
This year, SERDP and ESTCP are excited to announce that Operational Energy-Innovation (OE-I), the operational energy program within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, will co-host the Symposium. Operational energy is defined as the energy needed for training, moving, and sustaining military forces and weapons platforms for military operations. The goal of OE-I is to improve the Department of Defense (DoD) capabilities with strategic investments in operational energy science and technology that mitigate risk and cost in the supply and use of energy in operations and training.
OE-I will host several sessions about their work and research initiatives. There will also be sessions that provide attendees with more information about how to partner with OE-I, SERDP and ESTCP and guidance for preparing proposals. The session descriptions are included below.
DoD Science and Technology Energy Strategy
This session will examine the requirements for technology development that are laid out in the Science and Technology Energy Strategy, including the major focus areas of Power the Force, Electrify the Battlespace, and Commanding Energy. This session will review projects that OE-I is investing in for each of these areas and the impacts they will have on the Joint Force. In addition, OE-I will review major technology focus areas within each of these categories and Joint Force requirements that are driving these decisions.
Working with Operational Energy – Innovation
At this session, speakers will provide training on the OE-I technology proposal process, including the proposal timeline, proposal requirements, contacts, and the process for receiving funds if projects are accepted. As a part of this sessions, core OE-I team members will be introduced and a brief introduction to the Operational Energy Management System (OEMS) will be provided. This session will allow labs and industry partners to learn the basics of how to work with OE-I and submit projects review and evaluation.
Vehicle Electrification and Technology Adoption
This session will explore the technologies the DoD is investing in to electrify ground and air vehicles and the requirements for future technologies. This presentation will also review the recent Memorandum of Agreement between the DoD and Defense Innovation Unit that will expedite technology adoption by the DoD. This session may include additional briefs from Service representatives adding Service-specific requirements for vehicle electrification.
Funding Opportunities: How to Partner with SERDP and ESTCP
Each year SERDP and ESTCP issue solicitations that seek innovative technologies for research and development or demonstration and validation to address DoD’s priority environmental and installation energy challenges. Join the SERDP and ESTCP Director, Deputy Director, and Program Managers in this session focused on how to partner with SERDP or ESTCP in a research or demonstration project. This session will provide insight into the SERDP and ESTCP funding process and how to write competitive proposals.
Guidance and Tips for Preparing Pre-Proposals and Proposals
This short course will provide tips and guidance for preparing SERDP and ESTCP pre-proposals and proposals. Course content will include but is not limited to how to structure the proposal, a description of essential content to include, common pitfalls that may be encountered, and other considerations. Substantial time is allowed for questions about the proposal preparation and submittal process. The course is ideal for those relatively new to the proposal writing process.
To learn more about all 30 sessions offered at the Symposium and more, visit the Symposium website.