Advanced Scientific Computing Research - Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (ASCR-RENEW) | DE FOA 0002942

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002942

The Advanced Scientific Computing Research - Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (ASCR-RENEW) opportunity is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science funding program designed to expand who participates in, and benefits from, the Office of Science research enterprise. Its central purpose is to build durable research-and-training foundations at colleges, universities, and other institutions that have historically been underrepresented in the DOE Office of Science portfolio, with a specific emphasis on the Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) community. The program is framed as a workforce and capacity-building effort: it is meant to help develop a stronger pipeline of future scientists, engineers, and technicians by giving students and early-career researchers real, hands-on experiences tied to DOE mission science and advanced computing.

A defining feature of ASCR-RENEW is its reliance on DOE's distinctive research infrastructure, especially national laboratories, user facilities, and related large-scale scientific resources. Projects are expected to be collaborative and to use these environments to create meaningful training opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. The intent is not just classroom exposure, but immersion in the kinds of advanced scientific computing work that underpins a wide range of Office of Science activities. By participating in these research settings, trainees can gain practical experience with modern computational science, high-performance computing concepts, and the culture of team-based, mission-driven research, which can open doors to long-term careers in energy sciences and computing.

The program has an explicit participation goal: increasing representation of groups and institutions that are currently underrepresented in the ASCR portfolio and, more broadly, in advanced scientific computing workforce training. The funding announcement highlights interest in proposals that strengthen training for students and postdocs from underrepresented groups and from institutions that do not typically receive substantial ASCR support. Examples called out include non-R1 and non-R2 institutions (often referred to in the solicitation context as non-R12 institutions of higher education) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). MSIs are described broadly and can include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Asian American Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, among others. In other words, the program is trying to widen access both by supporting people from underrepresented backgrounds and by strengthening institutions that have not historically been central players in DOE advanced computing research.

In addition to direct research and training activities, ASCR-RENEW connects award teams to the larger Office of Science ecosystem. Principal Investigators, key personnel, and participating students and postdocs are expected to be invited into ASCR researcher meetings and/or broader Office of Science professional development and collaborator events. This matters because it helps participants build networks, learn norms and best practices in the field, and become more visible to potential collaborators and employers. The overall strategy is to pair hands-on technical growth with community integration, so that trainees and institutions are not isolated from the professional pathways that lead to long-term participation in advanced computing research.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity from the DOE Office of Science under Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002942 and CFDA 81.049, categorized under science and technology research and development. The listed award ceiling is $1,000,000 per award, and the original closing date provided is April 18, 2023. While the summary data notes expected awards without a number, the structure of the announcement suggests a competitive process intended to seed multiple collaborative efforts rather than a single large center.

Eligibility is broad for domestic applicants, with one notable exclusion: nonprofit organizations classified under section 501(c)(4) that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible. The solicitation also spells out special rules for federally affiliated entities. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories may apply as a lead or as a team member, but they cannot participate as subrecipients on another applicant's award; if selected as the lead, their funding flows through DOE's Field-Work Proposal system under the lab's DOE contract rather than through standard grant administration. Non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and other Federal agencies may also participate, but similarly cannot be subrecipients; instead, they must submit their own applications as team members within a multi-institutional team, and if funded, support is provided via interagency agreements to their sponsoring agencies.

Taken together, ASCR-RENEW is best understood as a capacity-building and workforce-development grant program anchored in collaborative, research-based training. It encourages partnerships that bring underrepresented students, postdocs, and institutions into direct contact with DOE-grade advanced scientific computing environments, while also integrating them into the ASCR and Office of Science professional community. The intended long-term outcome is a broader, more diverse, and better-prepared advanced scientific computing workforce, along with a more inclusive institutional landscape participating in DOE Office of Science research.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advanced Scientific Computing Research - Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (ASCR-RENEW)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-01-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-04-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DE FOA 0002942

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