The federal government has many opportunities for researchers, including not only funding calls but also opportunities to provide feedback, such as requests for information (RFIs). With so many potential ways to engage, it is easy to miss something important, such as a well-aligned funding opportunity from an unexpected agency or a request for comment that may impact plant biology research. When plant biologists engage with the federal government, the representation of plant biologists’ priorities in the federal space improves. Lewis-Burke Associates, ASPB’s government relations firm, specializes in identifying opportunities for researchers to become involved in up-and-coming federal areas of interest. Going forward, ASPB will be sharing these opportunities in this space to ensure that plant biologists are engaged and that their interests are well-represented where it counts.
One area of growing interest in the federal government is the bioeconomy. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science (SC) Biological and Environmental Research Program (BER) has announced a new funding opportunity through the Biological Systems Science Division’s (BSSD) Genomic Science Program (GSP) soliciting applications for “Genomics-Enabled Understanding and Advancing Knowledge on Plant Gene Function(s).” This program will fund proposals that showcase innovative research methods to develop bioenergy crops through several approaches outlined by DOE in their solicitation, including understanding multigene traits and pathways, tissue culture for bioenergy crops, and reduced out-crossing times.
This is a great opportunity for plant biologists to enter the growing bioenergy space. Furthermore, plant biologists interested in bioenergy should pay special attention to upcoming Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) programs, as they are expected to soon release programs centered on tool development for enhancing plant genetic engineering and synthetic biology research.
Award size: The anticipated total funding for this opportunity is $25 million spread over 8-12 awards. The individual awards will be $750,000 – $3 million over three years.
Eligibility: All types of domestic applicants are eligible to apply. PIs must be in permanent positions at an institution. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories, Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs, and other federal agencies are not eligible to apply, but can be subrecipients of an award. Furthermore, institutions may only submit one application. Applicants should carefully review the eligibility criteria in the solicitation before applying.
Due dates: Pre-applications are required and due December 2, 2024. Full applications are due February 10, 2025. Questions may be directed to DOE’s provided technical contacts: Shing Kwok, shing.kwok@science.doe.gov and Vijay Sharma, vijay.sharma@science.doe.gov. The full funding announcement and solicitation can be accessed here. Additional information can be found on DOE’s website here.