The DOE BER Department is Offering a Grant for Environmental System Science Research

All types of applicants are eligible to apply, except nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.

Federally affiliated entities must adhere to the eligibility standards below:

1. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories

DOE/NNSA National Laboratories are not eligible to submit applications under this FOA but may be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. If recommended for funding as a proposed subrecipient, the value of the proposed subaward will be removed from the prime applicant’s award and will be provided to the laboratory through the DOE Field-Work Proposal System and work will be conducted under the laboratory’s contract with DOE. No administrative provisions of this FOA will apply to the laboratory or any laboratory subcontractor. Additional instructions for securing authorization from the cognizant Contracting Officer are found in Section VIII of this FOA.

2. Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs

Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are eligible to submit applications under this FOA but are not eligible to be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. Instead, they must submit their own application as a team member in a multi-institutional team. If recommended for funding, either as the sole applicant or in a multi-institutional team, funding may be provided through an interagency agreement to the FFRDC’s sponsoring Federal Agency. Additional instructions for securing authorization from the cognizant Contracting Officer are found in Section VIII of this FOA.

3. Other Federal Agencies

Other Federal Agencies are eligible to submit applications under this FOA but are not eligible to be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. Instead, they must submit their own application as a team member in a multi-institutional team. If recommended for funding, either as the sole applicant or in a multi-institutional team, funding will be provided through an interagency agreement. Additional instructions for providing statutory authorization are found in Section VIII of this FOA.

The DOE SC program in Biological and Environmental Research (BER) hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for research in Environmental System Science (ESS). This FOA will consider applications that focus on measurements, experiments, field data, and modeling to provide improved understanding and representation of ecosystems and watersheds in ways that advance the sophistication and capabilities of models that span from individual processes to Earth system scales. This FOA will encompass three Science Research Areas: 1) investigation of ecosystem and watershed responses to plant-mediated ecohydrologic processes, through their influence on biogeochemical cycling, hydrologic dynamics, and/or land-atmosphere exchange; 2) understanding the influence of wildfire and flood disturbances on hydro-biogeochemical processes and system function; and, 3) the role of fungal networks in shaping ecosystem function through coordination of ecohydrological or biogeochemical response to stress, ephemeral soil resources, or transient environmental factors.