[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 18 (Thursday, January 27, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-1771] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: January 27, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Research Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 94-10; Global Change Research With Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 to support an experimental program in global climate change, i.e., the measurement and analysis of radiation and cloud/radiation effects. This program is being pursued in support of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and supports the goals of the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program. Funding for this effort comes from both the Department of Defense (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and from DOE. In the initial phases of this effort leased Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles (UAV) will be instrumented and flights will be made in conjunction with ARM site activities. These initial missions will emphasize measurement of the vertical flux profile in the troposphere and the use of UAV-based measurements to calibrate satellite derived fluxes. Applications are sought to use the UAV-based data, in conjunction with ARM site and other data, to address key issues in the radiative heating of the atmosphere; for the use, modification, or development of UAV-compatible instruments for such radiation and cloud studies; to support instrument development; and for data analysis which support integration of the UAV-borne instrument data with ARM site and other data. These efforts are intended to supply information for the global change scientific community and satisfy DoD SERDP goals in Global Environmental Change. DATES: Formal application submitted in response to this notice must be received by March 28, 1994, to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 1994. ADDRESSES: Formal applications referencing Program Notice 94-10 should be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Acquisition and Assistance Management Division, ER-64 (GTN), Washington, D.C. 20585, ATTN: Program Notice 94-10. 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, Office of Energy Research, Acquisition and Assistance Management Division, ER-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Patrick Crowley, Environmental Sciences Division, Office of Health and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, telephone (301) 903-3069. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the ARM program is to improve the treatment of radiation and clouds in the models used to predict future climate, particularly the General Circulation Models (GCM). (The role of clouds in climate change is the highest science priority in the USGCRP.) The ARM program is one element of a major effort to improve the quality of current models and to support the development of sets of climate models capable of making regional prediction of climate and climate change. The major component of the ARM Program is an experimental testbed for the study of the terrestrial radiation field, properties of clouds, the full life cycle of clouds, and the incorporation of process-level models into climate models. This testbed is called the Clouds and Radiation Testbed (CART). The first ARM CART site began operation in calendar year 1992 with instruments spread over approximately 60,000 square kilometers centered in Lamont, Oklahoma. Sites planned for the Tropical Western Pacific Ocean and the North Slope of Alaska are expected to become operational over the next four years. The present effort supports ARM objectives by providing for instrumentation, collection and analysis of data on ARM relevant phenomena using UAVs as instrument platforms. The desirability of UAVs for this research lies in their potential to remain on station or make long range tracks for extended periods (>48 hrs) and/or to fly at altitudes slightly above the top of the troposphere. These advantages are achieved without concomitant risk to pilot or crew. The altitudes of interest for the present effort extend from about one thousand feet to the top of the troposphere. The lower altitude is governed by safety and control factors and the upper altitude is expected to be adequate for the study of most tropospheric and radiation budget investigations. Although mission schedules are currently being developed, they are expected to be flexible--three UAV flight missions are anticipated in the next 18 months. The first three missions will be over the Southern Great Plains ARM Site. These early missions will emphasize measurement of the vertical radiation flux profile and the use of UAV-borne instruments to calibrate satellite-derived measurements such as the top-of-the-atmosphere flux. The initial payloads include up and down- looking, broadband solar and infrared, hemispherical flux radiometers; a nadir viewing spectral radiometer covering the 0.4 to 4.0 microns; and a meteorology package (temperature, pressure, and water vapor measurements). {The goal of the first missions is measurement of the vertical radiation flux profile and they will be conducted with instruments being integrated into payloads presently; these instruments include broad-band radiometers, a narrow band radiometer, and a meteorology package (temperature, pressure and water vapor measurement).} Later missions will be more flexible as to goals, mission profiles, and instrument payload. This notice requests applications to support two categories of effort; analysis of data and development of UAV instruments in pursuit of the experimental goals. Data analysis efforts should focus on making maximum use of UAV- derived data, in conjunction with CART and other data sources, to address key radiative heating issues and to provide calibration/ validation of satellite derived data products. In addition, the investigators funded for these efforts are expected to assist in planning the future missions to include locations, mission profiles, and instrument complement. Mission planning will be conducted by these investigators, UAV instrument developers and interested members of the ARM science team, and the UAV mission planning group. Proposed instruments for the UAV missions should provide data relevant and of unique value to the mission's objectives. Instruments should be compatible with use on a small UAV as part of a multi- instrument payload. Typically they should weigh less than 30 kg, draw less than 100 W, and occupy less than 1.01m\3\. Instruments must be capable of autonomous operation fully exposed to the ambient atmosphere. The UAV payload interface will provide power to the instrument through a DC Bus (voltage negotiable) and will also provide for telemetering the data stream to the ground. Applications for instrument development should include optimum conditions for taking data from the proposed instrument as well as requirements for other instruments on-board or required from other platforms (e.g., the ARM site). The proposed instruments will be subject to a review at six months after the award. A decision on which instruments to bring to operational capability will be made at the six month review. It is anticipated that approximately $3.5M will be available for awards for these activities contingent on availability of appropriated funds. Multiple year funding is expected, also contingent upon the availability of funds. The allocation of funds will depend on the number and quality of applications received. Typical Environmental Sciences Division awards are $200,000 per year, but range between $50,000 and $750,000. The technical portions of the applications should not exceed twenty-five (25) double-spaced pages, and should be accompanied by an abstract of not more than two paragraphs. Information on the development and submission of applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluation, selection process, and other policies and procedures may be found in the Application Guide for the Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance Program and 10 CFR part 605. The Application Guide is available from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Health and Environmental Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-74 (GTN), 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 January 14, 1994. D.D. Mayhew, Director, Office of Management, Office of Energy Research. [FR Doc. 94-1771 Filed 1-26-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P