Funding Announcement 0002849 – Environmental System Science [Pre-applications Due December 1]

November 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Program hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for research in Environmental System Science (ESS). The goal of the ESS program in BER is to advance an integrated, robust, and scale-aware predictive understanding of terrestrial systems and their interdependent microbial, biogeochemical, ecological, hydrological, and physical processes. To support this goal, the program uses a systems approach to develop an integrative framework to elucidate the complex processes and controls on the structure, function, feedbacks, and dynamics of terrestrial systems that span from molecular to global scales and extend from the bedrock through the soil, rhizosphere, and vegetation to the atmosphere. The ESS program scope advances foundational process knowledge with an emphasis on understudied ecosystems.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will consider applications that focus on measurements, experiments, field data, modeling, and synthesis 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:

  • Improved understanding of hot spots and hot moments of biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial-aquatic interfaces;
  • Investigations of cold-region ecosystem and watershed process responses to changing cold-season climate drivers; and
  • Synthesis studies using existing data that address testing of ESS-relevant hypotheses and development of transferable insights across ecosystems, watersheds, and regions.

All applications are required to clearly delineate an integrative, hypothesis-driven approach and describe the existing needs and gaps in state-of-the-art models. Applicants should provide details on how the results of the proposed research will be used to improve the predictability and sophistication of integrated watershed systems and/or terrestrial ecosystem models.

Schedule

The PI and anyone submitting on behalf of the PI must register for an account in PAMS before it will be possible to submit a pre-application. All PIs and those submitting pre-applications on behalf of PIs are encouraged to establish PAMS accounts as soon as possible to avoid submission delays.  Additionally, all PI’s are encouraged to read the FOA carefully for new requirements related to Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) plans, new current/pending and biographical sketches.

  • Deadline for Pre-applications (required): December 1, 2022; 5:00 pm eastern time
  • Deadline for Proposals: February 23, 2023; 11:59 pm eastern time

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