MONet: Quarterly Soil Function Call
[Closed]
The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) is announcing a series of quarterly calls for soil sample submissions to EMSL’s Molecular Observation Network (MONet) Science Objective to gather molecular and microscale data from ecoregions across the United States. Through the call, EMSL will analyze soil cores using standardized workflows and generate a suite of advanced data products, including high-resolution compositional parameters of organic matter, measured using high-field Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry; soil pore network parameters, measured using X-ray computed tomography (XCT); and annotated metagenome sequences, provided through a partnership with the Joint Genome Institute (JGI). A list of all Soil Function Call data types is available for review.
We invite proposal submissions from most ecoregions and land usage types, except for permanently inundated or frozen soils. Proposals submitted to MONet are encouraged to focus on advancing our understanding of microbially and root-driven carbon and nutrient cycling processes, deepening knowledge of molecular and microstructural mechanisms governing terrestrial aerosol emissions or contributing to the improved representation of these processes in Earth System models.
Proposals will be prioritized for acceptance in the chronological order in which they are received (proposals received first that pass review will be awarded first). The exception to this policy will be proposals that require exceptionally long environmental compliance review.
Proposal Types and Sample Submission
MONet is inviting small and large research teams to submit quarterly Soil Function Call proposals. Small project teams can submit a “Small Scope” Soil Function proposal for a maximum of 9 sample sets, while large project teams can submit a “Large Scope” proposal for 24 sample sets.
One sample set consists of 6 cores. This includes:
- one 30 cm deep core for soil biogeochemical measurements (i.e. DNA, FTICR)
- top and bottom 10 cm segments will be analyzed
- one 30 cm deep core for physical measurements (i.e. XCT)
- four 10 cm deep cores to account for soil heterogeneity
Submitted proposals must collect at least a portion of the requested samples during the corresponding quarter of proposal submission. All submitters are encouraged to indicate if open data resources (i.e., ancillary data complementary to the Soil Function Call data types) exist for their respective research sites.
| Small Scope | Large Scope | |
| Sample Sets |
≤9 Limited to sampling in one U.S. state |
24* |
| Eligible Dates for Sample Collection | Same quarter as call + subsequent 3 quarters | Same quarter as call + subsequent 3 quarters |
|
Anticipated Number of Projects per Year |
17 to 25 projects (3 to 7 each quarter, except for winter |
1 to 2 projects |
| Qualifying Criteria | Aligns with call guidance (no inundated or frozen soil) |
Requires open sharing of complementary data collected by the PI in publicly available and accessible repositories (see technical criteria for details) |
| Call Closing Date | Closing date stated for the applicable quarter or as soon as the number of approved proposals exceeds the quarterly allocation, whichever occurs first | Closing date stated for applicable quarter |
| Proposal Documentation | Request form |
|
* Proposal authors should contact us at MONet@pnnl.gov in advance of submission if you are planning to prepare a large scope proposal.
Environmental Compliance
Regulatory compliance must be in place before physical soil sampling. To help comply with federal, state, and local environmental protection regulations, EMSL will perform many steps required for environmental compliance in collaboration with the PI. Review the steps in the Environmental and Regulatory Compliance process below. We ask PIs to please provide complete and accurate documentation and respond to compliance team requests as quickly as possible to help ensure a timely process. Proposals with a long compliance review may not fit the approval timeline of the specific requested quarterly call.
