[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65940-65942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31468]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 02-11: 
Ocean Carbon Sequestration Research Program

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Carbon 
Sequestration in the Oceans.

DATES: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief 
preapplication for programmatic review no later than January 18, 2002.
    The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 p.m., 
E.S.T., March 26, 2002, to be accepted for merit review and to permit 
timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 2002 and early Fiscal 
Year 2003.

ADDRESSES: Preapplications should be sent via E-mail to Dr. Anna 
Palmisano at: [email protected].
    Formal applications, referencing Program Notice 02-11, 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 02-11. 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. Anna Palmisano, 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) 903-9963, 
E-mail: [email protected], fax: (301) 903-8519. The full 
text of Program Notice 02-11 is available via the Internet using the 
following web site address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Predictions of global energy use in the next 
century suggest a continued increase in carbon emissions and rising 
concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere 
unless major changes are made in the way we produce and use energy--in 
particular, how we manage carbon.
    One way to manage carbon is to use energy more efficiently to 
reduce our need for a major energy and carbon source--fossil fuel 
combustion. A second way is to increase our use of low-carbon and 
carbon-free fuels and technologies, such as nuclear power and renewable 
sources such as solar energy, wind power, and biomass fuels.
    A third way to manage is by ``carbon sequestration'': The capture 
and long term storage of carbon either from the global energy system or 
directly from the atmosphere in oceanic or terrestrial ecosystems. 
Although many options exist to capture and sequester carbon dioxide, 
the focus of this solicitation is on fundamental research that would 
enable: (a) The enhancement of the absorption and retention of 
atmospheric carbon by ocean biota; and (b) the use of the deep ocean to 
store carbon dioxide that has been already separated, captured, and 
transported.
    Any viable system for sequestering carbon must have a number of 
characteristics. It must be effective and cost-competitive with 
alternative means, such as renewable energy. Unintended environmental 
consequences must be benign compared to alternative solutions, 
including no action. A carbon sequestration system must be able to be 
monitored quantitatively and verified, because contributions to carbon 
sequestration almost certainly need to be measured. Research sponsored 
by this program could contribute to any of these goals.
    This solicitation invites applications for basic research projects 
on carbon sequestration in the oceans. The proposed research should be 
fundamental in nature. Applications that test demonstrations of 
engineered technologies are not relevant to this solicitation.

Technical Areas of Interest

    The ocean represents a large current sink for the sequestration of 
anthropogenic CO2 emissions as well as a large potential for 
further enhancement. Two strategies for enhancing carbon sequestration 
in the ocean are the focus of the DOE Ocean Carbon Sequestration 
Research Program. One strategy is the enhancement of the net oceanic 
uptake from the atmosphere by fertilization of phytoplankton with 
micronutrients, such as iron. A second strategy is the direct injection 
of a relatively pure CO2 stream to ocean depths greater than 
1000 m. Sources of CO2 for direct injection might include 
power plants, industries or other sources. This solicitation seeks 
applications that specifically address the long term effectiveness and 
potential environmental consequences of ocean sequestration by these 
two strategies. Research projects currently being funded under the DOE 
Ocean Carbon Sequestration Research Program may be accessed at: http://cdiac2.esd.ornl.gov/ocean.html. The program currently funds projects in 
a wide range of scientific disciplines including marine biology and 
ecology; biological, physical, and chemical oceanography; computational 
science and modeling; and physical chemistry and engineering.

Iron Fertilization

    Much has been learned about the important role of iron in 
photosynthesis over the past 15 years through both laboratory and field 
iron enrichment experiments. Iron deficiency has been shown to limit 
the efficiency of photosystem II in phytoplankton. Evidence from 
paleoceanographic samples also links iron supply with marine primary 
production and carbon flux. However, critical questions remain: How 
does iron enrichment accelerate carbon flux in high nutrient, low 
chlorophyll (HNLC), low nutrient, low chlorophyll (LNLC), sub-mixed 
layer and coastal ecosystems? What are the time scales of 
remineralization? What are the long term ecological and biogeochemical 
consequences of fertilization on surface and midwater processes? Basic 
research is needed on the biogeochemistry of iron and carbon in the 
ocean. The accurate measure of carbon flux following iron fertilization 
is critical to the objective evaluation of this strategy for carbon 
sequestration. We need to understand the regulation of carbon fluxes 
and the role of mineral ballast in export of organic carbon from the 
surface to the deep ocean. Our understanding of the concentrations, 
sources, sinks and ligands of iron in marine systems is also very 
limited. The complexity of marine ecosystems necessitates careful 
research on potential environmental consequences of iron fertilization. 
These consequences may include the potential to impact key oceanic 
biogeochemical cycles as well as on populations of marine organisms and 
their trophodynamic interactions.
    Examples of relevant research areas for enhancement of the 
biological pump through iron fertilization include:
    1. Environmental consequences of long term ocean fertilization. 
Research might focus on:
     Examining changes in structure and function of marine 
ecosystems including community structure of phytoplankton and 
zooplankton, ocean

