98-7716. Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 98-14; Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program (NABIR)  

  • [Federal Register Volume 63, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 14435-14439]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 98-7716]
    
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
    
    Office of Energy Research
    
    
    Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 98-14; 
    Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program (NABIR)
    
    AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
    
    ACTION: Notice inviting research grant applications.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) of 
    the Office of Energy Research (ER), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 
    hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for research 
    grants in the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) 
    Program. Grant applications are being solicited for five of the eight 
    NABIR Program research elements: (1) Assessment; (2) Biotransformation 
    and Biodegradation; (3) Community Dynamics and Microbial Ecology; (4) 
    System Engineering, Integration, Prediction, and Optimization; and 
    Bioremediation and its Social Implications and Concerns (BASIC).
    
    DATES: Applicants should submit a Notice of Intent to Apply, containing 
    a title, a list of investigators, and a five-line summary of proposed 
    research by April 15, 1998.
        The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 p.m., 
    E.D.T., May 13, 1998, to be accepted for merit review and to permit 
    timely consideration for award in fiscal year 1998.
    
    ADDRESSES: Notices of Intent to Apply, referencing Program Notice 98-
    14, should be sent by E-mail to john.houghton@oer.doe.gov.
        Formal applications, referencing Program Notice 98-14, must be sent 
    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 98-14. 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: Dr. John Houghton, Environmental 
    Sciences Division, ER-74, Office of Biological and Environmental 
    Research, Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 
    Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, telephone (301) 903-8288, 
    E-mail john.houghton@oer.doe.gov, fax (301) 903-8519. The full text of 
    Program Notice 98-14 is available via the Internet using the following 
    web site address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the NABIR Program is to 
    provide the scientific understanding needed to use natural in situ 
    processes and to develop new methods to accelerate those processes for 
    bioremediation at DOE facilities. The NABIR program is initially 
    emphasizing the bioremediation of metals and radionuclides in the 
    subsurface below the root zone, including both thick vadose and 
    saturated zones. The program is implemented through seven interrelated 
    scientific research elements (Acceleration, Assessment, Biogeochemical 
    Dynamics, Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Biotransformation and 
    Biodegradation, Community Dynamics and Microbial Ecology, and System 
    Engineering, Integration, Prediction, and Optimization); and a social 
    and legal element called Bioremediation and its Social Implications and 
    Concerns (BASIC). A document entitled Natural and Accelerated 
    Bioremediation Research Program Plan (DOE/ER-0659T) containing an 
    initial planning description of the NABIR Program and each of the 
    science elements is available via the Internet using the following web 
    site address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/ober/nabir/cover.html. 
    The NABIR Program Plan is also available from the Office of Scientific 
    and Technical Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (DOE and 
    DOE grantees only) and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology 
    Administration, National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 
    22161, (703) 487-4650 (public source). Additional information about 
    NABIR, such as references to infrastructure that could be available to 
    the research community, can be accessed from the NABIR Homepage: http:/
    /www.lbl.gov/NABIR/. Abstracts of currently funded projects are 
    available via the Internet using the following web site address: http:/
    /www.lbl.gov/NABIR/awardees.html.
        Each scientific research element is directed by a program manager 
    from OBER, who is responsible for providing support and overall 
    direction for the element, including determining the relevance of the 
    proposed research to the goals and objectives of the program element to 
    the NABIR and other DOE programs. The NABIR program also has Science 
    Team Leaders, selected through an earlier peer review process, who 
    provide scientific leadership and coordination to the community of 
    NABIR investigators. Information on the current Science Team Leaders 
    and DOE program staff is available via the Internet using the following 
    web site address: http://www.lbl.gov/NABIR/research__5.html.
    
