[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22774-22779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9525]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice DE-FG01-
04ER04-20; Basic Research for the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative

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), in keeping with its 
energy-related mission to assist in strengthening the Nation's 
scientific research enterprise through the support of basic science, 
announces its interest in receiving grant applications for projects on 
basic research for the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative (HFI). Areas of focus 
include: Novel Materials for Hydrogen Storage; Membranes for 
Separation, Purification, and Ion Transport; Design of Catalysts at the 
Nanoscale; Solar Hydrogen Production; and Bio-Inspired Materials and 
Processes. More information on these focus areas is provided in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

DATES: Potential applicants are required to submit a brief 
preapplication. Preapplications referencing Program Notice DE-FG01-
04ER04-20, must be received by DOE by 4:30 pm, Eastern Time, July 15, 
2004. Preapplications will be reviewed for conformance with the 
guidelines presented in this notice and suitability in the technical 
areas specified in this notice. A response to the preapplications 
encouraging or discouraging formal applications will be communicated to 
the applicants within approximately forty-five days of receipt.

[[Page 22775]]

    Only those preapplicants that receive notification from DOE 
encouraging a formal application may submit full proposals. No other 
formal applications will be considered. Formal applications in response 
to this notice must be received by January 4, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Preapplications referencing Program Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-20 
should be sent as PDF file attachments via e-mail to: 
[email protected] with ``Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-20'' and the 
submission category (e.g., Novel Materials for Hydrogen Storage) in the 
Subject line. No FAX or mail submission of preapplications will be 
accepted.
    Formal applications referencing Program Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-20 
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 Web site. 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.science.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) 903-3064, 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: Harriet Kung, Ph.D., Office of Basic 
Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, SC-131, 
telephone: (301)903-1330, e-mail: [email protected]. The 
full text of Program Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-20 is available via the 
Internet using the following Web site address: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: President Bush, in his 2003 State of the 
Union address, announced a $1.2 billion hydrogen initiative to reverse 
America's growing dependence on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) 
coordinates the DOE Hydrogen Program; efforts include R&D of hydrogen 
production, delivery, storage, and fuel cell technologies; technology 
validation; safety, codes and standards; and education http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/.
    The President's 2005 Budget proposed that fundamental research 
within DOE Office of Science be enhanced, focused, and included in the 
HFI. The basic research will help overcome key technology hurdles in 
hydrogen production, storage, and conversion by seeking revolutionary 
scientific breakthroughs http://www.ostp.gov/html/budget/2005/FY05HydrogenFuelInitiative1-pager.pdf.
    In the fall of 2002, the National Academies'' National Research 
Council appointed a Committee on Alternatives and Strategies for Future 
Hydrogen Production and Use. While addressing the topic on ``Research 
and Development Priorities,'' the Committee concludes that ``There are 
major hurdles on the path to achieving the vision of the hydrogen 
economy; the path will not be simple or straightforward.'' 
Specifically, the Academies'' report recommends a shift toward 
exploratory work, and calls for increased funding in important 
exploratory research areas with a focus on interdisciplinary scientific 
approaches http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091632/html/.
    In May 2003, a workshop was sponsored by BES to identify basic 
research needs for hydrogen production, storage and use. The workshop 
report, entitled Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy (http://www.science.doe.gov/bes/Hydrogen.pdf), detailed a broad array of basic 
research challenges. These challenges depict the vast gap between 
present-day scientific knowledge/technology capabilities and what would 
be required for the practical realization of a hydrogen economy. This 
Notice solicits innovative basic research proposals to establish the 
scientific basis that underpins the physical, chemical, and biological 
processes governing the interaction of hydrogen with materials. We seek 
to support outstanding fundamental research programs to ensure that 
discoveries and related conceptual breakthroughs from basic research 
will provide a solid foundation for the innovative design of materials 
and processes to usher in hydrogen as the clean and sustainable fuel of 
the future. Five high-priority research directions, encompassing both 
short-term showstoppers and long-term grand challenges, will be the 
focus of this solicitation. They are:
    1. Novel Materials for Hydrogen Storage.
    2. Membranes for Separation, Purification, and Ion Transport.
    3. Design of Catalysts at the Nanoscale.
    4. Solar Hydrogen Production.
    5. Bio-Inspired Materials and Processes.
    The following provides further information under each of the five 
focus areas to illustrate the scope of applications solicited under the 
Notice.

