[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7737-7740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3606]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice DE-FG01-
04ER04-14; Program for Ecosystem Research: Scaling Across Levels of 
Biological Organization in Ecological Systems

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) of 
the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby 
announces its interest in receiving applications for

[[Page 7738]]

grants for the Scaling Across Levels of Biological Organization in 
Ecological Systems Initiative, a component of the BER Program for 
Ecosystem Research (PER). Applications should describe research 
projects to determine the theoretical and empirical bases of whether, 
and how, information obtainable at the level of genomes and proteomes 
of species or communities can be used to explain, and predict, effects 
of environmental changes associated with energy production on the 
structure and functioning of important ecosystems. The focus of 
applications should be to: (1) Demonstrate a capability to collect 
genomic, proteomic, and/or metabolomic data from within a terrestrial 
ecosystem and then use that data to explain and/or predict observed 
effects of controlled manipulations of temperature, soil moisture, 
atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, and/or atmospheric ozone 
concentration on the structure and functioning of the ecosystem, or (2) 
advance the theoretical basis for scaling genomic and proteomic 
information to higher levels of biological organization, ultimately to 
the level of whole ecosystems.
    All applications submitted in response to this Notice must 
explicitly state how the proposed research will support accomplishment 
of the BER Long Term Measure of Scientific Advancement to deliver 
improved data and models to determine acceptable levels of greenhouse 
gases in the atmosphere.

DATES: Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to submit a 1-2 
page preapplication for programmatic review. There is no deadline for 
the preapplication, but early submission of preapplications is 
encouraged to allow time for meaningful discussions.
    Formal applications submitted in response to this Notice must be 
received by 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, April 29, 2004, to be accepted for 
merit review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal 
Year 2004.

ADDRESSES: Preapplications referencing Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-14, should 
be sent to Dr. Jeffrey S. Amthor, PER program manager, via e-mail to 
[email protected]. Please include ``Preapplication Notice DE-
FG01-04ER04-14'' in the e-mail subject field.
    Formal applications referencing Program Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-14, 
must be sent electronically 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. IIPS 
offers the option of using multiple files, please limit submissions to 
one volume and one file if possible, with a maximum of no more than 
four PDF files. 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 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 Grants and Contracts Division, Office of Science at: (301) 
903-5212 or (301) 903-3604, 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: Dr. Jeffrey S. Amthor, phone: (301) 
903-2507; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background: Program for Ecosystem Research (PER) and the Scaling 
Initiative

    The PER mission is to measurably improve the scientific basis for 
predicting or detecting effects of environmental changes associated 
with energy production (i.e., global and regional changes in 
atmospheric composition and related climatic changes) on terrestrial 
ecosystems and their component organisms and processes. Terrestrial 
ecosystems, their functions, and their components most valued by 
society are of highest priority to the PER. The PER mission supports 
the DOE Energy Strategic Goal ``to protect our national and economic 
security by promoting a diverse supply and delivery of reliable, 
affordable, and environmentally sound energy'' by contributing to the 
science base needed to judge environmental implications of various 
energy supply options.
    The PER is intended to contribute specifically to the long-term BER 
program goal of delivering data and models needed to determine 
acceptable levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The PER's 
contribution to this goal is carried out by quantifying cause-and-
effect relationships between environmental changes associated with 
energy production (i.e., increased concentrations of greenhouse gases 
in the atmosphere and related environmental changes) and the structure 
and functioning of important terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding of 
such relationships is important to a determination of acceptable levels 
of greenhouse gases.
    The theme defining PER objectives is mechanistic understanding and 
quantification of effects of ongoing and potential future environmental 
changes associated with energy production on whole ecosystems. Present 
program emphasis is on effects of multiple (concurrent) environmental 
changes, i.e., effects on ecosystems of combinations of changes in 
atmospheric composition and/or climatic variables. Environmental 
changes of key interest to the PER are: (1) Warming and changes in 
diurnal, seasonal, and interannual temperature cycles; (2) changes in 
precipitation and evapotranspiration (e.g., intensification of the 
hydrologic cycle); and (3) increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and 
(tropospheric) ozone concentrations. Specific PER objectives are to 
improve scientific understanding of how and why (or if) terrestrial 
ecosystems and their component organisms are affected by, and respond 
to, multiple environmental changes, and how and why critical biological 
and/or ecological processes in terrestrial ecosystems are controlled or 
modified by multiple environmental changes.
    The PER supports experimental research, (in the laboratory or field 
as appropriate to individual research project objectives), and modeling 
at both universities and government laboratories. The research and 
modeling considers both, (either) direct and indirect effects of 
environmental changes on terrestrial ecosystems, their components, 
their processes, and their structures. Experimental research based on 
underlying theory, and modeling that considers ecological hierarchies 
(i.e., multi-level or mechanistic modeling), are foci of the PER. 
Ecosystem responses to environmental changes of particular interest 
include: (1) Adjustments at the ecosystem scale, such as changes in the 
organized hierarchy of ecosystem processes, structures, biological

