[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71746-71748]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33201]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 00-07: New 
Programs in Fusion Energy Sciences

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) of the Office of 
Science, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its interest in 
receiving grant applications for new research in fusion energy 
sciences. Programs planning to submit applications for renewal or 
continuation funding in FY 2000 should not submit to this Notice, but 
rather submit according to the procedures outlined in 10 CFR part 605.
    The specific areas of interest are:
    1. Magnetic Fusion Concept Exploration Experiments;
    2. Inertial Fusion Energy Concept Exploration Research;
    3. Inertial Fusion Energy Chamber and Target Research;
    4. Magnetic Fusion Liquid Wall Experiments;
    5. Fusion Materials Modeling.
    More specific information on each area of interest is outlined in 
the general and program specific supplementary information sections 
below. Each grant application can be submitted to only one area of 
interest. Applicants must identify the area of interest in their formal 
submission.

DATES: To permit timely consideration for awards in Fiscal Year 2000, 
applications submitted in response to this notice must be received no 
later than 4:30 p.m., February 29, 2000. Electronic submissions of 
formal applications will not be accepted.
    Applicants are requested to submit a letter-of-intent by January 
31, 2000, which includes the title of the proposal, the name of the 
principal investigator(s), the requested funding and a one-page 
abstract. These letters-of-intent will be used to organize and expedite 
review processes. Failure to submit a letter-of-intent will not 
negatively prejudice a responsive formal application submitted in a 
timely manner. Electronic submissions of letters-of-intent are 
acceptable.


[[Page 71747]]


ADDRESSES: The completed formal applications referencing Program Notice 
00-07 should be forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 
Science, Grants and Contracts Division, SC-64, 19901 Germantown Road, 
Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290, ATTN: Program Notice 00-07. 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.
    Letters-of-intent referencing Program Notice 00-07 should be 
forwarded to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of 
Fusion Energy Sciences, SC-50, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, 
Maryland 20874-1290, ATTN: John Sauter. Letters-of-intent can also be 
submitted via E-mail at the following E-mail address: 
[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290. 
Specific contacts for each area of interest, along with telephone 
numbers and Internet addresses, are listed below:
    Magnetic Fusion Concept Exploration Experiments: Ronald A. Blanken, 
Research Division, SC-55; Telephone: (301) 903-3306 or 4095, or by 
Internet address, [email protected].
    Inertial Fusion Energy Concept Exploration Research: Ronald 
McKnight, Research Division, SC-55; Telephone: (301) 903-4597 or 4095, 
or by Internet address, [email protected].
    Inertial Fusion Energy Chamber and Target Research: Gene Nardella, 
Facilities and Enabling Technologies Division, SC-52; Telephone: (301) 
903-4956 or 3068, or by Internet address, 
[email protected].
    Magnetic Fusion Liquid Wall Experiments: Sam Berk, Facilities and 
Enabling Technologies Division, SC-52; Telephone: (301) 903-4171 or 
3068, or by Internet address, [email protected]
    Fusion Materials Modeling: Bill Wiffen, Facilities and Enabling 
Technologies Division, SC-52; Telephone: (301) 903-4963 or 3068, or by 
Internet address, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: General information about development and 
submission of applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluations and 
selection processes, and other policies and procedures may be found in 
the Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial (SC) 
Assistance Program and 10 CFR part 605. Electronic access to SC's 
Financial Assistance Guide and required forms is possible via the 
Internet using the following Web site address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/
production/grants/grants.html. DOE is under no obligation to pay for 
any costs associated with the preparation or submission of applications 
if an award is not made.
    Approximately $1,900,000 of Fiscal Year 2000 funding divided by 
program element as outlined below will be available to start new 
projects from applications received in response to this Notice. The 
number of awards and range of funding will depend on the number of 
applications received and selected for award. Since future year funding 
is not anticipated to increase, applications should propose constant 
year effort (allowing for inflation). Future year funding will depend 
upon suitable progress and the availability of funds. The cost-
effectiveness of the application will be considered when comparing 
applications with differing funding requirements. Applications 
requiring annual funding as low as $50,000 are welcomed and encouraged.
    New research is herein defined as research which is not within the 
scope of work of existing programs. In cases where the new work assumes 
the availability of a facility, experimental apparatus or base group to 
perform the work, the funding source(s) for the base must be identified 
in the grant application.
    Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with researchers in other 
institutions, such as universities, industry, non-profit organizations, 
federal laboratories and Federally Funded Research and Development 
Centers (FFRDCs), including the DOE National Laboratories. A parallel 
announcement for DOE National Laboratories for some of the areas of 
interest will be available on the Office of Science Grants and 
Contracts Web Site. In the case of collaborative applications submitted 
from different institutions which are directed at a single research 
activity, each application must have a distinct scope of work and a 
qualified principal investigator who is responsible for the research 
effort being performed at his or her institution. Further information 
on preparation of collaborative proposals may be accessed via the 
Internet at http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html.
    To enable all reviewers in each category to read all applications 
in that category, the application must be limited to a maximum of 
twenty (20) pages (including text and figures) plus no more than one 
page each of biographical information and publications of the principal 
investigator. Although it is not required, it would be helpful for each 
applicant to submit fifteen (15) copies of their application due to the 
anticipated number of reviewers; otherwise the standard number of 
copies must be received with each application as outlined in the 
Application Guide.
    In selecting applications for funding, the DOE Office of Fusion 
Energy Sciences will give priority to applications that can produce 
results within the first project period after grant initiation 
(typically three years but as many as five years in the case of grants 
where construction of complex experimental apparatus is required). The 
detailed description of the proposed research in addition to the 
information required by 10 CFR part 605 should contain the following 
items: (1) A succinct statement of the goal of the research, (2) A 
detailed research plan, (3) The specific results or deliverables 
expected at the end of the project period, (4) A detailed analysis of 
the adequacy of the facilities and budget, (5) Discussion of how the 
research would elucidate the physics or engineering principles of the 
innovation, and (6) Discussion of why this research would have an 
important impact on the prospects for either magnetic or inertial 
fusion.
    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 the applicant's personnel and adequacy of the 
proposed resources;
    4. Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget.

