January 26, 2024
Here are five things that should be on your radar:
Lucid Motors announced a 3-million-square-foot expansion of its AMP-1 electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, which will support the production of its newest SUV, the Lucid Gravity. The facility now encompasses 3.85 million-square-feet, supports thousands of jobs, and has been an anchor for Arizona’s emergence as a national EV hub.
Saras Micro Devices celebrated the grand opening of its new $50 million headquarters and semiconductor manufacturing facility in Chandler, creating 50 new jobs. The new facility includes 33,000-square-feet of clean room, manufacturing, and administrative space, and Saras plans to expand operations by 2025.
This week, the Arizona Broadband Office held its first annual “Internet for All Summit,” bringing together over 200 key stakeholders from federal, state, tribal and local government as well as industry leaders. The two-day summit emphasized topics such as workforce, tribal government engagement, middle mile efforts, and included presentations about Arizona’s ongoing BEAD and Digital Equity planning.
New Jersey-based logistics firm Outerspace plans to open its fourth facility, a 389,000-square-foot warehouse in Avondale that will support 500 new jobs. The Avondale facility will be the company’s fourth and largest location, and is expected to be operational in March 2024.
Tucson-based battery manufacturer Sion Power recently closed a $75 million investment round led by South-Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution. Sion Power will utilize the investment to commercialize its proprietary Licerion lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles.
For regular updates on Arizona’s economy follow on Twitter @SandraWatsonAZ and @azcommerce.
Below you will find information on the latest federal funding opportunities.
My best,
Sandra Watson (Signature)
Sandra Watson
President & CEO
Arizona Commerce Authority
Additional Business Resources:
| SMALL BUSINESS BOOT CAMP |
| The Arizona Commerce Authority – supported by a dynamic group of community partners – has launched a statewide initiative to help Arizona’s small businesses prepare for success, plan for the future, and grow into thriving businesses. Through virtual webinars and hands-on workshops, local business leaders and subject matter experts will provide real-time support and available resources across Arizona.Register » |
| ARIZONA MEP |
| The Arizona MEP is part of the National MEP Network, a national effort to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. AZ MEP experts can help with strategic planning, sales and marketing, financial modeling, cash flow management, leadership, organizational development, cybersecurity, and other areas of your business. AZ MEP supports operational excellence with services that include safety, process improvement, cost reduction, supply chain optimization, quality management, ISO/AS certifications, staffing, and training.Learn More » |
| SBIR & STTR RESOURCE CENTER |
| The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) competitive programs fund startups and small businesses across technology sectors to stimulate technological innovation.The Arizona Commerce Authority has aggregated a collection of SBIR/STTR training, resources, programs and grants to mobilize and equip the state’s startups and small businesses to compete successfully for federal research opportunities.Learn More » |
New Federal R&D Funding Opportunities
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture seeks to develop a community of researchers across both crops and animals that will lay the foundation for expanding knowledge concerning genomes and phenomes of importance to the domestic agriculture sector.
Applicants should address at least two of the following six goals:
- Develop new or augment existing benchmark datasets comprised of genetic, phenotypic, environmental, climatic, and physiological data on crops or livestock for the purpose of testing, training, and comparing predictive analytic tools with potential wide application in agricultural fields.
- Combine plant and animal genomic information with phenotypic and environmental data through an interdisciplinary framework, ultimately leading to the deployment of superior varieties and species to producers and improved plant and animal management recommendations for farmers and ranchers.
- Address technological or institutional barriers that prevent effective collaboration with for-profit entities.
- Improve national agricultural data infrastructure to facilitate storage and programmatic access to very large datasets and to allow for improved data description, harmonization, and system interoperability.
- Incorporate workforce development through support and training at the undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate level with a mentorship plan.
- Organize recurrent interdisciplinary agricultural genome to phenome, in-person or virtual working groups, conferences, programs, or colloquia that engage groups with diverse scientific expertise around high-priority, stakeholder-driven issues that would benefit from a coordinated research approach.
Applicants may apply for a Standard Research Grant or a Conference Grant.
Awards:
2-3 awards are expected. Applicants must provide matching contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis
Eligibility:
Unrestricted domestically.
Deadline:
05/30/2024
Awards ID(s):
USDA-NIFA-OP-010573
Links:
Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture seeks to support the development of improved alfalfa forage and seed production systems.
