[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77246-77248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31649]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 03-16: 
Catalysis Science

AGENCY: U.S. 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 high-risk, long-term, 
multi-investigator, multidisciplinary research on the science of 
catalysis. See Supplementary Information below for specific guidelines. 
The goal of the Catalysis Science research effort is to develop 
combined experimental and theoretical approaches to enable molecular-
level understanding of catalytic reaction mechanisms, ultimately 
enabling the prediction of catalytic reactivity at multiple time and 
length scales. Strongly encouraged are: (a) Applications containing 
synergistic integration of physical, chemical, and/or biochemical 
experimentation with solid state and molecular reactivity theories; (b) 
applications that integrate atomistic design of catalytically active 
sites; molecular, supramolecular or solid-state synthesis; and in-situ, 
time- and space-resolved, spectroscopy and microscopy; (c) applications 
to identify mechanisms and principles common to homogeneous, 
heterogeneous, and bio catalysis for the purpose of advancing the 
understanding of catalysis and developing novel chemical or physical 
functionalities; and (d) applications to understand and manage catalyst 
complexity arising from the combination of diverse functionalities, 
namely chemical, biological, electronic, optical, magnetic, mechanical, 
thermal, etc. DOE National Laboratory investigators should refer to the 
complementary request for proposals announced under: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

DATES: Letters of intent are required and must include the information 
specified under Application Guidelines, and must be submitted by 4:30 
p.m., E.S.T., February 5, 2003. Full applications must be preceded by 
the letters of intent and must be submitted by 4:30 p.m., E.S.T., March 
26, 2003, in order to be accepted for merit review and consideration 
for award during Fiscal Year 2003.

ADDRESSES: Letters of intent must be sent as email attachment in PDF 
format to Drs. Raul Miranda ([email protected]) and William 
Millman ([email protected]). Formal applications 
referencing Program Notice 03-16 must be sent electronically by an 
authorized institutional business official through DOE's Industry 
Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) at: http://e-center.doe.gov (see 
also http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.) IIPS 
provides for the posting of solicitations and receipt of applications 
in a paperless environment via the Internet. In order to submit 
applications through IIPS your business official will need to register 
at the IIPS Web site. The Office of Science will include attachments as 
part of this notice that provide the appropriate forms in PDF fillable 
format that are to be submitted through IIPS. Color images should be 
submitted in IIPS as a separate file in PDF format and identified as 
such. These images should be kept to a minimum due to the limitations 
of reproducing them. They should be numbered and referred to in the 
body of the technical scientific application as Color image 1, Color 
image 2, etc. 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, please 
contact the Grants and Contracts Division, Office of Science at: (301) 
903-5212, in order to gain assistance for submission through IIPS or to 
receive special approval and instruction on how to submit printed 
applications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Raul Miranda by telephone at: 
(301) 903-8014, or Dr. William Millman at: (301) 903-5805, or at the E-
mail addresses mentioned above, or by mail at U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Science, SC-14/Germantown Building, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General and Particular Goals of This Notice

    The general goals of the Catalysis Science research effort at the 
Office of Basic Energy Sciences are the following: (1) Attain a 
fundamental scientific understanding of catalytic reactivity of 
molecular, supramolecular or nanoscale, and condensed matter; (2) 
acquire basic knowledge of the structural, dynamic, and electronic 
aspects of multi-atom assemblies that are associated with materials 
undergoing chemical transformations and converting or transferring 
energy or mass; and (3) develop the methodology and tools to design and 
synthesize hard, soft (macromolecular and biological), and hybrid 
materials at the atomic level to achieve controlled reactivity, multi-
functionality, and time-dependent behavior.
    The particular goal of the Catalysis Science effort is to 
dramatically accelerate the development of a predictive science of 
chemical catalysis by means of appropriate theoretical and experimental 
collaborations. To that end, focused and joint activities among 
complementary scientists and engineers will be supported to discover 
structure-property relationships and set the foundations for 
comprehensive theories of catalyst reactivity and time-dependent 
behavior. Consequently, support will be given for the use of advanced 
experimental and theoretical tools, as well as the development of new 
synthetic, spectroscopic, structural, theoretical and information 
management tools, for achieving systematic probing and exacting control 
of structure-reactivity relationships.

