Engineers and scientists with ideas for decarbonizing the manufacturing industry in the United States have expanded access to an entrepreneurship program offering a $100,000 annual stipend for two years and $175,000 in R&D funding.
In the latest expansion of its Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) added West Gate, a site managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, to its list of participating facilities. This expands the DOE’s efforts to develop next-generation clean energy technologies in its drive toward a zero-carbon economy.
A competitive process run through West Gate will select up to five innovators for two-year paid fellowships; access to NREL facilities and equipment; R&D funding; and business mentorship, entrepreneurial training, and networking opportunities with leaders from academia, finance, government, and industry.
“We launched the Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship program seven years ago to provide clean energy innovators with a critical bridge between discovery and commercialization,” says Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman. “We’re thrilled to expand this mentorship program and support more entrepreneurs whose novel ideas will power our clean energy future and ensure that it’s made right here at home.”
Past innovations created through the Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, founded in 2015, include higher efficiency solar panels and a biomanufacturing process for fungi-based meat alternatives. The program is funded primarily through the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Potential applicants can find more information on program offerings and eligibility on the West Gate website.
