the proposed innovation compared to competing approaches and the anticipated outcome.

· Emphasize the commercialization potential of the overall effort and provide a path to scale up in potential Phase II follow-on work.

· Include quantitative projections for price and/or performance improvement that are tied to representative values included in authoritative publications or in comparison to existing products.

· Fully justify all performance claims with thoughtful theoretical predictions and/or experimental data.

Grant applications are sought in the following subtopic:

a. Advanced Manufactured High Frequency Link Transformers for Next Generation Grid-tied Energy Storage Power Conversion Systems

To date, energy storage systems employ line frequency transformers for voltage matching at the point of common coupling and galvanic isolation. However, these transformers can have a large footprint, lossy, noisy, and heavy, which can limit high density power conversion designs. Recently, there has been interest in high-frequency link converters to reduce the size of the transformer. The magnetic cores utilized in such systems are critical for proper operation and when paired with wide bandgap semiconductors can become the bottleneck for high power throughput, particularly given the limitations of the current available materials. Additionally, even with the significantly lower inductance requirements at high frequency, the current materials demand that the transformer take up a disproportionately large piece of the power electronics footprint (especially if the power electronics design dictates that they be passively cooled) and cost. Added flexibility and agility in PCS design and deployment could be realized through advanced manufactured transformer and inductor cores. Additively manufactured (AM) or 3D printed cores could be fabricated directly onto printed circuit boards (PCBs) and eliminate pick and place power electronics assembly. Manufacturing could be further streamlined through the additive manufacture of the windings in addition to the magnetic core. Applications are sought to demonstrate an additively manufactured high frequency (≥ 100 kHz) transformer (complete with AM windings) for dual active bridge converter topology rated at

> 10 kW, 48 Vdc input and > 300 Vdc output to ultimately further the power density of next generation 3-phase 480/208 Vac PCS. The transformer should be capable of operating at temperatures of ≥ 150 °C. The final design should show a significant increase in performance, cost reduction, and decrease in footprint compared to a traditional grid-tied power conversion design connected to line frequency transformer.

Questions – Contact: Imre Gyuk, imre.gyuk@hq.doe.gov

References:

1. Yan, Y., Moss, J., Ngo, K. D. T., Mei, Y., Lu, G. “Additive Manufacturing of Toroid Inductor for Power Electronics Applications.” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 53, 5709-5714, 2017, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7570536

2. Liu, L., Ge, T., Yan, Y., Ngo, K. D. T., Lu, G. “UV-assisted 3D-printing of soft ferrite magnetic components for power electronics integration.” 2017 International Conference on Electronics Packaging (ICEP), pp. 447-450, 2017, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7939416

3. Plotkowski, A., Carver, K., List, F., Pries, J., Li, Z., Rossy, A.M., Leonard, D. “Design and performance of an additively manufactured high-Si transformer core.” Materials & Design 194, 108894, 2020, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127520304287

4. Simpson, N., Tighe, C., Mellor, P. “Design of High Performance Shaped Profile Windings for Additive Manufacture.” 2019 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE), pp. 761-768, 2019, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8912923

5. Simpson, N., Mellor, P.H. “Additive manufacturing of shaped profile windings for minimal AC loss in gapped inductors.” 2017 IEEE International Electric Machines and Drives Conference (IEMDC), pp. 1-7, 2017, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Additive-manufacturing-of-shaped-profile-windings-Simpson-Mellor/192a279593cc3d18b7239d7ce70cf92dc996206d

a. Advanced Manufactured High Frequency Link Transformers for Next Generation Grid-tied Energy Storage Power Conversion Systems

