DEAR0002021
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
New award: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
3405-1519
FOA number: DE-FOA-0003405 – Technologies to Emend and Obviate Synthetic Nitrogen’s Toll on Emissions (TEOSYNTE)
UIUC proposes to create NSAVE maize (N2O suppression and ammonium availability enhancement) by stacking innovative traits to reduce N2O emissions by over 50% and improve NUE.
We will combine genes or alleles for biological nitrification inhibition (BNI), biological denitrification inhibition (BDI), and alleles such as a novel NRT1.1B mutation that enhance NUE (NUE+).
Preliminary field trials of maize with NSAVE traits show significant reductions in nitrification and N2O emissions (over 40%) with no yield loss.
3405-1519
FOA number: DE-FOA-0003405 – Technologies to Emend and Obviate Synthetic Nitrogen’s Toll on Emissions (TEOSYNTE)
UIUC proposes to create NSAVE maize (N2O suppression and ammonium availability enhancement) by stacking innovative traits to reduce N2O emissions by over 50% and improve NUE.
We will combine genes or alleles for biological nitrification inhibition (BNI), biological denitrification inhibition (BDI), and alleles such as a novel NRT1.1B mutation that enhance NUE (NUE+).
Preliminary field trials of maize with NSAVE traits show significant reductions in nitrification and N2O emissions (over 40%) with no yield loss.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE TECHNOLOGIES TO EMEND AND OBVIATE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN’S TOLL ON EMISSIONS (TEOSYNTE) PROGRAM AIMS TO LOWER NITROUS OXIDE (N2O) EMISSIONS FROM THE CULTIVATION OF CORN AND SORGHUM USED FOR UNITED STATES (U.S.) ETHANOL PRODUCTION BY 50%. THE PROGRAM WILL EMPHASIZE PLANT AND MICROBIAL BIO-DESIGN STRATEGIES THAT LOWER THE APPLICATION OF SYNTHETIC NITROGEN (N) FERTILIZER ON CORN AND SORGHUM FIELDS WHILE MAINTAINING CROP YIELDS AND REDUCING 50% OF N2O EMISSIONS.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Champaign,
Illinois
United States
Geographic Scope
City-Wide
University Of Illinois was awarded
NSAVE Maize: Innovating to Reduce N2O Emissions by Over 50%
Cooperative Agreement DEAR0002021
worth $4,749,995
from Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy in April 2026 with work to be completed primarily in Champaign Illinois United States.
The grant
has a duration of 4 years and
was awarded through assistance program 81.135 Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity TECHNOLOGIES TO EMEND AND OBVIATE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN’S TOLL ON EMISSIONS (TEOSYNTE).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 4/22/26
Period of Performance
4/15/26
Start Date
4/14/30
End Date
Funding Split
$4.7M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$4.7M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
DEAR0002021
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
897030 ADVANCED RSRCH PROJ AGENCY ARPA-E
Funding Office
897002 ADVANCED RSRCH PROJ AGENCY ARPA-E
Awardee UEI
Y8CWNJRCNN91
Awardee CAGE
4B808
Performance District
IL-13
Senators
Richard Durbin
Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth
Modified: 4/22/26