KS VV y ter fl! Dv & bok co a * DEC 27 1979 ¢ DEC 10 1979 Op, a ICE oF tHE = NOTICE OF PROGRAM INTEREST No. FE-NPI-80-001 SUPPORT OF ADVANCED COAL RESEARCH AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES The Office of Fossil Energy in the Department of Energy is interested in receiving research proposals from colleges and universities for research on advanced concepts related to coal conversion and utilization. The purposes of this overall effort are to improve our scientific and tech- nical understanding of the fundamental processes involved in the conversion and utilization of coal, to furnish technical support for ongoing and developing coal conversion processes so as to produce clean fuels in an environmentally acceptable manner, and to develop new approaches to the design of future coal conversion and utilization technologies. In order to develop a focused national and regional program of university research on coal conversion and utilization, the Department is particularly interested in research on the following topics: o Combustion of coal and synthetic fuels. © Coal characterization and specificity as related to liquefaction and gasification processes. o The structure and reactions of coal and analysis of its conversion products. o Multi-phase flow phenomena related to coal conversion processes. o Fundamental problems of reactor engineering. o Environmental aspects directly related to coal conversion processes and coal utilization. The Department of Energy will also consider supporting research on other coal related topics if the proposals offer exceptionally pertinent, promising or novel ideas for advancing our knowledge of coal conversion and utilization. Within these topical objectives, the Department is also interested in the following generic goals: (1) To promote university activity in research related to the conversion and utilization of coal resources. 2 (2): To stimulate innovative research projects related to the above topics. (3) To stimulate collaborative research efforts on coal among univer= sities, industry, and government laboratories. (4) To encourage senior faculty to undertake coal-related research or to continue their work in this area. (5) To encourage young faculty members to initiate coal-related research programs. (6) To enhance the training of university students through participation in coal-related research. , (7) To expand the base of fundamental knowledge needed to increase the use of coal resources. INFORMATION ABOUT PROPOSALS o Colleges, universities, and affiliated research institutes may submit proposals for consideration under this NPI. o The proposals submitted in response to this NPI should reference Notice of Program Interest No. FE-NPI-80-001, and must be signed by the principal investigator and by an authorizing official of the submitting institution. o Submitted proposals should not exceed 15 pages exclusive of appendices and attachments (although brevity is stressed for such attachments). Add- itional technical and supporting information may be subsequently requested by DOE following initial reviews of submitted proposals. 4s o If any proposed investigator is receiving or seeking other Federal assistance for similar research, relevant information about such other assistance must be included in the proposal. o Proposals submitted in response to this NPI will be reviewed by qualified experts in accordance with the factors listed in the DOE "Assistance Regulations," Federal Register, Vol. 44, No. 47, Part 600.34 i (1), March 8, 1979, with specific emphasis on the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research and on the factors listed as generic goals in paragraph 3 above. 3 o Each proposer is requested to submit fifteen (15) proposal copies. o To be considered for funding in this fiscal year (ending September 30, 1980), proposals submitted in response to this NPI should be received as soon as possible, and no later than March 1, 1980. o Proposals should be submitted to: Dr. Sun W. Chun Director, Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center U. S. Department of Energy 4800 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 o Cost sharing at a significant level is not required, although consideration will be given in the review of proposals to the degree of institutional commitment to the research proposed (including plans for industrial collaboration and information dissemination, as appropriate). o DOE reserves the right to support or not to support any or all proposals received in whole or in part. o DOE reserves the right to determine how many awards may be made through this announcement and within the total funds available in this fiscal year ($5,000,000). For multi-year proposals, consideration will be given to renewing an award for subsequent periods if requested by the principal investigator with institutional approval. Such renewals will depend on satisfactory progress and the availability of funds. o DOE plans to use grants as the award instrument for projects selected for support. ‘ o DOE assumes no responsibility for any costs associated with specific proposal preparation if no award is made. If an award is made, DOF will pay its allocable share of bid and proposals expenses as provided for in applicable Federal cost principles referenced in the DOE "Assistance Regulations,” Federal Register, Vol. 44, No. 47, Part 660.108, March 8, 1979. o Policies and procedures for patents. data, and copyrights are in accordance with Part 600.82 (DOE "Assistance Regulations," Federal Register, March 8, 1979) for grants and a separate section applicable to cooperative agreements, and 41 CFR Part 9. Proposers have the right to request in advance of or within 30 days after the effective date of award a waiver of all or any part of the United States rights in subject inventions. 4 o Response to this NPI does not limit the ability of the proposer to submit other proposals to DOE. o Additional specific information on proposal preparation may be found in "Guide for the Submission of Unsolicited Proposals" (available from the Procurement and Contracts Management Directorate, Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585). Detailed information concerning the DOE “Assistance Regulations" was published in the March 8, 1979, issue of the Federal Register. o Questions related to this NPI should be directed to either of the following: Irving Wender Acting Director, Office of Advanced Research and Technology Office of Fossil Energy U. S. Department of Energy Washington, D.C. 20545 (301) 353-2784 Richard E. Stephens Director, Division of Institutional Programs Office of Field Operations Management Office of Energy Research U. S. Department of Energy Washington, D.C. 20585 (202) 376-9188 PROPOSALS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THIS NPI DOE considers proposals in all areas of energy and energy-related develop- ment submitted by any individual or organization. For information about proposals outside the scope of this NPI, contact: Unsolicited Proposal Branch Procurement and Contracts Management Directorate U. S. Department of Energy Washington, D.C. 20585 (202) 376-9200 Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy