Open Call for User Access

NREL accepts proposals from external organizations to access the ESIF throughout the year, which are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Photo of three researchers talk in front of a hydrogen electrolyzer, one of the unique research capabilities of the ESIF.

External organizations interested in accessing the ESIF are required to complete an ESIF laboratory request form, which will be the basis for the review of the proposal. ESIF operations staff will screen all requests to assess alignment with the ESIF mission, availability of ESIF laboratory resources, and the technical readiness of the laboratory or equipment requested.

The completed form should be emailed to userprogram.esif@nrel.gov and a receipt confirmation will be provided, along with a timeline for proposal review.

Reviewers will consider the following questions:

  1. Is the described work consistent with the ESIF’s mission objectives? Interpretation of the mission is intended to be broad in this initial screening.
  2. Are the proposed methods feasible and appropriate for the ESIF’s resources, and is the required laboratory and equipment available?

This screening process is intended to address issues such as hardware or software that cannot run on the ESIF’s existing hardware and software systems. The screening is not an assessment of the maturity or merits of the domain work being proposed.

Quarterly Review Schedule

Proposals can be submitted anytime during each quarter and will be reviewed during the first 4-6 weeks of the following quarter. 

  • Quarter 1: Oct. 1–Dec. 31
  • Quarter 2: Jan. 1–March 31
  • Quarter 3 April 1–June 30
  • Quarter 4: July 1–Sept. 30 

Contact

Please direct questions to userprogram.esif@nrel.gov.

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