[Federal Register: January 6, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 3)]
[Notices]
[Page 635-638]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ja04-71]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice DE-FG01-
04ER04-08; Scientific Discovery Through Advanced Computing: Climate
Change Prediction Program
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) of
the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby
announces its interest in receiving applications for research grants in
the Climate Change Prediction Program (CCPP), which is a component of
the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). Applications should
describe research projects supporting the development of simulation
models (computer programs) for prediction of climate decades to
centuries in the future, and should clearly describe how that research
will contribute to a measurably improved ability to use terascale
computing to predict climatic change. All applications submitted in
response to this notice must explicitly state how the proposed research
will support accomplishment of the BER Climate Change Research
Division's (CCRD's) Long Term Measure of Scientific Advancement to
deliver improved data and models for policy makers to determine
acceptable levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
DATES: Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to submit a 1-2
page preapplication for programmatic review. There is no deadline for
the
[[Page 636]]
preapplication, but early submission of preapplications is encouraged
to allow time for meaningful discussions.
Formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be
received by 4:30 p.m., E.S.T., March 15, 2004, to be accepted for merit
review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year
2004.
ADDRESSES: Preapplications referencing Program Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-08
should be sent to Dr. Jeffrey S. Amthor, CCPP Program Manager, via e-
mail to: jeff.amthor@science.doe.gov. Please include ``Preapplication
Program Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-08'' in the E-mail subject field.
Formal applications referencing Program Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-08,
must be sent electronically 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. IIPS
offers the option of using multiple files, please limit submissions to
one volume and one file if possible, with a maximum of no more than
four PDF files. 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. 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 Grants and Contracts Division, Office of Science at: (301)
903-5212 or (301) 903-3604, 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: Dr. Jeffrey S. Amthor, phone: (301)
903-2507; e-mail: jeff.amthor@science.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: Scientific Discovery Through Advanced Computing Program and
the Climate Change Prediction Program
Accurate prediction of future climate on decadal to centennial time
scales is a major scientific objective of the BER CCRD. The CCPP
represents the current phase of BER's long-standing climate modeling
and simulation research agenda. The CCPP is focused on developing,
testing, and applying climate simulation and prediction models
(computer programs) that stay at the leading edge of scientific
knowledge and computational technology. The CCPP will continue to
develop models based on more definitive theoretical foundations and
improved computational methods that will run efficiently on current and
future high-performance supercomputers. The intent is to increase
dramatically both the accuracy and throughput of computer programs
designed to predict effects of increased concentrations of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere on the climatic system. Specifically, the CCPP
will measurably advance models used to predict climatic variability and
change decades to centuries in the future under a variety of forcing
scenarios. Such advancements will be associated with, but not limited
to, improving component model performance and accuracy, implementing
efficient strategies to couple model components, and maximizing
throughput on computers capable of peak speeds of 10-50 trillion
Operations Per Second (10-50 teraOPS).
A portion of the current CCPP is funded by the DOE SC Scientific
Discovery Through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program. It is
anticipated that applications to this Notice that are selected for
support will be funded by the SciDAC portion of the CCPP. The goal of
SciDAC is to develop the scientific computing software and hardware
infrastructure needed to use terascale computers to advance research
programs in Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental
(including climatic) Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, and High Energy
Physics, and Nuclear Physics. SciDAC creates a scientific computing
software infrastructure that bridges the gap between the advanced
computing technologies being developed by the computer industry and the
scientific research programs sponsored by the DOE SC. All applications
chosen for funding in response to this Notice will therefore explicitly
state how the proposed research will contribute to a measurably
improved ability to use terascale computing to address important
climatic change prediction issues.
Through SciDAC, the CCPP is presently supporting the Community
Climate System Model (CCSM) Consortium Project at six DOE National
Laboratories (Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Los
Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest). The CCSM Consortium Project
includes collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration's Data Assimilation Office and the National Center for
Atmospheric Research. Software engineering is a key focus of the
Project, and throughput has increased for the atmospheric, land
surface, oceanic, and sea ice components of the CCSM as a result of
Project activities. Other Project accomplishments include completion
and release of a new version of the Parallel Ocean Program (POP),
including improved performance on vector machines; development of the
new hybrid vertical-coordinate version of POP, called HYPOP; and
improvement of the dynamic core of the Community Sea Ice Model (CSIM).
In addition, portability of the CCSM has been significantly enhanced by
the Project. Where appropriate, applications to this notice are
encouraged to include collaboration with the ongoing DOE CCSM
Consortium Project.
Request for Grant Applications
This notice requests applications for grants for one of the three
following activities, all of which are to be directed at development of
simulation models (computer programs) for prediction of climate decades
to centuries in the future and contribute to an enhanced ability to use
terascale computing to implement such models:
(1) Renewal of projects presently funded by the CCPP. Applications
for renewal funding should include clear descriptions of progress made
with present CCPP support. Such descriptions should be part of the
technical portion of the application (see below).
(2) Development of improved representation of key climatic
processes (surface processes, convective transport processes, etc.,)
that accurately simulate these processes in general circulation models
(GCMs) used to study potential decadal-to-centennial climatic
variability and change with subcontinental spatial accuracy, and which
are executed on supercomputers.
