Transformational, Traditional, and Education and Workforce Development Projects to Sustain U.S. Manufacturing
LOI due soon!
Letters of Intent and Project Abstracts Due June 3, 2021
Proposals Due July 15, 2021
This RFP is soliciting proposals for projects in three Areas of Interest (AOI):
A: Transformational Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) Projects
B: Traditional R&D Projects
C: Education & Workforce (EWD) Development Projects
Transformational RD&D Projects
Transformational RD&D project proposals are requested for projects that will develop and demonstrate technology solutions that have the potential to transform the recycling and remanufacturing industries. The intent is to significantly increase 1) the recovery and recycling of polymers, metals, fibers, and e-waste; or 2) the recovery and remanufacturing of durable goods and components that contain polymers, metals, fibers, and e-waste and come from key remanufacturing sectors including aerospace, heavy-duty off-road equipment, motor vehicle equipment, medical equipment, and consumer products.
The defining requirements of Transformational RD&D projects are as follows:
• Transformational RD&D projects must support the mission of REMADE, enable the Institute to achieve its stated goals, and impact REMADE Technical Performance Metrics (TPMs).
• Transformational RD&D projects must demonstrate the technology solution will produce secondary feedstocks that manufacturers (for recycling projects) or remanufacturers (for remanufacturing projects) can use.
• Transformational RD&D projects address aspects of several REMADE Nodes and do not need to align with any single REMADE node.
• Transformational RD&D projects consider multiple segments of the materials supply chain, including all material lifecycle stages (design, manufacturing, remanufacturing, and recycling) and markets (primary and secondary feedstock and scrap) that influence the availability of and demand for secondary feedstocks (for remanufacturing).
• Transformational RD&D projects must demonstrate how the technology solution will be integrated into the manufacturing or remanufacturing supply chain.
• Transformational RD&D projects must have a clear path to transition the technology solution to the marketplace.
• Transformational RD&D projects must be led by industry.
The primary distinction between Transformational RD&D and Traditional RD&D projects is the requirement that Transformational RD&D projects demonstrate the technology solution will produce secondary feedstocks that manufacturers or remanufacturers can use. Consequently, the scope of Transformational RD&D projects is much broader.
To further illustrate the difference between the two types of projects, consider a project focused on reducing contamination during aluminum recycling. Whereas a Traditional R&D project might develop a process that reduces the level of contamination in the scrap aluminum, a Transformational RD&D project would also demonstrate that the scrap aluminum can be used to generate secondary aluminum that can be used to cast parts.
Similarly, for example while a Traditional R&D project related to remanufacturing might develop a novel repair process for cylinder heads in heavy duty off road (HDOR) vehicles, a Transformational RD&D project would also demonstrate the repair on multiple cylinder heads through validation testing and show that the repair met the design requirements relative to microstructure, allowable defects, hardness, dilution, and strength. Alternately, a transformational remanufacturing project might develop a novel repair technology for a specific component but demonstrate that it could be broadly applied to similar components or materials (such as cast iron, steel alloys, or plastic components). Similarly, a transformational remanufacturing project focused on assessing damage in metallic components would be expected to demonstrate the applicability of the technology on actual cores (used products). Transformational projects with applicability across multiple industry sectors are encouraged.
Commensurate with the increased scope of such a Transformational RD&D project, the size and capabilities of the project team would need to be broadened to include participation by manufacturers or remanufacturers involved in the technology demonstration.
Transformational RD&D projects must be industry-led. Trade associations are not eligible to lead Transformational RD&D projects.
Traditional R&D Projects
Traditional R&D project proposals are requested for projects that will develop tools and technologies that are consistent with the research priorities in the REMADE Technology Roadmap, complement the current R&D portfolio, and will enable REMADE to achieve its goals and TPMs. Traditional R&D projects are aligned to one of the five REMADE Nodes and address research activities identified in the REMADE Technology Roadmap. Traditional R&D projects can be led by any qualified organization including industry, academia, or national laboratories.
Education & Workforce Development Projects
EWD project proposals are requested for projects that will develop short courses that can be used to educate, train, and develop the incumbent workforce for careers in Re-X. Pursuant to REMADE’s 2020 EWD Roadmap, REMADE will combine each short course with existing EWD content to create Tiered Certificate Pathways. Each Tiered Certificate Pathway addresses one of three distinct competency levels:
• Awareness level training is intended to provide participants from a broad audience a high-level introduction to the subject matter. Individual Awareness level short courses typically last 1-2 hours.
• Practitioner level training is intended for incumbent workers that currently work with Re-X technologies or in adjacent technology domains who wish to broaden their knowledge. Individual Practitioner level short courses may last 4-8 hours.
• Expert level training is intended to provide in-depth coverage of advanced Re-X concepts or technology and is targeted toward engineers or scientists trying to deepen their expertise. Individual Expert level short courses may last one to multiple days.
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