|
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY For more information about the Office of Science, go to Office of Science |
To DOE National Laboratories LAB 01-22 Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change Research
The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) of the Office of
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces interest in receiving
proposals for the Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change Program. This announcement is a
follow on to six previous announcements. The program funds research
that contributes to integrated assessment of global climate change, in particular, research to
develop and improve methods and tools that focus on specialized topics of special importance to
integrated assessments. The research program supports the Department's Global Change
Research Program, the U.S. Global Change Research Program, and the Administration's goals to
understand, model, and assess the effects of increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere
and within that framework to evaluate the economic costs and predicted responses to options that
would mitigate the long term rise in greenhouse gases.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Integrated assessment of global climate change is
defined here as the analysis, including costs and benefits, of the consequences of climate change
and the actions to mitigate it from the cause, such as greenhouse gas emissions, through impacts,
such as altered hydrologic regimes and changed energy requirements for space conditioning due
to temperature changes. Integrated assessment is sometimes, but not always, implemented as a
computer model.
A description of integrated assessment may be found in Chapter 10: "Integrated Assessment of
Climate Change: An Overview and Comparison of Approaches and Results," in Climate
Change 1995: Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change, edited by Bruce, James
P.; Lee, Hoesung; and Haites, Erik F., Cambridge University Press, 1996. A Special Issue of
The Energy Journal entitled "The Costs of the Kyoto Protocol: A Multi-Model Evaluation",
1999, presents analyses from several integrated assessment models of predicted costs to meet
various target emission scenarios. The Pew Center for Global Climate Change posts a collection
of papers on the economics of global climate change at
http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/ that reflect some of the research results supported
by this program. The web site for the Energy Modeling Forum
(
http://www.stanford.edu/group/EMF/home/index.htm) contains further background
information.
The results of research in integrated assessment of global climate change help the U.S. Global
Climate Change Research Program (USGCRP) in several ways. First, the integrated assessment
models may be used outside the USGCRP by the policy community to evaluate specific options.
The research described in this notice is intended to provide a sound scientific foundation for
analyzing benefits and costs, some of which are not necessarily measured monetarily. The
research supported as a result of this solicitation will be judged in part on its potential to improve
and/or support the analytical basis for policy development. Policy analysis will not be funded.
Second, results from integrated assessments can be used to identify high priority research needs
of the rest of the USGCRP. A representation of the salient aspects of climate change, from
emissions through impacts, is able to provide useful information regarding the degree to which
underlying uncertainty in specific topics influence the results. And third, this program sponsors
research on selected topics that focus on the connection of two or more different aspects of the
entire analysis of global climate change. This research can lead to insights that would be
otherwise unavailable if investigating a more narrowly focused aspect of climate change.
The program is narrowly focused and will concentrate support on the topics described below.
Proposals that involve development of analytical models and computer codes will be judged
partly on the basis of proposed tasks to prepare documentation and to make the models and codes
available to other groups. The following is a list of topics that are high priority. Topics proposed
by principal investigators that fall outside this list will need strong justification.
A. Technology Innovation and Diffusion. This category has been a primary focus of the
Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change Program since its inception. The research in
this element is not a stand-alone activity. Its purpose is to fill critical gaps in current integrated
assessment modeling.
Assumptions regarding the effects of technology innovation and diffusion of greenhouse gas
emissions are some of the most important contributors to uncertainty in integrated assessment
models for the prediction of greenhouse emissions over long time scales. Making good
predictions and being consistent across different modules of the models are crucial to good
modeling. The representation of backstop technologies; resource depletion; labor and capital
productivity improvements; capital, labor and energy substitutability, and adaptation are all
based on technology assumptions. Technology innovation and diffusion affects energy sector
consumption and technology characteristics, carbon emissions, economic growth, and many
other factors in integrated assessment.
There is a need to identify and separate the driving forces behind the prediction of future changes
in greenhouse gas emissions. Information on the driving forces, such as GDP (gross domestic
product), productivity, energy mix, and invention, innovation, and diffusion are important for
integrated assessment. The improvement in the ability of the integrated assessment models to
represent technological change as a function of variables that are determined by the model
("endogenizing technological change") is a key thrust.
