In support of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department today announced up to $4 million in fiscal year 2014 funding for the continued development of advanced hydrogen storage systems and novel materials to provide adequate onboard storage for a wide range of applications including fuel cell electric vehicles, and for emerging fuel cell applications such as material handling equipment. These investments are helping to reduce the nation's reliance on gasoline and diversifying our nation's energy portfolio while reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Advances in hydrogen storage will be critical to the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Developing systems to enable lightweight, compact, and inexpensive hydrogen storage will enable longer driving ranges and help make fuel cell systems competitive in a range of applications. Selected projects will help maintain the rapid pace of fuel cell progress, expand the markets and applications in which fuel cells can compete, and reduce institutional and market barriers that may impede the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell technologies. Topic areas include: Topic 1: €Reducing the cost of compressed hydrogen storage systems: Projects selected under this topic will develop complete, cost competitive, compressed hydrogen storage systems such as, but not limited to, novel tank designs, cost reduction concepts, carbon fiber reduction or elimination, conformable tank designs, alternative operating conditions (e.g., cold/cryogenic compressed hydrogen), and advanced state-of-the-art compressed tank manufacturing. Topic 2: €Improved materials for fiber composites and balance of plant components: Projects selected under this topic will focus on the development of cost competitive high-strength fibers and composite components such as use of less expensive precursor fibers, use of low-cost carbon fiber manufacturing processes, development of improved resin matrices, or development of alternative materials to carbon such as glass or polymers. In addition, projects selected under this topic will develop improved, cost competitive materials for balance-of-plant components including the identification and characterization of materials that can be used to reduce the cost and mass of BOP components for compressed hydrogen systems with an emphasis on seals and non-metallic materials. Topic 3: €New hydrogen storage materials discovery for automotive, portable, and material handling equipment applications: Projects selected under this topic will focus on the discovery, characterization, and development of advanced hydrogen storage materials. Applications for material discovery will focus on materials that possess key thermodynamic, kinetic, and capacity requirements for complete storage systems to meet the challenging system targets for automotive and emerging non-automotive applications. The Energy Department will make available up to $4 million in fiscal year 2014 for projects from industry, academia, and national labs. Up to three awards are anticipated based on currently available fiscal year 2014 funding. More information, application requirements, and instructions can be found on the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange website. The presentation and a Q&A document from the May 13 pre-solicitation meeting are also available.