[Federal Register: March 4, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 42)]
[Notices]
[Page 10215-10216]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04mr03-45]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 03-19;
Research in Innovative Approaches to Fusion Energy Sciences
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) of the Office of
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announces its interest
in receiving grant applications for research in innovative approaches
to fusion energy sciences. All individuals or groups planning to submit
applications for new or renewal funding in Fiscal Year 2004 should
submit in response to this Notice.
Specifically, projects funded under this Notice should be
responsive to the MFE Goal 2 of the Report of the Integrated Program
Planning Activity for the DOE OFES Program (IPPA 2000), Report DOE/SC-
0028 (http://vlt.ucsd.edu/IPPAFinalDec00.pdf). The Goal calls for
resolving outstanding scientific issues and establishing reduced-cost
paths to more attractive fusion energy systems by investigating a broad
range of innovative magnetic confinement configurations, as recommended
in the report on ``Priorities and Balance within the Fusion Energy
Sciences Program'' by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee
(FESAC), September 1999 (http://vlt.ucsd.edu/revisedpanel.pdf).
Proposals exploring new and innovative approaches for creating compact
plasmas with high [beta] and high temperatures in pulsed or steady
state, and for the active control of magnetized plasmas are
particularly welcome. Research involving highly innovative experimental
approaches to improve our understanding of magnetized plasmas, and
exploration of highly innovative plasma operations in support of proof-
of-principle and higher performance plasmas in support of the above
Goal, may also be considered. Although the main thrust of the research
efforts funded under this Notice is experimental, consideration will
also be given to applications that are directed at scientific
assessment of new concepts and approaches that are not ready for
experimental investigation. Applications for research on existing large
facilities, or initiatives in Inertial Fusion Energy should not be
submitted in response to this Notice.
Due to the limited availability of funds, Principal Investigators
with continuing grants may not submit a new application in the same
area(s) of interest as their previous application(s) which received
funding. A Principal Investigator may submit only one application under
this Notice.
OFES may also solicit proposals from time to time under separate
announcements of Initiatives to support coordinated, goal-directed
community efforts. These Initiatives will be funded to achieve specific
programmatic and scientific aims and will be subject to requirements
that are different from those of this Notice. Such grants, if funded,
will be subject to periodic reviews of progress.
DATES: To permit timely consideration for awards early in Fiscal Year
2004, applications submitted in response to this Notice must be
received by DOE no later than 4:30 p.m., May 1, 2003. Electronic
submission of formal applications in PDF format is required using a
minimum number of files.
Applicants are requested to submit a letter-of-intent by April 4,
2003, which includes the title of the application, the name of the
Principal Investigator(s), the requested funding, and a one-page
abstract. These letters-of-intent will be used to organize and expedite
review processes. Failure to submit a letter-of-intent will not
negatively prejudice a responsive formal application submitted in a
timely fashion. The letters-of-intent should be sent by E-mail to the
following E-mail address: john.sauter@science.doe.gov and the Subject
line should state: Letter-of-intent regarding Program Notice 03-19.
ADDRESSES: Formal applications in response to this solicitation are to
be electronically submitted by an authorized institutional business
official through DOE's Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS)
at: http://e-center.doe.gov/. IIPS provides for the posting of
solicitations and receipt of applications in a paperless environment
via the Internet. In order to submit applications through IIPS, your
business official will need to register at the IIPS website. It is
suggested that this registration be completed several days prior to the
date on which you plan to submit the formal application. The Office of
Science will include attachments as part of this Notice that provide
the appropriate forms in PDF fillable format that are to be submitted
through IIPS using a minimum number of files. Color images should be
submitted in IIPS as a separate file in PDF format and identified as
such. These images should be kept to a minimum due to the limitations
of reproducing them. They should be numbered and referred to in the
body of the technical scientific grant application as Color image 1,
Color image 2, etc. Questions regarding the operation of IIPS may be e-
mailed to the IIPS Help Desk at: HelpDesk@pr.doe.gov, or you may call
the help desk at: (800) 683-0751. Further information on the use of
IIPS by the Office of Science is available at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/
production/grants/grants.html.
If you are unable to submit an application through IIPS, please
contact the Office of the Director, Grants and Contracts Division,
Office of Science, DOE at: (301) 903-5212 in order to gain assistance
for submission through IIPS, or to receive special approval and
instructions on how to submit printed applications.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Fusion Energy Sciences,
Germantown Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290. Dr. Francis Thio is the Team
Leader for the ICC Program. Specific contacts for each area of interest
within the ICC program, along with telephone numbers and Internet
addresses, are listed below:
1. Spherical torus: Dr. Don Priester, Research Division, SC-55,
Telephone: (301) 903-3752, or by Internet address:
don.priester@science.doe.gov.
2. Stellarator, electric tokamak, levitated dipole configuration,
innovative research in tokamaks: Dr. Charles Finfgeld, Research
Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-3423, or by Internet address:
Charles.Finfgeld@science.doe.gov.