The rate and nature of technology diffusion from the OECD (Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development) countries to developing countries is not well understood.
Predicting economic structural change in developing countries is also problematical. Much of the
uncertainty in integrated assessment models comes from the difficulty in predicting the response
of the energy sector and greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries to both regulation and
technological innovations in OECD nations. How should integrated assessment models treat the
transfer of technology from OECD countries to developing countries?
This research would help provide tools to address other policy-relevant questions such as the
following, as they relate to greenhouse gas emissions:
How can research and development accelerate the speed of moving innovations that would
mitigate climate change to the manufacturing production line? How can the linkages and
connections between R&D and manufacturing efficiency, invention, innovation, and
adoption be simulated and modeled quantitatively?
How do innovation and/or diffusion relate to measurable parameters of research and
development, such as public and private research and development, investments, or
regulations?
B. Develop Consistent International Data. Certain data sets are important to collect and
distribute to the integrated assessment community so they can be used by several researchers.
The focus of this research would be to fill in important integrated assessment data gaps. Past data
collection projects funded by this program include a) providing an energy quantity flow data
base and assembling fossil fuel resource estimates compatible with the GTAP data base, b)
statistics on non-market energy sources in developing countries, and c) carbon dioxide emissions
and land use changes by country.
C. Supply Curves for Non-Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gases. Carbon dioxide provides
about two-thirds of the total atmospheric forcing potential of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
The remainder results from such gases as methane, nitrous oxide, and the halocarbons. The
emission scenarios for the other greenhouse gases and particularly the cost of reducing those
emissions are much more poorly understood than those for carbon dioxide. This research topic
would provide costs of reducing emissions of the other greenhouse gases under business-as-usual
scenarios as well as under plausible policy actions.
D. Representation of Anthropogenic Release or Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide Through
Land Use Changes and Carbon Sequestration Technologies. Integrated Assessment models
do not represent with desirable accuracy forecasts of carbon dioxide release or sequestration
through anthropogenic activities such as land use changes and carbon sequestration. Research in
this element is not a stand-alone activity. Proposed research will be judged on the basis of the
potential utility of these research results in integrated assessment models.
Research is ongoing that will improve our understanding and ability to develop innovative
carbon sequestration technologies and procedures that will help reduce levels of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere. Such developments may rely on the continued use of fossil fuels with the
sequestration of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere, in underground formations, and in the ocean.
Research in this topic would identify and quantify the costs and likely responses to various
carbon sequestration policy options, in a way that can be adopted by the integrated assessment
models. Research funded under this topic might also develop new information on global carbon
dioxide emissions from various land use change and land use management scenarios, including
forests and agricultural lands. The emphasis is on global scale estimates, perhaps regionally
disaggregated. What potential is there for enhancing carbon sequestration? What changes in the
global carbon balance could be expected from policy options to enhance sequestration?
DATES: Proposers are encouraged (but not required) to submit a brief preproposal for
programmatic review. Early submission of preproposals is suggested to allow time for
meaningful dialogue.
The deadline for receipt of formal proposals is 4:30 p.m., E.D.T., April 3, 2001, to be accepted
for merit review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 2001 and early
Fiscal Year 2002.
ADDRESSES: Preproposals, referencing Program Announcement LAB 01-22, should be sent E-mail to
john.houghton@science.doe.gov.
Formal proposals, referencing Program Announcement LAB 01-22, should be sent to: U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Science, Environmental Sciences Division, SC-74, 19901 Germantown Road,
Germantown, MD 20874-1290, ATTN: Program Announcement LAB 01-22. This address must also be used
when submitting proposals by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or any other commercial
overnight delivery service, or when hand-carried by the proposer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Houghton, Environmental Sciences
Division, SC-74, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science, U.S.
Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, telephone:
(301) 903-8288, E-mail: john.houghton@science.doe.gov, fax: (301) 903-8519.
Program Funding
It is anticipated that up to $800,000 will be available for multiple awards to be made in Fiscal
Year 2001 and early Fiscal Year 2002 in the categories described above, contingent on the
availability of appropriated funds. Proposals may request project support up to three years,
with out-year support contingent on the availability of funds, progress of the research and
programmatic needs. Annual budgets are expected to range from $30,000 to $150,000 total costs.