To date, energy storage systems employ line frequency transformers for voltage matching at the point of common coupling and galvanic isolation. However, these transformers can have a large footprint, lossy, noisy, and heavy, which can limit high density power conversion designs. Recently, there has been interest in high-frequency link converters to reduce the size of the transformer. The magnetic cores utilized in such systems are critical for proper operation and when paired with wide bandgap semiconductors can become the bottleneck for high power throughput, particularly given the limitations of the current available materials. Additionally, even with the significantly lower inductance requirements at high frequency, the current materials demand that the transformer take up a disproportionately large piece of the power electronics footprint (especially if the power electronics design dictates that they be passively cooled) and cost. Added flexibility and agility in PCS design and deployment could be realized through advanced manufactured transformer and inductor cores. Additively manufactured (AM) or 3D printed cores could be fabricated directly onto printed circuit boards (PCBs) and eliminate pick and place power electronics assembly. Manufacturing could be further streamlined through the additive manufacture of the windings in addition to the magnetic core. Applications are sought to demonstrate an additively manufactured high frequency (≥ 100 kHz) transformer (complete with AM windings) for dual active bridge converter topology rated at

> 10 kW, 48 Vdc input and > 300 Vdc output to ultimately further the power density of next generation 3-phase 480/208 Vac PCS. The transformer should be capable of operating at temperatures of ≥ 150 °C. The final design should show a significant increase in performance, cost reduction, and decrease in footprint compared to a traditional grid-tied power conversion design connected to line frequency transformer.

Questions – Contact: Imre Gyuk, imre.gyuk@hq.doe.gov

9. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: YES

EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) (http://energy.gov/eere/amo) collaborates with industry, small business, universities, national laboratories and other stakeholders on emerging manufacturing technologies to drive U.S. energy productivity and economic competitiveness. AMO has a dual mission to develop technologies that reduce manufacturing energy intensity and/or reduce the life cycle energy impact of manufactured goods.

This Topic reflects DOE’s support for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Development (R&D) as part of its funding to advance the Industries of the Future. It includes activities that develop new paradigms, methods, processes, or equipment for new or existing manufacturing products, materials, or supply chain components and that provide an advantage over existing techniques or tools. Advantages include reduced time to market, enabling new performance attributes, improving small-batch production, cost savings, energy savings, or reduced environmental impact from the manufacturing of products.

All proposals to this topic must:

· Propose a tightly structured program which includes clear, manufacturing-relevant technical milestones/timeline that demonstrate clear progress, are aggressive but achievable, and are quantitative;

· Provide evidence that the proposer has relevant manufacturing experience and capability;

· Clearly define metrics and expected deliverables;

· Explain applications of project output and potential for future commercialization;

· Include projections for cost and/or performance improvements that are tied to a clearly defined baseline and/or state of the art products or practices;

· Explicitly and thoroughly differentiate the proposed innovation with respect to existing commercially available products or solutions;

· Include an energy savings impact and impact grid as well as a preliminary cost analysis;

· Report all relevant performance metrics; and

· Justify all performance claims with theoretical predictions and/or relevant experimental data.

The Phase I application should detail material, design and/or bench scale systems that are scalable to a subsequent Phase II prototype development.

NOTE: In addition to the subtopics below, AMO is considering funding proposals in response to the following three multi-office topics: Topic 20 – Joint Topic: CABLE Materials And Applications; Topic 11 – Joint Topic: Polymers Upcycling and Recycling; and Topic 13 – Joint Topic: Advanced Building Construction Technologies.

Applications must be responsive to the following subtopics. Applications outside of these subtopic areas will not be considered.

a. Innovation Research in Application Specific Integrated Circuit ASIC Semiconductor Chip Design for Edge Computing in Manufacturing

The objective of this subtopic is to maintain US manufacturing leadership by providing small business opportunities to develop technologies that will be applied in next-generation manufacturing [1]. Small businesses that provide applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductor technology design and concept development are afforded the opportunity to work with US semiconductor fabricators to bring AI technology that will rely on 5G broadband wireless communications to applications in the US manufacturing sector [2]. Many technologies that are presently applied in manufacturing process control, for example, that rely on wired communication links, will be superseded by wireless communications, and adaptive control approaches based on AI and machine learning strategies will be possible with the digital computing power that will be accessible with 5G broadband wireless communications.