Novel Materials for Hydrogen Storage

    On-board hydrogen storage is considered to be the most challenging 
aspect for the successful transition to a hydrogen economy, because the 
performance of current hydrogen storage materials and technologies 
falls far short of vehicle requirements. A factor of two to three 
improvement in hydrogen storage capacity and energy density, and 
considerable improvements in hydrogen uptake and release kinetics and 
cycling durability are needed to achieve performance targets within the 
next decade. Improvements in current technologies will not be 
sufficient to meet the goals. The Hydrogen Storage Grand Challenge 
solicitation, issued by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy (EERE) in June 2003, aims at addressing these critical 
performance gaps by supporting innovative R&D efforts in the areas of 
metal hydrides, chemical hydrides, carbon-based materials, and new 
materials or technologies (http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/2003_storage_solicitation.html).
    As indicated in the BES hydrogen workshop report, basic research is 
essential for identifying novel materials and processes that can 
provide important breakthroughs needed to meet the HFI goals. These 
breakthroughs may result from research at the nanoscale facilitated by 
new understanding derived from both theory and experiment. The advances 
may not necessarily come from within the

[[Page 22776]]

boundaries of metal hydrides, chemical hydrides or carbon-based 
materials; instead success may well be found at the interstices of 
these classes of materials or may come from ``out-of-the-box'' 
concepts. Innovative basic research in the following high priority 
areas is needed:
     Complex hydrides. A basic understanding of the 
physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of metal hydrides and 
chemical hydrides is needed. Specifically, the fundamental factors that 
control bond strength, atomic processes associated with hydrogen update 
and release kinetics, the role of surface structure and chemistry in 
affecting hydrogen-material interactions, hydrogen-promoted mass 
transport, degradation due to cycling, reversibility in metal hydrides, 
and regeneration of chemical hydrides must be understood. Specific 
emphasis is also placed on innovative synthesis and processing routes 
(e.g., solvent-free synthetic approaches), and on the exploration of 
multi-component complex hydrides. The effect of dopants in achieving 
reasonable kinetics and reversibility needs to be understood at the 
molecular level.
     Nanostructured materials. Nanophase materials 
offer promise for superior hydrogen storage due to short diffusion 
distances, new phases with better capacity, reduced heats of 
adsorption/desorption, faster kinetics, and surface states capable of 
catalyzing hydrogen dissociation. Improved bonding and kinetic 
properties may permit good reversibility at lower desorption 
temperatures. Tailored nanostructures based on light metal hydrides, 
carbon-based nano-materials, and other non-traditional storage 
approaches need to be explored with the focus on understanding the 
unique surfaces and interfaces of nanostructured materials and how they 
affect the energetics, kinetics, and thermodynamics of hydrogen 
storage.
     Other materials. Research is needed to explore 
other novel storage materials, e.g., those based on nitrides, imides, 
and other materials that fall outside of metal hydrides, chemical 
hydrides, and carbon-based hydrogen storage materials as identified by 
EERE's ``Grand Challenge'' for Basic and Applied Research in Hydrogen 
Storage Solicitation.
     Theory, modeling, and simulation. Theory, 
modeling, and simulation will enable (1) understanding the physics and 
chemistry of hydrogen interactions at the appropriate size scale and 
(2) the ability to simulate, predict, and design materials performance 
in service. Examples of research areas include: hydrogen interactions 
with surface and bulk microstructures, hydrogen bonding, role of 
nanoscale, surface interactions, multiscale hydrogen interactions, and 
functionalized nanocarbons. The emphasis will be to establish the 
fundamental understanding of hydrogen-materials interactions so that 
completely new and revolutionary hydrogen storage media can be 
identified and designed.
     Novel analytical and characterization tools. 
Sophisticated analytical techniques are needed to meet the high 
sensitivity requirements associated with characterizing hydrogen-
materials interactions, especially for nanostructured materials (e.g., 
individual carbon nanotubes), while maintaining high specificity in 
characterization. In-situ studies are needed to characterize site-
specific hydrogen adsorption and release processes at the molecular 
level.

