[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 53 (Friday, March 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14551-14552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6655]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 00-12; 
Terrestrial Carbon Processes (TCP)

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) of 
the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby 
announces its interest in receiving applications for research on 
Terrestrial Carbon Processes (TCP).

DATES: The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 pm, EDT, 
April 27, 2000, to be accepted for merit review and to permit timely 
consideration for award in Fiscal Year 2000 and early Fiscal Year 2001.

ADDRESSES: Formal applications referencing Program Notice 00-12, should 
be sent to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Grants and 
Contracts Division, SC-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-
1290, ATTN: Program Notice 00-12. This address must also be used when 
submitting applications by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or any 
other commercial overnight delivery service, or when hand-carried by 
the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Roger C. Dahlman, Environmental 
Sciences Division, SC-74, Office of Biological and Environmental 
Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, telephone: (301) 903-4951, 
E-mail: [email protected], fax: (301) 903-8519. The full 
text of Program Notice 00-12 is available via the Internet using the 
following web site address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to match their research 
applications to terms of announcement scope, and preapplications 
therefore are not required. Brief questions for clarification can be 
addressed to Dr. Dahlman, Manager of Terrestrial Carbon Processes 
Research Program.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The general goal of TCP research is to 
advance the scientific understanding of terrestrial processes 
regulating carbon balance of ecosystems, and the role of ecosystems in 
the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) between the atmosphere 
and terrestrial biosphere. Important endpoints of the research are to 
determine the capacity of ecosystems to store carbon, and estimate 
their influence on the rate of atmospheric CO2 change. This 
research addresses the important global change issues of causes and 
rates of CO2 change that may underlie climate change. In 
this context, the research is an important adjunct to policies and 
actions being considered for slowing the rise of greenhouse gases in 
the atmosphere. Interests and intents of TCP are to augment research on 
measurements, experiments and modeling of carbon processes. This Notice 
solicits research on ``terrestrial carbon processes'' with primary 
emphasis on measurements needed to derive or estimate the net exchanges 
of CO2 between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere, 
and the acquisition of new knowledge about fundamental processes that 
regulate exchanges.
    The intent of this Notice is to strongly focus on field programs of 
measurement, experimental manipulation, and analysis of carbon 
processes; laboratory or controlled environment research is NOT 
encouraged. This is the third cycle of solicitations for refocused DOE 
research on terrestrial carbon that was formerly carried out on the 
global carbon cycle, and on the response of vegetation to 
CO2. TCP is particularly interested in research activities 
that augment the existing AmeriFlux measurement program, including 
associated ecosystem level observations and experiments.
    A central element of current TCP research is the AmeriFlux Program 
of measuring net CO2 exchange, including the suite of core 
measurements that are needed for understanding intrinsic controls on 
carbon acquisition by ecosystems. The AmeriFlux Network of Sites and 
current Science Plan can be accessed from the web site: http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/programs/ameriflux/, which applicants are strongly 
advised to review. In general, the science questions of the current 
Science Plan continue to guide the AmeriFlux Program.
    Progress of the AmeriFlux Program to date strongly suggests that 
the suites of CO2 and biological measurements are providing 
unique estimates of Net Ecosystem Production (NEP), or the quantity of 
net annual carbon gain by the ecosystem. This is vital information for 
global carbon cycle analysis, and the results are providing important 
missing information needed to balance the global carbon budget. This 
solicitation seeks to continue and extend AmeriFlux research in the 
following ways:
    (1) By moderate expansion of the AmeriFlux Network to include 
additional geo-climatic zones, or ecological successional states, or 
biome types. If applicants are interested in forming new sites, the 
present distribution of research locations should be reviewed from the 
web sites, and then propose new locations that would significantly 
augment the existing Network. New sites will be considered only if they 
offer both compelling differences relative to existing ones in terms of 
unique geo-climatic zone or biome characteristics, and circumstances 
where NEP would be expected to be significant. New-site applications 
must, of course, be based on representative stands of vegetation, and 
possess appropriate physical attributes amenable to producing quality 
net CO2 exchange data. Applications for new sites would 
identify the suite of measurements that would provide for a balance of 
CO2 exchange data and independently derived estimates of 
NEP, that is by dimensional analysis, physiological measurements or 
other means. Either ``natural'' or ``managed'' ecosystems would be 
eligible sites.
    (2) By augmenting research at existing sites. Assistance will be 
provided to current Network sites to upgrade core measurement 
capabilities, with emphasis on acquisition of basic biological data 
needed to explain net CO2 exchange results. It would be 
expected that augmented resources would provide improved measures of 
both CO2 flux and associated biological

