Energy, Environment, & Sustainability

Policy Update: DOE Announces Cap for F&A Costs

April 14, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC
On April 11, the Department of Energy (DOE) released an announcement detailing actions to limit the Facilities and Administration (F&A) rate for institutes of higher education to a standard rate of 15 percent. This would replace current negotiated rates, which currently average above 30 percent for colleges and universities. The notice indicates that DOE is undertaking actions to ensure that grant awards not currently in line with this updated policy are terminated, and that all future grant awards will default to a 15 percent rate. This update applies to both grants and cooperative...

Washington Update - March 21, 2025

March 21, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC periodically provides campus with a Washington Update report. In this report:

Policy Update: President Trump Signs Executive Order to Dismantle the U.S. Department of Education Policy Update: Department of Energy FY 2025 Funding Update Policy Update: President Trump’s Executive Orders Policy Update: Agency Responses to Executive Orders Appropriations Update:...

NSF Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education Program

March 19, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke Associates has provided campus with a report about NSF's new standing program focused on wildland fire research and education titled Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE). The FIRE program will support research or conference proposals for multidisciplinary research that advances understanding of variables contributing to the start and spread of fires, methods for management, and/or insights into solutions for more fire-resilient built infrastructure and communities.

Those who are interested should see the ...

Department of Energy FY 2025 Funding Update

March 17, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke has provided campus with a report on the status of Department of Energy (DOE) funding with the passage of the full-year Continuing Resolution (CR). Overall, the CR provides stability of funding for major basic and applied energy research and development programs, but DOE must submit a spending plan to Congress by May 1 that will likely highlight new Trump Administration priorities for energy research and development activities.

POLICY UPDATE: Agency Responses to Executive Orders

March 10, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke has provided an updated report on the agency response to recent Executive Orders document with updates from the following agencies:

HHS DOC DOE NASA NSF NEA USAID EPA USDA

DOD FY 2026 Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Solicitation

March 7, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke has provided campus with a report about the FY26 Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Solicitation.

Originally established in 1985, MURI remains one of the most popular programs among researchers at institutions of higher education and stands as the benchmark for building a defense-oriented research capability on campus. With the goal of leveraging interdisciplinary teams to understand and achieve revolutionary breakthroughs on behalf of...

Engagement Opportunity: DARPA DSO Critical Orientation of Mathematics to Produce Advancements in Science and Security (COMPASS) Workshop

February 25, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is hosting a hybrid workshop to provide information and facilitate technical discussions with potential proposers about the Critical Orientation of Mathematics to Produce Advancements in Science and Security (COMPASS) Advanced Research Concept (ARC) Opportunity. Scheduled for Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, the event will introduce the COMPASS Opportunity, offer a broad program overview, and feature discussions with government personnel and leading researchers.

COMPASS...

Energy Snapshot: DOE Continues to Fill Leadership Roles and Issues Guidance on Future Energy Priorities

February 11, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke has provided campus with a report about DOE leadership changes.

Washington Update - January 31, 2025

January 31, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC periodically provides campus with a Washington Update report. In this report:

Policy Update: Agency Responses to Executive Orders Space and Transportation Update: New Agency Leadership, Executive Orders, and Space and Transportation R&D Funding Opportunities Energy Update: New DOE Leadership, Executive Orders, and Energy R&D Funding Opportunities Funding Opportunity: NEH Seeks Research on the Impact of the Humanities

Energy Update: New DOE Leadership, Executive Orders, and Energy R&D Funding Opportunities

January 27, 2025
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke has provided an update report on Department of Energy (DOE) nominations for key leadership positions, guidance and executive orders impacting DOE operations and future priorities, and $500 million in funding opportunities, such as the Early Career Research Program, plasma science, AI and advanced computing, vehicle technologies, bioenergy, grid resiliency and geothermal energy. While proposals for these new funding calls will be reviewed by a new DOE leadership...