The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program has issued a funding opportunity announcement (FOA No. DE-FOA-0003503) seeking new or renewal single-investigator or small-group proposals for hypothesis-driven, frontier-level research in basic plasma science and engineering. This initiative, under the General Plasma Science (GPS) program, aims to enhance the fundamental understanding of the plasma state, including its complex behaviors and new experimental and theoretical approaches. This FOA is focused strictly on basic plasma research, including astrophysical, dusty, and low-temperature plasmas, and excludes plasma-based technology development.

The purpose of the program is to support hypothesis-driven fundamental research to expand knowledge in plasma science and to train the next generation of plasma scientists and engineers. Areas of interest include dynamical plasma processes (e.g., magnetic reconnection and energy transfer mechanisms), nonneutral and dusty plasmas, and low-temperature plasma processes such as plasma-surface interactions and chemical reactions. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative, integrated research combining experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches.

The DOE anticipates funding approximately $5,000,000 for this FOA, with about 10 awards expected. Individual awards will range from $300,000 to $900,000, and the project period is expected to be three years. Eligible applicants include domestic institutions of higher education, DOE/NNSA national laboratories, DOE SC scientific user facilities, and non-profit organizations, excluding certain non-profits engaged in lobbying. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) outside DOE/NNSA and other federal agencies are not eligible to apply. No cost-sharing is required.

Applicants are required to submit a pre-application by February 14, 2025, at 5 PM ET, which will undergo review for alignment with the FOA objectives. The DOE will notify applicants by February 28, 2025, whether to submit a full application, which will be due by April 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET. Late submissions will not be considered. Full applications will be evaluated based on scientific and technical merit, appropriateness of the approach, team competency, and budget reasonableness.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov and include a detailed project narrative, budget, and supporting documents. The DOE strongly recommends early registration in all submission platforms. For collaborative applications, each participating institution must submit its application, with identical project narratives and coordinated budgets. Applicants are encouraged to align their proposals with the scientific priorities of the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) and related community reports. For further information, applicants may contact Dr. Nirmol Podder (technical/scientific queries) or Ms. Marty Carlin (administrative queries). Detailed instructions for submission and eligibility criteria are outlined in the FOA document.