Dark Matter New Initiatives | DE FOA 0002112

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002112

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, through its High Energy Physics (HEP) program, offered this funding opportunity to spur new, small-scale dark matter particle search efforts by supporting the early-stage work needed to turn promising ideas into executable projects. The core emphasis is on developing solid design and execution plans for dark matter searches that can leverage DOE laboratory infrastructure and/or specialized technology capabilities. In other words, the opportunity is aimed less at simply funding open-ended research and more at helping teams mature concepts into well-defined, actionable projects that are positioned to carry out credible particle-search campaigns.

This opportunity is explicitly tied to community-driven priorities laid out in two major planning efforts. First, it follows the recommendations from the Basic Research Needs (BRN) workshop on "Dark Matter New Initiatives" held October 15-18, 2018, which outlined Priority Research Directions (PRDs) for dark matter science. Second, it aligns with the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) report, which sets the U.S. particle physics strategy for the decade and identifies the search for dark matter particles as one of its central science drivers. Applicants were expected to propose small projects that map onto those BRN-defined PRDs, reinforcing the idea that the program is meant to advance nationally coordinated priorities rather than disconnected one-off efforts.

Administratively, this was a discretionary grant opportunity under DOE Office of Science, categorized under science and technology and other research and development, with CFDA number 81.049. The funding opportunity title was "Dark Matter New Initiatives" and the opportunity number was DE-FOA-0002112. It was created on April 17, 2019, with an original application deadline of May 30, 2019. The program anticipated making about 10 awards, with a maximum (ceiling) award size of $3,000,000 per award. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to any type of applicant organization, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full announcement.

Taken together, the FOA’s practical purpose was to widen and strengthen the pipeline of near-term dark matter search projects by funding the planning and design work needed to responsibly execute them, while ensuring those projects make meaningful use of DOE lab assets and fit within the consensus research directions identified by the BRN and P5 planning processes.

• The Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dark Matter New Initiatives" 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 Apr 17, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 30, 2019. (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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for DE FOA 0002112

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