Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy A Joint Research Funding Opportunity Announcement USDA, DOE | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000417) is a joint grant announcement from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It focuses on genomics-driven, fundamental plant research aimed at improving the usefulness of biomass and plant feedstocks for producing biofuels (such as ethanol) and renewable chemical feedstocks. The central goal is to build stronger scientific foundations for developing better energy crops by understanding and using plant genetics to improve how much biomass plants produce, the quality and conversion-relevant characteristics of that biomass, and the long-term sustainability of producing it.

The scientific scope emphasizes genomics and systems-level biology approaches rather than near-term product development. Projects are expected to generate insights into how genetic variation and biological pathways control traits that matter for bioenergy, including biomass yield, composition, and durability under real-world growing conditions. The announcement specifically encourages systems biology strategies that identify genetic indicators (markers, signatures, or other predictive features) that would allow plants to be bred more efficiently or deliberately manipulated to produce superior feedstocks. Another highlighted theme is research that can predict plant phenotype from underlying genotype, meaning proposals that help connect DNA-level information to measurable traits in the field. This predictive capability is presented as a pathway to improved feedstock characterization and more sustainable bioenergy cropping systems, because it can reduce trial-and-error breeding and better target traits linked to performance, input efficiency, and resilience.

In terms of award structure, this is a discretionary grant program in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category. The opportunity anticipated about 25 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $6,000,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $600,000 (award floor) and $1,500,000 (award ceiling). No cost sharing or matching requirement was listed, which typically means applicants were not required to commit non-federal funds as a condition of eligibility, although applicants would still need to follow whatever budget rules and allowability standards are spelled out in the full FOA.

Eligibility is broad but includes several important constraints. On the DOE side, eligible applicants include U.S. colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, for-profit commercial organizations, state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals, with exclusions for Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors and certain 501(c)(4) nonprofits that engage in lobbying activities (as described in the notice). Researchers from other federal agencies were encouraged to submit a pre-application referencing this FOA, with additional instructions provided if a full proposal was invited. On the USDA side, eligibility includes state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, university research foundations, other research institutions and organizations, federal agencies, national laboratories, private organizations or corporations, individuals, and groups/consortia made up of these entities. However, applications from scientists at non-U.S. organizations were not accepted, although award recipients could subcontract to otherwise ineligible organizations if that participation was necessary to carry out the project.

Administratively, the FOA was posted in early November 2010, and the application deadline was February 25, 2011 (with the same date listed as both the original and current closing date). The opportunity was later archived on June 1, 2011. The complete announcement and the detailed application package instructions were made available through FedConnect, which is where applicants would have found the required forms, submission steps, required attachments, compliance requirements, and any pre-application expectations.

For applicants who needed help accessing the announcement, the notice provided DOE contacts, including Kimberlie J. Laing (Grant Analyst, 301-903-3026, kim.laing@science.doe.gov) and Catherine M. Ronning (Program Manager, 301-903-9549, Catherine.Ronning@science.doe.gov). These contacts indicate the opportunity was managed through DOE Office of Science financial assistance channels, with coordination across DOE and USDA given the joint nature of the program.

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