Program Specific Information

Magnetic Fusion Concept Exploration Experiments

    Grant applications are desired for new innovative scientific 
experiments that have the possibility of leading to improved magnetic 
fusion systems (this includes tokamak based systems with improved 
performance). The research should be aimed at experimentally 
elucidating the physics principles of such improved systems. 
Experiments are sought which are unique, first of a kind and which 
provide new insights.

[[Page 71748]]

These funds are targeted toward the establishment of new experiments 
and are not meant to support collaborations on existing concept 
exploration or proof-of-principle experiments. Applications for 
research on existing large tokamaks, independent theory investigations 
and new diagnostic development should not be submitted in response to 
this notice. Applications for new programs based on the replacement of 
the cores of existing experimental facilities with cores designed to 
study new physics ideas are allowed. Approximately $600,000 of FY 2000 
funding, depending on the quality of the applications, is targeted for 
applications received in this area.

Inertial Fusion Energy Concept Exploration Research

    Grant applications are desired for new concept exploration 
scientific research that has the possibility of leading to improved 
inertial fusion energy systems. Such research may include, for example, 
expanding the scientific basis for concepts which could lead to 
significant increases in performance for more developed approaches. 
Efforts directed toward providing advances in physics understanding of 
problem areas, which have potentially high impact on inertial fusion 
energy science, are also of interest. Primary interest is in 
experimental programs, although it is recognized that part of a 
coordinated application may include theory and modeling in support of 
experiments. It is not anticipated that stand-alone theory applications 
will be supported. Approximately $400,000 of FY 2000 funding, depending 
on the quality of the applications, is targeted for applications 
received in this area.

