Topics and Subtopics
Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin reviewing the topic and subtopic pairs as soon as possible. DOE releases topics typically twice a year, in July (Release 1), and November (Release 2). Release 1 involves six participating DOE Research Programs in the Office of Science while Release 2 originates with generally more applied DOE Research Programs:
Typical Topic Release Schedule | |
Release 1 (July) | Release 2 (November) |
Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, & Emergency Response | |
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The topic and subtopic pairs are developed by the various offices to contribute to DOE’s mission to “Ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.” It is important that applicants understand the need or problem that the topic/subtopic pair is describing, as well as the underlying mission of the issuing program office. If the topics document references any specific research studies or prior related work, applicants should make themselves familiar with these earlier works and determine if they can offer anything to further the studies or to complement them in any way. To write a successful SBIR/STTR proposal, applicants must respond to the needs as outlined in the Topic/subtopic pair. In addition to carefully reviewing the topics document, applicants are also advised to spend time reading about the Program Office of interest's mission and research.
The Topics Document
| The table of contents within the Topics document lists the topics and subtopics by Program area. Underneath the Program Area Overview for a particular office, applicants will see the Topics for that area listed by number, and then listed under topic and marked with small letters (a, b, c, etc.) are the subtopics. Some topics may only have one subtopic, while others may have many. The contact information for Topic Authors is listed at the end of each section and applicants are encouraged to contact the individuals listed should they have any questions specific to understanding the intent of the topic/subtopic. |
Finding the Right Fit for Your Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy offers SBIR and STTR funding through more than 60 topics and 250 subtopics, spanning research areas that support the DOE’s mission in Energy Production, Energy Use, Fundamental Energy Sciences, Environmental Management, and Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. In order to develop a competitive application, it is essential that applicants identify a topic/subtopic pair that they can be both responsive to, i.e. using their technology expertise to propose R&D which will address the need and/or problem described. Additionally, applicants should be able to clearly explain why the proposed idea/approach is novel and how it differs from competing technologies. Applications are reviewed by technical experts who are familiar with the topics, subtopics, and aims of the sponsoring agencies and they are likely to quickly reject applications that are not a good fit. Those applicants who do not find a topic/subtopic pair that they feel they can be responsive to, are advised to look for other sources of funding to develop their technology. Applications undergo a first-step review by the Program Managers and/or technical experts who are familiar with the topics, subtopics, and aims of the sponsoring programs, and those that are not a good fit may be first-step declined without proceeding to the external technical review stage. Please see https://science.osti.gov/sbir/Funding-Opportunities for announcements and release dates of DOE topics.
In addition to carefully reading the topic and subtopic announcements, as well as the Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), applicants should also read any literature or referenced cited in the topic descriptions to gain a deeper understanding of the topic, and review the information on the individual Program Office's web page to understand their priorities and mission. Some topics have an Energy Justice component, where teaming with, training or benefitting a disadvantaged community is needed and applicants should be aware of this element and incorporate it into their application in those instances.
All topics and subtopics list a Topic Manager's name and email address. You are encouraged to reach out to the topic manager for questions of clarification. However, be aware that if the topic manager is on travel or/ on vacation - in some instances, you may not receive a response.
Remember that with SBIR and STTR awards, commercialization is the goal. Small businesses who are seeking only to fund basic research and have no interests in commercialization should seek funding elsewhere. A commercialization plan is required with every proposal and should demonstrate that applicants have considered the potential commercial application of their technology and how it will benefit the economy. For more information about the commercialization plan, samples, and instructions, click here.
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