[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28686-28688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13791]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Energy Research; Energy Research Financial Assistance 
Program Notice 97-16; Climate Change Prediction Program

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), hereby 
announces its interest in receiving applications to support the 
development of decadal to multi-century climate prediction in 
conjunction with the Climate Change Prediction Program, a part of the 
U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).

DATES: Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to submit a brief 
preapplication for programmatic review. There is no deadline for the 
preapplication, but early submission of preapplications is encouraged 
to allow time for meaningful discussions. Formal applications submitted 
in response to this notice must be received by 4:30 p.m., EDT, August 
5, 1997, to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 1998.

ADDRESSES: Preapplications referencing Program Notice 97-16 may be sent 
to one of the program contacts at the following address: Office of 
Health and Environmental Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-
74, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 
20874-1290. Formal applications referencing Program Notice 97-16 should 
be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, 
Grants and Contract Division, ER-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, 
MD 20874-1290, ATTN: Program Notice 97-16. This address also must be 
used when submitting applications by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail, 
any commercial mail delivery service, or when hand-carried by the 
applicant. An original and seven copies of the application must be 
submitted; however, applicants are requested not to submit multiple 
application copies using more than one delivery or mail service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Patrick A. Crowley, Office of 
Health and Environmental Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-
74, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 
20874-1290, telephone (301) 903-3069, fax (301) 903-8519, Internet e-
mail address: [email protected]. or Dr. Wanda Ferrell, Office of 
Health and Environmental Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-
74, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 
20874-1290, telephone (301) 903-0043, fax (301) 903-8519, Internet e-
mail address: [email protected]. Program information is 
available on the DOE/OHER WWW site using the URL http://www.er.doe.gov/
production/oher/ESD__top.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice requests applications for grants 
to support the following five efforts:

    (1) Continuation and enhancement of activities previously funded 
by DOE under the auspices of the Carbon Dioxide Research Program 
climate research program element and the Computer Hardware, Advanced 
Mathematics and Model Physics (CHAMMP) climate model development 
program.
    (2) Theoretical limits to climate prediction over decade to 
multi-century time frames with subcontinental and smaller scale 
spatial accuracy.
    (3) The development of improved mathematical techniques, model 
formulations and computer algorithms for atmosphere, ocean and 
coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (GCM) that more 
accurately and efficiently describe and predict global climate 
system behavior on the time and space scales mentioned above using 
advanced, parallel-processing scientific supercomputers.
    (4) The development of improved representations of key climate 
processes (surface processes, convective transport, etc.) that 
accurately simulate these processes on the appropriate scales used 
in GCM-based climate models that simulate decade-to-century climate 
change.
    (5) The development and analysis of long-term, observation based 
climate data sets that can be used to test the ability of GCM-based 
climate models to realistically simulate and predict climate system 
behavior on the above-mentioned time and space scales. The data sets 
should be developed from existing observational data bases and not 
require the collection of further measurements.

    Accurate prediction of climate change on decadal and longer time 
scales is a major scientific objective of the Environmental Sciences 
Division (ESD). The DOE Climate Change Prediction Program is the next 
phase in the evolution of DOE's long-standing climate modeling and 
simulation research agenda. It was developed from the integration of 
the Computer Hardware, Advanced Mathematics and Model Physics (CHAMMP) 
climate model development program with the CO2 Research 
Program climate research program element. The program is focused on 
developing, testing and applying climate simulation and prediction 
models that stay at the leading edge of scientific knowledge and 
computational technology. A unique feature of the program is the 
establishment of a distributed modeling center involving DOE National 
Laboratories, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the non-
Federal research community. The program will develop models based on 
more definitive theoretical foundations and improved computational 
methods that will run efficiently on future generations of high-
performance scientific supercomputers. The intent is to increase 
dramatically both the accuracy and throughput of computer model-based 
predictions of future climate system response to the increased 
atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases.
    To ensure that the program meets the broadest needs of the research 
community and the specific needs of ESD, the successful applicants will 
participate as members of the Climate Change Prediction Program Science 
Team along with selected scientists from related ESD programs. Costs 
for the participation in Science Team meetings and workshops should be 
included in

[[Page 28687]]

