[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 67 (Friday, April 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15235-15236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8502]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 96-14; High 
Performance Computing and Communications Grand Challenge Applications

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The staff of the Mathematical, Information, and Computational 
Sciences (MICS) Division of the Office of Computational and Technology 
Research (OCTR), Office of Energy Research (ER), U. S. Department of 
Energy (DOE) announces its interest in receiving grant applications for 
research grants for High Performance Computing and Communications Grand 
Challenge Applications.

DATES: Formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be 
received not later than 4:30 p.m. E.D.T., June 15, 1996, to permit 
timely consideration for award early in fiscal year 1997.

ADDRESSES: Formal applications, referencing Program Notice 96-14, 
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 96-14. The above 
address also must be used when submitting formal applications by U. S. 
Postal Service Express Mail, any commercial mail delivery service, or 
when handcarried by the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Walter C. Ermler, Office of Energy 
Research, U.S. Department of Energy, OCTR/MICS, ER-31, 19901 Germantown 
Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Tel: (301) 903-5800.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: High Performance Computing and 
Communications (HPCC) Grand Challenge Applications (GCAs) address 
computation-intensive fundamental problems in science and engineering 
whose solutions can be advanced by applying HPCC technologies and 
resources. This solicitation constitutes Phase II of the DOE HPCC GCAs 
program. DOE GCAs will be restricted to DOE mission areas and relevant 
research programs of the DOE Office of Energy Research.
    Each of the GCA projects will be comprised of two components, 
Research and Infrastructure. The three-year program for 3-6 GCAs will 
designate a total of $3-6M per year, subject to the availability of FY 
1997 funds, to a scientific or engineering Research component which 
will be accompanied by an Infrastructure component that will provide 
the required computational, storage, networking, and software support. 
The value of this enabling Infrastructure component is anticipated to 
be a total of $6-12M per year. Support for the Research component will 
be provided to the sponsoring institution(s) of the PI(s) while the 
funding of the Infrastructure component will be allocated directly to 
the computing centers(s) providing the enabling computational support. 
This requires that the GCAs are substantial collaborations between the 
PI(s) and the professional staff at the computing center(s) at which 
the computational research is to be carried out and that grant 
applications reflect this structure. Furthermore, applications must 
describe in detail the requirements from the computing centers housing 
the computational platforms to be used for the research.
    The OCTR/MICS-supported platforms are operated in the following 
computing centers: the Advanced Computing Laboratory of Los Alamos 
National Laboratory, the Center for Computational Sciences of Oak Ridge 
National Laboratory, the Mathematics and Computer Sciences Division of 
Argonne National Laboratory, and the National Energy Research 
Supercomputer Center of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. While 
use of resources housed at facilities operated by other government 
agencies, academia, or private industry are acceptable, at least one of 
the platforms for carrying out the proposed research must be located at 
a computing center supported by OCTR/MICS. Furthermore, Infrastructure 
funds can only be allocated to one or more of the four OCTR/MICS-
supported facilities. Information concerning platforms at these centers 
may be found through URL at the following:

http://www.er.doe.gov/production/octr/mics/index.html

    Applications will be subjected to formal merit review (peer review) 
and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria listed 
in descending order of importance as codified for review of 
applications from the academic and industrial sectors in 10 CFR part 
605:

    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

    Within the Scientific and/or Technical Merit criterion, above, the 
following subcriteria, listed in priority order, will be used for 
evaluation purposes:
    i. Fundamental Significance: A fundamental science or engineering 
problem that has potential economic, societal, and/or scientific impact 
and that can be advanced by applying high performance computing 
resources.
    ii. DOE Mission: The problem is significant to the missions of the 
DOE. The pertinent DOE Science or Engineering program in partnership 
with OCTR/MICS staff must validate the merit of the applications with 
regard to this criterion.
    iii. HPCC Goals: The project is consistent with the goals of the 
Federal interagency HPCC program.
    iv. Enabling Technologies: Rapid progress in software/hardware 
technologies should enable a substantial advance on the problem within 
the next few years. This criterion must be validated by OCTR/MICS staff 
in partnership with the pertinent DOE Science or Engineering Program.
    v. Interdisciplinary Approach: An interdisciplinary approach 
involving scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer/
computational scientists is strongly required.
    vi. Support Leveraging: Funding leverage for the GCA provided by 
the partners--DOE Program Offices, other agencies, or institutions--
will constitute the most sincere form of validation.
    vii. Technology Leveraging: Probable advances in enabling software 
or hardware technologies developed by the proposed GCA that benefit 
other GCAs will be treated favorably, as will GCAs which use advanced 
software development frameworks.
    viii. Computer Resources: The application should indicate the

