75270 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 232 / Friday, December 1, 2000 / Notices

ACTION: Notice of Competitive Financial

Assistance Solicitation.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE), Idaho Operations Office,

is seeking applications from U.S.

institutions of higher learning, whether

private or public, for cost shared

research, which will reduce energy

consumption, reduce environmental

impacts and enhance economic

competitiveness of the domestic

aluminum industry. This solicitation

seeks proposals for fundamental

research in support of the development

and implementation of energy efficiency

technologies for the aluminum industry.

Applicants are encouraged to utilize the

widest possible range of creative and

technically feasible approaches to

address research priorities identified by

the aluminum industry in the

Aluminum Industry Technology

Roadmap and the Inert Anode

Roadmap.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of

applications is 5:00 p.m. EST on March

7, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The formal solicitation

document will be disseminated

electronically as Solicitation Number

DE–PS07–01ID14014, UniversityIndustry Partnerships for Aluminum

Industry of the Future Program, through

the Industry Interactive Procurement

System (IIPS) located at the following

URL: http://e-center.doe.gov. IIPS

provides the medium for disseminating

solicitations, receiving financial

assistance applications and evaluating

the applications in a paperless

environment. Completed applications

are required to be submitted via IIPS.

Individuals who have the authority to

enter their company into a legally

binding contract/agreement and intend

to submit proposals/applications via the

IIPS system must register and receive

confirmation that they are registered

prior to being able to submit an

application on the IIPS system. An IIPS

‘‘User Guide for Contractors’’ can be

obtained by going to the IIPS Homepage

at the following URL:http://ecenter.doe.gov and then clicking on the

‘‘Help’’ button. Questions regarding the

operation of IIPS may be e-mailed to the

IIPS Help Desk at IIPSHelpDesk@ecenter.doe.gov or call the help desk at

(800) 683–0751.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carol Van Lente, Contract Specialist, at

vanlencl@id.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

statutory authority for this program is

the Federal Non-Nuclear Energy

Research & Development Act of 1974

(P.L. 93–577). Approximately $600,000

in federal funds is expected to be

available to fund the first year of

selected research efforts. DOE

anticipates making approximately six

cooperative agreement awards each with

a budget of $100,000 a year or less and

a project performance period of three

years or less.

Issued in Idaho Falls on November 24,

2000.

R.J. Hoyles,

Director, Procurement Services Division.

[FR Doc. 00–30638 Filed 11–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Science

Office of Science Financial Assistance

Program Notice 01–03; Nanoscale

Science, Engineering, and Technology

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting research grant

applications.

SUMMARY: The Office of Basic Energy

Sciences (BES) of the Office of Science

(SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE),

hereby announces its interest in

receiving grant applications for

innovative research on the topic of

nanoscale science, engineering and

technology. Opportunities exist for

research with primary focus in materials

sciences, chemical sciences, and

engineering sciences. More specific

information is outlined in the

supplementary information section

below.

DATES: Potential applicants are strongly

encouraged to submit a brief

preapplication. All preapplications,

referencing Program Notice 01–03,

should be received by DOE by 4:30 p.m.,

E.S.T., January 12, 2001. A response to

the preapplications encouraging or

discouraging a formal application

generally will be communicated to the

applicant within 21 days of receipt. The

deadline for receipt of formal

applications is 4:30 p.m., E.S.T. March

14, 2001, in order to be accepted for

merit review and to permit timely

consideration for award in Fiscal Year

2001.

ADDRESSES: All preapplications

referencing Program Notice 01–03

should be sent to Dr. Jerry J. Smith,

Division of Materials Sciences and

Engineering, SC–13, Office of Science,

U.S. Department of Energy, 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown MD

20874–1290. Formal applications

referencing Program Notice 01–03

should be forwarded to: U.S.

Department of Energy, Office of Science,

Grants and Contracts Division, SC–64,

19901 Germantown Road, Germantown,

Maryland 20874–1290, ATTN: Program

Notice 01–03. This address must also be

used when submitting applications by

U.S. Postal Service Express, any

commercial mail delivery service, or

when hand carried by the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

questions concerning research topics in

specific technical areas, contact the

following individuals in the appropriate

area of interest:

Materials Sciences: Dr. Jerry J. Smith,

Division of Materials Sciences and

Engineering, SC–13, Office of Science,

U.S. Department of Energy, 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown, MD

20874–1290, telephone (301) 903–4269,

e-mail: jerry.smith@science.doe.gov.

Chemical Sciences: Dr. Paul H. Smith,

Division of Chemical Sciences,

Geosciences, and Biosciences, SC–14,

Office of Science, U.S. Department of

Energy, 19901 Germantown Road,

Germantown, MD 20874–1290,

telephone (301) 903–5806, e-mail:

paul.h.smith@science.doe.gov.

Engineering Sciences: Dr. Robert

Price, Division of Materials Sciences

and Engineering, SC–13, Office of

Science, U.S. Department of Energy,

19901 Germantown Road, Germantown,

MD 20874–1290, telephone (301) 903–

3565, e-mail:

bob.price@science.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Controlling and manipulating matter at

the atomic and molecular scale is the

essence of nanoscale science,

engineering, and technology (NSET).

