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U.S. Department of Energy’s O ffice of Science

U.S. Department of Energy’s O ffice of Science. State of BER. BERAC Meeting Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Jerry Elwood Acting Associate Director of Science for Biological and Environmental Research October 16, 2006. FY 2007 Operating Status:.

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U.S. Department of Energy’s O ffice of Science

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  1. U.S. Department of Energy’sOffice of Science State of BER BERAC Meeting Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Jerry Elwood Acting Associate Director of Science for Biological and Environmental Research October 16, 2006

  2. FY 2007 Operating Status: • Operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) until at least Nov. 17, 2006 and probably longer • CR allows BER to continue on-going activities under terms and conditions of FY 2006 appropriations. • Doesn’t allow new program starts or cancellations of existing programs • Does allow new starts of projects in existing programs

  3. BER FY 2006 Appropriation, FY 2007 Request, and FTY 2007 Senate and House Mark: B/A dollars in thousands FY 2006 Appropriation $564,077 FY 2007 Request: $510,263 House mark $540,263 (+$30 million above request for “directed university and hospital earmarks”) Senate mark $560,000 (+$50 million above request for earmarks) Both Senate and House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee reports have >60 directed earmarks.

  4. Congressional language that could affect BER in FY 2007: • Senate proposes to provide funding derived from a research account charged against DOE research as provided in section 1001(e) of Title X of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005. “The Committee expects that $25 million will be available to support nuclear medicine research.” • EPACT Section 1001(e), Title X: “The Secretary shall establish an Energy Technology Commercial Fund, using 0.9 percent of the amount made available to the Department for applied energy research, development, demonstration, and commercial application for each fiscal year to be used to provide matching funds with private partners to promote promising energy technologies for commercial purposes.” • Senate language on Asia-Pacific Partnership: “The Committee directs the Department to fund this activity in three parts and from within available funds. One-third from the Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research, Climate Change Research account, and…”

  5. Life Sciences and Medical Applications: Updates: • Interest in the GTL Bioenergy Centers Initiative • Artificical retina project – next prototype (60 electrodes) to be implanted in patients next year • NAS Study of State of the Science in Nuclear Medicine – study to be completed around middle of CY 2007 - Joanna Fowler and Jim Adelstein from BERAC on committee

  6. Life Sciences and Medical Applications:- (cont.) Staff: • Ambrosia Griffin - accepted position outside of DOE • Joe Graber – new staff in Life Sciences and Medical Applications Division - AAAS Fellow working on GTL issues • Recruitment - computational biologist, call ended and we are reviewing applicants; human subjects protection officer, position to be announced shortly

  7. Life Sciences and Medical Applications:- (cont.) Solicitations: • GTL Bioenergy Research Centers, open solicitation for proposals from labs, universities, private sector, Letters of intent due December 5, 2006; full proposals due February 1, 2007, LOIs encouraged but not required. • Plant feedstock genomics for bioenergy – joint solicitation between DOE and USDA. LOIs due November 13, 2006; Formal applications due January 30, 2007. LOI’s encouraged but not required. • GTL Solicitations to be released in Nov.- All technology development: 2 in metagenomics, 2 in biofuels, and one in microbial hydrogen production.

  8. In Special Recognition of Roger Kornberg – 2006 Nobel Prize in ChemistryBER structural biology beamlines enabled the research

  9. Climate Change Research: Strategic Planning: On course, hope to have a draft plan for Climate Change Research Program for review by BERAC at spring meeting Key commitment: Produce three of the 21 CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Reports (SAP 2.1, 3.1, and 4.5) that must be provide to satisfy the assessment requirement of the Global Change Research Act of 1990 – BER on schedule to produce the three before the end of CY 2007.

  10. Climate Change Research: - cont Staff: • Bob Vallario- detailed from SC Planning to BER, managing Integrated Assessment Research Program • Open IPA position - to manage Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration program and help manage Terrestrial Carbon Cycle Program

  11. Climate Change Research: - cont Solicitations: • SciDAC solicitation for university grants on climate modeling • ARM Science Program solicitation - clouds • Atmospheric Science Program solicitation – aerosols Field campaigns and programmatic activities: • Joint ARM/ASP campaign near ARM Southern Great Plains site • Synthesis of data from MILAGRO/Mexico City campaign in FY 2006

  12. Status of Terrestrial Carbon Processes (TCP) Research Program: BERAC Review – advice to DOE, Oct 2005 TCP solicitation based on BERAC guidance • 120 proposals peer reviewed • Many high-quality proposals Follow-up BERAC review of CO2 experiments

  13. TCP Awards: FY06 –for AmeriFlux and FACE infrastructure FY07 – for research • AmeriFlux • CO2 experiments – pending BERAC review of FACE experiments • Soil carbon processes • Integrated terrestrial carbon modeling

  14. BERAC reviews in 2007: • Review Integrated Assessment Research Program - Subcommittee being formed • Review of FACE- and related experiments – Jim Ehleringer report later today • ARM facility review- Charge letter drafted. Review of ARM facility as scientific user facility and cost effectiveness of its operation • Committee of Visitors- for Climate Change Research, charge to be drafted

  15. Environmental Remediation Sciences Division (ERSD): Staff: • Expect to have announcement out in December to fill ERSD Director position Solicitations: • Research call (06-12) received 180 proposals, reviews are complete, awards pending a budget • Field Center call (06-16) received 5 proposals, review panel will meet in November; award decisions shortly thereafter • Solicitations for FY 2008 funding to be released in December 2007

  16. Environmental Remediation Sciences Division (ERSD): - cont. EMSL refresh Refreshment plan is nearing completion - • Capital equipment – series of workshops to identify science needs and technology opportunities • Staff – Key scientific gaps have been filled – Chief Scientist (Andy Felmy); Interfacial science, (Don Baer); Biology TBA; Computer Science, TBA • Facilities – Raised floor computer space addition complete, doubling existing capacity Generation III Supercomputer acquisition in process – planned operation in FY 2008

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