Biosystems Design to Enable Next-Generation Biofuels and Bioproducts | DE FOA 0001650

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001650

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, through its Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program and specifically the Genomic Science Program, offered this grant opportunity to push forward the next wave of biofuels and bioproducts by applying advanced biosystems design. The core idea is to move beyond incremental strain or crop improvements and instead use genome-scale, data-driven approaches to design organisms and biological processes that can turn biomass into fuels and valuable chemicals more efficiently, reliably, and safely. The funding mechanism is a discretionary research grant (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001650, CFDA 81.049) administered by the DOE Office of Science.

The opportunity focuses on two major research tracks. The first track centers on microbes used for biomass conversion and biomanufacturing. DOE was looking for interdisciplinary projects that can integrate large-scale systems biology data sets (for example, genome-wide measurements and other high-dimensional biological data) and translate them into predictive models that support rational design. The emphasis is on creating innovative, high-throughput capabilities for modeling, genome-wide design, genome editing, and engineering, with the explicit goal of improving microbial production of biofuels and bioproducts. Importantly, the scope is not limited to a single model organism; it calls for approaches that can work across a broad range of microbes that matter for converting biomass into fuels and chemicals, which can include organisms with industrially relevant traits but historically weaker genetic toolkits. In practical terms, DOE was signaling interest in platforms and technologies that shorten the design-build-test-learn cycle, enable genome-scale interventions, and help connect systems-level data to actionable engineering strategies that improve yield, productivity, robustness, or feedstock flexibility.

The second track targets plant systems design for bioenergy. Here, the aim is to develop novel genome-scale engineering technologies that can re-design bioenergy crops to thrive in marginal environments while still producing high biomass yields, and to do so in a way that makes the resulting plant material easier to convert into fuels and bioproducts. This reflects two linked challenges in bioenergy: growing enough biomass without competing with prime agricultural land and ensuring that the harvested biomass can be processed efficiently. Projects in this area would be expected to address traits tied to stress tolerance and performance in less-than-ideal conditions (such as drought, temperature extremes, poor soils, or other constraints), while also improving characteristics that influence conversion efficiency, such as composition or recalcitrance of plant cell walls. The solicitation language points toward genome-scale redesign rather than single-gene tweaks, implying interest in new engineering methods, comprehensive design strategies, and enabling technologies that can systematically alter complex plant traits.

Across both research tracks, applications were expected to include thoughtful strategies for biocontainment and risk minimization. DOE explicitly asked applicants to address how they would reduce risks associated with unintended release of engineered organisms into the environment or other unintended outcomes. In this context, biocontainment can span genetic safeguards, ecological or reproductive controls, and other layered measures that make engineered microbes or plants less likely to persist or spread outside intended settings. The inclusion of this requirement underscores that the program was not only prioritizing performance and innovation, but also responsible deployment and proactive risk management as integral parts of biosystems design.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was open to unrestricted eligible applicants, indicating broad eligibility rather than being limited to a narrow applicant class. The original closing date was March 24, 2017, and the stated award ceiling was $5,000,000 per award. The announcement was created on October 13, 2016, and it fell under the broad category of Science and Technology and other Research and Development. Overall, this funding call was designed to accelerate foundational and enabling research that makes biofuel and bioproduct production more predictable, scalable, and sustainable by combining systems biology, genome-scale engineering, and integrated modeling, while embedding environmental safety considerations from the start.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Biosystems Design to Enable Next-Generation Biofuels and Bioproducts" 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 2016-10-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-03-24. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for DE FOA 0001650

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