[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14432-14434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7717]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Research
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 98-15;
Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change Research Program
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 the
Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change Program. This notice is
a follow on to four previous notices published in the Federal Register
(Notice 93-4 published December 9, 1992, entitled Economics of Global
Change Research Program; Notice 95-12 published December 29, 1994,
entitled Global Change Assessment Research Program; Notice 96-06
published January 30, 1996, entitled Global Change Integrated
Assessment Research, and Notice 97-06 published February 11, 1997,
entitled Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change Research
Program). The research program supports the Department's Global Change
Research Program, the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the
Administration's goals to understand and mitigate the rise in
greenhouse gases.
DATES: Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to submit a brief
preapplication for programmatic review. All preapplications,
referencing Program Notice 98-15, should be received by DOE by 4:30
P.M., E.D.T. April 20, 1998, but early submission of preapplications is
encouraged to allow time for meaningful dialogue.
The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 p.m.,
E.D.T., May 21, 1998, to be accepted for merit review and to permit
timely consideration for award in fiscal year 1998 and early fiscal
year 1999.
ADDRESSES: Preapplications, referencing Program Notice 98-15, should be
sent E-mail to john.houghton@oer.doe.gov.
Formal applications, referencing Program Notice 98-15, should 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 98-15. 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 98-15 is available via the Internet using the
following web site address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/
fr98__(1 times) 15.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The determination of energy policy, such as
the administration's analysis of international protocols for global
climate change, is tied to understanding the benefits and costs of
potential actions with respect to the control of greenhouse gases and
possible climate change. The research described in this notice supports
the analysis of those benefits and costs.
A theme common to the research topics supported by this program is
the support of integrated assessment of global climate change.
Integrated assessment of climate change is defined here as the analysis
of climate change from the cause, such as greenhouse gas emissions,
through impacts, such as changed energy requirements for space
conditioning due to temperature changes. Integrated assessment is
sometimes, but not always, implemented as a computer model. It
evaluates the benefits and costs, not necessarily measured monetarily,
for various actions to mitigate global climate change. A description of
integrated assessment may be found in Chapter 10: ``Integrated
Assessment of Climate Change: An Overview and Comparison of Approaches
and Results,'' in Climate Change 1995: Economic and Social Dimensions
of Climate Change, edited by Bruce, James P.; Lee, Hoesung; and Haites,
Erik F., Cambridge University Press, 1996.
This research will be judged in part on its potential to improve
and/or support the analytical basis for policy development. The program
is narrowly focused and will primarily concentrate support on the
topics described below. Applications that involve development
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of analytical models and computer codes will be judged partly on the
basis of proposed tasks to prepare documentation and make the models
and codes available to other groups.
The following is a list of topics that are high priority. Topics
proposed by principal investigators that fall outside this list will
need strong justification.
A. Technology Innovation and Diffusion
This category has been a primary focus of the Integrated Assessment
of Global Climate Change Program since its initiation five years ago.
Potential research projects include such issues as:
Decomposing the effect of technology innovation and
diffusion on carbon emissions into such components as changes in GDP,
sectoral mix, innovation, and diffusion. Historical records might be
used to estimate trends and make projections that vary as a function of
price effects and policy options.
Technology innovation and diffusion is an important part
of several aspects of integrated assessment models, such as backstop
technologies, adaptation, resource depletion, labor productivity, and
substitution parameters for shifting factor shares. Investigations
might include studies to help predict changes in these parameters both
for a base case and for various policy options, as well as studies to
analyze the internal consistency among these aspects.
The rate and nature of technology diffusion from the OECD
to developing countries is not well understood. Relevant factors
include the prediction of the energy-use path for developing countries,
the effects of changes in international trade policies and patterns,
and carbon leakage.
The translation of existing literature on the economics of
technology innovation into a representation that could be adapted for
IA models.
Investment or other policies to encourage research and
development are options for increasing abatement and improving
adaptation. Research in this topic would investigate such subjects as
evaluating the effectiveness of alternative modes of implementation,
such as direct grants or cooperative research projects. How does
technology innovation and diffusion happen, and how can we improve it?
B. Emissions Trading
The recent Kyoto protocol has heightened the need to understand the
issues involved in implementing emission trading procedures. An
underlying question is to design trading procedures so that actions are
encouraged that are as coincidental with the goals of the agreement as
possible. Research in this area would include theoretical work on
emissions trading as well as applied. Such practical factors include:
What institutional factors need to be considered? What
role should be played by national governments? Which set of
institutions should be regulated (for example, utilities, distributors,
etc.)
In what way should emission trading be phased in?
What differences are there between CO2 and the
five other greenhouse gases?
How flexibly can the emissions trading practices be
designed? How well will the practices accommodate changes in targets,
country participation, institutional design, or relative weights among
the gases?