The following areas are of interest:
- Increasing alfalfa forage and seed yields and forage quality through improved management practices, plant breeding, and other strategies to reduce biotic and abiotic stresses and costs of production;
- Improving alfalfa forage and seed harvest and storage systems to optimize economic returns to alfalfa producers as well as end-users including milk producers;
- Developing methods to estimate alfalfa forage yield and quality to support marketing as a livestock feed and instruments to reduce producer risks;
- Exploring new uses for alfalfa;
- Developing improved insect, disease and weed management strategies; and
- Documenting the contribution of alfalfa production systems to climate-smart agriculture.
Awards:
4 awards are expected of $300,000.
Eligibility:
State agricultural experiment stations, institutions of higher education, research institutions and organizations, Federal entities, private entities, and individuals.
Deadline:
05/02/2024
Awards ID(s):
USDA-NIFA-OP-010554
Links:
Value-Added Producer Grant
The Rural Business-Cooperative Service seeks to help agricultural producers enter value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income. Funds can be used for planning activities or for working capital expenses related to producing and marketing a value-added agricultural product. The goals are generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income.
Awards:
$75,000 for Planning Grants and $250,000 for Working Capital Grants. Cost share match of 100% is required.
Eligibility:
Independent Producers, Agricultural Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Businesses.
Deadline:
04/11/2024
Awards ID(s):
RDBCP-VAPG-2024
Links:
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/search-results-detail-351800/551×78/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM,
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/ms-value-added-producer-grants/551x7c/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
STEM Program
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) is accepting applications for augmenting existing and/or developing solutions that directly maintain and/or cultivate a diverse STEM workforce to maintain the Air Force and Space Force’s technological superiority. The goal is to provide solutions that establish, build, and/or maintain STEM educational pathways and workforce opportunities for diverse U.S. citizens directly relevant to AFOSR science and technology areas.
Topics include:
- Engineering and Complex Systems;
- Information and Networks;
- Physical Sciences; and
- Chemistry and Biological Sciences.
More details on the topics can be found at Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Awards:
Multiple awards are expected.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted.
Deadline:
04/12/2024
Awards ID(s):
FOAAFRLAFOSR20240002
Links:
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands
The Department of Energy seeks to maximize the deployment of clean energy solutions for the benefit of American Indian and Alaska Native communities and to help build the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to implement those clean energy solutions.
This notice of intent specifies the following areas of interest:
- To install clean energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s);
- To deploy community-scale clean energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal Lands;
- To install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal buildings during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience; and
- To power unelectrified Tribal Buildings.
Areas of Interest 1, 2, and 3 are intended for Tribal Buildings that are either grid-connected or connected to a stand-alone microgrid that operates autonomously from the traditional centralized electric power grid.
Awards:
Multiple awards are expected of between $100,000 to $5 million.
Eligibility:
Indian Tribes, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations. Application must also include the entity on whose Tribal Lands the project(s) will be located.
Deadline:
03/31/2024
Awards ID(s):
DE-FOA-0003297
Links:
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/search-results-detail-351837/551x7k/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM,
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/e4-98c9-4768-8a6a-f2b0863fea80/551x7n/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM
Distribution Communication and Control Technologies Research, Development, and Demonstration
The National Energy Technology Laboratory seeks research, development, and demonstration activities that will yield new communications and control technologies to enhance the security of the electric distribution system, particularly with respect to the grid’s capability to prevent, detect, and respond to inadvertent and/or malicious disruptions to critical information flows. A demonstration of the developed solution under the evolving system architecture needs to be performed to validate electric utility acceptance. Proposed projects must use a utility-led facility and real-time, archived, or high-fidelity simulated operational grid data to develop and evaluate technical solutions.
Awards:
2 awards are expected. Award recipient cost share must be at least 20% of the total R&D phase costs and at least 50% of the demonstration phase costs.
Eligibility:
Electric utilities.
Deadline:
03/18/2024
Awards ID(s):
DE-FOA-0003198
Links:
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/search-results-detail-351883/551x7r/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM,
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/FedConnect-PublicPages-/551xcn/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM
PublicSearch/Public_Opportunities.aspx
Energy Frontier Research Centers
The Department of Energy seeks to support multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary centers to accelerate transformative scientific advances for the most challenging topics in materials sciences, chemical sciences, geosciences, and biosciences. Both new and renewal applications are welcome. The focus is on fundamental scientific research, therefore applications must not propose applied research and technology development activities.
There are multiple Priority Research Directions (PRD) and Priority Research Opportunities (PRO) listed in three different reports. Applicants must address at least one PRD or PRO from each report. Links to the reports may be found on page 3 of the solicitation.
New applicants should address one of the following two topics:
- Co-design of materials and processes to revolutionize microelectronics and/or QIS fabrication; and
- Environmental management.
