**Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Response to the Report of the Basic Energy
Sciences Advisory Committee Committee of Visitors (COV) Review of the
BES Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division**

+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
|   | **COV Recommendation/Comment**   | **BES Response**                |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Program Management Database**  | BES will work with SC to port   |
| * |                                  | existing database software and  |
| 1 | The COV strongly recommends the  | improve IMSC for use by all of  |
| * | development of standardized      | SC. BES will also work to       |
| * | database software and a coherent | develop, deploy and maintain a  |
|   | BES-wide computer database that  | new database to improve the     |
|   | would include information on     | efficiency of the handling of   |
|   | reviewers, proposal tracking,    | proposals and to assist program |
|   | documentation of decisions, and  | managers in selecting           |
|   | funding history and productivity | reviewers, tracking research    |
|   | of investigators. The            | performance, and quantifying    |
|   | establishment of an effective    | demographics, such as           |
|   | database is seen by the COV as   | diversity. The new BES database |
|   | mandatory to the effective       | activity will take advantage of |
|   | management of a program as       | relevant SC and DOE information |
|   | diverse and complex as the BES   | technologies to improve BES     |
|   | research portfolio.              | information management.         |
|   | Implementation of this           | Required resources will be      |
|   | recommendation would require new | requested from SC, as           |
|   | resources, which should be       | appropriate.                    |
|   | provided by the Office of        |                                 |
|   | Science.                         |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Improved Solicitation of       | BES will develop an electronic  |
| * | Proposals**                      | mailing list for direct         |
| 2 |                                  | communication with university   |
| * | Improved solicitation of         | administrators. Informational   |
| * | proposals from university        | e-mails will be sent to the     |
|   | scientists is desirable through  | university contacts on the      |
|   | various avenues, including "Dear | mailing list when new           |
|   | Colleague" letters of the type   | solicitations, reports, etc.    |
|   | used by NSF and a wider          | are available.                  |
|   | distribution of program          |                                 |
|   | announcements. Workshop reports  |                                 |
|   | are generally available on the   |                                 |
|   | Internet                         |                                 |
|   | (htt                             |                                 |
|   | p://www.science.doe.gov/bes/chm/ |                                 |
|   | Publications/publications.html), |                                 |
|   | and this URL should be included  |                                 |
|   | in all program announcements and |                                 |
|   | solicitations.                   |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Attendance at Contractors      | BES is concerned that this      |
| * | Meetings**                       | recommendation would have       |
| 3 |                                  | unintended consequences,        |
| * | The COV recommends inclusion of  | because the selection of        |
| * | additional non-funded            | specific, unfunded individuals  |
|   | participants in the annual       | to attend contractors meetings  |
|   | contractors meetings,            | would be viewed as picking      |
|   | particularly young investigators | winners from among members of   |
|   | and underrepresented minorities, | the research community. The     |
|   | with their expenses covered by   | attendance of pre-selected      |
|   | the Division when possible. This | individuals at contractors      |
|   | practice would enhance the       | meetings would be viewed as     |
|   | impact and breadth of the        | giving them the advantages of   |
|   | program by encouraging new       | an intimate knowledge of our    |
|   | participants and educating both  | core research portfolios and    |
|   | contractors and non-contractors  | familiarity with our program    |
|   | about possible research avenues. | managers, which are advantages  |
|   | It could also potentially        | that are not available to all   |
|   | address diversity issues noted   | scientists. BES core programs   |
|   | earlier.                         | fund many open meetings,        |
|   |                                  | including Gordon conferences    |
|   |                                  | and national society symposia,  |
|   |                                  | where the research funded by    |
|   |                                  | BES is highlighted. The support |
|   |                                  | we provide often comes with the |
|   |                                  | requirement that it pay for     |
|   |                                  | students, postdocs, and         |
|   |                                  | principal investigators at the  |
|   |                                  | start of their careers.         |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Travel to Meetings and         | BES agrees that attendance at   |
| * | Conferences**                    | national meetings and topical   |
| 4 |                                  | conferences is one of the best  |
| * | The annual travel budget of      | mechanisms for communicating    |
| * | Program Managers should be       | the programs of BES to          |
|   | increased by 40-50% in order to  | potential new principal         |
|   | allow them to visit grantees and | investigators and for learning  |
|   | to attend at least two major     | scientific trends and           |
|   | national meetings each year, as  | challenges of interest to DOE.  |
|   | well as one more topical         | BES will request additional     |
|   | conference and the annual        | travel funds to allow the       |
|   | contractors meeting. Attendance  | implementation of this          |
|   | at national meetings and topical | recommendation.                 |
