The DOE SC program in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) announces its interest in receiving new applications from single principal investigators (PIs) and from small teams to advance basic and fundamental chemical and materials sciences that underpin clean energy technologies and lowcarbon manufacturing. The goal is creation of foundational knowledge to support the development of approaches that will minimize climate impacts of energy technologies and manufacturing. For this FOA, clean energy technologies include approaches to capture, produce, convert, store, and use energy that reduce or eliminate unwanted emissions such as greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, etc.). These technologies also include approaches such as direct air capture (DAC) and carbon storage/sequestration to decrease emissions that have been released into the environment from energy production and use. Low-carbon manufacturing refers to manufacturing processes that minimize carbon emissions and energy consumption. Investments from this FOA are anticipated to include awards that build foundational knowledge underpinning the Energy Earthshots Initiative.