[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14894-14895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7934]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Research
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 97-13:
Centers of Excellence for Laser Applications in Medicine
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER) of the
Office of Energy Research (ER), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
announces its interest in receiving research applications from
potential applicants for funding of Centers of Excellence for Laser
Applications in Medicine (Centers). These Centers are intended to carry
out research that will advance the application of laser technology in
the clinical practice of medicine. A Center must have existing advanced
capabilities for fundamental research in the medical application of
lasers, is to be based in a hospital with a close tie to a school of
medicine, is to offer a strong program of research that covers a wide
range both of scientific disciplines and of fields of medicine, and is
to place emphasis on training and dissemination of developments in this
field of research.
DATES: Preapplications should be received by May 30, 1997. However,
earlier submissions will be gladly accepted. Formal applications in
response to this notice must be received by 4:30 p.m., E.D.T., August
15, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Preapplications referencing Program Notice 97-13 should be
forwarded to: Dr. Roland F. Hirsch, Medical Applications and
Biophysical Research Division, ER-73, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Attn: Program Notice 97-13.
Fax submissions are acceptable, fax number (301) 903-0567.
Formal applications referencing Program Notice 97-13 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 97-13. This address
also 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. An original and seven copies of the
application must be submitted. Applicants are required to follow the
formal instructions given in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Section of
this Notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Roland F. Hirsch, Medical
Applications and Biophysical Research Division, ER-73, 19901 Germantown
Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, telephone (301) 903-3213; E-mail
roland.hirsch@oer.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Centers of Excellence for Laser
Applications in Medicine were established in 1991 upon the
recommendation in the Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 1991 Energy
and Water Development Appropriation Act. There has been substantial
progress in the field since that time. Therefore, potential applicants
are encouraged to propose Center programs that are appropriate for the
current state of the art in fundamental areas of laser research
relevant to clinical research, that will enable progress toward new
areas of clinical use of lasers, and that will increase the application
of lasers through training and dissemination activities. There is
particular interest in research leading to new laser applications for
non-invasive medicine and, in general, to new medical procedures that
are consistent with the national need to control the costs of health
care.
Applicants are encouraged to utilize the extensive fundamental
scientific expertise that is available at the National Laboratories
supported by the Department through formal and informal arrangements
for consultation and collaboration. Applicants are also encouraged to
identify objectives of the proposed research program that complement
the aims of other programs which are supported by the Medical
Applications and Biophysical Research Division such as research in
radiopharmaceuticals and molecular nuclear medicine, biomedical imaging
instrumentation, Boron Neutron Capture
[[Page 14895]]
Therapy (BNCT), structural biology, analytical chemistry, and genome
instrumentation.
Organizations with existing Centers of Excellence for Laser
Applications in Medicine grants must submit with their renewal
application the required Progress Report, which should include a
section describing research accomplishments that have been carried over
into clinical research and practice.
It is anticipated that up to $1,500,000 are expected to be
available for grant awards in FY 1998, contingent upon availability of
appropriated funds. The actual magnitude of the funds available and the
number of awards which can be made will however depend on the budget
process. It is anticipated that up to four awards of up to $600,000
each annually for a three year period will be made, with out-year
support contingent on availability of funds, progress of the research,
and programmatic needs.
Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a brief
preapplication describing the proposed Center and its major activities.
The intent in asking for a preapplication is to save the time and
effort of applicants in preparing and submitting a formal project
application that may be inappropriate for the program. The
preapplication should consist of a three-to-five-page concept paper on
the program contemplated for an application to the Centers of
Excellence for Laser Applications in Medicine program. The concept
paper should focus on the scientific objectives and significance of the
proposed research, including an outline of the approaches planned,
should briefly describe the organization of the proposed center and its
setting, and should provide information relating to other aspects of
the planned program, including collaborations with the DOE National
Laboratories and other research organizations. The preapplication gives
an opportunity to advise potential applicants on the suitability of
their concept and research program to the mission of the Centers of
Excellence program. A response to timely preapplications indicating the
appropriateness of submitting a formal application will be communicated
by June 20, 1997. Please note that notification of a successful
preapplication is not an indication that an award will be made in
response to the formal application. ER's preapplication policy for
submitting preapplications can be found on ER's Grants and Contracts
Web Site at: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/preapp.html.
Applications will be subjected to formal merit review (peer review)
and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria listed
in descending order of importance 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 will often be
used, and submission of an application constitutes agreement that this
is acceptable to the investigator(s) and the submitting institution.
Applicants are expected to use the following format in addition to
following instructions in the Office of Energy Research Application
Guide.
ER standard face page (DOE F4650.2)
Table of Contents
Project abstract (no more than one page)
Budgets for each year of the three-year project period (using
DOE F 4620.1)
Written explanation of the budget items
Budgets and budget explanations for each collaborative
subproject, if any
Project narrative (recommended length is no more than 40
pages):
Goals
Research plan for each major component of the research
program
Preliminary studies (if applicable)
Research design and methodologies
Plans for training
Plans for dissemination of new concepts and techniques
Literature cited
Description of existing facilities for research into laser
applications in medicine (up to five pages)
Description of hospital setting and medical school ties for
the proposed Center, including support proposed to be offered to the
Center's program by these units (up to five pages)
Collaborative arrangements (if applicable)
Biographical sketches (limited to 2 pages for each senior
investigator)
Current and pending funding for each senior investigator
All required information for any activities involving human
subjects (see ER Application Guide)
All required information for any activities involving
vertebrate animals (see ER Application Guide)
Information about development and submission of applications,
eligibility, evaluations and selection processes, and other policies
and procedures may be found in 10 CFR part 605 and the Office of Energy
Research Application Guide for the Financial Assistance Program. Access
to ER's Financial Assistance Application Guide is possible via the
World Wide Web at: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
Printed copies of the Guide are available from the Medical Applications
and Biophysical Research Division for potential applicants who are
unable to access the Web version.
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 24, 1997.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 97-7934 Filed 3-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P