|   | conferences should be strongly   |                                 |
|   | encouraged by Division (and      |                                 |
|   | OBES) management as part of the  |                                 |
|   | expected Program Manager         |                                 |
|   | activities.                      |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Cross Fertilization through    | The attendance of many program  |
| * | Contractor Meeting Attendance**  | managers at contractors'        |
| 5 |                                  | meetings within the Division is |
| * | In order to enhance              | strongly encouraged and is      |
| * | cross-fertilization between      | becoming more routine since BES |
|   | different programs within the    | stipulated that all such        |
|   | Division, the COV recommends     | meetings should be held in the  |
|   | that Program Managers attend     | Washington, DC area. In         |
|   | contractors meetings in other    | addition, new contractor        |
|   | Division programs when possible  | meetings that span several core |
|   | and potentially useful.          | research areas are being        |
|   |                                  | encouraged. An example is the   |
|   |                                  | Condensed Phase and Interfacial |
|   |                                  | Molecular Sciences (CPIMS)      |
|   |                                  | contractor meeting, now in its  |
|   |                                  | second year, which combines     |
|   |                                  | scientists from the chemical    |
|   |                                  | physics and photochemistry and  |
|   |                                  | radiation research programs.    |
|   |                                  | This year, six PIs from the     |
|   |                                  | catalysis program will also be  |
|   |                                  | speaking at the CPIMS meeting,  |
|   |                                  | which will have surface         |
|   |                                  | reactivity as a principal       |
|   |                                  | theme.                          |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Anonymous Mail Reviews for All | All single-investigator and     |
| * | Proposals**                      | other small research proposals  |
| 6 |                                  | within the Division are peer    |
| * | Anonymous mail reviews should be | reviewed by anonymous mail      |
| * | sought and used in evaluating    | reviews. Larger research        |
|   | all proposals, including         | programs, including many DOE    |
|   | multi-investigator proposals     | laboratory programs and some    |
|   | from national labs and           | university programs, are        |
|   | universities, where site reviews | reviewed by peer scientists who |
|   | are commonly the primary means   | take part in a site review      |
|   | of evaluation. This              | before submitting anonymous     |
|   | recommendation would result in   | written comments. In many       |
|   | an additional workload for       | cases, anonymous mail reviews   |
|   | Program Managers.                | are also obtained for these     |
|   |                                  | programs in order to provide    |
|   |                                  | coverage of science areas that  |
|   |                                  | can't be covered with a         |
|   |                                  | reasonable number of site       |
|   |                                  | reviewers. The purpose of the   |
|   |                                  | site review is to allow the     |
|   |                                  | reviewers to understand the     |
|   |                                  | scientific synergy, research    |
|   |                                  | environment, and management of  |
|   |                                  | complex, multi-investigator     |
|   |                                  | research programs. Individual   |
|   |                                  | reviewers rarely have the       |
|   |                                  | expertise to evaluate every     |
|   |                                  | facet of such programs, but the |
|   |                                  | site review panel, sometimes    |
|   |                                  | supplemented by mail reviewers, |
|   |                                  | is chosen to cover the breadth  |
|   |                                  | of research in the program. BES |
|   |                                  | implemented new guidelines for  |
|   |                                  | DOE laboratory reviews in late  |
|   |                                  | FY2002. The guidelines require  |
|   |                                  | DOE laboratory reviews to be    |
|   |                                  | based on proposed research      |
|   |                                  | rather than retrospective       |
|   |                                  | performance. Since the full     |
|   |                                  | implementation of the new       |
|   |                                  | guidelines, about half way      |
|   |                                  | through the period covered by   |
|   |                                  | this COV, we have observed that |
|   |                                  | written reviews provided by     |
|   |                                  | site reviewers are extremely    |
|   |                                  | thorough, very critical, and    |
|   |                                  | valuable for our funding        |
|   |                                  | decisions. At this time, BES    |
|   |                                  | does not agree that site        |
|   |                                  | reviews are "softer" than       |
|   |                                  | anonymous mail reviews, and we  |
|   |                                  | believe that the significant    |
|   |                                  | workload increase associated    |
|   |                                  | with requiring anonymous mail   |
|   |                                  | reviews in addition to site     |
|   |                                  | reviews would not be            |
|   |                                  | productive.                     |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Long-Term Support for          | BES agrees that long-term       |
