Radiochemistry and Instrumentation Research | Apply Online

Radiochemistry and Instrumentation Research (DOE BER) - FAQs

What is the Radiochemistry and Instrumentation Research funding opportunity?

This is a DOE Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) discretionary grant opportunity that supports pilot-scale basic research projects. The purpose is to advance underlying science and enabling technologies used in nuclear medicine and in vivo molecular imaging, with an emphasis on improved quantitative, three-dimensional, and time-resolved measurements of biological chemistry in situ.

Which DOE office and program are sponsoring this opportunity?

The opportunity is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), under the DOE Office of Science Financial Assistance Program.

What is the main scientific goal of the program?

The program emphasizes innovation that enables more accurate quantitative in vivo measurement of site-specific chemical reactions and their spatial distributions, captures metabolic perturbations, and links those measurements to downstream biological processes with a high degree of accuracy.

What types of projects is BER looking for?

BER is looking for early-stage, high-impact pilot-scale basic research that improves how radiotracers are made and how radionuclide signals are measured inside living systems. The focus is on advances that improve quantitative imaging performance and measurement of underlying biology, not just producing clearer images.

What are the two core topic areas solicited?

The FOA invites applications in two areas: (1) Radiochemistry and (2) Radionuclide Imaging Instrumentation.

What does the Radiochemistry topic area focus on?

Radiochemistry focuses on fundamental advances in synthetic methods for incorporating radioisotopes into a broad range of organic molecules. A central priority is methodology that makes it easier to label targeting molecules in ways that enable dual or multiple labeling, supporting dual-energy imaging or hybrid imaging approaches in vivo.

What kinds of radiochemistry advances are specifically encouraged?

The FOA highlights chemistry that expands the toolbox for building radiotracers, including approaches that improve labeling breadth across diverse molecular structures, improve reliability and efficiency of radioisotope incorporation, and enable more sophisticated tracer designs that can be read out by more than one imaging modality or energy window.

What does the Radionuclide Imaging Instrumentation topic area focus on?

This area focuses on designing and developing new or improved imaging systems that materially increase the accuracy of quantitative assessments of radiotracer distributions in living systems. The emphasis is on overcoming technical barriers that limit quantitative radionuclide imaging.

What measurement improvements does the FOA emphasize for instrumentation proposals?

The FOA specifically calls for improvements in: (1) quantitative accuracy of the three-dimensional spatial distribution of tracers, (2) temporal tracking of tracer distributions over time, and (3) integration with hybrid imaging techniques to support those quantitative improvements.

Are incremental improvements to existing imaging devices sufficient?

The solicitation indicates that instrumentation proposals should do more than incrementally refine existing devices. Projects should address technical barriers that limit quantitative radionuclide imaging, particularly barriers affecting faithful reconstruction and measurement of tracer concentration and kinetics throughout tissues and organs.

How should applicants connect their work to BER priorities?

Applications are expected to explain how the proposed chemistry or instrumentation will improve quantitative imaging performance and enable better measurement of underlying biology. Examples noted in the FOA include more accurate tracer localization, improved inputs for kinetic modeling, and stronger confidence in measured concentration changes over time.

What kinds of biological measurements are emphasized?

The FOA emphasizes quantitative, three-dimensional, and time-resolved measurements of biological chemistry as it happens in situ, including metabolic changes and downstream biological processes.

How does this opportunity relate to DOE missions?

The program is framed around DOE missions in energy, the environment, and fundamental research, while targeting enabling science and technology for nuclear medicine and in vivo molecular imaging.

Is this a discretionary grant, and what is the assistance listing?

Yes. It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity under the DOE Office of Science Financial Assistance Program with CFDA 81.049.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broadly open to domestic entities, with specific exclusions noted in the FOA.

Which organizations are not eligible to apply?

The FOA states that other federal agencies cannot apply, Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors are excluded, and certain nonprofit organizations described under IRS 501(c)(4) that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is DE-PS02-09ER09-18.

When was the opportunity posted and when were applications due?

The FOA was posted on April 3, 2009, and the listed application closing date is May 20, 2009.

Is there an archive date associated with this opportunity?

Yes. The archive date is listed as August 3, 2010.

Which DOE office is listed as the sponsoring agency for administration?

The sponsoring agency is listed as the DOE Chicago Service Center.

Who is the scientific contact for this opportunity?

The scientific contact named is Deborah Greenawalt. The email provided is Deb.Greenawalt@science.doe.gov.

Where should applicants direct questions about accessing the full announcement?

For access issues with the full announcement, applicants were directed to the IIPS HelpDesk at iipshelpdesk@e-center.doe.gov.