[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 74 (Monday, April 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20437-20439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9482]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science; Office of Science Financial Assistance Program 
Notice 00-14; Experimental Program To Stimulate Competitive Research 
(EPSCoR); Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships

AGENCY: 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 
Science (SC), 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 basic 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 with strong participation by students, postdoctoral 
fellows and young faculty from EPSCoR states.

DATES: Potential applicants are required to submit a brief 
preapplication. All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 00-14, 
should be received by DOE by 4:30 P.M., E.D.T., October 3, 2000. A 
response to the preapplications encouraging or discouraging a formal 
application will be communicated to the applicant within approximately 
thirty days of receipt. The deadline for receipt of formal applications 
is 4:30 P.M., E.S.T., January 16, 2001, in order to be accepted for 
merit review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal 
Year 2001.

ADDRESSES: All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 00-14, 
should be sent to Dr. Matesh N. Varma, Division of Materials Sciences 
and Engineering, SC-132, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290.
    After receiving notification from DOE encouraging submission of a 
formal application, applicants may prepare formal applications and send 
them to:

[[Page 20438]]

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Grants and Contracts 
Division, SC-64, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, 
ATTN: Program Notice 00-14. This 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: Dr. Matesh N. Varma, DOE/EPSCoR 
Program Manager, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, SC-
132, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown 
Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Telephone: (301) 903-3209, Facsimile: 
(301) 903-9513 or Internet E-mail address: 
[email protected].

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's Office of Science. These collaborations should 
address areas of research of current interest to the Department. 
Undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and young 
faculty must be active members of the research team, and it is required 
that these investigators spend a summer or significant time during the 
academic-year at a National Laboratory, facility or center. 
Subcontracting arrangements with DOE National Laboratories will not be 
permitted. DOE eligible states and territories for the EPSCoR program 
are: Alaska, 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.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that approximately $3,000,000 will be available 
in FY 2001 for research that encourages and facilitates collaborative 
efforts between researchers from 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 $150,000 
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. Cost sharing is strongly encouraged. All DOE/EPSCOR 
award 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

    To minimize undue effort on the part of applicants and reviewers, 
interested parties are invited to submit preapplications. The 
preapplications will be reviewed relative to the scope and research 
needs of the Department of Energy. The brief preapplication must 
consist of (1) one to two pages of narrative describing the research 
objectives and methods of accomplishment, (2) a letter from the 
appropriate state EPSCoR coordinator endorsing the preapplication, and 
(3) a letter of intent from the DOE National Laboratory confirming 
collaboration on the project. The preapplications will be grouped 
according to programmatic areas of interest to the Office of Science 
and will be reviewed by DOE laboratory scientists to determine the 
priority of the proposed research. The preapplication will also be 
reviewed by the relevant programmatic research area program manager, to 
determine the priority of research and possible cofunding by that 
program office. Based on this review, DOE/EPSCoR management will 
recommend formal submission of applications to the Department. A 
telephone number, facsimile number, and e-mail address are required 
parts of the preapplication. Instructions regarding the contents of a 
preapplication and other preapplication guidelines can be found on the 
SC Grants and Contracts web site at: http://www.sc.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 and the contact person information 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.
    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 part 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 and priority. 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.
    Applications received by SC under its current 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.
    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 Science Financial 
Assistance Program and 10 CFR part 605. Electronic access to the latest 
version of SC's Financial Assistance Guide is possible via the Internet 
at the following web site address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
    Additional information regarding format, preparation and specific 
requirements may be found at web site address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/bes/EPSCoR/APPLI1.HTM.

[[Page 20439]]

    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 April 4, 2000.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 00-9482 Filed 4-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P