Scientific Discovery Through Advanced Computing: Partnerships in Basic Energy Sciences | DE FOA 0002441

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002441

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science is offering this funding opportunity under the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program, specifically for new SciDAC-5 Partnerships that support the missions of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) and Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR). The core purpose is to fund interdisciplinary research teams that can use advanced computational science and high-performance computing to enable or significantly speed up scientific discovery in targeted BES-related research areas. A key point is that proposals must align with one or more of the specific targeted topics listed in the announcement's supplementary information; submissions that do not clearly address at least one targeted topic can be rejected without being reviewed.

This opportunity is designed around the idea that major advances in basic energy sciences increasingly depend on sophisticated simulation, modeling, data methods, and software that can fully exploit DOE leadership-class computing resources. The announcement explicitly emphasizes the use of DOE high-end and high-performance computing (HPC) facilities. In practical terms, "DOE HPC" is defined broadly here to include not only leadership systems but also high-performance production systems, especially at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC). It also includes current or planned systems at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) and the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), along with similar DOE computing facilities anticipated to be available during the performance period.

A major feature of this solicitation is its expectation that funded teams will be positioned to take advantage of the transition to exascale computing. The announcement specifically points to exascale or next-generation flagship systems expected within the covered timeframe, including Perlmutter (NERSC), Aurora (ALCF), and Frontier (OLCF), and it directs applicants to facility websites for details about these machines and planned upgrades. In other words, proposed work is expected to be credible and compelling in the context of rapidly evolving HPC architectures and capabilities, and to be oriented toward impactful science outcomes that benefit from those resources.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity from the DOE Office of Science (CFDA 81.049) in the broad category of science and technology research and development. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant types may apply if they can meet DOE requirements and assemble the kind of interdisciplinary partnership the program is seeking. The funding opportunity number is DE-FOA-0002441. The original closing date was April 6, 2021, and the opportunity was created December 9, 2020. The award ceiling is listed at $2,000,000, indicating the maximum expected funding per award under this call, and the announcement notes expected awards but does not provide a number in the supplied text.

Taken together, the grant is essentially aimed at teams that sit at the intersection of domain science in BES and advanced computing in ASCR: groups that can develop and apply cutting-edge computational approaches, produce usable scientific software and methods, and demonstrate that DOE HPC resources are central to achieving the proposed scientific objectives. The strict alignment requirement with the targeted topics is also a defining characteristic of this call, since topic mismatch can lead to an application being declined without full peer review.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Scientific Discovery Through Advanced Computing: Partnerships in Basic Energy Sciences" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for DE FOA 0002441

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