This page provides a brief summary of the Water Power Technologies Office’s past funding opportunities and selections organized by the fiscal year (FY) in which they were released.

For information about current opportunities, see the Current Opportunities page. 

TECHNOLOGY AREATYPE OF FUNDINGOPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTOPEN DATECLOSE DATESELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
Hydropower; Marine EnergyFellowshipClean Energy Innovator Fellowship - Host Institution Applications2/1/20243/12/2024TBD
Marine EnergyFOAFunding Notice: Installation Noise Reduction and Reliable Moorings for Offshore Wind and Marine Energy9/29/20233/1/2024TBD
Marine EnergyResearch ProgramApply Now for the Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program9/18/202312/1/2023TBD
Hydropower; Marine EnergyPrizeMake a Splash Photo and Video Contest8/9/202311/17/2023U.S. Department of Energy Announces Water Power Photo and Video Contest Winners
HydropowerNOIStrategies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility Notice of IntentN/AN/AN/A

TECHNOLOGY AREATYPE OF FUNDINGOPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTOPEN DATECLOSE DATESELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
Marine EnergyFOABipartisan Infrastructure Law: U.S. Tidal Energy Advancement5/8/23

Topic Area 1: 7/25/2023

Topic Area 2: 10/19/2023

Biden-Harris Administration Invests Nearly $16 Million to Advance Marine Energy in the U.S.
Hydropower; Marine EnergyGrantWPTO and MSRDC Seed Grants for Marine Energy and Hydropower8/2/2310/13/23TBD
HydropowerPrizeHydropower Operations Optimization (H2Os) Prize Phase 47/19/238/16/23Winners Announced in Final Phase of Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize
Hydropower; Marine EnergyFOANew Funding Available to Seed Water Power Research at Minority-Serving Institutions9/12/202311/13/2023WPTO Announces Nearly $1.2 Million to Support Water Power Research at Minority-Serving Institutions
Hydropower; Marine EnergyFOAWPTO and NSF Engineering Research Initiation Special Emphasis Areas6/15/239/15/23TBD
Marine EnergyPrizeInnovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize (InDEEP) Phase I 3/27/238/25/23DOE Announces Winners in First Round of Prize Focused on Novel Wave Energy Technologies
CrosscuttingCollegiate CompetitionHydropower/Marine Energy Collegiate Competition3/27/234/24/23U.S. Department of Energy Announces Winners of the 2023 Hydropower and Marine Energy Collegiate Competitions
N/ASBIR/STTRSBIR/STTR Program Phase I Release 212/12/222/21/23Eighteen Small Businesses Receive Funding for Hydropower and Marine Energy Research and Development
HydropowerNOTAHydroWIRES Technical Assistance Program11/9/223/10/23WPTO Announces $4.3 Million in Technical Assistance for the Hydropower Community
HydropowerFOADE-FOA-0002801: Advancing Fish Passage and Protection Technologies10/31/223/27/23U.S. Department of Energy Invests $6.3 Million in Environmentally Sustainable Hydropower with Research to Advance Fish Passage and Protection Technologies
HydropowerFOADE-FOA-0002731: Funding Notice: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Innovative Technologies to Enable Low-Impact Hydropower and Pumped Storage Hydropower Growth10/19/223/6/22Biden-Harris Administration Invests More Than $13 Million to Enhance Continued Deployment of Hydropower
HydropowerFOADE-FOA-0002802: Funding Notice: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Pumped Storage Hydropower Wind and Solar Integration and System Reliability Initiative10/19/2212/15/22TBD
HydropowerFOADE-FOA-0002800: Funding Notice: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Stakeholder Insight into Hydropower R&D Issues10/19/2211/18/22Biden-Harris Administration Invests $3.7 Million in Project to Deepen Relationships and Trust Among Key Parties to Improve Hydropower Research and Development
Marine EnergyFOADE-FOA-0002793: Marine Energy Systems Innovation at Sea9/29/223/2/23U.S. Department of Energy Invests Nearly $10 Million to Advance Marine Energy
Marine EnergyNOI

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $35 Million in Funding to Advance Tidal and River Current Energy Systems

Modification: Proposed Funding Opportunity Expanded With $10 Million to Support Community-Led Tidal and Current Energy Planning and Development

N/AN/AN/A
Marine EnergyNOIInstallation Noise Reduction and Reliable Moorings for Offshore Wind and Marine Energy Notice of IntentN/AN/AN/A
Marine EnergyNOIMarine Energy University Foundational R&D Notice of IntentN/AN/AN/A

