The U.S. Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced a funding opportunity intended to encourage early stage, transformative technologies, according to a Dec. 20 press release. The agency seeks to investigate the potential of new program areas while identifying challenges that are of interest to the nation’s competitiveness and security.

• The initial round calls for technologies that support next generation nuclear energy, high temperature sensors for geothermal exploration, and highly durable, lower-energy concrete for infrastructure.
• The agency expects the solicitation to result in “disruptive new technologies across the full spectrum of energy applications.”
• The opportunity will be open for an extended period and new topics will be issued targeting emerging technologies and new areas.