    Program Focus
    
        The NABIR Program supports long-term, hypothesis-driven research 
    directed at specific topics that will provide the understanding 
    necessary to develop effective new bioremediation technologies for DOE 
    site cleanup. This research will help determine the future viability of 
    bioremediation technologies at the DOE sites. The NABIR Program will 
    not support research to evaluate the risk to humans. Although the 
    program is directed at specific goals, it supports research that is 
    more fundamental in nature than demonstration projects.
        The initial emphasis of the NABIR Program is on field-scale 
    research and metal and radionuclide contamination, specifically on the 
    metals and radionuclides associated with past weapons production 
    activities. However, the research program will support laboratory, 
    theoretical, modeling, and other non-field research projects, if they 
    fill important gaps that would be necessary to complete understanding 
    for field-scale studies. The study of real problems might iterate 
    between, for example, the laboratory and the field. Investigators 
    without access to laboratories licensed to work with radionuclides may 
    propose research with non-radioactive surrogates of radionuclides, or 
    collaborate with a licensed laboratory. Typically, the bioremediation 
    of metals and radionuclides involves, but is not limited to, 
    mobilization and immobilization scenarios. Consideration of organic 
    contaminants, such as solvents and complexing agents that would be 
    important substrates, facilitators, inhibitors, or sources of carbon or 
    electron donors or acceptors, can be included in the proposed research 
    to the extent that they influence the primary goal of understanding the 
    remediation of metals and radionuclides. Applicants are encouraged to 
    review Chemical Contaminants on DOE Lands, DOE/ER-0547T, available at 
    the OBER Homepage: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/ober/EPR/
    contam.pdf, for a compilation of wastes and waste mixtures at the DOE 
    sites.
        NABIR is a research program designed to serve as a foundation for 
    microbial in situ bioremediation techniques. Although ``spillover'' 
    benefits of the research to other cleanup needs such as the use of 
    bioreactors to process waste streams are anticipated, NABIR
    
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    emphasizes investigations into bioremediation of subsurface waste sites 
    and their by-products released to the environment. This emphasis 
    includes research that will assist the application of in situ 
    bioremediation in conjunction with other cleanup methods, for example, 
    using bioremediation to mobilize radionuclides so that pump-and-treat 
    techniques could be more effective. Problems characterized by large 
    areas with low-concentration contamination are emphasized over problems 
    of localized, high concentration contamination. Research on 
    phytoremediation will not be supported during this funding period.
        In research plans that involve the potential release of chemicals, 
    enzymes, and/or microorganisms to the field (both at contaminated and 
    non-contaminated control sites), applicants must discuss how they will 
    involve the public or stakeholders in their research, beginning with 
    experimental design through completion of the project. All applicants 
    should discuss other relevant societal issues, where appropriate, which 
    may include intellectual property protection, and communication with 
    and outreach to affected communities (including members of affected 
    minority communities where appropriate) to explain the proposed 
    research.
    
    NABIR Infrastructure
    
        The NABIR program anticipates selecting at least one Field Research 
    Center (FRC) located at a DOE site. The FRC will serve as a central 
    facility for researchers to use at their option. However, FRCs will not 
    be identified for at least a year from the date of this solicitation 
    and until National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of the NABIR 
    Program is complete. Applicants may use any available contaminated or 
    uncontaminated field site that is presently available to them, 
    including but not limited to DOE sites. However, investigators are 
    encouraged to consult the listing of current FRC-related field research 
    sites and facilities available to NABIR investigators on the NABIR 
    Homepage, at http://www.lbl.gov/NABIR/research__6.html. Investigators 
    should describe how their research will interface with or transfer to 
    field-scale research at the site they are using, to FRC-related sites, 
    or to the FRC site that will be available in the future. A centrally 
    maintained database will be developed to provide limited information, 
    such as site characterization and kinetics data, that will be needed by 
    a broad segment of investigators. When appropriate, applications must 
    include a short discussion of the Quality Assurance and Quality Control 
    (QA/QC) measures that will be applied in data gathering and analysis 
    activities. Successful applicants will be expected to coordinate their 
    QA/QC protocols with NABIR program personnel. A draft of guidelines to 
    be used by Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) 
    program investigators in managing their information and data can be 
    found on the NABIR Homepage: http://www.lbl.gov/NABIR/data-guide.html.
    
