WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3 million for high-performance computing, modeling, and simulation projects to improve manufacturing processes.

DOE will fund projects that aim to achieve national energy savings and improve or reduce the lifecycle energy consumption of the critical materials supply chain. Applicants are highly encouraged to partner with universities and non-profit organizations located within federally designated Opportunity Zones and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“The High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program allows industry to access advanced computing resources within the DOE National Laboratories to address key manufacturing challenges and strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness,” says Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency Alex Fitzsimmons. “By extending this partnership to HBCUs and Opportunity Zones, the Trump Administration is committed to ensuring as many Americans as possible can access the unique capabilities of DOE’s National Laboratories.”

The HPC4Mfg program is one component of the High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation initiative, which is led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The special solicitation announced today is open to Manufacturing USA Institutes and EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office consortia, and their member companies, with an emphasis on partnering with HBCUs and/or organizations located within federal Opportunity Zones. This group of public-private consortia pursues coordinated research and development in high-priority areas and facilitate the transition of innovative advanced materials, information, and process technologies to industry.

Selected projects will be awarded up to $300,000 to support computer cycles and work performed by National Laboratories with university and non-profit partners. Industry partners must provide at least 20 percent of the funding for new projects. For follow-on projects, which are previously awarded successful demonstration projects in these areas, industry partners must provide at least 33.3 percent of the project funding.

Eligibility for the HPC4Mfg program is limited to entities that manufacture products or operate systems in the United States. Register to attend the upcoming webinars on Monday, March 23, 2020 or Thursday, April 2, 2020. Concept papers are due on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.