Early Career Research Program (FY2025) – Biological and Environmental Research (BER) topic

Early Career Research Program (FY2025) – Biological and Environmental Research (BER) topic is sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (Genomic Science Program, BER). Supports university early‑career researchers on BER‑relevant systems biology, synthetic biology, microbial engineering for biofuels/bioproducts, and living materials.

FUNDING: Early Career Research Program | Genomic Science Program FUNDING: Early Career Research Program The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science announces the release of the FY2025 Early Career Research Program (ECRP) Funding Opportunity: DE-FOA-0003450 .

This opportunity includes two research topics from the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program: Biological Systems Science Systems biology and biosystems design of bioenergy-relevant microbes to enable production of next-generation biofuels, bioproducts, and biomaterials Technical Contact: Pablo Rabinowicz, [email protected] Applications are requested for systems biology research to advance the development of emerging eukaryote or prokaryote model microorganisms and/or microbial consortia relevant for the production of biofuels, bioproducts, and/or biomaterials by converting lignocellulosic biomass, upcycling synthetic (petroleum-derived) polymers, or as a byproduct of photosynthesis.

Applications that propose multiomics approaches coupled with genome-wide design and editing technology development, in vivo or cell-free engineering, advanced predictive modeling, and high-throughput screening to understand and redesign biological systems with novel functional capabilities and biosynthetic potential are encouraged.

Proposed studies could include but are not limited to: 1) elucidation and/or engineering of relevant regulatory and metabolic networks, metabolic pathways, and/or signaling processes related to bioproduct synthesis by microbes or multispecies consortia; 2) development of synthetic biology tools to facilitate the study and manipulation of emerging microbial model systems; 3) understanding and modification of phenotypes involved in the deconstruction and conversion of plant cell walls or synthetic, petroleum-derived polymers; 4) understanding and/or improving the tolerance to stresses induced by a) altered biosynthetic pathways, b) the synthesis of industrial chemicals, and/or c) culture volume or other conditions; and 5) engineering microorganisms for the production of biominerals, inorganic-organic composites, and composites of inorganic materials and living cells (living materials), with wholly new properties not found in nature.

A focus on emerging model systems to expand the breadth of platform microorganisms for genome engineering is encouraged. Genome engineering approaches that may contribute to carbon capture and sequestration to reduce atmospheric CO 2 are also encouraged. Research on traditional model systems should be kept to a minimum.

Applications should address biocontainment of the engineered organisms and consider potential unintended outcomes and biological escapes.

Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences Understanding and predicting processes regulating fluxes of trace gases from terrestrial ecosystems Technical Contact: Brian Benscoter, [email protected] Submissions (preapplications and applications) are sought within the Environmental System Science (ESS) program area scope that will improve fundamental understanding and predictability of processes regulating fluxes of key trace gases other than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from terrestrial and terrestrial-aquatic interface ecosystems.

While greenhouse gas dynamics broadly are a critical component of the Earth system, non-CO 2 trace gases have a disproportionately large influence on radiative forcing as well as disproportionately large challenges and uncertainties for observing and predicting the magnitude and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of their fluxes from ecosystems.

Improved process-based understanding and predictive-model representation of the production, transformation, transport, and fluxes of these trace gases, as well as the influence of environmental conditions on their regulation, from microbial to landscape scales are critical for assessing and predicting their influence on the Earth system.

Furthermore, improved understanding of the regulation of hot spots/hot moments of trace gas biogeochemistry is a recognized gap in state-of-the-art process models.

Submissions for this topic are expected to: focus on predictive, process-based understanding and model representation of non-CO 2 trace gas flux dynamics from terrestrial ecosystems; delineate an integrative, hypothesis-driven approach; describe the existing needs/gaps in state-of-the-art models that motivate the proposed research (i.e., ModEx); make use of new measurements from field and/or laboratory experiments; and combine the data/information with modeling/simulation efforts.

More information can be found on the Office of Science Early Career Research Program page. The principal investigator (PI) and institution representative submitting on behalf of the PI must register for an account in PAMS before a pre-application can be submitted. 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 applicants are encouraged to read the Notice of Funding Opportunity carefully for requirements. Funding Announcement Detail Funding Announcement Number: DE-FOA-0003450 Funding Announcement: PDF Submission Deadline for Pre-applications: February 18, 2025 Pre-application Response Date: March 18, 2025 Submission Deadline for Applications: April 22, 2025