    Scientific Research Elements
    
        The following sections describe each of the NABIR scientific 
    research elements that are emphasized in this solicitation. Applicants 
    may propose research that transcends more than one research element; it 
    is also anticipated that many applications could be placed in more than 
    one element. However, each application should identify the one science 
    element most closely aligned with the proposed research, to facilitate 
    scientific review.
        Assessment: Current methods for measuring and predicting the 
    effectiveness of bioremediation are inadequate and, in most cases, 
    poorly developed. Demonstrating the effectiveness of bioremediation 
    will require documentation for direct measures, such as alteration of 
    contaminant mobility, or indirect measures, such as accumulation of 
    undesirable by-products. The Assessment program seeks the development 
    of innovative and effective methods to assess:
         Bioremediation rate and activity, including microbial 
    community structure and dynamics, biotransformation processes and 
    rates, and electron flow; and
         Bioremediation endpoints, including not only the 
    concentrations of contaminants and byproducts but also the stability, 
    bioavailability, and toxicity of residual end-products. NABIR will not, 
    however, fund projects that examine human health risks of endpoints.
        This element will focus on developing techniques for assessing the 
    bioremedial activities of individual microbial strains and functional 
    groups within a community and on validating existing and emerging 
    laboratory and field techniques. Priority will be given to research 
    applications that could result in techniques and/or instrumentation 
    that: (i) Operate in real time; (ii) operate in field-scale 
    heterogeneous environments; (iii) are cost-effective; and (iv) 
    determine endpoints that more closely approximate limited or non-
    bioavailability. Research is sought to answer questions such as:
         Can quantitative techniques be adapted or developed for 
    measurement of microbial community structure, movement, activity, and 
    effectiveness during bioremediation?
         How can geophysical, geochemical, and hydrologic 
    properties critical to bioremediation effectiveness be determined?
         What new methods might be developed to interpret complex 
    data sets, including temporal and spatial variability in support of 
    bioremediation management?
         Can bioremediation endpoints that accurately measure 
    bioavailability be quantitatively established?
        An important priority is the development of ``core scale'' and 
    field scale technologies to measure viable biomass, community 
    composition, and nutritional status and ``core scale'' interrogation 
    technologies. These technologies would address such items as 
    biogeochemical processes that control mineral and contaminant 
    distribution, metabolic activity (especially low-level), 
    biotransformation rates, and hydraulic and hydrogeochemical variables 
    that control microbial distribution. Priority will be given to new and 
    advanced techniques that are likely to be available for use at the 
    NABIR Field Research Center in two to three years (http://www.lbl.gov/
    NABIR/research__6.html).
        Biotransformation and Biodegradation: The goal of all 
    bioremediation efforts is to reduce the potential toxicity of chemical 
    contaminants in the field by using living organisms or their products 
    to mineralize, degrade, transform, mobilize, or immobilize 
    contaminants. There is already a significant base of knowledge about 
    many pathways for organic chemical degradation, and several important 
    contaminant degradation mechanisms are presently under detailed 
    investigation. However, the understanding of biotransformation and 
    biodegradation pathways and mechanisms in the field is incomplete. 
    Although the degradation of many organic compounds and the 
    biotransformation of some inorganic compounds in laboratory cultures 
    have been well described, it is often unclear how this information 
    relates to bioremediation processes under field conditions. The 
    biotransformation of metals and radionuclides in thick, variably 
    saturated, vadose zones is poorly understood. Successful laboratory 
    studies have not allowed for predictions about the fate of complex 
    chemical mixtures that include metals and radionuclides in the field. 
    It would
    