TECHNOLOGY AREA

TYPE OF FUNDING

OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

OPEN DATE

CLOSE DATE

SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

Hydropower, Marine Energy Lab Call Hydropower and Marine Energy Lab Call N/A 12/9/22

WPTO Announces over $16 Million in New National Lab-Led Hydropower and Marine Projects

Hydropower Prize WPTO Announces Third Phase of Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize 9/29/22 11/11/22

DOE Announces Winners of Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize

Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program Applications Now Open for Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program 9/13/22 12/2/22

Five Students Selected for Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program

Hydropower Prize Hydropower Operations Optimizations (H2Os) Prize Phase Two 7/7/22 8/19/22 WPTO Announces Phase Two Winners in Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize
Hydropower RFI Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 243 and 247 Hydroelectric Incentive Programs 6/30/22 9/6/22 N/A
Marine Energy Prize Marine Energy Collegiate Competition 4/7/22 5/8/22 DOE Announces Winners of 2022 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition
Hydropower Prize Hydropower Collegiate Competition 4/7/22 5/8/22 First Hydropower Collegiate Competition and 2023 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition Competitors Announced
Hydropower Prize Hydropower Operations Optimization (H2O) Prize Phase One 4/6/22 5/20/22 WPTO Announces Phase One Winners in Hydropower Prize to Improve Grid Reliability and Resiliency
Hydropower RFI Data and Research Needs for Climate Change-Informed Hydropower Operation and Research Planning 4/4/22 8/8/22 N/A
Hydropower, Marine Energy SBIR/STTR Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs 2/28/22 7/11/22 Twelve Small Businesses Receive Funding to Further Hydropower and Marine Energy Research and Development
Hydropower Incentive Program EPAct 2005 Section 242 Hydroelectric Production Incentive Program 12/27/21 2/10/22 TBD
Marine Energy Research Program Marine and Hydrokinetic Graduate Student Research Program 10/18/21 12/10/21 Three Students Selected for Graduate Student Research Program to Advance Marine Energy R&D
Hydropower Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002417: Technology Innovation To Increase Hydropower Flexibility 9/30/21 1/21/22

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $8 Million for Technologies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility

N/A Prize EERE Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize 9/30/21 2/25/22

DOE Awards $3.6 Million to Promote Equity And Diversity in Clean Energy Innovation

Hydropower Notice of Intent WPTO Announces $4 Million Funding Opportunity to Reduce Environmental Impacts of Hydropower with Research to Advance Fish Passage and Protection Technologies N/A N/A N/A
Hydropower Notice of Intent Biden-Harris Administration Launches $28 Million Program to Advance Hydropower for Clean Energy N/A N/A N/A
Marine Energy Notice of Intent WPTO Announces Upcoming $10 Million Funding Opportunity to Advance Marine Energy Innovation N/A N/A N/A

TECHNOLOGY AREA

TYPE OF FUNDING

OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

OPEN DATE

CLOSE DATE

SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
Hydropower RFI Testing Capabilities and Facilities to Validate Hydropower Technology Innovations 8/24/21 12/7/21 N/A
Hydropower RFI Energy Policy Act of 2005 Hydroelectric Production Incentive Program 7/8/21 9/7/21 N/A

Marine Energy

FOA

DE-FOA-0002415: Advancing Wave Energy Technologies through Open Water Testing at PacWave

7/7/21

:
10/5/21

Water Power Technologies Office Awards $25M for Open-Water R&D at PacWave

Hydropower Prize I AM Hydro Prize 6/30/20 10/30/20 Hydropower Manufacturing Prize Winners Conceive Strategies To Lower Costs and Improve Performance of Hydropower Components

Hydropower

Marine Energy

RFI

Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Climate Technology

6/8/21

8/6/21

N/A

Marine Energy

Request For Proposals (RFP)

Advancing Research for the Co-Existence of Fishing, Coastal Communities and Regional Ocean Renewable Energies

3/29/21 7/16/21

TBD

Hydropower

Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance (NOTA)

Improving Hydropower’s Value Through Informed Decision-Making

2/17/21

4/16/21

EERE Announces Selectees for Technical Assistance and Upcoming Funding Opportunity on Hydropower Operational Flexibility

Marine Energy

Lab Call

Marine Energy Infrastructure Lab Call

12/20/20

3/20/21

Marine Energy Infrastructure Lab Call Selection

Marine Energy

FOA

DE-FOA-0002360: SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 2 Funding Opportunity Announcement

12/14/20

1/4/21

Seven Innovative Water Power Technologies Selected for Research and Development Funding