C. Supply Curves for Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases
The Kyoto protocol has included five greenhouse gases other than
CO2: CH4, N2O, CFC-11, HCFC-22, and
CF4. The ``supply curves'' (emission scenarios) for the
other five gases are much more poorly understood than the supply curve
for CO2. This research topic would provide information on
global emissions of the other five gases under business-as-usual
scenarios as well as under plausible alternative scenarios that would
result from policy actions.
D. Supply Curves for Land Use
The Kyoto protocol highlighted land use mitigation as an important
policy option. Carbon dioxide emissions as a function land use
practices are more poorly approximated than emissions from combustion
of fossil fuels. Research funded under this topic would develop new
information on global carbon dioxide emissions from various land use
scenarios, including forests and agricultural lands. The emphasis is on
global scale estimates, perhaps regionally disaggregated. What
potential is there for enhancing CO2 uptake? What changes in
the global carbon balance could be expected from policy options?
E. Representation of Carbon Management Technologies
Current integrated assessment models include representations of
well-known technologies and forecast changes in those technologies into
the distant future. However, in general, the models do not represent
with as much reliability forecasts of innovative technology changes
that might be due to new research and technologies that reduce
atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. Research is ongoing that
will improve our understanding and ability to develop innovative clean
energy sources that will emit less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Such developments may rely on the use of fossil fuels and carbon
sequestration in the oceans or deep subsurface. New modes of supplying
and using substantial amounts of energy, such as hydrogen and fuel
cells, may alter future energy, emission, and economy parameters
substantially. Research in this topic would identify reasonable
technology scenarios that will guide the integrated assessment
predictions of energy, fossil fuel use, costs, emissions, and so forth,
in response to various policy options.
Program Funding
It is anticipated that up to $1 million will be available for
multiple awards to be made in FY 1998 and early FY 1999 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
are expected to range from $30,000 to $150,000 total costs.
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
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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.
Preapplications
A brief preapplication may be submitted. The preapplication should
identify on the cover sheet the institution, Principal Investigator
name, address, telephone, fax and E-mail address, title of the project,
and the field of scientific research. The preapplication should consist
of a two to three page narrative describing the research project
objectives and methods of accomplishment. These will be reviewed
relative to the scope and research needs of the Integrated Assessment
of Global Climate Change Research Program.
Preapplications are strongly encouraged but not required prior to
submission of a full application. Please note that notification of a
successful preapplication is not an indication that an award will be
made in response to the formal application.
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 and submission of applications,
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, 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. The research project description must be
15 pages or less, exclusive of attachments and must contain an abstract
or summary of the proposed research. 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. 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.
Although the required original and seven copies of the application
must be submitted, researchers are asked to submit an electronic
version of their abstract of the proposed research in ASCII format and
their E-mail address to Karen Carlson by E-mail at
karen.carlson@oer.doe.gov. Curriculum vitae should be submitted in a
form similar to that of NIH or NSF (two to three pages), see for
example: http://www.nsf.gov:80/bfa/cpo/gpg/fkit.htm#forms-9.
Related Funding Opportunities
Investigators may wish to obtain information about the following
related funding opportunities:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Within the context of its Economics and Human Dimensions of Climate
Fluctuations Program, the Office of Global Programs of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will support research that
identifies and analyzes social and economic impacts associated with
seasonal, year-to-year, and intradecadal climate variability; improves
our understanding of factors that determine human vulnerability to such
fluctuations; and identifies options for reducing vulnerability. The
program is particularly interested in learning how advanced climate
information (e.g., ENSO-based probabilistic climate forecasts), as well
as an improved understanding of current coping mechanisms, could be
used for reducing vulnerability and providing for more efficient
adjustment to these variations. Notice of this program is included in
the Program Announcement for NOAA's Climate and Global Change Program,
which is published each spring in the Federal Register. The deadline
for proposals to be considered in Fiscal Year 1999 is expected to be in
late summer 1998. For further information, contact: Caitlin Simpson;
Office of Global Programs; National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration; 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 1225; Silver Spring, MD 20910;
telephone: (301) 427-2089, ext. 47; Internet: simpson@ogp.noaa.gov.
Environmental Protection Agency
In 1998 the Environmental Protection Agency will support research
on ``Indicators of Global Climate Change.'' Related requests for
assistance that are currently advertised on the EPA home page include
``Ecological Indicators,'' ``Regional Scale Analysis and Assessment,''
``Water and Watersheds'' and ``Research and Monitoring Program on
Ecological Effects of Environmental Stressors Using Coastal Intensive
Sites.'' Information is available through the web site: http://
www.epa.gov/ncerqa or hotline 1-800-490-9194. For further information
contact Barbara Levinson at [email protected]
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 March 18, 1998.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 98-7717 Filed 3-24-98; 8:45 am]
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