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    be useful to understand: (i) The metabolic pathways taken by mixtures 
    of chemicals in the presence of complex microbial communities in vadose 
    zones and their interfaces with saturated zones and the waste plume; 
    (ii) the kinetics of desirable metal and radionuclide 
    biotransformations and the physicochemical factors affecting the 
    kinetics of those transformations; and (iii) the relationships between 
    microbial cell microenvironments and aqueous geochemistry related to 
    the sequestration, release, precipitation, solubility, organic 
    complexation, or chemical modification (e.g., oxidation/reduction) of 
    metals and radionuclides. Priority will be given to applications for 
    research: (i) Using multiple contaminants; (ii) using microbial 
    consortia; and (iii) on microbial processes that permanently sequester 
    or chemically alter metallic or radioactive constituents of mixed 
    wastes. Research is needed to address questions such as:
         How can laboratory studies, especially those involving 
    interdisciplinary approaches or mixed culture approaches, be used to 
    accurately represent field situations and allow for predictions of 
    chemical fate?
         How important are microbial species interactions in the 
    biotransformation of metals and radionuclides?
         How do organic and inorganic co-contaminants, i.e., mixed 
    wastes, affect the rates of microbial biotransformation of metals and 
    radionuclides?
         What factors control the fates and kinetics of microbial 
    metal and radionuclide biotransformations in vadose and saturated 
    zones?
         What are the critical characteristics of sites where 
    natural biotransformation and biodegradation of mixed metal and 
    radionuclide wastes are occurring that promote these processes?
         Can microbiological processes be harnessed to permanently 
    sequester metals and/or radionuclides in the subsurface?
         What are the metal- and radionuclide-transforming 
    capabilities, including metabolic pathways, of indigenous 
    microorganisms in deep vadose or saturated zones representative of DOE 
    sites?
        Community Dynamics and Microbial Ecology: Fundamental research in 
    Community Dynamics and Microbial Ecology at both the molecular and the 
    organismal level is needed to understand better the natural intrinsic 
    processes of bioremediation in mixed contaminant sites. A more complete 
    understanding of energetics at the community level may ultimately 
    provide the ability to control or stimulate communities capable of 
    transformation and to channel carbon flow (including natural- and 
    polluting-organic compounds) through these communities or populations. 
    It is essential to understand the roles and interactions of diverse 
    microbial communities in order to understand how and to what extent the 
    structure of the biological community influences the course of 
    bioremediation and to what extent the environmental factors influence 
    community dynamics in sites containing metals and radionuclides. This 
    need is especially critical to successful bioremediation of diffuse 
    metals and radionuclides in thick vadose and deep saturated zones. 
    Research should be directed toward: (i) Identifying and characterizing 
    microbial communities at contaminated sites; (ii) understanding the 
    dynamics of in situ microbial communities in the presence of metals and 
    radionuclides; (iii) bacterial survival, including toxic effects from 
    metals and radionuclides; and (iv) measuring key microbial metabolic 
    and transformation processes including reduction, oxidation, 
    mobilization/immobilization, and bacterial survival, including 
    bacterial predation. A specific interest is the understanding of 
    bacterial activity in biofilms that can alter contaminants during 
    intrinsic bioremediation and in situ biostimulation. Research utilizing 
    column and in situ environments is encouraged particularly with non-
    destructive techniques and real or near-time monitoring.
        Particular attention should be given to:
         The distribution, composition and metabolic activity of 
    biofilms particularly at the field scale;
         The ecology and dynamics of microbial communities as a 
    function of local environmental conditions;
         Quantifying the spatial distribution of in situ microbial 
    communities, particularly at the field scale;
         Environmental factors that affect the presence, abundance, 
    and diversity of in situ, subsurface microbial communities; and
         Fluxes of nutrients and electron donors in the saturated/
    vadose zones across stratigraphic boundaries where differences in 
    microbial activity occur.
        System Engineering, Integration, Prediction, and Optimization: This 
    research element primarily supports modeling activities. One goal of 
    the NABIR program is to produce a model or series of models that will 
    help stimulate bioremediation in the field, predict whether 
    bioremediation will be successful and, if so, how to optimize the 
    approach. Models that take advantage of advanced computational tools 
    can be useful for many reasons, including providing a better 
    understanding of the underlying processes, serving as a way to focus 
    attention on the intersection or coupling between processes and subject 
    areas, and identifying priority or rate-limiting processes. One of the 
    distinguishing features of the NABIR program is its emphasis on 
    integrating among the disciplines and research projects. Models can 
    serve as effective tools to improve integration.
        This announcement solicits applications that would, at the end of 
    one year of research, define the structure and the content of an 
    integrative model for the NABIR program. However, the investigators 
    would not necessarily construct the model. Instead, they would identify 
    possible data, tools, resources, or information needed for the 
    development of an integrative model. The investigators might, for 
    example, hold workshops or prepare reviews of existing models, 
    including their advantages and limitations. They might identify 
    criteria for a successful integrative model, suggesting parameters for 
    input and output.
        Models eventually developed by and for the NABIR program will focus 
    on the in situ bioremediation of metals and radionuclides. An 
    integrative model will include functions such as water flow and 
    transport, chemical and microbiological reactions, as well as 
    peripheral capabilities, such as statistics, geographic information 
    systems, visualization, and uncertainty analysis. The model must be 
    flexible enough to capture and test process models developed in NABIR 
    research projects. Models will be used, in part, to help set future 
    research priorities of the NABIR program by highlighting missing 
    research topics.
        The application should describe the manner in which the 
    investigators will interact with the rest of the NABIR research 
    community and the breadth of capability of the investigators proposing 
    the research. It is anticipated that a future solicitation will be 
    offered for the development of an integrative model following the 
    selection of a Field Research Center and on the results of this 
    solicitation. Awards will be made for up to one year. Anticipated 
    levels of funding are $250,000 or less, contingent on the availability 
    of appropriated funds.
        Bioremediation and its Societal Implications and Concerns (BASIC): 
    The introduction of non-native or genetically engineered microorganisms 
    or the manipulation of the environment to
    
