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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science opportunity from the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program to fund new bioimaging and sensing approaches that strengthen research for the bioeconomy and the environment. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number is DE-FOA-0003231.

What kinds of research does this FOA support?

The FOA supports early-stage to mid-stage research that advances how scientists image, measure, or model biological systems relevant to BER priorities, with particular emphasis on plant- and microbe-based bioenergy and environmental research. Projects are expected to move new imaging or sensing ideas toward credible validation, or to take a workable prototype and use it to answer a BER-relevant biological question.

What is the main goal of the FOA overall?

The overall goal is to fund research-driven technology advances in imaging and sensing: proving new concepts, validating measurement performance, and (in the prototype track) demonstrating scientific value in BER-relevant biological research. It is not intended to fund late-stage engineering or commercial product development.

How is the FOA organized?

The FOA is organized into two subtopics with different expectations: (1) Concept to Validation and (2) Prototypes for Biological Hypothesis Research.

What is Subtopic 1 (Concept to Validation)?

Subtopic 1 supports fundamental imaging or sensing research that may begin at a very early stage, including pre-experimental work. It can include exploring untested concepts, theoretical models, or novel measurement approaches, then progressing toward experimental prototypes and validation of performance.

What does Subtopic 1 require in terms of validation?

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 emphasizes comparisons to known "gold-standard" targets or established competing methods so reviewers can assess accuracy, reproducibility, and transformative potential.

Is Subtopic 1 intended to produce new biological discoveries?

Not as the main goal. Subtopic 1 is described as too early for pursuing brand-new biological discovery as the primary objective. The focus is on demonstrating that the measurement approach works reliably.

Does Subtopic 1 allow high-risk projects with limited preliminary data?

Yes. Subtopic 1 awards are intended to tolerate higher risk if the potential payoff is large. Reviewers are instructed to weigh the risk-reward balance and the potential future significance even if preliminary data are limited or absent.

What is Subtopic 2 (Prototypes for Biological Hypothesis Research)?

Subtopic 2 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.

What is required in Subtopic 2 that is different from 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.

Does Subtopic 2 need to show improvement over existing tools?

The FOA encourages projects that clearly outperform current techniques or enable measurement of biological characteristics that existing tools cannot access.

Are demonstrations in living systems required under Subtopic 2?

No. Demonstrations in living systems are not required. However, the technology must have a credible path to future impact for in situ imaging, measuring, or modeling in plant and microbial contexts.

Does the FOA encourage sharing results publicly?

Yes. The FOA encourages public dissemination of results so the broader BER community can evaluate the approach and potentially adopt it.

Can applicants request funding to collaborate with external biological investigators?

Yes. Under Subtopic 2, applicants may optionally request funding in years two and three to support collaboration with external biological investigators outside the PI's laboratory. This is positioned as a way to strengthen the biological hypothesis testing and make it more compelling to the user community.

What types of projects are explicitly not supported?

The FOA explicitly does not support late-stage engineering or productization. It does not support late-stage optimization after an initial prototype has been researched, and it does not support engineering development of resources or equipment aimed at producing field-ready demonstration systems. The emphasis is research and validation, not building deployable commercial-grade instruments.

Who can apply as a prime recipient?

Eligibility is broadly open to domestic applicants, with specific restrictions and special rules for certain entities. One explicit restriction is that nonprofit organizations described under IRS code 501(c)(4) that have engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible.

Are 501(c)(4) organizations eligible?

Some are not. The FOA states that 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that have engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible.

Can DOE/NNSA National Laboratories apply as the prime recipient?

No. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories cannot apply as prime recipients under this FOA, but they may participate as subrecipients under an eligible prime applicant.

Can other Federal agencies apply as the prime recipient?

No. Other Federal agencies cannot apply as prime recipients, but they may participate as subrecipients under an eligible prime applicant.

Can non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) apply as the prime recipient?

No. Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs cannot apply as prime recipients, but they may participate as subrecipients under an eligible prime applicant.

If a national lab participates as a subrecipient, how is its funding handled?

If a national lab is included as a subrecipient and the project is selected, the lab portion of the work 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.

Which DOE office issued this FOA?

The FOA was issued by the DOE Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The posting identifies this as a discretionary grant under CFDA 81.049.

When was the FOA created?

The FOA was created on December 7, 2023.

What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date listed is March 5, 2024.

What is the maximum award size (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling listed in the posting is $2,350,000.

Does the excerpt specify how many awards DOE expects to make?

No. The FOA notes expected awards, but the specific number is not provided in the excerpted information.

What kinds of teams does DOE expect to be competitive?

The opportunity is designed for multidisciplinary teams, for example combinations of physical and chemical scientists, engineers, plant biologists, and microbiologists. Teams are expected to pair strong measurement science with BER-relevant biological context, either by validating a high-risk new concept (Subtopic 1) or by using a feasible prototype to answer a meaningful biological hypothesis (Subtopic 2).

What BER research contexts are emphasized?

The FOA especially emphasizes plant- and microbe-based bioenergy and environmental research, and broadly supports imaging, sensing, and modeling of biological systems relevant to BER priorities.

How should applicants decide between Subtopic 1 and Subtopic 2?

Based on the FOA description: choose Subtopic 1 if the work is earlier-stage (possibly pre-experimental) and the main objective is to prove and validate a new measurement concept against benchmarks rather than to drive biological discovery. Choose Subtopic 2 if there is already a feasible prototype and the project will use it for hypothesis-driven biological research to demonstrate real scientific utility for BER-relevant users.

What does "gold-standard" comparison mean in this FOA?

In this FOA, it refers to comparing the new imaging or sensing approach against known benchmark targets, accepted technical standards, well-characterized samples, and/or established competing methods so reviewers can judge accuracy, reproducibility, and performance credibility.