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Introspective Portfolio Assessment

NLR is developing a framework for a systematic, data-driven approach to assessing projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

A group of people stand in front of screens with maps and graphics displayed across them.

NLR works to standardize the assessment and dissemination of the impacts of R&D funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, National Laboratory of the Rockies

IEDO funds projects across numerous technology areas and in partnership with stakeholders throughout the United States. Their funding opportunities foster collaboration across sectors and pave the way for innovative technology research and development to increase energy efficiency across the manufacturing sector.

NLR is creating a standard approach for assessing and communicating the energy and economic impacts of IEDO-funded R&D projects. Specifically, NLR is implementing a transparent and flexible methodology, in the form of an introspective portfolio assessment (IPA) protocol, to evaluate R&D investments across the diverse portfolio of R&D technologies.

As a first step, several projects are involved in piloting the IPA protocol over a multiyear trial period, after which these methods will be expanded to the broader IEDO R&D portfolio of approximately 300 R&D projects.

A graphic illustrates the IPA framework with blue, green, and orange icons to indicate the process. The graphic text from left to right: Current State of Technology, Technology Impact Analysis, Desired State of Technology, and Collective Outcomes.

IPA provides a flexible framework to assess the impacts of R&D projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's IEDO at a project and portfolio level. Graphic by National Laboratory of the Rockies, Energetics

Impact

The implementation of the IPA will help track project progress and communicate contribution of current IEDO-funded projects to establish office success indicators and technology-specific performance, energy efficiency, and cost targets.

Capabilities

NLR applied analysis and project management capabilities to define project data requirements, coordinate with project principal investigators, and support the integration of the IPA elements into IEDO's funding opportunity requirements.

Partners

NLR partners with IEDO and Energetics, a technology and management consulting firm, to support this effort.

Contact

Neil Popovich

Researcher IV, Chemical Engineering

[email protected]
303-275-3074


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Last Updated Dec. 7, 2025