Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000555
Apply for DE FOA 0000555
- 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 Jun 10, 2011 and posted on Jun 10, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 19, 2011. (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 as the lead institution 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 a proposal are required to submit a preproposal referencing this FOA DE FOA 0000555 (see the Preapplication section in Part IV B.2). If a formal proposal is encouraged, Federal agencies should follow the instructions at the following website to submit a formal proposal http://science.doe.gov/grants/fedprop.asp.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Department of Energy (DOE), through the Office of Science and its Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), announced this Subsurface Biogeochemical Research (SBR) funding opportunity to support fundamental, hypothesis-driven research aimed at understanding and improving long-term management of subsurface contamination across DOE sites. The program sits within BER's Climate and Environmental Sciences Division and is motivated largely by the legacy of past nuclear weapons production and the ongoing need for scientifically grounded stewardship of nuclear waste disposal and contaminated land. The core idea is to build a predictive, process-level understanding of how contaminants behave underground so that future monitoring, risk management, and remediation decisions can rest on stronger science rather than site-by-site trial and error.
The FOA emphasizes integrated research spanning scales from molecular and microbial mechanisms up through field-scale behavior in realistic, heterogeneous subsurface settings. Projects are expected to focus on the coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes that control contaminant form (speciation), reactivity, transport, and overall mobility. A key theme is combining multidisciplinary, iterative experimentation with advanced computational modeling, using each to refine the other. In practice, that means proposals should target clearly defined knowledge gaps and articulate testable hypotheses, while also demonstrating how new measurements and models will improve the ability to predict contaminant transport and transformation in complex environments.
The environmental settings of interest are terrestrial subsurface systems, specifically the vadose zone (unsaturated soils and sediments), the saturated zone (groundwater-bearing units), and critical interfaces such as groundwater-surface water transition zones where geochemistry and biology can shift rapidly. While the announcement notes that the specific radionuclide and heavy metal contaminants of concern are detailed in the FOA's supplementary information, the overarching focus is on contaminants relevant to DOE cleanup challenges, particularly radionuclides and metals whose behavior depends strongly on redox conditions, mineral interactions, microbial activity, and hydrologic transport pathways. The FOA explicitly excludes phytoremediation and does not address organic contaminants, keeping the scope centered on radionuclide and heavy metal biogeochemistry and related subsurface processes.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000555) under the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049). DOE anticipated making about 20 awards with an estimated total program funding of $5,000,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $150,000 and $450,000. Cost sharing or matching was not required, which typically lowers the barrier to entry for universities and research organizations.
Eligibility was broadly open ("unrestricted") to most entity types serving as the lead institution, with two notable exclusions: Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors and certain 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995. Researchers from other federal agencies could participate but were required to submit a preproposal referencing this FOA; if encouraged to submit a full application, they were directed to DOE instructions for federal proposal submissions.
Key dates indicate this was posted June 10, 2011, with an application deadline of September 19, 2011, and an archive date of December 19, 2011. The full FOA and application instructions were hosted on FedConnect. The announcement also provided points of contact for access and programmatic questions, including a grants analyst (Kimberlie J. Laing) and the program manager (David P. Lesmes), reflecting the typical split between administrative submission support and scientific/program fit guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science funding opportunity for the Subsurface Biogeochemical Research (SBR) program, administered through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) within the Climate and Environmental Sciences Division. It supports fundamental, hypothesis-driven research to improve long-term stewardship and management of subsurface contamination at DOE sites.
What is the main goal of the SBR program in this FOA?
The goal is to build a predictive, process-level understanding of how subsurface contaminants behave so that monitoring, risk management, and remediation decisions can be based on stronger science rather than site-by-site trial and error. The emphasis is on understanding and improving long-term management of contamination in the terrestrial subsurface.
What kinds of research approaches are expected?
