Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002424
The FY2021 Research Opportunities in High Energy Physics funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002424) is a Department of Energy Office of Science announcement from the High Energy Physics (HEP) program seeking both new and renewal grant applications to support research in particle physics and closely related enabling technologies. The central aim is to advance understanding of the universe at the most fundamental level by studying the basic building blocks of matter and energy, the forces and interactions among them, and the underlying nature of space and time. The opportunity is explicitly framed around the community priorities laid out by the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP) and its long-range Particle Physics Project Prioritization Plan (P5), which DOE uses as a strategic guide for setting scientific directions.
The FOA is organized around six core HEP subprograms, which applicants are expected to align with clearly and explicitly. Three are experimental discovery frontiers. The Energy Frontier supports research using high-power particle accelerators to create and study new particles and to probe fundamental forces at the highest energies. The Intensity Frontier focuses on experiments that rely on very intense particle beams and extremely sensitive detectors to measure rare processes and subtle effects, often enabling precision tests of the Standard Model and searches for new physics through phenomena that do not require the highest collision energies. The Cosmic Frontier supports non-accelerator experiments that use the universe itself as a laboratory, including measurements relevant to cosmic acceleration and dark energy, observations of the cosmic microwave background, searches for dark matter particles, and other studies of cosmic particles and large-scale phenomena that reveal fundamental physics.
Complementing those frontiers are three crosscutting areas that HEP treats as integral to discovery because they provide the ideas, instruments, and infrastructure needed for experiments to succeed. Theoretical High Energy Physics supports the development of mathematical frameworks and physical theories that interpret existing results and propose new tests of nature, including work that extends or challenges current models of particles, forces, spacetime, and cosmology. Accelerator Science and Technology R and D supports the underlying science and engineering advances that enable next-generation accelerator capabilities and the operation of accelerator facilities central to HEP research. Detector Research and Development supports the foundational technologies and methods needed to design and build advanced particle and astrophysics detectors, including generic detector R and D that can be broadly enabling rather than tied to one specific experiment.
A key feature of this opportunity is that it allows and encourages proposals that span more than one of the six subprograms, as long as the application clearly explains the goals in each area and how the combined effort advances HEP mission needs and priorities. It also explicitly encourages "transitional" research, meaning cases where a principal investigator or team is shifting from one HEP thrust area to another and needs support to build a credible new line of work. For multi-program or transitional proposals, DOE encourages submission of a single, integrated application that describes the full research plan, includes a level-of-effort table showing how time is divided across subprograms, and provides a timeline for any planned transition so reviewers can judge the overall scope, fit, and impact.
The FOA also signals that multi-institution teams are welcome, especially when collaboration across organizations enables a larger and more capable group to tackle bigger scientific questions than a single institution could address alone. At the same time, DOE is careful to note that currently supported activities are not guaranteed future support, reflecting the reality that research directions in high energy physics can shift as results emerge and new opportunities arise. Applicants are pointed to the HEP program website and the HEP research page for more detailed descriptions of the subprogram areas and for context on currently supported experiments, facilities, and research thrusts.
Equally important are the boundaries of what this FOA will not fund. Applications that are not in direct support of HEP research are discouraged from being submitted here, with examples including conferences, experimental operations, and project-specific conceptual R and D, design, or fabrication aimed at a particular project. Those kinds of activities are generally directed instead to the broader annual Office of Science FOA or other relevant DOE funding announcements on Grants.gov. The FOA also clarifies routing for detector and accelerator work: generic detector R and D should be submitted under the Detector R and D subprogram, while physics studies and pre-conceptual R and D aimed at a specific experiment should be submitted under the relevant experimental frontier. Accelerator R and D aimed primarily at non-HEP accelerator applications is stated to be out of scope for this FOA, with applicants directed to the DOE Office of Science Engineering and Technology Office for those topics.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 81.049, with eligibility listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any additional clarifications in the full text). The posting date is November 17, 2020, with an original closing date of January 26, 2021. DOE anticipated around 100 awards, and the listed award ceiling is up to $15,000,000, indicating that while many awards may be smaller research grants, the program also contemplates the possibility of relatively large efforts where justified by scope and significance. The program is run by the DOE Office of Science, High Energy Physics program, and applicants are encouraged to contact the listed technical points of contact to discuss alignment with the frontiers and crosscutting areas before submitting.Apply for DE FOA 0002424
- The Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2021 Research Opportunities in High Energy Physics" 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 Nov 17, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 26, 2021. (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 $15,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this funding opportunity?
This is the FY2021 Research Opportunities in High Energy Physics funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002424) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, High Energy Physics (HEP) program. It seeks both new and renewal grant applications to support research in particle physics and closely related enabling technologies.
2. What is the main goal of the program?
The central aim is to advance understanding of the universe at the most fundamental level by studying the basic building blocks of matter and energy, the forces and interactions among them, and the underlying nature of space and time.
3. What priorities or strategic plans does this FOA follow?
The opportunity is framed around community priorities developed through the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP) and its long-range Particle Physics Project Prioritization Plan (P5), which DOE uses as a strategic guide for scientific directions.
4. What research areas (subprograms) are supported under this FOA?
The FOA is organized around six core HEP subprograms. Applicants are expected to align clearly and explicitly with one or more of these areas:
- Energy Frontier
- Intensity Frontier
- Cosmic Frontier
- Theoretical High Energy Physics
- Accelerator Science and Technology R&D
- Detector Research and Development
5. What is the Energy Frontier?
The Energy Frontier supports research using high-power particle accelerators to create and study new particles and to probe fundamental forces at the highest energies.
