HARMONY: Human-Centric Analytics for Resilient Modernized Power sYstems

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its initiative titled HARMONY: Human-Centric Analytics for Resilient & Modernized Power Systems. The funding opportunity, issued under FOA number DE-FOA-0003446, is designed to address the increasing complexity and vulnerability of the modern electric grid. As the energy system undergoes a rapid digital transformation, characterized by distributed generation, variable renewable energy, and greater interdependencies across sectors, the DOE seeks to fund innovative projects that can quantify, characterize, and communicate both aleatory (statistical) and epistemic (systematic) uncertainties that impact grid operations. The program's ultimate goal is to enable better decision-making and response by human operators in the face of growing threats, including extreme weather, cyber incidents, and structural grid challenges. This initiative reflects the DOE’s strategic focus on enhancing grid resilience through data-driven and human-centered research. The HARMONY program explicitly targets the development of new methods and tools for uncertainty-informed risk analytics, cybersecurity enhancements, and integration of human factors into grid operations. This includes research into assumption-deviation analysis, cyber vulnerability quantification, human-machine interface (HMI) improvements, and the establishment of common operating pictures between grid and network operations. The emphasis is on demonstration and development (RD&D) projects that incorporate multidisciplinary approaches to strengthen situational awareness, predict cascading failures, and provide operators with actionable insights during high-risk events. To meet these objectives, the NOFO restricts eligibility to domestic academic and nonprofit research institutions, DOE Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and think tanks. The rationale is that the topic area remains a developing field with limited commercial maturity, and therefore, research-centric organizations are best equipped to lead this work. However, the DOE strongly encourages these eligible entities to form partnerships with utility companies, regional transmission organizations, technology developers, and other electric sector stakeholders to ensure that the outcomes remain industry-relevant and implementable. Projects must be conducted within the United States, and foreign entities or foreign work components are only permitted through approved waivers submitted as part of the application. Applications must follow a two-phase submission process. First, concept papers are required and must be submitted by February 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET to [email protected]. Only applicants who submit concept papers by this deadline are eligible to submit a full application. The full application deadline is April 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET. The concept paper should describe the proposed technology, its novelty, state of the art comparisons, potential impact, location, and the technical qualifications of the team. A five-page limit applies. DOE will conduct an independent review and issue feedback encouraging or discouraging full applications by March 7, 2025. Full applications must include technical volumes, budget justifications, letters of commitment from cost-share partners (if applicable), and, where relevant, documentation of impacted Indian Tribes. DOE anticipates issuing approximately five cooperative agreement awards, each valued at around $1,250,000, for a total program funding pool of approximately $6,250,000. The period of performance is expected to span 36 months, from October 22, 2025 through October 21, 2028. No cost share is required for this FOA, and DOE will maintain substantial involvement in award performance through technical oversight, Go/No-Go milestones, and participation in decision-making. The review criteria will assess compliance, technical merit, and the inclusion of community and labor engagement components if applicable. Applications not aligned with the technical parameters (e.g., deterministic methods or isolated component-level projects) will be deemed nonresponsive. This NOFO is recurring and has been updated from its original release to extend deadlines and clarify submission requirements. All documents must be submitted via Grants.gov or the FedConnect portal, and applicants must register with SAM.gov, obtain a UEI, and complete all registrations in advance of submission. Award notifications are expected by July 22, 2025, with funding disbursement and performance commencing in October 2025. The DOE’s Office of Electricity remains the primary point of contact, and inquiries must be submitted through the FedConnect portal.

Ensure applications address both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties; projects must align with DOE’s grid modernization goals; deterministic projects will be rejected.