WPTO Expands Innovative Funding Program to Universities and Selects New National Laboratory Projects

Project Name: Seedling and Sapling Program

Project Team: Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, National Science Foundation, and Minority-Serving Institutions Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Research and Development Consortium

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) expanded its Seedling and Sapling program, which is designed to explore innovative research ideas in hydropower and marine energy. Originally focused on DOE's national laboratories, the program now offers grants and funding opportunities to support research and development activities at academic institutions that do not have significant water power research portfolios. 

In Fiscal Year 2023, WPTO worked with the National Science Foundation to solicit science and engineering proposals focused on hydropower and marine energy from academic researchers through the foundation's Engineering Research Initiation solicitation. WPTO also worked with the Minority-Serving Institutions STEM Research and Development Consortium to release a $1.2 million funding opportunity to support promising, potentially high-impact water power research ideas from minority-serving colleges and universities.

WPTO also continued to support novel ideas and concepts focused on hydropower and marine energy at DOE's national laboratories. In Fiscal Year 2023, WPTO invested in 23 new and continuing marine energy Seedling projects, 9 marine energy Sapling projects, and 21 hydropower Seedling projects. Projects begin as Seedlings, eligible for up to $100,000 in funding. New Seedlings receiving less than $100,000 can apply for additional funds as a continuing Seedling project. Promising Seedlings are then eligible to continue research or commercialization activities as Sapling projects, which can receive $80,000 to $500,000 in funding. 

In August 2023, WPTO hosted its second Seedlings Symposium during which national laboratory researchers shared their projects and outcomes with other national laboratory researchers, WPTO staff, and external stakeholders. Thirty researchers presented on more than 30 projects and had the opportunity to network with each other and WPTO staff.

The projects supported through WPTO's Seedling and Sapling program have the potential to help modernize and expand the country's hydropower fleet and accelerate marine energy technology development as the United States works to achieve its clean energy goals.