[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 214 (Friday, November 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60431-60434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29018]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Science; Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of
Science Financial Assistance Program--Notice 00-01
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Annual notice of continuation of availability of grants and
cooperative agreements.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Science of the Department of Energy hereby
announces its continuing interest in receiving grant applications for
support of work in the following program areas: Basic Energy Sciences,
High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Computational and Technology
Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, and Biological and Environmental
Research. On September 3, 1992 (57 FR 40582), DOE published in the
Federal Register the Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance
Program (now called the Office of Science Financial Assistance
Program), 10 CFR Part 605, Final Rule, which contained a solicitation
for this program. Information about submission of applications,
eligibility, limitations, evaluation and selection processes and other
policies and procedures are specified in 10 CFR Part 605.
DATES: Applications may be submitted at any time in response to this
Notice of Availability.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be sent to: Director, Grants and Contracts
Division, Office of Science, SC-64, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290. When preparing
applications, applicants should use the Office of Science Financial
Assistance Program Application Guide and Forms located on the World
Wide Web at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
Applicants without Internet access may call 301-903-5212 for
information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice is published annually and
remains in effect until it is succeeded by another issuance by the
Office of Science. This annual Notice 00-01 succeeds Notice 99-01 which
was published November 12, 1998.
It is anticipated that approximately $400 million will be available
for grant and cooperative agreement awards in FY 2000. The DOE is under
no obligation to pay for any costs associated with the preparation or
submission of an application. DOE reserves the right to fund, in whole
or in part, any, all, or none of the applications submitted in response
to this Notice.
In addition, the following program descriptions are offered to
provide more in-depth information on scientific and technical areas of
interest to the Office of Science:
1. Basic Energy Sciences
The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) program supports fundamental
research in the natural sciences and engineering leading to new and
improved energy technologies and to understanding and mitigating the
environmental impacts of energy technologies. The science divisions and
their objectives are as follows:
(a) Materials Sciences
The objective of this program is to increase the understanding of
phenomena and properties important to materials behavior that will
contribute to meeting the needs of present and future energy
technologies. It is comprised of the subfields metallurgy, ceramics,
condensed matter physics, materials chemistry, and related disciplines
where the emphasis is on the science of materials.
Program Contact: (301) 903-3427.
(b) Chemical Sciences
The objective of this program is to expand, through support of
basic research, knowledge of various areas of chemistry, chemical
engineering and atomic molecular and optical physics with a goal of
contributing to new or improved processes for developing and using
domestic energy resources in an efficient and environmentally sound
manner. Disciplinary areas where research is supported include atomic
molecular and optical physics; physical, inorganic and organic
chemistry; chemical physics; photochemistry; radiation chemistry;
analytical chemistry; separations science; actinide chemistry; and
chemical engineering sciences.
Program Contact: (301) 903-5804.
[[Page 60432]]
(c) Engineering Research
This program's objectives are: (1) to extend the body of knowledge
underlying current engineering practice in order to open new ways for
enhancing energy savings and production, prolonging useful equipment
life, and reducing costs while maintaining output performance, and
environmental quality; and (2) to broaden the technical and conceptual
base for solving future engineering problems in the energy
technologies. Long-term research topics of current interest include:
foundations of bioprocessing of fuels and energy related wastes, micro-
and nano-scale energy transport, fracture mechanics, fundamental
studies of multiphase flows and heat transfer, robotics and intelligent
machines, nanotechnology, and diagnostics and control for plasma
processing of materials.
Program Contact: (301) 903-5822.
(d) Geosciences
The goal of this program is to develop a quantitative and
predictive understanding of geologic processes related to energy, and
related to environmental quality. The emphasis is on the upper levels
of the earth's crust and the focus is on geophysics, geomechanics,
hydrogeology and geochemistry of rock-fluid systems and interactions
emphasizing processes taking place at the atomic and molecular scale.
Specific topical areas receiving emphasis include: high resolution
geophysical imaging; rock physics, physics of fluid transport, and
fundamental properties and interactions of rocks, minerals, and fluids.
The resulting improved understanding and knowledge base will form the
foundation for utilization of the Nation's energy resources in an
environmentally acceptable fashion.
Program Contact: (301) 903-5822.
(e) Energy Biosciences
The primary objective of this program is to generate the
fundamental understanding of biological mechanisms in the areas of
botanical and microbiological sciences that will support
biotechnological developments related to DOE's mission. The research
serves as the basic information foundation with respect to an
environmentally responsible renewable resource production for fuels and
chemicals, microbial conversions of renewable materials and biological
systems for the conservation of energy. Research focusing on the
fundamental mechanistic biosciences underlying carbon management is a
particular emphasis. This office has special requirements for the
submission of preapplications, when to submit, and the length of the
applications. Applicants are encouraged to contact the office regarding
these requirements.