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    change its microbial composition or chemical characteristics may raise 
    concerns among those who live or work nearby. Even the reintroduction 
    of native microorganisms into their natural environment can raise 
    people's concerns. Great care is required to involve the affected 
    communities and stakeholders in any plans to use novel agents and/or 
    processes to remediate a contaminated site. Although it may be many 
    years before work in the NABIR program supports any or all of these 
    activities, it is wise to begin consideration of some of the issues 
    involved now. The Bioremediation and its Societal Implications and 
    Concerns (BASIC) component of the NABIR program is directed at these 
    societal implications of bioremediation.
        DOE seeks applications that address effective ways to: (i) 
    Articulate the risks and benefits of in situ bioremediation to 
    stakeholders; and (ii) involve affected communities in bioremediation 
    research and decision making. This can include studies or conferences 
    that will identify and clarify the most urgent issues. It is essential 
    that studies, explorations, and discussions of the societal 
    implications of bioremediation research be firmly grounded in the 
    actual NABIR science. As a result, DOE solicits applications for the 
    preparation and dissemination of educational materials, in any 
    appropriate medium, that will enhance understanding of the scientific 
    as well as the societal aspects of bioremediation among the general 
    public or specified groups. Educational efforts that target specific 
    groups should include a detailed description of the relationship 
    between NABIR and that group or community in addition to assessment 
    measures for determining the effectiveness of the educational effort. 
    DOE also encourages applications for the support of conferences 
    focusing on the legal and societal implications of NABIR.
        Applicants should demonstrate their knowledge of any relevant 
    literature and should include detailed plans for the gathering and 
    analysis of factual information and its societal implications. Where 
    appropriate, applicants may make use of relevant activities or field 
    sites where bioremediation experiments are planned or underway. All 
    research applications should address the issue of efficient 
    dissemination of results to the widest appropriate audience. Examples 
    of BASIC issues might include:
         Effective education of stakeholders and others regarding 
    the underlying NABIR science;
         Clarification of public perception of bioremediation 
    issues;
         Past experiences and lessons learned from bioremediation 
    using exogenous or engineered organisms;
         Bioremediation strategies and technologies involving 
    microbes--the experiences of the commercial sector; and
         Intellectual property issues of microbes intended for use 
    in field level bioremediation.
        Additional information on the NABIR Program, including those 
    elements which are not a part of this solicitation, is available at the 
    following web site: http://www.lbl.gov/NABIR/. For researchers who do 
    not have access to the world wide web, please contact Ms. Carlson; 
    Environmental Sciences Division, ER-74; U.S. Department of Energy; 
    19901 Germantown Road; Germantown, MD 20874-1290; phone (301) 903-3338; 
    fax (301) 903-8519; karen.carlson@oer.doe.gov; for hard copies of 
    background material mentioned in this solicitation.
    
    Program Funding
    
        It is anticipated that up to $3 million will be available for 
    multiple awards to be made in FY 1998 in the categories described 
    above, contingent on the availability of appropriated funds. 
    Applications may request project support up to three years, with out-
    year support contingent on the availability of funds, progress of the 
    research, and programmatic needs. Annual budgets for research projects 
    in the first four scientific research elements are expected to range 
    from $200,000 to $500,000 total costs. Annual budgets for most of the 
    BASIC projects are not expected to exceed $100,000. Researchers are 
    encouraged to team with investigators in other disciplines where 
    appropriate. DOE may encourage collaboration among prospective 
    investigators, to promote joint applications or joint research 
    projects, by using information obtained through other forms of 
    communication.
    
