America's Next Top Energy Innovator Challenge

Boston, MA - As part of the Obama Administration's Startup America Initiative, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the "America's Next Top Energy Innovator" challenge, which will give start-up companies the opportunity to license groundbreaking technologies developed by the National Laboratories for $1,000 and build successful businesses. As part of this effort, the Department is reducing both the cost and paperwork requirements for start-up companies to obtain an option agreement to license some of the 15,000 patents and patent applications held by our 17 National Laboratories.

"America's entrepreneurs and innovators are the best in the world," said Secretary Chu. "Today, we're challenging them to create new businesses based on discoveries made by our world-leading national laboratories. Because we've cut the upfront fees and reduced the paperwork, we'll make it easier for start-up companies to succeed and create the new jobs our economy needs. Our goal is simple: unleash America's innovation machine and win the global race for the clean energy jobs of the future."

Currently, only about 10 percent of federal patents have been licensed to be commercialized. This initiative aims to double the number of startup companies coming out of the National Laboratories.

Specifically, as part of "America's Next Top Energy Innovator:"

1. On Monday, May 2, 2011, the Department will kick off the challenge by posting a streamlined template option agreement online for entrepreneurs to submit to Laboratories. Entrepreneurs must identify the technology of interest and submit a business plan to be considered for the program. Participants will have until December 15 to make their submission to the Laboratory.
2. Any of the 15,000 unlicensed patents and patent applications held by the National Laboratories will be available for licensing by startup companies
3. From May 2 to December 15, the Department will reduce the total upfront cost of licensing DOE patents in a specific technology to a $1,000 upfront fee for portfolios of up to three patents. This represents a savings of $10,000 to $50,000 on average in upfront fees.
4. Other license terms, such as equity and royalties, will be negotiated on a case by case basis and will typically be due once the company grows and achieves widescale commercial success. These fees help support the Department's continuing research activities to develop new technologies.
5. The Department will simplify the licensing process and establish a standard set of terms for start-ups, who generally lack the resources, time or expertise to negotiate individual licensing agreements. This will significantly reduce both the time and cost required to process the license, allowing faster access to the Department's patents and enabling the Department to process more licenses in a shorter amount of time.
6. Entrepreneurs who complete the process and demonstrate progress toward executing their business plan and commercializing the technology will have the opportunity to be showcased at the 3rd Annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in 2012, which brings together leading technology startups and clean energy investors from around the country.

In addition to these steps, the Department is making it easier for companies to use the world-leading facilities at our National Laboratories to conduct collaborative research and development activities. Previously, companies had to make an upfront payment covering the first 90 days of research work - a requirement that was often difficult for start-ups to meet. Today, the Department is lowering the advance payment requirement to 60 days. This change will benefit all companies - not just start-ups - but could be valuable for those participating in the "America's Next Top Energy Innovator" challenge.

Entrepreneurs interested in participating can already view the available technologies on the Department's Energy Innovation Portal.

Great Lakes Restoration

This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits applications from eligible entities for grants and/or cooperative agreements to be awarded pursuant to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan (http://greatlakesrestoration.us/action/wp-content/uploads/glri_actionplan.pdf ). This RFA is EPA’s major competitive grant funding opportunity under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (“GLRI” or “Initiative”) for FY2011 and is one of several funding opportunities available through federal agencies under the GLRI. Applications are requested for projects identified in the RFA within the following four GLRI focus areas:1.Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern, including pollution prevention and cleanup of the most polluted areas in the Great Lakes.2.Invasive Species, including efforts to institute a “zero tolerance policy” toward new invasions.3.Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution, including a targeted geographic focus on high priority watersheds and reducing polluted runoff from urban, suburban and, agricultural sources.4.Accountability, Education, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication and Partnerships, including the implementation of goal- and results-based accountability measures, learning initiatives,outreach, and strategic partnerships.

Link to Full Announcement

U.S. EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 2011 Request For Applications

Green space / garden grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest]

Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, a multinational lawn and garden care company, has announced GRO1000, a program committed to installing a thousand gardens and green spaces in the United States and select international sites by 2018.

To help foster the development of gardens and green spaces in the U.S., Scotts is offering Grassroots Grants to local communities. Grants of up to $1,500 in monetary and in-kind support will be given to nonprofits and related groups working on garden and green space beautification projects that incorporate the involvement and engagement of neighborhood residents and foster a sense of community spirit.

Applications are invited from U.S. organizations with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and from groups and projects with an eligible nonprofit fiscal sponsor.

Complete program guidelines and the online application are available at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) Grants Program

Deadline: May 9, 2011

Description

The Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) grant program funds regional centers that serve both unique regional pollution prevention (P2) information needs and national audience needs for quality information on source reduction and related P2 practices. The grantees provide assistance to businesses whose lack of information may be an impediment to implementing source reduction, preventing pollution or adopting sustainable practices. Proposals should describe activities that serve regional and national P2 needs, strategic P2 priorities, and promote national network communication.

