[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 24, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 67779-67780] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-32647] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Notice of Restricted Eligibility Support of Fossil Resource Utilization Research by Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC). ACTION: Notice of restricted eligibility. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Department of Energy announces that it intends to conduct a competitive Program Solicitation and award financial assistance (grants) to U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions in support of innovative research and development of advanced concepts pertinent to fossil resource conversion and utilization. Applications will be subjected to a technical merit review by a DOE technical panel, and awards will be made to a limited number of applicants on the basis of the scientific merit of the application, application of relevant program policy factors, and the availability of funds. Collaboration with private industry is encouraged. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John R. Columbia, U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Technology Center, Acquisition and Assistance Division, P.O. Box 10940, MS 921-143, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940, Telephone: (412) 892-6219, FAX: (412) 892-6216. The solicitation (created in Word Perfect 5.2 for Windows) will be released on DOE's PETC World Wide Web Server Internet System (http://www.petc.doe.gov/ business) on or about January 3, 1997. If applicants do not have internet capability or experience difficulty accessing the solicitation files, a 3.5'' double-sided/high density diskette copy of the solicitation will be available, upon receipt of a written request submitted via facsimile (fax) at (412) 892-6216. No [[Page 67780]] telephone requests will be honored for request of disks. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title of Solicitation ``Support of Fossil Resource Utilization Research by Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions'' Objectives Through Program Solicitation No. DE-PS22-97PC97201, the Department of Energy seeks applications from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Other Minority Institutions (OMIs) and HBCU/ OMI-affiliated research institutes for innovative research and development of advanced concepts pertinent to fossil resource conversion and utilization. The resultant grants are intended to maintain and upgrade educational, training, and research capabilities of our HBCU/OMIs in the fields of science and technology related to fossil energy resources; to foster private sector participation, collaboration, and interaction with HBCU/OMIs; and to provide for the exchange of technical information and to raise the overall level of HBCU/OMI competitiveness with other institutions in the field of fossil energy research and development. Thus, the establishment of linkages between the HBCU/OMI and private sector fossil energy community is critical to the success of this program, and consistent with the Nation's goal of ensuring a future supply of fossil fuel scientists and engineers from a previously under-utilized resource. Eligibility Eligibility for participation in this Program Solicitation is restricted to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Other Minority Institutions (OMIs) recognized by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education, and identified on the OCR's United States Department of Education U.S. Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions list in effect on the closing date of the program solicitation. Applications submitted by any institution not on OCR's aforementioned list are ineligible for technical evaluation and award. For information regarding the qualification criteria and process of becoming recognized by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights as a ``Minority Institution'', institutions should contact the Education Department directly at the following address: Mr. Peter A. McCabe, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202, Telephone (202) 205-9567. Note: The Education Department should only be contacted on matters related to Institutional status; questions regarding the Program Solicitation should be directed to Mr. Columbia at DOE by telefacsimile on (412) 892-6216. Applications from HBCU/OMI-affiliated research institutes must be submitted through the college or university with which they are affiliated. The university (not the university-affiliated research institute) will be the recipient of any resultant DOE grant award. Applications submitted in response to the solicitation must meet the following two criteria: The Principal Investigator or a Co- Principal Investigator must be a teaching professor at the submitting university listed in the application; and at least one student registered at the university is to be compensated for work performed in the conduct of research proposed in the application. Although it is not required as an application qualification criterion, collaboration with the private sector is encouraged, and applications proposing private sector collaboration may be evaluated more favorably. The solicitation will contain a complete description of the technical evaluation factors and relative importance of each factor. Collaboration by the private sector with the HBCU/OMI may be in the form of cash cost sharing, consultation, HBCU/OMI access to industrial facilities or equipment, experimental data and/or equipment not available at the university, or as a subgrantee/subcontractor to the HBCU/OMI. Areas of Interest In order to develop and sustain a national program of HBCU/OMI research in advanced and fundamental fossil fuels studies, the Department is interested in innovative research and development of advance concepts pertinent to fossil fuel conversion and utilization limited to the following seven (7) technical topics: Topic 1--Advanced Environmental Control Technology for Coal Topic 2--Advanced Coal Utilization Topic 3--Coal Liquefaction Technology Topic 4--Heavy Oil Upgrading and Processing Topic 5--Advanced Environmental and Recovery Technologies for Oil Topic 6--Natural Gas Supply Topic 7--Faculty/Student Exploratory Grants Note: This is the only topic (Topic seven (7)) under this Program Solicitation wherein the inclusion or exclusion of private sector collaboration will not affect the technical evaluation of the application. Awards DOE anticipates issuing financial assistance (grants) for each project. DOE reserves the right to support or not support any or all applications received in whole or in part, and to determine how many awards may be made through the solicitation subject to funds available in this fiscal year. The limitation on the maximum DOE funding for each selected grant to be awarded under this Program Solicitation is as follows: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maximum award ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Topics 1-6: To 12 months grant duration........................... $80,000.00 13-24 months grant duration........................... 140,000.00 25-36 months grant duration........................... 200,000.00 Topic 7: To 12 months grant duration........................... 10,000.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Approximately $780,000.00 is planned for this solicitation. The total should provide support for approximately four to six R&D application selections (Topics 1-6), and approximately two to four faculty/student exploratory application selections (Topic 7). Solicitation Release Date The Program Solicitation is expected to be ready for release on or about January 3, 1997. Applications must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the instructions and forms contained in the Program Solicitation. To be eligible, applications must be submitted to the designated DOE office by the closing date specified in the Program Solicitation (anticipated to be on or about February 26, 1997). Dale A. Siciliano, Contracting Officer, Acquisition and Assistance Division. [FR Doc. 96-32647 Filed 12-23-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P