[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10215-10216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4994]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 03-19; 
Research in Innovative Approaches to Fusion Energy Sciences

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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

SUMMARY: The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) of the Office of 
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announces its interest 
in receiving grant applications for research in innovative approaches 
to fusion energy sciences. All individuals or groups planning to submit 
applications for new or renewal funding in Fiscal Year 2004 should 
submit in response to this Notice.
    Specifically, projects funded under this Notice should be 
responsive to the MFE Goal 2 of the Report of the Integrated Program 
Planning Activity for the DOE OFES Program (IPPA 2000), Report DOE/SC-
0028 (http://vlt.ucsd.edu/IPPAFinalDec00.pdf). The Goal calls for 
resolving outstanding scientific issues and establishing reduced-cost 
paths to more attractive fusion energy systems by investigating a broad 
range of innovative magnetic confinement configurations, as recommended 
in the report on ``Priorities and Balance within the Fusion Energy 
Sciences Program'' by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee 
(FESAC), September 1999 (http://vlt.ucsd.edu/revisedpanel.pdf). 
Proposals exploring new and innovative approaches for creating compact 
plasmas with high [beta] and high temperatures in pulsed or steady 
state, and for the active control of magnetized plasmas are 
particularly welcome. Research involving highly innovative experimental 
approaches to improve our understanding of magnetized plasmas, and 
exploration of highly innovative plasma operations in support of proof-
of-principle and higher performance plasmas in support of the above 
Goal, may also be considered. Although the main thrust of the research 
efforts funded under this Notice is experimental, consideration will 
also be given to applications that are directed at scientific 
assessment of new concepts and approaches that are not ready for 
experimental investigation. Applications for research on existing large 
facilities, or initiatives in Inertial Fusion Energy should not be 
submitted in response to this Notice.
    Due to the limited availability of funds, Principal Investigators 
with continuing grants may not submit a new application in the same 
area(s) of interest as their previous application(s) which received 
funding. A Principal Investigator may submit only one application under 
this Notice.
    OFES may also solicit proposals from time to time under separate 
announcements of Initiatives to support coordinated, goal-directed 
community efforts. These Initiatives will be funded to achieve specific 
programmatic and scientific aims and will be subject to requirements 
that are different from those of this Notice. Such grants, if funded, 
will be subject to periodic reviews of progress.

DATES: To permit timely consideration for awards early in Fiscal Year 
2004, applications submitted in response to this Notice must be 
received by DOE no later than 4:30 p.m., May 1, 2003. Electronic 
submission of formal applications in PDF format is required using a 
minimum number of files.
    Applicants are requested to submit a letter-of-intent by April 4, 
2003, which includes the title of the application, the name of the 
Principal Investigator(s), the requested funding, and a one-page 
abstract. These letters-of-intent will be used to organize and expedite 
review processes. Failure to submit a letter-of-intent will not 
negatively prejudice a responsive formal application submitted in a 
timely fashion. The letters-of-intent should be sent by E-mail to the 
following E-mail address: [email protected] and the Subject 
line should state: Letter-of-intent regarding Program Notice 03-19.

ADDRESSES: Formal applications in response to this solicitation are to 
be electronically submitted by an authorized institutional business 
official 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. In order to submit applications through IIPS, your 
business official will need to register at the IIPS website. It is 
suggested that this registration be completed several days prior to the 
date on which you plan to submit the formal application. 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 using a minimum number of files. 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 grant 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: [email protected], 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 an application through IIPS, please 
contact the Office of the Director, Grants and Contracts Division, 
Office of Science, DOE at: (301) 903-5212 in order to gain assistance 
for submission through IIPS, or to receive special approval and 
instructions on how to submit printed applications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, 
Germantown Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290. Dr. Francis Thio is the Team 
Leader for the ICC Program. Specific contacts for each area of interest 
within the ICC program, along with telephone numbers and Internet 
addresses, are listed below:

1. Spherical torus: Dr. Don Priester, Research Division, SC-55, 
Telephone: (301) 903-3752, or by Internet address: 
[email protected].
2. Stellarator, electric tokamak, levitated dipole configuration, 
innovative research in tokamaks: Dr. Charles Finfgeld, Research 
Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-3423, or by Internet address: 
[email protected].
3. Reversed Field Pinch, field reversed configuration, spheromak, 
magnetized target fusion, electrostatic confinement, plasma heating: 
Dr. Francis Thio, Research Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-4678, 
or by Internet address: [email protected].
4. Configuration with strong shear flow stabilization: Dr. Curt Bolton, 
Research Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-4914, or by Internet 
address: [email protected].
5. Active and passive plasma control: Dr. Steve Eckstrand, Research 
Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301)