Program Contact: (301) 903-2873.
2. High Energy and Nuclear Physics
This program supports about 90% of the U.S. efforts in high energy
and nuclear physics. The objectives of these programs are indicated
below:
(a) High Energy Physics
The primary objectives of this program are to understand the
ultimate structure of matter in terms of the properties and
interrelations of its basic constituents, and to understand the nature
and relationships among the fundamental forces of nature. The research
falls into three broad categories: experimental research, theoretical
research, and technology R&D in support of the high energy physics
program.
Program Contact: (301) 903-3624.
(b) Nuclear Physics (Including Nuclear Data Program)
The primary objectives of this program are an understanding of the
interactions and structures of atomic nuclei and nuclear matter at the
most elementary level possible, and an understanding of the fundamental
forces of nature as manifested in nuclear matter.
Program Contact: (301) 903-3613.
3. Computational and Technology Research
This program fosters and supports fundamental research in advanced
computing research (applied mathematics, computer science and
networking), and operates supercomputer, networking, and related
facilities to enable the analysis, modeling, simulation, and prediction
of complex phenomena important to the Department of Energy.
(a) Mathematical, Information, and Computational Sciences
This subprogram supports a spectrum of fundamental research in
applied mathematical sciences, computer science, and networking from
basic through prototype development. Results of these efforts are used
to form partnerships with users in scientific disciplines to validate
the usefulness of the ideas and to develop them into tools. Testbeds on
important applications for DOE are supported by this subprogram. Areas
of particular focus are:
Applied Mathematics
Research on the underlying mathematical understanding and numerical
algorithms to enable effective description and prediction of physical
systems such as fluids, magnetized plasmas, or protein molecules. This
includes, for example, methods for solving large systems of partial
differential equations on parallel computers, techniques for choosing
optimal values for parameters in large systems with hundreds to
hundreds of thousands of parameters, improving our understanding of
fluid turbulence, and developing techniques for reliably estimating the
errors in simulations of complex physical phenomena.
Computer Science
Research in computer science to enable large scientific
applications through advances in massively parallel computing such as
very lightweight operating systems for parallel computers, distributed
computing such as development of the Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM)
software package which has become an industry standard, and large scale
data management and visualization. The development of new computer and
computational science techniques will allow scientists to use the most
advanced computers without being overwhelmed by the complexity of
rewriting their codes every 18 months.
Networking
Research in high performance networks and information surety
required to support high performance applications--protocols for high
performance networks, methods for measuring the performance of high
performance networks, and software to enable high speed connections
between high performance computers and networks. The development of
high speed communications and collaboration technologies will allow
scientists to view, compare, and integrate data from multiple sources
remotely.
Program Contact: (301) 903-5800.
4. Fusion Energy Sciences
The mission of the Fusion Energy Sciences program is to advance
plasma science, fusion science, and fusion technology--the knowledge
base needed for an economically and environmentally attractive fusion
energy source. This program is supported by the Office of Fusion Energy
Sciences (OFES), which fosters both applied and basic research and
emphasizes international collaboration to accomplish this mission.
[[Page 60433]]
(a) Research Division
This Division seeks to develop the physics knowledge base needed to
advance the Fusion Energy Sciences program toward its goals. Research
into physics issues associated with medium to large scale confinement
devices is essential to studying conditions relevant to the production
of fusion energy. Experiments on these scale of devices are used to
explore the limits of specific confinement concepts, as well as study
associated physical phenomena. Specific areas of interest include: (1)
The production of increased plasma densities and temperatures, (2) the
understanding of the physical laws governing plasma energy of high
plasma pressure, (3) the investigation of plasma interaction with radio
frequency waves, and (4) the study and control of particle transport
and exhaust in plasmas.
Research is also carried out in the following areas: (1) Basic
plasma science research directed at furthering the understanding of
fundamental processes in plasmas; (2) improving the theoretical
understanding of fusion plasmas necessary for interpreting results from
present experiments and the planning and design of future confinement
devices, (3) obtaining the critical data on plasma properties, atomic
physics and new diagnostic techniques for support of confinement
experiments, (4) supporting exploratory research on innovative
confinement concepts, and (5) carrying out research on issues that
support the development of Inertial Fusion Energy, for which target
development is carried out by the Department of Energy's Defense
Programs.
Program Contact: (301) 903-4095.
(b) Facilities and Enabling Technologies Division
This Division is responsible for overseeing the facility operations
and enabling research and development activity budgets within the OFES.
Grant program opportunities are in the enabling research and
development activity. (Grants for scientific use of the facilities
operated/maintained by this Division should be addressed to the
Research Division.) The enabling technologies program supports the
advancement of fusion science in the nearer-term by carrying out
research on technological topics that: (1) Enable domestic experiments
to achieve their full performance potential and scientific research
goals, (2) permit scientific exploitation of the performance gains
being sought from physics concept improvements, (3) allow the US to
enter into international collaborations gaining access to experimental
conditions not available domestically, and (4) explore the science
underlying these technological advances.
