DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY For more information about the Office of Science, go to Office of Science |
To DOE National Laboratories LAB 08-30 Environmental Remediation Science Program
The Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces interest in
receiving proposals from DOE National Laboratories for research on the fate and transport of
transuranic contaminants (e.g., Plutonium, Neptunium, Americium) in the environment under the
Environmental Remediation Sciences Scientific Focus Area (SFA) within the Office of
Biological and Environmental Research (BER). This SFA research program will be part of the
Environmental Remediation Sciences Program (ERSP) within the Climate and Environmental
Sciences Division (CESD). The focus of the ERSP is on developing a fundamental scientific
basis for understanding the fate and transport of contaminants in the subsurface. This task is
guided by the BER long term performance measure to "provide sufficient scientific
understanding such that DOE sites would be able to incorporate physical, chemical and
biological processes into decision making for environmental remediation and long-term
stewardship." To meet this measure, BER funds basic research to investigate the key processes
affecting the mobility of subsurface contaminants found at DOE sites. The goal of this
solicitation is to support innovative, fundamental research investigating the coupled physical,
chemical, and biological processes affecting the subsurface transport of transuranic
contaminants at DOE sites. Proposals should identify key knowledge gaps and propose
hypothesis-driven research to better understand the significant physical, chemical, and biological
processes influencing the form and mobility of transuranic contaminants in the subsurface.
Research projects should aim to provide the scientific basis for the long term stewardship of
contaminated sites across the DOE complex and when possible the development of new
remediation concepts or strategies. Proposals should address the applicability of the proposed
research to understanding DOE relevant, field-scale, contaminant transport processes. The
environment of interest is the terrestrial subsurface including the vadose zone, the saturated zone
and key groundwater-surface water interfaces. The contaminants of interest are all transuranic
elements including Pu, Np and Am.
It is anticipated that up to $1,200,000/year will be available to establish an SFA research
program at a DOE National Laboratory starting in mid-Fiscal Year 2009, contingent on the
availability of appropriated funds. Collaborations with other National Laboratory, university
and/or private sector investigators are encouraged as needed and are to be funded as subcontracts
through the lead National Laboratory. Researchers will be required to submit a brief (eight
pages) Program Plan outlining the proposed SFA research program. Upon acceptance of a
Program Plan by BER, the National Laboratory submitting it will then be invited to prepare and
submit a detailed SFA Science Plan for external peer review. The narrative of the five-year SFA
Science Plan is limited to 40 pages. Additional details regarding Program Plan and Science Plan
preparations can be found below.
Science Needs and Relevance to DOE Mission
Transuranic contaminants exist in many different chemical forms, with a wide variety of co-
contaminants, across the DOE complex. Furthermore, site specific factors such as the
hydrogeologic setting can have a significant impact on the physical, chemical and biological
processes that control the mobility and transport of transuranic contaminants in subsurface
environments. For example, colloid-facilitated transport of Pu has been identified as a critical
issue at several sites in the western U.S. (e.g., Kersting et al, 1999; Clark et al, 2006; Department
of Energy, 2007). Microbial processes are another potentially important factor controlling the
redox chemistry of transuranic species in the subsurface. The ERSP seeks to fund an SFA
research program that identifies key science challenges that can be addressed through
fundamental research and that will have an impact on understanding the mobility and transport of
transuranic contaminants at relevant DOE sites. While the SFA is not required to include a field
component, a laboratory-based program should be tied to DOE-relevant field situations.
To summarize, researchers will need to identify critical gaps in scientific knowledge that limit
our ability to understand, predict and control the mobility of transuranic contaminants in relevant
subsurface environments. A key consideration in the evaluation of the SFA Science Plans will be
the applicability of the proposed research to the BER long-term performance measure. SFA
Science Plans submitted in response to this Notice must explicitly state in the Executive
Summary how the proposed research will support the accomplishment of the BER Long
Term Performance Measure "to provide sufficient scientific understanding such that DOE
sites would be able to incorporate physical, chemical and biological processes into decision
making for environmental remediation and long-term stewardship." The SFA Science Plan
should leverage the capabilities of the laboratory staff, facilities (including relevant DOE user
facilities) and field sites (if applicable). For National Laboratories that have previously
established SFA research programs, BER Program Managers will evaluate how the proposed
research on the fate and transport of transuranic contaminants complements the existing ERSP
research program.