The BES program has worked with the

National Science and Technology

Council’s Interagency Working Group

on Nanotechnology, with the Basic

Energy Sciences Advisory Committee

(BESAC), and with the broad scientific

community from academia, industry,

and the National Laboratories to define

and articulate the goals of this research.

The BES program in NSET has the

following overarching goals: (1) Attain a

fundamental scientific understanding of

nanoscale phenomena; (2) achieve the

ability to design and synthesize

materials at the atomic level to produce

materials with desired properties and

functions; (3) attain a fundamental

understanding of the natural processes

for the creation of materials and

functional systems to serve as a guide

and a benchmark by which to measure

progress in synthetic design and

synthesis; and (4) develop experimental

characterization tools and theory/

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 232 / Friday, December 1, 2000 / Notices 75271

modeling/simulation tools necessary to

understand, predict, and control

nanoscale phenomena.

Two recent reports prepared by the

BES program, which address both NSET

research and broader program goals that

are dependent on nanoscale

understanding, are available on the

internet. These reports are Complex

Systems: Science for the 21st Century

(1999) available at: http://

www.sc.doe.gov/production/bes/

complexsystems.htm and Nanoscale

Science, Engineering and Technology

Research Directions (1999) available at:

http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/bes/

nanoscale.html. These reports detail

current topics supported by BES in the

area of NSET, describe future research

directions, and should be used as a

guide to appropriate proposal topics.

Applications in these areas will be

accepted from individual investigators

or groups of 2–4 investigators.

Program Funding

It is anticipated that up to $18 million

will be available for grant awards during

FY 2001, contingent upon the

availability of appropriated funds.

Multiple year funding of grant awards is

expected, also contingent upon the

availability of appropriated funds,

progress of the research and continuing

program need. Applications received by

the Office of Science, Office of Basic

Energy Sciences, under its current

competitive application mechanisms

may be deemed appropriate for

consideration under this notice and may

be funded under this program.

Preapplications

A brief preapplication may be

submitted. The preapplication should

identify on the cover sheet the

institution, principal investigator name,

address, telephone, fax and e-mail

address, title of the project, and the field

of scientific research. The

preapplication should consist of no

more than a three-page narrative

describing the research project

objectives and methods of

accomplishment. These will be

reviewed relative to the scope and

research needs of the Nanoscale

Science, Engineering, and Technology

initiative and DOE programmatic needs.

Preapplications are strongly encouraged

but not required prior to submission of

a formal application. Please note that

notification of a successful

preapplication is not an indication that

an award will be made in response to

the formal application.

Merit Review

Applications will be subjected to

scientific merit review (peer review) and

will be evaluated against the following

evaluation criteria listed in descending

order of importance as codified at 10

CFR Part 605.10(d) (www.sc.doe.gov/

production/grants/605index.html):

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.

The evaluation will include program

policy factors such as the relevance of

the proposed research to the terms of

the announcement and an agency’s

programmatic needs. Note, 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. Applicants 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. A parallel

invitation with a similar potential total

amount of funds has been sent to DOE

FFRDCs. All projects will be evaluated

using the same criteria, regardless of the

submitting institution.

Information about the development

and submission of applications,

eligibility, limitations, evaluation,

selection process, and other policies and

procedures 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

available via the World Wide Web at:

http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/

grants/grants.html. On the grant face

page, form DOE F 4650.2, block 15,

provide the principal investigator’s

phone number, fax number and e-mail

address. The research description must

be 20 pages or less, exclusive of figure

illustrations, 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.

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 November 17,

2000.

John Rodney Clark,

Associate Director of Science for Resource

Management.

[FR Doc. 00–30640 Filed 11–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa

AGENCY: Office of International Affairs,

DOE.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE) and the Overseas Private

Investment Corporation (OPIC)

announce the creation of the U.S.-Africa

Sustainable Energy Program. Using

$400,000.00 in grants and loans to U.S.

not-for-profit entities, non-governmental

organizations, and small businesses, the

program will facilitate investment in

sustainable energy projects in Africa.

Interested parties should submit

applications to OPIC. Applications will

be reviewed by OPIC and DOE and

applicants that meet OPIC Requirements

and the Program’s Selection Criteria,

will be considered for the program.

Specific information on OPIC

Requirements and Program’s Selection

Criteria is available on the OPIC website

(http://www.opic.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle Billig, IA–32, International

Affairs Specialist, U.S. Department of

Energy, Office of American and African

Affairs, 1000 Independence Ave., SW,

Washington, DC 20585, Phone: (202)

586–3209; Sam Smoots, Investment

Development, Overseas Private

Investment Corporation 1100 New York

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20527,

Phone: (202) 336–8645.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the

DOE-sponsored U.S.-Africa Energy

Ministers conference in Tucson,

Arizona, in December 1999, U.S. Energy

Secretary Bill Richardson and Overseas

Private Investment Corporation’s

President and CEO George Mun ̃oz

unveiled the U.S. Africa Sustainable

Energy Program. This program promotes

U.S. clean energy technologies and

services in an effort to bring private

capital and skills to Africa in a

partnering relationship. Using

$400,000.00 in grants and loans to U.S.

not-for-profit entities, non-governmental

organizations, and small businesses, the

program will facilitate investment in

sustainable energy projects in Africa.

Interested parties should submit