| * | Research**                       | support of research that is     |
| 7 |                                  | relevant to the energy mission  |
| * | The BES practice of providing    | has resulted in many scientific |
| * | long-term support to very high   | advances. We agree that new     |
|   | quality research programs that   | investigators deserve funding   |
|   | address the DOE mission and      | when the proposed science is    |
|   | long-term BES goals should be    | relevant to the mission and     |
|   | continued. The COV recognizes,   | perceived to be of potentially  |
|   | however, the importance of       | higher quality than science     |
|   | bringing in the best new         | that is already funded.         |
|   | investigators when their         |                                 |
|   | proposed science is better than  |                                 |
|   | that currently being funded.     |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Young Investigator Program**   | With current funding            |
| * |                                  | projections suggesting flat or  |
| 8 | The COV strongly recommends that | declining funding for the core  |
| * | the CSGB Division consider       | research programs, the          |
| * | implementing a young             | implementation of a young       |
|   | investigator program that would  | investigator program would      |
|   | encourage younger university     | require a devastating round of  |
|   | scientists and engineers to      | terminations. BES believes this |
|   | become involved in research      | would be too disruptive at the  |
|   | relevant to the DOE mission and  | present time. However, BES      |
|   | long-term BES goals.             | agrees with the philosophy that |
|   | Implementing this recommendation | young investigators must be     |
|   | would require reallocating some  | added to the program and        |
|   | of the existing funding within   | proposes to modify our calls    |
|   | the Division.                    | for proposals to specifically   |
|   |                                  | encourage young investigators   |
|   |                                  | to submit proposals and to      |
|   |                                  | provide detailed feedback to    |
|   |                                  | those investigators when the    |
|   |                                  | funding decision is made. Such  |
|   |                                  | a statement was placed in the   |
|   |                                  | Catalysis Science call for      |
|   |                                  | proposals in FY2003, and        |
|   |                                  | resulted in 42 new              |
|   |                                  | investigators entering the      |
|   |                                  | catalysis program, many of whom |
|   |                                  | were young investigators.       |
|   |                                  | Program manager attendance at   |
|   |                                  | more national and topical       |
|   |                                  | conferences will also provide   |
|   |                                  | useful contacts with young      |
|   |                                  | investigators. For example,     |
|   |                                  | when travel budgets allow       |
|   |                                  | attendance at Gordon            |
|   |                                  | conferences, several Program    |
|   |                                  | Managers have hosted informal   |
|   |                                  | sessions for young              |
|   |                                  | investigators, explaining our   |
|   |                                  | research programs and giving    |
|   |                                  | advice on how to write a good   |
|   |                                  | proposal.                       |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Funding Set-asides for Renewal | The COV interpreted the normal  |
| * | Proposals**                      | BES and Office of Science       |
| 9 |                                  | budget process as creating a    |
| * | The current practice among       | set aside for renewal           |
| * | Program Managers of setting      | proposals. This is not correct. |
|   | aside funding in anticipation of | Team Leaders and Program        |
|   | renewal proposals from existing  | Managers balance renewals and   |
|   | PI's limits turn-over in         | new proposals throughout the    |
|   | programs and should be carefully | year.                           |
|   | monitored in order to insure     |                                 |
|   | that the best mix of continuing  |                                 |
|   | and new programs is funded.      |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Co-funding Between Programs**  | It is already possible within   |
| * |                                  | BES for more than one core      |
| 1 | All programs in the CSGB         | program to co-fund a research   |
| 0 | Division should explore          | program. This mechanism is used |
| * | mechanisms of co-funding between | for enabling the evolution of   |
| * | programs to facilitate           | core research areas at the      |
|   | cross-fertilization where it     | interface between sub-fields,   |
|   | makes sense. Such                | and BES will continue to        |
|   | cross-fertilization could also   | encourage this practice.        |
|   | be facilitated by holding joint  |                                 |
|   | contractors meetings when there  |                                 |
|   | is significant overlap between   |                                 |
|   | portfolio elements in different  |                                 |
|   | programs or when new             |                                 |
|   | opportunities for cross-cutting  |                                 |
|   | research are recognized.         |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Integration of Energy          | BES agrees that there are       |
| * | Biosciences with other Core      | significant scientific          |
| 1 | Programs**                       | opportunities at the interface  |
| 1 |                                  | between the biosciences and the |
| * | A plan should be developed to    | physical sciences, particularly |
| * | better integrate portfolio       | in the areas highlighted by the |
|   | elements in the Energy           | COV. Following the loss this    |
