Research and Development (R&D) Priorities Award: Sustainability

Each year the federal government’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) outline the administration’s priorities for multi-agency federal funding for Research and Development (R&D) for the coming fiscal year. Areas of R&D priority for FY23 were detailed in the “Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies” issued Aug 27, 2021.

The USC R&D Priorities Award provides seed funding for interdisciplinary collaborative research activities involving groups of faculty from multiple schools who are preparing a proposal for an externally funded grant in areas of R&D priorities outlined by the OMB/OSTP. Applications can request up to $75,000; awards are for a period of one year.

Research areas currently identified as priorities for continued federal funding in R&D include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and engagement; technology transfer and commercialization; and research infrastructure.

Within the topics targeted by the federal government for FY23 funding, eligible topics for this Request for Proposals include:

• Energy Transition: Research to develop clean power technologies harnessing clean energy solutions to achieve universal access to energy that is sustainable and affordable. Additional areas of research include the development of policy and regulatory frameworks to (a) attract the private sector to help deliver and finance these investment needs and (b) support engagement with communities to make a secure and just transition to clean power and other economic opportunities.
• Blue Technology: Research to develop technology that promotes a sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth in areas such as, but not limited to, aquaculture, biodiversity, costal protection, renewable energy output, seafood production, cultural values, and tourism, while preserving the health of marine and coastal ecosystem. Blue technology is largely driven by “blue thinking,” the idea that eco-sustainability and renewable resources represent a broad range of possibilities for the benefit of social and economic growth.

Proposal Submission

Nominations must be submitted via our Grant Portal.
For additional information or inquiries, please contact us at rii@usc.edu.

Previous Awardees