This subtopic solicits feasibility research in new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs that will enable AI application in edge computing applications such as automatic control. This subtopic reflects DOE’s support for to enable 5G/Advanced Wireless Technologies as part of its focus on enabling the Industries of the Future as well as DOE\EERE’s support for Advanced Microelectronics.

The introduction of 5G broadband wireless communications will enable manufacturers to access resources available only with 5G wireless – such as cloud computing and complex wireless sensor networks. This broadband access, in turn, will facilitate the application of digital computing at points of access or presence in manufacturing operations (edge computing). This includes AI applications in automatic control of discrete and continuous processes. Open and closed loop control in manufacturing requires sensing of process or operation variables and the application of algorithms by controllers to act on sensor measurements to control final elements in control loops. AI-based control approaches derive algorithms for closed loop control and models for open loop control using a variety of machine learning approaches to analyze data.

ASIC designs developed for this subtopic are expected to be 5G compatible and be of direct use in edge computing applied to US manufacturing, such as applications in automatic control. Small businesses providing promising new ASIC designs would be expected to work with semiconductor circuit manufactures to fabricate the new ASIC and integrate these into edge computing systems that would be used by manufacturers, with a specified purpose such as automatic control of processes and operations. Grant applications responsive to this Phase 1 funding opportunity will specify the proposed end use in US manufacturing of new ASIC designs, the AI and machine learning approaches to be applied by the ASIC, the possible integration of the ASIC into an edge computing system, and discuss the benefits of the possible new technology as compared with current manufacturing practice in the US.

Questions – Contact: Brian Valentine, Brian.Valentine@ee.doe.gov

b. Novel Manufacturing Methods for Membranes and Desalination System Components

This subtopic solicits proposals to develop continuous, precise, and smart manufacturing techniques that have the potential to lower the cost and facilitate the adoption of high-performance membrane materials and design architectures. Together, such changes in design and materials manufacturing methods could substantially reduce the time to market for new membranes critical for desalination of water. Novel manufacturing methods must be explored to ensure new materials for membranes and desalination systems can be produced with suitable low-cost and scalability. Therefore, the R&D supported under this subtopic must improve materials, design, and manufacturability of high-performance membranes and desalination system components with the goal of reducing costs relative to current methods.

This subtopic supports the objectives of the Water Security Grand Challenge, a DOE-led framework to advance transformational technology and innovation to meet the global need for safe, secure, and affordable water [1].

Proposals must address one of the following three areas of interest to be considered responsive to this subtopic:

1. Low-cost membrane materials and manufacturing methods: R&D is needed to advance the next generation of membrane materials and manufacturing methods. Researchers developing new membrane materials must balance material performance (e.g., separation properties, thermal conductivity, catalytic activity), against robustness (e.g., mechanical, chemical) and manufacturability (e.g., cost, scalability). Materials R&D can lead to improvements in surface chemistry and interfaces that enable development of materials having 1) high-target ion selectivity, 2) high contaminant removal and water permeability, and 3) greater chemical resistance, antifouling and corrosion-resistance compared to state of the art. Innovations in both membrane materials and related manufacturing methods could vastly expand the range of water chemistries over which modular membrane systems are cost-competitive and potentially eliminate the need for energy-intensive pretreatment and post-treatment. Innovations in high-performance materials and multifunctional membranes enabled by new approaches in materials discovery, synthesis, and characterization are sought. Novel methods of manufacturing that lower cost and improve chemical and hydrodynamic performance that could substantially lower the energy intensity, levelized cost of water (LCOW), water intensity, and failure frequency of treatment processes to increase the nation’s ability to tap nontraditional water sources also are sought. Such materials for membranes may become more cost effective if they can leverage recent additive, gradient, and roll-to-roll manufacturing advances that lower production costs.

