[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5736]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 11, 1994]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 94-16;
Terrestrial Carbon Research of the Global Change Program
AGENCY: Office of Energy Research, 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 research
and analysis of ``terrestrial carbon processes'' (TCP) that affect
changes of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. This
program is a refocusing of existing DOE research on the global carbon
cycle, and the response of vegetation to CO2. The refocused
research supports the Department's Global Change Research Program
(including studies of climate change), the U.S. Global Change Research
Program (USGCRP), and the Administration's goals to understand and
mitigate the rise in greenhouse gases.
This notice requests grant applications for research that will (i)
advance the scientific understanding of terrestrial processes
regulating carbon balance of those ecosystems having a major influence
on atmospheric CO2 concentration; (ii) evaluate changes of carbon
quantities of ecosystems in relation to the rising concentration of
atmospheric CO2, and, reciprocally, how ecosystem response affects
atmospheric CO2 concentration; and (iii) identify/quantify
biological processes and paradigms that control carbon metabolism and
operate across a range of ecosystems. Emphasis will be placed on an
improved understanding of metabolic processes of vascular plants that
mediate the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and the biological
and ecological factors controlling retention of carbon in terrestrial
ecosystems. The goal of TCP research is to identify and quantify
natural mechanisms of the terrestrial ecosystems that may be affecting
secular trends and year to year variations of atmospheric CO2, and
to develop the scientific understanding needed to model/predict/
quantify the role of terrestrial ecosystems for regulating the global
carbon balance. As a secondary priority, associated research will
identify sites and rates of carbon sequestration by land systems,
particularly those that lend themselves to the management of enhanced
carbon fixation and retention. While this notice focuses on terrestrial
aspects of the global carbon cycle, DOE also maintains an Oceans
Research Program which addresses ocean-related carbon questions.
Research on the effects of global change (including ecological
responses to CO2) on ecosystem structure and function not directly
tied to carbon processes will be considered by the companion DOE
Program on Ecosystem Research (PER).
DATES: Formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be
received by 4:30 PM, EDT, May 16, 1994, to permit timely consideration
for award in Fiscal Year 1995.
ADDRESSES: Formal applications referencing Program Notice 94-16 should
be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research,
Acquisition and Assistance Management Division, ER-64 (GTN),
Washington, DC 20585, ATTN: Program notice 94-16. 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. Roger C. Dahlman, Office of Health
and Environmental Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-74
(GTN), U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, (301)903-4902/
4951, or by Internet address, roger.dahlman@mailgw.er.doe.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The solicited TCP research seeks to enhance
the scientific understanding of natural processes of the terrestrial
carbon cycle, including documenting the fate of excess CO2
emissions in terrestrial environments. In this context, the research is
an important adjunct to policies and actions being considered for
slowing the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For example,
improved understanding of carbon processes will help to build
scientific foundations for evaluating the effectiveness of the
Administration's Climate Change Action Plan for slowing the rate of
atmospheric CO2 increase. This research will help provide the
scientific basis for quantifying the role of the terrestrial biosphere
in regulating changes in atmospheric CO2, which defines an
important radiative forcing for assessment of climate change--a core
research activity of the USGCRP and DOE's Global Change research.
While it is well-known that energy-related emissions contribute
greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, it is also recognized that natural
earth system processes exert a major control on ultimate atmospheric
concentration of the gases. This is especially true for CO2, and
is illustrated by the observation of the past few years that the rate
of increase of atmospheric CO2 increase has drastically slowed.
This observed phenomenon raises questions about whether unexplained
natural processes have a major influence on this constituent of the
atmosphere.
Priority will be placed on field experiments of physiological/
ecological controls of whole ecosystem carbon processes, and on studies
of metabolism/retention of carbon in major terrestrial ecosystems.
