Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001179
Apply for DE FOA 0001179
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Landscape Design for Sustainable Bioenergy Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087 Renewable Energy Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 20, 2014 and posted on Oct 20, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 12, 2015 Deadline for Concept Papers 11/21/2014 500 pm (EST) Deadline for Full Applications 01/12/2015 500 pm (EST). (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $14,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), through the Golden Field Office, released a discretionary funding opportunity called "Landscape Design for Sustainable Bioenergy Systems" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001179). The program is focused on research and development that helps scale up sustainable bioenergy by figuring out how to fit cellulosic biomass production into real working landscapes in a way that does not undermine, and ideally improves, environmental outcomes and local economic conditions. The basic idea is not just to grow more biomass, but to design where and how it is produced so it can coexist with (and support) ongoing agriculture and forestry, while also protecting ecosystem services and keeping land productive for food, feed, and fiber.
The FOA is specifically seeking interdisciplinary projects, meaning proposals are expected to bring together multiple fields such as agronomy, forestry, ecology, hydrology, soil science, spatial planning, landscape ecology, economics, and social science, among others. EERE is looking for landscape design approaches, which typically involve planning and optimization across a geographic area rather than focusing only on a single field, farm, or stand of timber. Projects should aim to integrate cellulosic feedstock production into existing agricultural and forestry systems, rather than treating bioenergy crops as a standalone land use that replaces everything else. The sustainability expectations are explicit: applicants should address environmental sustainability (for example, soil health, water quality, habitat, carbon outcomes, erosion control) and socio-economic sustainability (such as impacts on producers, rural communities, supply chain viability, and land management practicality). The program also highlights ecosystem services and the continued ability of land to provide food, feed, and fiber, which signals that EERE is interested in approaches that avoid land-use conflicts and unintended consequences.
For purposes of this announcement, "cellulosic feedstock production" is defined broadly. It can include dedicated energy crops, both annual and perennial, and it can also include agricultural and forestry residues (for example, crop residues or woody residues), or some combination of dedicated crops and residues. This framing encourages proposals that can compare options, blend them, or tailor them to different regions, while taking into account practical constraints like existing farming and forestry operations, harvesting windows, logistics, and impacts on the land over time. Because this is a landscape-oriented FOA, strong proposals would typically show how the design approach helps determine what to grow or collect, where to do it, at what intensity, and under what management practices to meet sustainability goals alongside biomass supply goals.
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, in setting milestones, participating in reviews, and coordinating with DOE priorities), as opposed to a more hands-off grant. The total estimated funding available under the FOA was listed as $14,000,000, and there is a cost-sharing requirement, meaning awardees would be expected to contribute a portion of project costs from non-federal sources. The FOA is associated with CFDA number 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development), placing it within DOE's broader renewable energy R&D portfolio. The award ceiling and floor are listed as 0 in the provided data, which typically indicates that specific award sizes were described in the full FOA text rather than summarized in the system fields.
Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional limitations or clarifications contained in the full announcement. In practice for DOE opportunities, this commonly includes universities, national laboratories, private companies, non-profits, state and local governments, and tribal entities, but applicants would need to confirm the exact eligibility rules and any restrictions in the FOA itself. Because the topic is interdisciplinary and landscape-based, competitive applications often involve partnerships or consortia that can cover field trials or data collection, modeling and analysis, and stakeholder engagement with landowners, producers, or land managers.
The application process was handled entirely through DOE's EERE eXCHANGE system. Applicants were required to register and create an account in eXCHANGE, and then submit all required application materials through that portal for the application to be considered. A user guide for the submission system was made available through the eXCHANGE manuals page after logging in. The announcement also notes that instructions for asking questions about FOA content versus questions about application submission are included in the full posting, which is standard for DOE funding announcements.
Key dates in the FOA were structured around a concept paper stage followed by a full application stage. Concept papers were due on November 21, 2014 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, and full applications were due on January 12, 2015 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. The FOA was posted on October 20, 2014, and it was later archived on October 20, 2015. While these deadlines are historical, the structure is still useful as a reference for how DOE often runs competitive solicitations, especially those involving interdisciplinary teams and multi-part submissions.
For access to the full funding opportunity text and application materials, the FOA directed applicants to the EERE eXCHANGE website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov). The additional information link provided in the source data also points to that site. For issues accessing the announcement electronically, the point of contact listed was Stephanie D. Sites, reachable at BETOLandscapeDesignFOA@ee.doe.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Landscape Design for Sustainable Bioenergy Systems (DE-FOA-0001179)
What is the name of this funding opportunity and who released it?
The funding opportunity is titled "Landscape Design for Sustainable Bioenergy Systems" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001179). It was released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), through the Golden Field Office.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
This FOA supports research and development aimed at scaling up sustainable bioenergy by designing how cellulosic biomass production can fit into real, working landscapes. The emphasis is on producing biomass in ways that do not undermine environmental outcomes and local economic conditions, and ideally improve them, while keeping land productive for food, feed, and fiber.
What does "landscape design" mean in the context of this FOA?
In this FOA, "landscape design" generally refers to planning, analysis, and optimization across a geographic area (a landscape) rather than focusing only on a single field, farm, or stand of timber. A landscape design approach would typically help decide what to grow or collect, where to do it, at what intensity, and under what management practices to meet sustainability goals alongside biomass supply goals.
Is the program focused on increasing biomass production at any cost?
No. The FOA is explicit that the goal is not simply to grow more biomass, but to determine where and how biomass is produced so it can coexist with (and support) ongoing agriculture and forestry, protect ecosystem services, and avoid land-use conflicts or unintended consequences.