Marine Energy

Grant

Operation and Maintenance of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI 2.0)

10/28/20

12/28/20

N/A

Marine Energy Prize Marine Energy Collegiate Competition N/A N/A DOE Announces the 2022 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition Contenders
Hydropower; Marine Energy TCF 2021 Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) N/A` N/A Three Projects Funded in Latest Round of the Technology Commercialization Fund
Hydropower Prize Groundbreaking Hydro Prize 9/25/20 1/31/21 U.S. Department of Energy Announces Groundbreaking Hydro Prize Winners
Marine Energy Prize Ocean Observing Prize 9/18/19 1/1/24

DOE and NOAA Announce 11 Winners of the Powering the Blue Economy Ocean Observing Prize

Marine Energy Prize Waves to Water Prize 6/13/19 9/11/19 U.S. Department of Energy Announces Finalists Advancing to Final Stage of "Waves to Water" Desalination Prize

TECHNOLOGY AREA

TYPE OF FUNDING

OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

OPEN DATE

CLOSE DATE

SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

Marine Energy; Hydropower SBIR/STTR Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs 8/17/18 2/25/19 Energy Department’s Small Business Innovation Research Program Announces Seven New Water Power-Focused Projects for FY19

Hydropower

FOA

DE-FOA-0001836: Innovative Design Concepts for Standard Modular Hydropower and Pumped Storage Hydropower

8/8/18

11/30/18

Funding Selections Announced for Innovative Design Concepts for Standard Modular Hydropower and Pumped Storage Hydropower

Marine Energy; Hydropower

TCF

2018 Technology Commercialization Fund

N/A

N/A

Water Power Projects Among Technology Commercialization Fund Selections

Hydropower

SEC 242

Energy Policy Act of 2005 Hydroelectric Production Incentive Program

6/20/18

7/20/18

EPACT 2005 SECTION 242 HYDRO INCENTIVE PROGRAM CALENDAR YEAR 2017 INCENTIVE RECIPIENTS

Marine Energy FOA DE-FOA-0001837: Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Advancement and Data Dissemination 4/30/18 5/21/18 U.S. Department of Energy Awards $25 Million for Next-Generation Marine Energy Research Projects

Hydropower

NOTA

Techno-Economic Studies of Pumped Storage Hydropower

4/25/18

7/12/18

Pumped Storage Projects Selected for Techno-Economic Studies

Hydropower

SBIR/ STTR

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs

10/16/17

2/26/18

WPTO Selects Four Projects for Phase I SBIR and STTR Funding

Marine Energy; Hydropower TCF 2018 Technology Commercialization Fund N/A N/A Water Power Projects Among Technology Commercialization Fund Selections

TECHNOLOGY AREA

TYPE OF FUNDING

OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

OPEN DATE

CLOSE DATE

SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

Marine Energy FOA DE-FOA-0001419: Wave Energy Test Facility 8/16/16 9/20/16 Energy Department Announces Investment in Wave Energy Test Facility
Marine Energy; Hydropower SBIR/STTR Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs 8/15/16 2/7/17 Water Power Projects Selected for Research and Development Grant

Hydropower

FOA

DE-FOA-0001455: HydroNEXT FOA: Innovative Technologies to Advance Non‐Powered Dam and Pumped‐Storage Hydropower Development 

7/26/16

10/7/16

Energy Department Awards up to $9.8 Million for Next-Generation Hydropower Technologies

Hydropower

SEC 242

2016 Guidance and Application for Hydroelectric Incentive Payments 

4/25/16

5/31/16

EPACT 2005 SECTION 242 HYDRO INCENTIVE PROGRAM CY15 INCENTIVE RECIPIENTS

Marine Energy

FOA

DE-FOA-0001418: Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion and Environmental Monitoring Technology Advancement 

3/1/16

5/26/16

Energy Department Awards More Than $20 Million for Wave and Tidal Energy Projects

Hydropower

SEC 242

Guidance and Application for Hydroelectric Incentive Payments through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 242 Program

12/16/15

2/1/16

EPACT 2005 SECTION 242 HYDRO INCENTIVE PROGRAM CY15 INCENTIVE RECIPIENTS

Marine Energy; Hydropower TCF 2016 Technology Commercialization Fund N/A N/A DOE Announces $16 Million for 54 Projects to Help Commercialize Promising Energy Technologies: Technology Commercialization Fund Will Support 12 National Labs and 52 Private Sector Partners

Hydropower; Marine Energy

SBIR/ STTR

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs

N/A

N/A

FY2016 SBIR\EERE Phase II Award Selections