Expected Long-Term Impact of the Research Funded Under This Notice

    The fundamental understanding sought with this research should, in 
the long term, lead to novel molecular or nanoscale constructs endowed 
with designed chemical reactivity. As

[[Page 77247]]

catalysts, such materials should possess, by definition, the ability to 
direct chemical transformations quickly, selectively, and repeatedly, 
toward desired sets of products, without themselves suffering 
degradation. To convert selected species that may be components of 
complex mixtures, future catalysts will also possess enzyme-like 
reactant specificity and chemo-, regio- and stereo-selectivity. Acting 
in environments with various types of heterogeneity, future synthetic 
catalysts will be self-adaptive or externally controllable, by 
incorporating both sensing and acting functionalities in the same 
structure. Future catalysts will have self-healing capabilities in 
order to reverse degradation and prevent deactivation. They might be 
tunable to absorb energy in specific spectral ranges and deliver such 
energy to selected chemical bonds. These complex structures will 
efficiently convert currently intractable fossil and renewable 
feedstocks into clean fuels, chemical commodities, fine chemicals and 
special materials. They will also dramatically purify our environment, 
protect our security, balance our body chemistry, and impact a number 
of industries: power, food, transportation, electronics, housing, etc. 
The objective of this research effort is to develop fundamental 
scientific understanding of the physicochemical mechanisms and 
discovery of the principles that will allow the design and controlled 
synthesis of the catalysts that will achieve this vision.

Emphasis on Research Teams

    Note: Single investigators wishing to submit an application in 
response to the goals stated in this notice should contact an 
appropriate program manager in the Office of Basic Energy Sciences. 
See above for contact information.

    Applications are sought from multi-investigator teams that focus on 
the creation of new approaches to research in catalysis. Thus, 
applications that present novel approaches to integrating or 
coordinating the various aspects of catalysis (heterogeneous, 
homogeneous and biological) are particularly encouraged, as are 
applications that integrate advanced experimental techniques, synthetic 
methodology, and theory and modeling. Participation by investigators 
who are new to catalysis science research is strongly encouraged.
    In particular, this notice targets imaginative multidisciplinary 
research efforts coordinating some or all of the following disciplines: 
chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, engineering; molecular 
and solid state synthesis, structural and spectroscopic 
instrumentation, reaction mechanisms and dynamics; chemical and 
materials theory, applied mathematics, information science and 
computation. The application should describe how that coordination may 
lead to a predictive science of catalysis.
    Applicants are invited, but not required, to partner with multiple 
institutions: universities, DOE National Laboratories (FFRDCs) and 
Nanoscale Science Research Centers, when appropriate and necessary for 
the intellectual and operational benefit of the collaboration. 
Applications must include a management plan describing the intellectual 
responsibility of each investigator and how each of them is essential 
to achieving the overall project milestones (see Application Guidelines 
for detailed instructions.)
    In multi-institutional applications, only the leading institution 
must submit the original application, including separate and detailed 
budgets from each institution. Research collaboration with DOE FFRDCs 
is welcome, but funds will be provided to these organizations under a 
separate notice (http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.) 
A guide for submitting a collaborative application with a national 
laboratory can be accessed via the web at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html. International collaborations are also 
welcome, but the international partner will not receive funding under 
this notice. Use of national and international user facilities is 
encouraged but not required. All projects will be evaluated using the 
same criteria, regardless of the submitting institution.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that up to $4 million will be available for up to 
6 new grant awards during Fiscal Year 2003, contingent upon the 
availability of appropriated funds. For this initial funding period, 
three-year grants are expected, also contingent upon the availability 
of appropriated funds, progress of the research, and continuing program 
need.

