DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
OFFICE OF ENERGY RESEARCH

CONTINUATION OF SOLICITATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
NOTICE 97-01

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

ACTION: Annual Notice of Continuation of Availability of Grants and Cooperative Agreements.

SUMMARY: The Office of Energy Research (ER) of the Department of Energy hereby announces its continuing interest in receiving applications for grants and cooperative agreements supporting work in the following programs: Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy, Computational and Technology Research, Multi-Program Energy Laboratories - Facilities Support, High Energy and Nuclear Physics, and Energy Research Analysis activities. On September 3, 1992, DOE published in the Federal Register a Solicitation for this program which contained information about submission of applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluation and selection processes and other policies and procedures which are specified in 10 CFR Part 605.

DATES: Applications may be submitted at any time in response to this Notice of Availability. This annual Notice remains in effect until it is superseded by another issuance by the Office of Energy Research.

ADDRESSES: Applicants may obtain forms and additional information from: Director, Grants and Contracts Division, Office of Energy Research, ER-64, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, (301) 903-5212. Completed applications must be sent to this same address. Electronic access to the latest version of ER's Financial Assistance Guide is possible via the Internet using the following Web site address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Solicitation for the Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance Program was published in the Federal Register September 3, 1992, (57FR40582). That Solicitation specifies the policies and procedures which govern the application, evaluation, and selection processes for grants and cooperative agreements. It is anticipated that approximately $400 million will be available for award in FY 1997. 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 indepth information on scientific and technical areas of interest to the Office of Energy Research:

1. Basic Energy Sciences
This program supports basic science research efforts in a variety of disciplines to broaden the energy supply and technological base knowledge. The major science division and its 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, solid state 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 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 physical, inorganic and organic chemistry; chemical physics; photochemistry; radiation chemistry; analytical chemistry; separations science; actinide chemistry; and chemical engineering. Program Contact: (301) 903-5804

(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 and performance 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, fracture mechanics, experimental and theoretical studies of multiphase flows, intelligent machines, 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 the energy-related aspects of processes in the earth. The emphasis is on the upper levels of the earth's crust and the focus is on geophysics 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, fundamental properties and interactions of rocks, minerals, and fluids; and sedimentary basin systems. The resulting improved understanding and knowledge base are needed to assist efforts in the 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. This office has special requirements on the submission of preapplications, when to submit, and the length of the preapplications; 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 nature and relationships among fundamental forces of nature and to understand the ultimate structure of matter in terms of the properties and interrelations of its basic constituents. 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
The goal of this program is to conduct an integrated program in applied mathematical sciences, high performance computing and communications, information infrastructure, advanced energy projects research, and technology research, to address complex problems. Research in forefront and diverse programs is becoming more multidisciplinary and requires new approaches to the solution of these complex problems. The program exploits the capabilities and research skills at universities, national laboratories, and industrial research laboratories. The program provides technical, analytical, and management direction for development, implementation, and evaluation of research programs that include activities from fundamental research to technology development. The goal of the program is accomplished through the effort of the following two divisions:

(a) Mathematical, Information, and Computational Sciences
This is a diverse research program in applied mathematical sciences, high performance computing, communications and information infrastructure technologies that spans the spectrum of activities from strategic fundamental research to technology development and demonstration. The diverse activities supported by this program are integrated to support two major strategic directions that support the underlying mathematical concepts and information technology needs of all Department of Energy (DOE) mission areas. These two strategic directions are:

o National Collaboratories - developing a set of tools and capabilities to permit scientists and engineers to access facilities and collaborate on experiments system-wide, as easily as if they were in the same building.

o Advanced Computational Testing and Simulation - developing an integrated set of algorithms, software frameworks, and network infrastructures to enable simulation to complement experimentation when actual experiments would be dangerous, expensive, or infeasible. Program Contact: (301)-903-5800

(b) Advanced Energy Projects/Laboratory Technology Research
Advanced Energy Projects - This activity funds research to establish the feasibility of novel, energy-related concepts. These concepts are usually derived from recent advances in basic research, but require additional research to establish their feasibility. A common theme for each concept is the initial linkage of new, or previously neglected, research results to a practical energy payoff for the Nation.

Laboratory Technology Research - This activity conducts technology research projects to reduce technical risk associated with a technology or process development. The program couples basic research advances at ER national laboratories into the advanced energy technology arena through leveraged collaborations with industry. The program is focused on critical technology research areas, i.e., tailored materials, intelligent manufacturing, and sustainable environments, to contribute technological innovations that will stimulate national economic growth, and to increase the return on the government investment in basic research. Program Contact: (301)-903-5995

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.

(a) Science Division
This Division seeks to develop the physics knowledge base needed to advance the Fusion Energy Sciences program toward its goals. Basic and applied research is 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 into concepts that are alternatives to the tokamak, 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.

Research into basic 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, (4) the investigation of plasma interaction with radio frequency waves, and (5) the study and control of particle transport and exhaust in plasmas. Program Contact: (301) 903-4095

(b) Technology Division
This Division seeks to develop the technology knowledge base needed to advance the Fusion Energy Sciences program toward its goals. The Division's science-oriented goal is to provide the technologies that are required to successfully design, build, and operate near-term experiments aimed at producing, understanding, and optimizing the fusion energy process. The Division's energy-oriented goal is to develop the technologies that will be needed in the long-term for an economically and environmentally attractive fusion energy source. These goals are pursued through multi-institutional domestic programs and international collaboration partnerships that are centered around U.S. participation in the Engineering Design Activities for a long-pulse burning plasma experiment - the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Program Contact: (301) 903-5378

(a) Health Effects and Life Sciences Research
This is a broad program of basic and applied biological research. The objectives are: (1) to understand and characterize the risks to human health from exposures to low levels of radiation and chemicals both at home and at work; (2) to integrate information and technologies from genome, structural biology, and cellular/molecular biology research with human health research to understand the relationships between gene expression, structure, and function; (3) to develop applications of new biotechnologies, including microbial genome research; (4) to develop and support DOE national user facilities for use in fundamental research in structural biology; (5) to combine computer science, structural biology, and genome research to predict the three dimensional structure of proteins from the DNA sequence of the encoding genes; (6) to create and apply new technologies and resources in mapping, sequencing, and information management for characterizing the molecular nature of the human genome; and (7) to anticipate and address ethical, legal, and social implications arising from genome research.

Increasing emphasis will be placed on: new models for mitigating potential adverse human health effects from energy activities and cleanup operations by understanding the complex relationships between genes, the proteins they encode, and the biological functions of these proteins; development and application of technologies and information management resources for cost-effective, integrated approaches to high-throughput DNA sequencing and analysis. Program Contact: (301) 903-5468

(b) Medical Applications and Measurement Science
The objectives of this program comprise the following areas: (1) to develop new concepts and techniques for detecting and measuring hazardous physical and chemical agents related to energy production; (2) to develop new instrumentation and technology for biological and biomedical research; and; (3) to enhance the beneficial applications of radiation and radionuclides in the diagnosis, study, and treatment of human diseases. Program Contact: (301) 903-3213

(c) Environmental Remediation
The objectives of the program relate to environmental processes affected by energy production and use. For example, the program develops information on the physical, chemical and biological processes that cycle and transport energy-related material, particularly contaminates, through the Earth's surface and subsurface. Emphasis is put on the development of a strong basis for understanding and implementing the appropriate and efficient use of bioremediation, particularly at the Department's sites. Program Contact: (301) 903-3281

(d) Environmental Processes
This program also addresses global environmental change from increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The scope of the global change program encompasses the carbon cycle, climate modeling and diagnostics, atmospheric sciences and meteorology, ecosystem responses, the role of the ocean in global change, and impacts on resources. The role of clouds and radiation in climate prediction is a particular emphasis. Program Contact: (301) 903-3281

6. Planning and Analysis
The Office of Planning and Analysis assists the Director of Energy Research in fulfilling the statutory responsibility to advise the Secretary of Energy on matters regarding the research programs within the Office of Energy Research's purview, including advice regarding undesirable duplication or gaps in such programs and the basic and applied research activities of the Department. The Office also performs independent cost/benefit analyses and provides the Director with impartial and independent scientific and technical evaluations and recommendations. Program Contact: (301) 903-3122

John Rodney Clark
Associate Director
for Resource Management
Office of Energy Research

Published in the Federal Register November 14, 1996, Vol. 61, No. 221,
pages 58392-58395.