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Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Please see for complete information about the funding opportunity.

Program SummaryÌý

The primary objective of the National Science Foundation’s Energy Water Security Initiative (EWSI) is to secure American energy and national infrastructure resilience by producing measurable reductions in vulnerabilities where water scarcity threatens energy production, baseload stability, and industrial water extraction. This effort aims to accelerate deployment of technical solutions, with a priority focus on the systemic crisis within the Colorado River Basin.

The NSF Energy Water Security Initiative seeks to develop the critical framework needed for research and development and accelerated, high-impact deployment. This initiative implements a two-phase program. Phase 1 awardees receive resources to develop consortia comprising multi-sector partnerships that can deliver on the goals of this initiative. Consortia should include regional partners and provide the collaborative infrastructure needed to accelerate development and deployment of technical capabilities. Phase 2 awardees will receive significant resources to expand the scale of projects leading to rapid completion and deployment of secure, public-domain technologies. The NAICS code for this BAA is 813920 (Professional Organization), which is a consortium focused on promoting professional research interests.

Program Objectives

This BAA is soliciting Phase 1 projects to develop consortia to produce measurable reductions in vulnerabilities where water scarcity threatens reliable energy production, baseload stability, and industrial water extraction. This effort prioritizes accelerating deployment of technical solutions, with a priority focus on the Colorado River Basin.Ìý

Priority program outcomes are:

1. Water for Energy Reliability and Reservoir Resilience
2. Energy-Water Efficiency and Industrial Success

Illustrative technical workstreams under the priority program outcome areas include:

• AI-informed predictive modeling for hydropower stability and federal reservoir elevation management.
• Advanced reservoir evaporation suppression technologies (physical or chemical) to preserve federal water assets in arid regions.
• Low/no water-cooling technologies for baseload thermal power generation.
• Coupled water-energy system modeling (high-performance computing) for forecasting scarcity-to-generation risk.
• Engineered or bioengineered aquifer storage and recovery systems for seasonal industrial load balancing.
• Grid-load management via high-volume water conveyance (utilizing pumping infrastructure as grid-balancing or "virtual battery" load assets).
• Closed-loop, recycled-water cooling systems for exascale data centers and high-density industrial manufacturing.
• Modular atmospheric water capture for remote industrial site security and decentralized resilience.
• Decreasing energy intensity for industrial-scale brackish groundwater desalination and municipal wastewater recycling.
• Resource and critical mineral recovery from industrial wastewater streams to secure domestic supply chains.
• Scalable technologies for the treatment and beneficial reuse of produced water associated with hydrocarbon production in water-scarce regions.

Deadlines

• Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØInternal Deadline: 11:59pm MT August 2, 2026
• Sponsor Application Deadline: August 6, 2026

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

• Priority Outcome Area (select one):
  • Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýWater for Energy Reliability and Reservoir Resilience
  • Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýEnergy-Water Efficiency and Industrial Success
• White Paper (3 pages maximum): Please include: 1) Background and Approach: Include a description of the technical development problem that the consortium is designed to solve and a statement that conveys the Offeror’s vision for the consortium and intended impact Energy and Water Security in the Colorado River Basin; 2) Scope of Work: Describe proposed plan for consortium development, technical solutions for reducing energy-water vulnerabilities, testing, and analysis activities with enough detail to portray the range of the consortium’s proposed activities; 3) Project’s relative importance: State the short, medium- and long-term effects and importance of the proposed project along with the project’s impact on energy and water security in the Colorado River Basin. 4) Schedule and Price Estimate: Major milestones for the project must be included, in terms of weeks, from the project’s start. A summary of the ROM (ballpark) price estimate, including labor, and travel (if applicable) must be included in this section. The period of performance will be for up to 12 months and offerors should include a preliminary and summary level cost estimate to accomplish the technical approach described. Awards may be of any dollar value up to $10,000,000.
• Team and Consortium (1 page maximum): Identify the proposed PI, key personnel, and the proposed consortium. Describe how stakeholders from multiple kinds of organizations, including academic and non-academic partners, are poised to form a consortium in support of the proposed project. Briefly describe the anticipated roles of the different partners and team members in consortium development and the development and deployment of the proposed technical approach.

To access the online application, visit:

Limited Submission Guidelines

Offerors may submit multiple white papers in response to this BAA but may only submit one white paper under each priority outcome area.

Award Information

Although subject to the availability of funding, it is anticipated that this BAA will have up to $50 million available for Phase 1 awards. This is projected, not an assured, funding and is subject to Government discretion.

NSF expects to make multiple Phase 1 awards as a result of this BAA. Awards may be of any dollar value up to $10 million for 12 months duration.

NSF anticipates a later BAA for Phase 2 awards that will expand and scale efforts to enhance American energy-water security.

Evaluation Criteria

The internal review process will follow NSF’s guidance below.

Project MeritÌý

• The submission includes sound technical and management approach to addressing energy and water security.Ìý Ìý Ìý
• The Offeror has demonstrated understanding of consortium development, technical solutions for reducing energy-water vulnerabilities and the challenges that face the Colorado River Basin.Ìý
• The white paper clearly states the challenge to be addressed and illustrates how the project will resolve it.Ìý
• The project scope of work, tasks, and milestones are clearly identified.Ìý
• The project directly and clearly addresses Water for Reliability and Reservoir Resilience and/or Energy-Water Efficiency and Industrial Success.Ìý

Offeror’s CapabilitiesÌý

• Feasibility of proposed work (within time, budget and skill set).Ìý
• Degree to which the scope of work, tasks, and milestones support the goals and objectives of the project.
• Degree to which the offeror’s team, including key personnel, and team organization partners have the appropriate experience that relates to the proposed work and will support a successful outcome.Ìý