With the amount of funding available, I can only guess this has been discussed and set aside with good reason(s)? Still reading, however at a glance some challenges appear to be:
Time. I have time and interest, though certainly not sufficient expertise or knowledge to put a grant together. However I can write letters, make calls, and find information if any of that would help.
Collecting and organizing supportive documentation. I might be able to help with some direction.
Presenting heating and cooking with masonry in a way that does not does not compete with energy conglomerates and affiliates, or make them otherwise apoplectic. A proposal could conceivably be written to show no conflict between interests.
Providing engineering specs that result in lasting accommodation of heating emergencies and reduce burdens to states and FEMA. (Less than optimally phrased. I only have a vague notion of considerations.) Perhaps a town's or city's emergency storage could hold a number of rmh or rms 'kits' in crates that could be easily transported?
Showing how remote and rural areas could additionally benefit from green small business opportunities that create some local jobs, that might further extend to development of a niche green-as-possible-shipping businesses, material providers, and perhaps warehousing of materials. Shippable cores comes to mind. This being an election year comes to mind... writing letters to representatives pressured to maximize funding for emergencies and energy expenditures to request support of this proposal?
A design that is easy to make quickly, that can work well in most environments. Stress proof assembly would be awesome though it sounds pie in the sky. The idea is more about someone being able to intuitively(?) assemble a rmh or rms in an 'auto pilot' frame of mind under extreme pressure and stressful circumstances. On YouTube there is an impressive video of an 8 year old who disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled a scooter's carburetor. If a goal was set to create a product a child can safely build and safely use, that would be a serious WOW achievement on so many levels. Hahaha... maybe a video of a giant rmh being assembled by Paul dressed as an elf? ^.^
Providing evidence of why acceptance by insurance companies is justified.
What is important to include in a Letter of Inquiry? No doubt this has been discussed in rmh and rms threads I have yet to find. So I am wondering if what has been discussed might form the substance of a grant proposal. This could be a fun project, yeah? Some thoughts stemmed from pages like these:
http://www.esmap.org/sites/default/files/esmap-files/Rpt_4GTChapter4Sep14b4edit.pdf
https://www.devex.com/jobs/fuel-efficient-stove-lorena-and-shielded-fire-stove-consultant-423179
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program
Through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), the DOE's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program provided $3.2 billion in block grants to cities, communities, states, U.S. territories, and Indian tribes to develop, promote, implement, and manage energy efficiency and conservation projects that ultimately created jobs. The EECBG Program represents the largest nationwide direct investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies at the community level in U.S. history, rapidly increasing the number of communities directly engaged with DOE on programs that increased renewable energy capacity, technical knowledge, and deployment of energy efficiency projects at the local level.
During the late 90s, 2/3 of Virginia (USA) was severely impacted by what turned into a persisting ice storm. Schools, travel, and businesses ground to a near halt. Some first responders and power companies could not access certain areas. Thousands of rural residents had no power for 3+ weeks. In tiny Williamsburg, for two solid weeks we slept with some of our critters (son's lizards carefully insulated in shoe boxes ^.^) and blanketed off a single room that had a fireplace. We had plenty of dry wood while many did not. You can imagine stores were out of heating materials within a couple days. Whole families doubled or tripled in someone else' home with a fireplace and wood, or worked through that time day-by-day the best they could. Some died. Most neighbors were kind and helpful. Some not so much. A real eye opener in that regard. Not an experience worth repeating, and preventable. This is the 21st century. An important point, imo, though not perhaps in the eyes and minds of others. Unexpected weather events can create instant survival is the order of the day circumstances that not many are equipped to get through without great struggle. There is no good reason why this still happens in the US, or anywhere.
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