Link to Full Announcement

FY 2011 Request for Proposals for the Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) Grants Program

Expected Number of Awards:	8
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$800,000
Award Ceiling:	$115,000
Award Floor:	$80,000

Postdoctoral Fellowships Program

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the launch of two new fellowship programs designed to attract the country's best and brightest scientific minds to work on advanced clean energy technologies. The two fellowship programs - the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program and the SunShot Initiative Fellowships Program - will prepare budding scientists and engineers for careers in clean energy. These programs will increase American economic competitiveness and support job growth by promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, an essential part of President Obama's plan to win the future by out-educating and out-innovating the rest of the world.

Under the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program, DOE is seeking up to 20 postdoctoral fellows whose academic careers have focused on specific topics in the following technology areas: building efficiency, industrial efficiency, vehicles, fuel cells, biomass, geothermal, solar energy, and wind or water power. The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program will support research and development of breakthrough technologies over a two year period.

Selected fellows will be encouraged to pursue innovative, independent new projects in addition to the specific research project area selected by the fellow when applying to the program. Potential self-directed projects might include working with local organizations on topics of local energy efficiency or renewable energy, providing free scientific and technical expertise to a local start-up company, or writing grant proposals for distinct new work. Read more information on the EERE Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Applications for EERE Postdoctoral Fellowships are due by June 30, 2011; Fellowships will begin by mid-November, 2011, and last up to two years.

The SunShot Initiative Fellowships Program will select either recent Masters or Ph.D. graduates to focus on critical technology innovations that will advance the SunShot goal of reducing the total cost of solar energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are cost competitive with other forms of energy without subsidies by the end of the decade. In the fellowship program, the selectees will aggressively drive innovations in the ways that solar systems are conceived, designed, manufactured, and installed. Selected fellows will work at DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Program headquarters in Washington, DC, and help develop new research and development programs to achieve the goal of $1a watt utility-level installed photovoltaics by 2020. Learn more about the SunShot Initiative Fellowship Program. More information is available on the SunShot Initiative website. Applications for the SunShot Initiative Fellowships Program are accepted on a rolling basis.

i6 Green

Description

i6 Green is a multi-agency competition that focuses on the nexus between economic development and environmental quality, spotlighting the best ideas that contribute to a vibrant, innovative clean economy. EDA solicits competitive applications to encourage and reward innovative, ground-breaking ideas that accelerate technology commercialization and new venture formation across the United States. i6 Green will reward communities that utilize Proof of Concept Centers to accelerate technology-led economic development in pursuit of a clean economy. Applicants must address a persistent problem or an unaddressed opportunity with a sense of urgency and demonstrate how an i6 Green Proof of Concept Center will remove existing road blocks and spark sustainable economic opportunities in the applicant’s region. Applicants will be expected to incorporate a credible plan to access additional resources and demonstrate how the proposed effort will be sustained by a well-qualified team and partners. Please see section I.A. of the i6 Green FFO announcement for more information on the program requirements and expectations of i6 Green. EDA will coordinate this competition with its i6 Green Federal agency partners: NSF; EPA; USDA/NIFA; the Department of Energy (DOE); the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In addition to the EDA award, SBIR grantees that are part of or central to winning applications may be eligible to receive supplemental awards from the following participating agencies: NSF, EPA, and USDA/NIFA. In addition to SBIR funding, i6 Green recipients may be eligible for additional non-SBIR funding from the EPA and DOE. Also, recipients may be eligible for additional services from the USPTO as well as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) of NIST. Please see section II.B. of the i6 Green FFO for more information on these opportunities. Please note that all amounts are contingent upon the availability of funding. Please see the full FFO announcement under "i6 Green FFO Announcement Link" below for complete information regarding the competition and to help ensure your application is timely received by EDA.

Link to Full Announcement

i6 Green FFO Announcement link

Clean Energy Workforce Education Conference

The 4th National Clean Energy Workforce Education Conference will be held in Saratoga Springs, New York from March 8-10, 2011.

The 2011 primary conference sponsor is the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) is the primary organizer.

IREC provides this update for the workforce community.

Bringing the promise of clean technologies to market starts with a qualified workforce. Training opportunities have proliferated over the last few years and now we have the opportunity to take a hard look at what instructional strategies and curricula have worked best and what still needs to be done.

Conference speakers will look at industry competencies and how they need to be built to insure a flexible workforce with transportable skills; how to balance classroom and field experiences; introducing clean energy technologies and careers to high school students; integrating new clean energy skills into existing trade programs; and what labor market studies are telling us. This will be a fast-paced conference covering many critical and emerging issues.

On March 8, 2011 a series of technical, hard-to-find, and thought-provoking workshops will be held. The Conference will be on March 9 and 10 with over 80 presentations (*)

If you are involved with training the clean energy workforce or planning to, this is an event you don't want to miss.

The special conference hotel rate of $128/night (single/double) is available until February 18, 2011.

Conference Program (Plenary Sessions and Workshops)

Registration Brochure