3. Reversed Field Pinch, field reversed configuration, spheromak,
magnetized target fusion, electrostatic confinement, plasma heating:
Dr. Francis Thio, Research Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-4678,
or by Internet address: francis.thio@science.doe.gov.
4. Configuration with strong shear flow stabilization: Dr. Curt Bolton,
Research Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-4914, or by Internet
address: curt.bolton@science.doe.gov.
5. Active and passive plasma control: Dr. Steve Eckstrand, Research
Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301)
[[Page 10216]]
903-5546, or by Internet address: steve.eckstrand@science.doe.gov.
6. All other innovative concepts and approaches: Dr. Francis Thio,
Research Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-4678, or by Internet
address: francis.thio@science.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: General information about development and
submission of applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluations and
selection processes, and other policies and procedures may be found in
the Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial Assistance
Program and 10 CFR part 605. Electronic access to SC's Financial
Assistance Guide and required forms is possible via the Internet using
the following Web site address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/
grants/grants.html.
DOE is under no obligation to pay for any costs
associated with the preparation or submission of an application if an
award is not made.
In selecting applications for funding, the DOE Office of Fusion
Energy Sciences will give priority to applications that can produce
experimental results within three to five years after grant initiation.
Theoretical research will be accepted for consideration under this
Notice when bundled with and in support of an experimental application.
Applications concerned with scientific assessment of new concepts
or approaches that are not ready for experimental investigation should
have a well-defined scope. The product of such assessment would be a
clear scientific description of the concept and its operation, its
physics and engineering basis, critical analysis of major difficulties
to be overcome in developing the concept as a net producer of energy
through the fusion process, and an analysis of what would be achieved
by moving to experimental research.
Program Funding
It is anticipated that about $6,000,000 of Fiscal Year 2004 funding
will be available to fund new work or renewals of existing work from
applications received in response to this Notice. The number of awards
and range of funding will depend on the number of applications received
and selected for award. Future year funding will depend upon suitable
progress and the availability of funds. The cost-effectiveness of the
application will be considered when comparing applications with
differing funding requirements. Applications for scientific assessment
of new concepts will be limited to a maximum of $150,000 in any year.
Applications requiring annual funding as low as $50,000 are welcome and
encouraged.
Collaborative research projects involving more than one institution
are encouraged. Applications submitted from different institutions,
which are directed at a common research activity, should clearly
indicate they are part of a proposed collaboration and contain a brief
description of the overall research project. However, each application
must have a distinct scope of work and a qualified principal
investigator, who is responsible for the research effort being
performed at his or her institution. Synergistic collaborations with
researchers in federal laboratories and Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers (FFRDCs), including the DOE National Laboratories
are also encouraged, though no funds will be provided to these
organizations under this Notice. Further information on preparation of
collaborative applications may be accessed via the Internet at: http://
www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html.
Applications from individual PIs or small groups (1-4 people)
should be limited to a maximum of twenty (20) pages (including text and
figures) of technical information, while applications from larger
research groups should be limited to thirty (30) pages. The PDF file
may also include a few selected publications in an Appendix as
background information. In addition, in the electronic submission,
please limit biographical and publication information for the principal
investigator and key personnel to no more than two pages each. Each
principal investigator should provide an e-mail address.
In addition to the information required by 10 CFR part 605 each
application should contain the following items: (1) A statement about
the goal of the proposed investigation, (2) a synopsis of the research
plan, (3) the specific results or deliverable expected at the end of
the project period, (4) a discussion of why this research would have an
important impact on the prospects for fusion energy, or why this
research would lead to an attractive pathway towards practical fusion
energy, (5) a discussion of how the research would elucidate the
physics principles of the innovation, (6) a detailed research plan, and
(7) information on the adequacy of the facilities and budget.
Merit Review
Applications will be subjected to formal merit review and will be
evaluated against the following criteria, which are listed in
descending order of importance as set forth in 10 CFR part 605. (http:/
/www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/605index.html
)
/www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/605index.html)
1. Scientific and/or technical merit of the project;
2. Appropriateness of the proposed method or approach;
3. Competency of the applicant's personnel and adequacy of the
proposed resources; and
4. Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget.
The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences shall also consider, as part
of the evaluation, other available advice or information as well as
program policy factors such as ensuring an appropriate balance among
the program areas and within the program areas, coupling to the theory
and computational efforts, and quality of previous performance.
Selection of applications/proposals for award will be based upon the
findings of the technical evaluations, the importance and relevance of
the proposed research to the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences' mission,
and funding availability. Funding under this Notice is limited to
supporting research activities based in the U.S., though subcontracts
with limited funding for collaborators outside the U.S. may be allowed
with appropriate justifications.
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 February 24, 2003.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 03-4994 Filed 3-3-03; 8:45 am]
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