[[Page 14552]]

processes. These applications would be expected to describe current 
observations, explain what augmentations are needed in terms of either 
CO2 flux or biological process measures that will 
significantly upgrade site core data bases, and explain the value the 
additional measurement capability would provide to the site and to the 
Network. Since the overall value of the AmeriFlux Network depends on 
data sharing and data inter-comparison, only those sites that have made 
data available to the AmeriFlux community through the network data 
system (CDIAC) will be eligible for augmentation awards.
    (3) By supporting supplemental research at existing sites. Purpose 
is to enhance overall quality of carbon process information at 
individual sites or for the AmeriFlux Network--in contrast to item (2) 
above which simply upgrades core capabilities. Requests for support 
would be considered, for example, to: (a) Improve micrometeorological 
characterization of the CO2 exchange ``footprint;'' (b) 
obtain data that extend results from ecosystem to biome or regional 
scales (this could include aircraft flux measurements and limited 
support for modeling, for example;) (c) obtain isotopic data that 
pinpoints source and seasonality of CO2 fluxes; (d) enhance 
data processing and prompt delivery of data to users; and (e) the 
analysis of exchanges and terrestrial carbon processes at larger scale.
    Foci of these components of the solicitation are to enhance 
AmeriFlux science with emphasis on measurements, the development of 
comprehensive data sets for AmeriFlux sites, and the analysis of 
collateral results throughout the Network. Limited support of modeling 
for these purposes will be considered to the extent that analysis 
focuses on site and Network data sets.
    Innovative applications that develop new and cost effective 
research approaches which can be shown to clearly contribute to 
understanding terrestrial carbon processes, especially the 
quantification of NEP, and the scientific understanding of carbon 
sequestration by terrestrial ecosystems, will also be considered. 
Examples of innovative or exploratory ideas might include, among other 
things, unique field experiments or manipulations of variables that 
regulate carbon balance, or the analysis of unique sets of data. 
Interest is in non-conventional approaches that offer potential for 
advancing both estimating carbon quantities and the scientific 
understanding of processes and controls. While these types of 
scientific studies may be linked to other on-going CO2 
carbon sequestration and carbon cycle research, they should clearly 
identify distinct and unique contributions--beyond already defined 
research of existing programs like AmeriFlux, Free Air CO2 
Enrichment (FACE) Experiments (http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/programs/FACE/face.html), and Carbon Sequestration (Program Notice 00-09, which 
closed March 2, 2000, http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/
fr00__09.html).

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that approximately $2 million will be available 
for grant awards in Fiscal Year 2000, contingent upon availability of 
appropriated funds. Previous awards for this type of research have 
ranged from $100,000 up to $300,000 per year, with most not exceeding 
$200,000. While most awards are expected to fall within this range, a 
few larger awards may be granted for coordinated activities across the 
Network, or that have requirements for unique field investigation. Any 
anticipated budgets exceeding $300,000 per year per application should 
be discussed with the Program Manager. Funding of multiple year grant 
awards is expected, and is also contingent upon availability of 
appropriated funds.

Merit Review

    Applications will be subjected to scientific merit review (peer 
review) and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria 
listed in descending order of importance as 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 process 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 may be used, and 
submission of an application constitutes agreement that this is 
acceptable to the investigator(s) and the submitting institution.

Submission Information

    Information about the development and submission of applications, 
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, selection process, and other 
policies and procedures may be found in 10 CFR Part 605, and in the 
Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial Assistance 
Program. Electronic access to the Guide and required forms is made 
available via the World Wide Web at: 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.
    The research project description must be 15 pages or less, 
exclusive of attachments and must contain an abstract or summary of the 
proposed research. On the SC grant face page, form DOE F 4650.2, in 
block 15, also provide the PI's phone number, fax number and E-mail 
address. Attachments include curriculum vitae, a listing of all current 
and pending federal support, and letters of intent when collaborations 
are part of the proposed research. Curriculum vitae should be submitted 
in a form similar to that of NIH or NSF (two to three pages), see for 
example: http://www.nsf.gov:80/bfa/cpo/gpg/fkit.htm#forms-9.
    In addition to the original and seven copies of the application 
that must be submitted, the applicants are asked to submit an 
electronic copy of the abstract in ASCII format to 
[email protected]. The abstract should include the 
following information: PI and co-PI's, their institutions, brief 
summary of research, including identification of principal 
subcontractor/collaborators even if no funds are requested for their 
support.
    The technical portion of the application should not exceed 20 
double-spaced pages plus 5 pages for curriculum vitae and all other 
data, and should include a short one-half page abstract. Applications 
that deviate from the terms of this Notice will be returned, and will 
not be considered for support in the third cycle of TCP. Applications 
received after the deadline will not be eligible for award in Fiscal 
Year 2000.

    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 9, 2000.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 00-6655 Filed 3-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-U