Environmental System Science (ESS)
- Posted
- November 5, 2024
- Closed
- March 13, 2025
- Award ceiling
- $1,000,000
- Award floor
- $100,000
- Program funding
- $6,000,000
- Cost sharing
- No
- Instrument
- Grant, Other
- Assistance listing
- 81.049
- Archives
- April 12, 2025
Program funding history
Awards made under Assistance Listing 81.049 across FY2024–FY2026, from public federal spending records.
- FY2024 obligated
- $1.7B
- FY2025 obligated
- $1.4B
- FY2026 (to date) obligated
- $994.7M
- Awards in window
- 6,130
Top recipients: Michigan State University, General Atomics, University of Wisconsin System, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Illinois
Source: USAspending.gov · refreshed September 2026 · Program page: awards, recipients and the opportunities under this listing →
Synopsis
The DOE SC program in Biological and Environmental Research (BER) 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. The ESS program scope advances foundational process knowledge with an emphasis on understudied ecosystems. This NOFO 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 NOFO will encompass three Science Research Areas: 1) plant-soil-microbe interactions and their influence on belowground biogeochemical processes; 2) synthesis studies using existing data that address testing of ESS-relevant hypotheses and development of transferable insights into knowledge gaps for U.S. southeast coastal systems; and 3) synthesis studies on contributions and vulnerabilities of Earth system processes in marginal and degraded lands.
The BER ESS program goal 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 and watershed 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. Supported research emphasizes ecological and hydro-biogeochemical linkages among system components and characterization of processes across interfaces (e.g., terrestrial-aquatic, coastal, urban) to address key knowledge gaps and uncertainties across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Incorporation of scientific findings into process and system models is an important aspect of the ESS strategy, both to improve predictive understanding as well as to enable the identification of new research questions and directions.
Who can apply
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
All types of domestic applicants are eligible to apply, except nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995. Federally affiliated entities must adhere to the eligibility standards below: 1. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories DOE/NNSA National Laboratories are neither eligible to submit applications under this NOFO nor to be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. No funds provided under this NOFO may be used to support any independent research activity at a DOE/NNSA National Laboratory. This prohibition extends to all personnel affiliated with a DOE/NNSA National Laboratory, regardless of their title or position. This prohibition extends to all arrangements, including those characterized as subawards, consortia, contracted work, work-for-others, or strategic partnerships. The only exception is for fee-for-service work provided on identical terms to any customer in accordance with a published schedule of charges. 2. Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are eligible to submit applications under this NOFO and may be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. If recommended for funding as a lead applicant, funding will be provided through an interagency agreement to the FFRDC’s sponsoring Federal Agency. If recommended for funding as a proposed subrecipient, the value of the proposed subaward may be removed from the prime applicant’s award and may be provided through an interagency agreement to the FFRDC’s sponsoring Federal Agency. Additional instructions for securing authorization from the cognizant Contracting Officer are found in Section IX of this NOFO. 3. Other Federal Agencies Other Federal Agencies are eligible to submit applications under this NOFO and may be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. If recommended for funding as a lead applicant, funding will be provided…
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