[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42112-42113]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19888]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Science
Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 99-22;
Experimental Program To Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR);
Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice inviting research grant applications.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) of the Office of
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in keeping with its
energy-related mission to assist in strengthening the Nation's
scientific research enterprise through the support of science,
engineering, and mathematics, announces its interest in receiving grant
applications for collaborative partnerships between academic or
industrial researchers from states eligible for the DOE/EPSCoR Program
and researchers at DOE's National Laboratories, facilities, and
centers. The purpose of the DOE/EPSCoR program is to enhance the
capability of designated states to conduct nationally-competitive
energy-related research and to develop science and engineering manpower
in energy-related areas to meet current and future needs. The purpose
of this program notice is to initiate and promote partnering and
collaborative relationships that build beneficial energy-related
research programs.
DATES: Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief
preapplication. All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 99-22,
should be received by DOE by 4:30 P.M., E.D.T., October 6, 1999. A
response to the preapplications encouraging or discouraging a formal
application will be communicated to the applicant within approximately
thirty days of receipt. The deadline for receipt of formal applications
is 4:30 P.M., E.S.T., January 12, 2000, in order to be accepted for
merit review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal
Year 2000.
ADDRESSES: All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 99-22,
should be sent to Dr. Matesh N. Varma, Division of Materials Sciences,
SC-132, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown
Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290.
After receiving notification from DOE encouraging submission of a
formal application, applicants may prepare formal applications and send
them to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Grants and
Contracts Division, SC-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-
1290, ATTN: Program Notice 99-22. This above address must also be used
when submitting applications by U.S. Postal Service Express, any
commercial mail delivery service, or when hand carried by the
applicant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Matesh N. Varma, DOE/EPSCoR
Program Manager, Division of Materials Sciences, SC-132, Office of
Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown,
MD 20874-1290, Telephone: (301) 903-3209, Facsimile: (301) 903-9513 or
Internet E-mail address: matesh.varma@science.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To continue to enhance the competitiveness
of states and territories identified for participation in the
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), DOE
encourages the formation of partnerships between academic and
industrial researchers in EPSCoR states and the researchers at DOE's
National Laboratories, facilities and centers in scientific areas
supported by DOE. These collaborations should address areas of research
of current interest to the Department. Undergraduate and graduate
students should be active members of the research team, and it is
highly desirable that a student spend a summer or academic-year at the
National Laboratory, facility or center. Subcontracting arrangements
with DOE National Laboratories will not be permitted. DOE continues to
restrict EPSCoR eligibility to the following states and territory:
Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Program Funding
It is anticipated that approximately $750,000 will be available in
FY 2000 for research that encourages and facilitates collaborative
efforts between researchers from EPSCoR states and researchers at DOE's
National Laboratories, facilities, and centers. Multiple-year funding
of grant awards is expected subject to satisfactory progress of the
research, the availability of funds, and evidence of substantial
interactions between the EPSCoR researchers and the National Laboratory
partner. Awards are expected to range up to a maximum of $75,000
annually with terms from one to three years. The number of
[[Page 42113]]
awards and range of funding will depend on the number of applications
received and selected for award. Cost sharing is strongly encouraged,
but is not required. All DOE/EPSCoR award funds will be provided to the
recipient organization within the EPSCoR state for the purpose of
supporting activities in the EPSCoR state and may include travel and
lodging, faculty or student stipends, materials, services and
equipment.
Applications
To minimize undue effort on the part of applicants and reviewers,
interested parties are invited and encouraged to submit
preapplications. The preapplications will be reviewed relative to the
scope and research needs of the Department of Energy. The brief
preapplication must consist of (1) one to two pages of narrative
describing the research objectives and methods of accomplishment, (2) a
letter from the appropriate state EPSCoR coordinator endorsing the
preapplication, and (3) a letter of intent from the DOE National
Laboratory confirming collaboration on the project. The preapplications
will be grouped according to programmatic areas of interest to DOE and
will be reviewed by DOE laboratory scientists to determine the priority
of the proposed research. Based on this review, DOE/EPSCoR management
will recommend formal submission of applications to the Department.
Telephone, facsimile numbers, and e-mail address are required parts of
the preapplication. Instructions regarding the contents of a
preapplication and other preappli- cation guidelines can be found on
the SC Grants and Contracts web site at: http://www.er.doe.gov/
production/grants/preapp.html
In addition to the project description all preapplications and
formal applications must include the following information:
1. Applications should explain the relevance of the proposed
research to the agency's programmatic needs. On the cover page,
applicants should specify the relevant DOE technical program office,
and if known, the name of the program manager, and telephone number.
DOE program descriptions and the contact person information may be
accessed via the web at: http://www.doe.gov
2. Applications must demonstrate clear evidence of collaborative
intent, including a delineation of each partner's role and contribution
to the research effort as well as a ``Letter-of-Intent'' from the
participating DOE National Laboratory, facility, or center.
3. Applications must explain the individual value to both the
EPSCoR and the National Laboratory partners. There should be clear
objectives, not necessarily the same, for each partner.
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 Part 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.
Applications received by SC under its current competitive
application mechanisms that meet the criteria outlined in this Notice
may also be deemed appropriate for consideration under this
announcement and may be funded under this program.
General information about the development and submission of
preapplications, applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluation,
and selection processes, and other policies and procedures are
contained in the Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial
Assistance Program and 10 CFR Part 605. Electronic access to the latest
version of SC's Financial Assistance Guide is possible via the Internet
at the following web site address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/
grants/grants.html
Additional information regarding format, preparation and specific
requirements may be found at web site address: http://www.er.doe.gov/
production/bes/EPSCoR/appL1.HTM
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 July 26, 1999.
Ralph H. DeLorenzo,
Acting Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 99-19888 Filed 8-2-99; 8:45 am]
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