2. Manufacturing ultra-low cost, high sensitivity sensors and sensor networks for water quality measurements and detection of emerging contaminants: Current water treatment systems are designed to operate at nominally steady-state conditions, relying on human intervention to adapt to variations in water quality and correct failures in process performance. Simple, robust sensor networks coupled with sophisticated analytics and controls systems could enhance performance efficiency, process reliability, and treatment process adaptability while minimizing the need for onsite, manual interventions. These innovations could significantly lower the cost of distributed, fit-for-purpose desalination systems and their operational expenses, thus reducing the overall cost of water treatment This area of interest is focused on developing new, innovative sensors and overcoming related manufacturability challenges for high sensitivity sensors and sensor networks for water quality measurements and detection of emerging contaminants. These sensor data could be used to optimize desalination and other water treatment processes. Data needs for process control and monitoring could also be addressed through these new sensors and sensor networks.

3. Novel methods and technologies for in-situ characterization of membranes during roll-to-roll or otherwise continuous manufacturing: Traditional manufacturing methods can hinder the adoption of novel materials and new architectural designs in desalination system components such as membranes. To reduce membrane costs, there is a need to develop roll-to-roll (R2R) platforms and other continuous manufacturing processes that allow careful control of membrane microstructure and performance. For example, development of new ceramic and composite materials could be accelerated to commercial scale with research on additive and R2R manufacturing, enabled by development of methods to deposit ceramics on complex shapes and rough surfaces. These advances require the development of 1) in-situ characterization techniques that enable control of membrane properties during manufacturing; 2) in operando materials characterization techniques that facilitate understanding of membrane performance under varying conditions; and 3) manufacturing innovations that enable the scalable deployment of novel membrane materials in cost-competitive modules. Process optimization could be achieved by advanced characterization capabilities, such as in-situ X-ray scattering during R2R processing. Cutting-edge characterization tools at national user facilities could be leveraged for materials and processes design and optimization of membrane manufacturing.

Questions – Contact: Melissa Klembara, Melissa.Klembara@ee.doe.gov

References: Subtopic a:

1. Semiconductor Industry Association. “New SIA Report Highlights Industry’s Strength and Looming Challenges.” Report on the State of US semiconductor industry, June 18, 2020, https://www.semiconductors.org/new-sia-report-highlights-industrys-strength-and-looming-challenges/

2. McEllan, P. “AI Drives A New Wave For Semiconductors.” Semiconductor Engineering, June 4, 2020 https://semiengineering.com/ai-drives-a-new-wave-for-semiconductors/

References: Subtopic b:

1. U.S. Department of Energy. “About the Water Security Grand Challenge.” US DOE, 2020, https://www.energy.gov/water-security-grand-challenge/water-security-grand-challenge

a. Innovation Research in Application Specific Integrated Circuit ASIC Semiconductor Chip Design for Edge Computing in Manufacturing

The objective of this subtopic is to maintain US manufacturing leadership by providing small business opportunities to develop technologies that will be applied in next-generation manufacturing [1]. Small businesses that provide applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductor technology design and concept development are afforded the opportunity to work with US semiconductor fabricators to bring AI technology that will rely on 5G broadband wireless communications to applications in the US manufacturing sector [2]. Many technologies that are presently applied in manufacturing process control, for example, that rely on wired communication links, will be superseded by wireless communications, and adaptive control approaches based on AI and machine learning strategies will be possible with the digital computing power that will be accessible with 5G broadband wireless communications.

This subtopic solicits feasibility research in new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs that will enable AI application in edge computing applications such as automatic control. This subtopic reflects DOE’s support for to enable 5G/Advanced Wireless Technologies as part of its focus on enabling the Industries of the Future as well as DOE\EERE’s support for Advanced Microelectronics.

