Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000719
Apply for DE FOA 0000719
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Biosynthetic Pathways to Advanced Biofuels" 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 Jun 13, 2012 and posted on May 24, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 10, 2012 Letter of Intent Due Date 06/21/2012, 500 PM Eastern Time Application Due Date 07/10/2012, 500 PM Eastern Time. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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.
- All types of domestic entities are eligible to apply for this announcement, except other Federal agencies and nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995. Eligible applicants include but are not limited to (1) institutions of higher education (2) National Laboratories and Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors (3) nonprofit and for profit private entities (4) State and local governments, (5) Indian Tribes and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations (TERDO) and (6) consortia of entities (1) (5) above. If applying as a consortium, an established member of the consortium must be designated as the lead applicant. Foreign entities are not eligible to submit applications although they may participate as partners with eligible entities. Cost share reduction does not apply to foreign entiti es.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Department of Energy (DOE), through the Golden Field Office and EERE's Biomass Program, announced the funding opportunity "Innovative Biosynthetic Pathways to Advanced Biofuels" (DE-FOA-0000719) to push newer synthetic biology and biotechnology approaches into the production of advanced biofuels and other high-energy biobased products. The opportunity sits within DOE's renewable energy research and development portfolio (CFDA 81.087) and is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning awardees should expect substantial DOE involvement during project execution. A cost-sharing requirement applies. While the public summary does not list total funding, award ceiling, or award floor (all shown as 0 in the source record), applicants are directed to the full FOA on the EERE Exchange website for the actual funding details, requirements, and evaluation specifics.
A key element of the posting is that it is an amendment to the FOA, with several procedural and definitional updates. Specifically, DOE revised the merit review criterion discussion in Section IV.C.3, updated the definition of "High Energy Impact Biobased Products" in Appendix A, made administrative and grammatical corrections throughout the document, and added an "Index of Merit Review Criteria" as a required submission document. In practice, this means applicants needed to pay close attention not only to technical content, but also to compliance details and formatting, because missing the newly required index or misunderstanding an updated definition could affect responsiveness and review outcomes.
The technical motivation behind the FOA is DOE's updated Critical Technology Goals (CTGs) for the Biomass Program, which emphasize two connected steps in the lignocellulosic bioeconomy: first, converting biomass into processable sugars or other fractionation products, and second, upgrading those sugars or biomass-derived fractions into fuels and products. DOE notes that biotechnology advances that have accelerated progress in biomedical and related fields have not been fully leveraged for fuels and chemicals, and the FOA is designed to close that gap by encouraging research, development, and demonstration that uses synthetic biology and related tools to overcome stubborn barriers. The barriers DOE explicitly calls out include product inhibition, poor tolerance to inhibitors (often created during pretreatment), insufficient robustness under real process conditions, low yields, and inadequate productivity.
The opportunity is organized around two topic areas that map to the middle of the biomass-to-fuel pipeline, with an emphasis on improving lignocellulosic performance metrics. Topic Area 1, "Intermediate Production," focuses on innovative synthetic biological approaches to cost-effective fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass, including both terrestrial and aquatic sources. The intent is to produce more usable intermediate streams, such as fermentable sugars, modified lignin that can be converted into higher-value materials, and oligomeric sugar fractions or biopolymers that can be more readily converted to monomers later. Topic Area 2, "Intermediate Transformations," targets innovative synthetic biological approaches for converting those processable component fractions into advanced biofuels and high-energy-impact bioproducts with higher yield and lower cost. The overall desired endpoint across both areas is better performance for lignocellulosic processing, meaning improvements that translate to more efficient, more reliable conversion rather than purely laboratory novelty.
Eligibility is broadly open to domestic entities, with specific exclusions and conditions. Eligible applicants include universities, national laboratories and FFRDC contractors, nonprofits and for-profit companies, state and local governments, Indian Tribes and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations, and consortia composed of those groups (with a designated lead applicant). Foreign entities cannot apply as lead applicants but may participate as partners alongside an eligible domestic applicant. Other federal agencies are not eligible to apply, and 501(c)(4) organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are also excluded. Cost share rules apply, and the notice indicates that cost share reduction does not apply to foreign entities, reinforcing that foreign participation is limited to partnership roles rather than applicant status.
Applications had to be submitted electronically through the EERE Exchange portal, which requires prior registration and account creation. The FOA provided two key deadlines: a Letter of Intent due June 21, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern, and a full application due July 10, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern (with the current closing date matching the original closing date). Questions about the announcement and submission were directed to the FOA email address (BioSynFOA@go.doe.gov), and the full text, user guides, and submission instructions were housed on the EERE Exchange website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Innovative Biosynthetic Pathways to Advanced Biofuels (DE-FOA-0000719)
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "Innovative Biosynthetic Pathways to Advanced Biofuels" (DE-FOA-0000719). It was announced through DOE's Golden Field Office and EERE's Biomass Program to advance synthetic biology and biotechnology approaches for producing advanced biofuels and other high-energy biobased products.
Which DOE program and CFDA does this FOA fall under?
The FOA sits within DOE's renewable energy research and development portfolio under CFDA 81.087, aligned with EERE's Biomass Program priorities.
What type of award is expected under this FOA?
