Bioimaging Research Approaches for the Bioeconomy & the Environment | DE FOA 0003231

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003231

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program is funding new bioimaging and sensing approaches that can strengthen research for the bioeconomy and the environment. The opportunity (DE-FOA-0003231) is focused on early-stage to mid-stage research that advances how scientists image, measure, or model biological systems relevant to BER priorities, especially plant- and microbe-based bioenergy and environmental research. The emphasis is on moving new imaging or sensing ideas from the drawing board into credible validation, or taking a workable prototype and using it to answer a real biological question that matters to BER-supported fields.

The FOA is organized into two subtopics with different expectations. Subtopic 1, called Concept to Validation, supports fundamental imaging or sensing research that may start at a very early, even pre-experimental stage. Projects in this track can explore untested concepts, theoretical models, or novel measurement approaches, then progress toward building experimental prototypes and validating performance. A key requirement is validation against known benchmarks: applicants are expected to compare measurement accuracy and technical performance against accepted technical standards and/or well-characterized synthetic or biological samples relevant to BER research areas. The FOA specifically pushes teams to compare results to known "gold-standard" targets or competing established methods, so reviewers can judge whether the new approach is accurate, reproducible, and potentially transformative. Importantly, this subtopic is considered too early for pursuing brand-new biological discovery as the main goal; the primary goal is proving the measurement approach works reliably. These awards are intended to tolerate high risk if the payoff could be large, and reviewers are instructed to weigh the risk-reward balance and the potential future significance even if preliminary data are limited or absent.

Subtopic 2, called Prototypes for Biological Hypothesis Research, is aimed at projects that already have a feasible, use-inspired experimental prototype of an instrument or method and are ready to demonstrate both technical validity and biological utility. Unlike Subtopic 1, Subtopic 2 requires hypothesis-driven biological research: the prototype must be used to evaluate an untested biological question or hypothesis to show why the technology matters to real users in bioenergy, bioeconomy, or environmental research communities. The FOA encourages projects that clearly outperform current techniques or enable measurement of biological characteristics that existing tools cannot access. While demonstrations in living systems are not required, the technology must have a credible path to future impact for in situ imaging, measuring, or modeling in plant and microbial contexts. The FOA also encourages public dissemination of results so that the broader BER community can evaluate the approach and potentially adopt it. Applicants may optionally request funding in years two and three to support collaboration with external biological investigators outside the PI's laboratory, which can help ensure the biological hypothesis testing is meaningful and compelling to the user community.

Across both subtopics, DOE is not looking for late-stage engineering or productization. The FOA explicitly does not support late-stage optimization after an initial prototype has been researched, nor does it support engineering development of resources or equipment aimed at producing field-ready demonstration systems. In other words, this is a research-driven funding opportunity focused on proving new concepts, validating measurement performance, and demonstrating scientific value, not building deployable commercial-grade instruments.

Eligibility is broadly open to domestic applicants, with one notable restriction: nonprofit organizations described under IRS code 501(c)(4) that have engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible. Federally affiliated entities have special rules. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories, other Federal agencies, and non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) cannot apply as prime recipients, but they may participate as subrecipients under an eligible prime applicant. If a national lab is included as a subrecipient and the project is selected, its portion of the funding is handled through DOE mechanisms (such as the Field-Work Proposal system) and conducted under the lab's DOE contract rather than under the FOA award terms.

Key administrative details from the posting include: this is a discretionary grant under CFDA 81.049; it was issued by the DOE Office of Science; the FOA was created on December 7, 2023; and the original application closing date was March 5, 2024. The award ceiling listed is $2,350,000. The FOA also notes expected awards, though the specific number is not provided in the excerpted source text. Overall, the opportunity is designed for multidisciplinary teams (for example, physical and chemical scientists, engineers, plant biologists, and microbiologists) that can pair strong measurement science with BER-relevant biological context, either by validating a high-risk new imaging concept or by using a feasible prototype to answer a meaningful biological hypothesis.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bioimaging Research Approaches for the Bioeconomy & the Environment" 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 2023-12-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-05. (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 $2,350,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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