For decades, the Energy Department’s 17 National Laboratories have served as leading institutions for scientific innovation, tackling the world’s biggest scientific challenges. The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) partners with the National Labs and its researchers to develop innovations that build a globally competitive U.S. manufacturing sector. Using world-class facilities, researchers address complex questions about the performance and cost of solar energy technologies, translating basic science to innovation.
AMMTO awards funding to National Labs through funding opportunity announcements, multi-year funding programs specially designed for national labs (such as lab calls), and collaborative research projects with industry stakeholders and other offices and initiatives in the U.S. Department of Energy. All projects must meet agreed-upon objectives, deliver on milestones, and yield results relevant to the office’s current research priorities, reflected in its Mission & Vision.
Lab Calls
National laboratory call for proposals ("lab calls") are used to facilitate technology advancements at DOE's national labs. Lab calls are used to support AMMTO's three program areas: Energy Technology Manufacturing and Workforce (ETMW), Next Generation Materials and Processes (NGMP), and Secure and Sustainable Materials (SSM).
| Name | Program(s) | Year(s) Announced | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data, Analysis, and Modeling Tools Lab Call | ETMW | 2024 | Up to $8.3 million |
| Battery Manufacturing Lab Call | ETMW | 2023 | Up to $16 million |
| Energy Efficient Microelectronics Lab Call | ETMW | 2023 | Up to $4 million |
Technology Commercialization Fund
The Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) is a key component of the Department of Energy's (DOE) strategy to accelerate the commercialization of energy technologies developed at the DOE's National Laboratories.
TCF lab calls are utilized to bring transformative materials and manufacturing technologies to the market. This includes many novel materials and processes that can bolster the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing sector.
The TCF is administered by the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) and aims to promote the transition of energy technologies from the laboratories to the marketplace.
Approach
Through the TCF, AMMTO invests in the maturation and commercialization of technologies developed at national labs.
Technology Maturation: These projects aim to develop technologies to the point where a business is prepared to enter a cooperative research and development (R&D) agreement or seek to license the technology. Projects in this category have six to 18 months to achieve their goals and involve existing DOE facility technology or intellectual property with commercial potential. No private partner is required for these projects.
Technology Commercialization: These projects, which can span one to three years, focus on bringing mature technologies to the market. Projects in this category involve existing DOE facility technology or intellectual property and require a private partner with a defined commercial application for the technology.
Objectives
The TCF is designed to ensure federal R&D investments in technologies with commercial potential find their way to a viable market. The fund enables the AMMTO and other DOE offices to pursue a strategic approach to commercializing technologies developed at the National Labs. It helps these facilities better prepare technologies for the market, identify potential industry partners, and assist those partners in evaluating technologies for their business models.
Past TCF Awards
| Name | Program | Year(s) Awarded | Awards |
| Fiscal Year 2023 Technology Commercialization Fund Joint Lab Call | ETMW | 2023 | $6,200,000 |
| Fiscal Year 2022 Technology Commercialization Fund Lab Call (AMO) | Cross-Cutting | 2022 | $3,960,000 |