[Federal Register: October 6, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 193)]
[Notices]               
[Page 57677-57678]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06oc03-40]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

 
Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice DE-FG01-
04ER04-04; Plasma Physics Junior Faculty Development Program

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) of the Office of 
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces its 
interest in receiving grant applications for support under its Plasma 
Physics Junior Faculty Development Program. Applications should be from 
tenure-track faculty investigators who are currently involved in 
experimental or theoretical plasma physics research and should be 
submitted through a U.S. academic institution. The purpose of this 
program is to support the development of the individual research 
programs of exceptionally talented scientists and engineers early in 
their careers.

DATES: To permit timely consideration for awards in Fiscal Year 2004, 
formal applications in response to this notice must be received on or 
before December 9, 2003.

ADDRESSES: We require formal applications in response to this 
solicitation to be submitted electronically 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. 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. 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: helpdesk@pr.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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Darlene Markevich, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, Research Division, SC-55/
Germantown Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20585-1290. Telephone: (301) 903-4920. E-mail: Darlene.markevich@science.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Plasma Physics Junior Faculty 
Development Program was started in Fiscal Year 1997. A principal goal 
of this program is to identify exceptionally talented plasma faculty 
members early in their careers and assist and facilitate the 
development of their research programs. Eligibility for awards under 
this notice is, therefore, restricted to tenure-track regular academic 
faculty investigators who are conducting experimental or theoretical 
plasma physics research. Those Junior Faculty members presently holding 
career development awards will not be considered under this 
announcement.
    Applications from Junior Faculty involved in any areas of plasma 
physics research, not only magnetic fusion, are welcomed and 
encouraged. Emphasis is to be placed on basic plasma science research. 
For applications to be considered for funding, certification of the 
status of the applicant as a tenure-track regular academic faculty 
member by the head of the applicant's academic department or other 
university/college certifying official will be required before the 
grant is awarded. Awards made under this program will help to maintain 
the vitality of university plasma physics research and assure continued 
excellence in the teaching of plasma physics and related disciplines.
    It is anticipated that annual funding levels up to $150,000 per 
award may be made available for grants under this notice during Fiscal 
Year 2004, contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. 
Funding for equipment above this level will be considered on a case-by-
case basis. The number of awards during Fiscal Year 2004 will depend on 
the number of meritorious applications and the availability of 
appropriated funds. Multiple-year funding of grant awards is expected, 
with funding provided on an annual basis subject to availability of 
funds. The usual duration of these grants is three years and they will 
not be renewed under the Plasma Physics Junior Faculty Development 
Program after the project period is completed. It

[[Page 57678]]

is anticipated that at the end of the grant period, grantees will 
submit new grant applications to continue their research to the 
Department of Energy or other Federal funding agencies. For the Office 
of Science, these applications should follow the usual application 
process.
    Applications will be subjected to scientific 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:
    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.
    An additional review criterion will address educational aspects of 
the proposed work including the involvement of graduate and 
undergraduate students. These aspects should be discussed in the 
application.
    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, which 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 September 26, 2003.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 03-25269 Filed 10-3-03; 8:45 am]

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