Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 4 (SEEDS 4) | DE FOA 0003226

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003226

Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 4 (SEEDS 4) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), specifically through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). The focus is not on building hardware or deploying solar equipment directly, but on supporting innovative social science research that can produce practical, decision-ready insights about how large-scale solar (LSS) projects are sited and developed. The core aim is to improve the siting process itself and the real-world outcomes that siting decisions create for both host communities and the solar industry, with particular attention to communities that are disadvantaged and may face disproportionate burdens or barriers in energy development processes.

At a high level, the FOA is designed to fund research that helps stakeholders understand what makes solar siting more fair, more effective, and more likely to lead to broadly supported projects. That includes identifying how community engagement, local governance, permitting pathways, land-use planning, benefit-sharing approaches, and communication strategies influence acceptance, trust, and project success. By emphasizing "actionable insights," DOE is signaling that it wants research that can be applied in practice, such as guidance, tools, frameworks, evidence-based best practices, or approaches that can be adopted by developers, local governments, regulators, community-based organizations, and other decision makers involved in siting and permitting.

The funding instrument for SEEDS 4 is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies a more hands-on partnership between DOE and the recipient than a standard grant. Under cooperative agreements, DOE often remains substantially involved in shaping or monitoring key aspects of the project, such as milestones, deliverables, reporting, and coordination, to ensure the work stays aligned with program goals and produces usable outcomes for the field.

The opportunity is listed under the science and technology and other research and development activity category, with CFDA number 81.087, and it is administered by DOE's Golden Field Office. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, which generally means a wide range of applicant types can apply (for example, universities, nonprofits, private firms, state and local governments, and other eligible entities), assuming they meet the standard federal requirements laid out in the FOA and associated regulations.

In terms of funding size and scale, the award ceiling is $2,500,000 per award, and DOE anticipated making about 6 awards. The FOA was created on December 14, 2023, and the original closing date for applications was March 15, 2024. The combination of a multi-million-dollar ceiling and a small expected number of awards suggests DOE was looking to fund a limited set of relatively substantive research efforts, potentially including multi-disciplinary teams that can combine methods like surveys, interviews, case studies, behavioral research, policy analysis, and evaluation of siting processes across different regions or community types.

Overall, SEEDS 4 is best understood as a federal investment in the "human systems" side of solar deployment: how projects are proposed, negotiated, approved, and experienced locally, and how those processes can be improved so that large-scale solar expands in ways that are more equitable, more transparent, and more beneficial for host communities, while also reducing friction and uncertainty for the solar industry.

• The Golden Field Office in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 4 (SEEDS 4)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for DE FOA 0003226

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: