Department of Energy
Office of Energy Research

Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 98-02; Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR); Building EPSCoR-State National Laboratory Partnerships

Agency: U.S. Department of Energy

Action: Notice inviting research grant applications.

SUMMARY: The Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) of the Office of Energy Research (ER), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in keeping with its energy-related mission to assist in strengthening the Nation's scientific research enterprise through the support of science, engineering, and mathematics, announces its interest in receiving grant applications for collaborative partnerships between academic or industrial researchers from states eligible for the DOE/EPSCoR Program and researchers at DOE's National Laboratories, facilities, and centers. The purpose of the DOE/EPSCoR program is to enhance the capability of designated states to conduct nationally-competitive energy-related research and to develop science and engineering manpower in energy-related areas to meet current and future needs. The purpose of this program notice is to initiate and promote partnering and collaborative relationships that build beneficial energy-related research programs.

DATES: Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief preapplication. All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 98-02, should be received by DOE by 4:30 P.M., E.S.T., December 3, 1997. A response discussing the potential program relevance of a formal application generally will be communicated to the applicant within 30 days of receipt. The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 P.M., E.S.T., February 10, 1998, in order to be accepted for merit review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 1998.

ADDRESSES: All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 98-02, should be sent to Ms. Donna J. Prokop, Division of Materials Sciences, ER-13, Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290.

After receiving notification from DOE concerning successful preapplications, applicants may prepare formal applications and send them to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Grants and Contracts Division, ER-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, ATTN: Program Notice 98-02. The above address must also be used when submitting applications by U.S. Postal Service Express, any commercial mail delivery service, or when hand carried by the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Donna J. Prokop, DOE/EPSCoR Program Manager, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, ER-132, U. S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Telephone: (301) 903-0511, or Internet e-mail address: donna.prokop@mailgw.er.doe.gov.

General information about the development and submission of preapplications, applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluation, and selection processes, and other policies and procedures are contained in the Application Guide for the Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance Program and 10 CFR Part 605. Electronic access to the latest version of ER's Financial Assistance Guide is possible via the Internet at the following Web Site: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To continue to enhance the competitiveness of states and territories identified for participation in the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), DOE encourages the formation of partnerships between academic and industrial researchers in EPSCoR states and the researchers at DOE's National Laboratories, facilities and centers in scientific areas supported by DOE. These collaborations should address areas of research of current interest to the Department. Undergraduate and graduate students should be active members of the research team, and it is highly desirable that a student spend a summer or academic-year at the National Laboratory, facility or center. Subcontracting arrangements with DOE National Laboratories will not be permitted. DOE continues to restrict EPSCoR eligibility to the following states and territory: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

To minimize undue effort on the part of applicants and reviewers, interested parties are invited and encouraged to submit preapplications. The preapplications will be reviewed relative to the scope and research needs of the Department of Energy. The brief preapplication should consist of three to five pages of narrative describing the research objectives and methods of accomplishment. Telephone and FAX numbers are required parts of the preapplication, and electronic mail addresses are desirable. Instructions regarding the contents of a preapplication and other preapplication guidelines can be found on the ER Grants and Contracts Web Site at: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/preapp.html

In addition to the project description all preapplications and formal applications must include the following information:

1. Applications should explain the relevance of the proposed research to the agency's programmatic needs. On the cover page, applicants should specify the relevant DOE technical program office, and if known, the name of the program manager, and telephone number. DOE program descriptions may be accessed via the web at http://www.doe.gov/.

2. Applications must demonstrate clear evidence of collaborative intent, including a delineation of each partner's role and contribution to the research effort as well as a "Letter-of-Intent" from the participating DOE National Laboratory, facility, or center.

3. Applications must explain the individual value to both the EPSCoR and the National Laboratory partners. There should be clear objectives, not necessarily the same, for each partner.

It is anticipated that approximately $750,000 will be available in FY 1998 for research that encourages and facilitates collaborative efforts between researchers EPSCoR states and researchers at DOE's National Laboratories, facilities, and centers. Multiple-year funding of grant awards is expected subject to satisfactory progress of the research, the availability of funds, and evidence of substantial interactions between the EPSCoR researchers and the National Laboratory partner. Awards are expected to range up to a maximum of $50,000 annually with terms from one to three years. The number of awards and range of funding will depend on the number of applications received and selected for award. All funds will be provided to the recipient organization within the EPSCoR state for the purpose of supporting activities in the EPSCoR state and may include travel and lodging, faculty or student stipends, materials, services and equipment.

Applications will be subjected to formal merit review and will be evaluated against the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of importance as set forth in 10 CFR Part 605:
1. Scientific and/or technical merit of the project.
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.

The evaluation will include program policy factors such as the relevance of the proposed research to the terms of the announcement and an agency's programmatic needs. Note, external peer reviewers are selected with regard to both their scientific expertise and the absence of conflict-of-interest issues. Non-federal reviewers will often be used, and submission of an application constitutes agreement that this is acceptable to the investigator(s) and the submitting institution.

The principal investigator should publish the results of the supported research in the peer-reviewed, archival scientific literature.

Applications received by ER under its normal competitive application mechanisms that meet the criteria outlined in this Notice may also be deemed appropriate for consideration under this announcement and may be funded under this program.

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
Associate Director
for Resource Management
Office of Energy Research

Published in the Federal Register October 15, 1997, Volume 62, Number 199, pages 53608-53609.