Realizing Justice40: Addressing Structural Funding Barriers for Equitable Community Engagement in Energy RD&D

The Justice40 Initiative, established by the Biden Administration through Executive Order 14008, aims to ensure 40% of the benefits associated with relevant governmental investments in areas such as climate and energy go to disadvantaged communities. However, persistent structural limitations pose challenges for energy researchers and engineers seeking to integrate justice into research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities, ultimately inhibiting full realization of Justice40. Using the Systemic Equity framework, this policy position paper highlights inadequacies in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) funding model and proposes changes to RD&D funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) to support the in-depth community engagement necessary for more equitable technology creation and demonstration. The recommended changes to FOAs are provided to encourage DOE Program Offices to rethink the RD&D funding process, the values that are fortified (intentionally or unintentionally) in that process, and systematically recenter RD&D processes on the goal Justice40 set out to achieve—a more just, equitable, and sustainable future.