|   | Biosciences program with the     | summer of the long-term Energy  |
|   | Photochemistry & Radiation       | Biosciences Program Managers,   |
|   | Research, Catalysis & Chemical   | new leadership is being sought  |
|   | Transformation, and Geosciences  | to maintain the tradition of    |
|   | programs. The COV noted a number | excellence of that program and  |
|   | of similar portfolio elements in | also to identify and invest in  |
|   | these different programs as well | biosciences research that       |
|   | as opportunities for significant | increases our knowledge of      |
|   | cross- fertilization.            | detailed natural processes      |
|   |                                  | related to photochemical energy |
|   |                                  | conversion, highly specific     |
|   |                                  | catalytic chemical conversions, |
|   |                                  | functional biological           |
|   |                                  | nanostructures and nanomachines |
|   |                                  | and the interface between the   |
|   |                                  | biological and inanimate world. |
|   |                                  | We believe the biosciences      |
|   |                                  | program would be enhanced if it |
|   |                                  | could achieve scientific        |
|   |                                  | leverage based on BES           |
|   |                                  | investments in other areas such |
|   |                                  | as major user facilities.       |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Reevaluate and Refocus the     | See BES response to #11         |
| * | Energy Biosciences Program**     |                                 |
| 1 |                                  |                                 |
| 2 | Because of the need to appoint   |                                 |
| * | new Program Managers in the      |                                 |
| * | Energy Biosciences program, the  |                                 |
|   | Division should take this        |                                 |
|   | opportunity to reevaluate and    |                                 |
|   | refocus this program in accord   |                                 |
|   | with the overall directions and  |                                 |
|   | mission priorities of BES and    |                                 |
|   | the Division.                    |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Review of the Radiation        | The principal research elements |
| * | Research Program**               | of the Radiation Research       |
| 1 |                                  | program are located at DOE      |
| 3 | A careful review of the          | laboratories and at the Notre   |
| * | organization and staffing of the | Dame Radiation Laboratory at    |
| * | Radiation Research program is    | the University of Notre Dame.   |
|   | strongly recommended as a means  | These program elements were     |
|   | of increasing its national and   | reviewed during FY2002-FY2004,  |
|   | international standing.          | i.e., the timeframe under       |
|   |                                  | investigation by this COV. The  |
|   |                                  | reviews revealed some           |
|   |                                  | weaknesses in either research   |
|   |                                  | directions or the performances  |
|   |                                  | of individual scientists.       |
|   |                                  | Because the BES Radiation       |
|   |                                  | Research program is the only    |
|   |                                  | such program in the country and |
|   |                                  | is critical to the DOE mission, |
|   |                                  | all reviews resulted in very    |
|   |                                  | deliberate instructions to the  |
|   |                                  | field managers of the radiation |
|   |                                  | science projects to improve     |
|   |                                  | both programs and program       |
|   |                                  | management. The progress in     |
|   |                                  | each case is being carefully    |
|   |                                  | tracked. Reviews are held on a  |
|   |                                  | three-year cycle, and there     |
|   |                                  | will be a new round of reviews  |
|   |                                  | beginning in FY2006. It is the  |
|   |                                  | intention of BES to critically  |
|   |                                  | evaluate the stature and status |
|   |                                  | of these research programs and  |
|   |                                  | their response to previous      |
|   |                                  | guidance. Funding and staffing  |
|   |                                  | decisions will be consistent    |
|   |                                  | with the COV's recommendation   |
|   |                                  | to increase the national and    |
|   |                                  | international standing of this  |
|   |                                  | research area. The Division is  |
|   |                                  | also incorporating much of this |
|   |                                  | program as a part of the new    |
|   |                                  | contractors\' meeting on        |
|   |                                  | Condensed Phase and Interfacial |
|   |                                  | Molecular Science. This         |
|   |                                  | provides important              |
|   |                                  | cross-fertilization and         |
|   |                                  | potential collaborations        |
|   |                                  | between chemical physicists and |
|   |                                  | radiation scientists on         |
|   |                                  | mission-relevant problems, such |
|   |                                  | as the chemistry driven by      |
|   |                                  | low-energy electrons generated  |
|   |                                  | by radiolysis in complex,       |
|   |                                  | condensed media.                |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Maintain and Expand Funding    | BES is the steward of heavy     |
