DOE & USDA Announce Biomass R&D Plans

“These projects will help advance the production of biofuels and related products.  Supporting the development of sustainable and renewable biofuels is key to improving our energy security and addressing climate change,” said DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi.

USDA and DOE are issuing this joint funding announcement for several types of projects aimed at increasing the availability of alternative renewable fuels and biobased products.  The projects will aim to create a diverse group of economically and environmentally sustainable sources of renewable biomass.

Advanced biofuels produced from these projects are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 50 percent, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency. Section 9008(e)(3) of the Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 provides direction and guidance on the technical areas addressed by the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI).

The technical areas are:

• Feedstocks development
• Biofuels and biobased products development
• Biofuels development analysis

BRDI requires that each proposed project integrate all three of the technical areas. The intent of requiring integration is to encourage a collaborative problem-solving approach to all studies funded under BRDI, to facilitate formation of consortia, identify and address knowledge gaps, and accelerate the application of science and engineering for the production of sustainable biofuels, bioenergy and biobased products. 

The funding opportunity is available online at Grants.gov. Pre-applications are due July 13, 2010, and must be submitted electronically. Applicants who are encouraged to submit full applications will be notified by September 9, 2010.