Notice2025-01161
Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Autonomous Experimentation Platforms from Material Genome Initiative
Primary source
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Published
January 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
On behalf of the Material Genome Initiative (MGI), the Department of Energy (DOE) seeks public comment on autonomous experimentation platforms to inform implementation of the MGI Challenges and Autonomous Materials Innovation Infrastructure (AMII).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5872-5873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01161]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Autonomous
Experimentation Platforms from Material Genome Initiative
AGENCY: Office of Critical and Emerging Technologies, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Material Genome Initiative (MGI), the
Department of Energy (DOE) seeks public comment on autonomous
experimentation platforms to inform implementation of the MGI
Challenges and Autonomous Materials Innovation Infrastructure (AMII).
DATES: Responses to the RFI are requested by March 21, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments electronically to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2d44434b426d404a44034a425b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6c05020a032c010b05420b031a">[email protected]</span></a> and include ``MGI RFI'' in the subject line of the email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further questions may be addressed to
Charles Yang through <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#adc4c3cbc2edc0cac483cac2db"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="422b2c242d022f252b6c252d34">[email protected]</span></a> or (202) 586-6116.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
This is an RFI issued by DOE in support of the Material Genome
Initiative (MGI) that seeks public input to inform interagency
coordination around Autonomous Experimentation (AE) platform research,
development, capabilities, and infrastructure. This input will support
the efforts of the recently announced MGI Challenges that aim to help
unify and promote adoption of the Materials Innovation Infrastructure--
through the expansion and integration of capabilities including
autonomy, artificial intelligence, and robotics--to realize solutions
to challenges of national interest.\1\ MGI is a Federal multi-agency
initiative for discovering, manufacturing, and deploying advanced
materials and supporting U.S. institutions in the adoption of methods
for accelerating materials development, with over 15 agency
participants.
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\1\ <a href="https://www.mgi.gov/2024-materials-genome-initiative-mgi-challenges">https://www.mgi.gov/2024-materials-genome-initiative-mgi-challenges</a>.
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For this RFI, MGI seeks input from stakeholders across the entire
materials innovation ecosystem including but not limited to:
<bullet> Academic and federally funded research and development centers
<bullet> For-profit and non-profit AI developers
<bullet> Consortia, public/private partnerships, and industry groups
interested in AE
<bullet> Scientific equipment manufacturers
<bullet> Robotics/automation manufacturers and developers
<bullet> Startups and investors
<bullet> Scientific workforce and education organizations
<bullet> Think tanks and science policy organizations
<bullet> And other interested entities
II. Purpose
Autonomous experimentation (AE) is defined in the MGI Workshop
Report on Autonomous Materials Innovation Infrastructure \2\ as ``the
coupling of automated experimentation and in situ or in line analysis
of results, with artificial intelligence (AI) to direct experiments in
rapid, closed-loops.'' The report identifies several technological
advances coupled to existing techniques that need to be integrated to
realize AE:
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\2\ <a href="https://www.mgi.gov/sites/default/files/documents/MGI_Autonomous_Materials_Innovation_Infrastructure_Workshop_Report.pdf">https://www.mgi.gov/sites/default/files/documents/MGI_Autonomous_Materials_Innovation_Infrastructure_Workshop_Report.pdf</a>.
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(1) Laboratory automation, enabling robots to carry out the
autonomous experimental tasks (Including transfer between instruments/
experimental stations) prescribed by the decision algorithms.
(2) Automated in-line & in situ sensing, characterization, and
analysis capabilities to enable closed-loop autonomous experimentation.
(3) Improved AI and autonomous experimentation decision methods for
materials that enable faster and better R&D.
(4) Improved software for hardware automation, sensing and
autonomous experimentation.
MGI announced five challenges to help unify and accelerate adoption
of Materials Innovation Infrastructure to build scientific
infrastructure to address issues national interest.\3\ These challenges
build off several recent announcements from across the U.S. Government
in support of AE systems, including funding for AE for semiconductor
materials \4\ from the CHIPS office in NIST, a National Science
Foundation (NSF) solicitation for material discovery,\5\ and an ARPA-E
funding opportunity for catalyst discovery with AE.\6\ This RFI is not
a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA).
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\3\ <a href="https://www.mgi.gov/2024-materials-genome-initiative-mgi-challenges">https://www.mgi.gov/2024-materials-genome-initiative-mgi-challenges</a>.
\4\ <a href="https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2024/10/30/CHIPS%20CARISSMA%20NOFO.pdf">https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2024/10/30/CHIPS%20CARISSMA%20NOFO.pdf</a>.
\5\ <a href="https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf25508.pdf?VersionId=m260vPkM22sxSgrP2Kawqho5qTCDdHYD">https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf25508.pdf?VersionId=m260vPkM22sxSgrP2Kawqho5qTCDdHYD</a>.
\6\ <a href="https://arpa-e.energy.gov/technologies/programs/catalchem-e">https://arpa-e.energy.gov/technologies/programs/catalchem-e</a>.
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This RFI seeks public input on existing research infrastructure as
well as opportunities and challenges to leverage autonomous
experimentation systems to realize the MGI Challenges. This RFI also
seeks input on steps the MGI and the U.S. Government can take to
support a broader research and development (R&D) ecosystem for
autonomous experimentation systems.
