[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5736]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 11, 1994]



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Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 94-16; 
Terrestrial Carbon Research of the Global Change Program

AGENCY: Office of Energy Research, 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 to support research 
and analysis of ``terrestrial carbon processes'' (TCP) that affect 
changes of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. This 
program is a refocusing of existing DOE research on the global carbon 
cycle, and the response of vegetation to CO2. The refocused 
research supports the Department's Global Change Research Program 
(including studies of climate change), the U.S. Global Change Research 
Program (USGCRP), and the Administration's goals to understand and 
mitigate the rise in greenhouse gases.
    This notice requests grant applications for research that will (i) 
advance the scientific understanding of terrestrial processes 
regulating carbon balance of those ecosystems having a major influence 
on atmospheric CO2 concentration; (ii) evaluate changes of carbon 
quantities of ecosystems in relation to the rising concentration of 
atmospheric CO2, and, reciprocally, how ecosystem response affects 
atmospheric CO2 concentration; and (iii) identify/quantify 
biological processes and paradigms that control carbon metabolism and 
operate across a range of ecosystems. Emphasis will be placed on an 
improved understanding of metabolic processes of vascular plants that 
mediate the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and the biological 
and ecological factors controlling retention of carbon in terrestrial 
ecosystems. The goal of TCP research is to identify and quantify 
natural mechanisms of the terrestrial ecosystems that may be affecting 
secular trends and year to year variations of atmospheric CO2, and 
to develop the scientific understanding needed to model/predict/
quantify the role of terrestrial ecosystems for regulating the global 
carbon balance. As a secondary priority, associated research will 
identify sites and rates of carbon sequestration by land systems, 
particularly those that lend themselves to the management of enhanced 
carbon fixation and retention. While this notice focuses on terrestrial 
aspects of the global carbon cycle, DOE also maintains an Oceans 
Research Program which addresses ocean-related carbon questions. 
Research on the effects of global change (including ecological 
responses to CO2) on ecosystem structure and function not directly 
tied to carbon processes will be considered by the companion DOE 
Program on Ecosystem Research (PER).

DATES: Formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be 
received by 4:30 PM, EDT, May 16, 1994, to permit timely consideration 
for award in Fiscal Year 1995.

