Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT)
DOE will fund R&D and pre-pilot scale development of technologies that convert alternative or waste feedstocks into chemicals, with universities able to lead Topic Area 1 but only join Topic Area 2 as subrecipients.
⚑ Cooperative Agreement · Concept Paper required · two-stage submission with hard eXCHANGE deadlines · late submissions accepted only for documented technical issues within 24 hours of deadline and with helpdesk contact first
This is a chemical-technology scale-up and pre-pilot engineering NOFO with no real social-science, risk-perception, or policy-evaluation component. It fits a materials/manufacturing or applied catalysis team, not IPPRA’s public-opinion, warning, education-policy, or hazard-communication lines.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-09-05
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topic: energy (primary); social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
DOE CMEI is dedicated to securing America’s energy future by reinforcing domestic critical mineral supply chains, driving next-generation energy technology and manufacturing research, and promoting affordable, consumer-friendly solutions. CMEI’s AFFO is issuing this ASPECT NOFO, DE-FOA-0003647, to support research, development, and pre-pilot testing of innovative technologies that produce chemicals from alternative and waste feedstocks, mobilizing America’s abundant alternative feedstocks resources.
The goal of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to advance promising chemical technologies that utilize alternative feedstocks through multiple levels of maturity and, in some cases, to pre-pilot scale. To accomplish this, the NOFO is divided into two topic areas, each divided into two subtopic areas designed to provide different on-ramps for technologies at different stages of development.
Topic Area 1 supports the progression of technologies in the R&D phase. Subtopic Area 1a supports advancing early-stage research to bench scale. Subtopic Area 1b is intended to move projects closer to pre-pilot scale, to a point where critical unit operations must be further developed and demonstrated.
Topic Area 2 provides an on-ramp for technologies ready to move from R&D to full pre-pilot scale and operations. Projects applying to Topic Area 2 should aim to advance their technology to design, construct, and operate pre-pilot scale facilities. Both subtopic areas have the same goal—to move technologies into integrated pre-pilot systems and operate them—but allow for two different points of entry. Subtopic Area 2a targets preliminary pre-pilot scale testing of critical unit operations before engineering and design can commence for the entire system while Subtopic Area 2b projects will involve technologies that are ready for design and construction of an integrated pre-pilot facility.
Please see the full NOFO document at eere-exchange.energy.gov.
Questions regarding the NOFO must be submitted to ASPECT@doe.gov.
The required Concept Paper due date for this NOFO is 10/09/2026 at 5PM ET. The Full Application due date for this NOFO is 12/01/2026 at 5PM ET.
As stated in the Notice of Intent (search DE-FOA-0003646 in eXCHANGE), a Teaming Partner List has been compiled to encourage collaboration and facilitate the formation of new project teams. Visit: TPL-0000073 Teaming Partner List for DE-FOA-0003646 NOI to Publish DE-FOA-0003647
The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.
Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the NOFO Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.
Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of, and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the NOFO's posted deadline.
Eligibility
As one of the main goals of this NOFO is to move technologies quickly to market, participation of the following entities is limited as follows:
Institutions of higher education are eligible to participate as a recipient or subrecipient for Topic Area 1 but are only eligible to participate as a subrecipient for Topic Area 2.
Provided there is no conflict of interest, DOE FFRDCs3 are eligible to apply for funding as subrecipients but are not eligible to apply as recipients.
Non-DOE FFRDCs are eligible to participate as subrecipients but are not eligible to apply as recipients.
Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to participate as subrecipients but are not eligible to apply as recipients.
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is eligible to apply as a subrecipient, not as prime recipient.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Golden Field Office <ASPECT@doe.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Department of Energy conventions SEE A DOE EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Department of Energy's document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.