Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000311
Apply for DE FOA 0000311
- The Chicago Service Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Subsurface Biogeochemical Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049 Office of Science Financial Assistance Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 24, 2010 and posted on Mar 24, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 15, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- 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 entities are eligible to apply except Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) Contractors, 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. Researchers from other Federal Agencies interested in submitting an application are encouraged to submit a preapplication referencing DE FOA 0000311 if a formal application is encouraged, Federal agencies should follow instructions at this website http://www.sc.doe.gov/grants/fedprop.html on how to submit a formal application.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) in the Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD), solicited grant applications under the Subsurface Biogeochemical Research (SBR) program. The central purpose of this opportunity was to fund basic, hypothesis-driven science that improves the ability to understand and predict how contaminants move and change in the terrestrial subsurface at DOE sites. The program focus sits squarely on DOE mission needs that stem from legacy nuclear weapons production and waste management, with an eye toward long-term stewardship of contaminated lands and the scientific foundations needed to support remediation decisions. It also ties to broader DOE environmental priorities such as carbon sequestration, insofar as subsurface process understanding is relevant.
The research emphasis was on coupled processes, meaning proposals needed to address how physical transport, chemical reactions, and biological activity interact to control contaminant form, mobility, and fate. The FOA highlighted the complexity of real subsurface systems and encouraged multidisciplinary approaches that connect observations and mechanisms across scales, from molecular and microbial interactions to field-scale behavior. A strong theme was iterative experimentation paired with advanced computational modeling, with the expectation that funded projects would improve predictive capability for contaminant transport in heterogeneous environments rather than remain purely descriptive.
Applicants were expected to clearly identify critical knowledge gaps and propose innovative work that tests explicit hypotheses about the dominant mechanisms governing contaminant behavior. Importantly, proposals had to explain field-scale relevance to DOE conditions: even if the work was fundamental, it needed a convincing pathway to improving understanding of DOE-relevant contaminant transport in settings like the vadose zone (unsaturated soils), saturated groundwater zones, and key interfaces such as groundwater-surface water boundaries. The FOA also connected proposals to BERs long-term performance measure, which aims to deliver enough scientific understanding that DOE sites can incorporate coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes into decision-making for remediation and stewardship. In practical terms, reviewers would be looking for projects that strengthen the scientific basis behind long-term predictions, monitoring strategies, and the development of new remediation concepts.
The opportunity explicitly did not cover phytoremediation and did not address organic contaminants, keeping the scope centered on radionuclides and heavy metal contaminants typical of DOE cleanup challenges (with specific contaminant targets and science needs referenced as being detailed in the FOA supplementary information). The overall intent was to build mechanistic, predictive science that can ultimately reduce uncertainty in how these contaminants persist, transform, immobilize, or migrate over time in complex subsurface settings.
Administratively, this was a discretionary grant funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000311) in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. DOE anticipated making about 20 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $5,000,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $250,000 (floor) and $450,000 (ceiling). No cost sharing was required. The opportunity was originally posted March 24, 2010, with an application closing date of July 15, 2010, and it was later archived October 15, 2010.
Eligibility was broadly open to most entity types, with key exclusions including Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995. Researchers from other federal agencies were encouraged to submit a preapplication first; if invited to submit a full application, they were directed to follow DOE Office of Science instructions for federal proposers. The administering office listed was the DOE Chicago Service Center, and the FOA provided points of contact for both grants management and programmatic questions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary grant funding opportunity from the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD), under the Subsurface Biogeochemical Research (SBR) program. The FOA number is DE-FOA-0000311.
What is the main purpose of the opportunity?
The central purpose is to fund basic, hypothesis-driven research that improves the ability to understand and predict how contaminants move and change in the terrestrial subsurface at DOE sites. The goal is to strengthen mechanistic and predictive science that supports remediation decisions and long-term stewardship of contaminated lands tied to DOE legacy nuclear weapons production and waste management.
What types of science did DOE want to fund under this FOA?
The FOA sought fundamental research that is explicitly hypothesis-driven and focused on coupled subsurface processes, meaning the interaction of physical transport, chemical reactions, and biological activity that together control contaminant form, mobility, and fate in complex, heterogeneous environments.
What does "coupled processes" mean in the context of this opportunity?