[[Page 15236]]
appropriateness and adequacy of the Infrastructure-component resources 
for the GCA (architectures, peripheral storage facilities, networking, 
support staff, etc.).
    ix. Multiple Platforms: Applications will also be evaluated based 
on the portability and extensibility of any system and/or software 
development technology proposed. For this reason, applicants are 
encouraged to involve more than one type of computing platform in their 
research project.
    Within the Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach 
criterion, above, special attention will be given to how the 
collaboration will be managed and to how results of the project are to 
be integrated into substantial advances in the field and the enabling 
computational technology.
    External peer reviewers will be selected with regard to both their 
scientific expertise and the absence of conflict-of-interest issues. 
Non-federal reviewers will be used, and submission of an application 
constitutes agreement that this is acceptable to the investigator(s) 
and the computing center(s).
    Details of the DOE HPCC program and its Phase I GCA projects are 
given in the following publication available from the U. S. Department 
of Energy, Office of Energy Research, OCTR/MICS, ER-31, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Tel: (301) 903-5800: ``The 
DOE Program in High Performance Computing and Communications'' (on-line 
version URL http://www.er.doe.gov/production/octr/mics/wb__95/
wb__95.html).
    The Federal interagency HPCC program is described in the following 
publications available from the National Coordination Office for High 
Performance Computing and Communications, Suite 665, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230, Tel: (703) 306-4722: ``High Performance 
Computing and Communications: Foundation for America's Information 
Future'' (on-line version available through URL http://www.hpcc.gov/
blue96/index.html), ``High Performance Computing and Communications FY 
1996 Implementation Plan'' (on-line version URL http://www.hpcc.gov/./
imp96/index.html).
    Information about the development and submission of applications, 
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, selection processes, and other 
policies 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 Energy Research, OCTR/MICS, ER-31, 
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290. Telephone requests 
may be made by calling (301) 903-5800. Electronic access to ER's 
Financial Assistance Guide is possible via the Internet using the 
following e-mail address: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/
grants.html. In addition to the formal application as described in the 
above publications, the staff of OCTR/MICS requires that a two-page 
summary be prepared by the Research component PI(s). The format and 
content of the summary is as follows:

Title of the GCA

Designated scientific leader
    The single point of contact who represents the GCA team.
Home institution of the GCA
    Not necessarily the proposing institution, but the organization/
intellectual home institution.
Abstract of the proposed project
    Not to duplicate criteria discussion below.
Participants, their institutions and addresses
    Include E-mail addresses.
Partner DOE Program(s) and Program Office contacts
    Reference participants by number if appropriate.
Address each of the nine criteria
    Fundamental Significance, DOE Mission, HPCC Goals, Enabling 
Technologies, Interdisciplinary Approach, Support Leveraging, 
Technology Leveraging, Computer Resources, Multiple Platforms.
Approach to project integration
    How the research collaboration will be managed and the resulting 
work integrated into a substantial advance for the research and the 
enabling computational technology.
Resource summary projections for FY 1997--FY 2000
    Budget totals of Personnel, Equipment, etc. separating Personnel, 
Operating, and Capital (if applicable) by year. Computational resources 
needed (system and time). The totals should be given for the two 
components: Research and Infrastructure.
Project summary
    Brief (less than one page) project summary for each participating 
(Research component) institution and computing center (Infrastructure 
component). Participants are to be identified by their role in the 
project. A resource summary projection is also required that includes 
whether subcontracts or direct funding are being sought.

    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 March 11, 1996.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 96-8502 Filed 4-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P