[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14894-14895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7934]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Research


Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 97-13: 
Centers of Excellence for Laser Applications in Medicine

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

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) 
announces its interest in receiving research applications from 
potential applicants for funding of Centers of Excellence for Laser 
Applications in Medicine (Centers). These Centers are intended to carry 
out research that will advance the application of laser technology in 
the clinical practice of medicine. A Center must have existing advanced 
capabilities for fundamental research in the medical application of 
lasers, is to be based in a hospital with a close tie to a school of 
medicine, is to offer a strong program of research that covers a wide 
range both of scientific disciplines and of fields of medicine, and is 
to place emphasis on training and dissemination of developments in this 
field of research.

DATES: Preapplications should be received by May 30, 1997. However, 
earlier submissions will be gladly accepted. Formal applications in 
response to this notice must be received by 4:30 p.m., E.D.T., August 
15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Preapplications referencing Program Notice 97-13 should be 
forwarded to: Dr. Roland F. Hirsch, Medical Applications and 
Biophysical Research Division, ER-73, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Attn: Program Notice 97-13. 
Fax submissions are acceptable, fax number (301) 903-0567.
    Formal applications referencing Program Notice 97-13 should be 
forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, 
Grants and Contracts Division, ER-64, 19901 Germantown Road, 
Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Attn: Program Notice 97-13. This address 
also 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. An original and seven copies of the 
application must be submitted. Applicants are required to follow the 
formal instructions given in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Section of 
this Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Roland F. Hirsch, Medical 
Applications and Biophysical Research Division, ER-73, 19901 Germantown 
Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, telephone (301) 903-3213; E-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Centers of Excellence for Laser 
Applications in Medicine were established in 1991 upon the 
recommendation in the Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 1991 Energy 
and Water Development Appropriation Act. There has been substantial 
progress in the field since that time. Therefore, potential applicants 
are encouraged to propose Center programs that are appropriate for the 
current state of the art in fundamental areas of laser research 
relevant to clinical research, that will enable progress toward new 
areas of clinical use of lasers, and that will increase the application 
of lasers through training and dissemination activities. There is 
particular interest in research leading to new laser applications for 
non-invasive medicine and, in general, to new medical procedures that 
are consistent with the national need to control the costs of health 
care.
    Applicants are encouraged to utilize the extensive fundamental 
scientific expertise that is available at the National Laboratories 
supported by the Department through formal and informal arrangements 
for consultation and collaboration. Applicants are also encouraged to 
identify objectives of the proposed research program that complement 
the aims of other programs which are supported by the Medical 
Applications and Biophysical Research Division such as research in 
radiopharmaceuticals and molecular nuclear medicine, biomedical imaging 
instrumentation, Boron Neutron Capture

[[Page 14895]]

Therapy (BNCT), structural biology, analytical chemistry, and genome 
instrumentation.
    Organizations with existing Centers of Excellence for Laser 
Applications in Medicine grants must submit with their renewal 
application the required Progress Report, which should include a 
section describing research accomplishments that have been carried over 
into clinical research and practice.
    It is anticipated that up to $1,500,000 are expected to be 
available for grant awards in FY 1998, contingent upon availability of 
appropriated funds. The actual magnitude of the funds available and the 
number of awards which can be made will however depend on the budget 
process. It is anticipated that up to four awards of up to $600,000 
each annually for a three year period will be made, with out-year 
support contingent on availability of funds, progress of the research, 
and programmatic needs.
    Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a brief 
preapplication describing the proposed Center and its major activities. 
The intent in asking for a preapplication is to save the time and 
effort of applicants in preparing and submitting a formal project 
application that may be inappropriate for the program. The 
preapplication should consist of a three-to-five-page concept paper on 
the program contemplated for an application to the Centers of 
Excellence for Laser Applications in Medicine program. The concept 
paper should focus on the scientific objectives and significance of the 
proposed research, including an outline of the approaches planned, 
should briefly describe the organization of the proposed center and its 
setting, and should provide information relating to other aspects of 
the planned program, including collaborations with the DOE National 
Laboratories and other research organizations. The preapplication gives 
an opportunity to advise potential applicants on the suitability of 
their concept and research program to the mission of the Centers of 
Excellence program. A response to timely preapplications indicating the 
appropriateness of submitting a formal application will be communicated 
by June 20, 1997. Please note that notification of a successful 
preapplication is not an indication that an award will be made in 
response to the formal application. ER's preapplication policy for 
submitting preapplications can be found on ER's Grants and Contracts 
Web Site at: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/preapp.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 codified at 10 CFR 605.10(d):
    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.
    The evaluation will include program policy factors such as the 
relevance of the proposed research to the terms of the announcement and 
an agency's programmatic needs. Note, external peer reviewers are 
selected with regard to both their scientific expertise and the absence 
of conflict-of-interest issues. Non-federal reviewers will often be 
used, and submission of an application constitutes agreement that this 
is acceptable to the investigator(s) and the submitting institution.
    Applicants are expected to use the following format in addition to 
following instructions in the Office of Energy Research Application 
Guide.

 ER standard face page (DOE F4650.2)
 Table of Contents
 Project abstract (no more than one page)
 Budgets for each year of the three-year project period (using 
DOE F 4620.1)
 Written explanation of the budget items
 Budgets and budget explanations for each collaborative 
subproject, if any
 Project narrative (recommended length is no more than 40 
pages):
     Goals
     Research plan for each major component of the research 
program
     Preliminary studies (if applicable)
     Research design and methodologies
     Plans for training
     Plans for dissemination of new concepts and techniques
 Literature cited
 Description of existing facilities for research into laser 
applications in medicine (up to five pages)
 Description of hospital setting and medical school ties for 
the proposed Center, including support proposed to be offered to the 
Center's program by these units (up to five pages)
 Collaborative arrangements (if applicable)
 Biographical sketches (limited to 2 pages for each senior 
investigator)
 Current and pending funding for each senior investigator
 All required information for any activities involving human 
subjects (see ER Application Guide)
 All required information for any activities involving 
vertebrate animals (see ER Application Guide)

    Information about development and submission of applications, 
eligibility, evaluations and selection processes, and other policies 
and procedures may be found in 10 CFR part 605 and the Office of Energy 
Research Application Guide for the Financial Assistance Program. Access 
to ER's Financial Assistance Application Guide is possible via the 
World Wide Web at: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html. 
Printed copies of the Guide are available from the Medical Applications 
and Biophysical Research Division for potential applicants who are 
unable to access the Web version.

    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 24, 1997.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 97-7934 Filed 3-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P