Lightweight and Propulsion Materials (LightMAT)

Lightweight and Propulsion Materials (LightMAT) sits under the DOE Transportation Technologies Office and funds vehicle-material R&D in the United States. The program is built around reducing vehicle mass through advanced alloys and composite manufacturing, and the LightMAT Consortium links 10 national laboratories with Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a key R&D site. Its target is a 25% reduction in vehicle glider weight versus the 2015 baseline. The public materials call out high-strength steel and aluminum for near-term weight reductions of 10% to 60%, with magnesium and carbon fiber composites aimed at longer-term reductions of 50% to 75% in specific components. Funding is delivered through annual cooperative agreements, and the eligible applicant set includes for-profit firms, nonprofits, universities, and research organizations, while individuals are excluded. The geography is domestic and the work is framed as applied mobility R&D rather than a narrow demonstration award. That mix makes LightMAT a fit for teams that can connect materials science, computational modeling, and manufacturing cost reduction to measurable fleet-scale gains. The source notes also point to potential fuel savings at scale, so the strongest proposals are likely to show how lighter materials move from laboratory development into durable, manufacturable vehicle components.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.