Notice 97-14
Advanced Computational Testing and Simulation
Software Activities
Department of Energy
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 97-14; Advanced Computational
Testing and Simulation Software Activities
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy
ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications
SUMMARY: The Mathematical, Information, and Computational Sciences (MICS) Division
of the Office of Computational and Technology Research (OCTR), Office of Energy Research
(ER), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its interest in receiving applications for
research grants in Advanced Computational Testing and Simulation Software Activities.
DATES: Formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be received not later
than 4:30 p.m. E.D.T., July 16, 1997, to permit timely consideration for award early in fiscal
year 1998.
ADDRESSES: Formal applications, referencing Program Notice 97-14, should be forwarded
to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Grants and Contracts Division,
ER-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290, Attn: Program Notice
97-14. The above address also must be used when submitting formal applications by U.S.
Postal Service Express Mail, any commercial mail delivery service, or when hand-carried by
the applicant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mary Anne Scott, Office of Energy
Research, U.S. Department of Energy, OCTR/MICS, ER-31, 19901 Germantown Road,
Germantown, MD 20874-1290. Tel: (301) 903-6368; E-mail: scott@er.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The vision of the DOE 2000 Initiative is to
accelerate DOE mission accomplishments through advanced collaboration and simulation.
Objectives include improved ability to solve DOE's scientific problems, an increased R & D
productivity and efficiency, and enhanced access to DOE resources by R & D partners.
One of the two major thrusts for addressing these objectives is the Advanced Computational
Testing and Simulation (ACTS) Toolkit. This toolkit will provide an integrated set of
software tools, algorithms, and environments that accelerate the adoption and use of advanced
computing by DOE programs for mission-critical problems. The toolkit will include
capabilities for representing complex geometries, solving diverse numerical equations,
simplifying multi-language
parallel execution, evaluating and enhancing code performance, and dynamically steering
calculations during execution. The strategy for building this toolkit is to select a base set of
existing successful tools, provide support to make them interoperable, and then add new tools
and interfaces to make the entire toolkit robust for diverse application needs.
In FY 1997, the founding efforts for the ACTS Toolkit were begun -- the Scientific Template
Library (SciTL). SciTL concentrates on three areas of tool development: interoperable
numeric libraries, object-oriented libraries and capabilities for modular code development, and
runtime
libraries for efficient parallel execution (including dynamic load-balancing). All portions of
the SciTL work are tied to specific DOE applications (Accelerated Strategic Computing
Initiative (ASCI) codes and ER Grand Challenges) and initially targeted to specific
computing platforms (ASCI machines). The FY 1997 SciTL project description, including
detailed plans, deliverables, and participants, can be found via the Internet at the following
URL: http://www.acl.lanl.gov/SciTL
In FY 1998, the ACTS Toolkit efforts will begin to expand. Applications are solicited to
build on the SciTL to further advance the strategies of the ACTS Toolkit. Technical areas of
interest include, but are not limited to: additional application-specific data structures required
for scientific codes, additional numerical solvers, parallel and distributed data structures to
support numerical techniques; high-performance parallel input/output components, language
interoperability (primarily Fortran, C, and C++), tools for enhancing fault tolerance, tools for
easily saving and restoring complex pointer-based structures and objects, tools for debugging
and performance analysis/tuning; and toolkit components required for new domains of use.
Applications are also encouraged for expanding the use of the ACTS Toolkit to a wider range
of DOE applications and for expanding the types of computing platforms on which the
Toolkit can be used.
Successful applications will relate to the current SciTL structure by one or more of the
following:
Applications will be subjected to formal merit review (peer review) and will be evaluated
against the following criteria listed in descending order of importance as codified for review
of applications from the academic and industrial sectors in 10 CFR part 605:
External peer reviewers will be selected with regard to both their scientific expertise and the
absence of conflict-of-interest issues. Non-federal reviewers will be used, and submission of
an application constitutes agreement that this is acceptable to the investigator(s).
Information about the development and submission of applications, eligibility, limitations,
evaluation, selection processes, and other policies and procedures may be found in the
Application Guide for the Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance Program and 10
CFR Part 605. The Application Guide is available from the U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of Energy Research, OCTR/MICS, ER-31, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown,
MD 20874-1290. Telephone requests may be made by calling (301)903-5800. Electronic
access to ER's Application Guide is possible via the Internet at the following URL:
http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program is 81.049, and the
solicitation control number is ERFAP 10 CFR Part 605.
John Rodney Clark
Published in the Federal Register April 28, 1997, Vol. 62, No. 81,
Office of Energy Research
* Building new ACTS Toolkit capabilities by using the current functionality provided by
the SciTL interface,
Applications may be for up to three years in duration, with second and third year funding
subject to progress demonstrated in annual reviews. Based on anticipated available funding
and sufficient applications of high merit, approximately 4-6 applications averaging
$250K/year could be supported.
* Expanding capabilities of the SciTL interface by developing complementary libraries
that interoperate with relevant portions of the existing SciTL components,
* Evaluating the current capabilities of the SciTL components for their functionality,
performance, and portability in the context of new application and/or computing systems
domains,
* Restructuring portions of the existing SciTL components to enhance functionality,
improve performance, and/or expand portability,
* Linking the ACTS Toolkit with components in the other DOE 2000 thrust: National
Collaboratories (see the Internet web page at URL: http://www.mcs.anl.gov/DOE2000/).
1. Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project
Within the Scientific and/or Technical Merit criterion above, the following subcriteria will be
used for evaluation purposes (relative to the current SciTL), and will be evaluated equally:
2. Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach
3. Competency of Applicant's Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources
4. Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget
i. Increased functionality
Within the Appropriateness of Method criterion above, applicants are encouraged to identify
opportunities for collaboration with ongoing DOE 2000 projects and other applications
important to DOE missions.
ii. Enhanced performance
iii. Improved usability
iv. Widened scope of applicability
Associate Director
for Resource Management
Office of Energy Research
pages 22917-22918.