The introduction of 5G broadband wireless communications will enable manufacturers to access resources available only with 5G wireless – such as cloud computing and complex wireless sensor networks. This broadband access, in turn, will facilitate the application of digital computing at points of access or presence in manufacturing operations (edge computing). This includes AI applications in automatic control of discrete and continuous processes. Open and closed loop control in manufacturing requires sensing of process or operation variables and the application of algorithms by controllers to act on sensor measurements to control final elements in control loops. AI-based control approaches derive algorithms for closed loop control and models for open loop control using a variety of machine learning approaches to analyze data.

ASIC designs developed for this subtopic are expected to be 5G compatible and be of direct use in edge computing applied to US manufacturing, such as applications in automatic control. Small businesses providing promising new ASIC designs would be expected to work with semiconductor circuit manufactures to fabricate the new ASIC and integrate these into edge computing systems that would be used by manufacturers, with a specified purpose such as automatic control of processes and operations. Grant applications responsive to this Phase 1 funding opportunity will specify the proposed end use in US manufacturing of new ASIC designs, the AI and machine learning approaches to be applied by the ASIC, the possible integration of the ASIC into an edge computing system, and discuss the benefits of the possible new technology as compared with current manufacturing practice in the US.

Questions – Contact: Brian Valentine, Brian.Valentine@ee.doe.gov

b. Novel Manufacturing Methods for Membranes and Desalination System Components

This subtopic solicits proposals to develop continuous, precise, and smart manufacturing techniques that have the potential to lower the cost and facilitate the adoption of high-performance membrane materials and design architectures. Together, such changes in design and materials manufacturing methods could substantially reduce the time to market for new membranes critical for desalination of water. Novel manufacturing methods must be explored to ensure new materials for membranes and desalination systems can be produced with suitable low-cost and scalability. Therefore, the R&D supported under this subtopic must improve materials, design, and manufacturability of high-performance membranes and desalination system components with the goal of reducing costs relative to current methods.

This subtopic supports the objectives of the Water Security Grand Challenge, a DOE-led framework to advance transformational technology and innovation to meet the global need for safe, secure, and affordable water [1].

Proposals must address one of the following three areas of interest to be considered responsive to this subtopic:

1. Low-cost membrane materials and manufacturing methods: R&D is needed to advance the next generation of membrane materials and manufacturing methods. Researchers developing new membrane materials must balance material performance (e.g., separation properties, thermal conductivity, catalytic activity), against robustness (e.g., mechanical, chemical) and manufacturability (e.g., cost, scalability). Materials R&D can lead to improvements in surface chemistry and interfaces that enable development of materials having 1) high-target ion selectivity, 2) high contaminant removal and water permeability, and 3) greater chemical resistance, antifouling and corrosion-resistance compared to state of the art. Innovations in both membrane materials and related manufacturing methods could vastly expand the range of water chemistries over which modular membrane systems are cost-competitive and potentially eliminate the need for energy-intensive pretreatment and post-treatment. Innovations in high-performance materials and multifunctional membranes enabled by new approaches in materials discovery, synthesis, and characterization are sought. Novel methods of manufacturing that lower cost and improve chemical and hydrodynamic performance that could substantially lower the energy intensity, levelized cost of water (LCOW), water intensity, and failure frequency of treatment processes to increase the nation’s ability to tap nontraditional water sources also are sought. Such materials for membranes may become more cost effective if they can leverage recent additive, gradient, and roll-to-roll manufacturing advances that lower production costs.

2. Manufacturing ultra-low cost, high sensitivity sensors and sensor networks for water quality measurements and detection of emerging contaminants: Current water treatment systems are designed to operate at nominally steady-state conditions, relying on human intervention to adapt to variations in water quality and correct failures in process performance. Simple, robust sensor networks coupled with sophisticated analytics and controls systems could enhance performance efficiency, process reliability, and treatment process adaptability while minimizing the need for onsite, manual interventions. These innovations could significantly lower the cost of distributed, fit-for-purpose desalination systems and their operational expenses, thus reducing the overall cost of water treatment This area of interest is focused on developing new, innovative sensors and overcoming related manufacturability challenges for high sensitivity sensors and sensor networks for water quality measurements and detection of emerging contaminants. These sensor data could be used to optimize desalination and other water treatment processes. Data needs for process control and monitoring could also be addressed through these new sensors and sensor networks.