Funds for this research primarily will come from the Integrated Assessment Research program;
some funds for research on Topic D will come from the Carbon Management Science program.
DOE is under no obligation to pay for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of proposals
if an award is not made.
Collaboration
Proposers are encouraged to collaborate with researchers in other institutions, such as:
universities, industry, non-profit organizations, federal laboratories and Federally Funded
Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including the DOE National Laboratories, where
appropriate, and to include cost sharing and/or consortia wherever feasible. Additional
information on collaboration is available in the Application Guide for the Office of Science
Financial Assistance Program that is available via the World Wide Web at:
http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html.
Preproposals
A brief preproposal is strongly encouraged but not required prior to submission of a full
proposal. The preproposal should identify on the cover sheet the institution, Principal
Investigator name, address, telephone, fax and E-mail address, title of the project, and proposed
collaborators. The preproposal should consist of a one to two page narrative describing the
research project objectives and methods of accomplishment. These will be reviewed relative to
the scope and research needs of the Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change Research
Program. Please note that notification of a successful preproposal is not an indication that an
award will be made in response to the formal proposal.
The research project description must be 15 pages or less, exclusive of attachments and must
contain an abstract or summary of the proposed research. All collaborators should be listed with
the abstract or summary. On the cover page also provide
the PI's phone number, fax number and E-mail address. Attachments include curriculum vitae, a
listing of all current and pending federal support and letters of intent when collaborations are part
of the proposed research. Curriculum vitae should be submitted in a form similar to that of NIH
or NSF (two to three pages), see for example: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/cpo/gpg/fkit.htm#forms-9.
RELATED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES: Investigators may wish to obtain information
about the following related funding opportunities:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Within the context of its Human
Dimensions of Global Change Research Program, the Office of Global Programs of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will support research that identifies and analyzes how
social and economic systems are currently influenced by fluctuations in climate, and how human
behavior can be (or why it may not be) affected based on information about variability in the
climate system. The program is particularly interested in learning how advanced climate
information on seasonal to yearly time scales, as well as an improved understanding of current
coping mechanisms, could be used for reducing vulnerability and providing for more efficient
adjustment to these variations. Notice of this program is included in the Program Announcement
for NOAA's Climate and Global Change Program, which is published each spring in the Federal
Register. The deadline for proposals to be considered in Fiscal Year 2002 is expected to be in
late summer 2001. For further information, contact: Caitlin Simpson; Office of Global Programs;
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 1225; Silver
Spring, MD 20910; telephone: (301) 427-2089, ext. 152; Internet: simpson@ogp.noaa.gov.
National Science Foundation: Starting in FY 2001, NSF will support research and related
activities associated with the dynamics of coupled natural and human systems through its
Biocomplexity special competition. The Biocomplexity 2001 announcement can be accessed at
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf0134.
The deadline for submission of proposals for the FY 2001 competition is March 16, 2001.
NSF staff expect the competition to continue in future fiscal years, although deadlines may be
earlier in the fiscal year and the focus may change somewhat. Potential proposers should
regularly consult the NSF Web site for updates.
The instructions and format described below should be followed. Reference Program Announcement
LAB 01-22 on all submissions and inquiries about this program.
GUIDE FOR PREPARATION OF SCIENTIFIC/TECHNICAL PROPOSALS TO BE SUBMITTED BY NATIONAL LABORATORIES Proposals from National Laboratories submitted to the Office of Science (SC) as a result of this program announcement will follow the Department of Energy Field Work Proposal process with additional information requested to allow for scientific/technical merit review. The following guidelines for content and format are intended to facilitate an understanding of the requirements necessary for SC to conduct a merit review of a proposal. Please follow the guidelines carefully, as deviations could be cause for declination of a proposal without merit review. 1. Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be subjected to scientific merit review (peer review) and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria which are listed in descending order of importance: 1. Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project; The evaluation will include program policy factors such as the relevance of the proposed research to the terms of the announcement, the uniqueness of the proposer's capabilities, and demonstrated usefulness of the research for proposals in other DOE Program Offices as evidenced by a history of programmatic support directly related to the proposed work. 2. Summary of Proposal Contents
Proposal Cover Page Table of Contents Abstract Narrative Literature Cited Budget and Budget Explanation Other support of investigators Biographical Sketches Description of facilities and resources Appendix An original and seven copies of the formal proposal/FWP must be submitted. 3. Detailed Contents of the Proposal Proposals must be readily legible, when photocopied, and must conform to the following three requirements: the height of the letters must be no smaller than 10 point with at least 2 points of spacing between lines (leading); the type density must average no more than 17 characters per inch; the margins must be at least one-half inch on all sides. Figures, charts, tables, figure legends, etc., may include type smaller than these requirements so long as they are still fully legible.
