Biological Systems Research on the Role of Microbial Communities in Carbon Cycling | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) funding opportunity, released through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), to support research under the Genomics:GTL research program. The scientific focus is microbial community roles in carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, using systems biology and genome-enabled tools.

2) What scientific problem is the FOA trying to address?

The opportunity is aimed at moving beyond studying single microbes in isolation and instead understanding how microbial communities operate as interacting networks in real environments. It emphasizes mapping how microbes function together, how their networks respond to environmental change, and how these processes can be observed in place using advanced imaging and analytical methods.

3) What is the main focus area of the research?

The central focus is understanding how microbial communities drive carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. This includes how microbial activity influences whether carbon is stored in soils or released to the atmosphere (for example, as greenhouse gases) through processes such as decomposition, carbon fixation, and respiration.

4) What research themes are highlighted in the FOA?

The FOA highlights three main themes:

• Systems-level studies of regulatory and metabolic networks in individual microbes and microbial consortia involved in carbon cycling.
• Development and application of metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic, and other genome-enabled approaches to understand how microbial activity shifts with environmental variables.
• New methods for imaging and analysis of microbially mediated carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, linking spatial organization to function.

5) What does the FOA mean by "systems-level" studies?

Based on the description provided, "systems-level" refers to integrative research that connects genes, gene regulation, metabolism, and microbe-to-microbe interactions. The intent is to explain carbon transformations by understanding the microbial regulatory and metabolic networks that drive them, including how multiple organisms function together as consortia.

6) What kinds of microbial processes related to carbon cycling are in scope?

The FOA explicitly points to carbon transformations such as decomposition, carbon fixation, and respiration, along with related pathways that influence whether carbon is stored in soils or released from ecosystems (including as greenhouse gases).

7) Is the FOA focused on single organisms or microbial communities?

The overall goal emphasizes microbial communities and interacting networks rather than single organisms in isolation. The first theme includes studies of individual microbes, but it specifically stresses microbial consortia and how organism-to-organism interactions influence carbon cycling.

8) What are "genome-enabled" approaches in this FOA?

In the context provided, genome-enabled approaches include methods such as metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics, and other tools that connect genomic information to measurable activity (for example, gene expression and protein production) in microbial communities under changing environmental conditions.

9) What is metatranscriptomics and why is it relevant here?

The FOA calls for metatranscriptomic approaches as a way to reveal how microbial community gene expression changes when environmental variables shift. This is relevant because changes in gene expression can be linked to changes in microbial function that affect carbon cycling rates and outcomes.

10) What is metaproteomics and why is it relevant here?

The FOA highlights metaproteomics as a way to measure changes in protein production and functional activity across microbial communities. This can help connect environmental changes to functional outcomes that influence carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.

11) What kinds of environmental variables does the FOA mention?

The FOA mentions environmental factors such as temperature, moisture, nutrient availability, and pH, and also refers more broadly to changing ecosystem conditions that could affect microbial community activity and carbon cycling.

12) What does the FOA mean by imaging and analysis "in place"?

Based on the description, it means directly observing microbial processes within complex terrestrial environments rather than only in simplified laboratory cultures. The FOA signals interest in technologies that can visualize where key organisms or reactions occur and how carbon moves through micro-scale hotspots in environments such as soils.

13) What terrestrial environments are specifically mentioned?

The FOA mentions soils, rhizospheres, and soil aggregates as examples of complex environments where new imaging and analytical methods could be applied to study microbially mediated carbon cycling.

14) What is the overall purpose of the imaging emphasis?

The stated interest is in linking spatial organization to function. That means understanding how the physical arrangement of microbes and their local environments affects carbon cycling processes, including identifying micro-scale hotspots where carbon transformations may be concentrated.

15) What type of funding opportunity is this?

This is described as a discretionary funding opportunity using the grant mechanism, categorized under science and technology research and development.

16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-PS02-09ER09-25.

17) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA is 81.049, listed as the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program.

18) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on July 1, 2009.

19) What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was November 9, 2009.

20) Is this opportunity still active?

No. The opportunity was later archived on November 1, 2010.

21) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The information provided states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants are not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of the award.

22) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broadly open to domestic entities and is described as unrestricted, with specific exclusions. Aside from those exclusions, the opportunity is open to many U.S.-based applicant organizations, including universities, nonprofit research institutions (outside the excluded category), and private-sector entities.

23) Which entities are not eligible to apply?

The FOA states that other federal agencies cannot apply, and Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors cannot apply. It also excludes certain nonprofit organizations: 501(c)(4) nonprofits that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.

24) Are federal agencies allowed to apply?

No. The eligibility section explicitly states that other federal agencies cannot apply.

25) Can FFRDC contractors apply?

No. The FOA explicitly states that Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors cannot apply.

26) Are any nonprofit organizations excluded?

Yes. The FOA excludes 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.

27) Which DOE office is administering the opportunity?

The administering office listed is the Chicago Service Center.

28) Who should be contacted for help accessing the full solicitation or resolving electronic access issues?

The announcement lists the IIPS HelpDesk email for electronic access and linking problems: iipshelpdesk@e-center.doe.gov.

29) Who is the program contact listed in the announcement?

The program contact provided is Deborah Greenawalt at Deb.Greenawalt@science.doe.gov.

30) What is the program area within DOE associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is released through the DOE Office of Science (SC) and specifically its Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), under the Genomics:GTL research program.