[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59837-59838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24214]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 03-03; 
Enhanced Research Capabilities at DOE X-ray and Neutron Facilities

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting 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), hereby announces its 
interest in receiving grant applications for new capabilities or for 
upgrading existing research capabilities for innovative fundamental 
research at DOE-supported synchrotron light sources and neutron 
sources. Such instrumentation should employ state-of-the-art technology 
so that the photon and neutron beams are utilized more effectively. 
Applications for the development of new capabilities, as well as 
upgrading of existing capabilities are encouraged.

DATES: Potential applicants are required to submit a brief 
preapplication. All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 03-03, 
should be received by November 12, 2002. A response to the 
preapplications encouraging or discouraging a formal application will 
be communicated to the applicant within approximately thirty days of 
receipt. To permit timely consideration for awards in Fiscal Year 2003, 
formal applications submitted in response to this notice must be 
received by January 28, 2003.

ADDRESSES: All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 03-03, 
should be sent to Dr. Helen M. Kerch, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, 
Division of Materials Sciences, ER-132/Germantown Building, Office of 
Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-1290.
    After receiving notification from DOE concerning successful 
preapplications, applicants may prepare formal applications. We 
encourage you to submit formal applications in response to this 
solicitation electronically through DOE's Industry Interactive 
Procurement System (IIPS) at: http://e-center.doe.gov/. IIPS provides 
for the posting of solicitations and receipt of applications in a 
paperless environment via the Internet. Applications must be submitted 
through IIPS in PDF format by an authorized institutional business 
official. Questions regarding the operation of IIPS may be e-mailed to 
the IIPS Help Desk at: center.doe.gov">HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov or you may call the 
help desk at (800) 683-0751. Further information on the use of IIPS by 
the Office of Science is available at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
    If you are unable to submit the application through IIPS, formal 
applications may be sent to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 
Science, Grants and Contracts Division, SC-64/Germantown Building, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290, ATTN: Program 
Notice 03-03.
    When submitting applications by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail, 
any commercial mail delivery service, or when hand carried by the 
applicant, the following address must be used: U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Science, Grants and Contracts Division, SC-64, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, ATTN: Program Notice 03-03.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Helen M. Kerch , Office of Basic 
Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences, ER-132/Germantown 
Building, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290. Telephone: (301) 
903-2346; Fax: (301) 903-9513; e-mail: [email protected]. The 
full text of Program Notice 03-03 is available via the Internet using 
the following Web address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: X-ray and neutron scattering are powerful 
tools used to investigate the fundamental properties of materials. BES 
is the major supporter of x-ray and neutron science in the United 
States and has pioneered the development of virtually all of the 
instruments and techniques used at these facilities for research in 
materials sciences, surface science, condensed matter physics, atomic 
and molecular physics, chemical dynamics, x-ray microscopy, tomography, 
femtosecond phenomena, interfacial/environmental, and geophysics 
studies. Within the physical sciences, BES remains the dominant federal 
supporter of beamline development and instrument fabrication providing 
as much as 85% of the federal support for these activities. Major 
instruments at the synchrotron light sources and the neutron sources 
have a lifetime of 7-10 years after which the instruments may undergo 
major upgrades or be retired. Thus, after a facility is fully 
instrumented, about 10-15% of the instruments must be upgraded or 
replaced each year to keep the facility at the forefront of science.
    The National User Facilities supported by the Office of Basic 
Energy Sciences are the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) (currently 
under construction), National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), High 
Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS), 
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL), Advanced Light Source 
(ALS), Advanced Photon Source (APS), and Los Alamos Neutron Scattering 
Center (LANSCE). These facilities have the capabilities of extreme 
flux, or brightness, to make certain experiments possible, which 
couldn't be done otherwise. The Department's intention for this program 
is to support fundamental research, which will include the upgrade and/
or development of new instrumentation for general user beamlines at the 
Department's National User Facilities. The ability to conduct 
innovative fundamental research should be emphasized in each 
application. Grant applications are encouraged from the fields of 
solid-state physics, materials chemistry, metals and ceramics, chemical 
sciences, geosciences, and environmental sciences for energy-relevant 
research which make use of the DOE-supported user facilities. 
Instrumentation appropriate for consideration would include, but not be 
limited to, the following: beamline optics and transport guides, 
monochromators of much greater resolution, more efficient detectors to 
reduce the background noise, sample environments that afford control of 
temperature, pressure and magnetic field, electronics and data 
processing equipment to enable investigators to carry out new or more 
difficult experiments and/or more experiments in the same amount of 
time.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that approximately $7,292,000 will be available 
for awards during FY 2003 to support instrument upgrades, instrument 
replacements, and new instrumentation at the x-ray and neutron 
scattering facilities, contingent upon the availability of appropriated 
funds. These funds will be competed among both academic and laboratory 
institutions, and the resulting instruments and beamlines will be made 
available to the entire U.S. scientific research community. Multiyear

[[Page 59838]]

beamline and instrument development in such areas as materials 
sciences, surface science, condensed matter physics, atomic and 
molecular physics, polymers and soft materials, nanostructured 
materials, x-ray microscopy, tomography, femtosecond phenomena, 
interfacial studies, and imaging results will be considered. The number 
of awards and the range of funding will depend on the number of 
applications received and selected for award.

Collaboration

    Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with industry and to 
incorporate cost sharing and consortia wherever feasible. The extent of 
the collaboration and cost sharing will be factors, along with the 
principal criterion of the scientific merit of the application, in the 
selection process by the Department.

Merit Review

    Applications will be subjected to scientific merit review (peer 
review) and will be evaluated against the following 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 
agency's programmatic needs. External peer reviewers will be selected 
with regard to 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.
    General information about the development and submission of 
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 Application Guide is possible via the Internet at the following 
Web 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.

    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 September 17, 2002.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 02-24214 Filed 9-23-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-03-P