Membranes for Separation, Purification, and Ion Transport

    Membranes that selectively transport atomic, molecular, or ionic 
hydrogen and oxygen are vital to the hydrogen economy: they purify 
hydrogen fuel streams, transport hydrogen or oxygen ions between 
electrochemical half-reactions, and separate hydrogen in 
electrochemical, photochemical, or thermochemical production routes. 
Often these membrane functions are closely coupled with catalytic 
functions such as dissociation, ionization, or oxidation/reduction. 
Successful integration of membranes with nanocatalysts may improve the 
efficiency in reforming, shift chemistry and hydrogen separation 
utilizing different feedstocks by combining one or more of these steps.
    Current membrane materials often lack sufficient selectivity to 
eliminate critical contaminants or to prevent leakage transport between 
fuel cell compartments that robs efficiency. The NafionTM 
membrane, which is presently the best available for separating low 
temperature fuel cell chambers, is expensive and allows enough gas 
transport to reduce efficiency. Currently available oxide membranes, 
which are critical for ionic transport in higher-temperature fuel 
cells, are inefficient and fail to operate at the lower temperatures 
needed for use in transportation. Separation membranes that could 
operate in the rigorous chemical environment of a thermal cycle 
hydrogen generator would be of substantial value but are unknown at 
present. Overcoming these barriers will require an integrated, basic 
research effort to enable discovery of new membrane materials, 
improvement in membrane performance, and integration of membrane and 
catalytic functions. High priority research directions include:
     Integrated nanoscale architectures. The similar 
nanoscale dimensions of catalyst particles and of pores that transport 
fuel, ions, and oxygen hold promises to enable gas diffusion layers, 
catalyst support networks, and electrolytic membranes in fuel cells to 
be integrated into a single network for ion, electron, and gas 
transport. Chemical self-assembly of this integrated network would 
dramatically reduce cost and improve uniformity. Synthesis and 
characterization of radically new nanoscale and porous materials are 
required, including microporous oxides, metal-organic frameworks, and 
carbons that remove sulfur and carbon monoxide from hydrogen. This new 
approach to the design and fabrication of integrated nanoscale 
architectures would enable ultra-pure hydrogen to be produced from 
fossil, solar, thermochemical and bio-based processes. It might also 
revolutionize fuel cell designs.
     Fuel cell membranes. Novel membranes with higher 
ionic conductivity, better mechanical strength, lower cost, and longer 
life are critical to the success of fuel cell technologies. Polymeric 
membranes that conduct protons and remain hydrated to 120-150[deg] C 
are needed to reduce the purity requirements and enable the use of non-
noble-metal catalysts. Solid oxide fuel cells need lower-temperature 
oxide-ion membranes to minimize corrosion and differential thermal 
expansion, while maintaining selectivity and permeability. Many thermal 
water-splitting cycles subject materials to harshly corrosive, high 
temperature environments. Sorbents and membranes that are stable and 
durable in such environments are needed for efficient thermal cycles. 
Achieving these goals will require discovery of better, more durable 
materials, as well as better understanding and control of the 
electrochemical processes at the electrodes and membrane electrolyte 
interfaces.
     Theory, modeling, and simulation of membranes 
and fuel cells. Fundamental understanding of the selective transport of 
molecules, atoms, and ions in membranes is in its infancy. The 
diversity of transport mechanisms and their dependence on local defect 
structure requires extensive theory, modeling and simulation to 
establish the basic principles and design strategies for improved 
membrane

[[Page 22777]]

materials. The emphasis is to understand the nature of proton transport 
in polymer electrolyte membranes; the interaction of complex aqueous, 
gaseous, and solid interfaces in gas diffusion electrode assemblies; 
the nature of corrosion processes under applied electrochemical 
potentials and in oxidative media; and the origin of the performance 
robbing overpotential for fuel cell cathodes.