"Coupled processes" refers to research that addresses how physical transport, chemical transformations, and biological mechanisms interact (rather than treating them in isolation) to determine contaminant behavior in the subsurface, including persistence, transformation, immobilization, and migration over time.
What contaminants were in scope for this FOA?
The scope was centered on radionuclides and heavy metal contaminants typical of DOE cleanup challenges. The FOA noted that specific contaminant targets and science needs were detailed in supplementary information referenced by the FOA.
What contaminants or approaches were explicitly out of scope?
The opportunity explicitly did not cover phytoremediation and did not address organic contaminants. Proposals focused on those topics would not align with the stated scope.
What kinds of environments or site conditions were considered relevant?
Proposals were expected to demonstrate relevance to DOE conditions and subsurface settings such as the vadose zone (unsaturated soils), saturated groundwater zones, and interfaces like groundwater-surface water boundaries.
How important was field-scale relevance if the research is basic science?
Even if the work was fundamental, proposals were expected to clearly explain field-scale relevance to DOE conditions and provide a convincing pathway to improving understanding and prediction of DOE-relevant contaminant transport and transformation in realistic subsurface settings.
Did the FOA emphasize modeling, experiments, or both?
Both. A strong theme was iterative experimentation paired with advanced computational modeling. The expectation was that projects would improve predictive capability for contaminant transport in heterogeneous environments rather than remain purely descriptive.
What did DOE mean by improving "predictive capability"?
The FOA emphasized moving beyond descriptive studies to produce mechanistic understanding and modeling frameworks that can better predict contaminant transport and fate over time in complex subsurface systems, thereby reducing uncertainty relevant to long-term stewardship and remediation decisions.
What were reviewers likely looking for in proposals?
Based on the description, reviewers would be looking for proposals that (1) identify critical knowledge gaps, (2) test explicit hypotheses about dominant mechanisms governing contaminant behavior, (3) integrate coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes, (4) connect mechanisms across scales (from molecular/microbial to field scale), and (5) strengthen the scientific foundation for long-term predictions, monitoring strategies, and new remediation concepts relevant to DOE sites.
How does this opportunity connect to DOE mission needs?
The focus aligns with DOE mission needs stemming from legacy nuclear weapons production and waste management, particularly long-term stewardship of contaminated lands and the science needed to support remediation decisions. The FOA also noted relevance to broader DOE environmental priorities (such as carbon sequestration) to the extent that subsurface process understanding is applicable.
How many awards did DOE anticipate making?
DOE anticipated making about 20 awards under this opportunity.
What was the estimated total funding level?
The estimated total funding level was $5,000,000.
What was the expected size of individual awards?
Individual awards were expected to be between $250,000 (floor) and $450,000 (ceiling).
Was cost sharing required?
No cost sharing was required.
When was the FOA posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was originally posted on March 24, 2010, and the application closing date was July 15, 2010.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The FOA was later archived on October 15, 2010.
What is the funding category for this opportunity?
The opportunity was listed in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broadly open to most entity types, with specific exclusions described in the FOA summary (including certain contractor and nonprofit categories).
Which applicants were specifically excluded from eligibility?
Key exclusions included Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.
Could researchers from other federal agencies apply?
Researchers from other federal agencies were encouraged to submit a preapplication first. If invited to submit a full application, they were directed to follow DOE Office of Science instructions for federal proposers.
What administering office was listed for this FOA?
The administering office listed was the DOE Chicago Service Center.
Were there points of contact for questions?
Yes. The FOA provided points of contact for both grants management questions and programmatic questions.
What is the main program under BER tied to this FOA?
The FOA was solicited under the Subsurface Biogeochemical Research (SBR) program within BER/CESD.
How did the FOA describe the kinds of advances it wanted funded projects to deliver?
The intent was to build mechanistic, predictive science that reduces uncertainty in how contaminants persist, transform, immobilize, or migrate in complex subsurface settings, and to improve the basis for long-term prediction, monitoring, and remediation concept development relevant to DOE sites.
Did the FOA tie proposals to any longer-term DOE or BER performance measure?
Yes. The FOA connected proposals to BER's long-term performance measure aiming to deliver enough scientific understanding for DOE sites to incorporate coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes into remediation and stewardship decision-making.
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