(3) Development of improved or new mathematical techniques, model
formulations, and computer algorithms
[[Page 637]]
for atmosphere, ocean, and coupled atmosphere-ocean GCMs that more
accurately and efficiently describe and predict global climatic system
behavior on decadal to centennial time scales and on subcontinental
space scales, and which are executed on supercomputers.
All applications submitted in response to this notice must
explicitly state how the proposed research will support accomplishment
of the BER CCRD's Long Term Measure of Scientific Advancement to
deliver improved data and models for policy makers to determine
acceptable levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. All
applications should also state clearly how the proposed research would
contribute to a measurably enhanced ability to use terascale computing
to address critical climatic change prediction issues.
Applicants seeking renewal of present grants should demonstrate, in
their application, (a) the continued relevance of their work to the
goal of advancing the science of decade-to-multi-century climatic
change prediction and the contribution their work makes to an improved
ability to use terascale computing to address climatic change issues;
(b) the quality and relevance of work conducted under previous support
to these goals, including a listing of publications and presentations;
and (c) relevant contributions to the development of DOE climate
modeling programs, including participation in the organization of
meetings and workshops and collaborations with other DOE-supported
investigators. The technical portion of applications should include a
section titled ``Accomplishments under Previous Support'' that
addresses items (b) and (c) above. Applicants should be prepared to
provide, on short notice, complete legible copies of all publications,
reports, etc., listed in this section, should they be required for the
review process.
Applicants seeking funds to develop improved representation of key
climatic processes for inclusion in GCMs should focus their
applications on efforts to more accurately describe and include such
processes, and their interactions with other aspects of the simulated
climatic system, in GCMs. These projects might explore opportunities,
methods, and collaborations for incorporating the results of the CCSP's
observational and experimental programs (such as the DOE Atmospheric
Radiation Measurement [ARM] program) into model components that
accurately describe climatic system processes at the temporal and
spatial scales typically used for decade-to-multi-century climatic
change prediction. Applications for such activities must include a
clear plan for the dissemination of any developed model code, and
necessary documentation, to the climate modeling community.
Applicants seeking funds to develop improved or new mathematical
techniques and numerical algorithms should target their applications
toward methods that can be incorporated into GCMs running on computers
capable of performing over 10 teraOPS. Applicants must demonstrate the
role of their proposed research in improving the accuracy and/or
computational efficiency of GCMs envisioned for use in making forecasts
of long-term climatic change. Foci of the applications might include,
but need not be limited to, atmospheric and oceanic dynamics and
transport, surface energy and mass exchanges, atmospheric radiative
transfer, ocean convection, and sea-ice dynamics and thermodynamics.
Applications for such activities must include a clear plan for the
dissemination of any developed model code, and necessary documentation,
to the climate modeling community.
To ensure that the CCPP meets both the broad needs of the climate
modeling research community and the specific needs of the CCRD,
successful applicants will participate as members of the CCPP Science
Team along with scientists from related CCRD and SC programs. Costs for
participation in Science Team meetings and workshops should be included
in each application. Yearly estimates for Science Team travel should be
based on one trip of five days to Washington, DC, one trip of five days
to San Francisco, CA, and one trip of five days to Denver, CO.
Program Funding
It is anticipated that about $4,000,000 will be available for
awards in Fiscal Year 2004, contingent on the availability of
appropriated funds. Project start dates of about September 15, 2004,
are expected. Applications may request project support up to three
years, with out-year support contingent on availability of appropriated
funds, progress of the research, and programmatic needs. It is
anticipated that a substantial fraction of available funds will be used
to support renewal of existing research projects under (1) above. The
allocation of funds within the other two research areas will depend on
the quality of applications received. Typical awards are expected to be
about $200,000 per year, but individual awards may deviate from this
amount based on variation in the scope of work proposed in the
applications. DOE is under no obligation to pay for any costs
associated with the preparation or submission of applications if an
award is not made.
Preapplications
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief (1-2
pages of narrative), concise, and clear preapplication describing the
proposed research project objectives and methods. These will be
reviewed relative to the terms of this notice. Principal investigator
name, organization, telephone number, and e-mail address are essential
parts of the preapplication. A response to each preapplication,
discussing the potential program relevance of a formal application,
generally will be communicated within 30 days of receipt. There is no
deadline for the submission of preapplications, but applicants should
allow sufficient time to meet the application deadline of March 15,
2004. SC's preapplication policy is on its Grants and Contracts Web
Site at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/ grants/preapp.html.
Merit Review
Applications will be subjected to formal merit review (peer review)
and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria which
are 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.
For renewals, progress on previous funded research will be an
important criterion for evaluation. 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.
Submission Information
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
[[Page 638]]
605, and in the Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial
Assistance Program. Electronic access to SC's Financial Assistance
Application Guide is possible via the World Wide Web at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html
.
In addition, for this notice, the research description must be 20
pages or less, exclusive of attachments, and must contain an abstract
or summary of the proposed research, on a separate page with the name
of the applicant, mailing address, phone, Fax and e-mail listed.
Applicants who have had prior support must include a Progress Section
with a brief description of results and a list of publications derived
from that funding. Attachments should include short (2 pages)
curriculum vitae, a listing of all current and pending Federal support
and letters of intent when collaborations are part of the proposed
research. 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).
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 December 23, 2003.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 04-201 Filed 1-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P