99-1340. Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 99-11; Fundamental Research in Carbon Management

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 13 (Thursday, January 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3288-3289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1340]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 99-11; 
Fundamental Research in Carbon Management

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

ACTION: Notice inviting research grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), of the Office of 
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces its 
interest in receiving applications for research grants in the area of 
fundamental research underlying potential strategies to reduce or limit 
gaseous carbon production from fossil fuel use. Research areas of 
particular interest include: Geosciences research related to 
understanding the geophysics and geochemistry of potential reservoirs 
appropriate for subsurface sequestration of carbon dioxide; Energy 
Biosciences research related to chemical and cellular mechanisms of 
carbon fixation in plants; Chemical Sciences research related to 
enhancing our molecular level understanding of CO2 
production and utilization chemistry relevant to managing our carbon 
resources including, but not limited to, such areas as combustion and 
chemical dynamics, photochemical conversion, electrochemical energy 
storage and conversion, catalysis, and membrane separation science; and 
Materials Science research related to ceramics, metals, polymers and 
other materials needed for higher efficiency power systems. Carbon 
Management is a cooperative activity within DOE between the Office of 
Science and the Office of Fossil Energy. Participants within the Office 
of Science include both the Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the 
Office of Biological and Environmental Research.

DATES: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief 
preapplication. All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 99-11, 
should be received by DOE by 4:30 P.M., E.S.T., February 16, 1999. A 
response to the preapplications discussing the potential program 
relevance and encouraging or discouraging a formal application 
generally will be communicated to the applicant within 14 days of 
receipt.
    The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 P.M., 
E.S.T., April 1, 1999, in order to be accepted for merit review and to 
permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 1999.

ADDRESSES: All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 99-11, 
should be sent to Dr. Nicholas B. Woodward, Division of Engineering and 
Geosciences, SC-15, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290.
    Formal applications, referencing Program Notice 99-11, must be sent 
to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Grants and Contracts 
Division, SC-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, 
ATTN: Program Notice 99-11. This address must also be used when 
submitting applications by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or any 
other commercial overnight delivery service, or when hand-carried by 
the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning research 
topics in specific technical areas, contact the following individuals 
in the appropriate division of interest: Dr. Nicholas B. Woodward (301-
903-4061; e-mail: [e-mail]), Division of Engineering 
and Geosciences, SC-15, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, division telephone 
[phone], fax [phone].
    Dr. Gregory L. Dilworth, Division of Energy Biosciences, SC-17, 
Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, 
Germantown, MD 20874-1290, division telephone [phone], fax (301) 
903-1003, e-mail: [e-mail].
    Dr. William Millman, Division of Chemical Sciences, SC-14, Office 
of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, 
Germantown, MD 20874-1290, division telephone [phone], fax (301) 
903-4110; e-mail: [e-mail].
    Dr. Craig Hartley, Division of Material Sciences, SC-13, Office of 
Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, 
MD 20874-1290, division telephone [phone], fax [phone], 
e-mail: [e-mail].
    The full text of Program Notice 99-11 is available via the Internet 
using the following web site address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/
grants/grants.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The production of fuels and chemicals by 
plants and microorganisms and the interconversion of greenhouse gases 
requires a better understanding of plant biochemistry, physiology, 
molecular biology, and the structure and function of sub-cellular 
components, and of enzymes. Improvements in combustion to reduce carbon 
emissions requires a molecular mechanistic fundamental understanding in 
chemical dynamics and theoretical chemistry and physics. Conversion of 
sunlight to energy requires an understanding in many areas of science, 
including solid state physics, photochemistry, photosynthesis, 
photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic carbon fixation, plant and 
microbial carbon biochemistry, regulatory control of plant assimilate 
allocation and transport, and molecular regulatory mechanisms 
controlling carbon metabolism.

[[Page 3289]]

Fundamental, molecular level insights into cross-cutting chemical and 
physical processes, for example catalysis, chemical and membrane 
separations, and electrochemical energy storage and conversion, are 
expected to significantly impact carbon management. The search for 
increased efficiency in energy production and use requires fundamental 
knowledge in ceramics, metals, polymers, solid state chemistry, and 
condensed matter physics for materials that can withstand higher 
temperatures, have lower coefficients of friction, and are stronger and 
lighter. Disposal of carbon dioxide into geological formations requires 
a fundamental understanding of geometric, structural, and hydrologic 
properties of reservoirs and of multiphase, nonlinear transport of 
fluids in porous and fractured media during sequestration time-scales 
of greater than 100 years.
    Additional information on the BES Research Program, including those 
elements which are not a part of this solicitation, is available at the 
following web site: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/bes/bes.html. For 
researchers who do not have access to the world wide web, please 
contact Dr. Nicholas B. Woodward, Geosciences Research Program, SC-15; 
U.S. Department of Energy; 19901 Germantown Road; Germantown, MD 20874-
1290; phone [phone]; fax [phone]; 
[e-mail]; for this information.
    Investigators may also wish to obtain information about related 
funding opportunities in the Office of Science, Office of Biological 
and Environmental Research whose programs are described at web site 
address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/ober/ober__top.html and in 
the Office of Fossil Energy whose programs are described at web site 
address: http://www.fe.doe.gov.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that up to $4 million will be available for 
multiple grant awards to be made in FY 1999, contingent on the 
availability of appropriated funds. Multiple year funding of grant 
awards is expected, and is also contingent on the availability of 
appropriated funds, progress of the research, and continuing program 
need. Applications received by the Office of Science under its normal 
competitive application mechanisms may also be deemed appropriate for 
consideration under this announcement and may be funded under this 
program.
    Applicants are strongly 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. 
A parallel announcement with a similar potential total amount of funds 
will be issued to DOE Federally Funded Research and Development 
Centers. All projects will be evaluated using the same criteria, 
regardless of the submitting institution.
    Applications will be subjected to scientific merit review (peer 
review) and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria 
listed in descending order of importance as codified at 10 CFR 
605.10(d):

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 may be used, and 
submission of an application constitutes agreement that this is 
acceptable to the investigator(s) and the submitting institution.
    Information about the development, submission of applications, 
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, the selection process, and other 
policies and procedures may be found in 10 CFR Part 605, and in the 
Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial Assistance 
Program. Electronic access to the Guide and required forms is made 
available via the World Wide Web at: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/
grants/grants.html. On the SC grant face page, form DOE F 4650.2, in 
block 15, also provide the PI's phone number, fax number and e-mail 
address. The research description must be 20 pages or less, exclusive 
of figure illustrations, and must contain an abstract or summary of the 
proposed research (to include the hypotheses being tested, the proposed 
experimental design, and the names of all investigators and their 
affiliations). 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.

(The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program 
is 81.049, and the solicitation control number is ERFAP 10 CFR Part 
605.)

    Issued in Washington, DC on January 7, 1999.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 99-1340 Filed 1-20-99; 8:45 am]
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