Inertial Fusion Energy Chamber and Target Research

    Grant applications are desired for new innovative research that 
will address the key critical issues in the chamber systems, target 
technology, and safety and environmental areas for both heavy ion and 
laser driven inertial fusion energy systems. Examples of critical 
issues in the chamber systems area for heavy ion drivers are liquid 
chamber clearing and final focus/chamber interface. Examples of 
critical issues in the chamber systems area for laser drivers are 
chamber material lifetime uncertainty and final optics design and 
survivability. Examples of critical issues in the target technology 
area are low-cost, high production rate target fabrication and accurate 
injection and tracking. Examples of critical issues in the safety and 
environmental area are minimization of accident consequences and 
management of radioactive materials. The examples identified are not an 
inclusive list. This research can be either experimental and/or 
analytical in nature. Approximately $200,000 of FY 2000 funding, 
depending on the quality of the applications, is targeted for 
applications received in this area.

Magnetic Fusion Liquid Wall Experiments

    Grant applications are sought for innovative experiments that can 
significantly advance the knowledge base for plasma chamber concepts 
using liquids in direct contact with plasmas for first walls, 
divertors, and/or limiters. Research on such liquid wall approaches 
should be aimed at providing fundamental data and at elucidating 
dominant phenomena for a more complete scientific understanding of the 
following key issues: (a) Effects of liquid surfaces on plasma edge and 
core performance, particularly with regard to influx of particles to 
the plasma and trapping/pumping of particles from the plasma, (b) 
effects of liquid surfaces on plasma stability and confinement, 
particularly with regard to influences from shells and flows of 
electrically conducting liquids, and (c) limits of power handling and 
operating temperature for candidate liquid coolants, particularly with 
regard to turbulence and MHD considerations in free surface flow 
thermal-hydraulics. Proposed experiments must be accompanied by 
supporting analysis and modeling activities that provide for an ability 
to interpret experimental data and support development of computational 
tools for predicting liquid wall behavior under fusion-relevant 
conditions. Background information about ongoing research related to 
liquid walls can be obtained through the Internet at the following web 
sites: http://www.fusion.ucla.edu/APEX/ and http://pentium.ep.anl.gov/
alps/. Approximately $300,000 of FY 2000 funding, depending on the 
quality of the applications, is targeted for applications received in 
this area.

Fusion Materials Modeling

    Applications are solicited for three-year grants for research on 
modeling and/or theory that will expand the knowledge base on 
understanding of the behavior of structural materials in the service 
environment of fusion systems. In particular, effects of the 
temperature, neutron flux, stress state, system fluids, dissimilar 
materials contact, or other components of the environment are of 
interest. Response to stresses arising from thermal, mechanical or 
other loading sources can be included. Material composition, 
microstructure and/or macrostructure variables may also be relevant to 
particular modeling approaches. In a broader sense, proposed research 
should also contribute to advancing the science of the behavior of 
materials. While the focus must be on the fusion environment, 
importance of proposed work beyond the interests of fusion should be 
identified. A particular goal of proposed modeling and/or theoretical 
research should be to add value to the in-place experimental program of 
research on materials for fusion systems. Models are desired that can 
guide and help interpret costly and difficult-to-obtain experimental 
results and that can be applied to resolving key material feasibility 
issues. Applications that request funding for experimental work will 
not be considered. However, close collaboration with the currently in-
place fusion and/or other experimental materials programs is expected 
and encouraged. Critical interfaces with experimental programs should 
be identified. Background information and definition of specific areas 
of interest are provided in two documents produced by the fusion 
materials community and available on the Internet at the Virtual 
Laboratory for Technology (VLT) web site, located at http://
vlt.ucsd.edu/. The documents are ``A Whitepaper Proposing an Integrated 
Program of Theoretical, Experimental, and Database Research for the 
Development of Advanced Fusion Materials'' and ``Advanced Materials 
Program'', which is Appendix D of the VLT Roadmap. These documents 
should be used for background and guidance, but should not be 
considered as establishing absolute boundaries or scope for this 
solicitation. Relevance of proposed research to fusion materials, 
especially to the feasibility issues identified in the above two 
referenced documents, will be considered in the process of selecting 
grant applications for funding. Approximately $400,000 of FY 2000 
funding, depending on the quality of the applications, is targeted for 
applications received in this area.
    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 December 15, 1999.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 99-33201 Filed 12-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-U