| * | for the Heavy Element Chemistry  | element chemistry research      |
| 1 | Program**                        | within DOE. The budget for this |
| 4 |                                  | program has been increased by   |
| * | Maintain and if possible expand  | at least 40% over the past six  |
| * | funding in the Heavy Element     | years through reprogramming in  |
|   | Chemistry program and in other   | an attempt to maintain the      |
|   | areas of particular importance   | quality of the science.         |
|   | to the DOE mission, especially   | However, as pointed out by the  |
|   | for those programs with no other | COV in their report, there is a |
|   | realistic funding sources. This  | serious workforce issue in      |
|   | is extremely important for       | heavy element chemistry due to  |
|   | maintaining the workforce in     | the lack of new, young          |
|   | areas of importance to the DOE   | scientists being trained to     |
|   | mission.                         | replace the existing workforce. |
|   |                                  | The Division is currently       |
|   |                                  | developing plans to partner     |
|   |                                  | with other federal agencies     |
|   |                                  | (NSF and NIH) and other parts   |
|   |                                  | of DOE (NNSA) to raise          |
|   |                                  | awareness of the importance of  |
|   |                                  | heavy element chemistry (and    |
|   |                                  | nuclear chemistry and radiation |
|   |                                  | chemistry) to many critical     |
|   |                                  | areas such as stewardship of    |
|   |                                  | the nuclear stockpile, defense  |
|   |                                  | against nuclear terrorism, and  |
|   |                                  | nuclear medicine.               |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Portfolio Prioritization**     | Prioritization of research      |
| * |                                  | funding is part of the annual   |
| 1 | In light of relatively flat      | BES budget formulation. In      |
| 5 | funding within BES, the COV      | addition, the Division          |
| * | recommends that BES prioritize   | Director, through discussions   |
| * | its funding portfolio in order   | with Team Leaders and Program   |
|   | to continue supporting areas     | Managers, analyzes and          |
|   | critical to DOE missions at an   | prioritizes the Division        |
|   | appropriate level.               | funding portfolio to align the  |
|   |                                  | research program with the BES   |
|   |                                  | mission, scientific             |
|   |                                  | opportunities and priorities,   |
|   |                                  | and budget constraints.         |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Diversity**                    | BES has discussed with the      |
| * |                                  | Director of SC the fact that SC |
| 1 | We recommend that the DOE should | currently has no mechanism for  |
| 6 | design appropriate methods to    | documenting or tracking the     |
| * | monitor gender, race, and        | diversity of funded principal   |
| * | career-stage diversity within    | investigators or the pool of    |
|   | programs through consultation    | peer reviewers. The Director of |
|   | with colleagues at other federal | SC instructed BES to take the   |
|   | agencies. Diversity issues       | lead in SC for investigating    |
|   | within the Division (and BES)    | how to remedy this situation.   |
|   | could be addressed through the   | BES agrees that diversity is an |
|   | appointment of a Diversity       | important workforce issue and   |
|   | Committee, which should report   | that tracking and documenting   |
|   | its findings and recommendations | diversity is important to       |
|   | to the next COV. The overall     | professional program            |
|   | goal of this effort should be to | management. Until such data are |
|   | develop and nurture a diverse    | available, BES will ensure that |
|   | work force while focusing on     | every Program Manager is aware  |
|   | excellent science aimed at the   | of the importance of diversity  |
|   | missions of DOE.                 | to the future of BES and SC. We |
|   |                                  | are also co-sponsoring a        |
|   |                                  | workshop with NSF and NIH in    |
|   |                                  | the Fall of 2005 aimed at       |
|   |                                  | improving the number of women   |
|   |                                  | on Chemistry faculties at       |
|   |                                  | research universities           |
|   |                                  | throughout the country.         |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| * | **Program Management Staff**     | BES agrees that the size and    |
| * |                                  | complexity of the three         |
| 1 | The COV recommends that the      | highlighted portfolios require  |
| 7 | Division be allocated at least   | additional permanent staff in   |
| * | three new Program Manager        | order to maintain outstanding   |
| * | positions to be distributed      | science and to take advantage   |
|   | among the Chemical Physics,      | of new scientific               |
|   | Catalysis & Chemical             | opportunities, especially in    |
|   | Transformation, and Energy       | multi-disciplinary research.    |
|   | Biosciences programs. These      | This is especially true as we   |
|   | three programs are the largest   | strive to partner and           |
|   | in the Division in terms of      | coordinate with the DOE         |
|   | number of funded proposals, and  | technology offices on           |
|   | they comprise complex research   | high-priority basic research    |
|   | portfolios in scientific areas   | needs for energy security.      |
|   | that are evolving rapidly and    | These programs will be given    |
|   | hold great promise for           | high priority for future        |
|   | breakthroughs in energy          | additions to the staff.         |
|   | research.                        |                                 |
+---+----------------------------------+---------------------------------+