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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY For more information about the Office of Science, go to Office of Science |
To DOE National Laboratories LAB 02-11
Ocean Carbon Sequestration
The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) of the Office of
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces its interest in receiving
proposals for research on Carbon Sequestration in the Oceans.
Predictions of global energy use in the next century
suggest a continued increase in carbon emissions and rising concentrations of carbon dioxide
(CO2) in the atmosphere unless major changes are made in the way we produce and use energy -
in particular, how we manage carbon.
One way to manage carbon is to use energy more efficiently to reduce our need for a major
energy and carbon source - fossil fuel combustion. A second way is to increase our use of low-
carbon and carbon-free fuels and technologies, such as nuclear power and renewable sources
such as solar energy, wind power, and biomass fuels.
A third way to manage is by "carbon sequestration": The capture and long term storage of
carbon either from the global energy system or directly from the atmosphere in oceanic or
terrestrial ecosystems. Although many options exist to capture and sequester carbon dioxide, the
focus of this solicitation is on fundamental research that would enable: a) the enhancement of the
absorption and retention of atmospheric carbon by ocean biota; and b) the use of the deep ocean
to store carbon dioxide that has been already separated, captured, and transported.
Any viable system for sequestering carbon must have a number of characteristics. It must be
effective and cost-competitive with alternative means, such as renewable energy. Unintended
environmental consequences must be benign compared to alternative solutions, including no
action. A carbon sequestration system must be able to be monitored quantitatively and verified,
because contributions to carbon sequestration almost certainly need to be measured. Research
sponsored by this program could contribute to any of these goals.
This solicitation invites proposals for basic research projects on carbon sequestration in the
oceans. The proposed research should be fundamental in nature. Proposals that test
demonstrations of engineered technologies are not relevant to this solicitation.
Technical Areas of Interest
The ocean represents a large current sink for the sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 emissions
as well as a large potential for further enhancement. Two strategies for enhancing carbon
sequestration in the ocean are the focus of the DOE Ocean Carbon Sequestration Research
Program. One strategy is the enhancement of the net oceanic uptake from the atmosphere by
fertilization of phytoplankton with micronutrients, such as iron. A second strategy is the direct
injection of a relatively pure CO2 stream to ocean depths greater than 1000 m. Sources of CO2 for
direct injection might include power plants, industries or other sources. This solicitation seeks
proposals that specifically address the long term effectiveness and potential environmental
consequences of ocean sequestration by these two strategies. Research projects currently being
funded under the DOE Ocean Carbon Sequestration Research Program may be accessed at:
http://cdiac2.esd.ornl.gov/ocean.html.
The program currently funds projects in a wide range of scientific disciplines including
marine biology and ecology; biological, physical, and chemical oceanography; computational
science and modeling; and physical chemistry and engineering.
Iron Fertilization
Much has been learned about the important role of iron in photosynthesis over the past 15 years
through both laboratory and field iron enrichment experiments. Iron deficiency has been shown
to limit the efficiency of photosystem II in phytoplankton. Evidence from paleoceanographic
samples also links iron supply with marine primary production and carbon flux. However,
critical questions remain: How does iron enrichment accelerate carbon flux in high nutrient, low
chlorophyll (HNLC), low nutrient, low chlorophyll (LNLC), sub-mixed layer and coastal
ecosystems? What are the time scales of remineralization? What are the long term ecological and
biogeochemical consequences of fertilization on surface and midwater processes? Basic
research is needed on the biogeochemistry of iron and carbon in the ocean. The accurate measure
of carbon flux following iron fertilization is critical to the objective evaluation of this strategy for
carbon sequestration. We need to understand the regulation of carbon fluxes and the role of
mineral ballast in export of organic carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. Our
understanding of the concentrations, sources, sinks and ligands of iron in marine systems is also
very limited. The complexity of marine ecosystems necessitates careful research on potential
environmental consequences of iron fertilization. These consequences may include the potential
to impact key oceanic biogeochemical cycles as well as on populations of marine organisms and
their trophodynamic interactions.
