Recovery Act: Geologic Sequestration Training and Research

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Projects under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. 111-5, (Recovery Act or Act). The Recovery Act¿s purposes are to stimulate the economy and to create and retain jobs. The Act gives preference to activities that can be started and completed expeditiously. Accordingly, special consideration will be given to projects that promote and enhance the objectives of the Act, especially job creation, preservation and economic recovery, in an expeditious manner. The Department of Energy¿s (DOE¿s) Carbon Sequestration Program within the Office of Fossil Energy¿s (FE¿s) Coal Program involves two key elements for technology development and research: 1) core R D and 2) infrastructure. The core R D element contains five focal areas for carbon sequestration technology development: 1) capture, 2) geologic carbon storage, 3) monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA), 4) carbon dioxide (CO2) use, and 5) simulation and risk assessment. Core R D is driven by technology needs and is accomplished through laboratory and pilot-scale research aimed at developing new technologies and new systems for CO2-emission mitigation. The Infrastructure element includes large-scale projects and the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs). An awareness of current and completed research and development activities in the carbon sequestration area will be important to achieving the proper balance of integration with other funded activities. For additional information on DOE¿s carbon sequestration activities, please visit: http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/carbon_seq/index.html. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies offer great potential for reducing CO2 emissions and mitigating global climate change. Deploying these technologies will require a significantly expanded workforce trained in the various specialties that are currently under-represented in the United States. Education and training activities undertaken in this project will develop a future generation of geologists, scientists, and engineers that will provide the human capital and skills required for implementing and deploying CCS technologies. Grant applications from universities, colleges, and college-affiliated research institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions (HBCU/OMI) are sought to provide training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students that will provide the human capital and skills required for implementing and deploying CCS technologies. Training can be accomplished through fundamental research in the CCS technology area. Fundamental research is needed to advance science in: simulation and risk assessment; monitoring, verification, and accounting; geological related analytical tools; methods to interpret geophysical models; well completion and integrity for long-term CO2 storage; and CO2 capture.

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