[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 1994)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1010-1011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-384]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Research

 

Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 94-08; 
Microbial Genome Initiative

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER) of the 
Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby 
announces its interest in receiving applications for a cooperative 
agreement in support of the Microbial Genome Initiative. This new 
initiative will focus on developing a microbial genome sequencing 
capability that will provide genomic sequence and mapping information: 
(i) On microorganisms with environmental or energy relevance; (ii) of 
phylogenetic relevance; and (iii) of potential commercial importance 
and application. One to five awards are anticipated, from a total of 
approximately $3 million, subject to the availability of appropriated 
funds.

DATES: Formal applications in response to this notice should be 
received by 4:30 p.m., E.D.T., April 21, 1994, to be accepted for merit 
review and funding in FY 1994.

ADDRESSES: Formal applications referencing Program Notice 94-08 should 
be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, 
Acquisition and Assistance Management Division, ER-64, Washington, DC 
20585, ATTN: Program Notice 94-08. The following address 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: U.S. Department of Energy, Acquisition and Assistance 
Management Division, ER-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 
20874.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. D. Jay Grimes, Environmental 
Sciences Division, ER-74, Office of Health and Environmental Research, 
Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 
20585, telephone 301-903-4183.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Molecular biological research on 
industrially important microorganisms and on microorganisms which live 
in extreme environments (including the deep subsurface, geothermal 
environments, and toxic waste sites) is a developing area of great 
scientific promise which will impact many DOE missions and U.S. 
industry. This new Microbial Genome Initiative will support diverse DOE 
program objectives, by providing microbial DNA sequence information 
that will further the understanding of microbial phylogeny, physiology 
and structural biology, and that will facilitate the exploitation of 
opportunities which have considerable direct industrial utility. This 
new thrust in exploring microbial genomic sequence diversity is a 
natural outgrowth of current OHER sponsored programs, including 
chromosome mapping and DNA sequencing technologies from the Human 
Genome Program, structural biology studies utilizing OHER-supported 
facilities and synchrotrons located at DOE laboratories, and molecular 
microbiological research supported by the Subsurface Science and Ocean 
Margins Programs. Conversely, this Microbial Genome Initiative could 
benefit directly from capabilities at DOE national laboratories, DOE 
and National Institutes of Health Human Genome Centers, and university 
capabilities, including the DOE-sponsored Subsurface Microbial Culture 
Collection. It could also be enriched by protein engineering efforts 
coupled with rapid structure determination using intense x-ray sources 
and powerful Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology. Thus, this 
initiative represents a considerable interdisciplinary effort and will 
contribute to, and draw from, a wide variety of public and private 
programs.
    Applicants must demonstrate that they can apply the most recent, 
cost-effective technology to the production of sequence data and that 
they can adequately and efficiently accumulate and store those data for 
future interpretation and application. A plan for making the sequence 
data publicly available must be included in the application's 
description of work portion. Preference will be given to those 
applicants that demonstrate well developed plans for selecting 
candidate microorganisms for DNA sequencing. Candidate groups of 
microorganisms include, but are not limited to, eukaryotes, 
prokaryotes, and archaebacteria. The plan should include the creation 
of an advisory board (the Microbial Genome Advisory Board, MGAB) that 
will: (i) Oversee the program, and; (ii) approve proposed candidates 
for sequence development. Priorities regarding what to sequence would 
be made by the MGAB with direction from DOE. One model for a Microbial 
Genome Project would be a centralized sequencing facility that 
interacts with a changing consortium of other institutions. Applicants 
are encouraged to create process- and cost-effective partnerships that 
will maximize sequence data production, data dissemination, and 
progress towards understanding basic biological mechanisms that can 
further development of biotechnology. Joint support with industry is 
encouraged. The recipient of an award will be peer reviewed toward the 
end of the second year of the award and subsequently as needed to 
ensure high quality work.
    Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief 
preapplication, in accordance with 10 CFR 600.10(d)(2), which consists 
of two to three pages of narrative describing the research objectives 
and method of accomplishment. Preapplications will be reviewed relative 
to the scope and research needs of the OHER Microbial Genome 
Initiative, as outlined in the above SUMMARY paragraph to determine the 
suitability of an applicant's submitting a formal application. 
Preapplications referencing Program Notice 94-08 should be received by 
February 18, 1994, and sent to the following address: Dr. D. Jay 
Grimes, Office of Health and Environmental Research, ER-74, Office of 
Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, 301-
903-4183, FAX 301-903-8519; electronic mail is acceptable for 
preapplications, although e-mail preapplicants should confirm an e-mail 
transmission by telephone (Internet address is 
[email protected]). Principal investigator telephone and 
FAX numbers are required as part of the preapplication. A response to 
each preapplication discussing the potential programmatic relevance of 
a formal application will be communicated to the Principal Investigator 
within 30 days of receipt.
    It is anticipated that approximately $3 million will be available 
for this award contingent on availability of appropriated funds. 
Multiple year funding is expected for the Microbial Genome Initiative, 
also contingent on availability of funds.
    Information about development and submission of applications, 
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, selection processes, and other 
policies and procedures may be found in the Application Guide for the 
Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance Programs and 10 CFR part 
605. The Office of Energy Research (ER), as part of its grant 
regulations, requires at 10 CFR 605.11(b) that a grantee funded by ER 
and performing research involving recombinant DNA molecules shall 
comply with the National Institutes of Health ``Guidelines for Research 
Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules'' (51 FR 16958, May 7, 1986), or 
such later guidelines as may be published in the Federal Register.
    The technical portion of the application should not exceed thirty 
(30) pages, exclusive of attachments.
    The Application Guide is available from the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Health and Environmental Research, ER-74, Washington, 
DC 20585. Telephone requests may be made by calling 301-903-4902.

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic assistance Number for this 
program is 81.049.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 22, 1993.
D. D. Mayhew,
Director, Office of Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 94-384 Filed 1-6-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P