3.1 Field Work Proposal Format (Reference DOE Order 5700.7C) The Field Work Proposal (FWP) is to be prepared and submitted consistent with policies of the investigator's laboratory and the local DOE Operations Office. Additional information is also requested to allow for scientific/technical merit review. Laboratories may submit proposals directly to the SC Program office listed above. A copy should also be provided to the appropriate DOE operations office. 3.2 Proposal Cover Page The following proposal cover page information may be placed on plain paper. No form is required.
SC Program announcement title Name of laboratory Name of principal investigator (PI) Position title of PI Mailing address of PI Telephone of PI Fax number of PI Electronic mail address of PI Name of official signing for laboratory* Title of official Fax number of official Telephone of official Electronic mail address of official Requested funding for each year; total request Use of human subjects in proposed project:
Signature of official, date of signature* *The signature certifies that personnel and facilities are available as stated in the proposal, if the project is funded. Provide the initial page number for each of the sections of the proposal. Number pages consecutively at the bottom of each page throughout the proposal. Start each major section at the top of a new page. Do not use unnumbered pages and do not use suffices, such as 5a, 5b. 3.4 Abstract Provide an abstract of no more than 250 words. Give the broad, long-term objectives and what the specific research proposed is intended to accomplish. State the hypotheses to be tested. Indicate how the proposed research addresses the SC scientific/technical area specifically described in this announcement. 3.5 Narrative The narrative comprises the research plan for the project and is limited to 15 pages or less. It should contain the following subsections: Background and Significance: Briefly sketch the background leading to the present proposal, critically evaluate existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps which the project is intended to fill. State concisely the importance of the research described in the proposal. Explain the relevance of the project to the research needs identified by the Office of Science. Include references to relevant published literature, both to work of the investigators and to work done by other researchers. Preliminary Studies: Use this section to provide an account of any preliminary studies that may be pertinent to the proposal. Include any other information that will help to establish the experience and competence of the investigators to pursue the proposed project. References to appropriate publications and manuscripts submitted or accepted for publication may be included. Research Design and Methods: Describe the research design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Describe new techniques and methodologies and explain the advantages over existing techniques and methodologies. As part of this section, provide a tentative sequence or timetable for the project. Subcontract or Consortium Arrangements: If any portion of the project described under "Research Design and Methods" is to be done in collaboration with another institution, provide information on the institution and why it is to do the specific component of the project. Further information on any such arrangements is to be given in the sections "Budget and Budget Explanation", "Biographical Sketches", and "Description of Facilities and Resources". 3.6 Literature Cited List all references cited in the narrative. Limit citations to current literature relevant to the proposed research. Information about each reference should be sufficient for it to be located by a reviewer of the proposal. 3.7 Budget and Budget Explanation A detailed budget is required for the entire project period, which normally will be three years, and for each fiscal year. It is preferred that DOE's budget page, Form 4620.1 be used for providing budget information*. Modifications of categories are permissible to comply with institutional practices, for example with regard to overhead costs. A written justification of each budget item is to follow the budget pages. For personnel this should take the form of a one-sentence statement of the role of the person in the project. Provide a detailed justification of the need for each item of permanent equipment. Explain each of the other direct costs in sufficient detail for reviewers to be able to judge the appropriateness of the amount requested. Further instructions regarding the budget are given in section 4 of this guide. * Form 4620.1 is available at web site: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/forms.html 3.8 Other Support of Investigators Other support is defined as all financial resources, whether Federal, non-Federal, commercial or institutional, available in direct support of an individual's research endeavors. Information on active and pending other support is required for all senior personnel, including investigators at collaborating institutions to be funded by a subcontract. For each item of other support, give the organization or agency, inclusive dates of the project or proposed project, annual funding, and level of effort devoted to the project. 3.9 Biographical Sketches This information is required for senior personnel at the laboratory submitting the proposal and at all subcontracting institutions. The biographical sketch is limited to a maximum of two pages for each investigator. 