Design of Catalysts at the Nanoscale

    Catalysis is vital to the success of the HFI owing to its roles in 
converting solar energy to chemical energy, producing hydrogen from 
water or carbon-containing fuels such as coal and biomass, and 
producing electricity from hydrogen in fuel cells. Catalysts can also 
increase the efficiency of the uptake and release of stored hydrogen 
with reduced need for thermal activation. Breakthroughs in catalytic 
research would impact the thermodynamic efficiency of hydrogen 
production, storage, and use, and thus improve the economic efficiency 
with which the primary energy sources--fossil, biomass, solar, or 
nuclear--serve our energy needs. Most fuel-cell and low-temperature 
reforming catalysts are based on expensive noble metals (e.g., 
platinum), and their limited reserves threaten the long-term 
sustainability of a hydrogen economy. High priority research directions 
include:
     Nanoscale catalysts. Nanostructured materials--
with high surface areas and large numbers of controllable sites that 
serve as active catalytic regions--open new opportunities for 
significantly enhancing catalytic activity and specificity. The 
concepts, technologies, and synthetic capabilities derived from 
research at the nanoscale now provide new approaches for the controlled 
production of catalysts. Specific emphasis is on elucidating the atomic 
and molecular processes involved in catalytic activity, selectivity, 
deactivation mechanisms, and on understanding the special properties 
that emerge at the nanoscale.
     Innovative synthetic techniques. Emerging 
technologies that allow synthesis at the nanoscale with atomic-scale 
precision will open new opportunities for producing tailored structures 
of catalysts on supports with controlled size, shape and surface 
characteristics. New, high-throughput innovative synthesis methods can 
be exploited in combination with theory and advanced measurement 
capabilities to accelerate the development of designed catalysts. In 
addition, novel, cost-effective fabrication methods need to be 
developed for the practical application of these new designer 
catalysts. The interplay between theory and experiment forms a 
recursive process that will accelerate the development of predictive 
models to support the development of optimized catalysts for specific 
steps in hydrogen energy processing.
     Novel characterization techniques. To fully 
understand complex catalytic mechanisms will require detailed 
characterization of the active sites; identification of the interaction 
of the reactants, intermediates and products with the active sites; 
conceptualization and, possibly, detection of the transition states; 
and quantification of the dynamics of the entire catalytic process. 
This will entail the production of well-defined materials that can be 
characterized at the atomic level. Special focus is placed on 
developing new analytical tools to permit the determination of the 
interatomic arrangements, interactions and transformations in situ, 
i.e., during reaction, in order to reveal details about reaction 
mechanisms and catalyst dynamics.
     Theory, modeling, and simulation of catalytic 
pathways. Computational methods have now developed to the point that 
entire reaction pathways can be identified and these advances will 
allow trends in reactivity to be understood. Close coupling between 
experimental observations and theory, modeling, and simulation will 
provide unprecedented capabilities to design more selective, robust, 
and impurity-tolerant catalysts for hydrogen production, storage, and 
use. This approach will enable the design and control of the chemical 
and physical properties of the catalyst, its supporting structure, and 
the associated molecular processes at the nanoscale.

Solar Hydrogen Production

    The sun is Earth's most plentiful source of energy, and it has 
sufficient capacity to fully meet the global needs of the next century 
without potentially destructive environmental consequences. Efficient 
conversion of sunlight to hydrogen by splitting water through 
photovoltaic cells driving electrolysis or through direct 
photocatalysis at energy costs competitive with fossil fuels is a major 
enabling milestone for a viable hydrogen economy. Basic strategies for 
cost effective solar hydrogen production are rooted in fundamental 
scientific breakthroughs in chemical synthesis, self-assembly, charge 
transfer at nanoparticle interfaces, and photocatalysis. High priority 
research directions for solar hydrogen include:
     Nanoscale structures. The sequential processes 
of light collection, charge separation, and transport in photovoltaic 
and photocatalytic devices require nanoscale architectural control and 
manipulation. Nanoscale assemblies of multiple wavelength absorbers 
(e.g., semiconductor quantum dots), nanoscale polymer or molecular 
diodes that prevent recombination, and employing short collection 
lengths between the excitation and collection points have the potential 
to dramatically improve efficiencies. Semiconductor-metal 
nanocomposites show promise for improved light-harvesting and charge-
separation efficiency. Incorporation of multielectron redox catalysts 
for direct water splitting greatly simplify the water splitting process 
and offer new horizons for improved photocatalytic hydrogen production.
     Light harvesting and novel photoconversion 
concepts. New strategies are needed to efficiently use the entire solar 
spectrum. These strategies could involve molecular photon antennas, 
junctions containing multiple absorbers, and up- and down-conversion of 
light to the appropriate wavelengths. Dye-sensitized TiO2 
nanocrystalline solar cells have emerged as a potential, cost effective 
alternative to silicon solar cells. New photochemical sensitizers are 
needed (e.g. bi- and trimetallic transition metal complexes) that 
absorb in the visible and near-infrared and that are efficient 
injectors of electrons into semiconductor nanoparticles. Solid-state 
molecule-based solar photochemical conversion, however, offers distinct 
advantages over liquid junction dye-sensitized nanocrystalline solar 
cells. Multicomponent molecular architectures are envisioned in which 
bioinspired multiredox catalysts are incorporated within durable 
polymer, zeolite, or membrane organizing environments for vectorial 
electron transfer. The exploitation of higher energy radiation to 
produce charge carriers would enable the use of corrosion-resistant 
wide band-gap semiconductors without sensitizers for hydrogen 
production.
     Organic semiconductors and other high 
performance materials. The organic semiconductors offer an inexpensive 
alternative to traditional semiconductors for photovoltaic and 
photocatalytic devices. Basic research on the fundamental charge 
excitation, separation, and collection processes in organics and their 
dependence on nanoscale structure is needed to bring their efficiency 
from the current 3% to

