EMSL 2008 Call for User Proposals
This call contains three major opportunities:
- Science Theme User Proposals
- Computationally Intensive Research (formerly Computational Grand Challenge) - letters of intent
- Partner Proposals - letters of interest
Additional Information
(1) Science Theme User Proposals
The 3rd annual EMSL call for proposals in the four EMSL science themes is open for submission until 5:00 PM Pacific time, May 15, 2008. This call is open to user proposals addressing specific topics highlighting new EMSL capabilities or couple experiments with theory, modeling or simulation within the EMSL science themes listed below.
- Atmospheric Aerosol Chemistry
- Aerosol Characterization
- Chemical Composition
- Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOA)
- Aerosol Hygroscopicity
- Nanoscale Water Films as Models for Atmospheric Chemical Processes
- Biological Interactions and Dynamics
- In-situ Biology (e.g. metabolomics using new 600 MHz LC-NMR)
- Mass-Spectrometry - Characterization of Combinatorial Posttranslational Modifications by an Integrated Top-down and Bottom-up Proteomics strategy
- Nanotechnology Applications and Impact on Living Systems and the Environment
- Geochemistry/Biogeochemistry and Subsurface Science
- Radionuclide NMR
- Micro X-ray Diffraction
- Science of Interfacial Phenomena
- Biological and Organic Applications of Surface Analytical methods
- TOF-SIMS
- Scanning Multi-probe Surface Analysis System
- Two-Photon Photoemission Electron Microscopy
- Low Temperature Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Hydrated Anions
- Focused Ion Beam/Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB/SEM)
- Coupling Experiments with Theory, Simulation or Modeling
- Proposals in any science theme involving close coupling of experiments with theory, simulation or modeling using EMSL's experimental and computational capabilities are strongly encouraged.
Due to limited resources this call is primarily focused on the above topics, but is open to high quality science theme proposals that do not fall within these areas. Potential proposals that fall outside of the science themes can be submitted as an open call proposal at any time.
When Science Theme proposals are accepted, EMSL provides access to research instruments, staff, and facility services. Users cover the funding for their own team's labor and travel expenses. Once awarded, upon request, Science Theme proposals may be renewed annually up to a total of three years, providing progress is achieved and documented.
(2) Computationally Intensive Research (formerly Computational Grand Challenges)
This is the 2008 opportunity for Computationally Intensive Research (formerly Computational Grand-Challenge) letters of intent for environmental molecular science research areas that address environmental problems and research needs related to the EMSL Science Themes. This Call is open to all research entities regardless of research funding source. Computer allocations will be up to three years, with the computer allocation appropriate for the scope of research to be performed. A Letter-of-Intent is due by 5:00 PM Pacific coast time May 15, 2008 with full proposals for accepted Letters-of-Intent due June 30, 2008. Announcement of awards are expected September 15, 2008.
The Letter-of-Intent should be submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) as an indication that a full proposal will be submitted. The Letter-of-Intent will be used to determine whether the proposed research fits within the EMSL mission and to define a list of potential reviewers.
The Letter-of-Intent should be submitted include the following:
- Research title
- Extended Abstract (1000 Words) discussing the proposed scientific research relative to the EMSL mission, method and/or approach, and software to be used or developed
- Team list with complete affiliation including institution and position
- Total estimated computing allocation needs
- List of 3 to 5 potential reviewers with complete affiliation, address and phone number.
If the Letter-of-Intent is complete and fits within the criteria mentioned above, the PI will be encouraged to submit a full proposal within a week of receiving the Letter-of-Intent. The complete proposal must be submitted via the EMSL User Portal (see Proposal Submission section).
Further information on the computationally intensive research Call-for-Proposals is available at Molecular Science Computing Facility. Projects awarded time for FY09 will be on the new 163 teraflop HP Linux cluster with 2,310 nodes each with two quadcore AMD Barcelona 2.2-GHz processors, named Chinook. Allocations will be on a node-hour rather than a processor-hour basis. The MSC also supports the Molecular Science Software Suite (MS3) designed to take advantage of the HP cluster plus some other widely used computational chemistry codes. We seek applications of computationally intensive scientific research that require a large number of processors and a significant portion of this computational resource. Combination with experiments using EMSL instruments is a plus.
Due Date: Letters of intent are to be submitted by email before 5:00 PM Pacific coast time May 15, 2008 to mscf@pnl.gov
For information contact Erich Vorpagel.
3) Partner Proposals - Letters of Interest for Supporting Unique Technology Capability Development
During this period of capability development, EMSL is able to provide existing or potential users the opportunity to partner with EMSL to develop advanced instrumentation and software capabilities that does not now exist and which can have a high impact on environmental molecular science and the EMSL user community.
Partners are individuals or groups who not only carry out research at EMSL but also have developed an agreement to enhance an existing capability or work with EMSL to develop new capabilities. An objective of the partner program is to facilitate the development of unique capabilities in support of environmental molecular science which require collaborative multidisciplinary teams, pooled resources, unique operating environments, or other resources which may be beyond those available to individual researchers or many research teams. In addition to an adaptive environment with health and safety support, EMSL can provide capabilities of the Instrument Development Laboratory to assist development, construction and testing of instrumentation, an instrument machine shop, unique opportunities to form collaborative teams with world leading scientists and instrument support staff. In return for assistance in instrument development, EMSL partners have priority instrument access for a specified period of time.
EMSL is particularly encouraging letters of interest for partner proposals that address one or more of the major capability development areas, which include:
- Development of Dynamic Measurement Techniques for Species in Native Environments
- Characterization of Surfaces and Interfaces with Unprecedented Spatial Resolution
- Design and Synthesis of Increasingly Complex Materials
- Predicting Biological Functions from Molecular and Chemical Data
- Linking Theory with Experiment in Real Time
- Bridging Scales: Bridging the Gaps between Molecular Level Information and Understanding at Larger Scales.
Two-page Letters of Interest in developing a Partner Proposal are used to initiate a discussion with EMSL regarding the potential impact, total potential cost, possible development timing, resources to be shared and partner access requirements. Letters of intent may include some aspects of the need for the capability, approach, potential impact and likely project teams.
Successful discussion will provide the basis for the submission of a maximum 10-page Partnership Proposal that will be subjected to peer review.
Due Date: Letters of interest for Partner Proposals may be submitted at any time to emsl@pnl.gov.
Contacts:
For information regarding EMSL Science Themes contact Andy Felmy.
For information regarding EMSL Partner Proposals contact Dave Koppenaal.
