Genomics - Enabled Understanding and Advancing Knowledge on Plant Gene Function(s)

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science seeks applications for research in plant genomics under the Genomic Science Program (GSP). Specifically, the FOA focuses on advancing the understanding of plant gene functions to enhance bioenergy crop design. Research priorities include studying regulatory elements and mechanisms, dissecting multigene traits, improving plant regeneration processes for genetic transformation, and reducing generation times for bioenergy crops. The ultimate goal is to improve crop resilience, growth efficiency, and adaptability to support a sustainable U.S. bioeconomy. Applicants may propose high-risk, high-reward projects and are encouraged to leverage interdisciplinary approaches and DOE resources, such as user facilities and community resources. The FOA will provide $25 million in total funding, supporting 8–12 awards with individual project funding ranging from $750,000 to $3,000,000 over a three-year period. The program does not require cost-sharing for basic research. The research must align with BER’s mission to support basic, non-commercializable scientific research. Projects should demonstrate potential for high impact and emphasize data sharing and collaborative use of DOE resources. Eligible applicants include domestic institutions, excluding 501(c)(4) organizations engaging in lobbying activities. Individual applicants must show how they can fulfill the FOA objectives, though multi-institutional teams are strongly encouraged. Eligible applicants include universities, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and state, local, and tribal governments. DOE and other federal agencies are ineligible to apply as primary applicants but can participate as subrecipients. Principal Investigators (PIs) must hold a permanent or long-term position at their institution and demonstrate the capacity to lead the proposed research. Applications involving international collaborators must meet nonproliferation and export control requirements. Additionally, research using model organisms must show relevance to bioenergy crops. Applicants must submit a pre-application, which will be used to determine responsiveness to the FOA. Those invited to submit full applications must include a detailed research narrative, budget, and management plan. Pre-applications are due by the date listed on the FOA cover, and discouraged applicants should not submit full proposals. Full proposals must adhere to strict formatting guidelines, including page limits for the project narrative and appendices. Applications that do not meet these requirements may be declined without review. Evaluation criteria include the scientific and technical merit of the proposal, the competency of the research team, the relevance of the project to DOE’s mission, and the potential impact of the research. Collaborative applications should ensure that the lead institution performs the majority of the work. Funded projects will be required to participate in annual principal investigator meetings and comply with DOE’s data sharing policies. Key deadlines, submission details, and agency contact information are provided in the FOA. This FOA emphasizes the integration of experimental and computational methods, high-throughput approaches, and systems biology to overcome critical challenges in plant genomics and bioenergy crop research. It seeks to generate new knowledge that supports DOE’s mission to advance energy production and environmental sustainability.