Project Grant DESC0011946

Coolcad Electronics, LLC received a $200,000 Project Grant award from the Department of Energy Office of Science on June 27, 2022 to support development of low-cost hybrid SiC/GaN-based single-stage microinverters with integrated planar magnetics technology. The project aims to deliver this technology by March 26, 2023. The award is being made through the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA #81.049), which supports basic research to deliver scientific discoveries and tools...

The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy awarded a $3,274,432 Cooperative Agreement under the Conservation Research and Development (CFDA 81.086) program to Western Michigan University. The objective of this 26-month project is to develop a 150 kilowatt traction power charger-inverter system with galvanic isolation capability. The university will conduct research and development to advance this multi-input integrated smart charger-inverter system, which can...

This $400,000 National Science Foundation project grant supports research at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to develop novel bidirectional high-power DC-DC onboard electric vehicle battery chargers with ultra-high power density and scalability operating over 1 megahertz. The research aims to address key gaps including designing and demonstrating 1.2 kilovolt gallium nitride field-effect transistors for high-frequency power converters operating over 800 volts and 1...

This $270,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) supports the development of grid-forming inverter technologies to advance the energy transition and increase renewable energy grid integration. A joint team from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Central Florida will optimize grid-forming voltage control, develop advanced three-port microinverters with black start and islanded operation capabilities, and design innovative...

Mission Power Corp. was awarded a $206,500 Project Grant from the Department of Energy Office of Science under the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049) to develop a low-cost, high frequency inverter for utility-scale photovoltaic systems. The grant will support Mission Power Corp.'s work to design and test a prototype inverter at its Potsdam, New York facility between June 2022 and March 2023. By funding this research and development effort, the DOE aims to advance...

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a program under the Department of Energy, has awarded a $500,000 Project Grant to the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (University of Nebraska) under CFDA Program 81.135. The grant funding will support the University of Nebraska's development of a first-of-its-kind 10 kV high-frequency press-pack (HFPP) silicon carbide MOSFET module, referred to as "METAPAK." This module is intended to enable novel high-frequency HVDC...

This award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems under the Engineering CFDA program provides $1,499,996 to the University of Wisconsin System to conduct research on developing ultra-efficient, high-voltage monolithic bidirectional transistors (MBDTs) for use in power electronics applications. The key objectives are to: 1) demonstrate the first ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) based MBDTs; 2) enhance the performance and manufacturability of...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program awarded a $135,956 project grant to South Dakota State University (SDSU) to develop a highly efficient, modular, and scalable power system that integrates photovoltaic, energy storage, and smart micro-inverter technologies. The goal is to create a novel power conversion system architecture and control capabilities to enable greater penetration of solar energy into the electric grid and support grid stability and resilience. The key...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering (CFDA 47.041) CAREER grant, awarded July 1, 2025, provides $563,851 to the University of Wisconsin–Madison to develop ultra-wide bandgap (UWB) aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) channel transistors for high-voltage power electronics applications. The primary deliverables include research and development of state-of-the-art 10 kilovolt (kV) transistors with approximately 10 times lower on-state resistance compared to incumbent silicon carbide (SiC)...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrative Activities (CFDA# 47.083) Project Grant award provides $300,000 to the University of Arkansas to enhance the power density and operating temperature range of traction inverters for electric vehicles (EVs) through the use of gallium oxide-based power modules. The key objectives are to: 1) innovate power module packaging techniques to optimize thermal resistances, minimize parasitic inductances, and enhance high-temperature operation; 2) explore...