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diversity, and/or succession; and (2) adjustments at the organismal 
scale that are manifested at the ecosystem scale, including 
physiological, biochemical, and/or genetic changes that may facilitate 
(or hinder) ecosystem homeostasis.
    The goal of the new Scaling Across Levels of Biological 
Organization in Ecological Systems Initiative is to determine the 
theoretical and empirical bases of whether, and how, information 
obtainable at the level of genomes and proteomes of species or 
communities can be used to explain, and predict, effects of 
environmental changes associated with energy production on the 
structure and functioning of important ecosystems. This is a new 
emphasis within PER and is intended to explicitly link ecosystem 
research and modeling with the rapidly advancing capabilities being 
developed in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.

Request for Grant Applications

    This Notice requests grant applications for activities in support 
of the goal of the Scaling Initiative as articulated above. 
Specifically, research is sought to advance the following two areas:
    (1) The uses of genomic, proteomic, and/or metabolomic measurements 
and analyses to explain and/or predict effects of controlled changes in 
temperature, soil moisture, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, 
and/or atmospheric ozone concentration on the structure and functioning 
of ecosystems, or
    (2) the theoretical and/or computational bases for scaling 
information from the level of genomes, proteomes, and/or metabolomes to 
higher levels of biological organization, ultimately to the level of 
whole ecosystems.
    Applications involving empirical studies (area (1) above) should 
consider the use of existing manipulative field experiments as 
platforms for research. (Requests for support for implementation or 
maintenance of field manipulations of temperature, soil moisture, 
atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, and/or atmospheric ozone 
concentration will not be considered. Moreover, studies using natural 
gradients of environmental factors, rather than controlled 
manipulations, will not be considered.) In particular, applications 
should propose to use existing field experiments to obtain new genomic, 
proteomic, and/or metabolomic data and use that data and, if 
appropriate, hierarchical theory of biological and ecological systems 
to: (1) explain (previously) observed effects of the manipulation(s) of 
temperature, soil moisture, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, 
and/or atmospheric ozone concentration on ecosystem-scale processes and 
states (ecosystem structure and functioning); and/or (2) make 
predictions based on theoretical models about changes in ecosystem 
structure and/or functioning that can and will be tested with 
observations and data at multiple scales within the range from the 
genome of individual species to the entire ecosystem. Performance of 
the ecosystem-scale observations and data analysis can be made a 
component of the proposed research. A few laboratory (i.e., mesocosm or 
microcosm) projects might be considered for funding, but it will be 
critical for such projects to represent well the processes, structures, 
and functioning of intact (actual) terrestrial ecosystems. Experimental 
control of the same environmental variables (ozone concentration, 
carbon dioxide concentration, soil moisture, and/or temperature) would 
need to be included in laboratory projects.
    Applications involving theoretical and modeling studies (area (2) 
above) should concentrate on developing new theoretical models or 
approaches to biological and ecological modeling. Such studies should 
incorporate genomic, proteomic, and/or metabolomic data, along with 
information on the associated biochemical and physiological mechanisms 
and pathways that control and influence biological and ecological 
processes, into hierarchical (multi-level) ecosystem models. The new 
models or modeling approaches should enhance a capability to explain 
and predict effects of environmental changes associated with energy 
production on ecosystem structure and functioning. The use of existing 
biological or ecological models to study or simulate biological or 
ecological effects of environmental change, without clearly articulated 
plans to improve the theoretical bases of scaling across multiple 
levels of biological organization within such models, will not be 
considered for support.
    The focus of all applications should be on the advancement of the 
theoretical and empirical bases for scaling information and data from 
the genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic level of component species and 
communities up through higher levels of biological organization within 
ecosystems to explain the causal mechanisms and pathways that determine 
whether and how effects of energy-related environmental changes are 
manifested on the structure and functioning of an ecosystem.
    All applications submitted in response to this Notice must 
explicitly state how the proposed research will support accomplishment 
of the BER Long Term Measure of Scientific Advancement to deliver 
improved data and models to determine acceptable levels of greenhouse 
gases in the atmosphere. Applications failing to fulfill this criterion 
will not be considered for funding.
    Applications focusing primarily on plant or ecosystem carbon 
exchange or carbon balance, or directed at carbon sequestration in 
terrestrial ecosystems, are inappropriate for PER. Such applications 
should be directed to the DOE BER Terrestrial Carbon Processes (TCP) 
and Carbon Sequestration programs, respectively.
    To enhance potential collaboration and synergism within the Scaling 
Initiative and the larger PER, successful applicants will participate 
in annual Investigator Meetings. Costs for such meetings should be 
included in each application budget, and should be based on one trip of 
5 days each year to Washington, DC, for all key personnel of each 
project.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that about $2,400,000 will be available for 
multiple awards in Fiscal Year 2004. Applications may request project 
support for up to 3 years, with out-year support contingent on 
availability of funds, progress of the research, and programmatic 
needs. Annual budgets are expected to range from $100,000 to $500,000 
total costs, unless there is prior approval from the Program Manager. 
DOE may encourage collaboration among prospective investigators to 
promote joint applications by using information obtained in the 
preapplication or other forms of communication. DOE is under no 
obligation to pay for any costs associated with preparation or 
submission of applications.