[[Page 22778]]

10% or more, which is needed for economically competitive photovoltaic 
and photocatalytic hydrogen production. In addition, novel materials 
for transparent conductors, electrocatalysts, electron- and hole-
conducting polymers, and for charge promoting separation in liquid 
crystals and organic thin films are needed for novel photovoltaic and 
photocatalytic solar hydrogen production.
     Theory, modeling, and simulation of 
photochemical processes. Theory and modeling are needed to develop a 
predictive framework for the dynamic behavior of molecules, complex 
photoredox systems, interfaces, and photoelectrochemical cells. As new 
physical effects are discovered and exploited, particularly those 
involving semiconductor nanoparticles and supramolecular assemblies, 
challenges emerge for theory to accurately model the behavior of 
complex systems over a range of time and length scales.

Bio-Inspired Materials and Processes

    Direct production of hydrogen from water and other carbon neutral 
sources using sunlight (solar radiation) offers real promises in 
realizing a clean and sustainable energy future, but there are many 
obstacles to efficient and cost-effective technologies. Fortunately, 
plants and some bacteria are endowed with enzymes and catalysts that 
can produce hydrogen while powered by sun light or fermentation-derived 
energy at operating temperatures ranging from 0[deg] C to 100[deg] C. 
While inherent biological inefficiencies and public sensitivity to 
genetically engineered organisms may need to be overcome for biological 
production of hydrogen to become competitive and viable, a fundamental 
understanding of the molecular machinery of biological systems could 
provide the knowledge that is needed to design artificial, bio-inspired 
materials that make solar photochemical production of hydrogen a 
reality. Our current knowledge of many of the basic aspects of these 
biological processes is limited.
    Fundamental research into the molecular mechanisms underlying 
biological hydrogen production is the essential key to our ability to 
adapt, exploit, and extend what nature has accomplished for our own 
renewable energy needs. Important research directions include:
     Enzyme catalysts. A fundamental understanding is 
needed of the structure and chemical mechanism of enzyme complexes that 
support hydrogen generation. For example, photochemical hydrogen 
production requires biology-inspired catalysts that (1) can operate at 
the very high potential required for water oxidation, (2) can perform a 
four-electron reaction to maximize energetic efficiency and avoid 
limiting cathode overpotentials, and (3) can avoid production of 
corrosive intermediates (such as hydroxyl radicals), and mediate 
proton-coupled redox reactions. Research approaches would likely 
include novel analytical technologies and would merge aspects of 
disparate biological and physical techniques.
     Bio-hybrid energy coupled systems. As more is 
understood about biocatalytic hydrogen production, there is the 
possibility that critical enzymes that are synthesized and employed by 
biological systems can be harvested and combined with synthetic 
materials to construct robust, efficient hybrid systems that are 
scalable to hydrogen production facilities. Before we can efficiently 
apply biological catalysts to hydrogen generation, we need to 
understand how these catalysts are assembled with their cofactors into 
integrated systems. How are these multi-component systems organized, 
continually refreshed, and maintained, while remaining functional in 
the face of damaging side reactions or changing external environmental 
conditions? Can the natural enzymes be reduced in size and complexity 
to contain the essential catalytic activity while removing the complex 
regulation and signaling components that are required for integration 
into functioning biological species?
     Theory, modeling, and nanostructure design. 
Taking cues from these various natural processes, computational 
approaches may be employed for rational redesign of enzymes for 
improved hydrogen production, reduced sensitivity to inhibitors, and 
improved stability. Emerging capabilities in nanoscale science hold 
particular promise for harnessing the chemical processes inherent in 
bio-inspired hydrogen production. For example, nanoscale structures can 
be designed to spatially separate oxygen and hydrogen formation during 
photochemical water splitting for a biomimetic or biohybrid system that 
circumvents problems with inactivation of catalytic sites. Research at 
the nanoscale is challenging, but offers the promise of inexpensive 
materials for overcoming current kinetic constraints in hydrogen energy 
systems.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that up to $12 million annually will be available 
for multiple awards for this notice. Initial awards will be in Fiscal 
Year 2005, and applications may request project support for up to three 
years. All awards are contingent on the availability of funds and 
programmatic needs.

