The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is now accepting applications for Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) grants for under-represented research within the program. Priority will be given to observational, data analysis, and/or modeling studies that use data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) or Atmospheric System Research (ASR) programs to:

• address current scientific uncertainties in the properties of boundary layer and mixed phase clouds, ice nucleation processes, and aerosol processes;
• make use of new ARM field campaign data to address ASR science goals; or
• develop new integrated data sets or new algorithms from ARM observations that can be used to address ASR science questions.

Successful applications will be part of the Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Program in the Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD). The mission of ASR is to improve the treatment of clouds, precipitation, aerosols, and radiative transfer processes in atmospheric models, that in turn are combined with ocean, terrestrial, and ice sheet models to make projections of climate change.

Potential applicants are required to submit a brief preapplication, referencing DE-FOA-0000885. Preapplications may not exceed two pages and should provide a clear and concise description of the objectives and technical approach of the proposed research. More details on the required preapplication information are given in the funding announcement. Applicants for collaborative projects should submit a single preapplication identifying all project participants.

Preapplications are required and must be submitted through the DOE Office of Science Portfolio Analysis and Management System by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on April 15, 2013.

Only those preapplicants that receive notification from DOE encouraging a formal application may submit full applications, which will be due May 29, 2013, 11:59 p.m. EDT.

A summary and full announcement is available on the DOE Office of Science website.