[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6986-6988]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4143]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Research
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 96-11;
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 the
experimental and theoretical study of radiation and clouds in
conjunction with the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program as
part of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). 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 (GCMs). This notice requests applications for grants
to support:
(Category 1): Continuation and enhancement of activities previously
funded by DOE under Energy Research Financial Assistance Grant Program
Notice No. 91-9 published in the Federal Register March 8, 1991, and
Notice No. 93-14 published in the Federal Register April 1, 1993.
(Category 2): The modeling of clouds and radiation including
aerosol effects for use in General Circulation Models (GCMs) and
related models. Analysis of ARM and other data for refining,
supporting, and validating model development are key aspects of
research sought in this category. These activities should be closely
tied to the analysis and use of data from the current and planned
facilities at the three Cloud and Radiation Testbed sites: the first is
centered near Lamont, Oklahoma; the second will have instruments first
on the Island of Manus, Papua, New Guinea, and later on other islands
or buoys in the Tropical Western Pacific; and the third site in the
North Slope of Alaska region.
(Category 3): The development of new analytic methods and derived
data products which combine ARM data and, if appropriate, other data
such as satellite data to support the efforts of ARM Science Team
members. Of high current interest are new algorithms and procedures
that can be automated for the processing of ARM data streams.
Successful applications will involve algorithms that take advantage of
current or projected ARM instrumentation, or which will provide insight
into new data streams of high credibility and useability to the ARM
Science Team.
(Category 4): The development of advanced instrumentation for high
accuracy/precision radiometric observations and for profiling of all
three phases of water in the atmosphere and lower stratosphere. Short
wave radiometry is of particular present interest.
(Category 5): The use of ARM data to support activities in other
programs with goals related to those of ARM through unfunded
participation in the ARM Science Team.
[[Page 6987]]
DATES: Formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be
received by 4:30 PM, EST, May 16, 1996, to permit timely consideration
for award in fiscal year 1997.
ADDRESSES: Formal applications should be forwarded 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 96-11. This address also must be used when submitting
applications by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail, any commercial mail
delivery service, or when handcarried by the applicant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Patrick A. Crowley, Office of
Health and Environmental Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-
74, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown,
Maryland 20874-1290. Telephone: (301) 903-3069, fax (301) 903-8519, or
by Internet address, pat.crowley@oer.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: One of the major scientific objectives of
the Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) is to improve the performance
of predictive models of the Earth's climate and to thereby make
predictions of the response of the climate system to increasing
concentrations of greenhouse gases. This 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 models of the
terrestrial radiation field, properties of clouds, the full life cycle
of clouds, and the incorporation of these process-level models into
climate models. This testbed is referred to as the Cloud and Radiation
Testbed (CART). The first ARM CART site began operation in calendar
year 1992, with instruments spread over an area of approximately 60,000
sq. km., centered on Lamont, Oklahoma. The Tropical Western Pacific
(TWP) site will consist initially of island-based suites of
instrumentation focused on cloud and radiative properties in the
tropical ocean environment. The first of the TWP Atmospheric Radiation
and Clouds Stations (ARCS) will be operating by the end of calendar
year 1996 on the island of Manus, Papua New Guinea, and the second on
Nauru in 1997. Instrumentation more representative of the CART site in
Oklahoma will be deployed to the vicinity of Point Barrow, on the North
Slope of Alaska late in 1997 or early 1998.
To ensure that the program meets the broadest needs of the research
community and the specific needs of the DOE, ESD, successful applicants
will participate as ARM Science Team members along with selected
scientists from other ESD programs that relate to the ARM Program.
Costs for participation in ARM Science Team meetings and subcommittee
meetings should be based on two trips of 1 week each to Washington,
D.C., and two trips of 3 days each to Chicago, Illinois.
Successful applicants for continuation or enhancement of previously
awarded grants, Category 1, will demonstrate (a) continued relevance of
their work to the goals of the ARM Program; (b) the quality and
relevance of work conducted under previous support to the goals of the
ARM Program, including a listing of publications and presentations; and
(c) relevant contribution to the development of the ARM program,
particularly the design and development of CART facilities, as a result
of previous funding. Applications should include a special section
covering items (b) and (c) entitled ``Accomplishments Under Previous
Support.''
