UNLOCKING LASTING TRANSFORMATIVE RESILIENCY ADVANCES BY FASTER ACTUATION OF POWER SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES SBIR/STTR (ULTRAFAST SBIR/STTR) | DE FOA 0002999

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002999

The ULTRAFAST SBIR/STTR opportunity (DE-FOA-0002999) is an ARPA-E funding call focused on pushing power semiconductor technology to switch and respond dramatically faster, at higher voltages and currents, so the electric grid can be controlled and protected in much tighter timeframes than is possible today. The underlying idea is that modern grids are being asked to do more at once: integrate variable renewables, support rapid load growth, handle distributed energy resources, and remain stable through faults, cyber/physical disruptions, and extreme weather. ARPA-E is looking for breakthroughs at the semiconductor material, device, and power-module level that make power flow control more precise and protection actions more immediate, which in turn can improve grid resilience and reliability across essentially every interface where power is converted, conditioned, switched, or interrupted.

This FOA sits within ARPA-E's broader mission to fund high-risk, high-reward applied research and development that can create new performance "learning curves" rather than incremental improvements along existing roadmaps. The program explicitly targets silicon (Si) devices as well as wide bandgap (WBG) and ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors, recognizing that newer materials can offer higher breakdown fields, faster switching, higher temperature operation, and potentially lower losses, but still face practical bottlenecks in actuation, packaging, protection, electromagnetic interference, and manufacturability. In plain terms, ARPA-E wants small businesses to propose approaches that could meaningfully change what power electronics can do for the grid, not just refine what already exists.

Technically, ULTRAFAST is centered on "faster actuation" of power semiconductor technologies. That includes faster switching and faster triggering, especially under high power conditions where device stresses, parasitics, and electromagnetic noise become major constraints. The program emphasizes devices and modules that can operate at high switching frequencies while also achieving high slew rates (fast dV/dt and dI/dt), high current, and high voltage. At the same time, it recognizes that faster edges and higher frequencies tend to worsen electromagnetic interference (EMI), so proposed innovations should address or mitigate EMI as part of making the technology usable in real systems.

The FOA highlights three main technology thrusts. The first category is focused on grid protection functions at high current and voltage, with a strong emphasis on extremely fast response. The goal here is nanosecond-level reaction time for protection actions such as bypassing, shunting, or interrupting current, ideally with as little added integration complexity as possible. This points toward solutions like ultra-fast solid-state protection elements, novel device structures, or module-level architectures that can detect and react to faults much faster than conventional mechanical breakers or slower semiconductor-based protection schemes. The second category targets high switching frequency devices and modules for efficient, high-power, high-speed power conversion. For grid applications, the FOA calls out switching needs in the approximate range of 1 kHz to 100 kHz depending on power level, with the intent of improving the large-signal bandwidth of power converters. Higher bandwidth converters can regulate voltage and current more rapidly and provide better dynamic support to the grid, which becomes increasingly valuable as inverter-based resources proliferate. The third category covers complementary enabling technologies that make categories 1 and 2 practical, such as wireless sensing of voltage and current, high-density packaging with integrated wireless actuators and protection, power-cell-level capacitors and inductors, and advanced thermal management approaches. In other words, ARPA-E is open to complete device-to-module-to-subsystem enabling innovations, as long as they directly support ultra-fast actuation and high-performance switching in realistic power hardware.

From an applicant and administrative standpoint, this is a DOE ARPA-E small business opportunity under the SBIR/STTR framework. Eligible applicants are small businesses, and awards can be made as grants, cooperative agreements, or other assistance instruments. ARPA-E notes its standard SBIR/STTR structure with multiple phases (Phase I, Phase II, and Phase IIs), with the overall SBIR purpose being to stimulate innovation, meet federal R&D needs, and drive commercialization, and the STTR purpose emphasizing formal collaboration between small businesses and research institutions. The listing indicates an award ceiling of $4,241,580 and an expectation of around 20 awards, reflecting ARPA-E's typical model of funding a portfolio of high-upside technical bets rather than a single large effort.

Operationally, the FOA materials are obtained through the ARPA-E website, and applications must be submitted through ARPA-E eXCHANGE (not through Grants.gov submission pathways). The announcement stresses that ARPA-E will not review or consider concept papers submitted by other means, and it provides support contacts for platform issues (ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov) and FOA questions (ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov), along with a general FAQ page. The opportunity was posted with a creation date of February 24, 2023, and an original closing date of March 28, 2023.

At a higher level, ULTRAFAST is aiming to enable a future grid that can "think and react" faster through its power electronics, not only to keep the system stable during disturbances, but also to unlock new operating modes and architectures. ARPA-E explicitly connects the value of these advances beyond traditional grid infrastructure to future autonomous power distribution systems, including applications like electric vehicles and all-electric aviation, where compact, high-efficiency, fast-protection power conversion is also a gating technology. The through-line is that if semiconductor devices and modules can switch faster, protect faster, and be packaged and controlled in ways that are robust at high power, the result could be power systems that are more controllable, more efficient, and more resilient under stress, aligning with ARPA-E goals around reliability, energy security, emissions reductions, and U.S. technology leadership.

• The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the opportunity zone benefits, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "UNLOCKING LASTING TRANSFORMATIVE RESILIENCY ADVANCES BY FASTER ACTUATION OF POWER SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES SBIR/STTR (ULTRAFAST SBIR/STTR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 24, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 28, 2023. (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 $4,241,580.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

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