[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 199 (Wednesday, October 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53608-53609]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27287]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Research


Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 98-02; 
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR); 
Building EPSCoR-State National Laboratory Partnerships

AGENCY: Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting research grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) of the Office of 
Energy Research (ER), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in keeping with 
its energy-related mission to assist in strengthening the Nation's 
scientific research enterprise through the support of science, 
engineering, and mathematics, announces its interest in receiving grant 
applications for collaborative partnerships between academic or 
industrial researchers from states eligible for the DOE/EPSCoR Program 
and researchers at DOE's National Laboratories, facilities, and 
centers. The purpose of the DOE /EPSCoR program is to enhance the 
capability of designated states to conduct nationally-competitive 
energy-related research and to develop science and engineering manpower 
in energy-related areas to meet current and future needs. The purpose 
of this program notice is to initiate and promote partnering and 
collaborative relationships that build beneficial energy-related 
research programs.

DATES: Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief 
preapplication. All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 98-02, 
should be received by DOE by 4:30 P.M., E.S.T., December 3, 1997. A 
response discussing the potential program relevance of a formal 
application generally will be communicated to the applicant within 30 
days of receipt. The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 
4:30 P.M., E.S.T., February 10, 1998, in order to be accepted for merit 
review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 
1998.

ADDRESSES: All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 98-02, 
should be sent to Ms. Donna J. Prokop, Division of Materials Sciences, 
ER-13, Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290.
    After receiving notification from DOE concerning successful 
preapplications, applicants may prepare formal applications and send 
them 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 98-02. The above address must also be 
used when submitting applications by U.S. Postal Service Express, any 
commercial mail delivery service, or when hand carried by the 
applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Donna J. Prokop, DOE/EPSCoR 
Program Manager, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, ER-132, U. S. 
Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290,

[[Page 53609]]

Telephone: (301) 903-0511, or Internet e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    General information about the development and submission of 
preapplications, applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluation, 
and selection processes, and other policies and procedures are 
contained in the Application Guide for the Office of Energy Research 
Financial Assistance Program and 10 CFR Part 605. Electronic access to 
the latest version of ER's Financial Assistance Guide is possible via 
the Internet at the following Web Site: http://www.er.doe.gov/
production/grants/grants.html

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To continue to enhance the competitiveness 
of states and territories identified for participation in the 
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), DOE 
encourages the formation of partnerships between academic and 
industrial researchers in EPSCoR states and the researchers at DOE's 
National Laboratories, facilities and centers in scientific areas 
supported by DOE. These collaborations should address areas of research 
of current interest to the Department. Undergraduate and graduate 
students should be active members of the research team, and it is 
highly desirable that a student spend a summer or academic-year at the 
National Laboratory, facility or center. Subcontracting arrangements 
with DOE National Laboratories will not be permitted. DOE continues to 
restrict EPSCoR eligibility to the following states and territory: 
Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, 
Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South 
Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
    To minimize undue effort on the part of applicants and reviewers, 
interested parties are invited and encouraged to submit 
preapplications. The preapplications will be reviewed relative to the 
scope and research needs of the Department of Energy. The brief 
preapplication should consist of three to five pages of narrative 
describing the research objectives and methods of accomplishment.
    Telephone and FAX numbers are required parts of the preapplication, 
and electronic mail addresses are desirable. Instructions regarding the 
contents of a preapplication and other preapplication guidelines can be 
found on the ER Grants and Contracts Web Site at: http://
www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/preapp.html
    In addition to the project description all preapplications and 
formal applications must include the following information:
    1. Applications should explain the relevance of the proposed 
research to the agency's programmatic needs. On the cover page, 
applicants should specify the relevant DOE technical program office, 
and if known, the name of the program manager, and telephone number. 
DOE program descriptions may be accessed via the web at http://
www.doe.gov/.
    2. Applications must demonstrate clear evidence of collaborative 
intent, including a delineation of each partner's role and contribution 
to the research effort as well as a ``Letter-of-Intent'' from the 
participating DOE National Laboratory, facility, or center.
    3. Applications must explain the individual value to both the 
EPSCoR and the National Laboratory partners. There should be clear 
objectives, not necessarily the same, for each partner.
    It is anticipated that approximately $750,000 will be available in 
FY 1998 for research that encourages and facilitates collaborative 
efforts between researchers EPSCoR states and researchers at DOE's 
National Laboratories, facilities, and centers. Multiple-year funding 
of grant awards is expected subject to satisfactory progress of the 
research, the availability of funds, and evidence of substantial 
interactions between the EPSCoR researchers and the National Laboratory 
partner. Awards are expected to range up to a maximum of $50,000 
annually with terms from one to three years. The number of awards and 
range of funding will depend on the number of applications received and 
selected for award. All funds will be provided to the recipient 
organization within the EPSCoR state for the purpose of supporting 
activities in the EPSCoR state and may include travel and lodging, 
faculty or student stipends, materials, services and equipment.
    Applications will be subjected to formal merit review and will be 
evaluated against the following criteria, which are listed in 
descending order of importance as set forth 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.

    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.
    The principal investigator should publish the results of the 
supported research in the peer-reviewed, archival scientific 
literature.
    Applications received by ER under its normal competitive 
application mechanisms that meet the criteria outlined in this Notice 
may also be deemed appropriate for consideration under this 
announcement and may be funded under this program.
    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 October 3, 1997.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director, for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 97-27287 Filed 10-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P