Stimulus money available for clean energy research

The U.S. Department of Energy is making $37 million in federal stimulus money available to qualified small businesses looking to develop clean energy technology.

The grants are being made available through the DOE's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which both target companies with fewer than 500 employees. Small businesses with research capabilities in science or engineering are encouraged to apply for the money, according to a DOE news release.

"Small businesses are engines of job creation and innovation, and we need their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit to drive a clean energy economy," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu in the release. "By helping small businesses bring clean technologies to market, we can create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce carbon pollution."

Categories for which applications are being accepted include advanced building air conditioning and refrigeration; water usage in power generation; power plant cooling; advanced gas turbines; sensors and wireless networks; controllers for smart grid use; solar technology; and advanced industrial technology and manufacturing.

About $8.5 million should be available for Phase I awards, and applicants can receive up to $150,000 in Phase I funding for up to six months to demonstrate project feasibility.

The deadline to apply is 7 p.m. Central time on Friday. More information is available at the link below.

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