Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001857
The Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy funding opportunity (DE FOA 0001857) is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science program run through the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) office. Its goal is to support genomics-based research that improves plant biomass and other plant feedstocks used to produce biofuels and renewable, bio-based chemical feedstocks. In practical terms, the DOE is looking for projects that use modern genetics and genomics tools to make dedicated energy crops easier and cheaper to grow at large scale, while also improving the quality and reliability of the harvested biomass for downstream conversion into fuels and chemicals.
The scientific focus is on overcoming biological barriers that currently limit cost-effective, sustainable bioenergy feedstock production. The opportunity specifically calls for research on candidate herbaceous and woody plants, with an emphasis on improving resistance or tolerance to diseases and disease complexes. That includes work aimed at understanding how pathogens affect energy crops in real field conditions and identifying genetic factors, molecular pathways, or genomic variants that can be leveraged to breed or engineer plants that hold up better against multiple diseases at once. In addition, the FOA highlights non-food oilseed crops and encourages research to improve winter cold tolerance, survivability, and other agronomic traits that determine whether a crop can be grown reliably across seasons and regions. The underlying message is that yield stability, resilience, and field performance are just as important as traits measured in controlled environments, because feedstock supply chains depend on predictable production year after year.
Projects are expected to be research and development oriented (science and technology R and D), and they should clearly connect genomics insights to outcomes that matter for bioenergy: lower production costs, improved feedstock quality, scalability, and sustainability. While the announcement is broad, it is fundamentally about using genetics and genomics to identify, understand, and deploy traits that make bioenergy crops tougher, more productive, and better suited for dedicated biomass production without competing with food uses.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 81.049, open to a wide range of applicant types (the eligibility is described as unrestricted, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement). The opportunity was issued by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, with a creation date of January 12, 2018, and an original closing date of April 20, 2018. The award ceiling listed is $400,000, and DOE anticipated making about 20 awards, suggesting a program designed to fund multiple focused projects rather than a small number of very large center-scale efforts.Apply for DE FOA 0001857
- The Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 12, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 20, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name and identifier of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy and is identified as DE FOA 0001857.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity offered through the DOE Office of Science.
Which DOE office runs this program?
The program is run through the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) office within the DOE Office of Science.
What is the overall goal of this FOA?
The goal is to support genomics-based research that improves plant biomass and other plant feedstocks used to produce biofuels and renewable, bio-based chemical feedstocks.
What kinds of projects is DOE looking for in practical terms?
DOE is looking for projects that use modern genetics and genomics tools to make dedicated energy crops easier and cheaper to grow at large scale, while improving the quality and reliability of harvested biomass for downstream conversion into fuels and chemicals.
What is the main scientific focus of the opportunity?
The scientific focus is on overcoming biological barriers that limit cost-effective and sustainable bioenergy feedstock production.
Which plant types are specifically called out?
The FOA specifically calls for research on candidate herbaceous and woody plants used as bioenergy feedstocks.
What traits are emphasized for improvement?
The opportunity emphasizes improving resistance or tolerance to diseases and disease complexes, and it also encourages work on agronomic traits that support reliable production across seasons and regions.
Does the FOA prioritize research on diseases in real-world field conditions?
Yes. It includes work aimed at understanding how pathogens affect energy crops in real field conditions and identifying genetic factors, pathways, or variants that can be used to improve performance under those conditions.
What does the FOA mean by "disease complexes"?
Based on the information provided, the FOA references disease complexes in the context of improving plant performance against multiple diseases at once, rather than focusing on a single pathogen or a single disease outcome.
What types of biological insights are expected from funded projects?
Projects are expected to identify and/or understand genetic factors, molecular pathways, or genomic variants that can be leveraged to breed or engineer plants with improved bioenergy-relevant traits.
Are non-food oilseed crops included in the scope?
Yes. The FOA highlights non-food oilseed crops as an area of interest.
What improvements are encouraged for non-food oilseed crops?
The FOA encourages research to improve winter cold tolerance, survivability, and other agronomic traits that determine whether a crop can be grown reliably across seasons and regions.
Why does the FOA stress yield stability and field performance?
The announcement emphasizes that yield stability, resilience, and field performance are critical because bioenergy feedstock supply chains depend on predictable production year after year, not just traits measured in controlled environments.
What type of work is expected: basic science or applied R&D?
Projects are expected to be research and development oriented, described as science and technology R&D.
How should applicants connect genomics research to bioenergy outcomes?
Projects should clearly connect genomics insights to outcomes that matter for bioenergy, including lower production costs, improved feedstock quality, scalability, and sustainability.
Is the FOA limited to food crops or does it focus on dedicated energy crops?
It focuses on dedicated energy crops and improving traits that support biomass production without competing with food uses.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 81.049.
What kind of grant is this (mandatory vs. discretionary)?
This is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligibility is described as unrestricted, subject to any additional clarifications contained in the full announcement.
When was this opportunity created?
The creation date listed is January 12, 2018.
What was the original application closing date?
The original closing date listed is April 20, 2018.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $400,000.
How many awards did DOE anticipate making?
DOE anticipated making about 20 awards.
What does the anticipated number of awards suggest about the program size?
With an award ceiling of $400,000 and roughly 20 anticipated awards, the program appears designed to fund multiple focused projects rather than a small number of very large, center-scale efforts.
What is the central theme across the research areas described?
The central theme is using genetics and genomics to identify, understand, and deploy traits that make bioenergy crops tougher, more productive, and better suited for dedicated biomass production at scale.
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