SCIENTIFIC FOCUS AREA (SFA) PROGRAM PLANS
Due Date: October 16, 2008, 4:30 pm, Eastern Time.
Researchers are required to submit an SFA Program Plan (see below), referencing Program
Solicitation LAB 08-30 for receipt by DOE by 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time October 16, 2008. The
SFA Program Plan should be sent as a single PDF file attachment via email to:
Kim.Laing@science.doe.gov. The subject line of the email must state: "SFA Program Plan
LAB 08-30". A reply will be sent within two business days acknowledging receipt of the SFA
Program Plan.
SFA Program Plans
The purpose of an SFA Program Plan is to outline a five year vision for a BER SFA program at a
National Laboratory. A Program Plan should outline the SFA being addressed, the overall
research objective(s), the approach to accomplishing the research objectives, the key personnel
involved, and an organizational and management structure for the proposed SFA program at a
National Laboratory. The Program Plan should be a broad but concise view of the proposed
research program and may not be more than eight pages in length. Program Plans are a high-
level overview of a larger, more detailed Science Plan (see below) that may be submitted
subsequently.
If a Laboratory's Program Plan is judged by ERSP program managers to be responsive to the
solicitation and aligned with ERSP's strategic goals
(
http://www.science.doe.gov/ober/ERSD_top.html), then the National Laboratory will be invited
to submit a longer and more detailed Science Plan that will describe the research proposed to be
performed over the next five years. These Science Plans will be reviewed by an external panel of
experts.
Program Plans should include the following elements:
2. Overall research objectives and hypotheses.
3. Overall approach to accomplishing the research objectives and investigating the
hypotheses, including proposed program milestones over the next five years.
4. Key lead personnel involved in the SFA program.
5. Organizational structure for the SFA program.
6. Proposed management plan to ensure program integration and coordination.
SCIENTIFIC FOCUS AREA (SFA) SCIENCE PLANS
Due Date: January 30, 2009, 4:30 pm, Eastern Time.
The SFA Science Plans (see below) should be sent individually as a single PDF file attachment
via email to: Kim.Laing@science.doe.gov for receipt by DOE by 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time
January 30, 2009. The subject line of the email must state: "SFA Science Plan LAB 08-30".
A reply will be sent within two business days acknowledging receipt of the SFA Program Plan.
SFA Science Plans
The purpose of an SFA Science Plan is to provide a five-year vision of the National Laboratory's
strategic direction for its research program. The SFA process requires each Laboratory to
take advantage of the Laboratory's unique expertise and capabilities in ways that advance
fundamental science and address the BER/ERSP long-term performance measure.
The Science Plan should:
- define and describe the ERSP mission-relevant problem(s) that is (are) being addressed
under the research objectives and identify critical knowledge gaps,
- propose specific, formal hypotheses (science questions) and approaches to resolve the
knowledge gaps identified above,
- describe datasets, as appropriate, to be utilized to test hypotheses,
- emphasize, build on, and extend the Laboratory's distinguishing capabilities relevant to
the SFA,
- emphasize and encourage interdisciplinary science, and
- achieve synergy through collaboration (e.g., involve specialized expertise from
universities, institutes, industry, and other National Laboratories; and employ unique
DOE facilities and capabilities).
Additional information on SFA Science Plan development can be found at
http://www.sc.doe.gov/ober/labreview.html in the document entitled "Managing BER Scientific
Focus Area (SFA) Programs At the DOE National Laboratories"
Review of Science Plans
Science Plans prepared by National Laboratories that are submitted to BER will be reviewed by
an external panel of experts. The criteria used by panelists to evaluate submitted Science Plans
can be found at
http://www.sc.doe.gov/ober/labreview.html in the document entitled "Managing
BER Scientific Focus Area (SFA) Programs At the DOE National Laboratories"
SFA Reporting and Review
Once a National Laboratory's Science Plan has been accepted and implemented, the National
Laboratory will begin a process of routine annual reporting, as well as triennial review by BER.