Awards:
Multiple awards are expected of between $2 million to $4 million.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted.
Deadline:
05/08/2024
Awards ID(s):
DE-FOA-0003258
Links:
Exploratory Research for Extreme Scale Science
The Department of Energy is accepting applications for basic research to explore potentially high-impact approaches in scientific computing and extreme-scale science. Proposed research should focus on creating the body of knowledge and understanding that will inform future advances in extreme-scale science.
There are five research topics:
- Harnessing Technology Innovations to Accelerate Science through Visualization – include rapidly evolving technology that creates opportunities for new visualization and collaboration paradigms and diverse computing modalities that can help users to better engage in scientific discovery.
- Scalable Space-Time Memories for Large Discrete/Agent-Based Models – focus on challenges in developing the space-time memory-based modeling and execution approach based on conservative synchronization.
- Neuromorphic Computing – for high risk and high reward research in computational neuroscience- and biologically inspired computing architectures with emphasis on analog applications on energy-efficient emerging microelectronic circuitry. The aim is to investigate computing architectures that will accelerate AI for scientific research applications while delivering energy efficiency.
- Advanced Wireless – focuses on basic research to increase our understanding of how we could:
- Effectively integrate data collection from advanced wireless sensors or edge computing devices through computational software tools that can provide end-to-end services; and
- Propose programming framework approaches that will enable effective data collection, movement, and analysis to span the continuum from wireless to scientific user facilities, data centers, and high-performance computing.
- Quantum Hardware Emulation – conduct basic research that could be exploited for the development of a modular, open-source, virtual representation of quantum hardware that provides the ability to mimic real responses with high-fidelity and could facilitate future testing and development of quantum software infrastructure developed for different qubit technologies.
A pre-application is required and is due February 29.
Awards:
Multiple awards are expected of at least $100,000.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted.
Deadline:
02/29/2024
Awards ID(s):
DE-FOA-0003300
Links:
Heliostat Technology Advancement
The Department of Energy seeks to fund research, development, validation, and deployment of low-cost heliostats for concentrating solar power and concentrating solar thermal applications. Projects should focus on lowering the cost of heliostats and heliostat technologies, improving technical performance and reliability, and creating new market opportunities for the heliostat industry, with the goal of enabling widespread deployment of concentrating solar to decarbonize the electricity grid and energy systems.
There are six topic areas with multiple areas of interest:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Metrology and Standards
- Components and Controls
- Field Deployment
- Techno-Economic Analysis
- Resource, Training, and Education.
Awards:
4-8 awards are expected of between $250,000 to $1 million.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted except for government entities.
Deadline:
02/16/2024
Awards ID(s):
RFP_RFX-2024-10000
Links:
Marine Energy University Foundational Research and Development
The Department of Energy seeks to support foundational research at domestic institutions of higher education to address challenges faced by marine energy industries and spur innovation and development.
Applications should address one or more of the following:
- Evaluate applicability and performance of composite and other materials for marine energy converter systems and subsystems;
- Develop power take-off/control system co-design methodologies and partner with technology developers to pilot the use in marine energy converter device design processes;
- Validate foundational modeling tools with data from ongoing water testing projects;
- Disseminate high fidelity data sets and models;
- Complete resource measurements and assessments in support of marine energy projects to enhance the resilience of specific remote communities;
- Test new and important component technologies that support improved Installation, Operations & Maintenance;
- Advance power electronics technologies that support integration of marine energy devices for power at sea and coastal community microgrid system applications; and
- Conduct targeted outreach for workforce development programs.
There are four topic areas with multiple subtopics:
- Publicly Available Marine Energy Data Analysis & Test Platform(s) to Produce Publicly Available Data – to identify, prioritize, and evaluate cost-reduction and performance improvement pathways based on quantitative information. Up to eleven awards are expected of between $200,000 and $1 million.
- Sustainable & Scalable Offshore Wind, Marine Energy, and Aquaculture – to understand how sustainable and scalable aquaculture production can pair with ocean renewable energy technologies and to identify synergies that can advance the development of both the ocean renewable energy and aquaculture sectors. Up to five awards are expected of between $250,000 and $750,000.
- Undergraduate Senior Design and/or Research Project – to enable universities to increase undergraduate students’ access to the resources and tools needed to strengthen, advance, and ultimately complete their senior design and/or research projects. Up to four awards are expected of $500,000 each.
- Open Topic Area – to develop technologies that have the potential to advance Marine Energy technologies and the state of the Marine Energy industry. Up to 12 awards are expected of between $500,000 and $1 million.
Concept papers are required and are due February 20.