3. Novel methods and technologies for in-situ characterization of membranes during roll-to-roll or otherwise continuous manufacturing: Traditional manufacturing methods can hinder the adoption of novel materials and new architectural designs in desalination system components such as membranes. To reduce membrane costs, there is a need to develop roll-to-roll (R2R) platforms and other continuous manufacturing processes that allow careful control of membrane microstructure and performance. For example, development of new ceramic and composite materials could be accelerated to commercial scale with research on additive and R2R manufacturing, enabled by development of methods to deposit ceramics on complex shapes and rough surfaces. These advances require the development of 1) in-situ characterization techniques that enable control of membrane properties during manufacturing; 2) in operando materials characterization techniques that facilitate understanding of membrane performance under varying conditions; and 3) manufacturing innovations that enable the scalable deployment of novel membrane materials in cost-competitive modules. Process optimization could be achieved by advanced characterization capabilities, such as in-situ X-ray scattering during R2R processing. Cutting-edge characterization tools at national user facilities could be leveraged for materials and processes design and optimization of membrane manufacturing.

Questions – Contact: Melissa Klembara, Melissa.Klembara@ee.doe.gov

10. Bioenergy

Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $200,000	Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,100,000
Accepting SBIR Phase I Applications: YES	Accepting STTR Phase I Applications: YES

The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has a mission to help transform the Nation's renewable and abundant biomass resources into cost-competitive, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. BETO is focused on forming partnerships with key stakeholders to develop technologies for advanced biofuels production from lignocellulosic and algal biomass as well as waste resources. In FY 2021, BETO is focusing on broadening participation-related topics (see below).

All applications to this topic must:

· Include projections for price and/or performance improvements that are tied to a baseline (i.e. MYPP and/or state of the art products or practices);

· Propose a tightly structured program which includes technical milestones that demonstrate clear progress, are aggressive but achievable, and are quantitative;

· Explicitly and thoroughly differentiate the proposed innovation with respect to existing commercially available products or solutions;

· Include a preliminary cost analysis;

· Provide a path to scale up in potential Phase II follow on work;

· Fully justify all performance claims with thoughtful theoretical predictions or experimental data; and

· Be based on sound scientific principles (i.e. abides by the law of thermodynamics).

Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics. Please note that while proposals are being requested in these subtopics, distribution of awards across these subtopics will be based on the quantity and quality of proposals received.

Assistance with Teaming

Applications that include representation from diverse entities such as, but not limited to: Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)/Other Minority Institutions (OMIs) [1], or through linkages with Opportunity Zones [2], are encouraged. In addition to bioenergy small businesses, local-level organizations and STEM and R&D consultancies that qualify as for-profit small businesses may also be able to apply or benefit from participation in either of these topics. Proposals can include teams with other than small businesses like universities and non-profits, please review eligibility requirements for further guidance [3].

BETO is compiling a Partners List to facilitate the widest possible national participation in the formation of teams for this topic. The list allows organizations who may wish to participate in an application to express their interest to potential applicants and to explore potential partners.

The Partners List will be available on the BETO’s website at https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/broadening-participation-bioeconomy-through-small-business-partnerships during the time of the FOA release through its closing. The Partners List will be updated at least weekly until the close of the Full Application period, to reflect new Partners who have provided their information. Any organization that would like to be included on this list should submit the following information to bioeconomy@ee.doe.gov, with the subject line “SBIR Partnering Information”:

Topic Area(s) of Interest (10A or 10B), Organization Name, Organization Location (City, State), Contact Name, Contact Email, Organization Type, Area of Technical Expertise (bulleted list, no more than 25 words), and Brief Description of Capabilities (no more than 100 words).

