[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 143 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44064-44065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18979]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 03-24: High 
Energy Physics Outstanding Junior Investigator Program

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of High Energy Physics of the Office of Science 
(SC), U.S. Department of Energy, hereby announces its interest in 
receiving grant applications for support under its Outstanding Junior 
Investigator (OJI) Program. Applications should be from tenure-track 
faculty investigators who are currently involved in experimental or 
theoretical high energy physics or accelerator physics research, and 
should be submitted through a U.S. academic institution. The purpose of 
this program is to support the development of individual research 
programs by outstanding scientists early in their careers. Awards made 
under this program will help to maintain the vitality of university 
research and assure continued excellence in the teaching of physics.

DATES: To permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 2004, 
formal applications submitted in response to this notice should be 
received before November 4, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Applications for OJI Awards referencing Program Notice DE-
FG01-03ER03-24 must be submitted electronically by an authorized 
institutional business official through the DOE Industry Interactive 
Procurement System (IIPS) Web site at: http://pr.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 website. 
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. IIPS offers the option of submitting 
multiple files--please limit submissions to only one file within the 
volume if possible, with a maximum of no more than four 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 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jeffrey Mandula, Office of High 
Energy Physics, SC-221/Germantown Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 
1000 Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20585-1290. Telephone: (301) 
903-4829. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Outstanding Junior Investigator program 
was started in 1978 by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. A

[[Page 44065]]

principal goal of this program is to identify exceptionally talented 
high energy physicists early in their careers and assist and facilitate 
the development of their research programs. Eligibility for awards 
under this notice is therefore restricted to non-tenured investigators 
who are conducting experimental or theoretical high energy physics or 
accelerator physics research. Since its debut, the program has 
initiated support for between five and ten new OJIs each year. The 
program has been very successful and contributes importantly to the 
vigor of the U.S. High Energy Physics program. Applicants should 
request support under this notice for normal research project costs as 
required to conduct their proposed research activities. The full range 
of activities currently supported by the Division of High Energy 
Physics is eligible for support under this program.
    The DOE expects to make five to ten grant awards in Fiscal Year 
2004, to meet the objectives of this program. It is anticipated that 
approximately $500,000 will be available in Fiscal Year 2004, subject 
to availability of appropriated funds. In the recent past, awards have 
averaged $60,000 per year, with the number of awards determined by the 
number of excellent applications and the total funds available for this 
program. Multiple-year funding of grant awards is expected, including 
renewal beyond the initial project period, as long as the recipient's 
tenure status is unchanged. Funding will be provided on an annual basis 
subject to availability of funds. Applications will be subjected to 
scientific merit review (peer review) and will be evaluated against the 
following criteria, which are listed in descending order of importance 
as set forth in 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; and
    4. Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget.
    General information about development and submission of 
applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluations 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 application guide 
and required forms is available on 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 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 July 17, 2003.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 03-18979 Filed 7-24-03; 8:45 am]
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