3.10 Description of Facilities and Resources Describe briefly the facilities to be used for the conduct of the proposed research. Indicate the performance sites and describe pertinent capabilities, including support facilities (such as machine shops) that will be used during the project. List the most important equipment items already available for the project and their pertinent capabilities. Include this information for each subcontracting institution, if any. 3.11 Appendix Include collated sets of all appendix materials with each copy of the proposal. Do not use the appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the proposal. Information should be included that may not be easily accessible to a reviewer. Reviewers are not required to consider information in the Appendix, only that in the body of the proposal. Reviewers may not have time to read extensive appendix materials with the same care as they will read the proposal proper. The appendix may contain the following items: up to five publications, manuscripts (accepted for publication), abstracts, patents, or other printed materials directly relevant to this project, but not generally available to the scientific community; and letters from investigators at other institutions stating their agreement to participate in the project (do not include letters of endorsement of the project).
4. Detailed Instructions for the Budget 4.1 Salaries and Wages List the names of the principal investigator and other key personnel and the estimated number of person-months for which DOE funding is requested. Proposers should list the number of postdoctoral associates and other professional positions included in the proposal and indicate the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) person-months and rate of pay (hourly, monthly or annually). For graduate and undergraduate students and all other personnel categories such as secretarial, clerical, technical, etc., show the total number of people needed in each job title and total salaries needed. Salaries requested must be consistent with the institution's regular practices. The budget explanation should define concisely the role of each position in the overall project. 4.2 Equipment DOE defines equipment as "an item of tangible personal property that has a useful life of more than two years and an acquisition cost of $25,000 or more." Special purpose equipment means equipment which is used only for research, scientific or other technical activities. Items of needed equipment should be individually listed by description and estimated cost, including tax, and adequately justified. Allowable items ordinarily will be limited to scientific equipment that is not already available for the conduct of the work. General purpose office equipment normally will not be considered eligible for support. 4.3 Domestic Travel The type and extent of travel and its relation to the research should be specified. Funds may be requested for attendance at meetings and conferences, other travel associated with the work and subsistence. In order to qualify for support, attendance at meetings or conferences must enhance the investigator's capability to perform the research, plan extensions of it, or disseminate its results. Consultant's travel costs also may be requested. 4.4 Foreign Travel Foreign travel is any travel outside Canada and the United States and its territories and possessions. Foreign travel may be approved only if it is directly related to project objectives. 4.5 Other Direct Costs The budget should itemize other anticipated direct costs not included under the headings above, including materials and supplies, publication costs, computer services, and consultant services (which are discussed below). Other examples are: aircraft rental, space rental at research establishments away from the institution, minor building alterations, service charges, and fabrication of equipment or systems not available off-the-shelf. Reference books and periodicals may be charged to the project only if they are specifically related to the research. a. Materials and Supplies The budget should indicate in general terms the type of required expendable materials and supplies with their estimated costs. The breakdown should be more detailed when the cost is substantial. b. Publication Costs/Page Charges The budget may request funds for the costs of preparing and publishing the results of research, including costs of reports, reprints page charges, or other journal costs (except costs for prior or early publication), and necessary illustrations. c. Consultant Services Anticipated consultant services should be justified and information furnished on each individual's expertise, primary organizational affiliation, daily compensation rate and number of days expected service. Consultant's travel costs should be listed separately under travel in the budget. d. Computer Services The cost of computer services, including computer-based retrieval of scientific and technical information, may be requested. A justification based on the established computer service rates should be included. e. Subcontracts Subcontracts should be listed so that they can be properly evaluated. There should be an anticipated cost and an explanation of that cost for each subcontract. The total amount of each subcontract should also appear as a budget item. 4.6 Indirect Costs Explain the basis for each overhead and indirect cost. Include the current rates.
|