What types of projects does DOE want to see?
DOE is seeking interdisciplinary research and development projects that integrate cellulosic feedstock production into existing agricultural and forestry systems. Proposals are expected to address both environmental sustainability (such as soil health, water quality, habitat, carbon outcomes, and erosion control) and socio-economic sustainability (such as impacts on producers, rural communities, supply chain viability, and practical land management).
What does "interdisciplinary" mean for proposal teams?
This FOA expects proposals that bring together multiple fields. Examples mentioned include agronomy, forestry, ecology, hydrology, soil science, spatial planning, landscape ecology, economics, and social science. The intent is that teams can cover the range of technical, environmental, and socio-economic considerations needed to design sustainable biomass production in real landscapes.
Does the FOA prefer integrating bioenergy into existing agriculture and forestry rather than converting land entirely?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes integrating cellulosic feedstock production into existing agricultural and forestry systems instead of treating bioenergy crops as a standalone land use that replaces other land uses.
What sustainability topics are applicants expected to address?
The FOA calls for explicit attention to environmental sustainability and socio-economic sustainability. Environmental examples provided include soil health, water quality, habitat, carbon outcomes, and erosion control. Socio-economic examples include impacts on producers and rural communities, supply chain viability, and whether land management practices are practical to implement.
Why does the FOA mention ecosystem services and maintaining food, feed, and fiber production?
Those points signal that DOE is interested in approaches that protect ecosystem services and maintain the land's ability to provide food, feed, and fiber. This framing suggests the FOA is designed to avoid land-use conflicts and unintended negative impacts while developing sustainable bioenergy feedstock supply.
How does the FOA define "cellulosic feedstock production"?
For this announcement, "cellulosic feedstock production" is defined broadly. It may include dedicated energy crops (annual and/or perennial), agricultural residues, forestry residues (such as woody residues), or a combination of dedicated crops and residues.
Are residue-based approaches allowed, or does it have to be dedicated energy crops?
Residue-based approaches are allowed. The FOA explicitly includes agricultural and forestry residues as part of the definition of cellulosic feedstock production, and it also allows dedicated crops and combinations of crops plus residues.
Does the FOA encourage comparing or blending different feedstock options?
Yes. Because the definition of cellulosic feedstock production is broad, proposals can compare different options, blend them, or tailor them to different regions while considering practical constraints in farming and forestry operations.
What kinds of practical constraints does DOE expect teams to consider?
The FOA notes practical constraints such as existing farming and forestry operations, harvesting windows, logistics, and impacts on the land over time. Landscape-oriented proposals are expected to take these real-world constraints into account.
What funding instrument will DOE use for awards under this FOA?
The FOA uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. This typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period, such as setting milestones, participating in reviews, and coordinating with DOE priorities.
How is a cooperative agreement different from a more hands-off grant (based on what is stated here)?
As described in the opportunity summary, a cooperative agreement generally involves more active DOE engagement during the project, including milestone setting and project reviews, rather than DOE taking a more hands-off role.
How much total funding was estimated to be available under this FOA?
The total estimated funding available under the FOA was listed as $14,000,000.
Is cost sharing required?
Yes. The FOA includes a cost-sharing requirement, meaning awardees are expected to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The FOA is associated with CFDA number 81.087, titled "Renewable Energy Research and Development."
What were the award floor and ceiling amounts?
In the provided summary data, the award ceiling and award floor are both listed as 0. This typically indicates that specific award sizes were described in the full FOA text rather than captured in the system summary fields.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional limitations or clarifications in the full FOA. The summary notes that DOE opportunities commonly include applicants such as universities, national laboratories, private companies, non-profits, state and local governments, and tribal entities, but applicants would need to confirm any specific restrictions in the FOA itself.
Does the FOA anticipate partnerships or consortia?
While not framed as a requirement, the summary indicates that because the topic is interdisciplinary and landscape-based, competitive applications often involve partnerships or consortia that can cover field trials or data collection, modeling and analysis, and stakeholder engagement with landowners, producers, or land managers.
How were applications submitted?
Applications were handled entirely through DOE's EERE eXCHANGE system. Applicants needed to register, create an account, and submit all required application materials through the eXCHANGE portal for the application to be considered.
Where can applicants find the submission system and related materials?
The FOA directed applicants to the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov for access to the full funding opportunity text and application materials. A user guide was also available through the eXCHANGE manuals page after logging in.
Were there multiple stages in the application process?
Yes. Key dates were structured around a concept paper stage followed by a full application stage.
When were concept papers due?
Concept papers were due on November 21, 2014 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.
When were full applications due?
Full applications were due on January 12, 2015 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.
When was the FOA posted and when was it archived?
The FOA was posted on October 20, 2014, and it was archived on October 20, 2015.
If the FOA is archived, are the deadlines still active?
The deadlines provided (concept paper due November 21, 2014 and full application due January 12, 2015) are historical. The summary notes that while the deadlines are historical, the structure can still serve as a reference for how DOE competitive solicitations are often run.
Who should be contacted for issues accessing the announcement electronically?
For issues accessing the announcement electronically, the listed point of contact is Stephanie D. Sites at BETOLandscapeDesignFOA@ee.doe.gov.
Does the FOA distinguish between questions about the FOA content and questions about submission?
Yes. The summary notes that instructions for asking questions about FOA content versus questions about application submission are included in the full posting, which is typical for DOE funding announcements.
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