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Strategic Plan Contents:

I. Introduction

II. Program Goals and Management Strategy

III. Science Elements

IV. Cross-Cutting Elements

V. The NABIR Field Research Center (FRC)

VI. Linkages to Genomics Programs in Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

VII. Interface with the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences

VIII. Interface with the DOE Office of Environmental Management

IX. Coordination with Other Federal Agencies

X. Points of Contact for NABIR Program

The Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program (NABIR) is a highly interdisciplinary, basic research program in the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) within the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Since its original inception in 1995 the NABIR Program has grown and evolved to a premier program within the BER research portfolio. NABIR was conceived as a >$40M program that would cover all aspects of bioremediation, including organic and inorganic contaminants in surface and subsurface soils and sediments. When the program was initiated at substantially lower funding, members of the scientific community recommended a focus on metals and radionuclides in subsurface environments. This focus would provide the greatest impact in terms of fundamental knowledge of DOE-relevant contaminants, to sharpen the focus of the program based on new scientific knowledge resulting from NABIR findings, additional fiscal constraints, and the increased emphasis on long-term stewardship. This need to sharpen the program focus led to the development of the NABIR Strategic Plan in 2001.

The NABIR Strategic Plan has greatly benefited from input from many individuals, including the staff of BER and the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM-50, EM-52, EM-53, and EM-54), the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee (BERAC) subcommittee on NABIR, the NABIR Program Office at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and, most importantly, the NABIR scientists themselves.