Successful applicants for grants in support of Category 2 will
demonstrate the role of their research in the improvement of GCMs and/
or related models and delineate the path that their results will take
to make those improvements. Successful applicants will be involved in
one or more of three activities: (a) The development of models and
parameterization of radiative transfer or cloud processes, including
aerosol effects, or the testing of these models in GCMs or process-
level models; (b) experimental studies at CART facilities to test
elements of models and their performance or to obtain key laboratory
data; or (c) the analysis of existing data, including field data and
satellite data, to support model development or testing.
Successful applicants for participation in Category 3, the
development of new analytic methods and derived data products, will
demonstrate how the proposed efforts support the ARM Science Team
members involved in the other categories of research. Applications in
this area must recognize that the program has a developed
infrastructure for data treatment and distribution. The support looked
for in this area involves a deeper more sophisticated algorithmic
approach than presently in use. The successful applications will accent
a strong scientific approach to the problem of data fusion.
Because ARM is well into its intended life cycle, successful
applicant for participation in the ARM instrument development program,
Category 4, will meet either (1) immediate and near-term needs of the
ARM Program for improved radiometric sensors, both broad-band and
spectrally resolved or for instruments capable of high-precision
radiometric calibration, or (2) immediate and near-term needs of the
ARM Program for improved systems for the measurement of the spatial
distribution of all three phases of water, with particular emphasis on
vertical profiles. In each case the application should contain, in
appropriate detail, a discussion of the accuracy and precision of the
proposed measurement methodology as a function of wavelength or
altitude respectively, and the relevance of the proposed measurements
to test models of atmospheric radiative processes. It has been
suggested that the data available from the array of instruments planned
or in place in the program suffer from too little short wave data.
Applications which address this concern in the near term are
anticipated to be of high interest.
Successful applicants for participation in the adjunct ARM Science
Team, Category 5, will apply ARM data to research programs of interest
to DOE and related to ARM goals, but which are funded by other sources.
While ARM data is available through the ARM Data Archive at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, ARM Science Team participation provides
investigators the opportunity to receive tailored data products from
the ARM Experiment Center at Pacific Northwest Laboratory and the
opportunity to participate in the design of ARM facilities and
experiments. While there will not be funds to support the research of
applicants under this portion of this notice, some funds may be
available to support the travel of successful applicants to participate
in ARM Science Team activities as indicated below. Preference will be
given to participants whose goals are related to the general goals of
ARM outlined above; Global Energy and Water Experiment (GEWEX) and its
associated programs; the study of aerosols and their effect on the
radiative transfer, including visibility studies; and the transfer of
UV-B radiation through the atmosphere.
The efforts proposed in support of all five categories should have
as a focus the conduct of research using the CART facilities either in
operation or being
[[Page 6988]]
developed for ARM. Successful applicants will participate in the
continuing development of the detailed experimental approaches for CART
and guide the evolving development and acquisition of the experimental
equipment.
It is anticipated that approximately $5,000,000 will be available
for awards for the combined activity under Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4
above in fiscal year 1997, contingent upon availability of appropriate
funds. Multiple year funding of awards is expected, also contingent
upon availability of funds. The allocation of funds among the three
categories above will depend on the number and quality of the
applications received. It is anticipated that a substantial fraction of
the funds will support continuation of existing research under Category
1 above. Typical ESD awards are $200,000 per year, but range from
$50,000 to $600,000.
Information about development, submission, and 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 Energy Research
Financial Assistance Program. The Application Guide is available from
the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Health and Environmental
Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-74, 19901 Germantown
Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290. Telephone requests may be made
by calling (301) 903-4902. Electronic access to ER's Financial
Assistance Guide is possible via the Internet using the following e-
mail address: http://www.er.doe.gov/
Collaborative applications are encouraged. Awards are anticipated
to begin on or about November 1, 1996.
The technical portion of the application should not exceed twenty-
five (25) doubled-spaced pages. For applicants under Category 4 above,
the ``Accomplishments Under Previous Support'' section should not
exceed ten (10) additional double-spaced pages. An abstract of less
than 200 words must be included with the application. Lengthy
appendices are discouraged.
Technical information on the ARM Program is available from the ARM
Program Office at Pacific Northwest Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland,
WA 99352, telephone (509) 375-6964, or from the Office of Scientific
and Technical Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, telephone
(615) 576-8401.
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, D.C., on February 13, 1996.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 96-4143 Filed 2-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