An organization that would like to be listed as an interested partner for both 10a and 10b should submit separate Partners List entries. By submitting a request to be included on the Partners List, the requesting organization consents to the publication of the above-referenced information. By facilitating this Partners List, the Department of Energy does not endorse or evaluate the qualifications of the entities that self-identify themselves for placement on the Partners List. The Department of Energy will neither pay for the provision of any of the above-referenced information, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for the development of such information. The nature of any possible partner relationship: (1) is determined by the parties of the relationship, not DOE, and (2) may be terminated at any time, subject to any terms and conditions of a SBIR or STTR award.

Note: In addition to the subtopics below, BETO is considering proposals in response to Topic 11 - Joint Topic: Polymers Upcycling and Recycling.

a. Small Business Bioenergy Technologies Increasing Community Partnerships

This subtopic encourages submission of innovative research proposals from bioenergy small businesses to develop a community-scale preliminary design package of their products and/or processes and engage community stakeholders to assess desirability and feasibility of the small business’ proposed design.

Bioenergy feedstock development and deployment can strengthen economic growth, national energy security, and environmental benefits through optimizing domestic biomass resources to produce biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. Public perception and knowledge of bioenergy is highly variable [1], so despite the benefits, local communities may be unaware or uncertain about the available opportunities. Bioenergy small businesses are uniquely positioned to develop community-scale technologies and technological processes. Examples include small-scale solutions to recover nutrients and energy from waste, such as urban food waste; use of energy crops on marginal lands to manage fertilizer runoff; or use of algae to abate costs of wastewater treatment.

The preliminary design package should include identification and siting of appropriate feedstock(s), lab-scale testing of potential feedstock(s), relevant products (biofuel, bioproducts, and/or biopower), outreach to potential community stakeholder partner(s), and an education and outreach plan for the community, based on the bioenergy project.

Proposers are strongly encouraged to develop partnerships with local stakeholders in underserved communities such as those within Federally-designated Opportunity Zones [2]. Community stakeholders could include schools, hospitals, local restaurants and other businesses, non-profits, local government, or other local organizations. Applicants that propose partnerships with entities that operate at higher levels, like state or regional, should emphasize how their project will deliver measurable impact at the community level.

Appropriate projects could include, but are not limited to, a preliminary design package proposing:

· A conversion process treating local sources of biomass.

· Opportunities for use of the resulting product or products within the community.

· Cultivating energy crops to reduce fertilizer runoff to improve local water quality.

· Integration of the small business’ technologies into complementary, existing local infrastructure.

· Small business’ processes’ ability to meet local regulatory needs (e.g., recycling rates or waste diversion goals).

· Replicability of the process in other communities.

Applications must:

· meaningfully include plans/methodology for local stakeholders’ input in the development of their preliminary design package.

· include an education and outreach plan to demonstrate the planned benefits for the community.

Applications that propose the following will not be considered for award under this subtopic:

· Use versions of technologies that already exist at the community scale.

The main objective of a Phase I award is developing a preliminary design package of their technology, product, or process deployed at the community scale and derived from stakeholder input. In Phase I the majority of research emphasis is placed on evaluating and testing unknowns of integrating the technology at the community scale with their specific stakeholder group(s) rather than on developing a new technology. Some unknowns include technology performance parameters to better support the local economy and public acceptance of the technology.

Phase II of this topic involves deployment of the proposed technology into the community at a pilot scale.

Questions – Contact: Devinn Lambert, Devinn.Lambert@ee.doe.gov.

b. Cultivating a More Competitive Bioeconomy Through Strengthening Small Business Workforces

This subtopic solicits proposals that pilot a research-driven workforce development program or tool that can be widely applicable for the bioeconomy, establishing a partnership with business experts in bioenergy and/or inclusive workforce development.