Examples of relevant research areas for enhancement of the biological pump through iron
fertilization include:
Direct Injection
The overarching question for this research area is: Can direct CO2 injection effectively sequester
CO2 in the ocean with minimal adverse environmental impacts? Fundamental research is needed
to assess the efficiency and consequences of direct injection to sequester a maximum level of
CO2 while minimizing the impact on deep sea ecosystems. Current scientific literature on the
physiology of deep sea animals suggests a high sensitivity of deep sea animals to acidosis and
hypercapnia (CO2 stress), however, there are few data on impacts of specific levels of CO2 on
animals from various marine habitats. Moreover, there are virtually no data on the potential
effects of CO2 on microbially-mediated biogeochemical transformations of nutrients in the deep
sea. Models are needed that provide information on the fate of injected CO2, particularly in the
100m to 100km range, from the point of injection. The ultimate goal is to be able to develop a
coupled model that can predict the fact of injected CO2 and its chemical, physical and biological
effects on marine ecosystems.
Examples of relevant research areas for direct injection of carbon dioxide into the deep ocean
include:
The deadline for receipt of formal proposals is 4:30 p.m., E.S.T., March 26, 2002, to be
accepted for merit review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 2002 and
early Fiscal Year 2003.
ADDRESSES: Preproposals should be sent via E-mail to Dr. Anna Palmisano at:
anna.palmisano@science.doe.gov.
Formal proposals, referencing Program Announcement LAB 02-11, should be sent to: U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, SC-74, 19901 Germantown Road,
Germantown, MD 20874-1290, ATTN: Program Announcement LAB 02-11. This address must also be used
when submitting proposals by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or any other commercial
overnight delivery service, or when hand-carried by the proposer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Anna Palmisano, Environmental
Sciences Division, SC-74, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science,
U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290,
telephone: (301) 903-9963, E-mail: anna.palmisano@science.doe.gov, fax: (301) 903-8519.
Collaboration
Proposers are encouraged to collaborate with researchers in other institutions, such as:
universities, industry, non-profit organizations, federal laboratories and Federally Funded
Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including the DOE National Laboratories, where
appropriate, and to include cost sharing and/or consortia wherever feasible. Additional
information on collaboration is available in the Application Guide for the Office of Science
Financial Assistance Program that is available via the Internet at:
http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/Colab.html.
Program Funding
It is anticipated that up to $1,000,000 will be available for awards in this area during Fiscal Year
2002, contingent upon availability of appropriated funds. Projects involving single investigators or
small groups of investigators may be funded at a level up to $300,000 per year for up to 3 years.
Proposals for field experiments involving larger groups of investigators will be considered, but must
be approved at a preproposal level. Multiple year funding of awards is expected, and is also contingent
upon availability of funds, progress of the research, and continuing program need.
Preproposals
An informal preproposal may be submitted by E-mail. The preproposal should identify the
institution, Principal Investigator name, address, telephone, fax and E-mail address, title of the
project, and proposed collaborators. The preproposal 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 scope and research needs of the Ocean Carbon Sequestration
Research Program. Preproposals are strongly encouraged prior to submission of a full
proposal, especially for large, field-based collaborations. Notification of a successful
preproposal is not an indication that an award will be made in response to the formal
proposal.
Formal Proposals
The research project description must be 15 pages or less, exclusive of attachments and must
contain an abstract or summary of the proposed research. Attachments include curriculum vitae, a listing
of all current and pending federal support, and letters of intent when collaborations are part
of the proposed research. Curriculum vitae should be submitted in a form similar to that of NIH or NSF
(two to three pages), see for example:
http://www.nsf.gov:80/bfa/cpo/gpg/fkit.htm#forms-9.
The instructions and format described below should be followed. Reference Program
Announcement LAB 02-11 on all submissions and inquiries about this program.