ADDRESSES: Formal applications referencing Program Notice 94-16 should 
be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, 
Acquisition and Assistance Management Division, ER-64 (GTN), 
Washington, DC 20585, ATTN: Program notice 94-16. 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. Roger C. Dahlman, Office of Health 
and Environmental Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-74 
(GTN), U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, (301)903-4902/
4951, or by Internet address, [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The solicited TCP research seeks to enhance 
the scientific understanding of natural processes of the terrestrial 
carbon cycle, including documenting the fate of excess CO2 
emissions in terrestrial environments. In this context, the research is 
an important adjunct to policies and actions being considered for 
slowing the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For example, 
improved understanding of carbon processes will help to build 
scientific foundations for evaluating the effectiveness of the 
Administration's Climate Change Action Plan for slowing the rate of 
atmospheric CO2 increase. This research will help provide the 
scientific basis for quantifying the role of the terrestrial biosphere 
in regulating changes in atmospheric CO2, which defines an 
important radiative forcing for assessment of climate change--a core 
research activity of the USGCRP and DOE's Global Change research.
    While it is well-known that energy-related emissions contribute 
greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, it is also recognized that natural 
earth system processes exert a major control on ultimate atmospheric 
concentration of the gases. This is especially true for CO2, and 
is illustrated by the observation of the past few years that the rate 
of increase of atmospheric CO2 increase has drastically slowed. 
This observed phenomenon raises questions about whether unexplained 
natural processes have a major influence on this constituent of the 
atmosphere.
    Priority will be placed on field experiments of physiological/
ecological controls of whole ecosystem carbon processes, and on studies 
of metabolism/retention of carbon in major terrestrial ecosystems. 
While processes to be investigated may range from fundamental studies 
of plant carbon metabolism (e.g., photosynthesis, respiration, etc) to 
ecosystem controls on carbon balance, the research products must 
logically contribute to the analysis of overall carbon balance of 
ecosystems, and to ``global'' evaluations of natural controls of the 
global carbon cycle. Collaborative studies are encouraged, particularly 
those that contribute to multidisciplinary research organized around 
existing field facilities designed to manipulate CO2 
concentrations and other global change variables (e.g., temperature, 
moisture) that affect carbon budgets of ecosystems.
    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 research objectives. The 
preapplication is required to provide information that can be used to 
arrange for adequate reviews and also to provide applicants with an 
indication of DOE's interest in a potential application. Preapplication 
and the formal grant application should identify theoretical 
underpinnings for the proposed research on processes, identify field 
empirical approaches for generating data bases, and suggest the logical 
connection of research products to global-scale analysis of atmospheric 
CO2 change.
    Preapplications and formal applications will be reviewed relative 
to the DOE interests described by this notice, and in reference to 
scope and research priorities of the U.S. Global Climate Change 
Research Program (USGCRP), specifically, the priority task on CO2 
and Trace-Gas research described in the USGCRP draft report entitled, 
``Special Issue on Enhanced Terrestrial Ecology Research on Global 
Change''. Preapplications should include no more than two to three 
double-spaced pages (10 pt): Including proposed research; names and 
telephone numbers for all principal investigators (PIs), co-principal 
investigators (CO-PIs), and collaborators; and telefax number, Internet 
address (if available) and mail address for the PI. Preapplications 
referencing Program Notice 94-16 should be received by March 31, 1994, 
and sent to Dr. Roger C. Dahlman, Office of Health and Environmental 
Research, ER-74, Washington, DC 20585, or to the Internet address noted 
above. A response to the preapplications will be communicated to the PI 
by April 22, 1994.
    Each formal application should not exceed 25 double-spaced 10 pt 
pages (20 pages technical material, and 5 pages for curriculum vitae 
and all other data) with one-inch margins, and should include an 
abstract of not more than two paragraphs. Lengthy applications are not 
encouraged, and may be returned with a request to reduce length; 
however, applications received after the deadline may not be eligible 
for award in FY 1995.
    It is anticipated that approximately $2.5 million will be available 
for grant awards in FY 1995, and approximately another $2.0 million in 
FY 1996, contingent upon availability of appropriated funds. Previous 
awards for this type of research have ranged from $100,000 up to 
$400,000 per year, with most not exceeding $250,000. While most awards 
are expected to range from $100,000 to $250,000 per year, a few larger 
awards may be granted for core experiments requiring designs or 
facilities for manipulating CO2 and other environmental variables. 
Funding of multiple year grant awards is expected, and is also 
contingent upon availability of appropriated funds. Other investigators 
with meritorious applications may be encouraged to conduct research at 
core facilities; therefore, to the extent it is possible, applicants 
should identify which, if any, existing facilities or locations they 
would cooperate with if they received an award.
    Emphasis will be placed on experimental and analytical studies in 
the first cycle (FY 1995) of awards, and interests in modeling 
terrestrial carbon processes, and the terrestrial carbon cycle will be 
considered in the second cycle (FY 1996). In the first cycle, however, 
applicants are encouraged to point out how their research products on 
terrestrial carbon processes might contribute to on-going or planned 
carbon modeling activities.
    Information about 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, Washington, DC 20585. Telephone requests may 
be made by calling (301)903-4902. Supplemental documentation including 
(1) Examples of existing DOE research on carbon cycle and the response 
of vegetation to CO2, the two programs that will be refocused as 
research on ``terrestrial carbon processes,'' and (2) Draft USGCRP 
report on the ``Special Issue on Enhanced Terrestrial Ecology Research 
on Global Change'' is also available upon request by calling (301) 903-
4902.

    The Catalog of Federal Assistance Number for this program is 
81.049.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 28, 1994.
Dale C. Stubenrauch,
Acting Director, Office of Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 94-5736 Filed 3-10-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P