III. Questions
1. MGI Challenges
For any of the following MGI challenges, respondents may provide
input on any number or all of the following topics:
<bullet> Identify and map existing autonomous experimentation
infrastructure suitable to addressing the MGI challenges;
<bullet> Describe how autonomous experimentation systems should be
designed and integrated to accomplish MGI challenges;
<bullet> Describe promising technical approaches to addressing a
particular challenge and how AE systems can be designed to accelerate
progress in those approaches;
<bullet> Describe obstacles to leveraging autonomous
experimentation systems specific to a given MGI challenge that will
need to be addressed.
Clearly indicate which challenge is being responded to. Further
details on the challenges can be found here.\7\ One response may
respond to multiple challenges.
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\7\ <a href="https://www.mgi.gov/2024-materials-genome-initiative-mgi-challenges">https://www.mgi.gov/2024-materials-genome-initiative-mgi-challenges</a>.
(a) MGI Challenge: Point of Care Tissue-Mimetic Materials for
Biomedical Devices and Implants
(b) MGI Challenge: Agile Manufacturing of Affordable Multi-Functional
Composites
(c) MGI Challenge: Quantum Position, Navigation, and Timing on a Chip
(d) MGI Challenge: High Performance, Low Carbon Cementitious Materials
(e) MGI Challenge: Sustainable Materials Design for Semiconductor
Applications
2. Partnerships and Consortium
(a) How should the Material Genome Initiative (MGI) and the U.S.
[[Page 5873]]
Government more broadly partner with industry, academia, and other
stakeholders to realize autonomous experimentation platforms? Are there
specific models that should be considered?
(b) What role can a public-private consortium play in supporting
the development of autonomous experimentation? How should a consortium
be structured and who should be involved?
(c) What are the non-technical barriers to realizing the broad
impact of AE that partnerships and consortia can address? For example,
standards development, experimental equipment integration, etc.
(d) How can MGI and the U.S. Government more broadly work with the
affected communities to support the development of AE systems for
science? How can MGI and the U.S. Government work with private industry
to support technology transition of innovations developed by the
community?
3. Workforce
(a) How can the MGI agencies support the equitable development of
an AI-ready scientific workforce, with the skills and knowledge needed
to work with, operate, and leverage autonomous experimentation
platforms?
(b) How do the workforce skills and knowledge needed to realize
autonomous experimentation systems as a new scientific infrastructure
overlap with other valuable scientific and engineering discipline
needs?
4. Scientific Equipment, Automation, and Software Interfaces
(a) What types of robotic automation hardware and software are most
applicable for scientific autonomous experimentation systems?
(b) What are obstacles and challenges to integrating robotic
automation with scientific equipment? What role can software
Application Programming Interface (API) standards play in developing
autonomous experimentation systems? How can MGI and the U.S. Government
work with private industry, including equipment manufacturers and
autonomy developers, to develop API standards for the industry and
accelerate adoption and development of AE systems?
IV. Response Guidelines
Commenters are welcome to comment on any question. RFI responses
shall include:
1. RFI title;
2. Name(s), phone number(s), and email address(es) for the
principal point(s) of contact;
3. Institution or organization affiliation and postal address; and
4. Clear indication of the specific question(s) to which you are
responding.
Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#31585f575e715c56581f565e47"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="620b0c040d220f050b4c050d14">[email protected]</span></a> with the subject line ``MGI RFI'' no later than 5 p.m.
(ET) on March 21, 2025. Responses must be provided as attachments to an
email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25
MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses
must be provided as a Microsoft Word (*.docx) or Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf)
attachment to the email and should be no more than 15 pages in length,
12-point font, 1-inch margins. Only electronic responses will be
accepted. Only one response per individual or organization will be
accepted.
A response to this RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment
to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed.
Confidential Business Information
Because information received in response to this RFI may be used to
structure future programs and/or otherwise be made available to the
public, respondents are strongly advised NOT to include any information
in their responses that might be considered business sensitive,
proprietary, or otherwise confidential.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that
he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public
disclosure should submit via email two well-marked copies: one copy of
the document marked ``confidential'' including all the information
believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document marked ``non-
confidential'' with the information believed to be confidential
deleted. Failure to comply with these marking requirements may result
in the disclosure of the unmarked information under the Freedom of
Information Act or otherwise. The U.S. Government is not liable for the
disclosure or use of unmarked information and may use or disclose such
information for any purpose. If your response contains confidential,
proprietary, or privileged information, you must include a cover sheet
marked as follows identifying the specific pages containing
confidential, proprietary, or privileged information.
Notice of Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data
Pages [list applicable pages] of this response may contain
confidential, proprietary, or privileged information that is exempt
from public disclosure. Such information shall be used or disclosed
only for the purposes described in this RFI. The Government may use or
disclose any information that is not appropriately marked or otherwise
restricted, regardless of source.
In addition, (1) the header and footer of every page that contains
confidential, proprietary, or privileged information must be marked as
follows: ``Contains, Confidential, Proprietary, or Privileged
Information Exempt from Public Disclosure'' and (2) every line and
paragraph containing proprietary, privileged, or trade secret
information must be clearly marked with [[double brackets]] or
highlighting. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b4dddad2dbf4d9d3dd9ad3dbc2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b8d1d6ded7f8d5dfd196dfd7ce">[email protected]</span></a>.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on January 13,
2025, by Helena Fu, Director, Office of Critical and Emerging
Technologies, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of
Energy. That document with the original signature and date is
maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance
with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as
an official document of the Department of Energy. This administrative
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon
publication in the Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025.
Jennifer Hartzell,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2025-01161 Filed 1-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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