[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 66 (Friday, April 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16370-16372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8233]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 02-23; 
Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration Using the Poplar

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

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 interest in receiving applications for the Terrestrial Carbon 
Sequestration Using the Poplar research program. Research is requested 
that could lead to strategies to improve the use of the poplar tree, 
genus Populus, for long-term sequestration of atmospheric carbon: (1) 
By leveraging the planned genomic sequencing of the poplar, and/or (2) 
through understanding of the microbial communities found in the poplar 
rhizosphere. Applications are sought for research to develop the 
scientific understanding needed to develop and apply genomic methods to 
enhance carbon sequestration by poplar. Genomics, which is 
revolutionizing the biological and environmental sciences, uses the 
genetic information within a cell to understand phenotypic expression 
of an organism, such as Populus. The focus of genomics in this 
solicitation is on how gene functions of Populus affect and can be 
manipulated to affect the phenotypic expression of processes that 
control the fixation and sequestration of carbon in above- and below-
ground biomass and the soil.

DATES: Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to submit a brief 
preapplication for programmatic review. Early submission of 
preapplications is suggested to allow time for meaningful dialogue.
    The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 p.m., 
E.D.T., May 30, 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, referencing Program Notice 02-23, should be 
sent e-mail to: [email protected].
    Formal applications, referencing Program Notice 02-23, 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 02-23. 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. John Houghton, Office of 
Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, 
telephone: (301) 903-8288, e-mail: [email protected], fax: 
(301) 903-8519. The full text of Program Notice 02-23 is available via 
the World Wide Web using the following web site address: http://www.science.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy Joint Genome 
Institute will be sequencing the nuclear, genomic DNA from a member of 
the Populus genus, Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa, commonly known 
as black cottonwood. This Populus genome will be sequenced to a three-
fold coverage in 2002, and increased to six-fold coverage in 2003. It 
will be the first woody plant species to be sequenced, and the draft 
sequence will be available immediately to the research community.
    Poplar has many advantages both as a model organism and as a crop 
for carbon sequestration. Poplar is easily mutated, has facile 
transgenesis, and is easily cloned. The molecular physiology is well 
characterized. It has a relatively small, compact genome of 
approximately 550 Mbases. Much is known already about its genome, and 
genetic tools exist, such as genetic linkage maps, BAC (bacterial 
artificial chromosome) libraries, EST (expressed sequence tags) 
libraries, and QTL (quantitative trait locus) mapping of physiological 
traits. Research on trees has some advantages over non-woody plants for 
carbon sequestration due to the large fraction of total global 
terrestrial biomass in forests, rapid growth, high value products other 
than carbon sequestration that could help the economics of carbon 
sequestration, and widespread distribution.
    Genomic studies of the poplar may result in improved breeding and 
options for cultivation that will enable

[[Page 16371]]

significant quantities of carbon to be sequestered using poplar or 
other trees. This notice solicits research that will build on the 
planned sequencing of the poplar to investigate ways in which carbon 
sequestration of the above-ground bole and branches of trees can be 
improved. In addition, a significant fraction of the carbon associated 
with a stand of trees is in the soil, rather than the above-ground 
biomass. Carbon sequestration in soils may be a critical natural sink 
for anthropogenic carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere. Carbon 
sequestration in forest soils also has many potential ancillary 
benefits, such as improved fertility and water holding capacity of 
soil, thereby reducing both erosion and the need for fertilizers, and 
the possibility of soil carbon sequestration credits to save forests on 
lands that might otherwise be converted to other use.
    The proposed research should be linked to possible options for 
purposeful enhancement of carbon sequestration. In below-ground 
sequestration, for example, carbon could be partitioned so that roots 
contain more biomass than usual. Recalcitrant forms of carbon, such as 
lignin, could be over-expressed in roots. The plant biochemistry could 
be manipulated so that secondary compounds of interest could be exuded 
from the roots into the soil with the intent of increasing carbon 
storage in the soils. These techniques would alter the natural flow of 
carbon fixed from the atmosphere by the tree so that more carbon would 
be added to the soil and/or the carbon would remain in the soil longer.
    For the goal of carbon management using the above-ground biomass, 
the bole and branches could be manipulated to make them more conducive 
for use as an energy source, effectively slowing the increase in 
atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations compared with the same energy 
production from fossil fuels. For proposed products that are not 
replacing fossil fuels, a justification needs to be made that 
significant additional carbon will be sequestered. The total life cycle 
global carbon sequestered should be at least on the order of 1 
Gigatonne carbon per decade. These products need to have lifetimes of 
decades so that the carbon involved remains sequestered.
    Applicants should describe a phased research program that takes 
advantage of the draft DNA sequence as it becomes available over the 
next two years. The proposed research could lead to the development of 
high throughput experimental and computational methods for 
understanding of the functional genomics and proteomics of the poplar, 
especially as related to carbon utilization. Research topics might 
include (but are not limited to): the identification of gene 
function(s), the ability to rapidly develop mutants and transform 
cells, high throughput assays for SNPs (Single Nucleotide 
Polymorphisms) that alter function(s), the development of systems for 
phenotyping important traits in mutants, and the understanding and 
control of metabolic and regulatory pathways.
    Research is also being sought that investigates the microbial 
community in the poplar rhizosphere with the intent of understanding 
its role in the transfer of carbon from roots to the soil. Research 
topics might include: (but are not limited to): a characterization of 
the bacterial and fungal organisms that metabolize the products, for 
example, exudates and structural root components, from the roots to 
form compounds with a long (decades) turnover time. Research is 
preferred on organisms and pathways that serve to increase long-term 
carbon storage over organisms and pathways that would serve to decrease 
carbon storage. A link should be made to potential techniques that 
would lead to increased carbon storage in the poplar rhizosphere and 
surrounding soil, such as a manipulation of the soil chemical 
environment to promote certain microorganisms or particular metabolic 
pathways.
    Applicants are encouraged, where appropriate, to include 
computational biology and informatics techniques in the research. Where 
practical, data should be made accessible, in machine-readable format, 
to other researchers. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include an 
informatics plan for managing the emerging data so that, to the extent 
practical, the data is compatible with other researchers and data sets.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that up to $1,500,000 will be available for 
multiple awards to be made in Fiscal Year 2002 and early Fiscal Year 
2003, in the categories described above, contingent on the availability 
of appropriated funds. Applications may request project support up to 
three years, with out-year support contingent on the availability of 
funds, progress of the research and programmatic needs. Annual budgets 
are expected to range from $100,000 to $400,000 total costs, unless 
there is prior approval from the Program Manager.

Collaboration

    Applicants are encouraged to consider proposing multidisciplinary, 
collaborative research projects. 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 World Wide Web at: http://www.science.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html.

Preapplications

    A brief preapplication is strongly encouraged (but not required) 
prior to submission of a full application. The preapplication should 
identify on the cover sheet the institution, Principal Investigator's 
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 Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration Using the 
Poplar research program. Please note that 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.

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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.
    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.science.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 20 pages or less, 
exclusive of attachments and must contain an abstract or summary of the 
proposed research. All collaborators should be listed with the abstract 
or summary. On the grant face page, form DOE F 4650.2, in block 15, 
also provide the Principal Investigator'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 the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) or the National Science Foundation (NSF) 
(two to three pages), see for example: http://www.nsf.gov/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, March 29, 2002.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 02-8233 Filed 4-4-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-02-U