The FOA is structured as a cooperative agreement. This generally means award recipients should expect substantial DOE involvement during project execution, rather than a more hands-off relationship.
Is cost sharing required?
Yes. The FOA includes a cost-sharing requirement. The posting also indicates that cost share reduction does not apply to foreign entities, reflecting that foreign participation is limited to partner roles and not lead applicant status.
How much funding is available and what are the award sizes?
The public summary provided does not list the total funding available, the award ceiling, or the award floor (they appear as 0 in the source record). Applicants are directed to the full FOA on the EERE Exchange website for the actual funding amounts, award sizes, and related details.
Is this FOA an amendment, and what changed?
Yes. This posting is an amendment to the FOA and includes several updates, including:
- Revisions to the merit review criterion discussion in Section IV.C.3
- An updated definition of "High Energy Impact Biobased Products" in Appendix A
- Administrative and grammatical corrections throughout the document
- Addition of an "Index of Merit Review Criteria" as a required submission document
Why does the amendment matter for applicants?
The amendment adds and clarifies compliance-related requirements. In particular, the FOA added an Index of Merit Review Criteria as a required submission item and updated key definitions. Missing the newly required index or relying on outdated definitions could affect application responsiveness and review outcomes.
What is the main technical goal of this FOA?
The FOA aims to push newer synthetic biology and biotechnology approaches into producing advanced biofuels and high-energy biobased products. It is motivated by DOE's updated Critical Technology Goals (CTGs) for the Biomass Program, focused on improving performance in the lignocellulosic bioeconomy.
What part of the biomass-to-fuel pipeline is this FOA focused on?
The FOA focuses on the middle of the biomass-to-fuel pipeline, emphasizing improved lignocellulosic performance metrics. It highlights two linked steps:
- Converting biomass into processable sugars or other fractionation products
- Upgrading those sugars or biomass-derived fractions into fuels and products
What barriers is DOE trying to address with this FOA?
DOE explicitly calls out several barriers that synthetic biology and related tools are intended to overcome, including:
- Product inhibition
- Poor tolerance to inhibitors (often created during pretreatment)
- Insufficient robustness under real process conditions
- Low yields
- Inadequate productivity
How is the FOA organized?
The FOA is organized into two topic areas that map to the intermediate stages of converting lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and products, with a focus on cost and performance improvements rather than laboratory novelty alone.
What is Topic Area 1 (Intermediate Production)?
Topic Area 1, "Intermediate Production," focuses on innovative synthetic biological approaches to cost-effective fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass (including terrestrial and aquatic sources). The goal is to produce more usable intermediate streams such as:
- Fermentable sugars
- Modified lignin that can be converted into higher-value materials
- Oligomeric sugar fractions or biopolymers that can later be converted to monomers
What is Topic Area 2 (Intermediate Transformations)?
Topic Area 2, "Intermediate Transformations," targets innovative synthetic biological approaches for converting processable component fractions into advanced biofuels and high-energy-impact bioproducts with higher yield and lower cost.
What outcomes is DOE looking for across both topic areas?
Across both topic areas, DOE emphasizes improved lignocellulosic processing performance, meaning improvements that lead to more efficient and reliable conversion and that translate beyond purely laboratory novelty.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broadly open to domestic entities, subject to specific exclusions and conditions. Eligible applicants include:
- Universities
- National laboratories and FFRDC contractors
- Nonprofits and for-profit companies
- State and local governments
- Indian Tribes and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations
- Consortia composed of eligible entities (with a designated lead applicant)
Can a consortium apply, and does it need a lead applicant?
Yes. Consortia composed of eligible organizations may apply, and the consortium must have a designated lead applicant.
Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
Foreign entities cannot apply as lead applicants. However, they may participate as partners when teamed with an eligible domestic applicant.
Are other federal agencies eligible to apply?
No. Other federal agencies are not eligible to apply under this opportunity.
Are there any restrictions related to 501(c)(4) organizations?
Yes. 501(c)(4) organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are excluded from eligibility.
How do applicants submit an application?
Applications must be submitted electronically through the EERE Exchange portal. The portal requires prior registration and account creation.
What were the key deadlines for this FOA?
The FOA listed two key deadlines (Eastern Time):
- Letter of Intent (LOI) due: June 21, 2012 at 5:00 PM ET
- Full application due: July 10, 2012 at 5:00 PM ET
The posting indicates the current closing date matches the original closing date.
Where can applicants find the full FOA details and submission instructions?
The full FOA text, user guides, and submission instructions are available on the EERE Exchange website. Applicants are directed there for complete funding details, requirements, and evaluation specifics.
Who can applicants contact with questions about the FOA or submission?
Questions were directed to the FOA email address: BioSynFOA@go.doe.gov.
What is the "Index of Merit Review Criteria" and is it required?
The amendment added an "Index of Merit Review Criteria" as a required submission document. Applicants needed to include it as part of their application package to align with the updated procedural requirements.
Does the FOA emphasize research only, or broader project activities?
The FOA is designed to encourage research, development, and demonstration that leverages synthetic biology and biotechnology tools to overcome practical conversion barriers in lignocellulosic processing.
What kinds of biomass sources are contemplated in Topic Area 1?
Topic Area 1 includes fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass from terrestrial and aquatic sources, with the intent to create intermediate streams that can be more effectively upgraded downstream.
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