The FOA emphasizes integrated, multidisciplinary research spanning scales from molecular and microbial mechanisms to field-scale behavior in realistic, heterogeneous subsurface settings. Projects are expected to address coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes and to combine iterative experimentation with advanced computational modeling, where measurements inform models and models guide new measurements.
Does the FOA require testable hypotheses?
Yes. The FOA is framed around fundamental, hypothesis-driven research. Proposals are expected to target clearly defined knowledge gaps and articulate testable hypotheses, along with a plan showing how new experiments and models will improve predictive capability.
What processes and outcomes should projects focus on?
Projects are expected to focus on the coupled processes that control contaminant speciation (form), reactivity, transport, and overall mobility in subsurface environments. This includes the roles of redox conditions, mineral interactions, microbial activity, and hydrologic transport pathways.
What environmental settings are in scope?
The FOA focuses on terrestrial subsurface systems, including the vadose zone (unsaturated soils and sediments), the saturated zone (groundwater-bearing units), and key interfaces such as groundwater-surface water transition zones where geochemistry and biology can change rapidly.
What contaminants are the focus of this opportunity?
The opportunity centers on contaminants relevant to DOE cleanup challenges, particularly radionuclides and heavy metals. While specific radionuclides and metals of concern are provided in the FOA supplementary information, the overarching scope is radionuclide and heavy metal biogeochemistry and related subsurface processes.
Are organic contaminants included?
No. The FOA does not address organic contaminants. It is focused on radionuclides and heavy metals and the physical, chemical, and biological processes that control their behavior in the subsurface.
Is phytoremediation allowed under this FOA?
No. The FOA explicitly excludes phytoremediation.
Which DOE office is sponsoring and managing this program?
This FOA is sponsored by DOE through the Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), within BER's Climate and Environmental Sciences Division.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0000555.
What is the CFDA number associated with this grant program?
The opportunity is under the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program, CFDA 81.049.
How much total funding did DOE anticipate for this FOA?
DOE estimated total program funding of $5,000,000 for this funding opportunity.
How many awards were anticipated?
DOE anticipated making about 20 awards.
What was the expected award size?
Individual awards were expected to range from $150,000 to $450,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. Cost sharing or matching was not required.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broadly open (listed as "unrestricted") to most entity types serving as the lead institution, with specific exclusions noted in the announcement.
Which organizations are specifically excluded from eligibility?
Two exclusions were called out: (1) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors, and (2) certain 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.
Can researchers from other federal agencies participate?
Yes. Researchers from other federal agencies could participate, but they were required to submit a preproposal referencing this FOA. If encouraged to submit a full application, they were directed to follow DOE instructions for federal proposal submissions.
What type of grant opportunity is this?
This was a discretionary grant opportunity under the DOE Office of Science financial assistance framework.
When was this opportunity posted?
The posting date listed for this opportunity was June 10, 2011.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was September 19, 2011.
When was this FOA archived?
The archive date was December 19, 2011.
Where were the full FOA and application instructions provided?
The full FOA and application instructions were hosted on FedConnect.
What is the scientific motivation behind this program?
The program is motivated largely by the legacy of past nuclear weapons production and the ongoing need for scientifically grounded stewardship of nuclear waste disposal and contaminated land across DOE sites.
What is meant by "predictive, process-level understanding" in this context?
In this FOA, it refers to understanding the underlying mechanisms (physical, chemical, and biological) that control contaminant transformations and transport, and using that understanding to predict behavior across complex, heterogeneous subsurface environments rather than relying on purely empirical, site-specific approaches.
Who are the points of contact listed for this FOA?
The announcement listed a grants analyst contact (Kimberlie J. Laing) for administrative or access-related questions and a program manager contact (David P. Lesmes) for programmatic/scientific questions.
Why are there separate administrative and programmatic contacts?
The FOA reflects a typical split in responsibilities: administrative contacts help with submission, access, and grants process questions, while the program manager focuses on scientific scope and program fit.
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