[[Page 10216]]

903-5546, or by Internet address: [email protected].
6. All other innovative concepts and approaches: Dr. Francis Thio, 
Research Division, SC-55, Telephone: (301) 903-4678, or by Internet 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: General information about development and 
submission of applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluations and 
selection processes, and other policies and procedures may be found in 
the Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial Assistance 
Program and 10 CFR part 605. Electronic access to SC's Financial 
Assistance Guide and required forms is possible via the Internet using 
the following Web site 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 an application if an 
award is not made.
    In selecting applications for funding, the DOE Office of Fusion 
Energy Sciences will give priority to applications that can produce 
experimental results within three to five years after grant initiation. 
Theoretical research will be accepted for consideration under this 
Notice when bundled with and in support of an experimental application.
    Applications concerned with scientific assessment of new concepts 
or approaches that are not ready for experimental investigation should 
have a well-defined scope. The product of such assessment would be a 
clear scientific description of the concept and its operation, its 
physics and engineering basis, critical analysis of major difficulties 
to be overcome in developing the concept as a net producer of energy 
through the fusion process, and an analysis of what would be achieved 
by moving to experimental research.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that about $6,000,000 of Fiscal Year 2004 funding 
will be available to fund new work or renewals of existing work from 
applications received in response to this Notice. The number of awards 
and range of funding will depend on the number of applications received 
and selected for award. Future year funding will depend upon suitable 
progress and the availability of funds. The cost-effectiveness of the 
application will be considered when comparing applications with 
differing funding requirements. Applications for scientific assessment 
of new concepts will be limited to a maximum of $150,000 in any year. 
Applications requiring annual funding as low as $50,000 are welcome and 
encouraged.
    Collaborative research projects involving more than one institution 
are encouraged. Applications submitted from different institutions, 
which are directed at a common research activity, should clearly 
indicate they are part of a proposed collaboration and contain a brief 
description of the overall research project. However, each application 
must have a distinct scope of work and a qualified principal 
investigator, who is responsible for the research effort being 
performed at his or her institution. Synergistic collaborations with 
researchers in federal laboratories and Federally Funded Research and 
Development Centers (FFRDCs), including the DOE National Laboratories 
are also encouraged, though no funds will be provided to these 
organizations under this Notice. Further information on preparation of 
collaborative applications may be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html.
    Applications from individual PIs or small groups (1-4 people) 
should be limited to a maximum of twenty (20) pages (including text and 
figures) of technical information, while applications from larger 
research groups should be limited to thirty (30) pages. The PDF file 
may also include a few selected publications in an Appendix as 
background information. In addition, in the electronic submission, 
please limit biographical and publication information for the principal 
investigator and key personnel to no more than two pages each. Each 
principal investigator should provide an e-mail address.
    In addition to the information required by 10 CFR part 605 each 
application should contain the following items: (1) A statement about 
the goal of the proposed investigation, (2) a synopsis of the research 
plan, (3) the specific results or deliverable expected at the end of 
the project period, (4) a discussion of why this research would have an 
important impact on the prospects for fusion energy, or why this 
research would lead to an attractive pathway towards practical fusion 
energy, (5) a discussion of how the research would elucidate the 
physics principles of the innovation, (6) a detailed research plan, and 
(7) information on the adequacy of the facilities and budget.

Merit Review

    Applications will be subjected to formal merit review and will be 
evaluated against the following criteria, which are listed in 
descending order of importance as set forth in 10 CFR part 605. (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 the applicant's personnel and adequacy of the 
proposed resources; and
    4. Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget.
    The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences shall also consider, as part 
of the evaluation, other available advice or information as well as 
program policy factors such as ensuring an appropriate balance among 
the program areas and within the program areas, coupling to the theory 
and computational efforts, and quality of previous performance. 
Selection of applications/proposals for award will be based upon the 
findings of the technical evaluations, the importance and relevance of 
the proposed research to the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences' mission, 
and funding availability. Funding under this Notice is limited to 
supporting research activities based in the U.S., though subcontracts 
with limited funding for collaborators outside the U.S. may be allowed 
with appropriate justifications.

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 February 24, 2003.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 03-4994 Filed 3-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P