the respondent's application. Yearly estimates for Science Team travel 
should be based on one trip of five days to Washington, DC, one trip of 
five days to San Francisco, CA, and one trip of five days to Denver, 
CO.
    Successful applicants for continuation or enhancement of 
previously-awarded grants will demonstrate (a) the continued relevance 
of their work to the goal of advancing the science of decade-to-multi-
century climate prediction; (b) the quality and relevance of work 
conducted under previous support to this goal, including a listing of 
publications and presentations; and (c) relevant contributions to the 
development of DOE CHAMMP and Climate Modeling programs, including 
participation in the organization of meetings and workshops and 
collaborations with other DOE investigators. Applicants should include 
a special section entitled ``Accomplishments Under Previous Support,'' 
which addresses items (b) and (c) discussed in this paragraph. 
Applicants should be prepared to provide, on short notice, complete 
copies of all publications, reports, etc. listed in this section, 
should they be required for the review process.
    Successful applicants for grants exploring the theoretical limits 
of climate prediction will conduct studies of the climate system to 
ascertain the capability for computer based climate simulation models 
to predict the aspects of the climate system that influence near-
surface temperature, precipitation and winds, decades to centuries in 
the future. These studies may include, but are not limited to, 
analytical and modeling investigations of the coupled climate system, 
or components of the climate system, to identify climate dynamical 
mechanisms that influence long-term variability and predictability over 
continental and subcontinental spatial scales.
    Successful applicants for developing new mathematical techniques 
and numerical algorithms will target their research toward methods that 
can be incorporated into models running on highly parallel scientific 
supercomputers capable of performing over 1011 floating-
point operations per second (100 giga-FLOPS) in climate modeling 
simulations. Applicants must demonstrate the role of their research in 
improving the accuracy and/or computational efficiency of GCM-based 
climate simulation models of the type envisioned for use in making 
forecasts of long-term climate change. These methods may be used in the 
simulation of any or all of the climate system processes modeled in a 
GCM, including, but not limited to, atmospheric and ocean dynamics and 
transport, surface energy and mass exchange, atmospheric radiative 
transfer, ocean convection, and sea-ice dynamics and thermodynamics. 
Applicants in this area must include a plan for the dissemination of 
any developed model code, and necessary documentation, to the climate 
modeling community.
    Successful applicants developing or improving representations of 
climate system processes for inclusion in GCM-based climate prediction 
models will conduct research to more accurately describe these 
processes and their interaction with other aspects of the simulated 
climate system. These studies will explore methods for incorporating 
the results of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's observational 
and experimental programs into model components that accurately 
describe climate system processes at the model resolution scales 
typically used for decade-to-multi-century climate prediction. 
Applicants in this area must include a plan for the dissemination of 
any developed model code, and necessary documentation, to the climate 
modeling community.
    Successful applicants developing model diagnostic data sets will 
analyze existing observational data bases to develop time dependent 
records of climate variability and climate change that can be used as 
tests for climate change predictions. Analysis of the data should 
include consideration of the climate dynamical processes that led to 
the temporal and spatial variability in the record.
    Especially important is the development of diagnostic data sets 
that can be used to test model predictions of long-term changes the 
near-surface temperature, precipitation and wind climatologies over 
continental and sub-continental spatial scales. Applicants in this area 
must include a plan to allow the inexpensive dissemination of the 
diagnostic data sets in a standard digital format.
    It is anticipated that approximately $3,000,000 will be available 
for awards in Fiscal Year 1998, contingent upon the availability of 
appropriated funds. Multiple year funding of awards is expected, with 
out-year funding also contingent upon the availability of appropriated 
funds, progress of the research, and programmatic needs. The allocation 
of funds within the research areas will depend upon the number and 
quality of applications received. It is anticipated that a substantial 
fraction of the funds will support continuation of existing research. 
Typical awards in this area are $200,000 per year, but range from 
$50,000 to $600,000. The technical portion of the application should 
not exceed twenty-five (25) double-spaced pages and should include 
detailed budgets for each year of support requested. For applications 
requesting continuation or enhancements to previously awarded grants, 
the ``Accomplishments Under Previous Support'' section should not 
exceed ten (10) additional double-spaced pages. An abstract of 200 
words or less must be included with the application. Lengthy appendices 
are discouraged. Collaborative applications are encouraged. Awards are 
expected to begin on or about December 1, 1997.
    Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief 
preapplication that consists of two to three pages of narrative 
describing the research project objectives and methods of 
accomplishment. These will be reviewed relative to the scope and 
research needs of the DOE's Climate Change Prediction Program. 
Principal investigator address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail 
address are required parts of the preapplication. A response to each 
preapplication discussing the potential program relevance of a formal 
application generally will be communicated within 30 days of receipt. 
ER's preapplication policy 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 which 
are 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.
    To provide a consistent format for the submission, review and 
solicitation of grant applications submitted under this

[[Page 28688]]

notice, the preparation and submission of grant applications must 
follow the guidelines given in the Application Guide for the Office of 
Energy Research Financial Assistance Program 10 CFR Part 605. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to access ER's Financial Assistance 
Application Guide via the World Wide Web at: http://www.er.doe.gov/
production/grants/grants.html. A limited number of paper copies of the 
Application Guide are available and may be obtained from Ms. Karen 
Carlson, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Health and Environmental 
Research, Environmental Sciences Division, ER-74, 19901 Germantown 
Road, Germantown, MD 20874. Telephone request may be made by calling 
(301) 903-3338 or by Internet e-mail to [email protected].
    Technical information on the CHAMMP and Climate Modeling Programs 
is available on the WWW at the URL http://www.er.doe.gov/production/
oher/GC/ESD__gc.html or from the Office of Scientific and Technical 
Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, telephone (423) 576-
8401.
    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 May 16, 1997.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 97-13791 Filed 5-23-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P