The enabling technologies program supports pursuit of fusion energy
science for the longer-term by conducting research aimed at innovative
technologies, designs and materials to point toward an attractive
fusion energy vision and affordable pathways for optimized fusion
development.
Program Contact: (301) 903-306.
5. Biological and Environmental Research Program
For over 50 years the Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Program has been investing to advance environmental and biomedical
knowledge connected to energy. The BER program provides fundamental
science to underpin the business thrusts of the Department's strategic
plan. Through its support of peer-reviewed research at national
laboratories, universities, and private institutions, the program
develops the knowledge needed to identify, understand, and anticipate
the long-term health and environmental consequences of energy
production, development, and use.
(a) Life Sciences Research
Research is focused on utilizing unique DOE resources and
facilities to develop fundamental biological information and advanced
technologies for understanding and mitigating the potential health
effects of energy development, energy use, and waste cleanup. The
objectives are: (1) To create and apply new technologies and resources
in mapping, sequencing, and information management for characterizing
the molecular nature of the human genome; (2) to develop and support
DOE national user facilities for use in fundamental structural biology;
(3) to use model organisms to understand human genome organization,
human gene function and control, and the functional relationships
between human genes and proteins; (4) to characterize and exploit the
genomes and diversity of microbes with potential relevance for energy,
bioremediation, or global climate; (5) to understand and characterize
the risks to human health from exposures to low levels of radiation and
chemicals; (6) to develop novel technologies for high throughput
determination of protein structure; and (7) to anticipate and address
ethical, legal, and social implications arising from genome research.
Program Contact: (301) 903-5468.
(b) Medical Applications and Measurement Science
The research is designed to develop beneficial applications of
nuclear and other energy-related technologies for medical diagnosis and
treatment. The research is directed at discovering new applications of
radiotracer agents for medical research as well as for clinical
diagnosis and therapy. A major emphasis is placed on application of the
latest concepts and developments in genomics, structural biology,
computational biology, and instrumentation. Much of the research seeks
breakthroughs in noninvasive imaging technologies such as positron
emission tomography. The measurement science activities focus on
research in the basic science of chemistry, physics and engineering as
applied to bioengineering.
Program Contact: (301) 903-3213.
(c) Environmental Remediation
The research is primarily focused on the fundamental biological,
chemical, geological, and physical processes that must be understood
for the development and advancement of new, effective, and efficient
processes for the remediation and restoration of the Nation's nuclear
weapons production sites. Priorities of this research are
bioremediation and operation of the William R. Wiley Environmental
Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). Bioremediation activities are
centered on the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR)
program, a basic research program focused on determining the conditions
under which bioremediation will be a reliable, efficient, and cost-
effective technique. This subprogram also includes basic research in
support of pollution prevention, sustainable technology development and
other fundamental research to address problems of environmental
contamination.
Program Contact: (301) 903-3281.
(d) Environmental Processes
The program seeks to understand the basic chemical, physical, and
biological processes of the Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans and
how these processes may be affected by energy production and use. The
research is designed to provide the data that will enable an objective
assessment of the potential for, and consequences of, global warming.
The program is comprehensive with an emphasis on understanding the
radiation balance from the surface of the Earth to the top of the
atmosphere (including the role of clouds) and on enhancing the
[[Page 60434]]
quantitative models necessary to predict possible climate change at the
global and regional scales.
The Climate Change Technology Initiative (CCTI) seeks the
understanding necessary to exploit the biosphere's natural processes to
enhance the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial
systems and the ocean. The CCTI includes research to identify and
understand the environmental and biological factors or processes that
limit the sequestration of carbon in these systems, and to develop
approaches for overcoming such limitations to enhance sequestration.
The research includes studies on terrestrial and ocean carbon
sequestration, including the role of marine microorganisms and other
types of terrestrial ecosystems.
Program Contact: (301) 903-3281.
6. Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
The objective of the EPSCoR program is to enhance the capabilities
of EPSCoR states to conduct nationally competitive energy-related
research and to develop science and engineering manpower to meet
current and future needs in energy-related fields. This program
addresses research needs across all of the Department of Energy
research interests. Research supported by the EPSCoR program is
concerned with the same broad research areas addressed by the Office of
Science programs that are described above. The EPSCoR program is
restricted to applications which originate in eighteen states (Alabama,
Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming) and the commonwealth
of Puerto Rico. It is anticipated that only a limited number of new
competitive research grants will be awarded under this program due to
prior commitments to ongoing EPSCoR grant projects.
Program Contact: (301) 903-3427.
Issued in Washington, DC on October 18, 1999.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 99-29018 Filed 11-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P