GUIDE FOR PREPARATION OF SCIENTIFIC/TECHNICAL PROPOSALS TO BE SUBMITTED BY NATIONAL LABORATORIES Proposals from National Laboratories submitted to the Office of Science (SC) as a result of this program announcement will follow the Department of Energy Field Work Proposal process with additional information requested to allow for scientific/technical merit review. The following guidelines for content and format are intended to facilitate an understanding of the requirements necessary for SC to conduct a merit review of a proposal. Please follow the guidelines carefully, as deviations could be cause for declination of a proposal without merit review. 1. Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be subjected to formal merit review (peer review) and will be evaluated against the following criteria which are listed in descending order of importance:
Appropriateness of the proposed method or approach Competency of the personnel and adequacy of the proposed resources Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget 2. Summary of Proposal Contents
Proposal Cover Page Table of Contents Abstract Narrative Literature Cited Budget and Budget Explanation Other support of investigators Biographical Sketches Description of facilities and resources Appendix An original and seven copies of the formal proposal/FWP must be submitted. 3. Detailed Contents of the Proposal Proposals must be readily legible, when photocopied, and must conform to the following three requirements: the height of the letters must be no smaller than 10 point with at least 2 points of spacing between lines (leading); the type density must average no more than 17 characters per inch; the margins must be at least one-half inch on all sides. Figures, charts, tables, figure legends, etc., may include type smaller than these requirements so long as they are still fully legible.
3.1 Field Work Proposal Format (Reference DOE Order 5700.7C) The Field Work Proposal (FWP) is to be prepared and submitted consistent with policies of the investigator's laboratory and the local DOE Operations Office. Additional information is also requested to allow for scientific/technical merit review. Laboratories may submit proposals directly to the SC Program office listed above. A copy should also be provided to the appropriate DOE operations office. 3.2 Proposal Cover Page The following proposal cover page information may be placed on plain paper. No form is required.
SC Program announcement title Name of laboratory Name of principal investigator (PI) Position title of PI Mailing address of PI Telephone of PI Fax number of PI Electronic mail address of PI Name of official signing for laboratory* Title of official Fax number of official Telephone of official Electronic mail address of official Requested funding for each year; total request Use of human subjects in proposed project:
Signature of official, date of signature* *The signature certifies that personnel and facilities are available as stated in the proposal, if the project is funded. Provide the initial page number for each of the sections of the proposal. Number pages consecutively at the bottom of each page throughout the proposal. Start each major section at the top of a new page. Do not use unnumbered pages and do not use suffices, such as 5a, 5b. 3.4 Abstract Provide an abstract of no more than 250 words. Give the broad, long-term objectives and what the specific research proposed is intended to accomplish. State the hypotheses to be tested. Indicate how the proposed research addresses the SC scientific/technical area specifically described in this announcement. 3.5 Narrative The narrative comprises the research plan for the project and is limited to 25 pages. It should contain the following subsections: Background and Significance: Briefly sketch the background leading to the present proposal, critically evaluate existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps which the project is intended to fill. State concisely the importance of the research described in the proposal. Explain the relevance of the project to the research needs identified by the Office of Science. Include references to relevant published literature, both to work of the investigators and to work done by other researchers. Preliminary Studies: Use this section to provide an account of any preliminary studies that may be pertinent to the proposal. Include any other information that will help to establish the experience and competence of the investigators to pursue the proposed project. References to appropriate publications and manuscripts submitted or accepted for publication may be included. Research Design and Methods: Describe the research design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Describe new techniques and methodologies and explain the advantages over existing techniques and methodologies. As part of this section, provide a tentative sequence or timetable for the project. Subcontract or Consortium Arrangements: If any portion of the project described under "Research Design and Methods" is to be done in collaboration with another institution, provide information on the institution and why it is to do the specific component of the project. Further information on any such arrangements is to be given in the sections "Budget and Budget Explanation", "Biographical Sketches", and "Description of Facilities and Resources". 3.6 Literature Cited List all references cited in the narrative. Limit citations to current literature relevant to the proposed research. Information about each reference should be sufficient for it to be located by a reviewer of the proposal. 3.7 Budget and Budget Explanation A detailed budget is required for the entire project period, which normally will be three years, and for each fiscal year. It is preferred that DOE's budget page, Form 4620.1 be used for providing budget information*. Modifications of categories are permissible to comply with institutional practices, for example with regard to overhead costs. A written justification of each budget item is to follow the budget pages. For personnel this should take the form of a one-sentence statement of the role of the person in the project. Provide a detailed justification of the need for each item of permanent equipment. Explain each of the other direct costs in sufficient detail for reviewers to be able to judge the appropriateness of the amount requested. Further instructions regarding the budget are given in section 4 of this guide. * Form 4620.1 is available at web site: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/forms.html 3.8 Other Support of Investigators Other support is defined as all financial resources, whether Federal, non-Federal, commercial or institutional, available in direct support of an individual's research endeavors. Information on active and pending other support is required for all senior personnel, including investigators at collaborating institutions to be funded by a subcontract. For each item of other support, give the organization or agency, inclusive dates of the project or proposed project, annual funding, and level of effort devoted to the project. 