[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 243 (Tuesday, December 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65320-65321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30749]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Research
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 96-03:
Computational Structural Biology
Agency: Office of Energy Research, 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 (ER), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE),
supports a comprehensive research program in the
[[Page 65321]]
area of environmental sciences, health effects and life sciences, and
medical applications. Major program research emphasis is placed on
characterization of human and microbial genomes, structural biology,
cellular and molecular biology, global climate change, improved
technology for cleanup of DOE contaminated sites, advanced imaging
technologies, and molecular nuclear medicine. With the explosion of
nucleic acid and amino acid sequence data that stems from genome
projects, there is an immediate need for greatly improved experimental
and computational approaches for protein structure determination. To
help meet this need, and in support of diverse missions of DOE, OHER is
initiating a new program in computational structural biology. The
purpose of this program is to support research that will enhance
understanding of structure-function relationships in biological
macromolecules. These relationships are very important for diverse
applications in biotechnology, including development of drugs for
diseases, new and improved biomaterials, design of enzymes for
effective and efficient removal of environmental contaminants, and the
development and conversion of bio-mass for fuels. In particular,
research applications that integrate existing software tools in novel
ways and/or develop new computational strategies to exploit databases
of macromolecular structural information towards furthering our
understanding of the relationships between sequence and structure are
of particular interest to the program at this time. This includes the
goals of predicting the structure and function of newly discovered gene
sequences and the prediction or design of the chemical properties and
architectural arrangement of proteins or nucleic acids needed for a
particular functional application. Examples of existing approaches that
fall into this category are knowledge-based or molecular extension
methods (e.g., homology model building or multiple sequence alignment),
ab initio folding (finding structures that fit sequences) and the
development of tools to assign existing or new sequences to specific
structures (e.g., finding sequences that fit structures through
threading or inverse folding algorithms). Attention should be also
focussed on the problem of negative design, the identification of
aspects of a sequence that precludes its fitting a known structure.
More generally, the integration and joint utilization of the growing
body of sequence, structural and physical information is an area that
offers new opportunities that are of interest to the program. Studies
that rigorously compare existing tools and/or exploit the latest
advances in multiple approaches (in algorithms, simulation, modeling
and graphical representation/visualization) or that include the
development of new computational and visualization techniques for
application to the prediction of protein and nucleic acid structure and
the exploitation of structure to predict function, will also be
considered particularly responsive. Collaborative projects with two to
five principal investigators, of complementary expertise and each with
independent funding, aimed at achieving a synergistic effect in
improving structure prediction accuracy through such activities as
evaluation of different potential functions, the development of shared
code, or an integrated attack on a set of problems in an area of
prediction or in testing current modeling techniques are also
encouraged. Funds for such projects would be comparable to individual
awards, but could be used to nucleate a larger group effort.
DATES: Formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be
received by 4:30 p.m., E.D.T., April 25, 1996, to be accepted for a
June merit review and to permit timely consideration of award in Fiscal
Year 1996.
ADDRESSES: Formal applications referencing Program Notice 96-03 should
be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research,
Grants and Contracts Division, ER-64, 19901 Germantown Road,
Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290, ATTN: Program Notice 96-03. The same
address as above must be used when submitting applications by U.S.
Postal Service Express Mail, any commercial mail delivery service, or
hand carried by the applicant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Matesh N. Varma, Office of Health
and Environmental Research, ER-73, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901
Germantown Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290, telephone: (301) 903-
3209, Fax: (301) 903-0567, (E-mail: [email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Before preparing a formal application,
potential applicants must 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 and methods of accomplishment.
These will be reviewed relative to the scope and research needs for the
computational structural biology program. Preapplications referencing
Program Notice 96-03 should be received by January 23, 1996, and sent
to Dr. Matesh N. Varma, Office of Health and Environmental Research,
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290, (301) 903-3209.
Telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses are required to be part
of the preapplication. A response to the preapplication discussing
potential relevance of a formal application will be communicated by
February 20, 1996. It is anticipated that approximately $2.0 million
will be available for grant awards during Fiscal Year 1996 contingent
upon availability of funds. We expect to award several grants in this
area of research up to a few hundred thousand dollars per year.
Information about development, submission, and the selection process,
and other polices and procedures may be found in 10 CFR Part 605, and
in the Application Guide for the Office of Energy Research Financial
Assistance Program. The Application Guide is available from the U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Health and Environmental, ER-73, 19901
Germantown Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290. Telephone requests
may be made by calling (301) 903-5349. Electronic access to ER's
Financial Assistance Guide is possible via the Internet using the
following E-mail address: http://www.er.doe.gov/
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, D.C. on December 11, 1995.
D. D. Mayhew,
Associate Director, Office of Resource Management, Office of Energy
Research.
[FR Doc. 95-30749 Filed 12-18-95; 8:45 am]
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