Preapplications

    A preapplication is strongly encouraged (but not required) prior to 
submission of a full application. The preapplication should list the 
Principal Investigator's name, institution, address, telephone number, 
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 goals of the

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Scaling Across Levels of Biological Organization in Ecological Systems 
Initiative. A response to each preapplication, discussing the potential 
program relevance of a formal application, generally will be 
communicated within 15 days of receipt. There is no deadline for the 
submission of preapplications, but applicants should allow sufficient 
time to meet the application deadline of April 29, 2004. 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 formal merit review (peer review) 
and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria which 
are listed in descending order of importance 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 process 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. Both federal and non-federal reviewers 
will often be used, and submission of an application constitutes 
agreement that this is acceptable to the investigator(s) and the 
submitting institution.

Submission Information

    Information about the development and submission of applications, 
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, selection process, 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 Application Guide and 
required forms is made available via the World Wide Web: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.
    In addition, for this Notice, the research description must be 20 
pages or less (10-point or larger font), including figures and tables 
but excluding attachments, and must include a one-page summary of the 
proposed project. The summary should appear on a separate page (page 1) 
and must include the proposed-project title; name of the applicant and 
the applicant's address, phone number, and e-mail address; names of any 
co-investigators; and the proposed-project summary. Attachments should 
include literature references cited in the research description, 
curriculum vitae for each investigator (2-page maximum per 
investigator), a listing of all current and pending federal support for 
each investigator, and letters of intent when collaborations are part 
of the proposed research.
    For researchers who do not have access to the World Wide Web (WWW), 
please contact Karen Carlson, Office of Biological and Environmental 
Research, Climate Change Research Division, SC-74/Germantown Building, 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 
20585-1290, phone: (301) 903-3338, fax: (301) 903-8519, e-mail: 
[email protected]; for hard copies of background material 
mentioned in this solicitation.
    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 February 10, 2004.
Martin Rubinstein,
Acting Director, Grants and Contracts Division, Office of Science.
[FR Doc. 04-3606 Filed 2-18-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P