6. What is the Intensity Frontier?
The Intensity Frontier focuses on experiments that rely on very intense particle beams and extremely sensitive detectors to measure rare processes and subtle effects. This often supports precision tests of the Standard Model and searches for new physics through phenomena that do not require the highest collision energies.
7. What is the Cosmic Frontier?
The Cosmic Frontier supports non-accelerator experiments that use the universe as a laboratory. Examples include measurements relevant to cosmic acceleration and dark energy, observations of the cosmic microwave background, searches for dark matter particles, and other studies of cosmic particles and large-scale phenomena that reveal fundamental physics.
8. What is supported under Theoretical High Energy Physics?
Theoretical High Energy Physics supports mathematical frameworks and physical theories that interpret existing results and propose new tests of nature. This includes work that extends or challenges current models of particles, forces, spacetime, and cosmology.
9. What is supported under Accelerator Science and Technology R&D?
Accelerator Science and Technology R&D supports science and engineering advances that enable next-generation accelerator capabilities and the operation of accelerator facilities central to HEP research.
10. What is supported under Detector Research and Development?
Detector Research and Development supports foundational technologies and methods needed to design and build advanced particle and astrophysics detectors, including generic detector R&D that can be broadly enabling rather than tied to one specific experiment.
11. Can a proposal span more than one subprogram?
Yes. The FOA allows and encourages proposals that span more than one of the six subprograms, as long as the application clearly explains the goals in each area and how the combined effort advances HEP mission needs and priorities.
12. What does DOE mean by "transitional" research?
"Transitional" research refers to cases where a principal investigator or team is shifting from one HEP thrust area to another and needs support to build a credible new line of work. This FOA explicitly encourages transitional proposals.
13. How should multi-subprogram or transitional proposals be submitted?
For multi-program or transitional proposals, DOE encourages submission of a single, integrated application that describes the full research plan, includes a level-of-effort table showing how time is divided across subprograms, and provides a timeline for any planned transition so reviewers can judge the overall scope, fit, and impact.
14. Are multi-institution teams allowed?
Yes. The FOA indicates that multi-institution teams are welcome, especially when collaboration across organizations enables a larger and more capable group to tackle bigger scientific questions than a single institution could address alone.
15. Does current DOE support guarantee future funding under this FOA?
No. DOE notes that currently supported activities are not guaranteed future support, reflecting that high energy physics research directions can shift as results emerge and new opportunities arise.
16. What types of activities are discouraged from submission under this FOA?
Applications that are not in direct support of HEP research are discouraged. Examples listed include conferences, experimental operations, and project-specific conceptual R&D, design, or fabrication aimed at a particular project.
17. Where should conferences, experimental operations, or project-specific design/fabrication typically be submitted?
The FOA indicates these activities are generally directed to the broader annual Office of Science FOA or other relevant DOE funding announcements on Grants.gov, rather than this HEP research-focused FOA.
18. How should proposals be routed for detector work (generic vs. experiment-specific)?
The FOA clarifies that generic detector R&D should be submitted under the Detector R&D subprogram, while physics studies and pre-conceptual R&D aimed at a specific experiment should be submitted under the relevant experimental frontier (Energy, Intensity, or Cosmic Frontier).
19. Is accelerator R&D for non-HEP applications supported here?
No. Accelerator R&D aimed primarily at non-HEP accelerator applications is stated to be out of scope for this FOA. The FOA directs applicants to the DOE Office of Science Engineering and Technology Office for those topics.
20. What is the assistance listing / CFDA number for this opportunity?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 81.049.
21. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any entity type, subject to any additional clarifications that may be included in the full FOA text.
22. What are the key dates provided?
The posting date is November 17, 2020, and the original closing date is January 26, 2021.
23. How many awards were anticipated?
DOE anticipated around 100 awards.
24. What is the maximum award amount listed?
The listed award ceiling is up to $15,000,000, indicating the FOA contemplates the possibility of relatively large efforts where justified by scope and significance (even though many awards may be smaller research grants).
25. Which DOE office runs this program?
The program is run by the DOE Office of Science, High Energy Physics (HEP) program.
26. Should applicants contact DOE before submitting?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to contact the listed technical points of contact to discuss alignment with the frontiers and crosscutting areas before submitting.
27. Where can applicants find more context on the HEP subprogram areas and current research thrusts?
The FOA points applicants to the HEP program website and the HEP research page for more detailed descriptions of the subprogram areas and context on currently supported experiments, facilities, and research thrusts.
28. Does this FOA fund enabling technologies as well as physics research?
Yes. In addition to particle physics research, the FOA supports closely related enabling technologies through crosscutting areas such as accelerator science and technology R&D and detector research and development.
29. What does "clearly and explicitly align" with a subprogram mean in practice under this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, applicants are expected to identify the relevant subprogram(s) among the six areas and explain how the proposed work fits the mission needs and priorities of those area(s), including how it advances HEP goals and aligns with HEPAP/P5-informed priorities.
30. If a proposal mixes generic detector R&D and experiment-specific physics studies, can it be integrated?
The FOA supports integrated, multi-subprogram proposals when they clearly explain goals in each area and how the combined effort advances HEP priorities. It also provides routing guidance: generic detector R&D belongs under Detector R&D, while experiment-specific physics studies and pre-conceptual R&D should be under the relevant experimental frontier.
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