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 part 605.10(d) 
(http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/605index.html):
    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.
    In addition, applications will be evaluated in terms of the 
organizational plan and the research coordination. The evaluation will 
also include program policy factors such as the relevance of the 
proposed research to the terms of the announcement and programmatic 
needs.
    External peer reviewers will be selected with regard to both their 
scientific expertise and the absence of conflict of interest. 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.

Application Guidelines

    Note: Each university investigator is limited to only one 
application as either principal investigator/project director or co-
principal investigator.

    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 available 
via the World Wide Web at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html. The application Face Page, form DOE F 4650.2, must contain 
the principal investigator/project director's name, institution, phone 
number, fax number, and E-mail address. Requests for three-year grants 
are expected. For multi-institutional applications, see further 
instructions below.
    The letter of intent should be brief and contain a project title, 
principal investigator/project director, co-principal investigators, 
external collaborators not included in the budget, institutions 
involved, estimated total budget, purpose and innovative aspects of the 
research, and primary role of each principal investigator. The letters 
of intent are not binding and will be used by program managers 
exclusively for preliminary identification of potential peer reviewers, 
conflicts of interest, and duplications of effort.
    The full application shall contain a research description limited 
to a maximum of 40 pages per application, including figures, tables, 
and previous results. It must also contain a research

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management and coordination plan, limited to 10 pages. The application 
must have a short abstract focusing on the goals of the research and an 
executive summary that includes research methodology and coordination 
plan for the research team. Attachments must include a brief biography 
for each investigator and external collaborator; a listing of all 
current and pending federal, state, and private support for each 
investigator listed in the budget; and letters of commitment from 
external collaborators not included in the budget. The required page 
and font format are: 8.5 inch x 11 inch page size; 1 inch top, bottom 
and right margins; 1.25 inch left margin; single, 1.5 or double line 
spacing; 12 pt font size for text and appropriate fonts for equations 
and symbolic notation. DOE is under no obligation to pay for any costs 
associated with the preparation or submission of applications.
    The application must have the following ordered format:
    1--Face page (DOE F 4650.2).
    2--Table of contents.
    3--Project abstract (400 word maximum).
    4--Executive summary (3 page maximum).
    5--Budget for each year and cumulative budget (DOE F 4620.1).
    6--Budget explanation.
    7--Cover page(s) with project title, names of project director and 
co-principal investigators and their affiliations. For multi-
institutional applications, list the investigator names, their 
institutions, the yearly amount request from each institution and the 
yearly total request.
    8--Research description (40 page maximum, including goals, 
background, research plan, previous results (if any), and research 
methodology).
    9--Research management and coordination plan (10 page maximum).
    10--References (including full titles).
    11--Biographical sketches (3 page maximum per principal 
investigator and external collaborator).
    12--Description of main facilities to be used in the research.
    13--Current and pending support for each investigator listed in the 
budget(s).
    14--Letters of commitment from external collaborators.
    15--Federal certification pages for the submitting institution.
    16--Appendix 1 (For multi-institutional applications only): 
original signed pages.
    17--Appendix 2 (For multi-institutional applications only): 
combined budget sheets.

Specific Instructions for Multi-Institutional Applications

    The leading institution project director/principal investigator is 
responsible for the management and coordination of the overall effort 
and for submitting the application. If the application were funded, 
each institution would receive a separate grant or contract and there 
would be no subcontracts. Therefore, each institution must prepare and 
sign its own face page (item 1 listed above), budget sheets and 
explanation (items 5-6 above) and federal certification pages (item 15 
above). On the face page, each institution should identify its 
principal investigator and specify its amount request. The project 
director/principal investigator of the leading institution must 
electronically or otherwise submit the application using the following 
format: (item 1) leading institution face page citing the amount 
requested by the leading institution; (items 2-15) body of the 
application including the leading institution's budget and explanation 
(items 5-6); (item 16) Appendix 1, containing all original budgets, 
explanations and federal certification pages from the other 
institutions; and (item 17) Appendix 2, containing a spreadsheet that 
combines the budgets from the multiple institutions in an easily 
readable format.

    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 10, 2002.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 02-31649 Filed 12-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P