The processes for the annual reporting and triennial reviews of SFA programs at the National
Laboratories can be found at
http://www.sc.doe.gov/ober/labreview.html in the document
entitled "Managing BER Scientific Focus Area (SFA) Programs At the DOE National
Laboratories"
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
BER funds basic research on subsurface contaminant transport and remediation, ranging from
molecular to field-scale processes, via a unique set of National Laboratory and university-led
research programs, field research sites, and user facilities. An overview of these current
programs can be found at the ERSP website:
http://www.lbl.gov/ERSP/index.html. The ERSP intends to support in FY 2009 the following
Environmental Remediation Sciences SFA research programs at the following National Laboratories:
In FY 2007, ERSP initiated three large multidisciplinary Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface
Research Challenge (IFC) sites at the following locations: Oak Ridge, TN
(http://www.esd.ornl.gov/orifrc/index.html);
Old Rifle, CO (http://ifcrifle.pnl.gov/); and
Hanford, WA (http://ifchanford.pnl.gov/). At the IFC
research sites scientists can conduct field-scale research and obtain DOE-relevant samples of
soils, sediments, and ground waters for laboratory research. These sites are an important component
of ERSP-funded research enabling the testing of laboratory-derived hypotheses under natural conditions
at the field scale. However, the research at these sites is primarily focused on the fate and transport
of uranium and non-transuranic co-contaminants.
Programmatic resources also include the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL)
at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/emslweb). EMSL is
sponsored by BER as a DOE Scientific User Facility for molecular-level environmental science
research using EMSL's integrated experimental and high performance computing capabilities.
Experimental capabilities are available in kinetics and reactions
(
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/capabilities/kinetics/), microscopy
(
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/capabilities/microscopy/), spectroscopy and diffraction
(
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/capabilities/spectroscopy/), and subsurface flow and transport
(
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/capabilities/subsurface/); however, experiments with samples
containing transuranics must be volumetrically controlled or sealed source samples.
Supercomputing capabilities (
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/capabilities/computing/) include a 2,310
node Linux cluster system. The EMSL's supercomputer is available for computational research
in the physical, chemical and biological sciences, including geochemistry, groundwater flow and
transport simulations, molecular thermodynamics and kinetics, heavy element chemistry,
geochemistry, and surface chemistry. Remote and on-site access to the system and associated
software, and visualization and data storage capabilities are available through a separate
application and external peer review process.
REFERENCES
Clark, D. L., D. R. Janecky, and L.J. Lane, 2006. Science-based Cleanup of Rocky Flats."
Physics Today 59, 34-40.
Davis, J.A.; S.B. Yabusaki; C.I. Steefel; J.M. Zachara; G.P. Curtis; G.D. Redden; L.J. Criscenti;
B.D. Honeyman 2004. Assessing Conceptual Models for Subsurface Reactive Transport of
Inorganic Contaminants EOS 85, 449-455.
http://www.iscmem.org/Documents/Publication_Davis2004Eos.pdf).
Department of Energy, 2001. A Report to Congress on Long-Term Stewardship. Office of
Environmental Management. Washington, DC.
http://www.lm.doe.gov/documents/3_pro_doc/lts_study/rpt_to_congress_vol_I.pdf
Department of Energy, 2007. Basic Research Needs for Geosciences: Facilitating 21st Century
Energy Systems. DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Washington, DC, 186p.
(
http://www.sc.doe.gov/bes/reports/files/GEO_rpt.pdf)
Kersting, A. B., D. W. Efurd, D. L. Finnegan, D. J. Rokcop, D. K. Smith, and J. L. Thompson,
1999. Migration of Plutonium in Ground Water at the Nevada Test Site. Nature 397, 56-59.
National Research Council, 2000. Research Needs in Subsurface Science, U.S. Department of
Energy's Environmental Management Science Program. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
http://www.nap.edu/browse.html
Riley, R. G. and J. M. Zachara, 1992. Chemical Contaminants on DOE Lands and Selection of
Contaminant Mixtures for Subsurface Science Research. Department of Energy Report
DOE/ER-0547-T. Office of Energy Research, Subsurface Science Program.
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