Preapplication

    The preapplication should consist of a description of the research 
proposed to be undertaken by the applicant including a clear 
explanation of its importance to the advancement of basic hydrogen 
research and its relevance to the HFI. The preapplication must include 
a cover sheet downloadable at: http://www.science.doe.gov/bes/HFI_preapp_cover_grants.pdf to identify the institution, Principal 
Investigator name(s), address(es), telephone and fax number(s) and e-
mail address(es), the title of the project, the submission category, 
and the yearly breakdown of the total budget request. A brief (one-
page) vitae should be provided for each Principal Investigator. The 
preapplication should consist of a maximum of 3 pages of narrative 
(including text and figures) describing the research objectives, 
approaches to be taken, the institutional setting, and a description of 
any research partnership if appropriate.

Full Application

    The Department of Energy will accept Full Applications by 
invitation only, based upon the evaluation of the preapplications. 
After receiving notification from DOE concerning successful 
preapplications, applicants may prepare formal applications. The 
Project Description must not exceed 20 pages, including tables and 
figures, but exclusive of attachments. The application must contain an 
abstract or project summary, short vitae, and letters of intent from 
collaborators if appropriate. The application should also contain one 
paragraph addressing how the proposed research will address one or more 
of the four BES long-term program measures used by the Office of 
Management andBudget to rate the BES program annually; these measures 
may be found at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/bes/ BES--PART--Long-- Term--
Measures--FEB04.pdf. DOE is under no obligation to pay for any costs 
associated with the preparation or submission of applications.

Merit Review

    Applications will be subjected to scientific merit review (peer 
review) and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria 
listed below as codified at 10 CFR 605.10 (d) for the university 
projects.
    1. Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project, 2. 
Appropriateness of the Proposed Method of Approach, 3.

[[Page 22779]]

Competency of Applicant's Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources, 
4. Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget, 5. Basic 
research that is relevant to the Administration's Hydrogen Fuel 
Initiative.
    The external peer reviewers are selected with regard to both 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.

Submission Information

    Other information about the development and submission of 
applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluation, selection process, 
and other policies and procedures including detailed procedures for 
submitting applications from multi-institution partnerships 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 made available at: http://www.science.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

Coordination and Integration With the DOE Offices of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy (EERE), Fossil Energy (FE), and Nuclear Energy, 
Science and Technology (NE) Hydrogen Programs

    The proposal solicitation and selection processes will be 
coordinated with EERE, FE, and NE's programs to ensure successful 
integration of the basic research components with the applied 
technology programs. Specifically, input from EERE, FE and NE have been 
incorporated in the formulation of this announcement, and further input 
will be solicited in the review processes. There will also be an annual 
Contractors' Meeting for all participants in the BES program to help 
coordinate and integrate research efforts related to hydrogen research. 
The Annual Contractors' Meeting of BES principal investigators will be 
coordinated with EERE, FE and NE, and will include presentations on 
applied research and development needs from researchers inside and 
outside of the Contractors' group.

    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.
Martin Rubinstein,
Acting Director, Grants and Contracts Division, Office of Science.
[FR Doc. 04-9525 Filed 4-26-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 645-01-P