NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI) TO ISSUE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT DE-FOA-0003183: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) SECTION 41007(B)(1): AERODYNAMICS FOR EXTREME-SCALE OFFSHORE WIND PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVAL (AESOPS) | DE FOA 0003318

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003318

The Notice of Intent (NOI) for DE-FOA-0003183, titled "Aerodynamics for Extreme-Scale Offshore Wind Performance and Survival (AESOPS)," signals an upcoming U.S. Department of Energy funding opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), specifically Section 41007(b)(1). The core purpose is to close a major technical gap that is becoming more urgent as offshore wind turbines move into the multi-megawatt, extreme-scale range. At these larger sizes, the aerodynamic conditions experienced by blades and airfoils change in ways that many current design tools do not reliably capture, largely because those tools have not been thoroughly validated with real-world-quality benchmark data at the relevant operating regimes. This lack of validation increases risk for developers and manufacturers by making performance predictions less trustworthy and by raising the chance of costly redesigns, underperformance, or unexpected loads that can affect reliability and survivability offshore.

The planned FOA is being driven by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) through the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO). The technical emphasis is on generating and sharing high-quality aerodynamic data and improving the models used to predict blade behavior, especially at high Reynolds numbers. High Reynolds number operation is a defining feature of very large turbine blades because the combination of large chord lengths and high tip speeds produces flow conditions that tend to be more turbulent and more complex than what is commonly represented in smaller-scale testing and legacy datasets. The NOI highlights that open-source data in this regime is currently limited, which slows progress across the industry because companies and researchers cannot easily benchmark or cross-check tools against trusted reference measurements. By funding work that produces widely usable datasets and validated models, the program aims to reduce uncertainty across the whole rotor design process.

The opportunity is expected to support three tightly connected outcomes. First, it aims to collect and disseminate benchmark aerodynamic data that can directly inform next-generation airfoil and blade designs. In practical terms, that means producing experimental and/or field-relevant measurements that the broader community can use to test computational fluid dynamics (CFD), engineering-level aerodynamic models, and aeroelastic simulation tools. Second, it seeks the development and validation of improved modeling and simulation approaches for wind turbine blades in idling or parked conditions. This is an important survivability issue for offshore wind because turbines are not always operating; they may be intentionally parked during extreme winds, storms, or grid events, and aerodynamic behavior in these states can drive large transient loads, vibrations, and potentially damaging responses. Third, the FOA is meant to deliver physical insight and models that industry can trust, ultimately lowering the technical and financial risk of deploying extreme-scale offshore wind turbines and helping accelerate cost-effective offshore wind deployment.

From a funding and award structure standpoint, the NOI indicates up to $5.1 million in total federal funding is anticipated for the planned FOA. EERE expects to make between 1 and 3 awards, and the funding instrument is planned as cooperative agreements, which typically means substantial DOE involvement during execution (for example, coordination on milestones, data sharing expectations, review points, and technical direction consistent with the award). The estimated period of performance is three years, suggesting projects should be scoped to produce meaningful datasets, validated tools, and publishable or distributable outputs within that timeframe.

Administrative details included in the posting characterize this as a discretionary energy funding opportunity associated with CFDA number 81.087. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, which generally implies a broad applicant pool may be able to apply once the full FOA is released (commonly including universities, national labs, private companies, nonprofits, and teams/consortia, subject to the final FOA rules). The agency contact is the DOE Golden Field Office. While the entry shows an "OriginalClosingDate" of 2024-09-27, this is an NOI for a planned FOA, so the definitive deadlines, topic areas, deliverables, and submission requirements would be confirmed in the actual FOA when published. The NOI directs interested parties to the full document and future updates through EERE Exchange at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov, which is where the final announcement, application instructions, and any amendments would be posted.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI) TO ISSUE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT DE-FOA-0003183: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) SECTION 41007(B)(1): AERODYNAMICS FOR EXTREME-SCALE OFFSHORE WIND PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVAL (AESOPS)" 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 2024-03-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-27. (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 $2.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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