3.9 Biographical Sketches This information is required for senior personnel at the laboratory submitting the proposal and at all subcontracting institutions. The biographical sketch is limited to a maximum of two pages for each investigator. 3.10 Description of Facilities and Resources Describe briefly the facilities to be used for the conduct of the proposed research. Indicate the performance sites and describe pertinent capabilities, including support facilities (such as machine shops) that will be used during the project. List the most important equipment items already available for the project and their pertinent capabilities. Include this information for each subcontracting institution, if any. 3.11 Appendix Include collated sets of all appendix materials with each copy of the proposal. Do not use the appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the proposal. Information should be included that may not be easily accessible to a reviewer. Reviewers are not required to consider information in the Appendix, only that in the body of the proposal. Reviewers may not have time to read extensive appendix materials with the same care as they will read the proposal proper. The appendix may contain the following items: up to five publications, manuscripts (accepted for publication), abstracts, patents, or other printed materials directly relevant to this project, but not generally available to the scientific community; and letters from investigators at other institutions stating their agreement to participate in the project (do not include letters of endorsement of the project).
4. Detailed Instructions for the Budget 4.1 Salaries and Wages List the names of the principal investigator and other key personnel and the estimated number of person-months for which DOE funding is requested. Proposers should list the number of postdoctoral associates and other professional positions included in the proposal and indicate the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) person-months and rate of pay (hourly, monthly or annually). For graduate and undergraduate students and all other personnel categories such as secretarial, clerical, technical, etc., show the total number of people needed in each job title and total salaries needed. Salaries requested must be consistent with the institution's regular practices. The budget explanation should define concisely the role of each position in the overall project. 4.2 Equipment DOE defines equipment as "an item of tangible personal property that has a useful life of more than two years and an acquisition cost of $25,000 or more." Special purpose equipment means equipment which is used only for research, scientific or other technical activities. Items of needed equipment should be individually listed by description and estimated cost, including tax, and adequately justified. Allowable items ordinarily will be limited to scientific equipment that is not already available for the conduct of the work. General purpose office equipment normally will not be considered eligible for support. 4.3 Domestic Travel The type and extent of travel and its relation to the research should be specified. Funds may be requested for attendance at meetings and conferences, other travel associated with the work and subsistence. In order to qualify for support, attendance at meetings or conferences must enhance the investigator's capability to perform the research, plan extensions of it, or disseminate its results. Consultant's travel costs also may be requested. 4.4 Foreign Travel Foreign travel is any travel outside Canada and the United States and its territories and possessions. Foreign travel may be approved only if it is directly related to project objectives. 4.5 Other Direct Costs The budget should itemize other anticipated direct costs not included under the headings above, including materials and supplies, publication costs, computer services, and consultant services (which are discussed below). Other examples are: aircraft rental, space rental at research establishments away from the institution, minor building alterations, service charges, and fabrication of equipment or systems not available off-the-shelf. Reference books and periodicals may be charged to the project only if they are specifically related to the research. a. Materials and Supplies The budget should indicate in general terms the type of required expendable materials and supplies with their estimated costs. The breakdown should be more detailed when the cost is substantial. b. Publication Costs/Page Charges The budget may request funds for the costs of preparing and publishing the results of research, including costs of reports, reprints page charges, or other journal costs (except costs for prior or early publication), and necessary illustrations. c. Consultant Services Anticipated consultant services should be justified and information furnished on each individual's expertise, primary organizational affiliation, daily compensation rate and number of days expected service. Consultant's travel costs should be listed separately under travel in the budget. d. Computer Services The cost of computer services, including computer-based retrieval of scientific and technical information, may be requested. A justification based on the established computer service rates should be included. e. Subcontracts Subcontracts should be listed so that they can be properly evaluated. There should be an anticipated cost and an explanation of that cost for each subcontract. The total amount of each subcontract should also appear as a budget item. 4.6 Indirect Costs Explain the basis for each overhead and indirect cost. Include the current rates.
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