Eligibility:
Domestic institutions of higher education.
Deadline:
02/20/2024
Awards ID(s):
DE-FOA-0003097
Links:
Research and Development for Next Generation Nuclear Physics Accelerator Facilities
The Department of Energy is accepting applications for R&D efforts essential to developing core competencies and transformative technologies that advance transformative accelerator capabilities, whether for new facilities or improving the performance of existing facilities. Accelerator R&D should advance state-of-the-art accelerator capabilities to next generation machines for the study of nuclear physics. Key topics of interest are collider physics, hadron beam cooling, high field superconducting magnets, superconducting radio frequency, and ion source technologies. The goal is to increase knowledge about how cutting-edge accelerators may be designed, built, or enhanced.
Awards:
$50,000 to $2 million.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted domestically.
Deadline:
04/04/2024
Awards ID(s):
DE-FOA-0003261
Links:
Small Innovative Projects in Solar: Concentrating Solar Power and Photovoltaics
The Department of Energy is accepting applications for research that accelerates the large-scale development and deployment of solar technologies. The two objectives are to investigate high-risk ideas that address a major technology barrier or open the possibility of a new concept, and to attract new entrants into the applied solar R&D community.
All applications must describe the following:
- The current understanding of the science, technology, concept, or component;
- How successful research would change the state of the art and how it could impact key technoeconomic metrics;
- What new scientific or engineering understanding of the technology, concept, or component will result from the project; and
- The next appropriate research or development effort if the project is fully successful.
There are two topic areas with multiple areas of interest.
- Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power (CSP): small, focused projects investigating the applicability and robustness of novel ideas in CSP. Seven to twelve awards are expected of $400,000.
- Photovoltaic (PV): new and emerging areas of PV research that can produce significant results within the first year of performance and, if successful, lay the foundation for continued research. Seven to twelve awards are expected of $250,000.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted.
Deadline:
03/06/2024
Awards ID(s):
DE-FOA-0003308
Links:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Cancer Control and Population Sciences
The National Cancer Institute is accepting applications for research in cancer control and population sciences. The goal is to provide support to promote research efforts on scientific ideas that have the potential to advance cancer research in, but not limited to, statistical and analytic methods, epidemiology, cancer survivorship, cancer-related behaviors and behavioral interventions, health care delivery, digital health and data science, and implementation science.
Awards:
Multiple awards are expected of up to $250,000 each.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted.
Deadline:
06/05/2024
Awards ID(s):
PAR-24-122
Links:
Field Initiated Projects Program: Minority-Serving Institution
The Administration for Community Living seeks to generate new knowledge through reseach or to develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies to maximize the full inclusion and integration of people with disabilities. It also seeks to improve the capacity of minority-serving institutions to conduct high-quality disability and rehabilitaiton research and development.
There are two opportunities available:
- Applicants interested in research should apply to the award ID ending in 0075. Applicants must define which stage or stages of research they propose to conduct. These stages are: exploration and discovery, intervention development, intervention efficacy, and scale-up evaluation. Applicants should also indicate whether their hypothesis or research question is directed towards producing scientific knowledge or better understanding of the subject, problem studied, or body of knowledge.
- Applicants seeking support for development projects should use the link ending in 349383. Applicants must define which stage or stages of development they propose to conduct. These stages are: proof of concept, proof of product, and proof of adoption. Applicants should use the knowledge and understanding gained from research to create materials, devices, systems, methods, measures, techniques, tools, prototypes, processes, or intervention protocols.
Awards:
2 awards are expected of up to $200,000 each.
Eligibility:
Minority-serving institutions.
Deadline:
03/18/2024
Awards ID(s):
HHS-2024-ACL-NIDILRR-IFST-0075, HHS-2024-ACL-NIDILRR-IFST-0076
Links:
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/search-results-detail-349382/551x8n/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM,
https://go.azcommerce.com/e/629661/search-results-detail-349383/551x8r/1118356117/h/PIbQiniVrm0nJUg_M3qnmd5Vwfck_ZBvGRGc0HYs9jM
High Priority HIV and Substance Use Research
The National Institute on Drug Abuse seeks to support high priority research at the intersection of HIV and substance use. Research projects should open new areas of basic and clinical HIV/AIDS research and/or lead to new avenues for prevention, treatment, and cure of HIV among people who use addictive substances. Applications must have a single overarching goal and an integrated research plan that incorporates multiple perspectives and disciplines.
Awards:
1-2 awards are expected of up to $1.5 million each.
Eligibility:
Unrestricted domestically.
Deadline:
08/15/2024
Source: Arizona Commerce Authority