Because biomass exists across geographically diverse regions (i.e., agricultural crops, forestry residues, Municipal Solid Waste, algae), people living in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the country could all benefit from careers and opportunities in the bioenergy industry. Increasing representation and inclusivity within the bioenergy industry will support a more competitive domestic science and engineering workforce to lead the way on innovation in the global economy [1].

The research project should investigate questions related to the representation and inclusivity within the business’ workplace in relation to technical and operational challenges that could be inhibiting its commercial objectives in the bioeconomy. The overall outcome is to create a workforce development program or tool through this research that improves the commercialization potential of the business partner. Ideally outcomes of this R&D are scalable mechanisms, platforms, and technologies for increasing and improving diverse representation and equality within the bioeconomy’s workforce. This could include, but is not limited to, demonstrated success in increasing recruitment of trained professionals with parallel skills from job sectors that have declined domestically, improving workplace retention from underrepresented backgrounds in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and/or leadership positions; and correlating their project with these improvements.

Specific areas of interest under this subtopic include, but are not limited to:

· Development of software to foster experiential learning mediated by employer-educator partnerships that will ensure the alignment of bioenergy curriculum with workplace demands. This software or technology should address barriers associated with urban and rural areas as well as engaging people with underrepresented backgrounds within bioenergy R&D and deployment.

· Research to identify gaps in workforce development, recruitment, and retention within bioenergy fields of future workers/employees from underrepresented backgrounds and implementation of a multi-year data-driven program to address these gaps at the small business. The multi-year data-driven program will provide a roadmap for other small businesses.

· Development of artificial intelligence or other data-driven platforms that identify the impact of lacking or underdeveloped inclusive operational and/or commercial practices on workforce development that, if addressed, can improve business success and expansion.

Applications must include a robust evaluation plan to track and demonstrate the success of the workforce development program proposed.

Applications that propose the following will not be considered for award under this subtopic:

· Development of traditional curricula or courses on bioenergy topics.

· Conventional internship and training programs.

Phase I of this topic includes completion of research and beta-testing of the workforce development program or tool. Phase II includes the deployment of this technology at the bioeconomy business and scaling the tool to other businesses.

Questions – Contact: Devinn Lambert, Devinn.Lambert@ee.doe.gov.

References: Assistance with Teaming:

1. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including HBCUs/OMIs as educational entities recognized by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education, and identified on the OCR's Department of Education U.S. accredited postsecondary minorities’ institution list. See https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html.

2. Opportunity Zones were added to the Internal Revenue Code by section 13823 of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, codified at 26 U.S.C. 1400Z-1. The list of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones can be found in IRS Notices 2018-48 (PDF) and 2019-42 (PDF). Further, a visual map of the census tracts designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones may also be found at Opportunity Zones Resources. Also see, frequently asked questions about Qualified Opportunity Zones.

References: Subtopic a:

1. Radics, R., Dasmohapatra, S., and Kelley, S.S. “Systematic Review of Bioenergy Perception Studies.” BioResource Vol. 10, Article 4, p. 8770-8794, https://bioresources.cnr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BioRes_10_4_8770_REVIEW_Radics_DK_Systematic_Review_Bioenergy_Perception_Studies_7627.pdf

2. U.S. Economic Development Administration. “Opportunity Zones.” US Department of Commerce, 2020, https://www.eda.gov/opportunity-zones/

3. “Frequently Asked Questions | SBIR.Gov.” Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.sbir.gov/faqs/eligibility-requirements.

References: Subtopic b:

1. Harkavy, I., Cantor, N., and Burnett, M. “Realizing STEM Equity and Diversity through Higher Education- Community Engagement.” White paper from NSF-funded grant, January, 2015, https://www.nettercenter.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Realizing_STEM_Equity_Through_Higher_Education_Community_Engagement_Final_Report_2015.pdf