[[Page 65941]]

food webs and trophodynamics, resulting from ocean fertilization.
     Examining changes in natural oceanic biogeochemical cycles 
(carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon) resulting from carbon 
sequestration.
    2. Effectiveness of ocean fertilization on a large scale. Research 
might focus on:
     Understanding the biological pumping of carbon to deep 
waters, the export of particulate organic carbon and particulate 
inorganic carbon to the deep sea, and mineralization or dissolution of 
all forms at depth. This includes understanding the role of 
micronutrients (such as iron) and macronutrients (such as nitrogen and 
phosphorus) in regulation of the biological pump.
     Determining to what extent increased carbon fixation in 
surface waters would result in an increase in carbon sequestered in the 
deep ocean, and how long it would remain sequestered.
    Research proposed on iron fertilization should also support the 
USGCRP Carbon Cycle Science Initiative. For a copy of the Carbon Cycle 
Science Plan, access the following web site: http://www.gcrio.org/OnLnDoc/pdf/carb_cycle_toc.html. In particular, the proposed research 
should provide the scientific foundation for estimating the capacity of 
the ocean to sequester and store carbon dioxide released as a result of 
human activities.

Direct Injection

    The overarching question for this research area is: Can direct 
CO2 injection effectively sequester CO2 in the 
ocean with minimal adverse environmental impacts? Fundamental research 
is needed to assess the efficiency and consequences of direct injection 
to sequester a maximum level of CO2 while minimizing the 
impact on deep sea ecosystems. Current scientific literature on the 
physiology of deep sea animals suggests a high sensitivity of deep sea 
animals to acidosis and hypercapnia (CO2 stress), however, 
there are few data on impacts of specific levels of CO2 on 
animals from various marine habitats. Moreover, there are virtually no 
data on the potential effects of CO2 on microbially-mediated 
biogeochemical transformations of nutrients in the deep sea. Models are 
needed that provide information on the fate of injected CO2, 
particularly in the 100m to 100km range, from the point of injection. 
The ultimate goal is to be able to develop a coupled model that can 
predict the fact of injected CO2 and its chemical, physical 
and biological effects on marine ecosystems.
    Examples of relevant research areas for direct injection of carbon 
dioxide into the deep ocean include:
    1. Environmental consequences of direct injection of CO2 
into the ocean in midwater or deep sea habitats. Research might focus 
on:
     Determining the effects of changes in pH and 
CO2 on the physiology and survival of organisms (including 
microbes) from midwater and deep sea habitats.
     Understanding the effects of sustained release of 
concentrated CO2 on biogeochemical processes, and on 
ecosystem structure and function. This includes investigations of 
biogeochemical interactions of seafloor sediments with a hydrated 
CO2 plume.
    2. Effectiveness of direct injection of CO2 for carbon 
sequestration. Research might focus on:
     Understanding the longer-term fate of carbon that is added 
to the ocean including the carbonate chemistry of mid- and deep-ocean 
water.
     Addressing weaknesses in Ocean General Circulation Models 
(OGCMs), specifically their ability to simulate accurately western 
boundary currents, ocean bottom currents and plume to eddy circulation, 
and testing models using natural or experimental tracers.
     Coupling near-field with far-field effects of 
CO2 injection, for example, couple plume modeling at the 
basin and global scale with ocean circulation models.

Collaboration

    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, 
where appropriate, and to include cost sharing and/or consortia 
wherever feasible. Additional information on collaboration is available 
in the Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial Assistance 
Program that is available via the Internet at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that up to $1,000,000 will be available for 
awards in this area during Fiscal Year 2002, contingent upon 
availability of appropriated funds. An additional $1,000,000 will be 
available for competition by DOE National Laboratories under a separate 
solicitation (LAB 02-11). Projects involving single investigators or 
small groups of investigators may be funded at a level up to $300,000 
per year for up to 3 years. Applications for field experiments 
involving larger groups of investigators will be considered, but must 
be approved at a preapplication level. Multiple year funding of awards 
is expected, and is also contingent upon availability of funds, 
progress of the research, and continuing program need.

Preapplications

    An informal preapplication may be submitted by E-mail. The 
preapplication should identify the institution, Principal Investigator 
name, address, telephone, fax and E-mail address, title of the project, 
and proposed collaborators. The preapplication should consist of a one 
to two page narrative describing the research project objectives and 
methods of accomplishment. These will be reviewed relative to the scope 
and research needs of the Ocean Carbon Sequestration Research Program. 
Preapplications are strongly encouraged prior to submission of a full 
application, especially for large, field-based collaborations. 
Notification of a successful preapplication is not an indication that 
an award will be made in response to the formal application.

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 will include program policy factors such as the 
relevance of the proposed research to the terms of the announcement and 
the 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. Both non-federal and federal reviewers 
may be used, and submission of an application constitutes agreement 
that this is acceptable to the investigator(s) and the submitting 
institution.

Formal Applications

    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

[[Page 65942]]

the Guide and required forms is 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.
    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 14, 2001.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 01-31468 Filed 12-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-02-U