The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) is an agency within the Department of Energy (DOE) that has funded the development and deployment of transformational and disruptive energy technologies and systems since 2009. ARPA-E focuses on high-risk concepts with potentially high rewards.

The mission of ARPA-E is to overcome the long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of energy technologies. To achieve this mission, ARPA-E will pursue the following goals: First, ARPA-E aims to enhance the economic security of the United States through the development of energy technologies. Second, ARPA-E aims to ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.

ARPA-E was appropriated $180 million for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 (October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011). For more information on ARPA-E’s budget, please click here.

The America Competes Act of 2007 authorized the establishment of ARPA-E within the U.S. Department of Energy. However, ARPA-E did not come into existence until early 2009 when it received $400 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit is an annual convention of the key players in the nation’s energy innovation community that aims to spur the networks that will bring about the next Industrial Revolution in clean energy technologies.

The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit will be held in late February or early March next year.

Information and presentation materials from the 2011 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summits can be found here.

Information and presentation materials from the 2010 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summits can be found here.

Appropriate science and engineering fields of research include but are not limited to:
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Mathematics
Geology
Earth and Atmospheric Science
Computer Science and Engineering
Materials Science
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Bioengineering
Civil Engineering
Operations Research
Systems Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Architecture

ARPA-E Fellows are typically early in their careers whereas Sr. Fellows are typically well established in a particular area of energy or technology. Fellows engage in deep dives, Program Director support, and organizational support; Sr. Fellows may engage in all of these activities but primarily focus on a particular deep dive area.

For more information on the ARPA-E Fellows Program, please click here.

For more information on the ARPA-E Senior Fellows Program, please click here .

Information on ARPA-E job opportunities and application instructions can be found by clicking here.