While processes to be investigated may range from fundamental studies
of plant carbon metabolism (e.g., photosynthesis, respiration, etc) to
ecosystem controls on carbon balance, the research products must
logically contribute to the analysis of overall carbon balance of
ecosystems, and to ``global'' evaluations of natural controls of the
global carbon cycle. Collaborative studies are encouraged, particularly
those that contribute to multidisciplinary research organized around
existing field facilities designed to manipulate CO2
concentrations and other global change variables (e.g., temperature,
moisture) that affect carbon budgets of ecosystems.
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief
preapplication in accordance with 10 CFR 600.10(d)(2), which consists
of two to three pages of narrative describing research objectives. The
preapplication is required to provide information that can be used to
arrange for adequate reviews and also to provide applicants with an
indication of DOE's interest in a potential application. Preapplication
and the formal grant application should identify theoretical
underpinnings for the proposed research on processes, identify field
empirical approaches for generating data bases, and suggest the logical
connection of research products to global-scale analysis of atmospheric
CO2 change.
Preapplications and formal applications will be reviewed relative
to the DOE interests described by this notice, and in reference to
scope and research priorities of the U.S. Global Climate Change
Research Program (USGCRP), specifically, the priority task on CO2
and Trace-Gas research described in the USGCRP draft report entitled,
``Special Issue on Enhanced Terrestrial Ecology Research on Global
Change''. Preapplications should include no more than two to three
double-spaced pages (10 pt): Including proposed research; names and
telephone numbers for all principal investigators (PIs), co-principal
investigators (CO-PIs), and collaborators; and telefax number, Internet
address (if available) and mail address for the PI. Preapplications
referencing Program Notice 94-16 should be received by March 31, 1994,
and sent to Dr. Roger C. Dahlman, Office of Health and Environmental
Research, ER-74, Washington, DC 20585, or to the Internet address noted
above. A response to the preapplications will be communicated to the PI
by April 22, 1994.
Each formal application should not exceed 25 double-spaced 10 pt
pages (20 pages technical material, and 5 pages for curriculum vitae
and all other data) with one-inch margins, and should include an
abstract of not more than two paragraphs. Lengthy applications are not
encouraged, and may be returned with a request to reduce length;
however, applications received after the deadline may not be eligible
for award in FY 1995.
It is anticipated that approximately $2.5 million will be available
for grant awards in FY 1995, and approximately another $2.0 million in
FY 1996, contingent upon availability of appropriated funds. Previous
awards for this type of research have ranged from $100,000 up to
$400,000 per year, with most not exceeding $250,000. While most awards
are expected to range from $100,000 to $250,000 per year, a few larger
awards may be granted for core experiments requiring designs or
facilities for manipulating CO2 and other environmental variables.
Funding of multiple year grant awards is expected, and is also
contingent upon availability of appropriated funds. Other investigators
with meritorious applications may be encouraged to conduct research at
core facilities; therefore, to the extent it is possible, applicants
should identify which, if any, existing facilities or locations they
would cooperate with if they received an award.
Emphasis will be placed on experimental and analytical studies in
the first cycle (FY 1995) of awards, and interests in modeling
terrestrial carbon processes, and the terrestrial carbon cycle will be
considered in the second cycle (FY 1996). In the first cycle, however,
applicants are encouraged to point out how their research products on
terrestrial carbon processes might contribute to on-going or planned
carbon modeling activities.
Information about 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, Washington, DC 20585. Telephone requests may
be made by calling (301)903-4902. Supplemental documentation including
(1) Examples of existing DOE research on carbon cycle and the response
of vegetation to CO2, the two programs that will be refocused as
research on ``terrestrial carbon processes,'' and (2) Draft USGCRP
report on the ``Special Issue on Enhanced Terrestrial Ecology Research
on Global Change'' is also available upon request by calling (301) 903-
4902.
The Catalog of Federal Assistance Number for this program is
81.049.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 28, 1994.
Dale C. Stubenrauch,
Acting Director, Office of Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 94-5736 Filed 3-10-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
