U.S. Department of Energy’sU.S. Department of Energy’sOOffice of Scienceffice of ScienceU.S. Department of Energy’sU.S. Department of Energy’sOOffice of Scienceffice of Science

BERAC MeetingBethesda North Marriott Hotel

& Conference Center

Jerry ElwoodActing Associate Director of Science

for Biological and Environmental Research

October 16, 2006

State of BERState of BER

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

FY 2007 Operating Status: 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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

BER FY 2006 Appropriation, FY 2007 Request, BER FY 2006 Appropriation, FY 2007 Request, and FTY 2007 Senate and House Mark:and FTY 2007 Senate and House Mark: BER FY 2006 Appropriation, FY 2007 Request, BER FY 2006 Appropriation, FY 2007 Request, and FTY 2007 Senate and House Mark: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.

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

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…”

Congressional language that could affect BER in FY 2007:Congressional language that could affect BER in FY 2007:

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

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

Life Sciences and Medical Applications:Life Sciences and Medical Applications:Life Sciences and Medical Applications:Life Sciences and Medical Applications:

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

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

Life Sciences and Medical Applications:Life Sciences and Medical Applications:- (cont.)- (cont.)Life Sciences and Medical Applications:Life Sciences and Medical Applications:- (cont.)- (cont.)

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

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.

Life Sciences and Medical Applications:Life Sciences and Medical Applications:- (cont.)- (cont.)Life Sciences and Medical Applications:Life Sciences and Medical Applications:- (cont.)- (cont.)

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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Climate Change Research: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.

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Climate Change Research: - cont 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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Climate Change Research: - contClimate 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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Status of Terrestrial Carbon Processes (TCP) Research Program: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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

TCP Awards:TCP Awards:TCP Awards: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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

BERAC reviews in 2007: 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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Environmental Remediation Sciences Division (ERSD):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

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Environmental Remediation Sciences Division (ERSD): - cont.

Environmental Remediation Sciences Division (ERSD): - cont.

EMSL refreshRefreshment 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