    Collaboration
    
        Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with researchers in other 
    institutions, such as universities, industry, non-profit organizations, 
    federal laboratories and FFRDCs, including the DOE National 
    Laboratories, where appropriate, and to incorporate cost sharing and/or 
    consortia wherever feasible.
        Collaborative research applications may be submitted in several 
    ways:
        (1) When multiple private sector or academic organizations intend 
    to propose collaborative or joint research projects, the lead 
    organization may submit a single application which includes another 
    organization as a lower-tier participant (subaward) who will be 
    responsible for a smaller portion of the overall project. If approved 
    for funding, DOE may provide the total project funds to the lead 
    organization who will provide funding to the other participant via a 
    subcontract arrangement. The application should clearly describe the 
    role to be played by each organization, specify the managerial 
    arrangements and explain the advantages of the multi-organizational 
    effort.
        (2) Alternatively, multiple private sector or academic 
    organizations who intend to propose collaborative or joint research 
    projects may each prepare a portion of the application, then combine 
    each portion into a single, integrated scientific application. A 
    separate Face Page and Budget Pages must be included for each 
    organization participating in the collaborative project. The joint 
    application must be submitted to DOE as one package. If approved for 
    funding, DOE will award a separate grant to each collaborating 
    organization.
        (3) Private sector or academic organizations who wish to form a 
    collaborative project with a DOE FFRDC may not include the DOE FFRDC in 
    their application as a lower-tier participant (subaward). Rather, each 
    collaborator may prepare a portion of the proposal, then combine each 
    portion into a single, integrated scientific proposal. The private 
    sector or academic organization must include a Face Page and Budget 
    Pages for its portion of the project. The FFRDC must include separate 
    Budget Pages for its portion of the project. The joint proposal must be 
    submitted to DOE as one package. If approved for funding, DOE will 
    award a grant to the private sector or academic organization. The FFRDC 
    will be funded, through existing DOE contracts, from funds specifically 
    designated for new FFRDC projects. DOE FFRDCs will not compete for 
    funding already designated for private sector or academic 
    organizations. Other Federal laboratories who wish to form 
    collaborative projects may also follow guidelines outlined in this 
    section.
        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
    
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    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.
        To provide a consistent format for the submission, review and 
    solicitation of grant applications submitted under this notice, the 
    preparation and submission of grant applications must follow the 
    guidelines given in the Application Guide for the Office of Energy 
    Research Financial Assistance Program 10 CFR Part 605.
        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 Energy Research 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 ER 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 attachments, 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, QA/QC plan, 
    a listing of all current and pending federal support, and letters of 
    intent when collaborations are part of the proposed research.
        Although the required original and seven copies of the application 
    must be submitted, researchers are asked to submit an electronic 
    version of the abstract of the proposed research in ASCII format along 
    with a valid e-mail address to Ms. Karen Carlson by e-mail at 
    karen.carlson@oer.doe.gov. Curriculum vitae should be submitted in a 
    form similar to that of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the 
    National Science Foundation (NSF) (two to three pages), for example 
    see: http:/ /www.nsf.gov:80/bfa/cpo/gpg/fkit.htm#forms-9.
        The Office of Energy Research, as part of its grant regulations, 
    requires at 10 CFR 605.11(b) that a recipient receiving a grant and 
    performing research involving recombinant DNA molecules and/or 
    organisms and viruses containing recombinant DNA molecules shall comply 
    with NIH ``Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA 
    Molecules'', which is available via the world wide web at: http://
    www.niehs.nih.gov/odhsb/biosafe/nih/nih97-1.html (59 FR 34496, July 5, 
    1994), or such later revision of those guidelines as may be published 
    in the Federal Register. Grantees must also comply with other federal 
    and state laws and regulations as appropriate, for example, the Toxic 
    Substances Control Act (TSCA) as it applies to genetically modified 
    organisms. Although compliance with NEPA is the responsibility of DOE, 
    grantees proposing to conduct field research are expected to provide 
    information necessary for the DOE to complete the NEPA review and 
    documentation.
        Related Funding Opportunities: Investigators may wish to obtain 
    information about the following related funding opportunities:
        Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management: The 
    Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP). Contact: Mr. Mark 
    Gilbertson, Director, Office of Science and Risk Policy, Office of 
    Science and Technology, EM-52, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
    Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, e-mail 
    mark.gilbertson@em.doe.gov. phone (202) 586-7150. The EMSP home page is 
    available at web site: http://www.em.doe.gov/science/.
        DOE/EPA/NSF/ONR Joint Program on Bioremediation, Dr. Robert E. 
    Menzer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for 
    Environmental Research and Quality Assurance, 401 M Street, SW, 
    Washington, DC 20460, menzer.robert@epamail.epa.gov, phone (202) 260-
    5779.
        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, March 18, 1998.
    John Rodney Clark,
    Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
    [FR Doc. 98-7716 Filed 3-24-98; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
03/25/1998
Department:
Energy Research Office
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice inviting research grant applications.
Document Number:
98-7716
Dates:
Applicants should submit a Notice of Intent to Apply, containing a title, a list of investigators, and a five-line summary of proposed research by April 15, 1998.
Pages:
14435-14439 (5 pages)
PDF File:
98-7716.pdf