[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 18 (Thursday, January 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-1771]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: January 27, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Research
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 94-10; Global
Change Research With Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER) of the
Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hereby
announces its interest in receiving applications to support an
experimental program in global climate change, i.e., the measurement
and analysis of radiation and cloud/radiation effects. This program is
being pursued in support of the U.S. Global Change Research Program
(USGCRP) and supports the goals of the DOE Atmospheric Radiation
Measurement (ARM) Program. Funding for this effort comes from both the
Department of Defense (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and
Development Program (SERDP) and from DOE. In the initial phases of this
effort leased Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles (UAV) will be instrumented
and flights will be made in conjunction with ARM site activities. These
initial missions will emphasize measurement of the vertical flux
profile in the troposphere and the use of UAV-based measurements to
calibrate satellite derived fluxes. Applications are sought to use the
UAV-based data, in conjunction with ARM site and other data, to address
key issues in the radiative heating of the atmosphere; for the use,
modification, or development of UAV-compatible instruments for such
radiation and cloud studies; to support instrument development; and for
data analysis which support integration of the UAV-borne instrument
data with ARM site and other data.
These efforts are intended to supply information for the global
change scientific community and satisfy DoD SERDP goals in Global
Environmental Change.
DATES: Formal application submitted in response to this notice must be
received by March 28, 1994, to permit timely consideration for award in
Fiscal Year 1994.
ADDRESSES: Formal applications referencing Program Notice 94-10 should
be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research,
Acquisition and Assistance Management Division, ER-64 (GTN),
Washington, D.C. 20585, ATTN: Program Notice 94-10. The following
address must be used when submitting applications by U.S. Postal
Service Express Mail or any commercial mail delivery service, or when
hand carried by the applicant: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of
Energy Research, Acquisition and Assistance Management Division, ER-64,
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Patrick Crowley, Environmental
Sciences Division, Office of Health and Environmental Research, U.S.
Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, telephone (301) 903-3069.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the ARM program is to improve
the treatment of radiation and clouds in the models used to predict
future climate, particularly the General Circulation Models (GCM). (The
role of clouds in climate change is the highest science priority in the
USGCRP.) The ARM program is one element of a major effort to improve
the quality of current models and to support the development of sets of
climate models capable of making regional prediction of climate and
climate change. The major component of the ARM Program is an
experimental testbed for the study of the terrestrial radiation field,
properties of clouds, the full life cycle of clouds, and the
incorporation of process-level models into climate models. This testbed
is called the Clouds and Radiation Testbed (CART). The first ARM CART
site began operation in calendar year 1992 with instruments spread over
approximately 60,000 square kilometers centered in Lamont, Oklahoma.
Sites planned for the Tropical Western Pacific Ocean and the North
Slope of Alaska are expected to become operational over the next four
years. The present effort supports ARM objectives by providing for
instrumentation, collection and analysis of data on ARM relevant
phenomena using UAVs as instrument platforms. The desirability of UAVs
for this research lies in their potential to remain on station or make
long range tracks for extended periods (>48 hrs) and/or to fly at
altitudes slightly above the top of the troposphere. These advantages
are achieved without concomitant risk to pilot or crew.
The altitudes of interest for the present effort extend from about
one thousand feet to the top of the troposphere. The lower altitude is
governed by safety and control factors and the upper altitude is
expected to be adequate for the study of most tropospheric and
radiation budget investigations.
Although mission schedules are currently being developed, they are
expected to be flexible--three UAV flight missions are anticipated in
the next 18 months. The first three missions will be over the Southern
Great Plains ARM Site. These early missions will emphasize measurement
of the vertical radiation flux profile and the use of UAV-borne
instruments to calibrate satellite-derived measurements such as the
top-of-the-atmosphere flux. The initial payloads include up and down-
looking, broadband solar and infrared, hemispherical flux radiometers;
a nadir viewing spectral radiometer covering the 0.4 to 4.0 microns;
and a meteorology package (temperature, pressure, and water vapor
measurements). {The goal of the first missions is measurement of the
vertical radiation flux profile and they will be conducted with
instruments being integrated into payloads presently; these instruments
include broad-band radiometers, a narrow band radiometer, and a
meteorology package (temperature, pressure and water vapor
measurement).} Later missions will be more flexible as to goals,
mission profiles, and instrument payload. This notice requests
applications to support two categories of effort; analysis of data and
development of UAV instruments in pursuit of the experimental goals.
Data analysis efforts should focus on making maximum use of UAV-
derived data, in conjunction with CART and other data sources, to
address key radiative heating issues and to provide calibration/
validation of satellite derived data products. In addition, the
investigators funded for these efforts are expected to assist in
planning the future missions to include locations, mission profiles,
and instrument complement. Mission planning will be conducted by these
investigators, UAV instrument developers and interested members of the
ARM science team, and the UAV mission planning group.
Proposed instruments for the UAV missions should provide data
relevant and of unique value to the mission's objectives. Instruments
should be compatible with use on a small UAV as part of a multi-
instrument payload. Typically they should weigh less than 30 kg, draw
less than 100 W, and occupy less than 1.01m\3\. Instruments must be
capable of autonomous operation fully exposed to the ambient
atmosphere. The UAV payload interface will provide power to the
instrument through a DC Bus (voltage negotiable) and will also provide
for telemetering the data stream to the ground. Applications for
instrument development should include optimum conditions for taking
data from the proposed instrument as well as requirements for other
instruments on-board or required from other platforms (e.g., the ARM
site). The proposed instruments will be subject to a review at six
months after the award. A decision on which instruments to bring to
operational capability will be made at the six month review.
It is anticipated that approximately $3.5M will be available for
awards for these activities contingent on availability of appropriated
funds. Multiple year funding is expected, also contingent upon the
availability of funds. The allocation of funds will depend on the
number and quality of applications received. Typical Environmental
Sciences Division awards are $200,000 per year, but range between
$50,000 and $750,000.
The technical portions of the applications should not exceed
twenty-five (25) double-spaced pages, and should be accompanied by an
abstract of not more than two paragraphs.
Information on the development and submission of applications,
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, selection process, 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 Health and Environmental Research, Environmental
Sciences Division, ER-74 (GTN), Washington, DC 20585. Telephone
requests may be made by calling (301) 903-4902
.The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this
program is 81.049.
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 14, 1994.
D.D. Mayhew,
Director, Office of Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 94-1771 Filed 1-26-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
