Twenty-eight projects totaling $38 million to support early stage R&D of innovative hydrogen and fuel cell technologies got boosts from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. While touring DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory on Aug. 14, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced the awards in various topic areas, including platinum-free catalysts to lower fuel cell costs, hydrogen-production and delivery-infrastructure research, and innovative fuel-cell concepts. The Gas Technology Institute won the largest award—$2.5 million—for a free-piston expander for hydrogen cooling. Northeastern University won $1 million to develop platinum group metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction.